Delilah stood before the Abyssal Sanctuary’s Light Catcher, staring into its reflective surface.
How did you fail to protect this place?
And what can we do to change that for the future? To prevent such a horrible tragedy from happening again…
What will it take?
Soft footsteps sounded on the stone floor behind her, and then she yelped at a sudden sharp jab at her side.
Laughter followed Delilah’s reaction, laughter she recognized. She wheeled about to see Alice, standing there with a big, mischievous grin on her face. “Deep thoughts again?” Alice asked.
“I guess so,” Delilah said, stifling a hundred angry comments that flew through her mind.
I shouldn’t get mad at her. She’s just trying to cheer me up in her own way.
“You couldn’t sleep either?” Delilah asked, studying Alice’s face. The girl was as hard to read as ever, with a cheerful demeanor that always felt at least a little fake to Delilah.
“Nah,” Alice said with a shrug. “It’s kind of a creepy place, you know? And I’m antsy to get going to the other Bastions. I want to see new places!”
“Yeah,” Delilah said, turning away.
It’ll be nice to get away from here.
But…
Shouldn’t we be doing something more to help this place?
“It feels like we’re abandoning one Bastion for another,” Delilah said softly.
“That’s ’cause we are,” Alice said. “But if we’re trying to follow Sen and figure out his entire plan and put a stop to it, we can’t exactly fool around. I don’t even get why Marcus wanted us to sleep here. Sure we need rest, but this is a spooky place to try and get it, you know?”
“Yeah,” Delilah said.
A bell chimed somewhere, its tone one that both girls recognized. “Seems like Marcus is awake already, too,” Alice said. “Maybe it’s time for us to leave. Wanna go find out?”
“Sure,” Delilah said. Her heart wasn’t in anything at the moment, but she hoped that time and new sights would help.
I can’t stay like this. We did everything we could here, right?
Even if it’s hard to move forward, that’s the best choice right now. One foot in front of the other.
Alice led the way with a bouncy, energetic gait while Delilah trudged along behind her.
One foot in front of the other.
They met Marcus on the top floor of the Sanctuary, in the lounge by the stairs. One thing had changed since last they’d been there, though. A bookshelf had been slid aside, revealing a narrow hall.
“Why didn’t we check that out earlier?” Alice asked.
“Because it appears some of the Bastion’s security measures were working properly,” Marcus said. “Though the Light Catcher did not properly detect the Sons of Night or the seed Valgwyn planted, the Bastion itself did, and in so doing, made this hall useless. It leads to a set of doors that lead to other Bastions. But as long as the Sons of Night were here, as long as the seed was planted, these doors were useless, as the Abyssal Sanctuary cut itself off from the other Bastions.”
“Why didn’t the Library of Solitude do the same?” Delilah asked. “Even when there was so much darkness, Caleb was able to reach it through the door at Midnight Bridge.”
“Not all Bastions are designed the same,” Marcus said. “And they often change due to the desires of their Paladins. I had heard how cautious Soren was, how worried he was that darkness would take the Sanctuary. And seeing how he must have fought against Sen, while also cutting his Bastion off from all immediate help… he prized the safety of the other Bastions over his own life.”
“That’s all well and good, but do the doors work now?” Alice asked.
“Oh, yes,” Marcus said. “It took a bit of work on my part as well, but the connections have been restored. We can now travel freely to our next destination.”
“You said we had two Bastions to visit,” Alice said.
“But we must start with one,” Marcus said with a smile. “One that Delilah knows quite well, in fact.”
Delilah looked up, startled. “You mean… the Library of Solitude?”
“Yes,” Marcus said, a twinkle in his eye. “We go to visit the Princesses of Solitude, to gather knowledge, and to see what help may be found. We can no longer complete our quest alone.”
“Hey,” Alice said softly, nudging Delilah. “Is the Library of Solitude a cool place?”
Delilah smiled, the first she had in quite some time. “Yeah,” she said. “It’s really, really cool.”
“Good,” Alice said, grinning.
The girls followed Marcus down the hall, which led to a circular chamber with more than a dozen doors around the perimeter. Each had a symbol over it, and Delilah recognized the one above the door Marcus went to: a turreted tower over a crescent moon rotated so it pointed downward. Around that symbol were many four-pointed silver stars, tilted so that they looked like X’s.
That’s it. The symbol of the Library of Solitude.
Marcus opened the door, and silver light beamed into the chamber. Through the door Delilah could see one of the massive circular hub rooms of the Library, and some mixture of emotions made her heart leap in her chest.
I don’t know why, but…
There’s something nostalgic about going back there.
“Shall we?” Marcus asked.
“We shall!” Alice said brightly. She threw an arm around Delilah’s shoulders, walking forward with her. Together, the girls stepped through the door, and Marcus followed.
The Library of Solitude was beautiful. Delilah had realized that in the short time she’d stayed after fighting alongside everyone to save the Library, when she’d seen the light of this place, the wonder that had been hidden by so much living darkness.
But she had never seen it with people. Sure, she’d been there with the Princesses and Merric, but now…
There were total strangers.
The Library actually had patrons.
Delilah, Alice, and Marcus stood at the top of the circular chamber, looking down across a vast spread of bookshelves and study areas, and there were a handful of people wandering here and there, or sat down reading and taking notes.
There aren’t many people, but…
It feels so alive already.
High windows to the right let in silvery light, and lamps here and there glowed warmly.
“This place is huge!” Alice said, gawking up at the high ceiling.
“Oh, this is just a tiny part,” Delilah said, grinning. “There are dozens of rooms like this.”
“What?” Alice asked, gaping at Delilah, searching out a lie. When she saw that Delilah spoke the truth, her eyes widened even more, and a smile broke out across her face. “So where do we go first? What do we do? How much time are we spending here?”
“We go to the entrance hall,” Marcus said, “and ask after the Princesses. And, unfortunately, we won’t be here long.”
“Bummer,” Alice said, shoving her hands in her pockets. “Well, let’s do the important stuff as fast as we can, then. Time’s a-wasting, you know?”
Marcus laughed. “Indeed it is,” he said. He led the way around the hub room’s perimeter to an arching corridor a quarter of the way around. The corridor had tall, ornate windows to the right that let in silvery light, while to the left were doors to other chambers, stone statues, and many paintings. The artwork to the left seemed to be undergoing work. There were three men in grey uniforms using tools – brushes of varying sizes and small mallets – that glowed with magical light as they worked on various statues and paintings. Delilah saw them finish on one painting and move on, and that painting – one of high, stormy waves crashing against a rocky cliffside – looked vibrant and alive in comparison to its dull, faded counterparts.
The corridor took them out into another hub room, but Delilah recognized this one. The entrance hall was just off from here, and Marcus led the way to that arching gateway and into the entrance hall.
It was beautiful. Delilah couldn’t help but smile at how much things had changed. The great crystal chandelier high above glittered with light. A round food stall was out in the middle of the hall, just as Isabelle had described when she and the group had first arrived in the ruined Library so long ago, and there were a few children and young adults gathered around, happily purchasing snacks. To the left, the service desk was covered in a blue cloth, and several glowing displays showed three-dimensional maps of the Library’s different sections. Younger woman spoke with interested patrons, while an older man with half-moon spectacles led their efforts and stepped in when extra help was needed.
The carpet which had been tattered and faded last Delilah had seen it was now bright blue, and the walls shone bright and clean, everything broken or stained made brand new.
“You must have seen this place in a real wreck the last time you were here,” Alice said, studying Delilah’s face.
“Yeah,” Delilah said breathlessly. “It’s totally different now. In all the right ways.”
Marcus led them to the service desk, where the man with half-moon spectacles immediately recognized him and rushed to him. “Marcus!” he cried out, holding out his hand, which Marcus shook firmly. “It’s been ages.” He looked around at the Library, smiling. “Can you believe it? When we evacuated at Merric’s instruction, I thought I’d never see this place again. And yet now…” He shook his head, emotions glistening in his eyes. “I can’t believe it.”
“It’s good to see you, Anton,” Marcus said, smiling. “And good to see the Library restored. Unfortunately we are in a hurry, old friend. Could we meet with the Princesses? And Merric as well, if it isn’t too much of a bother.”
“Certainly!” said Anton, rushing to a display behind the counter. “Anything for you, old friend. And your timing couldn’t be better – a little later, and you might have missed Lady Maribelle and Lady Isabelle.”
“Missed them?” Delilah asked.
“They’re about to depart on a journey,” Anton said. “I’m sure they’ll explain it all to you. One moment.” He tapped a few gleaming, holographic icons on the display, then nodded. “They’ll meet you in the North Courtyard in the Outer Gardens. Shall I show you the way?”
“If we weren’t in such a hurry, certainly,” Marcus said. He looked around the entrance hall, a nostalgic glint in his eyes. “But I remember this place far better than I thought I would after so long.”
“Very well,” Anton said. “Good luck to you, Marcus. And do try to visit again when you aren’t on such urgent business.” He grinned. “I’ll look forward to seeing you again.”
“And I you,” Marcus said with a smile. He led on once more, Delilah and Alice following after him.
“What are these Princesses like?” Alice asked. She walked backwards between Marcus and Delilah, hands shoved in her pockets as she looked back at Delilah.
“They’re all different,” Delilah said. “I… hmm.” She stopped, thinking for a moment. Then she shook her head. “I feel kind of strange trying to describe other people. It’s like talking about them behind their backs.”
“But talking about people behind their backs is fun,” Alice muttered, staring at the ceiling. “Oh, well. I’ll see for myself soon enough.”
“Here we are,” Marcus said, passing through an archway into a courtyard bathed in silver light. Flowers of all sorts bloomed in concentric circles with wide stone paths between them and running through them, and in the center of the circles was a three-tiered fountain that didn’t spray water very high, instead keeping things calm and serene, its water flowing gently from the top to the bottom over sloping curves of stone.
“Delilah!”
Delilah knew that voice, and her heart leapt at the sound. Looking to her right, she caught a glimpse of apple-red hair before a small girl tackled her legs in an excited hug.
“It’s good to see you, Isabelle,” Delilah said, patting the girl’s head. Isabelle tilted her head back and giggled, grinning up at Delilah.
“Your timing couldn’t have cut it more closely,” came another familiar voice. Maribelle was striding towards them, her hair done in its usual braid. “We were just about to leave.”
Delilah noticed that Maribelle had a leather messenger back hanging from one shoulder, and she wore a light jacket over her dress. Isabelle, too, wore a jacket over her dress, and she had a cute blue backpack on her back, left slightly unzipped, allowing for a little tan teddy bear to poke his head out. Both Princesses were, as always, barefoot.
“We won’t take up too much of our time if we can help it,” Marcus said. “But as Sub-Paladins, you need to hear the news we have to share.”
“Surely we can all discuss things together,” came a voice Delilah didn’t recognize. It sounded like Maribelle’s in a way, but slightly lower and a bit strained.
“Of course,” Maribelle said with a smile. “Delilah hasn’t met you yet, after all.”
“And I haven’t met any of you,” Alice said, pursing her lips. She looked down to see Isabelle staring at her with big, curious blue eyes. The two stared at each other for a moment, and Alice’s eyes flickered to white, then black, and back to white.
“Whoa!” Isabelle cried, pointing. “How’d you do that?”
Alice smirked. “Trade secret, kid,” she said, marching on ahead after Maribelle and Marcus.
“How’d she do that?” Isabelle asked, walking alongside Delilah.
“I think it’s something only she can do,” Delilah said.
“She didn’t introduce herself,” Isabelle said, frowning.
“Neither did you, squirt,” Alice said over her shoulder.
Isabelle looked positively indignant, pointing at Alice again. “She called me ‘squirt’!” she said. “You’ve made a mean new friend.”
“She’s not so bad,” Delilah said with a chuckle.
“And we’re better than friends,” Alice said, her eyes flashing oddly as she looked back at Delilah.
“We’re sisters,” Delilah said, her heart swelling at the word.
“You have a lot of sisters,” Isabelle said. “I met another one of them! Shana came with… um…” She tapped her chin, eyebrows furrowed in thought.
“Fae,” said the Maribelle-like voice.
“Yeah!” Isabelle said. “She was really quiet, but she seemed nice.”
“Nice,” huh?
Delilah’s heart was doing all sorts of weird things at the mention of her oldest sister.
And Fae’s with Shana now? When did they meet? And why?
I’ve missed a lot. But…
“Nice.”
Really?
Delilah’s troubled thoughts melted away as she reached the table beyond the fountain where Maribelle led them, and introductions started going around. Annabelle was there, eyeing everyone with a quiet thoughtfulness, and there was a brand new Princess that Delilah hadn’t met, though she’d heard the other three tell of the story of her disappearance: Sarabelle.
Sarabelle looked as if she’d been through quite a lot and was only recently on the mend. She looked about the same age as Maribelle, but was significantly thinner than her sister, with pale skin, the only real color being a faint rosy tint to her face. Slim streaks of silver ran through her pale red hair. Despite all this, she sat with a dignified bearing and regal poise, and in her lap…
Was a cat.
Delilah stared at the animal, a lithe white cat with red streaks in its ears. As if it knew it was being stared at, the feline looked up at Delilah, its pale green eyes studying her closely.
“And this –!” Isabelle said excitedly, gesturing to the cat in Sarabelle’s lap, “– is Bella! We all thought she was gone forever until Sara came back.”
“Turns out she was hiding in the Library all along,” Maribelle said, her hands resting gently on Sarabelle’s shoulders, “surviving even the living darkness as she waited for her dearest friend to return.”
“Kitty cats are so amazing,” Isabelle said. She looked up at Delilah, a sudden look of realization in her eyes. “Hey, you should introduce Bella to your kitties!”
Delilah smiled, lightly touching her Talisman in her pocket to bring out Felix, Nekoma, Redmond, and Reginald. Now Bella was truly interested, sitting up in Sarabelle’s lap, tail swishing lightly as she studied the Summons.
“Unfortunately, Merric can’t join us,” Maribelle said. “As head librarian, he’s incredibly busy coordinating the restoration efforts, not to mention working tirelessly to track down all those who evacuated and seeing how many we can bring back.”
“That’s all right,” Marcus said, taking a seat. “I’ll try to explain things as quickly as possible, without leaving out any details.”
And so he started off on his explanation, with Delilah only half paying attention. She knew it all, and it hurt her heart to relive the horrors at the Abyssal Sanctuary. Instead, she watched Bella study the Felines, and the Felines watch her in return. Despite her curiosity, the cat on Sarabelle’s lap seemed reluctant to leave the comfort of the Princess, as she’d regularly start to move forward, lifting a paw towards the table or tilting her head towards the ground, and then recoiling to sit again more securely with Sarabelle. Still, her tail kept swishing, her ears and nose constantly twitched, and her eyes had a constant look of inquisitive wonder.
Marcus had finished his story, and Maribelle sat back with a thoughtful yet grim expression. Isabelle had moved up to her usual spot atop Maribelle’s shoulders, and even the energetic little girl looked worried.
“You need our mother,” Maribelle finally said.
“I would think so as well,” Marcus said. “But she’s been lost for too long. No one knows where she is.”
“We thought Sarabelle was forever lost to us,” Maribelle said. “Annabelle as well. When Belle-Belle and I left with our mother to seek out our sisters, the three of us were separated, and I thought all had been lost. And yet the four of us have been reunited.”
“Mommy’s not gone,” Isabelle said. “She’s just waiting for us to find her.”
Maribelle nodded. “That’s what we decided. With Sara and Anna here, we have two capable Princesses to keep the Library safe, and Merric as well. We’ve also investigated our defensive failures and made the proper adjustments. If darkness so much as considers attacking this place again, we will know, and it will fail.” There was a determined gleam in Maribelle’s eyes. “Isabelle and I are preparing to follow the trail of our mother, find where she’s gone, and save her if necessary.”
“We’re going to see Miss Miora!” Isabelle said happily, kicking her feet lightly. “I haven’t seen her in so long.”
“If anyone can make sense of our clues and add clues of her own, it’s Selphine,” Maribelle said.
“Eventide Archive, hmm?” Marcus asked, nodding. “Perfect. I was planning on bringing the girls there after our visit here, as well.”
“You’re coming with us?” Isabelle asked.
“We certainly are, my dear,” Marcus said, earning a happy grin from Isabelle.
“Marcus,” Maribelle said, leaning forward slightly. “What do you know about the Sons of Night?”
“Not as much as I should,” Marcus said. “But more than most Paladins.”
“Does the name ‘Dullan’ ring a bell?” Maribelle asked.
“Yes,” Marcus said, his tone grave. “He is one of the Sons of Night.”
“So that makes four,” Alice said. “Kaohlad, Sen, Valgwyn, and Dullan.”
“And there are only four,” Marcus said with a nod.
“Dullan is the fiend who deceived me,” Maribelle said, her eyes narrowing. “Made me believe my sisters, my mother, my home… that all was lost to me forever. I will never forgive him.”
“And now Sen and Valgwyn are working some mysterious evil upon other Bastions,” Sarabelle said. At the sound of her voice, Bella settled right down in her lap, purring contentedly. “We’ll need our mother.” There was a strange, far-off look in her eyes as she said that. “And you will need to move quickly. They’ve undoubtedly already reached their next target.”
“Wait, back up a second,” Alice said, pointing at Isabelle. “You’re coming with us?”
“Why do you think I’m wearing a backpack?” Isabelle asked.
“Because you’re going to school,” Alice said.
Isabelle giggled strangely, as if Alice had said something profoundly stupid and profoundly funny at the same time. “Princesses don’t go to school,” she said, giggling uncontrollably.
“Oh, that explains it,” Alice said with a smirk. “I was wondering why you were so stupid.”
Isabelle’s mouth opened in a wide “O” as she gaped at Alice in speechless shock. Suddenly she bounced on Maribelle’s shoulders, tapping on her older sister’s shoulders frantically. “Mari, Mari, can you believe what she just said?”
Maribelle sighed, looking across the table at Delilah. “You’ve certainly made an interesting new friend,” she said.
“Not just a friend,” Isabelle said, pouting. “Apparently they’re sisters. I though all of them would be nice!”
“I’m nice to people I like,” Alice said with a shrug.
“Let’s all try to get along,” Maribelle said, seeming to find these interactions more amusing than anything else. “It seems we’ll be together for a long time.”
“You should take a vial of Hikarescence,” Sarabelle said. “Annabelle and I can research things here and contact you if we learn anything of note.”
“You can bottle Hikarescence?” Delilah asked.
“It’s a tricky process,” Annabelle said, hopping down from her seat and starting towards the Library’s interior. “But we’ve perfected it here in the Library of Solitude. I’ll get you some.”
“Thanks, Anna!” Isabelle called, waving. Annabelle shot back a small wave over her shoulder.
“Can we take the other twin?” Alice asked Delilah in a whisper.
“We can meet her at the entrance hall,” Sarabelle said, leaning forward slightly.
“Are you sure you should –” Maribelle started, reaching towards her sister. Isabelle on her shoulders reached for Sarabelle as well.
“I’m quite all right,” Sarabelle said with a smile. She rose to her feet, and as she did so, Bella clambered nimbly up her torso to settle on her shoulder, peeking out from under her hair. “I’m coming along well. And I need to move around more if I’m going to get my strength back.”
“So wait, we don’t have to actually do any reading and research ourselves?” Alice asked.
“It’s more effective to divide our tasks, don’t you think?” Sarabelle asked.
“Oh, thank goodness,” Alice said with a relieved sigh.
“What?” Isabelle asked, eyeing Alice teasingly. “Happy because you can’t actually read?”
“You’re the one who doesn’t go to school,” Alice said nonchalantly. “So you must be the one who can’t read.”
Isabelle gasped, pointing at Alice with a shaking hand. “My house is a library! Of course I can read!” She swayed back and forth, patting her hands on Maribelle’s head. “Mari! Tell her! Tell her I can read!”
“If you’re going to tease someone, you need to be prepared to be teased in return,” Maribelle said with a small smile. “Don’t worry, Belle-Belle. The rest of us know you can read.”
“Hmph,” Isabelle said, folding her arms over her chest, glaring angrily at Alice, who paid the little girl no mind.
“I hope Selphine can decipher the strange riddle Sen and Valgwyn left for you,” Maribelle said as they walked. “It pains me to say I can’t make sense of it. I feel as you do, Marcus – there are echoes, but nothing I can grasp. I should know, but I don’t.”
“The stage is set,” Alice said, white eyes lost in thought. “Dance. The first will. Curtain call. Drowned. I get some of them, linking to stage, to theater, to a performance. But what’s with ‘The first will’ and ‘Drowned’?”
“We hope to find out soon,” Marcus said.
“And there’s Annabelle,” Sarabelle said as they reached the entrance hall.
“And here’s your link to us,” Annabelle said, holding out a small vial with spiral etchings, filled with a silver liquid. “You know what to do with it.”
Maribelle nodded as she took it. “We’ll leave it to you to contact us, unless we have new, pressing questions that arise,” she said. She looked at her two sisters who would remain with a sad smile. “We’ll endeavor to return to you as soon as possible.”
“And we’ll bring Mommy home!” Isabelle said happily.
“You’d better,” Annabelle said, her hands clenched into fists, though her expression remained calm.
“Good luck,” Sarabelle said. “And be careful.” She gave Maribelle in particular a serious look. “Please.”
Maribelle laughed softly. “I will,” she said. “I promise.” She placed a gentle hand on Sarabelle’s shoulder, the opposite one that Bella was perched on.
“Bye, Bella,” Isabelle said, waving to the small cat. Bella gazed up at her silently, and Isabelle made a cute little “meow” sound. Bella cocked her head to the side once, and then meowed back. Isabelle giggled.
“Bye,” Delilah said softly, more to herself as she looked up at Bella. The cat heard her, though, turning those green eyes on the girl. For a moment, they just stared at each other. Bella inched a little closer on Sarabelle’s shoulder and stuck out one white paw. Delilah was startled for a moment, but then lifted her hand up slowly. Her heart pounded in her chest. Would this actually work?
When her fingers touched the soft little paw, at first she couldn’t believe it. But Bella didn’t recoil, and in fact nudged Delilah’s fingers playfully with her paw. Delilah smiled, feeling a strange, unexpected burst of emotions in her chest.
Oh, now I really wish I didn’t have to go.
But she had to turn away, and when she did…
Maribelle, Isabelle, and Annabelle were all staring at her in shock.
“What?” Delilah asked, shrinking back slightly.
“She’s never touched any of us,” Maribelle said softly.
“I’ve always wanted to pet her paw!” Isabelle cried, pouting.
“She’ll miss you,” Sarabelle said, smiling at Delilah. She petted Bella gently under the chin. “Won’t you?”
“I’ll miss her, too,” Delilah said.
“Then do make sure you visit again,” Sarabelle said. “We’ll look forward to it.”
“I will,” Delilah said. Alice nudged her, and she smiled. “We will.”
“You bet,” Alice said softly.
“And now…” Maribelle said, turning away.
“It’s time to go!” Isabelle cried out, pointing forward. She waved back at Sarabelle and Annabelle. “Bye, Sara! Bye, Anna! We’ll see you soon!”
It had only been a short visit, but Delilah was glad they’d made it. Their group had grown by two, she’d made a new feline friend, and she finally felt ready for what lay ahead.
And she was excited to see it all through. Because when it was over…
She knew she had a wonderful place to visit again, properly next time.