ATLANTION - LAYLA BOOK1

Part 22 Layla

Layla spent all day in the blacksmith's laboratory doing all the small chores Herranuen appointed her. Then Herranuen left to find a cure for her wounds. Sorting through piles of metal parts was no fun, and now she tried to clean her brown nails. Black oil stuck under them infiltrated the lines on her palms and fingers. It was disconcerting to stay in this dimly lit catacomb, way different from the labs in other sections. People fussed around there. Here, only rats and other crawling critters scattered in the unlit corners. Every sound made her uneasy. Broken winged statues scrutinized her from the vault, throwing huge monstrous shadows over the pavement. Layla played in her head the creepy message she got in the morning, wondering if it was a friend or a foe. Was the rampant fairy still after her? There was a slight buzz on the intercom, and she jumped up, dropping the solvent bottle. A pungent emanation burned her nose.

"Hey there. How was your day?" asked Herranuen with a cheerful voice.

"Good. I just finished my task, cleaning up," replied Layla, brushing her skin harder.

"I'm waiting for you in my office when you're ready."

The transmission ended, leaving Layla in wonder. She rummaged in the drawers to find more solvent and found a small bronze chest with onyx runes. What incredible work it was. Her fingers glided over the embossing. It opened with a click and revealed a stack of strange books and artifacts written in languages and writing Layla could not read. A guide in Dark Energy. The beautiful volume bound attracted her; its cover was slightly worn. Pages inside had many notes on each page that made her skin crawl. Vividly painted pictures of dissected bodies of different beings, unimaginable experiments on them, and much else she wished to unsee. Her hands felt dirtier than before; no water or solvent could cleanse her after touching them.

Layla stepped into Herranuen's office, still thinking about the book she found in Farrar's workshop. Herranuen seemed like a decent woman, but Layla couldn't imagine the blacksmith doing things described in the journal. Herranuen blabbered for a while about a ball and games and so many things that Layla lost track of them, just nodded, and waited for an opportune moment to speak about her recent encounter. Should I tell Herranuen about this morning's event? Or maybe I should keep it for a while? A mix of distrust infiltrated her subconscious the moment she found the dark box between Farrar's belongings. At the door, she got instructions to change her clothes and be back in a breath. The Master of the Dark Guild invited them to a ball after the opening of the Arena Games. It was both frightening and breathtaking. So why was Herranuen taking her there?