Day 188

[from Aura of Chaos]

It took Xeron and Tara three days to reach Clauston, but finally the great walls of the city loomed large before them. Clauston was the capital of the kingdom of Albion, and was home to the nation's ruler, Claus III. The city had at first been called Ravensbury, but nearly forty years ago it had been renamed in honour of King Claus I, Claus III's grandfather. It had been the scene of many important events in Albion's history, not least the attempted assassination, thirty years ago, that had led to the present ban on witchcraft.

Finally, Xeron and Tara passed through the high-arched entrance and found themselves in the main city. A small park nearby greeted those entering the city, while off to the right sat a large inn, where weary travellers could rest. Looming over the rooftops a short distance away, the pair could see the rising spire of the Church of the Divine Spirits, one of the largest churches in the world, and over on the other end of town, they could just make out the immense royal castle, towering over the rest of the city. It truly was a massive city, and now that they were within its walls, it seemed to stretch in all directions for as far as the eye could see.

Tara, who had never known life beyond Tirera until less than a week ago, was completely overwhelmed by the size of it all. "It's so… enormous!" she gasped. "How will we ever find our way to the Great Library?"

"I've been here before," said Xeron. "If I remember correctly, there are signposts throughout the city, pointing the way to various landmarks. The Great Library will surely be one of them. If we still can't find it, we can always just ask around. There's plenty of locals who'll know where it is." He gestured at the crowds of people milling around them. The city's population had to number in the many thousands, at least.

"That's a good point," admitted Tara. "Okay, so do we try looking for a signpost?"

"That would be a good idea," said Xeron. "Okay, there's gotta be one nearby…"

It only took Xeron and Tara a minute or two to locate the nearest signpost: in the centre of the park. "Ah, here it is," said Xeron. "Okay, let's see… looks like the Great Library is straight down that road." He pointed to the north, along the road through which they had entered.

"Well, that's convenient," said Tara.

"It sure is," said Xeron. "Alright, let's get going."

The pair headed off through the wide cobbled streets. The streets of Clauston were not literally paved with gold, as was rumoured in certain parts of the world, but rather with sandstone quarried from neighbouring Akeda. The sandy yellow bricks certainly gave the fleeting illusion that one was walking on gold, and gave the whole city a rich, vibrant feel. As Tara followed Xeron through the crowds, her gaze swivelled in all directions, drinking in the sights all around her.

It wasn't long before the grey stone building of the Great Library began to loom large in their sights, and as they arrived in a large square, the library itself was suddenly right before them, sitting proudly at one corner of the square and stretching upwards for at least five storeys. In the centre of the square was a large marble fountain depicting two angelic figures. A plague set into the base of the fountain revealed its purpose:

ON THIS SPOT, ON 643.4.20 TE, KING CLAUS II WAS ATTACKED BY A VILLAINOUS BLACK WITCH. THE KING ESCAPED UNHARMED, BUT AN INNOCENT WOMAN LOST HER LIFE. THE CULPRIT HAS NEVER BEEN CAUGHT. THIS TRAVESTY WILL ENDURE FOR ALL TIME.

Tara gasped, clasping her hands to her chest. "This is…"

Xeron nodded solemnly. "This is where it all started, thirty years ago," he said. "This is where the old king was attacked. In his anger, and his thirst for revenge, he made witchcraft punishable by death. Of course, not everyone agrees with the law, and there are plenty of people out there who disobey it or refuse to enforce it, but… not everyone's like that."

Tara nodded. She had still not forgotten what had happened in Tirera only a few short days ago. "Do you think that… the law will ever be repealed?" she asked.

"I don't know," said Xeron. "I hope so, though. It's not right that y- that Witches have to live their lives in fear." Xeron breathed a little sigh of relief, having just barely avoided letting slip that Tara was a Witch. Even in this crowded square, somebody might still have overheard.

Tara nodded again. "Do you think, perhaps-?" She cut herself off mid-sentence, shaking her head. "No. That's silly. It would never…"

"What would never happen?" asked Xeron.

"Well… I was thinking…" Tara shifted a little uncomfortably. "If we manage to save the kingdom from this sorceror, do you think - maybe - the king would reward us by agreeing to repeal the law?"

"Perhaps," said Xeron. "We could certainly help prove to him that not all Witches are like the ones that attacked his father."

"I hope so," said Tara.

"Well, we'll see," said Xeron. "First, we have to figure out how we can stop him." He gestured at the Great Library's double doors. "Shall we?"

Tara nodded, and the two made their way inside the Great Library in search of answers.