"Here. This is all there is on the Relational History between the Earth and the Planes of the Abyss." Eli said, as it placed the last set of books in front of him.
Richard chuckled nervously when he stared at the rather tall pile in front of him.
"That's quite... a lot."
Eli shook its head, "Not at all. This is all there is in this section. If we head over to the next, I am sure I will be able to get you more."
Richard shook his head and waved his hand,
"Nevermind this much is more than enough."
Eli bowed,
"Then I will be on standby. If you need anything, just call for me." The Djinn said.
Richard nodded, "Alright."
The Djinn remained floating in place, staring at him with its huge eyes.
Richard chuckled the sighed.
He turned to face the tower of books in front of him.
Then he picked the first one.
Its cover was made of a black leather. On it was engraved the sigil of the Circle of Magi.
He turned it over.
On the first page read;
"Condemnation: On the Link Between Earth and Eternal Damnation."
Richard's expression soured.
'That doesn't sound pleasant at all.'
He quickly flipped through the pages.
A grimace slowly manifested into his features.
'This is...'
The book's main topic of interest, was on the nature of the connecting passages between Earth and the Abyssal Planes.
In other words, it was a study on the nature of the veil.
However, the way its lines were worded was rather... jarring to say the least.
A terrible aura of doom and gloom was basically oozing off the pages.
"Whoever wrote this certainly was dealing with a bunch of issues at the time."
He sighed and closed the book.
This wasn't what he was after.
He opened another tome;
"The Symbolism of Ancient Magic and its Abyssal Origins."
This book was centered around how the nature of the older forms of magic was similar totje magic of the Abyssal creatures.
However, that was not all. Mixed in with all that was a litany of rather strange beliefs and religion emphasis.
Richard grimaced again.
He quickly closed the tome.
"This isn't what I want either." He muttered with a frown as he pushed it over to the side.
He continued flipping through more and more books. However, each time, he was disappointed.
He could practically smell how eccentric the writers of these books were.
The books contained rather useful information, but this useful knowledge was always mixed in with hubris.
He sighed.
Then he turned around.
"Is there anything you need, Master Bane."
Richard nodded,
"I need you to get something rather specific for me. All historical information on the existence of the Earth before the Abyssal Planes were discovered."
Eli paused for a moment, as though digesting his words.
"That might be a bit difficult..."
Richard raised a brow,
"What do you mean?"
Eli blinked and stared hard at him,
"Well, you see... Doing that means I will have to dig up one of the First Accounts. I would need authorized permission before I can do that, Master Bane."
Richard was surprised,
"Is it that special?"
Eli shook its head,
"Not as special as it is dangerous."
Richard frowned, "Dangerous?"
The several warnings flitted across his mind.
The Djinn nodded,
"The First Accounts are a collection of several firsthand witnesses that witnessed the Fall."
"The Fall... You mean the arrival of the first Abyssal creatures, right? An event that plunged all of the earth into a period of death, plague and darkness."
Eli nodded,
"Not many survived it, and there were even few that were sane enough to pen down what they saw and lived through. Those who read their accounts bear the risk of madness, having their souls ground to nothing from the insanity."
Richard frowned, "I see."
"There are translations that have been scanned and interpreted. Those should be safe, but then again, it still has an element of risk."
Richard fell silent.
He was curious.
But not that curious.
Still...
He paused for a moment.
'Perhaps just a look won't hurt.'
"Can you get me a translation?"
Eli nodded,
"Please wait a moment."
The Djinn began muttering in a soft voice, so soft, Richard couldn't hear a single word.
After a minute passed, the Djinn glanced down at him,
"The permission has been granted."
Then it turned around and flew right to the huge shelves.
It pulled two scrolls out of a hidden corner then floated back.
"This is the First Account of Set. It was translated a few hundred years by a prominent human sorcerer, but he killed himself a year after completing the translation. The rumor he scratched his own eyes right into his brain and died of the internal bleeding and brain damage."
Richard shivered,
"That is scary."
Eli paused for a moment,
"Although it is a translation, there have been numerous incidents surrounding it since then, although none of them were as bad as what happened to the original translator. Master Bane, I don't think you should—"
Richard chuckled and waved his hand,
"Don't worry. I will be fine."
Eli frowned and waved its hands frantically,
"No, I'm telling you. Something will definitely happen to you."
Richard chuckled confidently,
"Nothing will happen. I am quite confident."
He was not confident.
Not in the slightest bit.
However, his curiosity was eating at him.
If this so called First Account had what he was looking for, then it was worth the risk too.
The information he sought after at the moment was one that could begin to answer a lot of the questions that had been plaguing him for a minute now.
What exactly were the Abyssal Planes? What was its true relationship with the Earth, and how were the residents of both realities connected to one another.
It was too much of a coincidence that the denizens of the Abyss craved and lusted over the damnation of humanity.
It was strange.
It was suspicious.
Perhaps it would even get him to the root of his greatest question yet,
"What is Magic?"
Everyone has several different theories and such for this question. He also had one, but because of its nature, all theories pertaining to magic were right and wrong at the same time.
It was a complex paradox, one created by the neverending reality-warping character of magic.
But then again, there has to be an origin.
A root and source. Where magic began...
The source of mana, and why Demon and Devils could grow these Origin Essence Cores in their bodies.
He had a feeling all these questions were connected by a faint string. One that would begin to unravel the moment he pulled on it.
He pulled the scroll open.
The yellowing papyrus parted to reveal the secrets scribbled within.
***
"It came in the twilight, on the fifth day of Ark'rah, six hundred days after the Deluge. As I tended to the sheep, it came."
"The world was torn open, and the grace of God departed from the lands."
"The children wept, and the valleys caved in."
"The sky opened, and I saw from it, the face of one of them. It pushed its claws into the sky, and with a loud cry, it proclaimed its name..."
"Its name, profane and profound, that would cause the men, their wives, and their children, go bow a knee and worship him."
"But I, and the people of my house knew it for what it was."
"It taught the people of the lands a great craft. Their spears became sharper, and their medicine more effective."
"And in return, it asked for a sacrifice on the fifth day of Ark'rah, forever and ever until the Sun died away and all the rivers and seas dried up."
"In exchange for its wisdom and power, each family would offer up the souls of a son and a daughter, every year on that day."
"The lands were drowned in blood for a time. Although they prospered, going on to conquer many nations, the people of the land fell into a deep darkness."
"And so, unable to bear it, I decided to dine with the creature."
"It offered me wine, and gave me bread to eat."
"And we conversed all night long."
"It was that night I lifted my eyes into the heavens and learned of its secrets."
"It said to me; I drink the blood of your young, and eat their flesh, because it has a wonderful flavor and aroma. In the lands I hail from, the land is scourged, and the sky drips and seethes with blackness. It has been like that from the very beginning, when the stars first blossomed in the heavens, and when the Godtree had not consumed itself."
"It spoke to me of more distant worlds, and gave me its teachings. And from these, I learned the meaning of evil and perceived the origins of wickedness "
"This creature. This being worshipped as a god."
"It was no god. It was a vile Demon."
"And its name was..."