"Dear Lady Elise de Bellefeuille:
I am terribly sorry for any inconvenience that this may have caused you, but I assure you that the confiscation and examination of your sword was a necessary precaution, in light of recent troubles Rephidim has had with artifacts of a possibly magical nature. However, I am quite happy to tell you that tests on your weapon – tests made with all possible expedience, I might add, so as not to inconvenience you further – have revealed no taint of magic whatsoever on this fine weapon. Although we cannot explain the events reported as occurring in that alley, our present working theory is that these Kavi cultists were involved in some sort of black magic. Perhaps a side effect of these dark magicks was that their deaths would be in such dramatic and grisly fashion. So far, we have been able to discount the theory that these Kavi may have in fact been undead abominations. But I assure you that we will keep at our studies, to come to an answer to this puzzle. In the meantime, I am sending back your sword, with all due apologies from the College Esoterica of Rephidim for any trouble this may have caused you… "
"Oh, the Sword of the First Ones? Yes, yes, actually, I know where you can find it. Yes, where you can find it. Please follow me, won't you, dearie?" The old saluki librarian shuffles past rows of books on history and artifacts and other such lofty topics, until she leads Elise back to … a section of books classified as "Romance". "Here it is … " The librarian slides a step-stool over, and climbs up, reaching for an old book. When she pulls it down, the spine can be seen to read "The Sword of the First Ones" in a floral Gallisian script.
Some study of the book in a private corner of the library reveals it to be a fairly complex and convoluted book as romances go, with enough love triangles to make a pyramid. The basic story centers around a young lady poodle cadet (strikingly beautiful, of course … just like every other character in this story, even the men) who finds herself drawn into the intrigue surrounding an elite circle of cadets at a Gallisian military academy. The members of this circle frequently engage in duels, where victory is determined by whomever can cut the head off of a flower tucked within the opponent's breast pocket or lapel.
The prize passed back and forth is a blade known as the Sword of the First Ones, an ancient artifact with some vague and grand destiny, the holder of which will have the power to change the world. There is also a mysterious, exotic girl, a freshman at the academy, who acts as the "Servant of the Sword", serving whomever is the bearer of this blade, hand and foot … though it's not quite apparent just how she attained this dubious honor.
The heroine ends up dueling one of the cadets in this circle when she sees this cadet abusing the girl, and faces off against him. Despite his being a demonstrably better swordsman, somehow she inexplicably is the victor, and wins the sword … and the service of the Servant of the Sword. She also gets to stay at a luxurious dormitory, apparently the only resident there save for her new "roommate", who keeps the whole place spotless clean. From then on, there are countless challenges and exchanges, as the heroine learns more about the convoluted, mystical mystery surrounding this whole affair, involving a handsome ghost prince who is one of the First Ones, among other things.
The story gets harder to follow as it progresses, being heavy on angst and emotion, and strange poetic imagery, rather than any sort of narrative that might tell a reader clearly what is going on. In the end, the heroine ends up dying while trying to save her friend, failing the ultimate test of the First Ones. The Gallisians are big on tragedies and melodrama.
The book itself was written well over a century ago, and its condition compared to books of similar age suggests that it hasn't seen much use since being donated to the library.
"Sanguine Hall?" repeats the old mutt groundskeeper. "Well, that's been left and almost forgotten for about forty years now. Seems there was a 'sparring match' held in there between a couple of young girls … using real bladed swords. One speared the other right through the heart. Tragic, it was. Even more tragic, the one that died was of the Sanguine family herself. Last of her line. Anyway, it was ruled an accident, but the other girl ended up dying of some illness before she could graduate … and then other students in the dormitory started dying off, too. They pulled in some mages from the College, but they couldn't figure it out. In the end, they just sealed it off and move the students elsewhere. It still stands, you know … but don't go poking around in there. It's trouble."
Much later, a book of heraldry lies open before Elise, as she compares the design-work of the wrought hand-guard of her newly acquired sword with the patterns she sees in this book. At last, she finds an unmistakable match: The sword's markings match the heraldry of House Shanar.
Also lying on the library desk are some of Elise's other trophies from her research. There is a snippet about a tragic duel in Sanguine Hall, involving a student by the name of Kasandra von Shanar … a husky. There's also a record of another student with a familiar last name enrolled at the same time, forty years ago – Gerrier do Nell, a Doberman upperclassman. There is record of his enrollment, of his various achievements … but nothing about his graduation. Woodcut illustrations – portraits of students – also show something else that Elise has done some research into: the style of uniform worn by Sabel matches the style that was in vogue about forty years ago.
"It's so nice of you to drop by, Lady Bellefeuille," chatters the husky matron. "I've heard of you from my daughter – and also about that terrible accident. Tsk. And then those wretched Kavis on top of that! Oh yes, and that incident at the College. My, my, but the First Ones seem intent on putting you through the fire, now don't they? But, as they say, fire tempers steel! … "
"… Pardon me, you said … Sanguine Hall?" The husky's ears pale a bit. "Well, yes, there was a terrible accident many years ago. Kasandra was my aunt … though, alas, I never knew her. She passed away from some terrible sickness before she ever graduated, let alone settling down and having pups. A … a duel? Oh, no, duels are forbidden at the Academy. Why, if it had been a duel, then Kasandra should have been kicked out, and that would have been a terrible mark on my family's name. A terrible mark, you do understand. … Why, yes, it is lovely weather we've been having lately… "
In the library, on yet another late night of searching through forgotten tomes, Elise manages to find an old registration list. She finds the name that she has been looking for: Sabel de Sanguine, a collie Gallee … registered as being at the Academy about forty years ago … and no mention of her name otherwise appearing in any other records that Elise has gone through.
In a dark and dingy Temple office, lit by a flickering light-panel set in the ceiling, and supplemented by an oil lantern that threatens to gutter out and die any moment now, a bored-looking Eeee smacks on some fruity-smelling gum. "I'm sorry, but those records are not publicly available," she says in a raspy voice. "The nobility are very touchy about privacy in such matters as lands and other property … passing … hands … " She pauses in her monologue as a small packet bulging with coins is slid across a rare bare spot on the desktop. The bat peeks inside the packet, counts to herself for a moment, then sets it down, smiling faintly. "… but, oh, you are nobility yourself, so you've probably got a good reason for it. Here … let me check … " The bat rummages through some folders on her desk, then reluctantly gets up to check the other drawers lining the walls of her office. "Sanctus, Sanders, Sanford … ah, Sanguine. Ah … well, here we go. Looks like it passed hands a few times … but the old grounds are currently owned by the Von Shanar family. Oh … Yes, glad I could help. Good day, citizen."
Back in a secluded part of the library, Elise carefully pens the second of two letters, each of them carrying much the same message, but addressed to two different cadets … Cadet von Shanar, and Cadet do Nell. " … Please meet me at House Sanguine, alone. … "
