While Dalanor’s story didn’t seem to elicit any kind of strong reaction from Hektor, Kamille listened intently, allowing her gaze to wander away while her mind painted the picture. Despite being a creature of comfort, often surrounding herself with expensive fabrics and jewels, the pull of the wondrous things that nature provided weren’t lost on her. Somewhat frequently she saw herself watching the sunrise when her house was squashed between two mounts, dangling over a river. From up there, she had a privileged view of the sunrise, but that was no more.

Now, she had to be more careful.

Kamille snapped out of it when Doora finally granted them access, and Hektor anxiously pulled at her sleeve to follow along.

The cavernous interior of the tunnels didn’t seem to sprout any kind of fear in the woman, even if her apprentice was noticeably walking very closely, and eventually grabbed her hand tight.

Every step echoed back to her, the ground rippling waves of force that eventually got back and guided her steps [1], so even if the darkness engulfed them momentarily, her foot found the way.

Not that it seemed needed, anyway. Dalanor looked quite confident in his steps, and she had no reason to doubt it, following along without delay. Once again, mentioning the fae and the effects their presence had immediately made her eyes glint with renewed interest.

“You mean the fae had been seen around here? Have you personally seen them?”

She was well aware most people didn’t have good interactions with the fae. They were mischievous by nature, and she had her fair share of troublesome interactions with the fae. Including having to bathe one very brilliant dark fairy in a barrel of water. The though made her chuckle to herself, making her lose focus and loose her footing, extending her hand to the roots by her side to avoid falling.

Following on with just another soft chuckle to fill the air after her slight slip, she moved on to the next subject.

“So… You’re a sunset kind of guy, hm? Interesting… And you think these changes in the grotto are because of the fae? Do you think there is one of them down there?”



[1]Geomagnetic sense

The door behind them clicked closed, and the light which was coming through from the library slenderized into a narrow slit, then it was gone, leaving only the ambient glow of the green moss along the walls.

As they began their descent, the moss began to change colors - reds, blues, yellows... cycling through the rainbow in a slow pulsating rhythm. A few groups of colorful mushrooms were also visible along the way, nestled in the joints between roots and dirt.

To Kamille's question about seeing the fae before, the color left Dalanor's face, though it might not have been apparent in the dim light. He answered without turning around, and turned his head slightly to the side, keeping his focus primarily on the descending earth ahead of him.

"I've heard rumors of sightings, but nothing definitive yet. I have not personally seen there here, but the last time I saw a fae it was not the... best experience; so I've been hesitant to try and summon them forward."

Dalanor paused for a moment at the sound of a quick shuffle of feet as Kamille temporarily lost her footing. He quickly turned and stepped back up to catch her should she fall. She balanced herself again with the roots at her side and Dalanor stole a glance into her eyes amidst those fluttering lashes. Her face was lightly illuminated by the moss glow, and her deep blue eyes reflected back at him, still clearly visible despite the darkness of the tunnel.

He smiled briefly at her, then also looked to Hektor's face to see how he was doing. Seeing they were ok, he then turned back forward and continued. 

The mention of being a sunset kind of guy brought a warm chuckle. "It's true, I have a soft spot for a good sunset. As for the grotto, yeah I think the changes in here are connected. The appearance of circles of flowers and increase in sightings, it coincides around the same time things in here started... changing. If the fae are here, they are in hiding."

The tunnel curved to the side and the earthen walls and steps became rocky. The roots lessened and the surfaces flattened until eventually they were completely immersed in the limestone interior at the entrance to a long and wide cave tunnel. The steps smoothed out and glowing green orbs in the walls lit the sides. A series of archways with etched runes lined the tunnel leading inside, with colorful murals painted on the walls in between. Walking by the murals triggers the painted figures and scenes to come to life on the walls, in short animated loops.

"In the past we would have needed a lantern or torch to see down here, but recently the orbs and murals have begun to light up. The rooms in the grotto also seem to be reacting and changing based on the people who step inside. Pathways previously sealed shut by stone doors are now open. I haven't fully explored it all yet, so I don't know what we'll find in some of these rooms."

Hektor himself looked slightly on edge, his eyes wide like saucers, never too far from Kamille. Much the opposite from the Master, who just giggled softly and smile back at Dalanor, moving on with their path. She didn't seem to notice the change in Dalanor as she mentioned the fae, as he had his back to her.

The soft light of the moss did seem to bring an additional sparkle to her eyes, as she took in everything with excitement.

And perhaps a bit of longing.

"This is beautiful... Reminds me a little of the Lantern's light forest in Moonglade... Have you ever visited it, Mr. Dalanor?"

The ground leveled up and soon they found themselves at the main body of the tunnel. The soft glow of the moss and orbs was easy on the eyes, casting a dreamy atmosphere down what could otherwise be a very gloomy place. The runes jumped to her eyes, as did any good arcane mystery.

Once the tunnel came into their sight, the intricate archways watching them from above, Kamille had stopped to just take in the entirety of the scene. It was clear she was taking in the sights in their whole before moving on. The darkness was but a canvas for the soft light to shine on, gently insinuating the curves of the roots and and archways - not unlike the night sky was a canvas for the stars.

For a moment, the Witch remained silent, and even Hektor was in awe of the sight before him. Kamille stopped before a mural to watch it spring to life with interest, moving forward to gaze upon the runes on the nearest pillar.

"I never heard of this place... This is beautiful..."

There was a reason for them to be there, but... what was it, again?

"You say the rooms react depending on who steps in? This is so interesting... Has something unusual happened when you stepped into some of the rooms?"

Dalanor had never visited Lantern's light or Moonglade for that matter. At the sound of it he inhaled and exhaled deeply.

"I would love to visit it someday, Miss Kamille. Most of what I know of the world comes from the knowledge here at the academy, well... mostly. " 

Dalanor took a mental note of what Kamille found to be beautiful. Perhaps she preferred not the sunrise or the sunset but the twilight, or a clear starry night.

At the entrance to the grotto he watched Kamille and Hektor observe the murals and runes with a soft smile. Dalanor couldn't understand why the provost didn't invest more resources into researching the grotto. Even with these new developments, they outright refused to fund any staff to explore it thoroughly, and they are reluctant to share it with anyone else. The academy continued to be busy with the usual... academy affairs. 

"Yes it truly is a beautiful place. The academy thinks of it like a private museum whose knowledge is already tapped, but there is so much we don't know."

Dalanor walked up to a small alcove in the hall, carved between two supporting archway pillars. A series of smooth black stone tablets rested inside. He pulled one out and held it out for Kamille to inspect or hold. The surface of the tablet had glowing green runes on the surface, written out in evenly spaced, uniform lines, like the dense page of a book.

"I've had no luck deciphering it, but I believe there are secrets of the fae here. Stranger yet, on some tablets the runes change depending on who is holding it, as if the message written is encoded just for you."

When Kamille asked about the rooms reacting to different individuals, Dalanor looked down the hall. His face was pensive, but his eyes were filled with wonder.

"Some rooms have stone bookshelves filled with these tablets, but the new passages that opened up... I'll have to be heading back soon, but we can take a peek if you like." Something about the sly look in his eye when he said peek, hinted that he actually meant explore. Heading back soon was more of an idea than an actuality.

Kamille would've loved to spend days there, going through every secret that place held - suddenly, the Academy started to grow on her. Her father had been one of those people who didn't speak too fondly of the Academy, even when she found out he had some past with it himself. As a teacher or student, she never found out.

When Dalanor pulled out a tablet, she approached to inspect it with him. Just like him, she couldn't understand the writs, although she looked visibly excited by the mysteries it held. The sparkle in her eyes neared the childish awe of a little kid seeing magic for the first time. As most mages, Kamille looked curious to a fault, still holding a sense of wonder over new things despite seemingly being a well accomplished mage.

"Amazing... This is so interesting... I could spend days here just to see a fraction of what kinds of secrets this place holds..."

There was somewhat of a jolt when Dalanor said he needed to go back - she stated herself she didn't want to bring any trouble to the professor, and she meant it. But she would be damned if she didn't recognize that look he shot her.

Yeah, she knew what that meant.

"You can blame it on me, Mr. Adjunct Professor. I'm sure no one will blame you when you tell them the Witch of Moonglade stole your time away."

Without waiting for much, Kamille chose a room at random. As she entered the room, a soft light emerged in a crescendo from the umbral. The Witch would believe it if he said the place was alive and listening to them, as the roots that slithered their way around the stone, clinging to the shelves as if to hold them in place. From the roots, flowers started to sprout, much like...

"Midnight jasmines."

Not only the kind of perfume she usually wore, but also the main reason for her to like Lantern's light so much. They glowed in a cool, gentle blue light, just like they would in the forest itself. When she brought her gaze upwards, the stars sparkled in the stone walls.

"I could swear the room can hear us..."

She took a mental note of that. No. This was not the place for private conversations then. Such a shame.

"Have you found some book or tablet on the fae around here yet? Maybe even a fairy circle?"

Despite Dalanor's bad experiences with the fae, Kamille seemed delighted by the topic.

Witch of the Moonglade... where have I heard that before... Dalanor's lips frumpled in an unsuccessful search of his memories.

Attempting to recall proved fruitless for now - it would remain an unresolved question in the back of his mind - as he followed after Kamille who set off to one of the rooms. She had peeled back the first layer of the grotto, revealing a glimpse into the world within.

Dalanor raised an eyebrow at the spreading vines, then his face softened and he smiled wide, watching the luminescent midnight jasmines bloom.

"Midnight jasmines..." His deep voice softly echoed Kamille's words, tempted to write down the name in his journal, should he ever need to remember it for any occasion... For now he repeated it in his thoughts, permanently committing it all to memory - the smell, the sight, the name.

At the mention of the room hearing them, he nodded. "Yes, if the not the room itself, then any fae in hiding..."

His eyes lit up hearing the words 'fairy circle'.

"There is one book in particular..." He turned and faced some of the shelves. They were filled with a mix of different color books along with the same black tablets as before. The spines of the thicker books had lettering in the same unreadable runes, but he recalled the symbols of one book in particular, seeing as how he had a better memory of images than of words.

He stepped across the room, eyes fixed on the shelves, scanning for it.

"Aha!" He stopped and turned to squarely face the shelf that he was looking up at, then stood on his toes to reach one of the heavy wide volumes. He could have used telekinesis if necessary, but the feel of this book in his hands was just as satisfying as retrieving it.

He slid the thick ivory book off the shelf, then walked over and stood next to Kamille. He rested the book on his forearm, holding it in place with that hand, while the fingers of his other hand gently traced along the edges. The natural oils of fingertips could perhaps damage an ancient antique, but this book was flawless - unaffected by corrosion and smooth to the touch; his fingers glided across effortlessly.

As his hand brushed the surface, a ring of flowers sprung to life in a perfect circle on the cover. The flowers bloomed and then were frozen still, as if they had always been painted there. The pages within the book were the same solid ivory color as the cover.

His hand moved slowly as he flipped it open, revealing the first page - a smooth silky white with a glossy finish that glistened in the light of the midnight jasmines in the room. An image materialized on the page, a small flittering winged creature that danced about from edge to edge - spinning, twirling and flying around in different directions, in an elaborate fairy ballet.

Even Hektor seemed to forget to be afraid for a moment, investigating the room by himself, as Kamille slowly trailed behind Dalanor, looking at the volumes and tablets on the shelves.

She remained silent while Dalanor was searching for it, but was right by his side when a victorious exclamation came.

Kamille seemed to hold the same kind of reverent respect for the books, hesitating for a moment before touching the pages, taking such careful attention to every small detail. Her face lighted up when the perfect circle sprung to life on the cover, and she didn’t take her eyes out of it for a second. Felt like she even forgot to breath, so entranced by it as she was.

The next couple moments were mostly filled with silence, except for the turning of pages, as she slowly took in the first couple pages. She took her sweet time, also waiting for any remarks Dalanor might make. Occasionally she pointed out things she found interesting, some writ she didn’t understand or some symbol she recognized.

“This… This looks exactly what I needed! This might help me investigate the fairy circles! Last time I went without proper research was a mistake… Maybe-”

A distant thud followed by a painful grunt seemed to bring her back to the present, as Hektor apparently let a heavy tome fall on his toes.

Kamille cleared her throat.

“I’m afraid we have already taken too much of your time, Mr. Dalanor. I… Hm…”

On a regular day, she wouldn’t get caught up on the bureaucracy behind getting to stay with some books she wasn’t supposed to have. She didn’t go actively stealing books at the academy - that would’ve raised too much suspicion - but she might have hold onto books for longer than allowed.

This time, however, if she did anything out of protocol, she would definitely bring a load of problems for Dalanor. Looking around, to the beautiful arrangement of glowing flowers that sprouted to life in that room, she was grateful enough that she could be there.

“What…. Hum… What is the, uh… protocol… here? Can I… Take… This book? Back to the library, I mean. I need to take my notes.”

Even under the faint glow the room offered, Dalanor could see blood rushing to her face, as she blushed intensely. It was clear she had very little reservations on breaking and bending the rules - though this time she worried what kind of repercussions her actions would have upon the professor. As a responsible professor before an outsider, she even braced herself for some pointed words her way.

From the corner of his eye, Dalanor took note of Hektor who was exploring the room. He smiled softly then turned his attention back to the book and Lady Kamille.

Together they flipped through the pages. He mostly nodded and acknowledged Kamille's expertise and observations of the fae which were more advanced than his own. He pointed out one page that illustrated a fae which favored the forms of either a black horse, goat, hare or dog. It was portrayed as a trickster, but the reader was urged caution not to anger it. Dalanor flipped to another page which illustrated that if other means of appeasement or offerings failed, some fae could be vanquished by a pierce through the heart from a blade. Symbols and sketches likely indicated some amounts of iron would need to be in the alloy composition of said blade.

He glanced up at the sound of a book hitting Hektor's toes and grimaced slightly, having experienced that foot-clutching dance himself all too many times.

Kamille cleared her throat and he looked towards her as she expressed how much time passed. Dalanor glanced down and then to the side pensively, wondering if he was gone for too long...

As Kamille asked to take the book back to the library he looked to the book, then back to her, weighing her words carefully.

"My lady, I..." He paused, contemplating the best way to say it. This was uncommon for him, as he preferred to speak his mind directly and without restraint, sometimes to his detriment.

He had only just met her, but his mind and body were at odds with each other. The moment that he processed her question he felt a pang in his gut; his heart sank. The next thing he had to say was difficult - his face and words would be noticeably pained, but he knew what he had to say. His logic seemed to have won the conflict this time, and he struggled to muster the finesse the situation called for.

"We... should not remove anything from the grotto. The artifacts here are not fully catalogued, and there would be no way for me to ensure the book returns back to its place..."

There was a hint of amusement in her eyes when Dalanor hesitated on giving her a straightforward answer. It was clear he hesitated, and she wondered why. Because he knew what she actually meant, perhaps? That she might’ve held onto the book for much longer than anyone was intended to?

Despite his answer, she didn’t seem to get mad at him - she knew his position in the academy, it was only expected he would protect it. His struggle to muster the rebuttal, however, brought some light to her eyes.

“Well! How do you expect us to study the fae then, Mr. Adjunct Professor?”

Kamille put her hands to her waist, in an exaggerated gesture of exasperation. It was clear she was having some kind of fun with that.

“Will I have to come back here to study this book? Is that it? Do I need to be chaperoned? You said this is usually off grounds to visitors, so I assume that is a yes…”

Truth be told, that was quite inconvenient, really. She didn’t expect to spend so much time at the academy - she was aware her affiliation with the Mage’s Guild allowed her stay, but still… the logistics were against her.

She crossed her arms, looking somewhat vexed, frowning at the book that Dalanor held. Kamille knew that would be his answer, of course, but it seemed to amuse her to see his conflict.

“Either way… Truth of the matter is that I don’t want to bring you - or anyone - any kind of trouble… So… I’m all ears… What do you suggest?”

“Hm, you’re right. I am sorry my lady we should have discussed this all much earlier...” His face became concerned and he looked down at the book in his hands. In his haste and excitement to share the grotto he overlooked the most obvious facts. Kamille wasn’t here for what essentially became a museum tour. She was here to understand the fae and it was not a simple passing interest. That much was clear from the pile of books she had assembled around her upstairs.

Dalanor began to pace back and forth a short distance, looking at the cover of the book with intensity, as if an idea would leap from the pages into his mind. Perhaps it did.

“I have a proposal. I’ll take custody of the artifact… under my name. For research purposes.”
He paused pacing. Should it eventually be determined missing, it would be a career limiting mistake, but if the research were to prove fruitful… He stepped towards Kamille. His eyes hopeful.

“This is my ask. To share your research with me, perhaps not all of it… only what you choose… but enough that I may maintain the pretense of holding the book in my care…

“I will eventually need to return the book, but if it seems that I am regularly producing research through the study of it… no one will ask questions. I would of course name you as the lead in the paper, you would have full credit for your efforts, if that is what you want… What do you think?”

It was a risk to be sure. His face was steadfast and neutral but his heart was pounding. This was a person he had only just met… but she was mage’s guild… and there was something about her.

The questions danced in his mind - would the Witch of Moonglade find these terms agreeable, and would she keep the promise?

Truth be told, Dalanor probably didn’t expect her to want to take a book out of that place, so perhaps she was a bit harsh in her delivery. Still, Dalanor whipped up a plan quickly, after a moment of back and forth pacing.

She smiled, nodding approvingly.

“I don’t mind about taking credit on the research, I just want access to the book. If you want to put your name as the lead in the paper, I have no issue with it.”

She truly just wanted the information, the knowledge - so much that she didn’t mind the ordeal she would go through to have it. Her curiosity exceeded her need for recognition greatly, and so it made it rather straightforward on her side. Sadly, her time with the artifact was limited, so she would have to make do with the cards she was dealt.

Looked promising, at least.

“So… If I’m getting this right… We’re research partners now? Is that it?”

There was something severely mischievous in her grin.

“And I don’t mind sharing my research either, most of what we have is upstairs, although I have some excellent literature back home. My question now is… How would this look in practice? Between your duties as teacher and my own agenda, I don’t usually visit the academy much.”

Time seemed to be against them, as it was most of the times.

“Perhaps we could schedule for an afternoon of studies? So we could peruse the book and take our notes from it? Would we meet here, at the library?”

“This place is so cool!”

Hektor’s voice echoed behind shelves, as the adults seemed to forget for a moment there was a curious child roaming about. He didn’t go too far though, thoroughly inspecting the tablets available at reach.

“Though…….. Wouldn’t Sor’Adien be suspicious if your name showed up in a paper with classified… stuff?”

Kamille chuckled softly.

“This is hardly “classified stuff” in my opinion, but if we were to stay completely out of the radar… Perhaps Mr. Dalanor wouldn’t mind taking the credit for the paper entirely… I suppose?”

Mentioning the rector and leader of the Mage’s guild so idly probably meant she had already met him more than once. It was at the very least curious she wanted to be out of his radar, though. She wasn’t very good at keeping a low profile, it would seem, as much as the batting of her eyelashes was well placed.