The group was right outside the library after a brief reunion with Tom. Leo, Kazu, and Celine were amazed by its massive structure compared to other buildings. The main entrance had two large doors held open, surrounded with stain-glass windows. But to its similarities to the neighboring buildings, it was made entirely of pure stone. Tom tried to hold in his laughter when he noticed the three magic wielders’ astonishment.

“Gods,” Expressed Leo in shock. “I never thought a library could be so… huge!”

“I know!” Celine eagerly agreed. “There must be thousands of books inside.”

“You three need to get out of the village more,” Tom jested. “Anyways, my friend’s waiting for us in the lobby. Follow me.”

The baffled trio followed Tom up to the library’s main entrance. Walking through its open doors, they found themselves in the cleanest room they’d ever seen. It was absolutely different from the stone hard structure they witnessed from the outside. Light beige tiling coated the whole floor, leaving the walls lathered in fully varnished wood. There was even large desk area placed in the center shaped as a perfect circle. Scholars were standing within it, collecting and checking books from the citizens of Stone Cross.

“This place looks better than it did on the outside,” Kazu commented.

“Don’t let the scholars hear you say that,” casually informed Tom. “They can be pretty sensitive when their landmarks are disrespected.”

“Unfortunately, I would have to agree to that.”

That remark caught their attention as a scholar was walking toward them. But compared to others in the building, his presence appeared to look rather different. Gold coated faintly on the hem of his robes, leaving the rest of it a matching, clean white. He also looked a bit older than Tom with a gray-like black beard growing on his face. Although, it didn’t do justice at hiding the very noticeable scar on his cheek.

“Uh…, sorry you had to hear that, Cullen,” apologized Tom.

“No need to fret, Thomas,” the stranger assured, holding up his hand. “I see that you’ve managed to find your friends.”

“Oh, right!” He recalled, introducing the others, “This is my little sister, Celine. And these two are Leo Cayden and Kazuya Nishimura.”

The older scholar turned his attention to the three magic wielders before him. He briefly eyed each one before giving out a gracious bow and introduced himself.

“Please to meet you all,” he greeted politely. “I am Cullen Ambrose, high scholar of the Stone Cross library.”

“The whole library?” Questioned Celine in bafflement. “That’s incredible!”

Her reaction was so loud that the other scholars shushed her to be quiet. Kazu snickered when Celine’s face flushed in embarrassment, earning him an elbow from Tom. Leo on the other hand, was more focused toward the high scholar standing before him. Cullen’s eyes were a solid shade of yellow, which left the sorcerer to find it quite suspicious. But his thoughts on it were interrupted when the older man caught sight of his staring.

“Oh! S-Sorry, it’s just…,” Leo paused to find the words and asked, “Are you by any chance a… Terrellian Sorcerer?”

“Why, yes I am,” replied Cullen.

He held out one hand in front of Leo as if to show him something there. It was empty at first, but then sparks of electricity appeared from the high scholar’s palm. Kazu and Celine took notice of it as well, staring wondrously at the small surge of magic. Tom snorted with amusement over their reactions before walking up beside the older man.

“Cullen’s a Terrellian sorcerer on his mother’s side,” He informed them. “He’s been a part of the scholar society his whole life.”

“Really?” Kazu asked, earning a nod. “But what do scholars do exactly?”

“We collect information from lands that’re beyond other’s reach,” plainly stated Cullen, cancelling his magic. “Follow me and you’ll see for yourselves.”

The group followed behind the high scholar and headed further inside. Leo glanced around at other people in the library, either reading or conversing together. And like Cullen, he saw most of them were magic wielders, but with eyes in different colors. One was Aidenian with red eyes, one had blue for Sirenian, and another in Sylvinan green. Yet, Leo couldn’t find a scholar that was either from Aviner or Thanatos like his parents. He suspected it be their nations’ hatred for one another, preventing them from making it so.

“Spotted any more magic wielders, Mr. Cayden?” Cullen asked jokingly.

Leo nearly jolted from the group when he heard the high scholar’s assumption.

“O-Oh! Yes but…,” he pondered on it and said, “I was kind of hoping that… some of them would be from Aviner or Thanatos.”

“Leo, you can’t be serious,” interjected Kazu. “There’s no way either member of those nations would be in the same room together.”

“Yeah…,” Leo disappointedly agreed. “You might be right on that.”

The sorcerer appeared sad by that statement walking with the group. With so many hailing from other kingdoms, he expected some of them be like his parents. Of course, it did nothing to diminish the hope of encountering his kind from either side. But would any of them accept young Leo for whatever he was, the sorcerer thought? Cullen couldn’t help but notice the look of sadness displayed upon the young lad’s face.

“Why are you so sad about that?” Asked the High Scholar.

“Well…, my parents are Avinerian and Thanatosian,” Leo stated miserably. “And I’ve never met anyone else from either nation. Not even family.”

“Oh! I’m… sorry to hear that,” he sincerely apologized.

Hearing the obvious guilt in Cullen’s voice only saddened Leo more. The last thing he expected was to have somebody take pity on him during this adventure. But the sorcerer did his best not to express his sadness and continued on down the hall. Then, when he and his friends entered the library, his sorrow diminished almost immediately.

“Gods!” The magic wielders breathed out in unison.

“These three will marvel at anything,” Cullen muttered to Tom.

Celine’s brother stifled a laugh, as to not have the others hear him. Although, neither she nor the boys seemed to pay any attention to even comment on that. They were far too mesmerized by the room before them, holding a vast collection of books. Several cases lined up horizontally in rows from the beginning of the room to the far back. There was even a glass ceiling with rays of sunlight shining down to provide light. And what made it more marvelous was spotting large tomes magically fly across the area.

“Unbelievable…,” breathed out Leo in astonishment.

“I’ve never seen so many books in one building,” Celine stated, sharing in her friend’s admiration.

“It is stunning, isn’t it?” Rhetorically asked Cullen. “Come. I’ll show you the most important place in the library.” 

To be continued...