The Montgomery Literary Center was the home of artistic preservation in Baroque City. Over 10,000 works of poetry books, journals, philosophical essays, and multimedia materials.
It was a favorite of mine, this library. Here I could avoid the judgement of others and engage in meaningful discourse.
Ah, that reminds me. There was once a man I would talk to here frequently, an old man, and a kindred spirit. We'd talk for hours on end, endlessly dissecting the great writers of the past.
He was a fan of Thomas Mann, the rigorous, almost mechanical prose of Mann resonating with his German upbringing.
I, on the other hand, took a great interest in Nietzsche, Goethe, and Hesse. Their emotional paraxysms spoke to me in a manner befitting a young, senseless, hopeless man.
If I could relive that moment, I'm sure I'd cherish it with all my heart.
But that's a story for another time. Romantic notions like that are best kept in my human past. Once I loved something, it was almost impossible for me to let go. It was a pointless connection, a useless connection.
Then is then and now is now. I am no longer the one who sat in that library. I am an Aberration, a possibility of 'Cassius.'
Today, I embark on the hunt for the White Crow.
———
Aussie and I approached the literary center.
"Yikes…what the hell kind of presence is that?"
The place I once called a second home emitted a sickening aura. It reeked of rotten ink and moldy wood.
"That is the first Aberration you will be fighting."
Her usage of second person pronouns scared me a bit, but I steeled my resolve for the coming battle. I can't expect Aussie to baby me all the time.
"Cassius, just a moment."
"Hm?"
She grabbed me by the sleeve, urging me to stay for just one more moment.
"Remember, this is a Sub-Aberration of the White Crow. His strength is leagues above nameless Aberrations you've faught thus far. There is no guarantee that you'll win, but you must win."
I gave her a gentle smile. "Yeah, I know that. If I chicken out now then I'd never be able to face you again."
"…" Aussie met my words with silence and averted eyes.
"Sorry, was that a bit much?" I asked, slightly embarassed by my pompus speech.
"No, it's nothing like that. I just thought it was a cool."
Cool…? Me? Did a girl really just call me that? I know its a bit immature of me to think this, but hearing her words of encouragement filled me with determination.
I entered the building and made my way to the source of the menacing aura. With each step taken, it's enormity increased. It was as though I was climbing Mt. Everest without any formal training.
Does it sense me? Can I sense it? Where is it located? Was stealth the optimal move here, or should I press the attack and overwhelm them?
My mind spiraled into an endless seris of speculation and planning. My fighting experience was almost non-existent, so I couldn't go about this recklessly.
I crept up the staircase to the second floor, my eyes scanning the area for oncoming threats. Being this close to a strong Aberration can warp the landscape itself.
The moment I stepped into this library, a target was put on my neck.
"Hello, visitor." An elderly voice emanated from the left end of the hallway, beckoning me from the reserved study room.
Damn…they found me! It was only a matter of time, but I didn't expect it to happen to quickly. Should I stay put and lure them out? No! I'll die if I don't take the initiative!
Assuming my prior theory was true, this library had no blindspots.
Abandoning any notion of stealth, I got up from before the stair barrier and approach the voice, my hand transformed into a crow's claw.
My powers had steadily been growing strong since I entered the literary center. Perhaps it was due to the influence of another being connected to the White Crow.
It wasn't much, but I needed all the help I could get. The moment I get in range, I'll strike at his heart.
Fifteen…thirteen…ten…five…
The distance between as shrunk gradually shrunk.
My heart was racing. My palms were sweaty. I knew this would be danger, but even approaching the Aberration was wearing down on my nerves!
Cmon cmon cmon! Come out already! Show your face!
I was now one foot away from the Aberration's origin. Behind this door was my enemy. Behind this door was death.
Now wasn't the time to cower in fear. Now was the chance to prove my worth!
"HAAAAAA!"
I lifted my left knee to my chest, stabilized my balance, and kicked the door open with all the might I could muster.
The door went flying off it's hinge; to be expected of an Aberration's strength.
Still, it's a bit jarring to see me, a high school boy who has never worked out in his lift, kicing a door apart.
At the center of the room was a pudgy old man with a thick mustache and glasses that gave off an aristocratic air. If it weren't for mechanical nature of his body, I would have believed him to be the old man of my cherished memories.
"How rude." The old man put down the tea cup in his right hand and closed an open book in his left. He was reading Faustus.
"Germans are a noble folk. Their rigor in all areas of intellect, be it literature or philosophy, entices me. Say, what do you think of the thinkers of the 19th century?"
A nonsensical conversation meant to stall for time. When dealing with Aberrations, its best not to engage with them, especially not in their own domains!
I closed the distance between the Aberration and myself in an instant, unleashing a piercing thrust aimed directly at the creature's heart.
"…Oh?"
"Damn!"
Out of thin air, dozens of books manifested in the form of a great shield, blocking my attack entirely.
It appears that not everyone is as well versed in proper etiquette. To kick open a door and threaten an old man…how proposterous! You have commited a crime, therefore, you must be reprimanded."
"…!"
What just happened? My position…I'm back outside the reservation room, and the door has been repaired!
No, this isn't something as sloppy as repairment. It's something closer to a "reset."
"Now try again, boy. This time, with a bit more class."
I opened the door, bowed, and closed the door behind me. It was only common knowledge to never let the door slam behind you.
Wait, why did I obey him just now? I didn't even think to fight back!
Whether this was a form of hypnosis or reality warping didn't matter. I needed to close the gap and finish this quickly.
I'll pretend to be cordial and strike when the time is right.
"That was better, now take a seat."
"Yes…"
Honestly, his appearance was throwing me off. He looked too much like him, the old man I once knew. I'm not sure if I can muster up the will to fight.
"You are here to kill me, yes? I can tell from your terrible bloodlust."
"Yea, I am. No point in lying about it."
"I see. Interesting. You are quite the young Aberration, you, yet you do not need to be very experienced in this world. Are you a recent visitor?"
"Visitor?"
"I'm asking if you're human."
"I…"
How should I respond to that question?"
Before I could reply to the loaded question, the old man grinned a hideous grin.
"Silence is an answer in itself," he said calmly. "An answer laced with uncertainty."
I had already fallen into his trap.
"You hesitated, therefore, your defeat is assured."
"…!"
A sudden concussive force broke through my guard. My body flew through the library walls like a wrecking ball, before crashing into the second floor water fountain.
The marble basin shattered beneath my back, cold water soaking though my clothes as I coughed violently.
"…Kh!"
Books — that was the first thing I noticed when my vision steadied.
Pages drifted through the air, quietly turning on their own. Titles rearranged themselves mid-spine. Languages, be it western or eastern, mixed in matched in a nonsensical manner.
It's safe to say that the library itself is his domain, and I'm the one dancing in his palm.
Footsteps echoed from above. Slow, measured footsteps.
"Are you done?" The old man said, standing along the upper balcony with a hand resting on the railing. "To think you would fall for something so elementary, it is quite embarassing.
I forced myself up, wiping the water from my face.
"You talk too much." I said with rancor. "Lets just get this over with."
The old man, utterly unimpressed as he was, opened a book. His index finger flipped through the pages with dizzying speed, until stopping half way through the book.
"It is customary for us Aberrations to introduce ourselves before combat, so allow me the honors; I am the Language Aberration: Nonsense Literature."
I met him with an introduction in kind. This would be the last courtesy I'd give him.
"I'm Cassius, whatever that means now."