Noah followed the old gray haired woman through the hall of ancient books and scrolls. The tall library of Windcrest seemed more akin to a place of worship than anything else. People of all looks and cultures wandered silently through the stone halls, gazing up in reverence and wonder at the thousands upon thousands of texts. He even saw those who were dressed similar to Rebbi’s tribe, though he had never seen them before. Noah found himself also looking about in wonder as he followed his guide. Never in his life had he seen so many books of all sorts. Texts on ancient countries he had never heard of, scrolls on architecture, tomes of magical methods, even a whole wall of cooking manuals that stretched near two hundred feet before reaching a staircase that the two now ascended.

  When Thomas had sent him on this mission, Noah felt utterly perplexed. After Lewis had returned, he met Noah at their room’s door. He carried in his hand a few books, and passed them to the youth with a begrudging look on his face.

  “Is there anything else?” He asked with a growl. “Or can I go about my usual life again?” Thomas sprang from the window table and bounded across the room. He snatched the texts right from Noah’s hands without looking at either man, and looked at them as though he had just laid his hands upon a handful of rare jewels.

  “That will be all, my fine friend.” He said, without looking up. As Lewis turned to go, Thomas called after him. “Should one of my men in the city need to find me, I trust you will tell them where to look.” Lewis did not respond, but only grunted before storming off. Noah watched him go and closed the door only when he had vanished down the staircase.

  The following hours as night covered the south, Thomas studied the pages. Noah found it nearly impossible to draw anything from the man, and eventually decided to lay upon the cot and attempt to find some comfortable position. His mind drifted to thinking about the sudden turn his life had taken in the past weeks, and how he wondered what new events he might live through in the months to follow. This line of thinking brought a sinking feeling to his stomach, remembering Thomas’s words of warning, and so he decided to think about other matters.

  He had not seen Rebbi for days now, and wondered if she was still within the city. He thought back upon their conversations and then to his early interactions with her. She had known the assassin, as a young girl, at least. And she clearly held a deep affection for the man. Clearly misguided, he thought. She might have fond memories from childhood, but if she knew the full extent of Giles’ sins, she would think twice about her decision to find him.

  Thinking of this, he found himself drifting off into a hazy slumber, only to be jolted awake when Thomas let out a triumphant cry. Noah sat up, heart pounding. He blinked and looked about the room.

  “I’m awake.” He reassured the man, who did not even turn to look at him, but stood over the desk looking down at an open book. The pages were many, and the size of it took up nearly half of the furniture’s wooden surface. Thomas ran his fingers over the pages.

  “Noah, come look. I knew we were on the right track.” Noah, now fully out of his slumber and excited for new developments, leapt from the cot and over to the desk. He stood behind his companion, looking over the man’s shoulder.

  “What is it?” He looked down to the pages.

  Along the two open pages of the book was a painting. Its design seemed ancient, and the design around it seemed to imply that the art was nothing more than a replica. He squinted his eyes at it, trying to understand its faded depiction.

  The image was that of a great map, showing many countries and regions, though none of them had titles. At the center, stood a black skeletal figure. Atop its long head sat two great antlers, and within its skull a pair of green shimmering eyes. Man shaped, though with limbs of impossible length. Upon either side of the figure were two other beings. On his left was what looked to be a great serpent, black hair running down along its lengthy body, and a tanned fleshy face in the front, its jaws open wide, a red puff coming from them. He looked at it for some time, but could think of the monsters he had read about in the thousand scrolls as a boy. The figure on the right, had another effect on him entirely. Its form had not been revealed to him in any of the old legends and tales, and filled him with an unease that made the night creep closer. Red in color, it seemed to have no skin, or was depicted as a mass of loose muscles and tendons taking the shape of man, only fuller than the figure beside him. It knelt to the antlered one, and lifted its head high and too, opened its jaws wide. The head of the creature, while red, took the shape of a swollen human skull, eyes hollow as a cave. Noah shivered at the sight.

  “What is this?” He asked. “What does this have to do with assassins? Thomas did not look up from the page, but Noah observed a sly smile on his lips.

  “Not the assassination itself, but everything that has followed since.” He then turned his head to the youth. “Or should I say, what has been following the assassin ever since.” Noah furrowed his brow. He did not care for Thomas to be indirect with him.

  “What are you talking about?” Thomas placed his hand over the pages, fingers spread wide.

  “I must admit,” He said, eyes wide with excitement. “When Giles first arrived telling his story, I thought very little of it. Perhaps something was roaming about, killing at will. However, once this came into my possession,” He pulled a small journal from his belt, and held it up to Noah. “I knew that there could be only one thing we were dealing with.” He held the journal to Noah, and the youth took it. “Read the marked passage.” Noah opened to where a silk ribbon had been placed near the end, and began to read the page.

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  I saw it roaming the fields today. It stumbles about like a baby cow, and cries out like it has lost its mama. I called to it, and it ran away. I don’t know why. I am more afraid of it, I think. Its swollen red head looks very frightening to me.

  Noah looked up to his companion, who simply smiled back at him. Thomas stepped aside and gestured to the picture, like a magician revealing a trick. Noah looked down to the figure on the far right.

  “There you have it, my young friend.” Said Thomas. Noah shook his head.

  “I don’t understand. What is this? What am I looking at?” Thomas looked at him with shocked frustration.

  “Do you know so little of your own people’s history boy? Have you never seen the old tapestry before?” Noah shook his head again, and Thomas rolled his eyes. With a heavy sigh, he continued. “It is the oldest known thing in Tovoran. No one knows who wove it. The scrolls say it was a gift from the first mortals of Tovoran. That the men who lived within the mountain’s protection, long before the Pass was ever carved, found them and worshiped them. That they taught the ancient peoples how to build and how to serve.”

  “Them?” Noah interjected. “Who are you talking about?” Thomas shook his head at the question. He, having traveled all of Tovoran, had not met a single man, woman, or child who did not know of those who ruled before word was written. Who vanished when the great waters came. Whose only proof of ever existing were the stories passed from generation to generation for tens of thousands of years. Now, all being so scrambled and lost over the ages that none knew what the truth could possibly be. All they knew for sure was, the tapestry remained, and it showed them in the remembered glory.

  “The first gods have returned, Noah. And they have begun to move again.” The two looked at each other and, for some time, the only sound to be heard was the drunken blundering of the lowlifes in the street below. Eventually, the younger smiled at the older, and looked away.

  “Thomas, I think we have greater things to deal with.” He said, and began turning towards the cot again. “Real things. Things that exist in this plane.” Thomas abruptly grabbed him by the shoulders and forced Noah to look at him.

  “I know how it might sound, but you must see through the improbability.” He kept his words level, but the desperation in his eyes betrayed him. “Think of all we have heard. Of what Giles said, of what happened to the farmer, of the dead Magi, of Elias-” The name halted in his throat, and the two struggled to keep eye contact for a moment. “Listen,” he continued after a moment. “Our enemies are stronger than us in many ways. Ways that they wish to be kept from us and those in Tovoran who would oppose them. All men who ready for war keep a hand hidden away. We are of the lucky two who have seen this hand and know of its truest meaning. We cannot afford to act blind now.” Thomas released Noah’s shoulders and turned back to the desk. “I do not ask that you share my fears. Only that you follow my orders.” Noah shook his head. The exhaustion of this strange mission began to creep up his legs. Running a hand through his red curly hair, he sighed.

  “So,” he said. “If that is what is hunting Giles," He pointed to the picture. “Then what are the other two?” He chuckled sadly to himself. “What are any of them supposed to be, other than some strange gods?” Thomas looked deeply into the emerald eyes of the center figure, and leaned heavily upon the desk.

  “No one really knows. I have only ever seen the tapestry once, myself. I was just a boy. I remember being told that the one in the middle is called Atla.” He laughed softly. “When I asked them what that meant, you know what they told me?” Noah did not respond. “They told me, ‘the meaning has been lost to time.’ Can you imagine that?”

  “So, we really have nothing to go on other than some old drawing?” Thomas stood up straight and pulled his shoulders back.

  “Perhaps not.” He turned around. “Before we make our full investigation into who hired Giles, it is always best to find out what we don’t know.” He placed a finger upon the serpent and then the red figure. “These two are all but a mystery to me. And we best find out what we can about them before it is too late. And, while I do that, you will look into our two suspects for me. But first,” He sat down and looked over his shoulder. “Since our good friend Lewis does not seem to be in the most helping of moods, I would like you to fetch a scroll for me.” Thomas scribbled something down on a piece of paper and handed it to the youth. “Find the great library and ask an assistant for this. They might not let you leave with it, looking how you do.” Noah looked down at himself confused. “However, I trust you’ll find some type of way to get it to me. After all, I can trust you to play the game, can't I?” The expectation fell heavy on his shoulders, and his mouth went dry. But, he nodded, all the same. “Good.” Thomas turned back around. “Because, if you get caught, I probably won’t be able to save you.” Noah looked down at the paper, and read the name to himself. Berford’s Scroll of History. The name was unfamiliar to him. With a deep breath he put the paper into his pocket and turned to leave, then stopped and looked back to Thomas who sat at the desk flipping through the books.

  “What exactly do you mean, before it’s too late?” Thomas lifted his head, but did not turn around.

  “Do you think a god would take their time in working their ways upon a world?”

  “Don’t really know much about gods. Never met one.” Thomas chuckled.

  “Neither have I, but if they go about killing the innocent as this one has, I assume they have less than ideal plans for us mortals.”

  “Then why haven’t they done it already, whatever it is they’re planning? Perhaps they aren’t as powerful as you seem to think they are.” Now Thomas turned in the chair and looked sternly at Noah.

  “You still lack the skill of putting things together fully. Noah, you read the diary, same as me. When the little girl first found it, the demon acted like some confused babe.” When Giles found it, the thing could speak to him.” He let the words hang before continuing. “I think the only reason we have a chance is that they are not ready to act. Which is why we must.”

  Noah followed the assistant up the staircase and onto the second floor of the library. His mind racing over one simple thought. If the red one was after Giles, where were the other two?