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I'll be posting my story here as well!  If you're interested in it, please feel free to follow my other account: ManuWrites
Thank you if you take the time to read it!

Previous Chapter:
Next Chapter:

All Chapters HERE.

CHAPTER 6: ROSE AND KONRAD

                Aldous and Bayard were standing near the southern gate, close to where they had carried the wounded guards while Malia fought the demon, when Bayard noticed someone observing them, “Hey Aldous...”
                “Yeah, I know.” The redhead nodded discretely, “A Council dog. He’s been watching the fight all along. It’s a good thing the boss didn’t intervene; now technically we didn’t disobey the old man’s order.” Aldous abruptly shifted his somber expression when Malia and Gorken joined them, choosing to cheerfully congratulate the princess on her victory and to mock the futility of putting her in flimsy irons; the rusted chain that bound her wrists together had snapped during the clash with the demon.
                Malia glanced at the unconscious men, “Where should we take them? I could try healing them, but their lives don’t seem to be in immediate danger. I’d prefer to use my healing magic only when strictly necessary… I’m not great at it.”
                “Don’t worry about that. We’re heading to Rose’s study.” Gorken assured her, “We have our own healer.”
                Aldous and Bayard summoned more members to help move the wounded while Gorken sealed the gate. Malia stayed by Gorken’s side and later joined Aldous and Bayard at what she assumed was the sick ward. The large room was lined by rows of beds, a few of them occupied by the injured guards. At the bottom of the hall, a heavy curtain hid the rest of the area from sight. “Rose, are you there?” Aldous called out, “We have wounded men.”
                The curtains oscillated sinuously before parting at the hands of a robust woman. Time had gifted grey streaks to her blonde mane; her broad hips, round belly and generous breasts where tightly hugged by a battered burgundy dress.
                “My sweet boys are back!” Rose reveled briefly, “And you bring me injured men... I’m glad to see imprisonment didn’t change you, dear Gorken.” She pinched his cheek, “Step aside children, let me take a look at them.”
                The woman took her time to examine the young men, meticulously cleaning their wounds and bandaging them. Aldous, Bayard and Gorken served as her assistants, and Malia floundered her way into attempting to do the same. Amsel had been watching the process anxiously, convinced he would be nothing but a hindrance if he intervened. When she was done, Rose smacked Amsel’s bottom encouragingly, “Change that expression, they’ll be fine. Why don’t you go and get some rest? You’ll want to be here for them when they wake up.”
                “…Yes,” Amsel bowed his head, “You have my thanks… all of you!”
                Once Amsel left the room, Rose sat down on one of the beds and scanned the faces of those left in her study, “Would you mind filling me in, kids? Who’s the young lady?”
                Malia straighten her back, as if addressed by a superior, “I’m Malia Daimonlance, a new member of the rebellion. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
                “I see. That explains the broken shackles.” Rose pointed at the handcuffs on Malia’s wrists. “You all look terrible. Why don’t you take a bath and change out of those muddy clothes?”
                Gorken sighed, “I have to go talk to the Council. They will want more explanations.”
                “Fine, then go.” Rose gestured with her hand, “But little Malia will stay with me. I’ll help you out of those shackles and find you some new garments. Meanwhile you can use my bath.”
                “Rose?” Aldous objected meekly, “I’m not sure you have the authority to do that… As ineffective a restraint as they may be, it was the Council that put those shackles on her.”
                “Let the Council come and tell me I have no authority to do as I please in my study.” Rose put her hands on her thick hips, “I’ll wait for them. Until then, I won’t have her looking like a filthy prisoner.”
                Malia waved her hands, “That won’t be necessary, I can just-”
                “Malia,” Gorken interrupted, “I would like you to stay here, too. I think I have a better chance of convincing the Council if you don’t come with me. Rose will keep you safe.”
                “Oh…” Malia couldn’t come up with a reason to disagree, even though she wanted to, “Got it.”
                “What about us, boss?” Aldous pointed at himself and Bayard.
                “Go get some rest, you earned it. We’ll meet up here in a couple of hours.”
                “Understood.” Aldous rejoiced, eager to wash the dirt off his body, “See you later!”
                Malia watched as her three friends went their different ways. Only when she was left alone with Rose did she feel the weight of finding herself in an unknown environment. The constant presence of Gorken, and then Aldous and Bayard, had lulled her into a fictitious, frail tranquility that vanished as soon as they did. Her ignorance made her no more than a lost stranger in a rigid, unforgiving maze. She wasn’t even sure if she would have been able to find her way back to the southern gate on her own. As far as she could tell, everyone but Gorken, Aldous, Bayard and perhaps Amsel considered her an enemy. Without her companions by her side, she was lost. Calm down. I’m strong. That’s why I’ve been training all these years. Don’t panic.
                “Come on dear,” Rose pulled Malia out of her own head, “don’t hyperventilate. Let’s focus on finding a way to get you out of those shackles.”
“That’s alright,” Malia blushed, “I can do it on my own.” She then used her hands and her enhanced strength to break what was left of the irons.
                Rose whistled in content surprise, “Quite the young lady, huh? Well, come here, I’ll take your measurements so you can go wash yourself while I fix some of my old clothes to fit you.”
                “Thank you.” Malia rubbed her wrists, “Lady Rose, can I ask you something?”
                “Please dear, drop the ‘lady’, I’m no lass no more. What is it?”
                “Why do you trust me so easily? Your reaction was nothing like the Council’s.” Malia remembered her recent meeting with Aldous and Bayard; she had assumed they were exceptions.
                “That one’s got an easy answer. I’ve known those brats since they were little. I trust their judgment; there was no need to ask them about the obvious.”
                “But I’m an immortal.” Malia countered as she raised her arms so that Rose could gauge her waist.
                “That’s more of a reason not to ask a thing! If they trust you even when you go around parading that your last name is Daimonlance, what else do I need to know? I’m not fond of making myself look like a fool, little Malia.” Rose stretched the measuring tape on Malia’s thigh, “And you looked so cute trying your best to help out with the injured, I couldn’t bring myself to suspect you.”
                Malia’s ears went red, “You’re a nice person, Rose.”
                “Stop buttering me up, sweetie. I’m only nice when I want to be. You need a scary backbone and a piercing glare to keep these lost children in line.”
                “You’d be a great mother.” Malia muttered without thinking. The grief her words brought to Rose’s semblance made her regret them instantly.
                “I don’t know about that. No good parent should outlive their child. A fine young man, my boy was. He was a member of the rebellion, you see. I never liked that, I hated the rebellion. I still do.” Rose returned to her desk, rummaging through drawers and looking for parchment, “But as I loved my child, I love these kids. That’s why I’m still here.”
                “I’m sorry...” Malia said. That was all she could say. Then she forced herself to end the silence that followed, “But I think the rebellion is doing the right thing. Something must be done about immortal cruelty.”
                “And what’s your story, dear?” Rose sat down, “Why is a little immortal noble joining the human rebellion?”
                “I… I feel there’s something wrong with the world. I lived most of my life in the castle, among the nobility, and even so there are so many things that I don’t know; that no one knows. It doesn’t make sense. I felt I was stuck, that I wouldn’t be able to change anything. At first I thought that from a position of power I could make a difference, but nothing I did amounted to more than a nuisance for a system that’s much bigger than one princess throwing occasional tantrums…” she trailed off, “I don’t have a plan, but, maybe from the outside I could…” I could what? Overthrow the government? Help people? Or simply run away? “…I’m sorry if I’m just spouting nonsense…”
                “It makes all the sense in the world, little one. There, I’m done writing down what I need.” Rose walked towards the curtains, “My private bathroom’s over there, beyond my study. I don’t think a lady should share a bath with the other members of the rebellion if it can be helped, so feel free to use mine whenever you want.”
“Thank you, Rose.”
                “You can leave those dirty clothes here,” Rose pointed at a basket, “I’ll wash them for you.”
                When Malia unbuttoned her vest, she remembered the little book she had taken back at the vault in the palace. She removed it from the inside of her tunic, and once again stared at the unknown characters on its spine. When Rose saw her she added, “If you have time later, you could take that to Konrad. He loves all kinds of ancient and crazy rubbish, as long as it’s on a piece of paper and away from the present moment. He’ll take a liking to you if you bring him a new book. I don’t like him though, so be careful around him.”
                Before Malia could ask about it, Rose was already in her study working and humming to herself. Resigned, she followed the path Rose had instructed her to; soon she arrived to a room with a natural pool of hot water. Is this an underground hot spring?
                Once again, Malia was surprised by the freshness of the air, in a place where the steam should’ve rendered it hot and stifling. She entered the water and relaxed, enjoying the stillness of her own company. When she felt she was clean and done, she returned and found that Rose had left some towels for her outside of the bath. Then she headed back to Rose’s study and encountered her still sewing, “I’m almost done sweetie, just wait a bit longer.” True to her word, a few minutes later Rose handed her a bundle of clothes, “Here, put this on. I figured you’re a fighter, so I fixed some of the boy’s old trousers to fit you.”
                “They fit perfectly!” Malia was pleasantly shocked.
                “I’ll keep patching up some clothing for you, so let me know if you have any preference. You can help me out while we wait for the boys. Knowing how to stitch can come in handy. Here, grab this for me.”
                After two hours of busy work and several needle pricks, Aldous and Bayard entered the room. The ginger looked around before addressing Malia, “I see the boss still isn’t here… Can I talk to you for a bit?”
                “Sure.”
                “Listen, no matter what agreement the boss is looking to strike with the Council, he will probably convince them by saying he’ll take responsibility for your actions. He wouldn’t tell you that, I know him, but I think you should know. Please keep it in mind.”
                “I will.” Malia promised him, “Thank you, Aldous. I came here to help. I won’t be a burden.”
                “That’s good to hear.” Aldous approved, “That’s how we all feel, after all.”
                Gorken arrived moments later, “Good, you’re all here. Despite their reticence, it seems the Council will allow you to stay, Malia. Aldous and Bayard, you won’t be punished for leaving in order to help me. Of course, I gave them my word that such a thing wouldn’t happen again.”
                Bayard stepped forward, speaking for the first time in hours, “You shouldn’t have protected us. Each time you make an oath to them you bind yourself further to the will of the Council.”
                “The oaths I make are my own problem.” Gorken retorted. There was silence for long moments. Malia felt as if she had to say something, but nothing came to mind. Rose was the one to take down the invisible wall, “That’s enough children. You’re all tired. Don’t start bickering without a proper reason. Why don’t you show Malia around? This place is huge, she will need help getting used to it. Even I get lost sometimes.”
                “Actually,” Malia quickly joined in, “I would like to meet the man you mentioned before. Konrad, right?”
                Gorken exhaled, “That’s a good idea. I want to ask him for advice on a few matters. Let’s go.”
                As they approached the door, Malia turned around, “Thank you for everything, Rose.”
                “There’s no need to thank me for every little thing, dear. When I’m done I’ll have your clothes taken to Gorken’s chambers. Come by whenever you feel like it.”
                As they made their way to Konrad’s chambers through the stone halls, Malia aimed to memorize the path they were taking, along with the tunnels and passages they came across. When the group got to their destination, she was surprised by the large amount of books and scrolls that greeted them. Shelves, walls and tables were all covered by volumes and papers. She didn’t think that the headquarters of a struggling rebellion would have such a big library. Sitting across the room, writing on a piece of parchment and intently talking to himself was an old man, his eyes hidden behind thick lenses.
                “Konrad, we’re back.” Gorken called out.
                “Gorken,” the old man complained, “your timing is always the worst. I’m busy. What do you want?”
                “Well, I wanted to ask for your advice,” Gorken was purposely nonchalant, “and in return you may get the chance to look at an immortal book brought straight from the northern palace.”
                “An immortal book?” Konrad raised his head, “Perfect timing. Sit with me, make yourselves comfortable. So, what do you want to talk about? Quickly now.”
                As they approached the table, Aldous whispered in Malia’s ear, “Weird, isn’t he?”
                “What’s weird about doing what you can to get what you want? If anything, he’s honest.”
                Aldous replied with a light shrug.
                “First of all, I want to introduce you to Malia Daimonlance.” Gorken said after they were all at the table.
                “It’s a pleasure.” Konrad held her hand, “I assume it is thanks to you that I will get to take a look at an immortal book.”
                Gorken continued, “We call ourselves a rebellion, but that’s no more than an empty title to keep spirits from dissipating into despair. All we do is scavenge for food, train for battles that never come, and survive day to day. That’s how it’s been since I can remember, and it didn’t change after I became leader. But now that Malia is with us… We could start planning for more than immediate survival. We could even hope to understand what magic is. Immortals have their castles, their walls, better fed soldiers… But if that wasn’t enough, the threat of such a nebulous power has kept us away from even aspiring to stand our ground.”
                Konrad stroke his long beard, “True, true. Magic is a fearsome thing, even for outstanding warriors like you, boy.”
Malia was as delighted as she was frightened by Gorken voicing his expectations. Maybe he could help her uncover her purpose and guide her stray resolve. Maybe that would give meaning to her yearnings and her doubts. But what if she wasn’t good enough? No, she was. She had to be. She was strong.
                “Malia, was it?” Konrad seized her attention, “I don’t care much about Gorken’s ambitions or a future I won’t be here to witness. Yes, yes, I’ll give you counsel if you need it,” Konrad appeased Gorken with a dismissive hand motion before the young man could respond, “But! I’m intrigued by the book you carry. I can’t seem to understand the characters on the spine. Could you hand it over?”
                Malia complied. Konrad grabbed the book with both hands. He fixed his eyes on it, examining it intensely. He lifted it over his head, placed it on the table, flipped it around, rotated it and smelled it. At one point Malia grimaced, convinced Konrad was about to lick its cover. Thankfully, he stopped before his tongue made contact with the leathery surface. Then, the old man wrinkled his eyebrows, “This is not an immortal book.”
                Gorken began to apologize, “Forgive me, since it was in the immortal palace, I assumed it-”
                “This is much better than an immortal book.” Konrad’s face sparkled with glee, “These characters are the same as the ones on the mysterious documents we found in this very room decades ago. This here is a lost language… This is a book from before our records were written! From before our time!”
                “Can you read it?” Malia stood up, thrilled. In the span of a single conversation with an old human, she had learned more than in her long hours of research inside the fragrant library of the northern palace. She had never gotten used to the scorching fluttering in her innards each and every time she confirmed no immortal knew, or cared to know, about the origins of their island kingdom; about how the current order had come to pass. Maybe that small forgotten book would prove her disquiet wasn’t unwarranted. That it wasn’t an escape from her pain or from her aimless fear. It couldn’t be just that.
                “Ah, how I wish that I could!” Konrad cried out, throwing his arms upwards, “But I may know where you can find the only person who can.”
                “Who?!” Malia and Aldous shouted at the same time.
                “The Oldest Witch, Kadem.”

Description

I'll be posting my story here as well!  If you're interested in it, please feel free to follow my other account: ManuWrites
Thank you if you take the time to read it!

Previous Chapter:
Next Chapter:

All Chapters HERE.

CHAPTER 6: ROSE AND KONRAD

                Aldous and Bayard were standing near the southern gate, close to where they had carried the wounded guards while Malia fought the demon, when Bayard noticed someone observing them, “Hey Aldous...”
                “Yeah, I know.” The redhead nodded discretely, “A Council dog. He’s been watching the fight all along. It’s a good thing the boss didn’t intervene; now technically we didn’t disobey the old man’s order.” Aldous abruptly shifted his somber expression when Malia and Gorken joined them, choosing to cheerfully congratulate the princess on her victory and to mock the futility of putting her in flimsy irons; the rusted chain that bound her wrists together had snapped during the clash with the demon.
                Malia glanced at the unconscious men, “Where should we take them? I could try healing them, but their lives don’t seem to be in immediate danger. I’d prefer to use my healing magic only when strictly necessary… I’m not great at it.”
                “Don’t worry about that. We’re heading to Rose’s study.” Gorken assured her, “We have our own healer.”
                Aldous and Bayard summoned more members to help move the wounded while Gorken sealed the gate. Malia stayed by Gorken’s side and later joined Aldous and Bayard at what she assumed was the sick ward. The large room was lined by rows of beds, a few of them occupied by the injured guards. At the bottom of the hall, a heavy curtain hid the rest of the area from sight. “Rose, are you there?” Aldous called out, “We have wounded men.”
                The curtains oscillated sinuously before parting at the hands of a robust woman. Time had gifted grey streaks to her blonde mane; her broad hips, round belly and generous breasts where tightly hugged by a battered burgundy dress.
                “My sweet boys are back!” Rose reveled briefly, “And you bring me injured men... I’m glad to see imprisonment didn’t change you, dear Gorken.” She pinched his cheek, “Step aside children, let me take a look at them.”
                The woman took her time to examine the young men, meticulously cleaning their wounds and bandaging them. Aldous, Bayard and Gorken served as her assistants, and Malia floundered her way into attempting to do the same. Amsel had been watching the process anxiously, convinced he would be nothing but a hindrance if he intervened. When she was done, Rose smacked Amsel’s bottom encouragingly, “Change that expression, they’ll be fine. Why don’t you go and get some rest? You’ll want to be here for them when they wake up.”
                “…Yes,” Amsel bowed his head, “You have my thanks… all of you!”
                Once Amsel left the room, Rose sat down on one of the beds and scanned the faces of those left in her study, “Would you mind filling me in, kids? Who’s the young lady?”
                Malia straighten her back, as if addressed by a superior, “I’m Malia Daimonlance, a new member of the rebellion. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
                “I see. That explains the broken shackles.” Rose pointed at the handcuffs on Malia’s wrists. “You all look terrible. Why don’t you take a bath and change out of those muddy clothes?”
                Gorken sighed, “I have to go talk to the Council. They will want more explanations.”
                “Fine, then go.” Rose gestured with her hand, “But little Malia will stay with me. I’ll help you out of those shackles and find you some new garments. Meanwhile you can use my bath.”
                “Rose?” Aldous objected meekly, “I’m not sure you have the authority to do that… As ineffective a restraint as they may be, it was the Council that put those shackles on her.”
                “Let the Council come and tell me I have no authority to do as I please in my study.” Rose put her hands on her thick hips, “I’ll wait for them. Until then, I won’t have her looking like a filthy prisoner.”
                Malia waved her hands, “That won’t be necessary, I can just-”
                “Malia,” Gorken interrupted, “I would like you to stay here, too. I think I have a better chance of convincing the Council if you don’t come with me. Rose will keep you safe.”
                “Oh…” Malia couldn’t come up with a reason to disagree, even though she wanted to, “Got it.”
                “What about us, boss?” Aldous pointed at himself and Bayard.
                “Go get some rest, you earned it. We’ll meet up here in a couple of hours.”
                “Understood.” Aldous rejoiced, eager to wash the dirt off his body, “See you later!”
                Malia watched as her three friends went their different ways. Only when she was left alone with Rose did she feel the weight of finding herself in an unknown environment. The constant presence of Gorken, and then Aldous and Bayard, had lulled her into a fictitious, frail tranquility that vanished as soon as they did. Her ignorance made her no more than a lost stranger in a rigid, unforgiving maze. She wasn’t even sure if she would have been able to find her way back to the southern gate on her own. As far as she could tell, everyone but Gorken, Aldous, Bayard and perhaps Amsel considered her an enemy. Without her companions by her side, she was lost. Calm down. I’m strong. That’s why I’ve been training all these years. Don’t panic.
                “Come on dear,” Rose pulled Malia out of her own head, “don’t hyperventilate. Let’s focus on finding a way to get you out of those shackles.”
“That’s alright,” Malia blushed, “I can do it on my own.” She then used her hands and her enhanced strength to break what was left of the irons.
                Rose whistled in content surprise, “Quite the young lady, huh? Well, come here, I’ll take your measurements so you can go wash yourself while I fix some of my old clothes to fit you.”
                “Thank you.” Malia rubbed her wrists, “Lady Rose, can I ask you something?”
                “Please dear, drop the ‘lady’, I’m no lass no more. What is it?”
                “Why do you trust me so easily? Your reaction was nothing like the Council’s.” Malia remembered her recent meeting with Aldous and Bayard; she had assumed they were exceptions.
                “That one’s got an easy answer. I’ve known those brats since they were little. I trust their judgment; there was no need to ask them about the obvious.”
                “But I’m an immortal.” Malia countered as she raised her arms so that Rose could gauge her waist.
                “That’s more of a reason not to ask a thing! If they trust you even when you go around parading that your last name is Daimonlance, what else do I need to know? I’m not fond of making myself look like a fool, little Malia.” Rose stretched the measuring tape on Malia’s thigh, “And you looked so cute trying your best to help out with the injured, I couldn’t bring myself to suspect you.”
                Malia’s ears went red, “You’re a nice person, Rose.”
                “Stop buttering me up, sweetie. I’m only nice when I want to be. You need a scary backbone and a piercing glare to keep these lost children in line.”
                “You’d be a great mother.” Malia muttered without thinking. The grief her words brought to Rose’s semblance made her regret them instantly.
                “I don’t know about that. No good parent should outlive their child. A fine young man, my boy was. He was a member of the rebellion, you see. I never liked that, I hated the rebellion. I still do.” Rose returned to her desk, rummaging through drawers and looking for parchment, “But as I loved my child, I love these kids. That’s why I’m still here.”
                “I’m sorry...” Malia said. That was all she could say. Then she forced herself to end the silence that followed, “But I think the rebellion is doing the right thing. Something must be done about immortal cruelty.”
                “And what’s your story, dear?” Rose sat down, “Why is a little immortal noble joining the human rebellion?”
                “I… I feel there’s something wrong with the world. I lived most of my life in the castle, among the nobility, and even so there are so many things that I don’t know; that no one knows. It doesn’t make sense. I felt I was stuck, that I wouldn’t be able to change anything. At first I thought that from a position of power I could make a difference, but nothing I did amounted to more than a nuisance for a system that’s much bigger than one princess throwing occasional tantrums…” she trailed off, “I don’t have a plan, but, maybe from the outside I could…” I could what? Overthrow the government? Help people? Or simply run away? “…I’m sorry if I’m just spouting nonsense…”
                “It makes all the sense in the world, little one. There, I’m done writing down what I need.” Rose walked towards the curtains, “My private bathroom’s over there, beyond my study. I don’t think a lady should share a bath with the other members of the rebellion if it can be helped, so feel free to use mine whenever you want.”
“Thank you, Rose.”
                “You can leave those dirty clothes here,” Rose pointed at a basket, “I’ll wash them for you.”
                When Malia unbuttoned her vest, she remembered the little book she had taken back at the vault in the palace. She removed it from the inside of her tunic, and once again stared at the unknown characters on its spine. When Rose saw her she added, “If you have time later, you could take that to Konrad. He loves all kinds of ancient and crazy rubbish, as long as it’s on a piece of paper and away from the present moment. He’ll take a liking to you if you bring him a new book. I don’t like him though, so be careful around him.”
                Before Malia could ask about it, Rose was already in her study working and humming to herself. Resigned, she followed the path Rose had instructed her to; soon she arrived to a room with a natural pool of hot water. Is this an underground hot spring?
                Once again, Malia was surprised by the freshness of the air, in a place where the steam should’ve rendered it hot and stifling. She entered the water and relaxed, enjoying the stillness of her own company. When she felt she was clean and done, she returned and found that Rose had left some towels for her outside of the bath. Then she headed back to Rose’s study and encountered her still sewing, “I’m almost done sweetie, just wait a bit longer.” True to her word, a few minutes later Rose handed her a bundle of clothes, “Here, put this on. I figured you’re a fighter, so I fixed some of the boy’s old trousers to fit you.”
                “They fit perfectly!” Malia was pleasantly shocked.
                “I’ll keep patching up some clothing for you, so let me know if you have any preference. You can help me out while we wait for the boys. Knowing how to stitch can come in handy. Here, grab this for me.”
                After two hours of busy work and several needle pricks, Aldous and Bayard entered the room. The ginger looked around before addressing Malia, “I see the boss still isn’t here… Can I talk to you for a bit?”
                “Sure.”
                “Listen, no matter what agreement the boss is looking to strike with the Council, he will probably convince them by saying he’ll take responsibility for your actions. He wouldn’t tell you that, I know him, but I think you should know. Please keep it in mind.”
                “I will.” Malia promised him, “Thank you, Aldous. I came here to help. I won’t be a burden.”
                “That’s good to hear.” Aldous approved, “That’s how we all feel, after all.”
                Gorken arrived moments later, “Good, you’re all here. Despite their reticence, it seems the Council will allow you to stay, Malia. Aldous and Bayard, you won’t be punished for leaving in order to help me. Of course, I gave them my word that such a thing wouldn’t happen again.”
                Bayard stepped forward, speaking for the first time in hours, “You shouldn’t have protected us. Each time you make an oath to them you bind yourself further to the will of the Council.”
                “The oaths I make are my own problem.” Gorken retorted. There was silence for long moments. Malia felt as if she had to say something, but nothing came to mind. Rose was the one to take down the invisible wall, “That’s enough children. You’re all tired. Don’t start bickering without a proper reason. Why don’t you show Malia around? This place is huge, she will need help getting used to it. Even I get lost sometimes.”
                “Actually,” Malia quickly joined in, “I would like to meet the man you mentioned before. Konrad, right?”
                Gorken exhaled, “That’s a good idea. I want to ask him for advice on a few matters. Let’s go.”
                As they approached the door, Malia turned around, “Thank you for everything, Rose.”
                “There’s no need to thank me for every little thing, dear. When I’m done I’ll have your clothes taken to Gorken’s chambers. Come by whenever you feel like it.”
                As they made their way to Konrad’s chambers through the stone halls, Malia aimed to memorize the path they were taking, along with the tunnels and passages they came across. When the group got to their destination, she was surprised by the large amount of books and scrolls that greeted them. Shelves, walls and tables were all covered by volumes and papers. She didn’t think that the headquarters of a struggling rebellion would have such a big library. Sitting across the room, writing on a piece of parchment and intently talking to himself was an old man, his eyes hidden behind thick lenses.
                “Konrad, we’re back.” Gorken called out.
                “Gorken,” the old man complained, “your timing is always the worst. I’m busy. What do you want?”
                “Well, I wanted to ask for your advice,” Gorken was purposely nonchalant, “and in return you may get the chance to look at an immortal book brought straight from the northern palace.”
                “An immortal book?” Konrad raised his head, “Perfect timing. Sit with me, make yourselves comfortable. So, what do you want to talk about? Quickly now.”
                As they approached the table, Aldous whispered in Malia’s ear, “Weird, isn’t he?”
                “What’s weird about doing what you can to get what you want? If anything, he’s honest.”
                Aldous replied with a light shrug.
                “First of all, I want to introduce you to Malia Daimonlance.” Gorken said after they were all at the table.
                “It’s a pleasure.” Konrad held her hand, “I assume it is thanks to you that I will get to take a look at an immortal book.”
                Gorken continued, “We call ourselves a rebellion, but that’s no more than an empty title to keep spirits from dissipating into despair. All we do is scavenge for food, train for battles that never come, and survive day to day. That’s how it’s been since I can remember, and it didn’t change after I became leader. But now that Malia is with us… We could start planning for more than immediate survival. We could even hope to understand what magic is. Immortals have their castles, their walls, better fed soldiers… But if that wasn’t enough, the threat of such a nebulous power has kept us away from even aspiring to stand our ground.”
                Konrad stroke his long beard, “True, true. Magic is a fearsome thing, even for outstanding warriors like you, boy.”
Malia was as delighted as she was frightened by Gorken voicing his expectations. Maybe he could help her uncover her purpose and guide her stray resolve. Maybe that would give meaning to her yearnings and her doubts. But what if she wasn’t good enough? No, she was. She had to be. She was strong.
                “Malia, was it?” Konrad seized her attention, “I don’t care much about Gorken’s ambitions or a future I won’t be here to witness. Yes, yes, I’ll give you counsel if you need it,” Konrad appeased Gorken with a dismissive hand motion before the young man could respond, “But! I’m intrigued by the book you carry. I can’t seem to understand the characters on the spine. Could you hand it over?”
                Malia complied. Konrad grabbed the book with both hands. He fixed his eyes on it, examining it intensely. He lifted it over his head, placed it on the table, flipped it around, rotated it and smelled it. At one point Malia grimaced, convinced Konrad was about to lick its cover. Thankfully, he stopped before his tongue made contact with the leathery surface. Then, the old man wrinkled his eyebrows, “This is not an immortal book.”
                Gorken began to apologize, “Forgive me, since it was in the immortal palace, I assumed it-”
                “This is much better than an immortal book.” Konrad’s face sparkled with glee, “These characters are the same as the ones on the mysterious documents we found in this very room decades ago. This here is a lost language… This is a book from before our records were written! From before our time!”
                “Can you read it?” Malia stood up, thrilled. In the span of a single conversation with an old human, she had learned more than in her long hours of research inside the fragrant library of the northern palace. She had never gotten used to the scorching fluttering in her innards each and every time she confirmed no immortal knew, or cared to know, about the origins of their island kingdom; about how the current order had come to pass. Maybe that small forgotten book would prove her disquiet wasn’t unwarranted. That it wasn’t an escape from her pain or from her aimless fear. It couldn’t be just that.
                “Ah, how I wish that I could!” Konrad cried out, throwing his arms upwards, “But I may know where you can find the only person who can.”
                “Who?!” Malia and Aldous shouted at the same time.
                “The Oldest Witch, Kadem.”