Sed Eriugena

You wait until all the goodbyes are over, until everyone who needed to leave has left, to try again. Your hands shake as you hold onto Brother Johannes’ note. Tightly. As if for dear life. Your voice is thin as a string, a pathetic whisper as it forms the word: “Help…”

You wait.

And wait.

And wait.

And then:

To my dearest Sed…

A sob erupts from your lips. You can’t believe this is happening. That it wasn’t a dream.

With tears streaming down your face, you scavenge your surroundings desperately for anything readable: Tome scraps, inscriptions, that copy of his book Al-Dimashqi gave you. Every time, your hands tremble as you utter “help.” And every time, after a few moments, it works.

Sed, are you alright? The voice in your head is familiar, that of a friend. You have been crying for a long time now. What ails you?

“Nothing!” You say, launching yourself at Sires Plants’ open leaves and hugging them. “Nothing ails me and nothing will now nor forever!”

But… your tears…

You laugh. “They are happy tears, Sires Plant! And tears of gratitude, for you have given me everything… Thank you! My Lord, how will I ever be able to thank you enough?”

For a moment, it seems like no answer will come from Sires Plant. Then, slowly, you feel their leaves curling up around you. Cocooning you. Returning your hug.

My dear Sed, you already have. Your friendship is more valuable than any treasure. In fact, how will I ever thank you enough?

“Sires Plant…” You begin, but you are too choked up to continue. So instead, you just hug them back. Wordlessly. Your new forever has just begun.

---

Greetings, Tome! You will probably be the first of many Tomes I use my texttospeech enchantment on. Each one will be dedicated to my adventures serving Sires Plant to my utmost! Sires Plant advises I catalog all the wondrous plants we meet along our journey through various Library Incarnations. I hope we can learn much from each of them.

Library Incarnation: Library of Alexandria, Environment: Overgrown wastelands with temperate(?) semi-tropical forest

Sires Plant can't really move once they're rooted in a particular Incarnation so I help them by being their legs. And they help me by being my mentor–and my friend!

Today, I went foraging in the surrounding forest. The Guardians said it is a part of this Library, even though sometimes a Library contains nothing of the outside world at all.

I didn't know what to expect because I still don't know much beyond the flowers contained in Brother Johannes' garden and the plants from far, far away which he tried to keep where it was very hot and very wet.

Lots of grass. Lots of trees. Some mushrooms? If Gretch was still here, I would give them to him. But maybe Pascale would enjoy them instead?

By some of the strange metal skeletons, I found some weird green plants with tiny teeth and pink… mouths? I tried poking one gently and it snapped shut!

I could sense it didn't like that. That I forced it to react that way. I crouched down and watched the strange tiny teeth plants for a time. Flies and bees buzzed close, seeming to investigate the plants.

A wasp dipped inside the pink maw of one and, suddenly, it closed itself around the insect, only the head sticking out. I couldn't believe it – did this plant eat other creatures? Didn't Sires Plant attract bugs to eat as well? Or at least, they did before they were a Guardian.

I feel a bit bad for the wasp, but I'm glad the plant gets to eat something for supper. Now I understand why it was disgruntled when it closed around nothing earlier…

Library Incarnation: Library of Ice & Snow, Environment: VERY cold, lots of white and grey

Did you know there is a place at the end of the world called ANTARCTICA?!? It is at the southmost 'pole', Wick told me, and it is one of the coldest, most inhospitable climates in the world. Wick seems quite excited to be travelling with the Library because it so often ends up not only at a new place, but at a new time as well. Perhaps it reminds him of his brother's sailing adventures?

But speaking of inhospitable… I despaired to Sires Plant when I looked out the windows of the research facility this Library takes the shape of. How could there be plant life here? There are animals - we have seen a few braving the cold winds outside, and the Guests brought in a couple of 'penguins', which Pascale tried to capture for some reason. Indeed, I have never seen her look so gleeful. But still, no plants…

Sires Plant reassured me, however, that plants are almighty organisms and can find an 'ecological niche' in the harshest of environments. And guess what? They were right!

After completing my routine inspection of the Hub World as per my promise to Tegan (Current Status: Thoroughly entertained by Crocbot), I scoured the Library, and eventually found some stray Orb-Orbs who had made their way to the Scrolls Division. There, the walls and floor were absolutely COVERED with a thick, green blanket of moss. These Orbs were wild, not like William's or Al-Dimashqi's, but seemed entranced by the moss which crowds the window where light streams in.

Apparently, the researcher-type Guests of this Library also find the moss positively fascinating! I found a book on Antarctic moss in one of their rooms and learned about how the moss can protect itself against too much sun while also soaking in as much as it can. It does this thanks to something called 'UV-B blocking chemicals'.

I wonder if this will be one of the discoveries made in this Library? But either way, I find this moss as wondrous as Pascale finds her strangely clumsy penguins.

Library Incarnation: Australian Outback, Environment: Dry & arid, filled with spiky plants and muscular(?) animals

I'm very glad this Library does not extend far outside the cooling, clay walls of the compound we have found ourselves in. Just as Antarctica was the coldest place I have ever been, this 'AUSTRALIA' is one of the hottest. I don't think Pascale, Wick, or Alexander have ever experienced this environment either. We have all been wandering the corridors, panting and stripping off layer after layer.

Pascale is only wearing a bodice and a loose gauzy skirt instead of her usual bulky dress. When I asked her about it, she gave me a sour look and said not even a court lady is above keeping herself from drowning in sweat. I only nodded sympathetically. Wick and Alexander had long since stripped to just their trousers.

I've gotten into the habit of finding all the books, scrolls, parchments, tapestries and more about the place we have arrived at BEFORE going off on a survey of the local fauna. Sires Plant seems to appreciate this foresight and initiative.

I think they just don't wish me to put myself into danger. That is kind of them. But I am happy to use my own strength to benefit Sires Plant and the rest of the Library's inhabitants!

This dry land has plenty of flora and fauna. Within a courtyard of the Library there are large trees called 'acacia' and 'eucalyptus'. The smell of the eucalyptus is particularly nice, though it makes me and the fizzy, bear-faced creatures resting in them so, so sleepy.

My favourite plant so far is so very striking. It has crimson red petals with a black bulb at the centre, and they spread out in the Foyer of the Library and beyond. I think the Guests of this area cultivate them for food, as I have seen women and children planting seeds after nicking them with a fingernail or blade. Baskets of kidney-shaped seeds are sometimes left by the rows of red.

Wick encouraged me to take a few legumes for samples, so that I could grow a botanical collection to further the knowledge of the Library. Pascale agreed this would be a good idea. I'm not sure Alexander would think the same, but… I think a few seeds would be helpful.

I'll make sure to leave some of the moss clumps I found in exchange!