The Name That Escapes

[Mikïa]

The young man and the librarian seemed to be so involved with each other and paying no attention to her, that Mikïa sliped off without a second thought and without notice.

It was not long before she found herself in one empty aisle after another, scanning everything in sight within but a few moments and moving on. Now and then she would grab something but it was never aparent as to exactly what it was that she took up in her grasp.

One library attendant thought he felt something behind him but when he turned saw nothing, and so, moved on with his work as though nothing had happened. Little did he know that his feeling was right. But she was not there for long and left with what she was looking for.

But a few minutes had passed when she had covered the entire span of the library and headed down the hallway that she'd seen the two of them head off in. Upon her quiet and silent arrival, she deposited the four tall piles of books that she had collected on a table that was not far from Rubedo and eleisia.

"Every book that matches the physical description whether it be from the childrens section to botanical gardens to health or anything else. That may seem weird but many important things are hiden within the most innocent of books."

She looked at them as she waited almost impatiently to know which book it is. Though she has no personal gain from the information, her curiosity caught the best of her.

[Deleted]

Rubedo's eyes widened with apprehensive criticism at the miraculous feat he had moments ago witnessed. Staring at the pile of books intently, a moment passed and then his stern face clouded.

"Why do you continue to waste my time?" The words came out cold, with no warmth. He took a book from the top of the haphazard pile, waved it with a flick of his wrist, and tossed it onto the floor. The slap rang out audibly.

"Do you think this impresses me? Are you the librarian or is she?" he said, gesturing with a backward wave toward the young woman seated on the ground. He shuddered with aggravation. "I don't have time for your antics. Perhaps your energies are better spent with the children at the courtyard maypole."

He withdrew a crown-piece coin from within his cloak, placed it upon the stack of freshly-retrieved books. Folded arms and frown spoke of his disapproval as he sucked on a tooth in thought.

"Perhaps with that you can afford some sense."

[Mikïa]

"No harm was meant on my part." She stated respectfully to the librarian. "I only wanted to bring what aid I could to you as my curiosity got the best of me."

Turning her attention to the male, her black eyes were starting to get clouded over while an eerie grin lurked around the corners of her lips. She did not tend to care what others thought or did, but this one outright disrespected her with no aparent reason. To her, that was not acceptable. She had to earn the disrespect before it was given.

"Not only do you seem to have a lack of manners towards me when I have done nothing as of yet to harm you in the slightest, but you also lack respect towards the property of the library." As Mikïa spoke, the book that was flung carelessly to the floor flew through the air and landed neatly on the pile with the other books.

Not a second had passed since her last word when she started to walk slowly toward the male, "It is perhaps you that needs some sence my dear. And I fear that with your attitude and quick jugement, no matter the amount of gold you possess, you shall never be able to afford it." She shook her head in dismay while she kept her eyes on Rubedo. "That is a sure shame. I sincerely hope, for your sake, that you learn from the situations you get yourself into before it's too late."

The immortal was now but a few inches from the male's face and she looked into the furthest depths of the man's eyes, but saw nothing. Something about this one was fishy. Something was definitely not right and yet Mikïa could not quite lay a finger on it. There was definitely a presence there in front of her, and yet there was nothing where she peered upon.

Frowning, Mikïa took a quick step back and looked the figure over from head to toe, “I must admit that you are good at what you do for I did not detect your entrance. But now, I know you are there in my mind.” Her eyes were getting cloudier now as she took yet another step back. “What are you and what are you doing to trick my sences? You do not have my permission do do such things.” She shook her head slightly as she spoke. “Show yourself for who or what you really are before I am forced to remove your mind from my own. Trust me when I say you don't want that.” An evil grin formed on her features, “Or maybee you do?” She questioned as she rose a brow. “If that would be the case, you really do not know what you are up against.”

[eleisiakhartou]

eleisia watched the two strange beings interact over her as though she were not there; she focused her active attention on shielding her own things from the disturbing pulse of confrontation in the room and passively observed the immortal's escalating temper.

All things for the sake of curiosity,she wondered. Am I, too, in danger of behaving so? The need to know was a powerful drive, but perhaps moderation was necessary there, too. She sought her own center, and found her gaze penetrating the now-neon green of her untouched drink. Rubedo had swallowed the entire contents, without question. A polite sniff had been all the investigation he had needed before ingesting her potion. She looked toward his face for signs of its effect.

A slight wavering blur of his features at the edges of his face seemed to capture eleisia, and she felt she could almost feel another prescence in the room, as thought he were not one, but two people. In conversation with Mikïa, his spine had straightened, and righteous indignation was sharpening his will and overpowering the effect of the psychotropic elixir. His hair seemed to waver in color, but perhaps it was only the light.

The clatter of a book hitting the floor in Rubedo's anger reverberated through the stones and vibrated against kel's coccyx, and her heart skipped beats as she laid palms against the earth, calming it's quiver. Finding her belly a-flutter with strange events and overplayed emotion, she reached a tremorous hand out for her glass.

The fumes of the desert liquor curled into her brain seconds before a tiny draught passed her throat, pleasantly warm against her tonsils. A few seconds later, she found herself greatly aware of her own power, and standing, addressed the two combatant spirits housed within arguing individuals.

"Enough!"

The eruption brought both visages to face her, and she looked each in the eyes before continuing. "Rubedo, you may be in this place by invitation, but ought not abuse it's inhabitants. I will thank you to bring that stool closer to this desk and have a seat. You have had quite a quantity of a rather deceptive fluid, and will soon be glad you need not rely upon your own sense of 'up.'

"As for you," she turned her attention to the immortal, "I have yet to know you. I take it on faith that you meant no harm, though I do wonder at your intense desire to solve another's mystery. However. This building does not comprise part of the public library of Karador, though it does exist as a construct under the legal premise of the estate. You are standing in what was once the rectory, and therefore has always remained autonomous as a private dwelling. Granted, I do not live here, but that does not change the fact that everyone ought to have a place to call their own. I control what goes on this space. If you would like, you may have a seat as well; cushions abound, but I will not have you teaching lessons in my office.

"Rubedo has identified himself to me and has been invited here by me. You will not demand of him any further explanation, nor shall you challenge him." This last, she felt vaguely guilty over, as she intended to uncover his true identity herself; still she felt the need to re-establish the safe environment for her guest.

She turned her attention to the books. "Physical description, indeed!" They all looked alike, culled from different sections of the library. She wondered at the simplicity of the solution. Rubedo, if you would be so kind, would you please describe the book to me?"