As Elanor slowly got up her hood fell. Michail finally got to see the clumsy kid who is afraid to talk to strangers was a dark Elf. Dark elves were extremely rare. A mutation of the skin caused them to be darker than normal elves. They were also called moon elves since they could harness the power of the moon unlike the normal elves. Dark elves usually were considered special by the elves and they were excellent assassins and pathfinders. But the young dark elf Elenor who seemed to be so bad at motor functions was an exception even among the dark elves.
She straightened herself and pulled over the hood over her pointed ears and chirped "Master's potion brewing is not good, he creates many explosions." She slowly started picking up the books and stacked them on top of the table. Muriel and Michail also helped. These hard leather bound books were heavy. As Michail touched the cover of a white leather bound book a cooling sensation spread through his fingers. He gave the book to the frail dark elf.
Elanor straightened up and signalled the caretakers to follow her. The trio followed Elanor to a dainty entrance on the side of the library. The entrance seemed like one that leads to a prison or a dungeon. A scent that assaulted the nose soon wafted from within the room. It was a scent that was filled with an extreme minty odour. Michail could feel the taste of mint from the smell.
"Cover your nose" Elenor squeaked. "The smell is pleasant but will create problems to your brain."
Covering their noses the four reached a large cauldron. As half as large as the room in which it was placed. Multitudes of glass and crystal bottles were shattered on the floor. A green smoke was coming out of the cauldron.
"Hmm, a ninety percent success." A baritone voice that enunciated each syllable confidently declared from behind the cauldron.
"More like a hundred percent failure." Elenors light voice echoed through the room.
"Ah Elenor, your master has finally perfected the art of potion brewing." A man with a handlebar moustache and black hair like a porcupine reached out from behind the cauldron. "Ah, we have guests, I see" he enunciated.
"Bringo clean up this mess and record our information." Said the porcupine head, slowly dabbing the fire of his smouldering hairs.
That's when Michail saw a goblin for the first time. Reddish skin and short stature Bringo had six fingers on each hand. He wore a uniform for initiates similar to Elanor grey in colour with a hood.
"Yes teacher" he replied and got to work.
The smoke and odour was soon taken care of by Bringo while the porcupine head and the trio along with Elanor moved to the library.
"So what brings Deathblade Ritchie and Lightblade Muriel to this old mans floor."
Michail was surprised that the funny looking porcupine head was the hall master of runes they were looking for. He glanced over and took a better look at the man. He wore a poncho with grey and white stripes. There was a red stone embedded on a silver chain around his neck. He was closely shaved. Once he settled the porcupine hairs, he looked like a delicate scholar who was out for a party.
"Hall master Atrius, Deathblade and lightblade are just perfunctory names. We are no longer the same people we were. But more importantly this is Michail Drunn, a promising recruit tested recently. It is because of him we came to you." Ritchie said and turned to Michail. "Michail, this is the hallmaster of runes Atrius Nobelius Winker."
"Just call me teacher Atrius will you." the hallmaster grumbled. "Come hither child let me take a closer look. Elenor, child brew some good tea for us will you."
Michail came towards Atrius while Elenor started brewing tea. Bringo meanwhile has cleaned up the stench and arrived the library and watched the process with interest.
As teacher Atrius grabbed Michails hand and checked his ring Muriel came closer and said "Please allow me hallmaster."
She held Michails hand and chanted "Vultus ostiende". As the string of magic aura washed over the ring, its appearance reverted back.
The eyes of Atrius widened in surprise, so did those of Elenor and Bringo.
Atrius stroked his moustache and said in a heavy tone "Hmm, green auric ring. An unprecedented event in our history since the last act. Three striations in green and one in black, the meaning of which I do not know."
Atrius closed his eyes seemingly deep in thought. After a moment passed he asked "Did you experience anything before or after the awakening process Michail?"
Michail looked towards Muriel and Ritchie. They nodded implying he should answer.
"I saw a dream. A woman in green bound in a dark tree with vines around her. She said something to me that I cannot remember. The vines tried to harm me in the dream but I woke up before they did. The woman in green came to my dream again and this happened" he raised his shirt to show the small green mark in his chest.
Atrius closed his eyes again and stroked his moustache. "It seems like some entity has marked you, which should be the black striation in your ring. Judging from your dream, the entity is hostile. The woman in green may be an ally or an enemy which we don't know. But the mark in your chest seems to be an old masking spell of a higher order."
The surprised look on the faces of the group could be seen, while Atrius continued. "From the dream we can conclude that both the woman and tree are antagonistic. The tree wants to find you while the woman wants to prevent it. You are a pawn in the midst of two creatures about which we have no knowledge of."