The Tower of the Magi wasn't exactly a tower, but it was called that because it was the best nomenclature they could find to describe a place with limited space and floors to go up and down. In reality, the Wizard's Tower or Olaynore, as the locals called it, was shaped more like a funnel than a tower.
The Forest of the Forgotten, the second floor, or the last depending on your point of view, was the most decayed and also the largest of all. This place of dense rainforest was so large that it could easily be compared to a small Midgard kingdom, which is why it had so many different tribes and villages, and also why it was so difficult to find the Library of the Magi.
Consequently, the second largest floor was the City of Tears, the city where it never stopped raining and also a city that had no sky, yet the ceiling was so high that it formed a darkness as glorious as that of an ordinary night, making the absence of stars and moon the only difference to an ordinary sky.
Finally, the Citadel of the Magi was the summit of Olaynore, the apex of that pocket dimension that no one before Kaizen had managed to invade. Here, a marble palace with countless towers, bridges and corridors floated solitarily above a gigantic crystalline lake, which reflected the cloud-filled sky.
If the Forest of the Forgotten was the wild kingdom, the City of Tears was an ordinary world, and the Citadel of the Magi was like heaven, the paradise that everyone once dreamed of reaching, even for a moment.
Alina, someone who was born, raised and lived most of her life in Olaynore, was no different. Growing up, she also dreamed of one day getting to know the Citadel of the Magi and its infinite knowledge, only now, as an adult, she knew how much more dangerous this place was than any other in Olaynore.
"We Elders don't have time to watch every corner of this citadel, and although we can sense every mana change here, there are mages with very refined controls of their own powers, some can even hide their mana flows or disguise them with the wind, so we need to take precautions." Vorian explained.
"Precautions? What does that mean?" asked Kaizen as he examined a drink in a bottle on a table.
"We call them Sentinels," declared Vorian. "They are beings unaware of their own lives, but aware of their duties, like the stone golems that children are taught to make in magic pre-school, only much more advanced."
Kaizen was still looking at the drink in his hand, a bright mixture of colors that didn't seem to blend together in the bottle. He looked up at Vorian, his eyes reflecting an uneasy curiosity.
"Sentinels, right?" Kaizen repeated, the word echoing in the silent room. "What exactly are these creatures?"
Vorian raised an eyebrow, realizing Kaizen's great lack of knowledge about the magic guardians of the Citadel. He smiled slightly, as if he had anticipated this question.
"Sentinels are magical creations, beings that transcend the line between raw magic and rudimentary consciousness," Vorian explained. He approached the high window, looking out at the crystal-clear lake that flowed quietly past his window. "They are endowed with the purpose of protecting this place from unauthorized people and, in most cases, they serve as the real security guards here."
Kaizen contemplated the explanation as he swirled the drink in his hand, watching the dancing colors intensify and bubble a little.
"So, if they're here to protect, is it obvious to assume that these Sentinels are more concentrated around where your secret library is?"
"Not exactly," replied Vorian. "They are here to protect knowledge, not to prevent seekers from reaching it."
"What does that mean?" Andrew frowned and asked.
"It means that they don't protect the books, but those who carry the knowledge, that is, the Elders themselves," said Alina.
"In fact, Alina is right. The Sentinels are willing to protect the bearers of knowledge, not the tomes themselves. They identify and respond to the unique energy that each Elder emits, a kind of magical signature that is unique to each of us," said Vorian, pausing momentarily to observe the puzzled expression on Kaizen's face.
Kaizen realized the gravity of the situation. The task of reaching the secret library was proving more challenging than he had first imagined. The colorful drink in his hand seemed to lose some of its charm in the face of the revelations about the Sentinels.
"So, how do we get there?" asked Kaizen, finally breaking the tense silence that had settled in the room.
Vorian walked over to a nearby table, where a thin layer of magical dust was collecting on a forgotten book. He opened the book and began flipping through the pages, looking for something specific. As his fingers deftly skimmed over the magical words inscribed on the pages, he answered: "There is a path, a hidden corridor behind the statue of Maelora, an ancient Elder.
The statue is located in the west wing of this area."
Alina and Kaizen exchanged glances, aware of the complexity of the mission ahead of them. Vorian closed the book with a soft thud, returning his attention to the two of them.
"I can't accompany you directly to the library," Vorian explained, with a tone of regret in his voice. "But I'll do my best to distract the Sentinels guarding the way. You'll have to rely on your skills and luck to reach the library undetected. And remember: don't use magic at any time, otherwise you'll attract the attention not only of the Sentinels, but also of the Elders."
…
Edited by: DrHitsuji
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