Library of Rain

Rain raised a hand to signal Ari to stop while Rain peeked around the corner. The way was clear, but when Rain looked back to check on her new friend. Only to find Ari distracted, holding a piece of rope that hung over a plaque on the wall. 

 

As this was Rain's second time around Ari, she wasn’t surprised by the girl's inability to stay on task. Though unlike when Rain had brought Ari home after saving her, Rain had accidentally let herself be distracted by the girl's antics a few times. To be fair, the picture of Lord Imter that had what looked like a plate of poop in the background had been funny, and that three-bladed knife was really cool.

 

Shrugging, Rain moved on as Ari tried to show her something about the rope. Ari might get sidetracked, but somehow, she always kept up.

 

Turning down the corner, Rain crept down the carpeted hallway. There were no rules saying they couldn’t be here, but it still wasn’t a good idea to be seen.

 

“Found anything cool yet?”

 

Sure enough, Ari was right beside Rain again. 

 

“No, what are all these rooms even for?”

 

“Lord Imter is a sailor, so he made sure the bottom floor of his manor had plenty of rooms for all his men when they were in the city.”

 

Once again, Ari proved herself to be knowledgeable by presenting random facts about one of the lords. 

 

Rain was about to respond when she saw an old stairway peeking from behind a wooden door at the end of the hall. She motioned to Ari as she skulked towards the partially hidden stairs. However, Rain heard muffled voices from behind another door before she could reach the stairs.

 

Slowing to listen, Rain stood to the side of the door in question. To her surprise, instead of picking up the vase on a pedestal or looking at a random corner of a painting, Ari stood on the other side of the door and listened just as intently as Rain. 

 

“And I’m telling you, honorable lords, that Lord Tineak is weak. Not but a few months ago, he allowed an intruder to rob the star metal mines and escape unscathed. He does not have the power we associate with the Arch-lord.” said a calm, elegant voice.

 

“Thieves are good and fine, but if he deploys the star knights, we’re finished.” 

 

This second voice sounded rougher than the first, but it wasn’t at the level of the simply dressed lords back in the center of the spire.

 

“Perhaps, but if enough of the lords ignore the Gathering’s embargo on dead islands, then the Arch-lord will be unable to suppress everyone. That's why I’m approaching you. Join us in standing up to these tyrants who are trying to push us from the Gathering.”

 

“And you promise that the Tineak guards will support us?” Asked a third and notably feminine voice.

 

“Yes, their captains have been promised better positions on other islands as well as other incentives. They will aid us when we call.”

 

“Fine, just help me free my home, and I’ll support you.” 

 

“Very well I will aid you as well.”

 

“Prefect, now let us return upstairs to the proper gathering. It would be a shame to stay down here with these low-worth lords.”

 

Rain’s eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen, and she booked it down the hall and away from the stairs. Fortunately, the carpeted floor and her light frame allowed her to escape without making any sound. Only once she was back around the corner did she remember Ari. Panic almost gripped her mind before she saw Ari crouching behind her with the broadest grin Rain had ever seen on her. Rain wasn’t sure if she’d ever seen someone look like they were having so much fun.

 

A moment later, the sounds of a door opening and footsteps striding away drifted down the hall as the three unnamed Lords retreated back up the stairs Rain had been aiming for. 

 

“That was Lord Aderd, Lord Altat and Lady Ordth! It sounds like House Adred is stirring up trouble against the Arch-lord! Papa is going to be so excited to hear about this!”

 

Ari was hopping in place as she talked, her hands bunched in front of her. 

 

“I knew it was a good idea to be friends with you; things are exciting with you around! What are we going to do next? What's that?”

 

And just like that, Ari wandered off to look at something on the floor, leaving Rain standing by herself. 

 

With a slight smile in Ari’s direction, Rain retraced her steps to the stairs only to find the door locked. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh. If she had gone up instead of listening to the end of the conversation, Rain could have gotten to the second floor. She didn’t have any bound coins on her and probably wouldn’t have used one if she did. Not with Ari, the niece of a member of the watching stars beside her. 

 

Besides maybe going upstairs wasn’t the best thing she could do right now. After all she had a very good source of information with her. Or, well, down the hall, trying to see behind one of the paintings hanging there. 

 

“Why would Lord Aderd want to cause problems for the Arch-lord?”

 

“Oh, oh, that's because Lord Aderd is probably the most powerful of the High Lords. Their weapons are the only things capable of cutting through star metal. Papa says that if using an Adred sword could grant a class like waring star metal armor does, that House Adred would probably be the Arch-lord house instead.”

 

Rain was impressed both by Ari’s knowledge and by the fact that the other girl did not wander off while she was talking. 

 

“Papa says Lord Adred has been scheming against House Tineak for years. The two lords can't be put in the same room without giving each other poison gifts. Lord Aderd even forced his way into the position of dean of the Grand Academy just to get in the way of Lord Tineaks attempts to recruit unique classers. Lord Aderd also has an adorable pet wolf.”

 

“Wait, did you say pet wolf?” Rain’s attention snapped on to that last part. “You can have a pet wolf? Is it fluffy?”

 

An image of Snow but alive flashed through Rain’s mind, and she immediately wanted to meet it. She knew there were more important things to learn from Ari right now; the part of her that was focused on finding more power was screaming in the back of her mind, but her love of all things fluffy and huggable overpowered it.

 

“It's so fluffy! It's still a baby, but it's really soft and loves to run in circles.”

 

And like that, Rain was enthralled by stories of this pet wolf. She completely forgot about the scanner looking for Lady Tyix and her need to do a good job to impress her past self. Instead, she walked with Ari and talked. When they found the kitchen, the two girls snuck in and stole a whole tray of desserts that had been headed upstairs. Rain was shocked by how good Ari was at sneaking.

 

Before she knew it, she and Ari were walking back into the center of the spire and talking about their favorite desserts. 

 

Wait. How had she gotten so distracted? She should be looking for things to use in her bid to take over the city, not talking about her favorite foods and having fun. 

 

Shaking her head slightly to clear the happy conversation from her mind, Rain took in the central room where the gation started. Not much had changed down here except that all the children were playing a game in the center around the pedestal where Lord Imter had given his speech. Some adults stood around the children and watched. One of those adults turned to look at Rain the moment she stepped out, and a cold feeling ran down Rain’s back. 

 

“Who’s that?” she asked Ari beside her.

 

“I… don’t know,” Ari said, disappointed at being unable to name someone. 

 

Before they could say anything else, one of the kids detached from the group and ran over to them. 

 

“Come join us, you two.” 

 

While smiling, this girl didn’t seem to be having fun. Rain decided to test something and reached out to grab the blonde girl's hand.

 

“Really! You want us to play with you? That sounds great!”

 

The look of panic on the girl's face as Rain captured her hand in her own was almost funny.

 

“Yeah, you should come play with us.” the girl lied, clearly against the idea of being around Rain now that they were touching. Yet for some reason the girl didn’t back down.  

 

“That looks fun. Let's go, Rain!”

 

Just like that, Ari ran off and joined the group of kids and was happily talking with all of them. There didn’t seem to be a single person there who wasn’t her friend. Seeing her talking with all the others while Rain was left with the girl who didn’t want to be around her made Rain’s insides twist. 

 

For the first time ever, Rain didn’t want to play with the others. Not just because there was something odd about the way this game was set up in the middle of the room where everyone could see it from an upper balcony or window. Or because she thought it was likely that the game was being used as a tool to search for Lady Tyix. She was just angry at all the kids who were talking with Ari and at Ari and… oh, that's what was going on.

 

Rain was ashamed of her own pettiness. Still.

 

“I don’t feel like playing anymore.”

 

“What! But you have to. We want to play with you,” the girl lied. Rain didn’t even need to see the color of her words.

 

“I don’t feel very good right now. Sorry.”

 

Rain was already looking for Lucus, but she didn’t miss the panicked look the girl threw at one of the adults supervising the game. 

 

At the look, the adult - a plain woman with a kind face and a slight aura of shimmer - approached them.

 

“Why don’t you two join the game?”

 

“I’m not feeling very good right now.” Rain tried to lie, but the words came out colorful and true.

 

This woman was a classer but not a very strong one. Rain was guessing that she was a seeker. Hopefully Rain was right about hidden classes.

 

“Will you be okay?” the adult asked putting her hand on Rain’s shoulder in a kindly gesture. Rain did nothing to prevent it.

 

The tingle of a skill activating tickled her shoulder. Rain tried to pretend she noticed nothing as she watched for any hint or clue that she had been discovered. 

 

The kindly look on the woman's face faded as she looked at Rain. 

 

“Gertrude, let's return to the game. This girl will be of no use to your team.”

 

The way the woman said ‘no use’ made Rain think it referred to more than just the game, but the woman's words had been true. It seemed that Rain had passed this test. 

 

Rain looked up at the balconies and windows above. She was right; many faces looked down on the children in the room below. Many were looking in harmless fun, but one person caught Rain’s eye - a beautiful woman standing beside an old man wearing a crown. What caught Rain’s attention wasn’t her lovely red hair or pretty black dress. No, what caught Rain’s eye was the midnight shimmer pouring off her. It was the first time Rain had seen someone with shimmer as dark as her own.