The inside of the Great Library was immense in both size
and grandeur. Towering bookshelves, elegantly carved from oak and marble,
reached dozens of feet towards the gilded ceiling, and stretched almost as far
as the eye could see. Stacked within their wooden frames was almost every
conceivable kind of book, from epic war poetry to romance novels, as well as
encyclopaedic volumes recounting the region's entire history. Almost every work
of literature that Albion had ever known was contained within this vast
repository, in some form or another.
Tara had never seen such a vast building in all her life. She gasped in astonishment, gazing around the library with her mouth open. "This place is... incredible..." she said.
"It really is," said Xeron. "I'd heard how vast the collection here was, but seeing it in person is really quite the sight."
"You've never been here before?" asked Tara.
"No," said Xeron. "I never felt the need to before, but now, things are different."
Tara nodded. "There has to be something in here that can help us... but what? And how will we ever find it?"
"Perhaps I can be of assistance?"
Xeron and Tara turned round to see an elderly man walking towards them. He wore a midnight blue robe, and half-moon spectacles. He gave off a definite air of wisdom and importance. "Are you the head librarian?" asked Xeron.
"I am indeed," said the man. "My name is Corwyn. I know almost everything there is to know about the contents of this library. Is there anything I can help you with?"
"We're looking for information about something called the Orb of Chaos," said Xeron. "Do you have any books that might shed some light on it?"
"The Orb of Chaos..." Corwyn repeated. "Yes, I believe I might have some information about it. Follow me."
Corwyn headed off through the maze of towering shelves, with Xeron and Tara following closely behind. Corwyn glanced over his shoulder every so often to make sure that they were still following him. "Did you travel far to get here?" he asked.
"We've come from Tirera," said Tara.
"Are you enjoying the capital so far?" asked Corwyn.
Tara nodded. "It's enormous..."
"I suppose it is," said Corwyn.
Corwyn stopped at a nearby shelf, perusing it. "Now let's see here... where would it be..." He climbed up onto a movable ladder and began to patiently browse the higher shelves. After several minutes of browsing, he produced a large, dusty volume. Brushing the dust off the cover, he peered over the top of his spectacles at the book, making sure it was the right one. "Yes, this is it," mumbled Corwyn.
"You found something?" asked Xeron.
"I believe I have," said Corwyn. Descending back down the ladder, Corwyn led the two adventurers to a nearby table and laid the book down upon it. The front cover read, "THE WORLDS BEYOND OUR OWN".
"Worlds beyond our own?" Xeron read aloud, as he and Tara sat down. "You mean, Heaven and Hell?"
"Not only those," said Corwyn. "You see, some historians have long theorised that, before the creation of our own world, there have existed other worlds." Corwyn opened the book, to a page depicting an Earth-like planet but with subtly different geometry. "Some believe they were failed attempts at creating the world we know, so-called "Precursor Worlds"; others believe them to be entirely separate, with their own deities, so-called "Parallel Worlds". Still others believe they do not exist at all."
"Do they?" asked Xeron. "And if they do, how is the Orb of Chaos connected to them?"
"Oh, these alternate worlds exist, all right." said Corwyn. "And the Orb of Chaos is the key to unlocking their secrets." Corwyn turned to another page, this one depicting a milky-white sphere with strange blue wisps swirling within it. "The various worlds are all separated by a swirling mass called Chaos, within which they all eternally drift," he explained. "The Orb of Chaos is a mythical artifact that is said to have the power to open gateways between the Chaos, linking two worlds together. It is even said that if a powerful enough Witch gains possession of it, they could perhaps open a gateway to Heaven or Hell themselves."
Xeron and Tara exchanged nervous glances. "There is a Black Witch in possession of the Orb," said Xeron. "He must have used its power to open gateways to other worlds, and summoned creatures from within them. That's where the monsters that attacked Hilston and Tirera came from."
"That would definitely explain it," said Tara. "Do you think he's trying to open a gateway to Hell?"
"Even if he is not, this is still a most disturbing development," said Corwyn. "These realms are thought to be home to monstrous creatures known as Shoukan, far more powerful than any monster found in our own world. Even if this Black Witch does not open a gate to Hell, a sufficiently powerful Shoukan would lay waste to Albion."
"Do you think that's his aim?" asked Tara. "Summon a powerful enough Shoukan, and use it to take over the world?"
"If this is his aim, then he is a fool," said Corwyn. "A Shoukan that powerful would be beyond the control of any one man. Whoever this Black Witch is, he must be stopped as soon as possible, and the Orb of Chaos destroyed."
"Why wasn't it destroyed before?" asked Xeron.
"Nobody knew where it was until now," said Corwyn. "Some even doubted its existence. How this Black Witch came to possess it is a mystery."
"Well, how he got it doesn't matter now," said Xeron. "What matters now is how we can stop him. I've fought him once before... well, it wasn't really much of a fight. He almost killed me in a single blow."
"If he is truly as powerful as you say," said Corwyn, "then only a highly powerful White Witch will be able to defeat him. Of course, finding such a person may not be easy, given the way Albion is at the moment."
Xeron and Tara exchanged knowing glances. "I wouldn't be so sure about that," said Xeron.
Corwyn seemed to catch their drift, but said nothing more than, "I see", before moving on. "Do you know where this Black Witch is now?" he asked.
"I'm afraid not," said Xeron. "He disappeared after we defeated the second Shoukan."
"You must find him and defeat him as soon as possible," said Corwyn. "The more he uses the Orb of Chaos, the stronger the summoned Shoukan will become. Soon, even he will not be able to control them."
"So, what do we do?" asked Tara. "Wait for him to open another gateway, and then attack him when he does?"
"That's the best plan available to us, I think," said Xeron. "We've got no other way of finding him, so as risky as it is, we have to wait for him to surface again." Xeron then turned to Corwyn. "What about the Orb of Chaos? I assume an artifact like that can't just be destroyed by ordinary means."
"The lava of Mt. Akron in neighbouring Akeda is powerful enough to destroy anything thrown into it," said Corwyn. "Once you obtain the Orb of Chaos, you must travel there and cast it into the heart of the volcano."
"That sounds a little far," said Tara.
"It'll be worth it, though," said Xeron. "It's not the hardest of journeys, either."
Tara nodded. "I'll trust you on that. Then, it looks like we have a plan."
"I just hope that when that Black Witch strikes next, we're close enough that we can catch him before he disappears again," said Xeron.
"Let us hope so," said Corwyn.
"Is there anything else we should know about the Orb of Chaos, or about the worlds beyond ours?" asked Xeron.
"There is one thing that might be worth mentioning," said Corwyn. "The gateways opened by the Orb of Chaos are one-way only. Once an object has passed through the gateway, it cannot travel back through it."
"I see," said Xeron. "Well, thank you for all your help, Corwyn. We had best be going. We have other preparations to make."
"Of course," said Corwyn, closing the book. "I wish you both the best of luck. The fate of the world rests in your hands."
Tara had never seen such a vast building in all her life. She gasped in astonishment, gazing around the library with her mouth open. "This place is... incredible..." she said.
"It really is," said Xeron. "I'd heard how vast the collection here was, but seeing it in person is really quite the sight."
"You've never been here before?" asked Tara.
"No," said Xeron. "I never felt the need to before, but now, things are different."
Tara nodded. "There has to be something in here that can help us... but what? And how will we ever find it?"
"Perhaps I can be of assistance?"
Xeron and Tara turned round to see an elderly man walking towards them. He wore a midnight blue robe, and half-moon spectacles. He gave off a definite air of wisdom and importance. "Are you the head librarian?" asked Xeron.
"I am indeed," said the man. "My name is Corwyn. I know almost everything there is to know about the contents of this library. Is there anything I can help you with?"
"We're looking for information about something called the Orb of Chaos," said Xeron. "Do you have any books that might shed some light on it?"
"The Orb of Chaos..." Corwyn repeated. "Yes, I believe I might have some information about it. Follow me."
Corwyn headed off through the maze of towering shelves, with Xeron and Tara following closely behind. Corwyn glanced over his shoulder every so often to make sure that they were still following him. "Did you travel far to get here?" he asked.
"We've come from Tirera," said Tara.
"Are you enjoying the capital so far?" asked Corwyn.
Tara nodded. "It's enormous..."
"I suppose it is," said Corwyn.
Corwyn stopped at a nearby shelf, perusing it. "Now let's see here... where would it be..." He climbed up onto a movable ladder and began to patiently browse the higher shelves. After several minutes of browsing, he produced a large, dusty volume. Brushing the dust off the cover, he peered over the top of his spectacles at the book, making sure it was the right one. "Yes, this is it," mumbled Corwyn.
"You found something?" asked Xeron.
"I believe I have," said Corwyn. Descending back down the ladder, Corwyn led the two adventurers to a nearby table and laid the book down upon it. The front cover read, "THE WORLDS BEYOND OUR OWN".
"Worlds beyond our own?" Xeron read aloud, as he and Tara sat down. "You mean, Heaven and Hell?"
"Not only those," said Corwyn. "You see, some historians have long theorised that, before the creation of our own world, there have existed other worlds." Corwyn opened the book, to a page depicting an Earth-like planet but with subtly different geometry. "Some believe they were failed attempts at creating the world we know, so-called "Precursor Worlds"; others believe them to be entirely separate, with their own deities, so-called "Parallel Worlds". Still others believe they do not exist at all."
"Do they?" asked Xeron. "And if they do, how is the Orb of Chaos connected to them?"
"Oh, these alternate worlds exist, all right." said Corwyn. "And the Orb of Chaos is the key to unlocking their secrets." Corwyn turned to another page, this one depicting a milky-white sphere with strange blue wisps swirling within it. "The various worlds are all separated by a swirling mass called Chaos, within which they all eternally drift," he explained. "The Orb of Chaos is a mythical artifact that is said to have the power to open gateways between the Chaos, linking two worlds together. It is even said that if a powerful enough Witch gains possession of it, they could perhaps open a gateway to Heaven or Hell themselves."
Xeron and Tara exchanged nervous glances. "There is a Black Witch in possession of the Orb," said Xeron. "He must have used its power to open gateways to other worlds, and summoned creatures from within them. That's where the monsters that attacked Hilston and Tirera came from."
"That would definitely explain it," said Tara. "Do you think he's trying to open a gateway to Hell?"
"Even if he is not, this is still a most disturbing development," said Corwyn. "These realms are thought to be home to monstrous creatures known as Shoukan, far more powerful than any monster found in our own world. Even if this Black Witch does not open a gate to Hell, a sufficiently powerful Shoukan would lay waste to Albion."
"Do you think that's his aim?" asked Tara. "Summon a powerful enough Shoukan, and use it to take over the world?"
"If this is his aim, then he is a fool," said Corwyn. "A Shoukan that powerful would be beyond the control of any one man. Whoever this Black Witch is, he must be stopped as soon as possible, and the Orb of Chaos destroyed."
"Why wasn't it destroyed before?" asked Xeron.
"Nobody knew where it was until now," said Corwyn. "Some even doubted its existence. How this Black Witch came to possess it is a mystery."
"Well, how he got it doesn't matter now," said Xeron. "What matters now is how we can stop him. I've fought him once before... well, it wasn't really much of a fight. He almost killed me in a single blow."
"If he is truly as powerful as you say," said Corwyn, "then only a highly powerful White Witch will be able to defeat him. Of course, finding such a person may not be easy, given the way Albion is at the moment."
Xeron and Tara exchanged knowing glances. "I wouldn't be so sure about that," said Xeron.
Corwyn seemed to catch their drift, but said nothing more than, "I see", before moving on. "Do you know where this Black Witch is now?" he asked.
"I'm afraid not," said Xeron. "He disappeared after we defeated the second Shoukan."
"You must find him and defeat him as soon as possible," said Corwyn. "The more he uses the Orb of Chaos, the stronger the summoned Shoukan will become. Soon, even he will not be able to control them."
"So, what do we do?" asked Tara. "Wait for him to open another gateway, and then attack him when he does?"
"That's the best plan available to us, I think," said Xeron. "We've got no other way of finding him, so as risky as it is, we have to wait for him to surface again." Xeron then turned to Corwyn. "What about the Orb of Chaos? I assume an artifact like that can't just be destroyed by ordinary means."
"The lava of Mt. Akron in neighbouring Akeda is powerful enough to destroy anything thrown into it," said Corwyn. "Once you obtain the Orb of Chaos, you must travel there and cast it into the heart of the volcano."
"That sounds a little far," said Tara.
"It'll be worth it, though," said Xeron. "It's not the hardest of journeys, either."
Tara nodded. "I'll trust you on that. Then, it looks like we have a plan."
"I just hope that when that Black Witch strikes next, we're close enough that we can catch him before he disappears again," said Xeron.
"Let us hope so," said Corwyn.
"Is there anything else we should know about the Orb of Chaos, or about the worlds beyond ours?" asked Xeron.
"There is one thing that might be worth mentioning," said Corwyn. "The gateways opened by the Orb of Chaos are one-way only. Once an object has passed through the gateway, it cannot travel back through it."
"I see," said Xeron. "Well, thank you for all your help, Corwyn. We had best be going. We have other preparations to make."
"Of course," said Corwyn, closing the book. "I wish you both the best of luck. The fate of the world rests in your hands."
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