The Guardian of The Dragon

Chapter 13

The old woman sighed and spoke softly.

"I'm uncertain if he's still alive or resides there, but I'll give you a name. If you ever reach that place, you can seek him out. He won't turn you away if you mention my name, but beyond that, I cannot say. Thank you."

"Thank you so much."

As Frea stepped out of the old woman's house, her heart thudded in her chest.

She felt adrift, but then she spotted the road in the distance.

Glancing up, she noted that it was still early afternoon.

'I'll try the library.'

A voice from the forest sanctuary echoed in her mind.

'Kirdas.'

She made a silent vow to research the word, though time had eluded her.

In the capital, access to the largest library was restricted.

For commoners, entry required letters of recommendation, permits, and other forms of identification.

Previously, Frea had gained admittance as an apprentice priest.

Today, she entered as a noble.

It felt peculiar to hold noble status and immediately serve a purpose.

She located the thickest dictionary in the library's collection and placed it on her desk.

She intended to search for the word to verify its existence.

Her hand hesitated as she flipped through the pages.

Uncertain where to begin.

'Kirdas.'

Frea unfolded the blank page and grasped a pen.

She attempted to write.

But the pen remained motionless upon the paper.

'I don't understand.'

She struggled to determine which letter to inscribe.

'Why? Kirdas. Kirdas. I can think it, why can't I write it?'

After a prolonged moment, Frea muttered something quietly.

"Kirdas."

Though she pronounced it clearly, she couldn't translate it onto paper.

"Kirdas, Kird..."

A tap on her shoulder jolted her, and she turned to face a man in priestly attire.

He was unfamiliar to Frea.

"Are you all right?"

"What? Oh, I'm sorry. Did I make a noise..."

"No, I heard an unusual noise and became concerned for your well-being."

"... Unusual sounds? Me?"

The priest shook his head and turned away.

"Excuse me, what was that noise?"

The priest appeared puzzled as he replied,

"Well, let me explain...."

"Was it this noise?"

Frea uttered 'Kirdas.'

The priest nodded, then regarded Frea with an odd expression.

"What do you think this noise is?"

The priest's expression hinted at his confusion regarding the question.

"It's like a whisper... it's difficult to articulate."