Unquestioned Answers

Loren not afraid to use every trick in the book Once upon a long time ago, when they’d first come to Caido, Loren had been fascinated by the place they’d called the Atheneum. Although it was half crumbled, it had contained books and scrolls he’d never seen before. Despite his fear at being in an unknown land—and despite all the other issues in his life—he’d been excited at the prospect of learning new things. Indeed, he’d even declared himself the manager of the place, intending to restore it to its former glory. Then his life had fallen apart worse than the Atheneum itself, and he’d gone away for a long, long time. But he was back, now, and doing his best to restore what he could of his former life. Granted, some parts of it he was glad were gone—like the monsters and the dome—but some parts hurt more than he could say, like his dwindled, dead, and disappeared family, whom he’d been unable to reconcile with before he did his best ghost impression. Regardless of all that, Loren knew, now that he was back—and now that he potentially had to fend for someone other than himself—that he had to find an actual job. That was easier said than done. Books (and maybe, towards the end, magic) had been all he’d been good at. But he likely had missed his chance to manage the Atheneum. Maybe they still needed a librarian though; he clung to that faint hope as he picked his way through the streets of the Hollowed Grounds. He was shocked, although maybe he shouldn’t be, at how much had improved in the year he’d been gone. Instead of rubble everywhere, there were actual buildings here and there. Granted, they were rough looking—and presumably had been thrown together in a hurry—but they were serviceable enough. Eventually he arrived at the Atheneum, which also looked like it had been repaired slightly. Loren was glad, though it hurt that he wasn’t around for it. Still, he squared his shoulders and walked in, hoping to find someone to talk to. Once inside, he was pleased to see some semblance of order. Unfortunately, he didn’t immediately spot anyone to talk to. He frowned, but wandered further in, taking a moment to appreciate the shelves. While it was worrisome that a librarian hadn’t greeted him—though presumably they’d just taken a break, since someone clearly took care of this place—it was also encouraging. Maybe he could be of use here after all. It would be nice to actually contribute something concrete for once, instead of destroying everything he touched. Eventually, he gave in to the temptation of the books on display. Wandering over, he peered eagerly at the titles. They were unfamiliar, and for the first time in a long time, Loren actually felt excited. This, at least, had not changed, and he could still find some comfort in books. He reached up to take down a particularly intriguing volume (Creatures of Truth and Myth), engrossed in the possibilities on display. So he wasn’t really paying attention to his surroundings. Amalia