|
|
Post by Otho Sarus on Feb 2, 2006 19:53:41 GMT -5
In the dingy reccesses of the library, in the far corner of the ancient history section, between the many mountainous book shelves that made up the labarynth that was the great library, sat a small desk, occupied by a large pile of discarded books.
From the other side of the literary graveyard, a deep muttering could be heard, "Useless. Great scholars were they? They can't even spell Apbraxhionos properly. Theres only seven characters in the accursed word." The voice seemed irritated to the point of anger, and frustrated beyond all safe limits.
"Gah, how can they not know the meaning of 'Aphyi'? Even a child that could not walk knew how to say 'Flower'. Useless morons, nincompoops, buffoons, apelike catastophies, mockeries of real men. . . ." The voice trailed off into absent mutterings, descending into a near whisper.
The man who sat at the desk was clearly talking to himself as the room was empty. Dead as the language that the very books he read denoted.
The scholar was old and winzened, and frail looking beyond all expectations of the elderly. He was clad in flowing purple robes, and bright half moon spectacles perched upon the tip of his wrinkled nose, before the most intensely purple eyes that any could ever imagine.
Otho Sarus often liked to take a break from his own studies and mock the work of lesser minds. I'd assume that it entertained him immensely.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kailyn on Feb 3, 2006 16:29:01 GMT -5
Kailyn stepped through the two great doors of the city library and greeted the librarian with a nod and a smile. The woman sat behind an impresive oak desk that resided in the middle of the entrance where she worked. The elven woman had been here so many times that she did not need to ask for directions as to where she wanted to go. Though she still found it odd that nobody was suposedly interested in herblore and ancient defensive arts among a few other of the interests that brought her here. So, with her being one of the few that read those books, she had to take her regular path to the back of the library where the least popular subjects resided; between ancient history and How to books from a couple hundred years back that were considered past date. The soft bright lights that illuminated the great library made taking in the sites quite easy. Not wanting to waste any time, she started her long walk down the wide carpeted alleys to her final destination.
Admiring the strong oak bookcases that reached a few feet higher than her head, yet not reaching the tall ceilling by far, she had no doubt as to why they could hold so many books. She breathed in deeply to take in their smell and closed her eyes. She loved the smell of the many books that surounded her from all sides. The smell of the paper and the leather bindings and the ink gave her a diferent peace of mind than her beloved gardning did. Looking at the sheer size of the place, Kailyn always wondered how much gold was spent in making this marvelous building and filling it the the many wonderfull books.
Finally reaching her destination she slowed to a stop and started to look at the titles of the books before her. A few minutes past when she heard someone giggle in the a next row over. Not knowing what someone could posibly find funny in this part of the library she crossed the row she was in to look through the books, hoping that she could make something out. She barely had time to position herself that the bookself was pushed over in her direction. Reflexes made her shreek loudly though no one at the front of the library would hear her. She jumped back and knelt to the ground while putting up a shield to protect herself from the falling books and bookcase as she heard footsteps running away to the main part of the building.
|
|
|
|
Post by Otho Sarus on Feb 3, 2006 16:49:23 GMT -5
Otho sighed heavily and looked up from a particularly controversial volume he had been reading as he heard a woman's scream, filled with shock and sudden fear.
"Oh for heaven's sake" He thought to himself, as he looked down an isle of towering bookshelves to see a elven woman cowering from what seemed to be an impending avalanche, and certain doom for several old volumes towards the top of that particular bookcase.
Otho looked back down at his book of ancient runes, whilst he raised his staff in one hand and pointed it deftly at the elf and her catastrophe in the making. Suddenly, the books and shelf stopped still in the air, and slowly began to rearrange themselves as they had been only moments before - in perfect order, where Otho could find them , should he so desire to read them.
The towering shelf let out a resounding thud as it righted itself and it's base connected with the floor, as if nothing had happened. Otho too, had lowered his staff and continued reading, as if what had just occurred was nothing out of the ordinary In fact - nothing at all.
He didn't want praise or attention, and was happy to continue his pretense that he had intervened for the sake of the books, and not the woman. He couldn't let it be known that he wasn't an old and crooked madman with a sharp tongue, now could he?
Bah, who cared. Eventually the darkness would come, and people would remember the old stories, the legends and fairy tales - of which both he and Kaldryn were one, though that story was yet to be brought to its conclusion, and Otho intended to shut the door very tightly on that troublesome old man.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kailyn on Feb 3, 2006 19:15:10 GMT -5
Just before she was able to perform her telekenetics on the bookself, it raised back up to where it had previously been and the books slid into place as well. Putting her shield down she got up and looked around. Everything around her seemed normal in the library now and the crazy old man was sitting in the corner seemingly reading. She had only seen him at a glance a couple of times. Even with that, she would not believe that he had not heard anything as he was not that far from her and she would not believe either that he was that uncaring. Something had to be up with him.
Taking a few steps forward she just stood there and looked at him, the crazy old coot was used to folks staring so he should not mind.
|
|
|
|
Post by Otho Sarus on Feb 3, 2006 19:40:29 GMT -5
It was slowly becoming irritating. Not quickly, but painfully slowly it crept up on him. The elf woman just stood there, staring, gawping at him as if he had just popped out of thin air. Now of course to Otho that would be nothing out of the ordinary, but people always seemed to find something about him thrilling enough to keep theit eyes occupied for a fair while.
There would be no peace to leaf through the anvient books that lay beside him on the dest, their covers sporting a thick layer of dust.
"What?" Otho snapped at the elf without looking up from his book, "Do I have a wart or something? What's so entertaining? Share it with me, why don't you" He said, his voice short, sharp and snappy, and he was clearly very irritated by the expression on his face.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kailyn on Feb 3, 2006 19:58:46 GMT -5
Seeing the mans facial expresions change as he continuously snaped at her made her slightly irritated with him. "You can not honestly tell me that you saw and heard nothing that happened here." She said in a stern like voice as she crossed her arms and leaned against the end of the bookself she was next to, completly ignoring his question about warts. The sanded and vanished wood feeling smooth against the bear skin of her arm, she always loved to wear sun dresses and todays was white. She just stayed there now with her eye brows arched and awaited a reply from him.
|
|
|
|
Post by Otho Sarus on Feb 7, 2006 18:31:18 GMT -5
Otho sighed despairingly. A typical elf this one, shocked that she had gone unnoticed, that he seemed not to care about her previous plight. Elves were so difficult, always demanding this answer to that question and so on. Trying to convince them that going to war with the king of hell would be in their best interests had even proven difficult. They were stubborn, demanding, questioning and irritating. Perhaps the old man was prejudiced somewhat, but he felt he had every right to be. He had not once met an elf who had been able to make a decision for min or herself, though it was true that he hadn't met an elf for around two thousand years. Perhaps they were different now, but then again, perhaps not.
"Of course I saw, what's your point?" Otho snapped, turning a rune covered page that scraped the end of his nose as it passed. "You're an elf, surely you noticed something unusual, or have your people lost the ability to hear, see, touch or smell? Or just lost all of your common sense. Come on, think woman." He sighed explosively, turning another page.
"Platt you idiot," He mumbled, referring to the long dead author of "Ancient runes and their meanings"
|
|
|
|
Post by eleisiakhartou on Feb 8, 2006 23:00:29 GMT -5
eleisia had ignored the commotion in the old coot's corner for long enough. Respect was due the ancient, of course, but so, too, was it due the edifice.
She approached silently, her feet bare and her head modestly covered by her khimar. Kailyn's white sundress caught her eye, and she walked up behind the elf, looking down at the mess of a desk.
"Would it be too much to ask that you two finish your brawl outside? I know you much prefer to bicker than study, and ordinarily I would ignore you both, but there is a class of children learning how to use the library today and I would prefer they were taught to study silently."
|
|
|
|
Post by Kailyn on Feb 10, 2006 19:19:51 GMT -5
Kailyn rolled her eyes back in a slight agitation. She knew she should have aproached him differently and yet did not pay attention to that feeling. “Of course I know it was you who put the bookcase and books back in place. No one else was around apart from whoever knocked it over and I highly doubt they'd play hero.” She shook her head, still discouraged that someone would do something stupid like that in a library of all places. “I just did not know how to aproach you as you seemed quite concentrated on your reading.”
The elven woman did not have the time to finish talking before Eleisia came right up behind them asking for their argument to be taken outside. As the friendly librarian spoke to them some words stuck in the elf's mind “...there is a class of children ..." She had thought it was a child that pushed the self over but dissmissed the thought as if too outrageous.
Squinting her right eye slightly she replied under her breath while she softly shook her head, “Why I never.” Looking right into Eleisia's eyes she continued, “Children never used to be that horible. Did you catch one running off towards to main section of the library? He or she pushed that bookcase over when I aproached it. Had I not had my capacities I'd have been toast.” Kailyn refrained from mentioning the old man's part in it as he did not seem like he wanted it aknoleged and hoped he'd catch on to that act of kindness.
|
|
|
|
Post by eleisiakhartou on Feb 11, 2006 0:28:00 GMT -5
eleisia raised an eloquent eyebrow, her eyes on the old man. In silent complicity with the current cover story, she did not address the issue of magical powers on the part of herself, the elf, or even the crazy old codger -she had no evidence of his powers, save the odd aura that surrounded his desk, but as it was only an unfounded impression, she would not speak of it.
"Certainly, there is no need for offense. I will be careful to keep the children out of your way, if you will be so kind as to keep your conversation to low tones."
She picked up a book on the art of flower-preservation. "And please do be careful of the books, they truly are the innocent victims." This last was said with a baleful eye, and she deliberately reshelved the book before turning and walking away.
|
|
|
|
Post by Otho Sarus on Mar 17, 2006 17:02:50 GMT -5
Otho sighed heavily, not looking up from the old and worn pages of his ancient book. "Hmph! Librarians!" He muttered to himself. They were always buried so far beneath their rules, books and silence they had either misplaced their sense of humour, patience, or lost all contact with the real world.
He closed the book irritably and looked up at the elven woman who had been talking to him moments before. "Of course I'm concentrating on my reading. What else can you use books for? They don't make for good meals, and certainly aren't the best floatation devices now are they?" The old man sighed once more, "Just sit down and try to introduce yourself properly this time." He smiled sarcastically and winked one weathered eyelid in jest.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kailyn on Mar 17, 2006 18:11:35 GMT -5
Kailyn watched silently as the librarian walked away. She had no intent on starting anything especially on account of a delinquent child.
Not too long after Eleisia's departure, the old man retorted the statement she had made earlier. She could of sent him a remark of her own but she did not feel like it at the time and ratherd be silent for the moment, holding back from laughing at the flotation device coment.
"Just sit down and try to introduce yourself properly this time." The man said as he smiled sarcastically and winked.
Not sure if he was sincere in his offer or not she decided to take him up on it anyways and pulled up a chair. As she sat down she replied in a low tone with a gentle smile, "Hello. My name is Kailyn. I tend to the garden at the Keep. How about you?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Otho Sarus on Mar 17, 2006 18:32:30 GMT -5
Otho leaned back in his chair and smiled knowingly, "I know who you are and what you do. I know more than you might give me credit for. My name is Otho Sarus, I'm something of a scholar." A wicked grin crept across his features as he finished.
Otho seriously doubted that the elven woman would have ever even heard of his name, let alone know anything of any significance or import. Still, perhaps some light conversation might not go astray. Otho smiled mentally as he wondered if she's read his name anywhere, or if her people ever mentioned his name in any of their stories, or maybe she was old enough to remember it herself. Othou doubted all of these, but it would be interesting to find out.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kailyn on Mar 17, 2006 18:47:19 GMT -5
The old man leaned back into his chair and started to speak to her. She did not know whether to take him seriously or not when he said that he already knew of her but her wondering on that note quickly ceased when he said his name. She did not know many people with a name like Otho and it would of sliped by had she not been raised to help defend Karador. She learnt of why it was so imprtant to protect as well as it's history and among it was a man named Otho that helped greatly in the last war against Kaldryn and company. She however did not recall his familly name but figured it of no importance for the moment.
"If you know anything of the history of this great city you must feel honored to have a name such as that. To cary the name of one that helped Karador with such valor is a priveledge." She looked at the old man with a solemn expresion.
|
|
|
|
Post by Otho Sarus on Mar 18, 2006 8:14:51 GMT -5
So then, perhaps she knew more about history than he had given her credit for. Otho had simply assumed that herbology and botany would be the only areas into which she read in any detail, but apparently the past was something she had studied at some point. However, she had either not studied very well, or the books were wrong. She seemed to believe that the Otho Sarus of the stories was long dead, killed by Kaldryn the dark mage and the King of Hell. It went without saying, that Otho was absolutely sure there was some element of inaccuracy to that statement. He was the living, breathing, pilfering, sarcastic proof.
"Oh? I wasn't aware my name held any particular meaning or significance. I'm not much of a scholar of history you see. Ancient runes are my field. So, who is this ancient namesake of mine?" Otho seemed entirely sincere. His brows rose in an expression of interest, as he waited to see what the historians had made of him. Otho hated historians, he always had. They always managed to embellish, understate or twist events and people to fit their own perception of events that they knew nothing about. 'Leave history to the dead', his old master had always said, 'Yours is the future, your time, your responsibility'.
|
|
