SILVER-HAIRED-Chapter 158: The Holy Library, But a Price Will Follow

Nicklaus groaned, he no longer felt cold, he felt warmth, he stirred awake groaning once again as he slowly opened his eyes and met with dark skies. When did it get so dark? And how long has he been unconscious? He forced his body up in response so that he could get a better look at his surroundings, but then he felt the ground with his hand, he quickly lowered his gaze and found grass? It was warm and fresh. He looked backward and found the same bluster he was in just a moment ago, this was two seasons playing at the same time, right before his eyes, what sort of wonder or magic was playing right before his eyes?

His eyes trembled as he rose to his feet, his gaze still at the snow up ahead and then his eyes trailed the ground seeing the trail of snow puddles and then to the path he was in where there were grasses, he have never seen something like this, for it was so wondrous and magical.

But wait! He should be in the snow, he should be dead... then how did he get here? How was he able to make it to the other path of the season, to warm grass? And then his mind lingered on the warmth he felt and the feel of fur, someone or something saved him, he was sure of it but what could it be?

At the sudden light that shone behind him, he turned, finally setting his eyes on what lay before him. There were two big lampposts standing tall before a gate, the metal a clean white iron, and he saw an ancient inscription embodied with the iron, it was not in English but an ancient language, he thanked the elders for all the lessons they gave him about different language, for he understood what it meant.

"The Holy Library" he read out loud and in his voice flower roots in green color climbed on the gates and then forged something that appeared to be the face of a man, but in the green roots, so there were no definite features, the white flower bloomed on the corners. The face coughed, making Nicklaus jump slightly at the sudden sound.

The face raised an eyebrow when he saw the young boy before him.

"Well this is new, a visitor in my home?" His voice was loud and strong and sounded old. "What could a small creature like you be doing in this path, perhaps lost?"

"Who are you?" Nicklaus asked not fazing even for a bit, he stood bold and out of fear and this struck the root man’s interest. "No... what are you?" Nicklaus adds the energy radiating from this root man was powerful. It didn’t seem like a normal magical creature for this was something more, able to take a form in a root, a spirit maybe?

"I’m Basker, the anchor and spirit of the Library," he said proudly and raised his head high up showing how superior he was.

"Basker" Nicklaus intoned as his eyes went wide. He suddenly remembered when he read about the Holy Library, another name for the Holy Library was ’Basker’. "You’re the Library itself... you have no physical form, the very spirit of the library", his eyes shocked.

"Yes boy... I AM the library I the root, not the flesh of course for I’m shameless and have no form, I’m HE that houses trillions of knowledge... I broke the anchor that holds me to the Realms so that Mortals and the magical creature cannot exploit my knowledge, for it is sacred and shall remain that way", he looks down at Nicklaus. "Now I will not ask again... what is a boy like you doing here?! And how on earth did you get here, I haven’t seen a creature like you forever"

"I’m Magnus... I seek the library for its knowledge and truth, as well a source of power for my people"

"I see a straightforward person you’re... I still don’t get it, any magical being or mortal would have died from that blister before getting here", he was puzzled. "And yet here you are, alive?"

Nicklaus was curious how he got here too.

"Seems like that person interfere, that’s odd, that has never happened"

"What are you talking about?!" Nicklaus demands. Basker must have known who saved him.

Basker sighed. "Guess it can’t be helped, for you’re chosen, odd never happens but I suppose there is always a first for things like this... Knowledge cannot be hidden forever" he said, sighing. "If only there was someone who would control this library to its greatest" he asked with a murmur but Nicklaus heard him loud and clear, eyeing him with curious eyes.

But..." Basker intoned with a smirk. "Magnus... I do hope you’re aware that there is a price to pay before you may enter the library and require what you need"

"A price?" Nicklaus blinked and puzzled.

¤●¤

"A price?"

Nicklaus nodded, his expression instantly changed.

"What was the price?" I asked eagerly.

"I was young and sorted nothing but power" his green orbs met my golden eyes, I waited for him to say something, for some odd reason my heart slammed loudly in my chest, why was I having a bad feeling about this? He hasn’t said anything yet. There was a prolonged silence.

"Yelena" he began.

"Tell me I can handle it" I assured him, he was hesitant and yet another prolonged silence until he spoke.

"The first son of my making"

"What?" My puzzle looks deeper.

"My firstborn son"

I paused, my lips falling apart. "He asked for your son?"

"That was his price, and being a vampire I knew that cannot happen, I wasn’t bothered by his conditions and I accepted"

"But that’s..."

"Yelena do not fret about it for there is no son to take... he’s probably been waiting for millennials but that is HIS loss" he assured me.

It still didn’t sit well with me but I nod, but I couldn’t shake the uncomfortable feeling I felt because I understood what Basker asked for cannot happen but why ask for such?

"As I said yes knowing fully well he was just making jest, the gates opened for me"

¤●¤

"Yes," Nicklaus said boldly, his price was a silly one, he thought the library would be smarter than that.

"It is a deal then, and an unbreakable pact, I shall have your first son," Basker said as a root moved to Nicklaus, he stretched out his hand, and then the root slit his hand drawing his black blood and took some spill of it, the wound automatically closed.

"The pact has been made... you may now enter" at his words the gates of the library opened.

Nicklaus took a deep breath before stepping inside the gates and shut close behind him. It was a long walk on the concrete ground and then his eyes met the biggest building he had ever seen. His mouth went apart in awe as he stared at the wide building reaching the skies and shaped like a box, a continuous shape to the very top, it made him wonder how tall was the library? The lamppost was around the compound giving light to the enormous compound. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

The large door before him carved with the most artistic design he has ever seen barged open and then a petite fox with one tail greeted him with a smile.

Nicklaus froze when he saw the fox, fur silver and the most beautiful creature he has ever seen and eyes like honey mixed with green.

¤●¤

"A fox?"

"Yes... a white fox of the Holy Library, I think she was the one who saved me," Nicklaus said, smiling at the memory.

"Oh," I just made a sound.

"Don’t tell me you’re jealous," Nicklaus asked in amusement.

"No, I’m not!"

"It was just a fox, a librarian to be exact"

"That fox was a librarian?"

Nicklaus struck a nod. "You know sometimes when I think about that particular fox I can’t help but see the resemblance it has to yours" he comments.

"Do we really look alike?"

"Not exactly..." he shrugged. "She was the one who put me through in the library although she cannot speak,"

"That’s wonderful," I said with a smile.

He nods with a smile. "She was strangely close to me although I didn’t acknowledge it"

¤●¤

Nicklaus indulged himself in reading, the book was twice his size, he didn’t know how long he had been in this library but his hair had grown incredibly long and his clothes weren’t exactly fitting him anymore. His eyes trailed to the enormous shelves, some floating in the air as the cabinet moved in different directions sometimes, at the very top was an open roof, snow descending but surprisingly enough no puddles on the ground.

It truly was a wondrous sight, the style of this library never ceased to amaze him, there were so many places he hadn’t been to, he mostly stayed here where the books were, reading and learning ever since.

He took a sniff of his armpit and he growled displeased at the smell, he really needed a bath.

At the sudden sound like something dropped to the ground, he turned.