Amelia was the one to break the awkward silence that had spread throughout the courtyard. "Do you need to talk to someone, Trillia?"

  There was evident worry in her voice. The others remained silent.

  Trillia looked at all of them and tilted her head slightly. "I didn't mean to scare all of you like that. I didn't realize the spell would be that potent."

  "Yeah. That's not what she means." Layla had a harsh tone that Trillia hadn't heard from the orc before. "Trillia, if that was how much terror we were in from just the effects, that has to be something weighing on your mind. You can talk to us."

  "There's nothing to talk about. Some of the stuff I thought about was years ago. Some of it you will all be facing all too soon. It's just my life, Layla. I've come to grips with that. Don't misunderstand... there are times when it all gets a little overwhelming, but...that's just my life. Why do you think I am trying to push all of you away so often?"

  Frederick opened his mouth to speak but paused briefly before simply closing his mouth.

  "All the more reason." Thea, once again, caught the group off guard. "If that level of terror is what they can expect in battle, then we should be exposed to that ability more often. Not today, I think we should take the Queen's advice and rest. Going forward, I think it would behoove us to end every training session with that spell. I also think we should ask the Generals and Her Majesty to not heal us immediately."

  Everyone turned their gazes to the elven maid. "I'm not a fighter. On the best of days, I'm a middling mage. But Kadessa is my home, and I want to grow strong enough to help defend it. At the very least, I want to be able to support the people I care about. If that level of terror is what will befall all of Alirast? I want to be strong enough to pull others out of it."

  Trillia rolled her eyes and groaned. "It has to be some deific curse that everyone around me is struck stupid with honor."

  "I'd call it hope, before honor." The maid shot back. Despite not being a fighter she was brave enough to hold her ground against the close-knit group.

  Amelia and Malor seemed the most reluctant.

  "Sure. For now, that's a solid plan. I think...I think I'm going to just walk around a bit." Trillia mumbled as she stood and left the courtyard, followed closely by the two large canines.

  -=====-

  "Stupid, hopeful, idiots. What do I have to do to make them not follow me? I don't want to watch them all die."

  Ialu gave her a whimper and rubbed up against her master. Trillia was happy to lean into the wolf-like Skoll and run a hand over the creature's head. "I'm also worried about Dire. He is-"

  A forceful push on her mind from both Ialu and Dire silenced her. Trillia paused and opened the link.

  "My life was over the moment I attacked your group. Any days that I spend on Alirast from that point until my dying day is a gift from you. If my life can save yours, it will be a good death."

  Before Trillia could respond, Ialu piled on. "I will not sit out another battle. I do not want to be trapped by someone else. I agreed to be bonded with you. You must have the same faith in me that I have placed in you. Absolute."

  Trillia wanted to argue. A gentle rattle from Leaf told her all she needed to know about that line of thinking. She didn't even need to open a mental link. "Right...sorry. It's a habit I'm trying to break."

  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She briefly wondered how the deities did it. How did they contend with wanting to save everyone, but having to willing put people in danger.

  -=====-

  Trillia had found her way into the library. Rather, she had found her way into the public library. According to the librarian that was stationed there, Trillia had access to Queen Alliyah's personal library on the Queen's orders. It was twice as large as the public library.

  The public library that rivaled Arlyss' glass tower.

  Trillia felt tiny, standing in the center of the giant circular room. Round columns were dotted around the giant cavernous space with bookshelves built into them. Hundreds of tiny lights flitted about, following library goers. The library must have been built partially underground with the ceiling sitting on the surface. Sunlight filtered weakly down into the depths.

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  But the room was easily fifty feet tall and ten times that in diameter. The librarian informed Trillia that while her pets were free to join her, any damage done by them would be her fault. Trillia was fine with that. Ialu was also lost in the bookshelves.

  The skoll had spent nearly a year with Arlyss and had seen plenty of books. Still, it was beyond belief the amount of knowledge that was gathered here.

  Trillia looked over at the librarian. "Is the Queen's library truly twice this size? How is it possible? Are there truly that many books in the world?"

  The librarian was a slightly rotund humanoid creature. She had a cherub-like face, bright blue eyes, and blond hair that made her seem like a little ray of sunshine. The woman giggled softly at Trillia's disbelief. "I've had the great honor of seeing not only Her Majesty's library but also seeing the Library of Scales. You must understand Avatar Fairtrade, there are probably thousands of events that have happened in the history of Alirast that will be forgotten by all but the gods themselves."

  Trillia walked closer to the smooth wooden counters to listen to the woman. "The Queen and King have a thirst for knowledge that would cow any dragon in Alirast. Indeed, many of the books in this library are bartered from dragon-hoards. They tell tales of lands and kingdoms that existed thousands of years ago. Some of the books in Her Majesty's personal collection speak of magic that is lost to all but the most studious of casters."

  That brought a smile to Trillia's face as she looked from the librarian out and around the room. "But twice this?"

  Another soft giggle.

  "To be fair, her library is not just books. But also artifacts and some experiments that she runs. All things that can impart knowledge. But yes, there are many books as well. The Library of Scales is...beyond mortal comprehension. At least, beyond this mortal's comprehension." The woman said with a smile. "As someone who loves knowledge and books, it was perhaps the greatest moment and accomplishment of my life to see it."

  "What did you trade? I've heard that you have to trade something to get in."

  The woman nodded solemnly. "I offered my soul."

  Trillia's eyes snapped to the woman, confusion evident on her face.

  "To me. It was worth it, but that's a rather unpleasant story."

  "Are you willing to tell me?"

  The woman seemed surprised at that. "I don't mind telling my tale, at least parts of it. But may I ask why?"

  "I like learning about people. I..." Trillia paused as she thought about what to say.

  The Librarian was happy to live in silence as the little orc thought. "I want more reasons to fight. Maybe that's stupid or naive... but the more stories I hear, the more I know of others who have struggled. The more willpower I have to keep fighting things that shouldn't exist. Does that make sense?"

  The librarian reached out and grabbed Trillia's hands, squeezing them gently. "It makes perfect sense, Lady Fairtrade. My story isn't a very glorious one. But if you're sure."

  Seeing the nod, she smiled and sat back in her chair, motioning for Trillia to join her. Trillia was happy to do so. Ialu and Dire lay down at her feet and were equally happy to take a nap.

  "I was a servant in what is now known as the Forgotten Kindom. It was ruled by a malevolent dragon who was happy to put down any dissidents. To make an exhausting story tolerable. The ruler of the Library of Scales was slighted by the ruler of that kingdom. Perhaps my old ruler thought itself immune to the deific owner of the library. But the battle was brief. It lasted only a few short hours."

  Trillia leaned forward, listening.

  "Everyone was offered a choice. A simple geas that was proposed by some unknown and unheard of mage. Surrender or Die."

  The woman shrugged as she looked up at the glass ceiling. "It was an easy choice for most of us. We had no love for our rulers, our days were spent toiling away hitting rocks to find gems and minerals. Those of us that could fight would be sent on raiding parties."

  Closing her eyes, the librarian took a deep breath as if banishing the unpleasant memories. "I was brought before the ruler of the library. I fear I cannot pronounce its name... I have never been able to grasp the dragon language. However, when I saw the library? The books? The reverence of knowledge? I fell to my knees in front of the god and offered my eternal soul if he would but let me wander his library. I offered to clean it and organize it. Anything I could."

  "You wouldn't believe the view, Lady Fairtrade. It was as if I could see all of creation. The entire place was made of a nearly translucent crystal. I could see worlds and suns. In other places, I could see oceans that seemed as if they were made of honey. I could have wandered that library for an eternity and been happy."

  Trillia was leaning even more forward with wonder in her eyes. "But you're here now. Did he deny you?"

  The woman smiled wistfully. "Maybe... He said I shouldn't be so foolish and lock such a beautiful and brilliant soul away with a bunch of books." A tear formed in the woman's eyes. "No one had ever called me beautiful before. Certainly not brilliant. Book-smart people weren't very useful to my old ruler. But that's where I met Queen Alliyah and Lord Darktone for the first time."

  "Lord Darktone doesn't have to pay to go to the library. Neither does his wife. Apparently, from what little I gathered from eavesdropping, Lord Darktone is the one who helped to create the library and protected it for millennia. Queen Alliyah was...just kind."

  Trillia smiled at that. It reminded her a bit of Marg. "In any case. The Queen overheard my conversation with the Lord of Scales. There was no place for me, so she offered me a job. I believe her exact words were, 'Well, it's a dust shit hole compared to this place, but I'll keep you fed, and you can leave whenever you'd like. But I do have a library that needs organizing.'"

  "And now here you are?"

  The woman nodded. "Indeed. The Queen has given me a place to stay, food, and a fair wage. She even personally tutored me in various kinds of magic. I can tell you one thing, the moment our Queen ascends, I will be the first to bend the knee and ask to be her pact-bound."

  "Thank you. For telling me your tale."

  "Well. You are called Fairtrade, are you not?" The woman looked at Trillia expectantly.

  Trillia's smile grew in size, and she leaned back to happily chat with the librarian more.