36. The Archives
T he archive was buried deep within the academy’s library on the South Wing.
It was just as big, if not even bigger, than the Great Hall itself.
The same stonework lined the wall from what Aeden could see, with similar gargoyle-like creatures sitting atop the outer edge just beneath the roof line.
The walls, however, were filled from floor to ceiling with wooden bookcases that were perfectly fitted and crafted, reaching high up the walls, nearly so high that they reached the gargoyles.
There was row upon row of bookcases, each filled to the brim with literature dating back to who knows when.
The stone floor had a polished shine to it, and footsteps echoed loudly with every step they took.
“I haven’t been here yet either. I hate libraries. They terrify me,” Harrison said. “I mean, look at all those books. Never in my lifetime would I find enough time to read all of those books, even if I started now and did nothing but read. What’ s the point?”
Judging by the scowls he received from the other students dotted around, they were less than impressed with his inflammatory comments.
“Shh,” a senior student said. She had her head buried in a book at a circular table, with parchment and a quill placed next to her, ready to take notes. The purple bags under her eyes told Aeden she had been there for a while.
Harrison chuckled nervously and raised his hand. “Sorry,” he whispered.
The girl shook her head before carrying on with her notetaking.
“Can I help you both?” a short man to the left of them asked. Neither of them had even noticed him standing by a wall of books. He had a pile of five books of varying thicknesses in one arm, and was placing them onto the shelf with help from a set of wooden ladders that were on wheels.
“Do we stand out that much?” Harrison asked.
“Like a sore thumb,” the man said in an irritated tone.
He had a long white moustache and a long, pointed nose, upon which sat a small pair of spectacles that magnified his beady eyes.
His long white hair was tied back into a plait, with three thick metal rings holding it into place, and his face was etched with tired lines that were more akin to trenches, mainly on his forehead.
“I recognise every student that steps into this library, and I do not recognise you.” His voice was shrill, his mannerisms rude.
“And I can tell by the way you both entered that you’re disruptors, not learners.
Well, let me tell you now, if you want to step foot in this library, then you’ll respect our rules.
This is a place of reflection and study.
” He was speaking at a whisper, but there was no mistaking the two of them were receiving a ticking-off.
“I’m really sorry,” Aeden whispered, “we didn’t mean any offence. I promise we’ll respect your rules, Master . . .” Aeden waited for the librarian to let them know who he was.
“Carfyth. Master Carfyth. I am the Master of the Library.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Aeden said, exaggerating the niceties.
He wanted stay on his good side if he wanted access to the archives for his investigation.
“I’m looking to find the archives? I was told they were in the library somewhere, and this place is huge.
I don’t want to get lost, and I don’t want to cause any disruption by having to ask other students while they’re working.
I don’t suppose you can point us in the right direction. ”
“The archives, you say.” Master Carfyth pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “What do you want in the archives? I don’t get many requests for there.”
“Well, I already have an Aer-Kin, and I’m in the Support class, but I have an interest in battles, or the history of them.
I believe there are battle reports in the archives that I would love to research so I can analyse the tactics used, from a Support point of view.
” The words rolled off Aeden’s tongue. He didn’t want to make it clear which battle in particular he was looking into, just to be on the safe side.
Master Carfyth thought about it for a few seconds before placing the last of the books into the book case.
“Very well. You’ll have to come with me to register first.” He led them both to a station that sat in the middle of the room.
Master Carfyth was around half Aeden’s height, so Aeden assumed he was from dwarven heritage .
Master Carfyth disappeared behind the platform-like desk before reappearing above it at Aeden’s level. He opened up a large leather-bound book and straightened out the pages, then picked up a quill and passed it to Aeden. “You will both need to sign in.”
Aeden took the quill, scribbled his name down, and passed it to Harrison to do the same.
While he was waiting, he took the opportunity to admire the workmanship that had gone into the library, the ornate carving in the wood that wrapped around each and every bookcase as if they were built into the walls.
When he looked higher, he noticed a platform on the next floor, a railing attached on the outer edge.
As intricate as the carvings were, it made Aeden question their durability if someone was to lean on them.
They must have been hundreds of years old.
A distinct, rustic smell of oil filled the chamber from the lanterns that were dotted around, but also the scent of old pages, one that Aeden couldn’t decide if he liked or not.
“Right, that’s both of you signed in. If you would follow me, I’ll show you to the archive room.”
“Thank you,” Aeden said.
Master Carfyth led the way, escorting them further into the library. Their hollow footsteps echoed loudly, drawing attention from the other students who were trying to work.
The quieter Aeden tried to walk, the louder he was, so he decided to focus on just getting to the archive as soon as possible.
At the back of the eastern side of the library a stone archway framed a corridor.
It had an ancient language that Aeden couldn’t read etched into the stone above.
It led into another section, the natural light vanishing as soon as they entered .
Master Carfyth stopped for a moment and used a set of small wooden steps that were already placed into position to reach up and grab a lamp.
“Lighting is terrible down here,” he said.
“I need to put some oil in the lamps in the corridor, but not many people usually come down here, so it hasn’t been a priority.
” He raised the lamp in front of him, a soft orange glow lighting up his face.
They continued down the narrow corridor and past multiple doors which were shut. As well maintained as everything seemed in the main library, down here, it was the opposite. More than a couple of the doors looked like they would disintegrate with just a slight push.
“The room you will want is down here,” Master Carfyth said.
“What’s in the rest of these rooms?” Harrison asked.
“Archives,” Master Carfyth said matter-of-factly, as if Harrison had just asked him the most ridiculous question. “Each room holds archived books that are deemed no longer needed for a whole host of reasons. I’m taking you to the archive room where the battle reports are.”
Aeden’s attention was drawn to a small opening on their righthand side, a second corridor. He glanced down it, but the lighting was too bad for him to see anything noticeable. “What’s down there?” he asked.
“Nothing you need or can have access to. That section is strictly prohibited, and there are wards in place to stop unauthorised entry. Simply walking through them will cause you agonising pain. So I would suggest you banish any thought of walking down there right now.”
Aeden felt like he was getting a ticking off again. “I was only asking, Master Carfyth, I have no intention of going down there.” He looked down the dark corridor once again, his curiosity piqued.
Just what would the academy keep in there?
“Ah, here we are,” Master Carfyth said, raising the lantern in front of the door.
“Right this way.” He grabbed hold of the door handle and turned it before giving the door a bit of a shake to encourage it to open.
The door looked ready to fall from its hinges, and the library master treated it that way.
He pushed the door open gently, causing it to creak eerily, revealing a smaller, darkened room.
Master Carfyth walked into the centre of the room and used the chairs to climb onto a table. It wobbled underneath him, to a point where Aeden was concerned the legs would give way at any moment.
He reached inside his tunic and pulled something out before lighting the end from the flame of his lantern. He then lit a candle and five others that were suspended from the ceiling in one large circular ceiling light, which was connected to the ceiling via a long metal chain.
As he lit each candle, the visibility in the room got better and better, until eventually Aeden could see the whole room, although it was still darker than he would have liked.
It was narrow, with barely enough room for two people to sit at the rectangular table where Master Carfyth still stood. The chairs were placed at opposite sides, and given how much the table rocked as Master Carfyth climbed down, Aeden felt little encouragement to use them.
Like the library, the wooden shelves were perfectly fitted to the walls all the way around the room, the spines of the leather-bound books different on every shelf.
The wood was stained dark, but there were no ornate, intricate carvings like in the main library.
A layer of dust sat heavily on the books, casing, and table, aside from the scuffed footprints of Master Carfyth.
“Please make sure you extinguish the flames when you leave,” Master Carfyth said as he walked past Aeden and Harrison and out of the door.
“We shouldn’t be too long,” Aeden said.