Chapter 12
Estelle and Bruno leave Rayne to read as she pleases, as they walk through each section of the library the witch speaks up, “Bruno, I must thank you for your actions the other day. It was truly kind of you to do so I hope you accept the books as an apology for my behavior.” Bruno just snorts and shakes his head in pity, as they pass on of the oldest sections of the library is when Estelle stops. Looking through the titles her eyes scanning through the books written in a language now forgotten even by most immortals standers is when their conversation continues albeit mainly one sided. “So, Estelle tell me why you have brought someone so young here, you know the last time someone that age had been brought here by you she helps out. Do you want me to do the same thing with this one or are you just following your own whims again? Last time you had done that this place and the whole city almost caught fire so you better be thinking this through or I swear to god I will burn these books. They are useless anyway it’s not like even or any of my ancestors could’ve translated.”
“No.” shaking her head Estelle picks up a book and begins flicking through it before deciding it’s not the one putting it back and moving forward through the books. Bruno basically fumes at this answer,
“No?! Estelle this girl has power you are going to be calling the deputies directly to my door having someone with this status here. That other child now runs a podcast expanding the reach of my books and we are trying to build you up some believers so that we can at least slow the generational incline of people joining them, we still don’t know what the empires planning and although this place is remote with all the forest we are only buying ourselves time by hiding what do you plan to do when they come, hell your forest seems like a great place to put a school to train them all! And then what do you do? Go and take the corpses you keep in your basement with you to the ocean and hide there you won’t be safe I’ve had to forcibly stop people from finding this store when they need it due to the new deputy leader whoever they are as there are troops being scouting everywhere for more half breeds or witches they are plans of changing laws so that immortals like you can’t just live by your whims the empire has had enough of your mourning and want you to stand up.”
Finding the book, she was looking for Estelle replies,
“I am older than all of them I have walked on more bridges than they have ever seen. I have fought more battles than times their name has been called, if they think that they can get to anyone whom I protect then they can die the death of someone who is to be forgotten come tomorrow.”
Staring at Bruno with eyes that promise harm, she directs her attention back down to her book as she pieces together the language of which she once spoke ignoring the scoff and mumbled “Immortals prisoner to but their own whims” that comes from Bruno.
Passing the book for Bruno to hold she goes back to reading through titles, grabbing a few that contains what she needs after skimming through them Bruno breaks the silence with a few final words. “So, who is she Estelle?” Finally stopping her search, she stares him directly in the eyes. “I believe she is the child to the God of Space.” No words must be continued for him to understand the severity of the situation. Nodding in agreement Bruno offers “You can take these home if you translate them and add your notes, preferably in a different coloured ink so I can understand the differences between what’s yours and what’s the books. Now let’s go and find the girl again.”
The pair move towards where Rayne is, nose deep in at least three of the books a small pile with about five of six next to her when the interrupt Bruno offering her “I said the same to Estelle I’ll say it to you, you want to borrow them you have to do something in return, I don’t trust your ability to translate but I’ll let you take home four, you can return and grab a new one as you need but should you destroy them you rewrite them I’m going to say four times just because they are big books but it helps you learn how careful you must be with them.” Jumping up in excitement Rayna yells “I will! I will! Thank you, Mr Bruno!” The witch hands her a basket for her to store the three she’s currently reading and a fourth from the pile as the pair is about to leave, they hear a disturbance on the desk where Casper was lying down and turn to face him jumping ecstatically.
“Casper?” Estelle calls and gasps in realisation as she begins to run out Casper following and jumping up onto her skirt to climb the rest of the way to her shoulder the pair make their way out towards the forest. Following the pair Bruno and Rayne, still with the basket of books, begin to chase after them towards the witches house ignoring the fact that she and Casper had taken though running in the thick trees they follow behind using the dirt path.
Once they had arrived, all that was heard was a blood curdling scream and their eyes saw the disaster. All the witches demanding work has been destroyed twenty garden beds ripped apart; flowers everywhere, vegetables uprooted, and many plants cut down. The front door was hanging off its hinges obvious signs of a break in, and inside looked worse furniture had been moved, books discarded and any flowers that were once hung up were abandoned on the floor. Estelle wasn’t in any better condition having a panic attack on the floor, thousands of years of work put into making her house a home gone and ripped out in just one day. Deputy soldiers were still on the inside as their group leader stepped out eyes wide seeing not only the madam that had been over at her house just the night before crying on the floor a man with a scholarly appearance trying to calm her and a small critter down and yet not even a meter away was their sister, eyes blown with shock and as her eyes locked on to them rage and betrayal had filled her eyes but she looked away towards the madam.
The madam distantly heard Bruno and Rayne speaking about the child going to her parents to report what’s happened and that once Bruno and the madam had sorted it out to come over an agreement thrown somewhere into the mess of words. Casper clawed into her clothes clearly equally distressed as she had been trying to calm down so she can ask why this happened till Irina had spoken up noticing the witch now glaring at her. “Madam I need you to come and unlock one last door before we do break it down. I do apologise for this I am just following orders.” Pointing towards the room where the shrines of her wife and friends lay. The witch feels a sob break out of her throat at the thought of someone for the first time in millennia other than her or Casper entering the room where only family and friends of the deceased may enter. Her voice is hoarse from all the crying as she tries to yell no.