Chapter 8 Shovia
SHOVIA
"Knowledge lies hidden in forgotten corners, stirred to life by daring seekers."
—From 'The Archivist's Creed'
By Master Librarian Thales Oren
I'd woken up before the dawn alarm, surprised to be up so early, and then realized there would be no alarm because classes had been cancelled and hadn't resumed yet.
I could sleep a little longer, but I made the mistake of turning on my side and looking out the window. The Citadel had unparalleled views that were spectacular even for someone who had seen them all her life, and closing my eyes again was not an option, given the spectacle outside.
The auroras were really showing off this morning.
Ribbons of green and gold twisted across the pre-dawn sky, with veins of deep purple shooting through them. The mountains caught and reflected the lights, their snow-covered peaks glowing with borrowed radiance.
Was Codric watching the view from his window down the corridor?
Nah, the jerk was probably sleeping, unperturbed by our spat of last night. Not that it bothered me all that much, not in retrospect anyway, but the result was that we had spent the night alone.
Well, I had slept alone, and I hoped that Codric hadn't already found a replacement for me and was now snuggling up to someone else's backside. We'd made a pact that we would be exclusive until we both decided that we weren't by a mutual agreement.
I was distracted from my annoyance by a pair of dragons sweeping past my window, their scales catching the colored lights and reflecting them in dazzling patterns.
They were probably on dawn patrol, but from here it looked like they were dancing with the lights—magnificent, magical, the apex predators of Aurorys.
No wonder the Shedun wanted to destroy them. How could anyone who worshipped darkness stand to see such beauty in our world?
With a sigh, I dragged myself out of bed and got dressed.
Unlike me, everyone else was still asleep, so I got the bathroom all to myself, and when I was done, I went back to the dorm room that felt empty without Kailin or Codric.
Breakfast was still some time away, and I had nothing to do until then, or after, for that matter. Classes were still canceled and would remain so for the next three days.
We were supposed to self-study, but I hadn't made a dent in the stack of tactical manuals on my desk yet. I was too agitated to focus on flanking maneuvers or supply line logistics.
I needed to do something useful. Something that didn't involve memorizing the optimal dragon-to-ground troop ratios for urban warfare. If there really were traitors among us, then sitting around studying wasn't going to help find them.
Grabbing my jacket, I headed for Codric's room. If he was still upset about our spat, I would just knock it out of him. I needed a co-conspirator, and if anyone was up for a creative interpretation of self-study, it would be him.
I knocked twice, then entered without waiting for permission, hoping I wouldn't find him sleeping with someone else.
Thankfully, Codric was sprawled on his bed alone, save for the book that was balanced on his chest.
"Please tell me you've come to save me from death by boredom," he said without looking up. "If I have to read one more paragraph about proper saddle maintenance, I might throw myself off the roof."
Since he hadn't mentioned our stupid argument, I decided to do the same and pretend as if it had never happened.
"Funny you should mention that." I leaned against his desk. "How do you feel about a field trip to the main library?"
He sat up, interest sparking in his eyes. "Since when do you voluntarily seek out more books? Are we even allowed in there?"
"No one said anything about us not being allowed in there.
We are not supposed to go to the upper floors unless we are invited, but the library is a public space.
" I pulled out a chair and sat down. "We have a mystery to solve, and we need to seize the opportunity to access parts of the Citadel we normally can't."
"I love mysteries." Codric set his book aside and sat up. "Which one are you referring to?"
"We suspect that they sent Kailin on a vacation not only as a reward but because they want to use her as bait to flush out possible traitors, and that has to be connected to the sabotage on the pilgrimage trail."
Codric cast me an incredulous look. "And you think we will find answers in the library?"
He had a point, but I felt in my gut that the library would be a good place to start.
I shrugged. "Librarians are usually a good source of information, and they know what's going on. It will be much easier to coax one of them to talk than any of the military types."
"Good thinking." He reached for his boots and started pulling them on. "Besides, I'll take any excuse to get out of this room. Should we get Morek?"
"Definitely. Breakfast service should have started by now, so he's probably in the mess hall." I opened the door.
"I could eat," Codric said as he pulled on his jacket.
It felt weird to ignore our fight from last night, but the truth was that it didn't merit any more talking. That being said, it needed to be addressed before it festered.
"I'm sorry about what I said," I murmured under my breath.
"I deserved it, and you're forgiven."
The guy was too laid-back for his own good.
"You didn't deserve to be called stupid," I said. "Sometimes I just don't know when to shut up and let things go."
"That's not a good quality for a spy." He wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "Pretending to be dumb can be a great disguise."
I chuckled. "Was that what you were going for?"
"Of course." He snorted. "Sometimes I don't know when to stop either. I get carried away clowning."
In the mess hall, we found Morek eating his breakfast while reading one of the tactical manuals we'd been assigned for self-study.
"How do you feel about a library expedition?" Codric asked as he slid next to him on the bench. "Shovia thinks we should explore the Citadel's mysteries while we can."
Morek considered for a moment. "Will it get us in trouble?"
"Maybe," I said. "But we'll probably get away with it. We are supposed to study on our own, but no one said it was limited to our rooms. We're just expanding our definition of where that studying takes place."
"And that includes what we're studying," Codric added. "They didn't specify that the manuals were the only source material available to us."
A slow grin spread across Morek's face. "Count me in."
After finishing breakfast and collecting a few manuals from our rooms for cover, we headed to the main library on the third floor.
Its massive doors were carved with intricate patterns depicting dragons and riders, a masterwork that probably predated the current Citadel and had been salvaged from the wreckage of the one before it.
"Impressive." Codric ran his fingers over the details.
"And that's just the doors. I bet it's even more impressive inside," I said.
I was right.
As we entered, the library took my breath away.
It stretched up through multiple levels, with bridges and balconies connecting different sections.
Thousands of books lined the walls, their leather spines full of the promise of knowledge.
The space smelled of old paper, leather, ink, and centuries of accumulated wisdom.
I wasn't bookish, but I had to appreciate the vast knowledge stored in those volumes.
"Dear Elu," Morek breathed. "How does anyone find anything in here?"
"With great difficulty and a little madness," came a creaky voice from our left.
Startled, we turned to find possibly the oldest man I'd ever seen perched behind a desk that seemed to be made entirely of stacked books. His hair was white as fresh snow but stuck out in all directions as if he'd been struck by lightning. His eyes, though, were sharp and twinkling with amusement.
"Master Librarian Hadrick, at your service, cadets." He performed a seated bow that somehow managed to be both mocking and gracious. "Can I help you find anything, or are you just browsing?" He made air quotes with gnarled fingers.
"We came to study." I patted my satchel. "But we would love to get a tour of the library if you have the time to show us around."
"I would be delighted to introduce you to one of the largest treasure troves of knowledge in all of Elucia." Master Librarian Hadrick stood with surprising agility. "I assume you'll want to start with the historical accounts of great battles?"
"That would be great," Morek said. "Do you have anything about the first riders?"
The librarian pursed his lips. "That's restricted to graduates, but there is another section that might interest you. It's not typically open to first-years who are still unbonded, but..." He trailed off, tapping his chin thoughtfully.
"But?" I leaned forward, letting my eyes go wide with interest.
"I'm feeling rather rebellious today. It happens when you reach my age—you stop caring quite so much about rules and start caring more about amusing yourself." He cackled. "But if anyone asks, I will frame it as wanting to ensure that knowledge reaches the right minds." He beckoned us to follow.
He guided us through a maze of bookcases, up a narrow spiral staircase, and into a section that smelled even older than the rest of the library. The books here were uniform—dark leather bindings with names and dates embossed in gold.