In the days that followed, Master Silas's office became the center of attention in the Silk Fingers Guild. The book recovered from the Forbidden Library lay on the central table in the room, where Finn spent hours poring over its pages, his eyes scanning the strange symbols and the indecipherable script, and every hour members would come to him to see if he had discovered anything new.
***
— The language is archaic, Rix, — Finn explained one afternoon, turning yellowish pages with hands trembling from fatigue. — An ancient writing of Setharis, spoken before the founding of the City of a Thousand Vaults itself. Some of the symbols also seem to have magical connotations, perhaps protection enchantments.
Silas watched Finn's daily progress attentively, sitting at his desk with a concentrated look while dealing with and organizing other pending matters like missions, profits, and expenses, among his other tasks as guild master.
— We need to find out what this book contains, and fast, — Silas said, getting up from his chair, with an exhausted look, thirsty for answers. — If the Order of Scribes protected it with such dedication, its content must be of immeasurable value.
Rix, although he didn't understand the ancient language, spent time observing Finn and Silas, absorbing every detail attentively. He felt a strange connection to the book, perhaps because he was the one who found it, as if he had the responsibility to find the translation and understand more about all of it.
— Finn mentioned protection enchantments, — Rix said. — Does that mean the Guardians might have been one of those enchantments?
Finn placed a hand on his chin and thought for a moment. — It's possible... or perhaps they were members of the Order of Scribes, Guardians specifically designated to protect this knowledge. But we know little about this order. They isolate themselves in their ancient and robust libraries and refuse to share the knowledge they acquire over time with anyone but themselves.
***
Once, Elara participated in a meeting and brought some information she had collected through her contacts in the clandestine markets.
— Rumors are circulating that the Order of Scribes has ties to the Council of Shadows, — she revealed, placing some intercepted letters on the table that seemed to confirm this rumor. — Some say they act as librarians for the Council to guard secrets that not even the most powerful Vault Lords can know.
The news completely changed the atmosphere of the meeting room.
— If the book is linked to the Council, the consequences of having it in our hands could be even more severe. — Silas said, worried about the guild's safety.
— Don't worry, Master, no one knows we have this book. — Grok said, pointing his thumb at his own face with a confident smile. — Rix and I made sure of that.
— That's right, Master Silas. Only the guardians saw us, but only the general is alive... Or half-alive, anyway. No one knows our guild is connected to the heist from four months ago.
— It's alright, kid, calm down. I'm not worried about you being seen. — Silas spoke in a soft and calm tone, waving his hand, indicating for Rix to lower his excitement. — My biggest concern is how far the Council will go to find out who has this book.
***
While Finn continued his arduous translation task, Silas called Lyra into his room.
*TOCK TOCK*
— Did you summon me, Master Silas? — the girl whispered, opening the door slowly.
— Ah, Lyra, good you arrived. Please, sit down. — Silas gestured with his hand to the chair in front of his desk. — So, I called you here to investigate the Order of Scribes. I need secret information, and I know you can help me. — He spoke with a smile on his face that exuded confidence in her abilities.
— You can tell me anything; I will do it with full attention and dedication! — She adjusted her black gloves made of Nalerian fabric and nodded, showing she was prepared.
— Well, I need you to infiltrate their outer circles to try and discover more about the organization, like their purposes and desires, and if possible, find out something about the guardians who protected the forbidden library and whom Grok and Rix faced.
— You can count on me, Master. I'll get my equipment ready and go right away! — Before leaving, she stopped at the door and turned, raising a finger to ask a question. — Uh... Can I get a shadow gem from the warehouse? I gave the only one I had to Rix, and he ended up not giving it back. — She scratched behind her head, feeling awkward about the situation.
— Ah, of course! — Silas gave a slight smile, finding the situation amusing. — Check with Cornelius what we have in stock and take what you need. This mission is very important, and we can't spare efforts or resources. After all, the guild depends on it. — He said, making the atmosphere serious again.
— Understood! I won't disappoint you! — Lyra closed the door and ran off to her room and then to the warehouse, preparing for the mission.
***
During that time, Rix continued his training with Grok.
— Kid, today I'm going to teach you a new technique. First, take this gem. — Grok extended his hand, holding a square orange gem. — Take it and hold it tight. — He added.
— Alright. — The boy approached and took the gem. — But... what does it do? It reminds me a little of the shadow gem Lyra gave me, but in a different shape and color. — He said, turning the gem in his hand to see the details.
— Didn't anyone teach you about the gems yet? I thought you had a lesson with Kael about this. — Grok gave a teasing look with a slight smile, seeming to hold back a laugh.
— Uh... — Rix felt embarrassed, making a funny face, unsure of what to say.
*;-;*
— I, um, might not have paid attention in that class, but that was before I started putting effort into guild activities. It's... it's serious. — Rix stumbled over some words and spoke others too fast, but managed to explain himself.
— HAHAHA! — Grok burst into a strident laugh, throwing his huge body back with a hand on his belly. — You're quite a character, kid. I'll explain it to you then, but pay attention.
*UFFF*
'What a scare. I thought I was going to get a big scolding' — Rix sighed, relaxed, while thinking.
— So these gems... — He began explaining without warning.
The young man quickly turned around, holding a notepad, to keep up with what Grok had already started saying.
— There are a few different types of gems in the world. In total, there are six, and each one has a connection to an Element and gives powers to whoever uses them.
Grok pointed to the boy's hand. — This gem you're holding is orange, as you can see. That means it's of the Force Element, and well... It makes you very strong. — He shrugged, unsure what else to say about the gem.
— That's cool! — Rix's eyes shone with excitement as he looked at the gem in his hand.
— We also have the purple gem, which is of the Shadow Element, and you've used it a few times. — He continued.
'Shadow Element? That explains the techniques I can do with it.' — He thought, connecting the dots.
— Well, we have the water gem, which is blue, the fire gem, which is red, and the light gem, which is yellow. But I don't have any of them here with me right now, so I won't be able to show you. — He fumbled around in his pants pockets as he spoke.
— And finally, we also have this little beauty here. — He pulled something from his pants pocket: a green, rhombus-shaped gem. — It's the Nature Gem. It gives you specific animal abilities. It's usually limited to one type of animal per person, and the abilities aren't that intense, but with proper training, it's possible to improve at it. — He said, confident in his words, squeezing it in front of his chest as he spoke, with admiration.
— Turn into an animal? That's awesooooome! — Rix's eyes shone with excitement. — I want to turn into a giant wolf and run around...
— Or better yet, a crocodile, yes! A crocodile using daggers. No one could stop me... — He mused, imagining the possibilities.
— HEHE! Hold on, kid, it's not that simple. — Grok raised his hands, asking for calm. — You only gain the *abilities* of animals. — He explained slower and with emphasis on *abilities* this time.
— Aaaaaaaaaah, I don't believe this. So my dream can't come true. — Rix looked like a child with tears gushing and nose running, as he imagined himself as a swordsman crocodile being shattered, like a dream being broken.
— Hold on... — He raised a finger as he thought, his gaze focused. — Was that the gem you used against the Guardians of the forbidden library? — He waited anxiously for the answer.
— AHA! Yes, it was this one I used. — He held it between his index finger and thumb so Rix could see the whole thing.
— But you turned into like a giant, super cool tiger. How did you do that? And how do *I* do that?! — His voice was loud with so much excitement and information at once.
— Well, I trained for a long time to reach that level, kid. You'll still start by just gaining the abilities themselves. Just like with the other elemental gems, you'll only be able to do the basics. — He gestured didactically with patience.
— Oh, now I get it. — He jumped towards Grok and took the nature gem. — I'll train a lot so I can turn my dream into reality! — He flexed his knees and pointed the green gem forward with his arm extended, as if he knew what to do with it.
HAHAHA! — Grok burst out laughing, falling to the ground with his hand on his belly. — What are you doing, kid? — His voice breathless amidst the laughter.
— I'M GOING TO DO IT! — He yelled, imagining himself as a swordsman crocodile.
HAHAHAHAAAA! — Grok couldn't stop laughing at Rix being so excited.
***
***
*TECK TECK TECK*
*TECK TECK TECKC*
*TECK TECK TECK*
Finn hurried up the stairs, holding the book in one hand and papers full of notes in the other.
— Hi Finn, are you alright? — Rix asked, meeting him in one of the corridors.
— Rix, I think I made a discovery! Call the others and come to Master Silas's room. — His expression was one of tension mixed with excitement.
Rix ran to notify the others, and then went to Silas's office, where eventually all the high-ranking members of the guild gathered.
When everyone was assembled, Finn began.
— Well, I called you all here because I finally made new discoveries about the mysterious book. — Sweat trickled down his forehead.
Finn pointed to a specific passage in the book, his hands wrapped in white web-fabric gloves.
— This section, — Finn explained, his voice was a whisper from so much excitement, — seems to describe the creation of the Soul Gems. It talks about an ancient ritual, involving the essence of powerful beings and the manipulation of elemental energies. I didn't find anything about Mör, the essence of life that appears in several legends throughout Setharis, nothing specifically at least, but based on the descriptions, I believe there is some relation.
— And what else does it say? — Silas asked, anxious. — Any connection to the elemental gems we already know?
— Exactly that! — He jumped excitedly, pointing at Silas, unable to contain his emotion.
*AHAM!*
He cleared his throat and continued. — So, about that, it seems that the Soul Gem has the ability to unite elemental gems, potentially amplifying their powers unimaginably.
Everyone in the room was astonished by the information, especially Rix.
— I just learned about elemental gems and thought they were extremely powerful. Are you saying they can become even more so? — Rix asked, astonished.
— Well, I'm afraid so, and from what I've read, there are levels they can reach if multiple common elemental gems are fused.
The atmosphere of surprise and apprehension became even more intense. Everyone thought about how terrifying power of that magnitude must be.
— There's also a section that talks about the dangers of the Soul Gem, — Finn added, his expression now serious and somber. — They can corrupt their bearers when used many times, feeding greed and ambition. And sometimes, the book says, the gems created by the unions of smaller elemental gems through the use of the Soul Gem are linked to ancient and powerful entities that can claim them at any moment. — He finished in a serious tone, feeling his spine tingle with fear at his own words.
The next morning, Lyra returned from her reconnaissance mission with valuable information about the Order of Scribes.
— They are more isolated than we imagined, — she reported to Silas. — They live in a fortified complex on the outskirts of the city, rarely interacting with the outside world. I discovered they have a rigid hierarchy, with Ancients who guard the deepest secrets.
— I also discovered something else. The Order of Scribes is particularly interested in recovering a specific book that was recently stolen from their archives. It's a book that describes the history and powers of the Soul Gem...
— And worse, they are suspecting the Silk Fingers Guild.
Lyra's gaze fixed on Silas, and everyone in the room understood at the same time. The book they possessed was exactly the one the Order of Scribes was looking for.
— This changes everything, — Silas said, his voice was filled with urgency. — They will come after us. We need to be prepared! — He stood up from his chair with a jump. — Finn, continue translating the book. Rix, you need to learn how to use the Soul Gem. Grok and Kael, help him with that! If we learn how to use it, perhaps we can figure out how to protect ourselves from the Order of Scribes and any other threat that might arise. — Silas looked around the room as he gave his orders frantically.
Silas took a breath and puffed out his chest to regain concentration, now with a serious expression and straight posture. — Possessing this book has put us in the center of a very dangerous game, and we need to learn the rules quickly if we want to survive.