Languid.

  It was the perfect word to describe how Quinn felt when she woke up the next morning. Her bedspread was fluffy and cradled her gently. Aradie was perched on guard on the top of her headboard, and Quinn never wanted to get out of the warm, snuggly pit of procrastination otherwise known as her bed.

  She reached above her head and stretched, twisting her body this way and that in her bed to stretch out the strain in her muscles she could clearly feel as a result of yesterday.

  Quinn blinked.

  Yesterday seemed important and lingered in the back of her mind. As if there was something she should be remembering about it.

  Which was about when the scales covering her arms glinted in the light flooding her room. Quinn frowned as she inspected the gorgeous, delicate in appearance scales that now seemed mostly permanent. She willed for them to disappear, and they faded back into her skin. But as soon as she stopped concentrating, they returned.

  She wasn’t entirely sure what to make of that. So she asked the system. Which only made sense. Wasn’t that one of its main functions?

  Name: Quinn

  Age: Irrelevant

  Heritage: Earth, Sector 12942 - Infinite reach, pocket Dimensional adaption

  Species: Librarian - of Cosmicisodracus origin - determining extent and variations*

  Species Power Adjustment: Cosmicisodracus adaption to Lirbary power levels currently at 72%

  Power range adjustment: Reaching Capacity

  Emergent Involuntary Defensive Capabilities: Scale Armored protection, flash fire, targeted enmity clause

  Energy Capacity: 6498/6498

  Mana Levels: 5432/5432

  Regeneration: Energy Idle: 18 per second, combat 9 per second.

  Mana Idle: 16 per second, combat 8 per second

  Alignment: 117%

  Affinities: 1723**

  Tome Knowledge Expanded: Beginner levels 47% complete. Intermediate levels 19%. Advanced - 0.75% - Higher levels not yet available.

  Affinity Level: 38

  Determination: Extended

  *Cosmicisodracus properties established - awaiting additional essence distillation calibration effects

  **As far as the Library can determine

  Quinn blinked at the list. She could have sworn it wasn’t that long since the last time she’d pulled it up. Frowning, she tried to leaf through and figure out exactly what had changed.

  Species Power Adjustment: Cosmicisodracus adaption to Lirbary power levels currently at 72%

  Power range adjustment: Reaching Capacity

  Emergent Involuntary Defensive Capabilities: Scale Armored protection, flash fire, targeted enmity clause

  Well, she guessed that answered her question. She had Emergent Involuntary Defensive Capabilities. That had to be her scales, and since she was technically a cosmicisodracus, then she guessed the scales would present like they were truly a part of her body. It made sense given her actual genetic heritage...

  It just also freaked her out a tad.

  But, at least for now, she had some answers. And she’d just have to get used to having this failsafe. But she couldn’t get too used to it, just in case.

  Aradie finally hooted and Quinn shook her head, pushing herself up into a sitting position finally. “No, I’m not going to spend all day in bed. I’ve just had a lot on my plate.”

  Another hoot, decidedly dryer than the last.

  “I realize we’re all busy, but that’s not exactly the point.” Quinn dragged herself out of bed, into the shower, and to get dressed, point blankly, ignoring all of Aradie’s attempts to bait her with more strategically placed hoots.

  She’d almost forgotten her promise not to warp herself too frequently to travel the Library. But she desperately wanted food, and then she had to get to the check-in desk and see how everything was running. While she knew the Library was in perfectly capable hands with Betty, Dottie, and Geneva, she still wanted to check over things. Especially since Jasper had passed, meaning some of the tasks required re-homing.

  Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

  Cook was in fine form that morning. They nodded in greeting and Quinn felt like their lips moved more in the way of a smile. Maybe the extra added power was starting to perk everyone attached to the Library up.

  “I have made hash brown casserole, bacon, and two donuts as a side,” Cook pushed the food at her, and continued whatever he was cooking.

  “Thank you.” She said and pulled out the chair she sat on to each next to their work bench. It felt more personal, and frankly, it was quieter. While she ate, she noticed he was busier than usual. The whole row of massive stoves had all manner of pots and pans with food cooking in them. “Did I miss a memo about something important?” She asked around a bite of bacon.

  Cook looked over at her for a second after adjusting something on the next stove over. “I was not happy with the standard of the hospital wing’s food. For now, until it’s sunk in, I am readying the meals here.”

  Quinn nodded. Nishpa would like that. Which made her think of the Firionas Fae and wonder just how much longer she had to stay in the Library.

  Watching Cook was almost like entering a trance. They were so methodical, such rhythmic movements were made to chop and dice and cut and stir... It gave her this odd sense of calm as she watched it. Sort of a lulling quality.

  In fact, she felt so relaxed she decided to try to test her limits.

  Now that they’d set some boundaries and tested some of her limits, Quinn no longer felt like she was about to incinerate the Library at any given moment. It actually seemed easier for her to hit that meditative state she needed for calm, emotional separation, and multitasking. It enabled her to perform everything else at a speed she’d not been expecting.

  Even as she sat there, fully aware that she’d slowed her own time perception down and was working faster than she could comprehend, her reach through the Library was seamless. Power flowed from her in a fluid, sustainable way. Over every shelf, book, nook, and desk, Quinn’s awareness swept the Library for any signs of weakness, for any sign of alarm. Neither Milaro nor Malakai were there today, and it did seem that Geneva wasn’t rostered on today, either.

  A slight tremor that anyone else might have brushed off as a shuddering sigh, or a blip on the radar, spoke volumes to Quinn.

  She asked the System for a report on it.

  Ashiron Pillar Disturbance Classification E.

  Previous Disturbance - 18 hours

  Frequency has been gradually increasing.

  Estimated Time to collapse of Ashiron Pillar - 54 days.

  Quinn blinked at the information. Not that it was unexpected, because she’d known there was a timer on it, but that wasn’t even two damned months. How the hell was she supposed to figure all this out in such a short time period? Then she found herself biting her tongue, because truth be told, hadn’t she figured out much larger problems in much less time?

  So what if this would totally annihilate the entire Library and its pocket dimension? Surely she could do it?

  Of course, the bravado only went so far when she was willing to believe it herself. Sadly, she wasn’t that good an actress.

  But she was positive4 the countdown hadn’t been there earlier.

  You’d be correct. It’s only just got the calibrations down enough to be able to ascertain just when we can expect catastrophic failure of Ashiron.

  It’s okay. Quinn shot back, remembering the plan she had formed in her mind. She was fairly certain she’d be able to make sure it worked. But to that end, she’d probably have to go down and visit the damn pillar in person. She needed more readings on the power fluctuations and the precise nuance of the magic they’d used to bind or seal it. Maybe it was more important to do this sooner than oh in, like, fifty days and wing it.

  She ran a hand through her hair, catching it awkwardly and pulling out the ponytail half way. With a groan, she reached up and pulled it back into a messy bun instead, the habitual curls still insisted on falling out around her face. If it wouldn’t look weird when they grew back, she swore she’d just cut those curls off. So we have a time limit on Ashiron but we don’t know anything knew about how we can get the soul bomb out of there?

  Precisely.

  Could this be in any way attached to the memories you’re trying to retrieve about all the time Korradine removed from you?

  This time the Library paused before answering. Technically, it could be. But to be honest, I think it’s a total amalgamation of many things. From the filtration system itself, to the sabotage Korradine performed, to the damage caused by the initial insertion of the soul bomb.

  Quinn nodded, as if it didn’t set off her alarm bells. Because she couldn’t pay attention to them. But it says 54 days. So what I don’t understand is that it was fine for almost five hundred years and now all of a sudden it’s having a bad day? What triggered it?

  You were there. The pillar has been warded for so long, and the soul bomb itself is unstable. The fluctuations wear away over time and we’re less with what we have right now. It’s not ideal, but we’re still standing.

  Quinn was starting to think their definitions of survival were a wee bit different from one another. Her scales rippled, as if tugging at her memory. Which was a good point. Didn’t she have so much more power right now?

  She reached out her senses, focusing down on the filtration chamber and Ashiron in particular. She knew there were ways for the magic around so much filterable chaos to be slightly off. So she pushed gently, making sure her grip on her own senses were strong and defined.

  There didn’t appear to be anything wrong with the seal they’d placed on it, no leakage, nothing that seemed to indicate any type of imminent doom. Still.

  Quinn looked up at Cook as she finished off the last bite of donut and grabbed a coffee to go. She walked up to him, pet him on the shoulder and headed out toward the check-in desk. That was first on her agenda now. Go over all the info and make sure the Library itself is actually running at peak performance.

  After which, hopefully Malakai and Eric would be around and she could drag them downstairs with Lynx and herself and figure out the damned pillar’s riddle. Considering they weren’t facing immediate doom, it was probably the best idea.

  Aradie swooped down to her shoulder as she made her way brusquely to the check-in desk where Betty and Dottie were deep in conversation.

  “I’ve got everyone organized.” Betty, the little sprite, was in fine form today. Her hummingbird like wings fluttered so fast it almost made Quinn dizzy.

  Dottie, the superellux futora talking bench, simply sighed. “Yes, but we’ll need a lot more...”

  They both turned to greet Quinn.

  “Hey you two.” She was genuinely happy to see them. “Can you give me a quick run down on where we are with opening the last few branches and if we’ve discovered any more of the restricted books, we think we’re missing?”

  Quinn could practically see Dottie’s grin as the little bench began in on her report.

  Sometimes being the Librarian was just so surreal.

  Anyhu - something about Patreon being 4 weeks ahead here