Page 11 of Tempest Awakening
"Hello?" I called out softly, a mix of curiosity and nervousness in my voice. "Is someone there?"
No one answered, but the pull grew stronger. I turned a corner and found myself facing a pair of intricately carved wooden doors. Elaborate dragons adorned the frame, their scales rendered in exquisite detail.
My heart raced as I reached for the iron handle, the metal cool beneath my fingertips. The door swung open with surprising ease, revealing a spiral staircase beyond.
As I climbed, the air thickened with an unseen charge that danced across my skin. Light appeared above, a warm, flickering glow that beckoned me onward. I emerged into a circular chamber, the ceiling arching high overhead in a masterpiece of stained glass. Dragons soared across the domed expanse, their wings outspread and scales shimmering with every imaginable hue.
But it wasn't the artistry that stole my breath away. It was the presence I felt surrounding me, ancient and wise. The room itself thrummed with anticipation, and I knew, with a certainty that defied logic, that the library was aware of me.
"Hello?" I called out again, my voice barely above a whisper as I turned in a slow circle, taking in every detail of this sacred space.
The circular chamber was a marvel of beauty and craftsmanship. Instead of bookshelves, the curved walls were lined with intricate alcoves and niches, each one holding objects that seemed to pulse with barely contained energy. Crystals of various sizes and colors dominated the collection.
The air itself felt different here—thicker, charged with an energy that made my skin tingle and my hair stand on end.
A warm resonance bloomed within my mind, like the embrace of a long-forgotten friend. Words were not spoken, but emotionsand impressions eddied through me—curiosity, welcome, and a hopeful eagerness.
"I... I'm not sure how I found this place," I admitted, flushing. "The door, it seemed to call to me, and then the stairs appeared..."
Amusement blossomed within me, a sense of childlike delight at my wonder. The presence brushed against my consciousness again, and I finally understood—I had been invited here, summoned by the intelligence that was the Dragonne Library itself.
Just as I was beginning to process this incredible realization, movement in my peripheral vision caught my attention. I spun, my heart leaping into my throat, only to be met with a sight that stole the very breath from my lungs.
She was magnificent—a dragon larger than any I had imagined, her sinuous body a tapestry of rust and gold. I stood frozen, awe and disbelief warring within me.
The dragon regarded me for a long moment, her eyes ancient and wise. Then she dipped her regal head in greeting. Her voice resonated within my mind, rich with power and gentle authority.
"Be at peace, young one. You have been summoned to this place, though I confess, even I did not foresee the circumstances that would bring you here."
I swallowed hard, finding my voice. "You... you know who I am?"
"Indeed I do, Tess,"the dragon replied, amusement coloring her mental tone."I am Moriyana, Grand Luminary of the Dragonne Library. It is my sacred duty to safeguard the wisdom and lore of our kind."
As I struggled to process this, the Library's presence intensified around us. A peculiar resonance thrummed underfoot, raising the fine hairs on my arms. Before my eyes, a nearby shelf shimmered, its surface becoming fluid. From within, an object slowly emerged—a fist-sized quartz crystal, its facets glinting with inner light.
"It seems the library wishes to share something with you,"Moriyana observed, her mental voice tinged with curiosity.
Guided by an instinct I didn't fully understand, I sat cross-legged on the floor. The crystal drifted down, hovering before me at eye level.
"Dragons do not record our lore as your kind does,"Moriyana explained, settling herself more comfortably."We use what we call Flameborn Lore—memories and experiences preserved in crystalline form, to be relived and shared across generations."
I nodded, mesmerized by the gently rotating crystal. "How does it work?"
In response, a violet flame bloomed at the tip of Moriyana's claw."Allow me to show you,"she said.
When the flame touched the crystal, the quartz blazed with sudden, intense light. I instinctively raised an arm to shield my eyes, but the light didn't burn. Instead, it enveloped me in a warm, welcoming embrace.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, like a dam bursting in slow motion, the light expanded outward. I felt myself falling, tumbling through a kaleidoscope of light and shadow. An exhilarating thrill rushed through me as I surrendered to its pull.
A vast expanse unfolded before me—swirling energies and colors stretched to infinity. As I watched in wonder, celestial bodiestook shape, moving in precise, stately arcs across the cosmic canvas.
"Sovrax," a voice whispered in my mind. Somehow, I understood—this was the realm of Order, the cosmos in all its grand, clockwork perfection.
Before I could fully grasp it, the scene shifted. Another realm blossomed into existence—wild energies in constant flux, creation and destruction in an endless dance.
"Alaia," the voice intoned. The realm of Chaos, untamed and ever-changing.
I witnessed their intricate interplay, the delicate balance between stasis and change. This, I realized with sudden clarity, was the very heartbeat of existence.
