Submission (#6171) Approved

Quest: Resonance - Act 1
Act Type: Character
Word Count: 971
Adult Elnin Present: ELN1726
Regional Affinity: Ahza
Claiming Regional Affinity for: MYO-ELN477
Adventurer Rank Unlock Mini-Requirement: n/a

Aspiration: To become a collector of rare books.

Another bright, hot, sunny morning. Boggart ambled down the sandy dune, toward the road that led into the town below. This route had become so familiar over the past months that he could probably navigate it with his eyes closed. Of course, the second he’d try to test this theory, he would probably trip on a bone sticking out of the sand and would tumble the rest of the way down the gritty, golden slope. And with his luck, he would probably end up tangled in a patch of prickly cacti at the bottom. No, thank you.

The scraggly kittom had grown up on the southern edge of Ahza, where cliffs and waterfalls were a common sight. Fresh water was much scarcer here, west of the grand river, restricted to the occasional oasis like the one that this town had been built around. It had taken quite a while to get used to the arid, hotter conditions in this part of the region. Boggart’s skin felt so dry all the time, and he had developed a bad habit of scratching his face and neck, which just seemed to make him itchier.

When he reached the town’s main street, he ventured left instead of right. The latter would have led to the town center and its bustling bazaar, but he had other plans today. A few moments later, he arrived at a large, mudbrick building with stained glass windows depicting scenes from famous fairy tales. The exterior was landscaped with an assortment of cacti and succulents, including a couple towering saguaros. The black kittom with green eyes and horns reached into the leather satchel at his side and dug around for the key, which had settled just below his bundled lunch.

Boggart opened the heavy, intricately carved doors. He breathed in the heavenly smell of aged ink and paper. What a charmed life it would be to surround yourself with old books. Maybe someday he would have his own private library, filled with titles that could transport you to different worlds, take you on perilous journeys, introduce you to new friends…

After a moment reflecting on the possibilities, he put down his bag at the desk and turned his attention to the book drop. Three tomes were waiting for him, so the kittom set to return them to the shelves where they belonged. The first was a guide for beginning knitters. The second was a new fantasy novel by a well-known author. He made a mental note to check that one out when he made his way through the stack of books in his tent. The third book was quite strange; it didn’t have a library sticker on it, and the cover was very ornate. He thumbed through the pages and marveled at the breathtaking, hand-painted illustrations. The text was written by hand in a language that Boggart couldn’t decipher. It must be a book from someone’s private collection that got turned in here by mistake.

“Ahem.”

Boggart jolted upright as a deep, velvety voice cut through the silence of the otherwise empty library. The kittom turned around to see a familiar face peering across the desk. The black, orange, and red elnin smiled at him warmly, flicking his long, flame-like grove tail back and forth.

Boggart gasped. Was this THE Azarah? The infamous treasure hunter, antiquities merchant, and author?

“I am here to check out the book you’re holding.”

“Oh… um, but it doesn’t appear to be part of our collection.”

“Exactly. It’s part of mine.”

Boggart looked from the cover to the elnin skeptically. Was he trying to trick him? Azarah wasn’t known to be the most honest nin out there.

“Here, let me prove it.” Azarah pulled out a bookmark that was nestled between the book’s pages, struck a match and held it a few inches below the bookmark.

Boggart was alarmed to see an open flame in a library, but fear gave way to wonder as writing slowly appeared on the bookmark.

Dear A.,

Please deliver this to G. in Salva. They will know what to do next.

Sincerely,

E.S.

“See, A for Azarah. Where is the old librarian, by the way? Is he okay? He and I have an arrangement, and he has never missed a delivery before.”

“Oh, he had some urgent business to attend to in Elenion. I have been volunteering here on and off for the past few months, so he asked me to mind the library while he was away.”

“I see. A budding librarian, are you? Maybe I should introduce you to my son and his best friend. One is about to have his first book published, and the other is studying library science.”

“Well, I am actually not sure if I want to be a librarian. At least not at this type of institution. Don’t get me wrong. I love volunteering here, and it has really helped me to narrow down my aspirations. I definitely want to do something related to books, but my interests lie more with rare books and undiscovered authors. I want to find and read works that few nins have ever experienced, if that makes any sense.” Boggart gazed longingly at the beautiful book before him.

“Hmm… I happen to know someone who works in the odd and unusual book business. And they might be in need of an apprentice. Would you like to accompany me to Enmir? When the librarian returns, of course.”

Boggart paused to ponder the offer. He was hesitant to leave the friends who he had made here, but this might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It was time for him to follow his own dreams. “Yes, sir. I would love to join you.”

“Great. We will leave as soon as the old librarian returns. Pack your things and get ready for an adventure!”