SW: The Otherworldly Man

5:14
Shalfiirna, Elvariim - 12.13.534 4E

The young Eladrin woman in a white cloak with a hood drawn over her head took a walk through the shining, snowy forest city on the moon of the Fey, Shalfiirna, Royal City of Elvariim. She walked freely through the streets; streets of red marble and buildings of silver crystal, held up by the towering trees that covered the forest moon.

The young Fey woman, smiling with her sky blue orbbed eyes gleaming, eventually came upon a grand stair that led up to a grander building of green marble columns and silvery doors. Another Fey woman, with pale blond hair and teal irises, donning a green, layered tunic, waited. A silvery hued staff was slung across her back.

"Lady Sariel," she bowed. "I was expecting you when you did not answer my call."

"Hush!" Sariel, in the cloak, snapped, smile falling. "Aurila, you know perfectly well of how much trouble I'd be in if anybody found out I was out here, without guard."

"My apologies. At the very least, the library is vacant "

"Fine, fine, okay... Open the door."

"As you wish."

A floating, red glass orb, ten feet away from the door. Aurila waved her hand over it, causing it to turn green and the doors to open slowly and silently.

Sariel speedily walked in and removed the cloak; revealing a head long of silver hair, a white bodice with gold trimmings and a matching knee-length skirt.

She looked beheld the library; circular, ten levels of high shelves with thousands of new tomes and old scrolls filling the shelves. The floors were littered with chairs and tables for comfortable study. All of which within a beautiful golden marble structure.

"Do you seek the old tome?" Aurila asked.

Sariel threw her cloak over a chair as she speedily walked to a cleared away, circular platform where a half-red half-blue orb, similar to the orb outside the doors, floated in the center. Aurila followed her closely.

"Mother would be cross if she knew what I was reading," Sariel answered as she touched the blue side of the orb, causing the platform to ascend quickly to the top floor.

"The library's Forbidden Floor is forbidden for reasons you know perfectly well," Aurila confirmed. "Your mother will certainly be cross. Why seek knowledge of humans? You saw what they have done to the planet. You were barely in your mother's womb when the Cloisters were raised."

"But it's what they accomplished before the Fey left. History, Aurila."

"Yes, though you know I am held responsible should trouble befall you."

"Yes, Auri, I know."

"But knowing you, you have a devious plan to avoid trouble, as always."

Sariel grinned devilishly and withdrew a key from her side pouch. It was black with a red jewel in the grip.

"I just need to remember to slip this in the head librarian's pocket before she returns."

The Eladrin took her hand from the control orb when the lift stopped at the top floor and walked to the black cage door with a red stone above its archway, only to see it open.

"What?" Sariel inquired worriedly, looking at the key. "This is the only key. And it should be impossible to unlock."

"Perhaps withdrawal would be wise," Aurila suggested, holding the stave in her hand. "Clearly someone's suspicions have been raised."

Sariel stepped beyond the threshold into the Forbidden Floor with a grin.

"If that's the case, they'd have kept the door locked and let us go on in, catching us red-handed."

"Lady Sariel--!" Aurila was interrupted the sound of a book being snapped closed.

Hearing the noise and recognizing where it could have come from, Sariel started tiptoeing quickly and quietly in its direction with curiosity. She crept behind a shelf, Aurila following close with the staff's orb glowing red.

"Lady Sariel," Aurila whispered sternly. "Your safety is my priority. Withdraw and let me take point."

"Hush. An Elven warrior isn't exactly sneaky."

"You keep getting into trouble and I'm the one responsible for you."

"You have your problems and I have mine."

"Lady Sariel!"

"Oi!" A man's voice, soft yet stern, called from the other side of the shelf. "This is a library. Leave whatever gossip you're whispering out of doors, or better yet, out of each other's ears and definitely out of mine."

Surprised, the Eladrin and the Elf looked at each other with puzzled looks.

Someone is actually reading in here of all places? Sariel thought. ''How did he get here in without a key?"

Slowly, the two Fey peered around the bookshelf and gasped in surprise.

An odd young man; tall, dark grey leather jacket, black leather shoes, blue denim trousers, and round ears, was sitting in a chair with his feet on the table, reading a book. The young women only saw the back of the young man and were staring at his ears.

"Your ears," Sariel spoke up. "They're..."

"Sorry?" the young man tilted his head back to see who addressed his ears. "What about my ears? Sure they're not as lovely as yours, but -- Wait a moment!"

He snapped up off of the chair and stood upright, spinning to face them. It showed his blue eyes, black, spiked up front hair, light blue, buttoned shirt with and black necktie. The top button was unbuttoned and lowered the tie slightly.

But Aurila immediately thrusted her staff to inches from his face, making its orb glow red again and also make a low rumbling noise. The man stared, crosseyed, at the staff, mouth agape for a moment, but then traded for an excited smile.

"Now that is brilliant; elemental reserve energy reacting to your soul energy, focusing it into that focusing sphere. Is it just me or is it getting hotter. Or maybe that's a prepared fire spell?"

"Aurila!" Sariel snapped as she pointed the staff away from the man. "Don't hurt him!"

"Oh thank you! Much better."

He looked at the two Fey, examining their faces with excited intrigue.

"Absolutely gorgeous," he pointed to Aurila. "Elf, yes? Your ears are pointy but the eyes are very much the universal humanoid base and you're slimmer than humans."

The observant, and seemingly otherworldly, man looked at Sariel for the longer time.

"Eladrin. Definitely Eladrin. Ears like your friend here, but your lifespan is extended by a thousand or so years.

"But your eyes... beautiful orbs that look like bottled starlight... Brilliant."

He spinned his chair around to allow for a comfortable drop into it.

"Your names? Sorry! I've just never met your kind before and I've made a fool out of first impressions."

He offered his hand to both of them.

"Sky Arken."

Sariel was astonished. Aurila as well, only more serious.

"Are you..?" Sariel began. "Are you human?"

Sky looked at her curiously. "No, but that's decent of you to ask."

"Then what are you?" Aurila inquired. "If not human, even when you wear their clothes?"

"Mildly confused," Sky answered. "What year is it?"

"Five-hundred and thirty-fourth year of the Fourth Era," answered Sariel.

"Sorry, I'm only as far as the Third Era. Lots of exciting events happened around the turn of the second millennium."

"Enough!" Aurila snapped, angered and raising her staff again. "You have trespassed in the Forbidden Floor of our library. By what powers did you dispel the enchantments on the door and enter here?"

Sky looked confused at first. "Forbidden? Really? All I've been reading for the past three days has just been the planet's history. I'm barely halfway through the Industrial days. Your people weren't very impressed, I know, but--"

"Enough. None but the Grand Librarian and the High Queen may read these tomes."

"Really? Then why are you here?"

Aurila's demeanor changed from authoritative to embarrassment.

"Uh..."

"Me," Sariel answered, holding up the key. "I'm looking for something here. But, how did you get in here?"

Sky withdrew a steel device from his inner pocket. Its upper body was hexagonal, with blue, rounded screens on each. The head had a barrel-like emitter, attached to a half sphere's flat side and pointed 90 degrees downward. Under the barrel was a blue, spiralling crystal, surrounded by six supports.

"Well I... picked the lock. Sonic'ed the tumblers."

"Magic lockpicks don't work against the enchantments. Physical lockpicks would melt if the tumblers are touched."

"Well technically, it's just sound waves moving the tumblers. I thought those defenses came standard with the library at the time, and that the librarian just forgot to unlock the door."

"How did you get up here without drawing attention to yourself?" Aurila inquired. "Your clothes and ears would not let you pass as a normal citizen."

Sky pointed up. "I landed on the roof. Came in through the skylight. Sorry, but that's how I always get into libraries. I always start with the top floor and now I think I should go apologize to the Head Librarian before I read anything else.

He stood up and turned to navigate himself to the door, suddenly finding a red and black knife sticking itself in the left side of his chest.

"Now that's not fair," he wheezed before falling on his back. "Run~…"

Sky landed with a thud as Sariel screamed and Aurila fired a bolt of fire towards a figure in black, which dived behind a bookshelf.

"My lady!" Aurila grabbed Sariel's hand and pulled her away.

The pair of them ran down the aisles of shelves, occasionally spotting two assassins on either side of the shelves. Their run came to a halt at an unexpected wall.

"Behind me," the Elf pointed her staff in front the two of them, looking on all sides. "That fool must have left the skylight open for them to enter."

"Drow assassins?" Sariel suggested, panicked, looking down the aisles. "They shouldn't be, we're at peace with them!"

"Obviously not. Where are they?"

The pair of them looked down the three aisles, trying to find their assailants. The floor was silent, except for the slowly quieting panting of the Elf and Eladrin.

"You realize there's one thing we haven't considered," said Sariel. "We have not looked up."

Aurila's eyes widened as she looked up to see two Fey in black leather and face masks, holding violet-glowing daggers. Before either one of the two Fey women could react, darts found themselves stuck in their necks.

Sariel felt a woozy feeling, as well as fatigue washing over her mind. She dropped to her knees as her body could not fight the paralytic that was affecting her. Aurila's body reacted the same way, the only exception being that her staff was keeping her on one knee.

"My lady..." Aurila called weakly.

Both women collapsed to the ground as both men converged on them, unconsciousness taking them both.

Sky laid on the floor, blood spurting out more than it should have been. Even with his major blood pumping organ pierced.

"This has all the makings of a lovely week for me," the bleeding man wheezed.

"This certainly does," a sinister man's voice called, stepping closer.

A Drow Elven man looked over Sky. Dark grey skin, tall, and long white hair tied back.

"The first and last human on Elvariim for hundreds of years. And here he lies with a blade through his heart. That blade was meant for the shield-maiden of the High Queen's daughter, coincidentally. Yet you still breathe."

"Can't say I should be surprised," Sky croaked. "Everybody likes calling me 'human' for some reason. I'm flattered."

"Tch... Nevertheless, you will die soon enough."

The Drow turned away from Sky as Sky's vision blurred into darkness.

"I've done that before... It's rubbish... I refuse to participate anymore..."