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Feb 2, 2009 5:47:46 GMT -5
Post by Titus on Feb 2, 2009 5:47:46 GMT -5
Titus listened intently not only to what Kyrea was saying, but to the mannerisms which she used to say them. The point of what she was telling him was sensation, more than it was fact, and it was of utmost importance to Titus that he derive as much, and as accurately as possible, the true feeling of what she was saying, not only the meaning. It was honestly something that he never would be able to comprehend, but the endeavor to understand was the reward that he would seek from this lesson.
“Truly, I must thank you.” Titus returned after the way she spoke of the honor she felt he was giving her. “The entire purpose of my collection would be denied if I would not show it to you. Your will and desire to learn is exactly what I meant to feed when I had that tower built. The mages of my order have never truly appreciated what I have put at their disposal, and with that fact, they all disappoint me every day. This visit and every visit you make in the future will honor the very principles of the tower, and everything that I have lived to achieve. Your additions to the collection, which I will be so honored to receive, will truly make an immeasurable contribution to the wealth of knowledge that it holds, though unfortunately, they will inevitably go unappreciated by the vast majority.”
They were soon at the base of the tower. The enormous double doors of the library were well known by the public, as were the many large windows that lined all sides of the gigantic library. Inside it though, there was that second set of giant double doors that none but the mages ever opened. That was where the steps up the tower began, and that was where Titus led Kyrea.
The room on the other side of those doors was large and mainly empty. It was the reception hall of the mages. It was filled only with furniture and pieces of art. The tower though, was two hundred feet in diameter and stood one hundred floors high. Every wall of every floor above the first was covered from floor to ceiling in books and every floor above the first had rows and rows of bookshelves, also covered from the floor to ceiling with books. There was a giant stone staircase in the center of the tower that spiraled in a ten foot radius all the way to the top. Titus kept residence on the very top floor, where he felt he would never tire of the view. It made for a lot of work to get home, but the exercise was almost all he ever got, so it kept him in good shape.
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Feb 2, 2009 6:02:12 GMT -5
Post by Kyrea on Feb 2, 2009 6:02:12 GMT -5
Once more that feeling that she may explode with excitement built inside the small Queen. She looked about her, twirling around as she looked up at all the books surrounding her, she stopped and closed her eyes for several long moments and then inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, taking in the smells of those pages and the leather or paper bindings, everything all at once.
The hulking man smiled as he watched her twirl about in that manner; truly he had never seen his little Queen so happy.
Kyrea opened her eyes then and turned quickly to face Titus. “What a wondrous place you have here.” She told him. “But then, you must already know that.” She finished with another slight blush coming over her cheeks. “Isn’t it wonderful Drannis?” She stated, moving to his side and taking his huge arm in her two and laying her head on his forearm, perhaps the point of which she could reach without standing on her tip toes. The man smiled even wider, reaching over with his free hand and brushed her loose hairs from her face with gentleness seemingly out of place for one of his size and smiled lovingly down at her and nodded his agreement. Kyrea gave his arm one squeeze and then left his side and walked back over to Titus.
“So, where are we to converse further?” She asked, her blue eyes sparkling wildly.
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Feb 2, 2009 6:15:49 GMT -5
Post by Titus on Feb 2, 2009 6:15:49 GMT -5
The excitement to see such volumes of knowledge that Kyrea displayed dwarfed anything that any of the privileged members of the mages order had ever shown. Titus glowed in pride as he watched the small woman twirl about and express her glee to be there. This was the greatest reward that Titus could have ever been given.
“The hundredth floor is where I hold office.” He replied, still absolutely beaming with pride as he started for the stairs again. “It’s quite a hike, but the view is always worth it.”
As Titus climbed the stairs, he looked about at some of the volumes that could be seen from there. “Fell free to pick up any books that catch your eye on the way up.” He said happily, “We could discuss them in my office, and we can always leave them there for further study on your future visits.”
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Feb 2, 2009 6:34:11 GMT -5
Post by Kyrea on Feb 2, 2009 6:34:11 GMT -5
Kyrea smiled at him and nodded as she began to follow, her eyes searched volume after volume, there were so many, and everyone she wanted to pluck from its resting place and read and she did find a few, one on force verses wind channeling, another on the forming of mountains and yet another on the channeling of winds to aid in defense. These she cradled to her chest as if they were children she was trying to protect from the world.
She would have gladly taken more, but three was enough to start, she would start here, one always need a starting place and she had decided on hers. Of course she wanted to be able to just take them all down form their resting place at one time and find out what lay beneath their covers, but there was time, there was lots of time, she planned on being around for a very long time indeed, and all of this now surrounding her gave her yet more of a reason to stay awake and never retreat to the darkness of the grave to sleep.
“I would think it should be.” She stated as they moved onward. With each passing floor she made mental notes as to other titles and their holding places so that she would easily come back to find them again.
Kyrea was surprised actually that she wasn’t getting the stares she thought she would at Titus bringing her into the Tower, regardless of who he was, the other must be at least curious as to the reason she was here. Shouldn’t they be? She thought to herself and then she understood what it was Titus was explaining to her about disinterest of the Mages in the order.
She really didn’t have much to say at the moment as they traveled upwards, her eyes and mind were too busy wrapping around the new and most incredible place she was visiting.
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Feb 2, 2009 7:01:26 GMT -5
Post by Titus on Feb 2, 2009 7:01:26 GMT -5
Titus remained just as quiet as Kyrea on their way up the stairs. He didn’t have anything to say at the time either, which was fine by him. Titus was happy simply to watch Kyrea and be proud. The site of this young woman so eagerly scouring the shelves of the tower with her eyes was the most refreshing and heart warming thing the master mage had ever seen. He was truly surprised that the knowledge hungry girl restrained herself to only three volumes. That was a level of self control that he was never able to commit himself to.
By the time they reached the hundredth floor of the tower, she would see how much he lacked the restrained that she showed.
The hundredth floor was as the ninety eight below it, all walls covered from floor to ceiling in books, but it lacked the rows of shelves between the walls. There were instead, several large desks upon which piles of books sat, many of them open. There was one part of the floor that had a bed and a fireplace between it and another desk, but even that space was covered in books. Even the floor all about the hundredth floor had piles of books, though neatly stacked, at every turn. These were not the result of disorder, it was simply that Titus was unable to withhold from fulfilling so many curiosities at once. Each desk contained a different topic, and all the books on and beside each desk were pertaining to that topic.
When they got there, Titus placed the book he had carried to the café on the desk next to his bed.
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Feb 2, 2009 7:22:48 GMT -5
Post by Kyrea on Feb 2, 2009 7:22:48 GMT -5
Kyrea looked about the room at what another might have seen as disorder, she saw it for what it truly was and she smiled softly over it all, the stacks of books the open tombs, the complexity of some seeming a challenge to be overcome. She noticed how his bed was positioned just right so as to remain, even in slumber, surrounded truly by what he loved more than anything.
“No wonder you are in such good shape..” She began and then gave Titus an almost devilish smile. “For a Mage.” She finished with a little laugh. She felt free enough with him now to tease from time to time. It wasn’t all going to be intellectual conversation, even the most brilliant of minds need to be teased from time to time.
Kyrea walked around, allowing her white-gloved hand to move over the spines of some of the closed books. She placed her parasol in a corner, resting it gently against the wall before she turned again to face Titus. “So, where does this lead, if I might ask.” She inquired to the set of stairs leading to the ceiling.
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Feb 2, 2009 7:31:34 GMT -5
Post by Titus on Feb 2, 2009 7:31:34 GMT -5
Titus laughed at Kyrea’s taunt. “Well, I don’t ever do much else, so it’s good I have the stairs.” He mused back, glad that his new friend was getting comfortable.
He looked around the room at all his desks, every one of them simply covered in books with no hope of being spared. “We shall have another desk brought up here for you to store whatever books you want to study and discuss.” He told her with a renewed beam of excitement and then mused again, “It’ll give some mages less willing to climb the stairs a little exercise too.”
“Those stairs lead to the roof.” He answered with a bright smile. “There, young lady, you will find the single most amazing view in the entire world.”
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Feb 2, 2009 15:45:25 GMT -5
Post by Kyrea on Feb 2, 2009 15:45:25 GMT -5
Kyrea looked up at the top of those stairs and then at the books in her arms. She gave the books a tight little squeeze and then settled them on a pot atop a stack and patted them lightly, lovingly.
“They can hang on just a few moments longer I think.” She stated, her eyes sweeping the room and then landing on Titus. “This however, must be seen.” She finished and laid a small hand on the stair railing and looked up once, and then to Titus a smile on her porcelain face that held a vast curiosity with it.
She began to ascend the stairs, her small feet moving silently upwards, slowly almost hesitantly as if extending her own anticipation on purpose. She moved upwards, the smile on her face never leaving and she looked down at the other two. “No peeking.” She giggled and then continued up the stairs until she came to the top. At the top she found a door with a latch, which she slid, open instead of pushing the door upwards to admit her to the roof, she focused and pushed instead, lightly with her mind, causing it to lift as she moved through it.
She climbed the remainder of the way out and then moved to the side, her eyes sweeping over what she saw before her, the winds up here were violent, but she soon abated them with but a thought and now, they simply wistfully played with the hem of her dress, lightly flipping the loose ends of her dark locks that were not tied up. She silently stood there, astounded by all that she could see, her small body trembled with greater feeling than any but another who knew what she was looking at could imagine. She was at a loss for words, her intense emotions catching her by surprise and a single tear fell from her left one but she made no move to wipe it away.
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Feb 2, 2009 23:18:24 GMT -5
Post by Titus on Feb 2, 2009 23:18:24 GMT -5
Titus looked over at the enormous mass of a man, Drannis and shrugged as Kyrea mused about peeking. When she was up the stairs and through the hatch, Titus followed suit. As he had said to Kyrea before, the top of the great white tower held the most magnificent view in the world. He had in fact, seen all the world so he was in a wonderful position to say so him self.
Titus was glad to see someone truly appreciating the view from his tower, and was happy to watch her. Even after all the time he had spent up there though, Titus could not help but look out at the view again him self. “The world exists as we see it.” He started pensively, “And up here we see a whole other world.”
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Feb 3, 2009 0:20:29 GMT -5
Post by Kyrea on Feb 3, 2009 0:20:29 GMT -5
Kyrea was simply looking, her dark eyes scanning what was in fact the most beautiful view of the world she had ever seen in her many years of life. She didn’t turn to gaze at him when he walked up; she wasn’t ready to look away just yet.
“I often wondered…” she said quietly as if speaking too loud might interrupt what she was seeing. “What it would be like to see from the eyes of a bird.” She continued. “But this is something a bird would think to wonder. What it was like, to see from the top of that tower.” She finished, still looking out over the new sight. “This is more than beautiful, this is eternity. And you truly are a rich man. Perhaps the richest in the world.” She stated quietly still.
She wasn’t kidding either, he had everything, all the knowledge he could possible seek and now this. She couldn’t imagine anyone needing anything more.
At about that time, Drannis came through the opening and made his way over to look out at what they saw. He smiled his approval, his soft brown eyes seeing what they saw and then, he turned and moved back down the hatch, as it was and left them standing up there.
“He’s scared of heights.” She gave a sort of half laugh, “Must have truly gotten his curiosity to have some up here.” She explained his abrupt turn about and departure.
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Feb 3, 2009 0:44:48 GMT -5
Post by Titus on Feb 3, 2009 0:44:48 GMT -5
Titus smiled at the way Kyrea explained the view from the roof and then took a big deep breath of the open air. “I am quite a rich man indeed, to have all this.” Titus said, still smiling. “And yet I never am content with it.” He paused to think on the sentiment he was trying to express.
“I don’t just mean the endless search for deeper knowledge and new understanding. I have every tool at my disposal to seek and find the knowledge that I want. What I miss is the ability to relate.” The old mage’s smile had faded away. “I have seen every wonder of the world, every place, every thing.” When he said that, his lips turned up again.
“I have spoken to every leader of every kingdom for the last two thousand years and more, I have witnessed every culture from the dawn of united civilization and taken part in every custom and every trend for millennia. I watched the rise and fall of empire after empire as the mountains and the very continents themselves shifted in space.” He stopped then for a moment as he pondered the very thing that he was saying. It wasn’t something that he had ever said to anyone else, but Kyrea had been making him think on things ever since they met.
“I just don’t have anyone who understands.” He said finally, peering out towards the open sea. It was something that was hard to admit. It was even hard for Titus to realize. He had spent his entire life learning and experiencing the world. Never had he thought before it was too late, that knowing so much would ultimately alienate him from everyone else.
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Feb 3, 2009 1:26:52 GMT -5
Post by Kyrea on Feb 3, 2009 1:26:52 GMT -5
She listened to him as he spoke, really listened, not just to the words he spoke, but at the tones of his voice, the way he spoke them the underlying implications of what he said, and it was more than her mind that wrapped around his every word, it was her entire being that was listening and when he finished, she turned towards him at last, her blue orbs glistening as if filling up with tears, though none fell.
HE wasn’t smiling anymore but she had already known that. She walked over and took one of his hands in her small gloved one and then turned so that she stood next to him and looked out over the view once more before laying her head on what would be almost his shoulder. “Well, you have someone to share it with now.” She told him in her soft voice as she continued to look out over the view.
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Feb 3, 2009 2:07:54 GMT -5
Post by Titus on Feb 3, 2009 2:07:54 GMT -5
“Thank you.” Titus said softly, never removing his gaze from the horizon, where the sun was then beginning to set. “I really do hope that you come back often.” He continued, still looking out over the world.
It really was hard for Titus to relate to anyone. Most people had hopes and ambitions, people dreamed of going places or doing different things. Titus on the other hand, had already accomplished everything than he could ever have hoped to have done. It made for a depressing outlook on the future. Certainly, there was always more research to be done, more stories to hear and mysteries to investigate, but having had no one who could understand the way he felt or the things that he thought made for a more solitary life than he had hoped. Even when he wandered about in public as he had that day, he never knew how to act, how to relate to anyone that he met.
Titus had felt that way for a very long time already, so he was glad that after so many centuries of relative solitude, he had finally met this blessing of a woman who strove to knowledge as much as he did, and who could share in the eternity of that endeavor.
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Feb 3, 2009 2:18:27 GMT -5
Post by Kyrea on Feb 3, 2009 2:18:27 GMT -5
“Oohh, I’ll be here so much you might even start telling me to go home.” She told him, though met as a joke, she wasn’t so sure it actually was, all the same she gave him a playful nudge with her hip and smiled.
“So, I do believe you were saying something about getting me my own table?” She inquired then, still holding his hand in hers but now taking a couple steps back and turning to face him.
She wanted to get back now; she was ready for some more learning and further conversation with this incredible mind standing before her. She was very ready as a matter of fact, that excitement beginning to swell in her little body once again, her mind turning and beginning to move back to thought mode once more. There was something different about her now though, something somehow hiding again, though it truly didn’t’ show to much, her excitement overwhelmed most everything else.
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Feb 3, 2009 2:28:29 GMT -5
Post by Titus on Feb 3, 2009 2:28:29 GMT -5
“Yes!” Titus exclaimed immediately letting go of the solitary thoughts. “We will have another desk brought up for you to keep your books. Another if you need it.” He was beaming with excitement again. The prospect of having desks in his room for someone else was something that at any time before that, would have been a ridiculous notion that even he would have laughed at. The hundredth floor of the tower had always been his, and he had always been so proud of it. That was his own place to study and to write. With Kyrea’s visit though the idea had struck him and he truly wished it to be so. Sharing his fortress of knowledge with someone who really wanted to learn from it was the most exciting thing that could happen for him.
The sunset was about to be quite beyond spectacular, but Kyrea had been glowing about the books since the café, and Titus imagined that the sunset was no special scene for a vampire, though the onset of darkness may mean something else entirely to her. He walked with Kyrea back down the steps and into the hall of his personal level of the tower.
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