Silence, there was always a peace in it. The library was full of souls but silence was the master here. True; quills scratched across parchment as pages were turned in spell books and people walked among the shelves and conversed quietly, but silence held dominion in the Great Library of the City of Aegis. Magi apprentices and masters alike sat in quiet study as their green armored Protectors watched ever vigilant.

All walks of life were welcome in the Library, be they wolf, lion, rabbit, mouse, dragon or any other race of the realm. The only requirement was that they knew magic; knowledge was guarded fiercely. The Magi and their Protectors guided the vast Arcanum in this golden age and the country grew prosperous under them and the dragon overlords. Each city in the Arcanum controlled great territories and the dragons who ruled over them took pride in their cities’ greatness. Aegis served as the capitol of the Arcanum and the Great Library was the center of its knowledge.

Among the Library’s visitors, an all-white husky in green three quarter plate armor stood gazing up at a tapestry depicting a battle between two armies. In the stylized sky, two dragons circled one another while their animal troops battled on the ground. The plaque below it read “The Battle of River’s Crossing, The Turning Point of the Fourth Border War.”

The husky sighed, remembering the battle in all its horrid detail. He had been there, six years ago, using spell, steel, fang, and claw to win the day. It was his first true battle and he was not prepared for it, at least not mentally. He still had nightmares of the blood and fire, the screams of the dying and the screech of metal on metal.

“And what was gained?” he asked the silence that hung around him.

“The continent, my Protector,” Said a male voice behind him. He didn’t jump, he knew the speaker was there; his scent always gave him away. “The Southern Army had its last stand just outside the city. After its defeat, the rest of the territory was claimed by the Arcanum with very little resistance.”

The speaker was an otter of about five and a half feet tall with the slender build of his race. He wore his brown fur well and took pride in the softness of the white on his chest and neck. Black eyes regarded the armored canine with a wisdom that held the spark of the joy of life. His black nose twitched making his whiskers jump, waiting for a reply. He wore the red robes of the Tower of Fire that had two yellow stripes on the forearms, marking him as an Apprentice Level Magi.

“Yes, but I lost friends in that battle, and a love worth dying for. Sometimes I wonder if it was worth it,” the husky said, turning his gaze over the lowered heads peering into the depths of the written word. He was all white, his ice blue eyes rested on individuals for only a moment before moving on. He was tall, just above six feet, and possessed a powerful build. The green armor was a good fit for him; it made him just that much more imposing. Still his eyes were haunted and he seemed to spy potential threats in every shadow.

“You saved me in that battle and countless others too. I was just a novice helping my master negotiate the peace treaty. River’s Crossing wanted to be a part of the Arcanum. It was to be a peaceful end to a pointless conflict. The Southern Territory saw the city as weak and as traitors. River’s Crossing would have been destroyed, razed to the ground, if the Arcanum lost the battle. I’m happy you and yours fought that day. I also thank those who died so that others could live. The Arcanum need more of their like.” The husky turned to him and gave a halfhearted smile.

“Have you finished your research Lord Magi?” he asked, changing the subject.

“Anthony, I’ve asked for you to call me Nikoli.” The otter scolded, lightly slapping the Protector on the shoulder.

“I know, but there are protocols to follow; you are a higher caste than I.”

Nikoli shook his head and gave a small laugh. He lead the way out of the library and back to the Tower of Fire. Anthony hung back a moment however, taking a few deep breaths to calm the fire that burned him from the core of his soul.