//------------------------------// // Chapter 3. The Library Within the Library // Story: Daring Do and the Gryphon's Quest // by De Writer //------------------------------// Chapter 3. The Library within the Library Daring Do led her two charges out of the dining hall, across the Royal University grounds and on, out into the cosmopolitan city of Canterlot. Walking close to the Castle, they came to the impressive Royal Library building. At the top of the stairs, awaited the huge, allegorically carved doors, showing the sun and the moon rising together over the field of knowledge. They swung open in response to an ancient spell. Entering, the Gryphons craned their heads about, trying to take in everything, their crests showing their amazement. Grata asked reverently, “I thought that you said that the Great Library would require our Imperial Identifications. The doors simply opened. This Library is amazing. There is no such place in the whole of the Empire.” With a bit of a smile, Daring Do replied in a hushed voice, “This is the Royal Library. There is a rumor that the caravan of old Marchhare, the Rom's Ghost Who Guides, may hold a bigger library, but nopony has ever proved it. “The Great Library may be entered from this one, if it is allowed.” She gestured to the end of a long aisle. “Down here is the Research Desk and the Closed Stacks. That is where you will need your Imperial ID.” Approaching the impressive curved Research Desk, Daring Do took out her ID. Following her lead, Rahak and Grata took out theirs as well. The pony at the desk took one look at the Royal Seals of Celestia and Luna and at the Seals of the Empress. She simply nodded politely and requested, “Please wait here. I will get the Research Supervisor.” She turned and disappeared into the rows of bookshelves behind her. Soon she returned with a pale yellow unicorn who had a gray mane and tail. As soon as the Supervisor saw Daring Do, she smiled and asked, “May I inquire your reason to visit the Great Library, Antiquarian Do?” Daring Do gestured to her “students” and replied, “Rahak and Grata have been sent by the Empress in person to research the actual origins of the Gryphon race. Since Glugemdown's account of a sighting in the Far North had to be in the early 180's PNW, we are seeking earlier material that is reliable or at least may point to avenues of physical research.” Daring Do handed over her ID and the two Gryphons did as well. The Research Supervisor made some adjustments and inserted the IDs into the Spell Reader. There was a soft chime. She smiled as she handed back the Ids. Daring Do asked, “May we have the assistance of Apprentice Librarian Blendin, please? He and I have worked together in the past and he is excellent at finding materials.” The Research Supervisor simply nodded and spoke to a private line magic net mirror. “Apprentice Librarian Blendin to the Canterlot main doors, please.” Shortly there was a soft chime. Several of the closed stacks simply faded from view. In their place appeared to be stout iron bound oaken doors. That was deceptive. The appearance was a glamor spell concealing two four tonne military armor grade steel doors sealed against being forced open from outside OR inside. Daring Do smiled at them, remembering a time or two that her visits had needed that protection . . . from what was in the Great Library! It was not a place for the faint of heart! She led Grata and Rahak toward the doors. Instead of opening in the usual way, they faded to the appearance of a gossamer mist. They all three passed through. As they entered the Great Library, the doors went solid behind them. Daring Do smiled at Blendin, her half brother and a truly talented Librarian. “Hi, Blendin! We need to find out all that we can of the true origins of the Gryphon race.” Blendin's green furred face twisted comically. “Their legends are easy. Facts? Not so easy.” He paused, thinking deeply. “Perhaps there is something lurking in those legends though.” He turned to what appeared to be a physical card catalog and pulled out drawers. He laid out the drawers in order on a table. As he isolated particular cards, the Gryphons began to grasp just how unusual that card file was. As Blendin chose a card, the materials connected to that card appeared on the study table. Looking up at the small mountain of books and scrolls, Blendin paused and took the end of the table in hoof. He pulled it out several meters. It grew more legs as it stretched out. Blendin began laying out the assorted things. “I would give more credence for accurate descriptions to these,” he said, indicating a sub stack. “They are the oldest. It is interesting to note that, though the authors were absolutely Gryphons, they wrote in the Equestrian of the last days of Fortress Canterlot. Modern written Gryphon is easily traced back to that script.” He sorted out a stack of perhaps fifty items. Daring Do picked up one, stared at the title, and asked, “What did the catalog show you Blendin?” “Dates. The very oldest manuscript there has no date but the author died in 54 PNW. Knowing that this is a huge can of worms, I am going let you sort out what happened.” Innocently, Daring Do said, “We said nothing about it being a can of worms. What makes you so sure that it is?” Blendin pulled a comic face and retorted, “Two Gryphons with Imperial commissions to dig into the origins of their race. You being willing to bring them HERE. The First Race Gryphon's Manifest Destiny Party that is growing in the Empire. Isn't it OBVIOUS?” Rahak said quietly, “I hope not. If the MDP found us out, they would stop at nothing to silence our findings unless we truly find that ours is the Oldest of Races.” Blendin took a few moments to show Grata and Rahak how to best organize their notes for comparing descriptions from multiple sources. Daring Do and the others began to work through the pile of manuscripts of all sorts, taking copious notes. Blendin busied himself with another task. At the other end of the long table a different pile of far more modern books grew. Taking a break to stretch her wings and neck, Grata took a quick look at Blendin's new pile of books. She read a title. “Mutagenic Effects of Randomly Combined Spell Fragments From the Great South Bay Mage Weapon Blast.” Eyes gone wide, she picked another. “Mage Weapon Use In the Final Battle of the Nightmare Wars.” Hearing the titles, Rahak picked another. “Weaponized Weather in the Nightmare Wars. Subtitled, Tactical and Strategic Studies.” Grata had picked up one more. “The Use of Non Equine Magic on the Nightmare War Battlefields.” Rahak found, “Baratted the Goat, a Biography of the Inventor of Non Equine Magic.” Grata, crest going flat in sadness, discovered, “An Encyclopedia of All Intelligent Species of the World and Their Languages,” she read. “It is by De Writer and dated the fiftieth year of Fortress Canterlot.” Daring Do pointed out, “This predates all of the others. Equestria did not yet exist. De Writer's invention of the basic art of writing was still only a few hundred years in the past. Literacy was still fairly rare when this was written.” Rahak, taking the book, leafed through it carefully. His crest showing both interest and puzzlement. “There is no mention of Gryphons at all. He knows of the Zebras and X'ibian dromedaries. He covers merponies, both fresh and salt sea kinds. He even has a part on DEER.” Grata nodded. “That fits all of the rest of what we are finding. The MDP will blow their collective gaskets if we can prove what these things are showing us.” Rahak agreed, “I hope that the proof can be solid enough to be undeniable.” He sat and sort of drooped all over. “I fear that what we may find will not prevent a war at all. We may actually start one.” He sighed, “Proof will not sway religious fanatics. They ALREADY KNOW THE TRUTH.” Blendin spoke briefly and quietly into a private magic net mirror before saying anything to them. “You are taking this better than I feared. I have told the guards to stand down. “You have been granted permission to have copies of any or all of these documents sent to any place of your choosing.” Grata thought for a moment and asked, “Can we have a map of the weather in use when the Mage Weapons were fired at the end of the Nightmare Wars? It could help us to set up our physical expedition. The Library is good but we will need to find solid physical evidence and proofs.” Blendin nodded. “Good thought.” He rummaged in his card drawer, selecting one. The requested map joined the rest of the documents on the table. Rahak suggested, “We will take it all. Put it in our dorm room at the Royal University.” Blendin put his card drawers away in the card catalog and spoke briefly into his mirror again. All of the assorted books and other documents vanished from the table. Blendin pushed it back to its original shorter, four leg version. Blendin stretched and observed, “I am hungry. As so often happens here, time got away from us. I know a place where there are great enchiladas. They will even fix ones with fish and shrimp for you Gryphons. “So, dinner? It won't cost you a bit.” Daring Do brightened immensely and stated, “Free dinner? Enchiladas? I'm in!” Rahak and Grata's crests shot up! “Fish and shrimp? Count us in!” Blendin nodded happily. He called in on his magic net mirror, “Apprentice Librarian Blendin leaving with Daring Do party. Give us Exit V.” The heavy armor steel doors faded away and Blendin led them out into bright tropical sunlight.