Chapter 2: The Library
By reaching the Deans’ assembly, Tak’Oba was hoping to blow the lid off the slaughter his village had suffered. If he didn’t find a straight answer, Jengah, an old Ecleray, gave him a lead.
Deep in thought, Tak'Oba had ridden for two straight days.
With each step, its Catmeleon took, the excitement of the adventure gave a little more room to the fear of discovering a ghastly reality.
By reaching the top of a hill, he finally saw the Great Library.
Or rather, that he guessed it.
The knowledge center was built around a thousand-year-old willow tree and fitted perfectly with it. If the base of the building did not seem to have been spared by time, the top, almost piercing the clouds, looked much more recent.
It was as if the Ecleray culture had grown along with it.
For the Eclerays, their activity must adapt to their environment, and certainly not the opposite.
As a form of respect, the vegetation surrounding the old willow tree seemed to have stopped growing.
Tak'Oba had only heard of the Great Library from the elders of his village.
He didn’t expect it to be this big.
The size of this tree made him realize that he was still far from stepping into this almost sacred building.
He decided to stop at the edge of a river so that his Catmeleon could quench its thirst and rest. Tak'Oba could not help but think of all the enjoyable moments he spent with the elders.
He remembered the characteristic laughter of one, and the stories another told him as a child.
He had lived his whole life surrounded by the harmony that his people were trying to protect.
Something disturbed Tak’Oba.
He felt something around him.
He turned his head in all directions, finding nothing.
With a soft growl, his mount indicated that they could go on their way.
Tak’Oba left the place watching back, but nothing came to his attention.
When he arrived at the steps of his people's archives, he felt like a newborn.
He was overwhelmed and impressed by the size of everything the Eclerays had been able to record.
If the Great Library is a place of culture, it is also a place of life where hundreds are working to expand it.
A young scholar came to welcome Tak'Oba.
He remained discreet about the reason for his visit but asked to speak with the guardian.
With an elegant gesture of the hand, the student invited him to follow.
The building was a real work of art.
The shelves followed the contours of the branches in a passionate dance, sometimes controlled, sometimes relaxed.
This special bind accompanied Tak'Oba toward the answer to his questions.
Without ever having seen her, Tak'Oba immediately recognized the guardian.
She gave off a reassuring aura that enveloped the young Ecleray in her embrace.
All the doubts he had were replaced by a feeling of warmth and comfort.
He understood that, beyond knowledge, she also nourishes her students with her uncommon empathy.
"What are you so afraid of, my friend?" the guardian asked.
"All the elders of my village have returned to the earth..." Tak'Oba replied.
"May their new life be one of love and peace," the guardian answered by placing her hand on her Mwahindoe.
"They will not have a new life. All their Mwahindoes are gone."
The guardian's eyes widened but not a word followed.
"That's why I'm here. Do you know of any archive relating to a similar event?" shyly asked Tak’Oba.
"I might. Follow me."
Tak'Oba stuck close to the guardian.
He felt soothed in her presence and walked eagerly between the shelves.
The further he went, the more ornate the walls became.
This section of the library must have been the very origin of the Ecleray culture.
“This part of the library has been built 3000 years ago. A part of me was already there. It hasn’t much chang…"
The old Ecleray suddenly stopped. Her eyes could not leave the shelf, as if unable to move at all. She moved her lips with difficulty as she reached for the old bindings.
"Gone. It's gone. The book I wanted to show you.
I take inventory every day, it was still here this morning."
Tak'Oba, a little distracted, turned to the shelf.
Then he heard a noise behind him.
Behind the curtain, he saw a shape moving outside. It didn't take him more than a second to understand what was going on.
He immediately started running in the same direction.
Why someone would steal a book?
Why someone would steal THIS book?
He needs to catch up with it. He needs to get that volume back.
He needs to understand what he had left his people for.
Not far away, the shadow seemed increasingly interested in this young Ecleray ready to do anything to uncover the truth.
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