Beyond the Pale

Naming Blue

True to her word, the Spirit transported Penny to the city gates quicker than she could blink. One second she was in the dreamy, silver drenched forest of the Spirit, and the next she was right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Ataxia.

Now that Penny was somewhat certain she wasn’t dreaming, she was able to look around closer. On the wall beside her was a poster. It read:

Dancing is Outlawed By Order of the Good King Sene. Any Citizen Found Dancing is Subject to Punishment by Death

Penny shivered. She remembered something in a story book about how Fairies loved to dance.

Looming above Penny were enormous, open gates. They were nearly fifty feet tall, with intricate patterns and scenes incorporated into the stonework. As she watched, it opened on it's own accord, letting people in and out.

The Spirit had said to start at the gates, so that’s where Penny would begin.

It felt odd, Penny pondered, to start an adventure with nothing but the clothes on her back. Shouldn’t she have some special device to guide her, and a bag stuffed with food and maps? But the Spirit must’ve thought she’d be okay, so Penny wasn’t going to worry.

Just as she was approaching one of the gates, something slammed into her. Her feet flew out from under her and she landed hard on her shoulder. Books exploded into the air and several hit Penny’s head on the way down.

A boy was also on the ground, swearing under his breath. He crawled around on his hands and knees, collecting the books.

“I’m very sorry,” he said to Penny, shooting her a concerned and slightly sheepish look. “I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

Penny sat up, rubbing her head. “It’s alright. Here, let me help you.” She picked up the books around her. Each volume weighed several pounds, and she had to struggle to her feet. The boy stood, half a dozen books already in his arms. Penny read a title: Anatomy and Psychology of a Pooka: How They Change Their Form and Why They Would Want To.

“What’s a Pooka?” she asked, considering the book.

The boy blinked a few times, like he wasn’t used to questions. “Fairies that can change their shape at will, of course. How do you not know what a Pooka is?”

“I’m not from around here,” Penny explained, repositioning the books in her arms.

He noticed the movement, and hurried to say, “Let me take those.”

“No, it’s fine. They’re quite heavy, and you already have several. No wonder you fell, with all that weight in your arms.”

The boy flushed a little. “Yes, they are very heavy, but I can manage. The Library is just over there,” he said, nodding across the street.

Penny glanced at it. It was a friendly-looking building, with round windows that looked like spectacles. “Well, here, I’ll help you bring them over.” He tried to protest, but Penny refused to hear it. She started across the street, and the boy followed. “Are you a librarian?”

“Assistant Librarian,” he said. “I pick books off the Knowledge Trees and bring them back to archive. It's a family trade.”

Confused, Penny didn’t reply. The door swung open for them, and the boy let her go in first. He followed, and the door shut behind them.

The Library smelled of cinnamon and old paper. Books were stacked all the way to ceiling, forming little paths to walk through. The boy stepped around Penny and led her through the maze of volumes. Penny followed, amazed at the sheer mass of books.