Binding of Time(Private)

The musky smell of aged mahogany and paper that had been taken from the threat of humidity in a desperate hope to save their knowledge from the elements. The sturdy building that housed these tombs of truth and fiction served as its own dimension within a world of falsities and misunderstanding. Within these walls, encased within books that were created by mortals so that their words could live on far beyond their own lives, there were housed a million truths. For every one of these truths, there were truths that completely contradicted them. A concept that could boggle even the most adept mind, making a wise man grasp for an answer that could explain the paradox. In truth, though, even contradicting truths held their own entitled correctness. Truth was always in the eye of the beholder, and the only unbiased source of fact was found within math. To take these conflicting answers that beg for attention and find the narrow ground that housed reality, however, was something that most never bothered with. To take a side and stand on that side, shouting to the world to proclaim their ignorance as enlightenment, was a truly disgusting thing. There were those who chose to shrug of the hell that was ignorance, though, and to do their best to find the reality buried within an infinite amount of truths.

One of these such people was the Blue Pegasus mage, new to Magnolia and ready to learn what the town could offer him. The only pain, of course, was the fact that he could not make himself an omnipresent being within the town. The only truths that he could absorb were the ones that happened in his immediate vicinity, a terribly crippling blow to the pursuit of knowledge. That did not stop the young man, whose light violet eyes seemed to absorb everything they saw and whose ears, shrouded by black hair and strained desperately to take in every noise, from trying though. Reading a book known as "The First Great Mage War" and listening to the people who were within the library whisper and gossip, obviously more interested in the words that could be spoken than the words that were imprinted in text, Illiad resolved himself to make the most of today through whatever opportunities stepped his way.

An eerie silence could be heard throughout the book-filled room as the soldier flipped through the pages of the records she had been holding for quite some time now. How long had it been? Minutes? Hours? Days? Regardless, no one had ventured deep into the hidden, lower levels of the library to retrieve her. Not that it mattered much for the young Neko for she rather enjoyed the solidarity and privacy she had been able to obtain. Much work had been accomplished, yet she was no closer to obtaining the very item that would end her cursed life, the Forbidden Dagger. It would be the very thing that would grant her control of her life and return to her the one thing she no longer was be able to call hers, her existence.

Remix sighed. Time held no limit for her. It was something she no longer had. Wiped from existence was she as she traveled throughout dimensions and alternate universes for guardian of the time stream was she. Sure Remix had wished for adventure, but to be tied down, whisked away, and forgotten throughout the course of time was no life for her. She would end it by any means necessary. Even if she had to spend half of her life in search of this fabled dagger. Remix frowned as she glanced down at her watch. To her surprise, she had spent more than a day within the dark chambers of the library. It was, undoubtedly, time to leave.  

As the soldier climbed up the stairs, the headpiece nestled between her arms, her cat ears twitched in expectancy in an effort to hear a sound. Nothing... Remix stopped in her tracks and stood still. No sounds of movements were heard which striked the woman odd. Was the placed closed down for the night? Or, rather said, early morning? It was a library so it would have made sense to have it open into the long hours of the night and reopen upon the rising sun. No matter. If she was locked in, she could always get out. The Neko continued to make her way towards the front of the library. As she had come to expect, it was empty and the only sounds that could be heard were the sounds of her breathing.

Regardless, upon reaching the locked entrance of the library,she lightly pushed against the door in an attempt to test it. The door moved slightly against its frame. With a small smile, Remix brought out a key and inserted it where the door met the wooden frame. In one swift and fluid movement, she moved the key upwards until she heard a tiny click of the door. Immediately pushing the door forward, she pushed against the door and walked out into the blinding world. With no where to go, Remix gave a small frown. What now? Perhaps to visit the very town where Animus Sin had fallen during the End of Dawn back in the very kingdom of Fiore she had grown to love? Yes, that would do. She would go back to where it felt like home. Even if she was far from it.

It was then her ears caught the low sounds of whispers within the library. The solider raised a brow. It was a curiosity as it had been empty, but the unmistakable sound of people could be caught now that she was closer to the door way. Remix closed the door and decided to head back. What was this happenstance? Oh, the controversy and confusion the young mage felt as she wandered to where the sound was omitting from. It was then that the young neko's eyes caught hold of a door. Light was streaming from underneath it making the Neko consider the possibility of another wing to the grand library. Her hand to the door, Remix gently pushed the door and ventured inside.

As she had come to expect, another room laid in front of her. She closed the door to where she had come from and frowned slight. Was it only that the records room closed for the night? Odd. With a tired sigh, the adventurer made her way down the book filled shelves of wonder as scanned for more books of the dagger. More about the dagger had to be around in some place. Information was surely there. The only problem and issue, though, was the finding of it. Remix sighed as her fingers brushed the leathery covers of the books. After all, she had all the time in the world.

As Illiad's fingers teased the edges of the pages, turning them one by one as his eyes danced along their text, he felt himself falling into the world of their bindings. Sonnets played by minds long gone allowed his imagination to dance along the silhouette of distant memories. Each letter a note, and each page a sheet of music that put together someones masterpiece. Every individual piece carried with it the weight of the one who created it. The years spent learning of the subject, the decades spent leading up to the project of writing a book. The countless hours spent pouring over getting their ideas on paper, editting, publishing- These works that were read in a manner of a couple of hours held in them some peoples life works. These portals into another world were meant to be taken on by one who would understand their value and appreciate their worth, like a composer to a musical piece. While anyone could fill the role, it was best left to the ones who took the job serious and were willing to put in the effort to bring out the best.

Illiad soaked up the knowledge of these books one by one, doing his best to make sure the information was imprinted in his brain. Although he considered himself to be taking his time, in a couple of hours he had melted through two books, and had just finished his third. His cold eyes seemed to scan over the unread pile to his right with a ravenous hunger, as a wolf would look over a new carcass. As he stuck his arm out to grab the next book, slowly tracing his fingers along its spine as he read the name, he paused. His ears twitched ever so slightly, and his eyes shot back to glance behind him, though his head did not move an inch. Slowly, he heard a door that lead into his section of the library open, and then just as precariously, he heard it shut. Someone else had joined him? Well, no matter.

As he looked down at the book, he slowly opened it to page one. As with every book he read, he tucked the title away deep into his subconscious mind to recall both it and the information it granted him in the future. Artifacts Lost to Time. As a man who valued knowledge, and who built himself by it brick by brick, he knew that there was no true benefit in just memorizing the stories of the past. Nor was there benefit in gaining vague concepts and ideas, supported by a thesis that one could not even recall to explain or understand. Only when one combined all aspects of the text could they truly begin to appreciate the knowledge that was being granted to them. As he flicked through the pages once more, slightly slower due to the ever so constant, yet near silent, taps of footsteps that traveled through the books, he noticed them growing louder with every second.

Before long, out of the corner of his eye, a woman could be seen through the shelf directly ahead of his table. It seemed she was making her way along the text, either looking for something specific or simply idly searching, hoping her heart would snag a title before her eyes could. Although he could not see her, her proximity was close enough to imprint itself within his nose. Hers was a unique smell. Part of her seemed to blend with the books around them, indicating she had been in the library long enough for the dust particles to begin mending with the fibers of her clothes. The light, but indistinguishable smell of the sea, tickling his nose and making him yearn for the water. A unplaceable clean scent as well, one that gave the impression of someone who took great pride in their hygiene. As she rounded the corner, if she bothered looking at the only other being in this library, she'd notice that his cold purple eyes would lock eyes with her own iris'.

"You smell incredible. What shampoo do you use?"