The Soul Keeper

I combed through the throne room, looking at every nook and cranny. I didn't expect to just find the Keeper's soul laying about somewhere, but Fetheion had told me about the secret rooms the Divines liked to add to the Palace's architecture.

Yet, I found nothing. Eventually, after deciding that I wasted enough time here, I approached Aelith's throne again. The teleportation sigil she used to send me to her library was faintly glowing on the white marble floors. As I stepped on it, I held my breath. It had been a while since I had used one of these.

A bright light enveloped me, and I felt my surrounding shift. Moments later the bright light was gone, and I was looking at the familiar rows of books on the shelves.

"Right," I mumbled as I looked around, somewhat nervous. 

The room was as large and spacious as I remembered. Behind me was the heavy, golden door. It was closed, and probably locked tight. I was fairly sure that Aelith didn't want any random person to be able to enter her library.

Before me was the large, wide desk and her almost gothic looking chair. If it weren't all white and golden, it could have actually looked good in a library like this. Behind the desk was a large, wide window. I could see the city below me.

"A tower," I mumbled as I glanced to my sides. The Palace of the Divines had three towers when looking at it from the outside. Two short ones and a tall, large one. I wondered which one I was standing in. 

Walking around Aelith's desk, I looked down. I could barely see the battle below, that was how far high up I was. "The tall one for sure." I mumbled as I glanced around. The only thing taller than the tower was the Divine Pillar.

I looked at the golden surface of the tall, large obelisk. It was etched with stuff I couldn't make any sense of. I took a deep breath and turned my back on the window. What I was looking for was not outside.

The other two walls were lined up with bookshelves. There was nothing that immediately caught my attention there. I did glance at the two couches and a low coffee table, but I highly doubted Aelith would have hidden something as special and valuable as the soul of my predecessor under the cushions.

"No way," I chuckled before finally turning my attention on her desk. It was made of white wood – it reminded me of the wood of white spruce trees, though it was probably just something with similar texture. 

The desk had detailed carvings of… something all over it. I tilted my head slightly as I tried to make sense of them. I gave up after a short minute – this wasn't why I was here after all. I stepped closer to her desk.

There were numerous documents, a map and two golden solid bracelets. I could feel magic within one of them, so I pocketed it without thinking about it too much. If anything, maybe Fetheion could get some use out of it. 

Then, I glanced at the map. As I expected, it was a map of the battlefield to the north – where the demon and Ereth forces clashed. I furrowed my brows as I inspected it closely. It looked like she had planned to create a massive magic circle, using the three Divine Pillars as foci, but from the way her scribbles went, I gathered that she hadn't succeeded quite yet. At least, I think the giant cross on the design of the circle gave its failure away.

I directed my gaze to the documents – long lists of things I didn't care about were mixed with some more important documents, such as orders she had written for the guards, or notes about the duties of the other Divines.

"Her handwriting sucks," I mumbled as I tried to make sense of what was written. "Uriithe…" I read the Crimson Witch's name out loud. "Leading the troops for a counterattack?" I furrowed my brows. I tried to read the details, but soon gave up due to not having too much time. What happened at the front lines of the battle between the Ereth and the Demons didn't interest me quite that much – finding the soul of the Keeper came first.

I checked the drawers of Aelith's desk, only to find more documents, but nothing about the soul. Getting slowly frustrated, I turned my attention on the bookshelves. Had she hidden something somewhere around there, perhaps?

I combed through the library, searching the place with my magic as well as scouring through each bookshelf, only to find a whole lot of nothing.

Some time later, I walked out of the library in disappointment. I was sure I'd find something in there, if not the soul itself, at least a clue on its whereabouts. Yet, there was nothing. I clenched my fists as I walked in the somewhat dimly lit hallway.

There was one more place I had yet to check – the treasury. While I had never been there myself, Fetheion had given me a detailed description of it. I knew how to get there, and I knew how to open the magically locked gate. 

I checked the other rooms I came across only superficially. They were mostly bedrooms such as the one I spent a night in or other, simple rooms that didn't really have anything to do with my current goal. 

It didn't take me long to find the stairwell Fetheion had told me about, but as I reached it, I began having second thoughts. As I leaned over the railing to look down, I felt somewhat dizzy. The dim light couldn't illuminate the bottom, making it look like the stairs led to a dark abyss. 

The golden carpet muffles my steps as I began my long descent. If it weren't for Fetheion's warning, I would have jumped down and simply flown. Yet, his words echoed clearly in my mind:

'No matter what, do not unveil your wings, lest the Guardians come for you.'