Calista looked at the swirling vortex, its rainbow of colors bright with the imprint of so many strong people walking through its portal. Hesitating just a brief second longer, her hand light on the wooden structure embedded with intricate carvings her fingers traced, she pushed it open and slid into the slim opening.

Closing the door stronger than normal, Calista watched as the sound waves ricocheted around the room, giving her a vague idea of the shape of the room. Seeing echoes of sound floating further away in various areas, Calista could only conclude that this was merely an entry way and that wherever the sound was escaping to were passageways that led deeper into the building, and hopefully to more rooms filled with glorious music.

Before she left though… Calista trailed her left hand on the wall as she walked, her eyes shut as she listened to the song trapped in the walls. Too many people had walked through this door for her to hear anyone one person’s song clearly; the sound was only a muddied thing like a well worn rug that had seen too much use. Sighing in regret over the lost opportunity, she nevertheless realized that the people who had all walked into this place were strong, warriors the majority of them, clear in how a solid tune of strength played in the music. Something more whimsical was also threaded through in abundance, possibly those who were more magically inclined? Whenever Calista had met someone with that tune of whimsy, they generally turned out to be magicians of a sort.

As she continued around the room to the first hallway, she couldn’t help but think over what she had just come across. To have two strands of melody repeated in various people… if she could recreate that and play it… there was a good chance she would be able to enhance the magical ability in those who previously lacked it…

“Ouch!” Calista yelped, her foot snagging on something and sending her forwards, shins hitting something hard and wooden before gravity too had her in its hold and sent her tumbling down upon said hard object.

“Gods curst blindness!” she swore as she sat on her behind and rubbed at her stinging shins furiously. She hadn’t taken a tumble over anything in a good while and now her pride was smarting just as bad as her legs for being beaten by what seemed to be a chair.

“That’s what I get for being distracted… I should know better than to not pay attention to where I’m going,” shaking her head at her own folly, she stood up and gingerly stretched her legs one at a time, wincing a bit as she put weight on the foot that had gotten caught.

Muttering under her breath, and catching the sound so no one else would catch her cursing herself, she continued down the hall, this time focusing on the sound her feet made and how it interacted with the surrounding objects. All too soon though she got distracted again by the remnants of songs left behind, songs that had tantalizing hints of what the person who had gone before had done in their life, tales that Calista wanted nothing more than to hear clearly.

“Mistress-” the soft voice caught the young musician by surprise, first for the sudden appearance where there was no one and by the way there were no overtones in his voice.

“Oh, I’m sorry, you surprised me. I didn’t see you there,” Calista gave a small laugh and leaned a hand on the wall for support. Try as she might she just couldn’t see any sounds that made up whatever was in front of her.

“Mistress, I have been sent by my Master with a message for you-” he began again only to be cut off once more by Calista who leaned forwards and squinted as though it would help her see him better.

“What manner of being are you? You don’t exude any sound at all,” Calista asked with a small frown on her face. She didn’t like the fact there were any sorts of beings that didn’t make sound, it was hazardous for her health.

“… I am a Domerii, servant to he who is known as the Dark Eye. He has sent me with a message for you,” the Domerii responded coolly and Calista put her hands on her hips in a stance of irritation.

“I don’t know any ‘Dark Eye’. Is he the owner of this place?” The prospect brought a light to her eyes; if he owned this place then surely he was one of those stronger songs!

“My master is a sensei, a teacher, within the Dome,” here he paused having already grasped that continuing would only earn an interruption.

“A teacher? Well…” Calista felt disappointment weigh herself down just a tad. In her experience there were only a handful of teachers who were extraordinary, and that was only due to the knowledge they had, not the songs they made with their life stories.

“Indeed. My master bids you to make your way to the Library. That is all.” On that note there was silence in the hall and Calista stood gaping.

“But, where is the library? I don’t know my way around here!” Her words echoed around her, and receiving no response she could only assume that her constant interruptions had irked the servant into leaving after the message had been delivered.

“Well really… bad enough just giving a message but telling a blind woman to find her way around a new area? I suppose I can’t blame them since they didn’t know I was blind… but still… ordering someone around whom you’ve never met before. That’s a bit rude.”

As she muttered to herself and continued down the hallway she was on she determined the best thing she could do was to continue and just take whatever turns she came across in hopes of bumping into someone to direct her.

Unknown to her was that the building she walked within has sentient to a certain extent and was already altering its halls to accommodate her and bring her to the library as efficiently as possible. The young woman didn’t run into any side halls and after a few minutes of walking nearly collided into a large wooden door that appeared before her.

Frowning, she ran her hands over it and came across what felt like a metal plate with markings inscribed upon it. Feeling it gently Calista gave a brief smile at the brail words that spelled out ‘Library’.

“Found it~” Grasping the door handle, she pushed it open and stepped within the interior.

__________________

RIP Duke
BA Characters:
Joker Kyralie Calista
Artwork - No requests =(