~~~Three Years Ago~~~

It was early in the morning, though not so early that there was no activity. Indeed, outside, children were playing in the fields, careful not to disturb farm equipment or the animals, although some of the larger children were disturbing the smaller animals. Still, it was peaceful enough. Inside the library, the smell of old books and dust was slightly overtaken by the scent of wheat, which pervaded the small country village that housed it.

This was by design, of course. The library was one much larger than one would expect of a village this size, but there was a reason for this. The oldest inhabitant of the library was a man only known as the Lorekeeper. Ancient ordinances were in place, that no cities may be built around the home of a Lorekeeper, and these ordinances were well followed. There was no ban on farms and settlements, however, and as such, a small village, known as Gysahl, formed around he ancient library, whose original name was lost to time.

It was because of this that the wizened inhabitant of the village became known as the Lorekeeper of Gysahl. It was a name that had mildly annoyed the man, though not one he would ever fight against. Fighting took far too much energy for his old bones. He'd been granted life eternal, though that didn't stop him from growing old. Much like the library, nobody knew how old the Lorekeeper was, though he was still revered.

The Lorekeeper was waiting in the library's atriuum, where sunlight cascaded down through a stained glass window, particles of dust plainly visible, giving the entire room an aged, yet natural appearance. He was sitting in a chair with a cloth covered parcel in hand. He'd called his young apprentice, Alestia to the library on that day with an important request.

He'd found the girl years before, when she was no older than four years of age. She'd been orphaned by some war in the kindom containing Gysahl, brought to the village with a number of refugees from the capital, Blitz. The refugees had left her behind, unable to care for a child, though the Lorekeeper took pity on the young girl, and took her into the Library and raised her to aid him.

So he waited. Alestia wasn't late, of course, but the Lorekeeper was not a busy man. Besides, he knew the girl. She wasn't one who would be late when he called.