# Words: Prologue

Author: The Roseblack Dragon
Tags: Adventure, Character Development, Dragoness, Plot Development, Various Species

#1 of Words

Words  
Prologue  
  
  
Author's note: this one's a bit different take on my usual stuff, with a bit more fantasy to it. I  
got the idea from playing 'Myst', really... Books that can take the person to another world,  
literally. It was really appealing to me, so I set this story to focus on it. There's nothing yiffy  
in this first chapter, but there will be... Oh, there will be... ^\_~ Just gotta be patient.  
  
  
  
here goes nothing:  
  
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The rain came down heavily over the city, soaking the steel and stone edifices  
thoroughly with the deluge. Nobody walked through the rain-coated streets. Everyone was  
running or walking as fast as they could, holding umbrellas and other rain-deflecting devices  
up against the downpour. Even the few aquatic anthromorphs steered through the rain  
quickly, the heavy impact of the massive water droplets anything but comforting. The city  
was suffering under the fourth day of constant rain, but the current day was by and far the  
worst. The rain was so heavy that sight was impossible at a distance of ten feet. Humans and  
Anthros alike were miserable, an intense melancholy brought on by the lack of sunlight.  
Along the street, clad in a thick forest green raincloak, a lone figure walked leisurely through  
the angry downpour, as if baring its defiance of the elements. The figure was tall, just over  
seven feet in height, with broad shoulders and fluid movements, a long leather swath of  
pearlescent Tail dragging along behind from underneath the raincloak.  
  

  Several stopped to stare at the cloaked individual, moving clear of its path out of  
deference. On the right breast of the cloak was the badge of The Office of Authors...  
  
  
Over the Millennia, Technology had advanced at an amazing pace. Superconductors has been  
formalized and made commonplace by the end of the 24th century. Humanity had colonized  
the entire Sol System a century later, and only a century after that genetic enhancement and  
manipulation had become widespread. The last advancement led to the creation of  
Anthromorphs, people with a great deal of animal traits. Although some saw them as animals  
with a great deal of human traits. Over the years the 'anthros' as they were nicknamed,  
became widely accepted, and even commonplace, with types ranging from the mundane, to  
the fantastic.  
  
With the advancements of technology, other advancements were made as well.  
The most notable was the formation of The Offices. Seven in all, The Offices became the  
foundations of the key points of life. The Office of Society replaced the antiquated 'Space  
Guild', which had been the lawmaking body for the entire system. The Office of Relics was  
formed shortly after, and it was charged with categorizing all the ruins and artifacts of  
previous eras, seeing what was useable, and what needed to simply be remembered. By this  
time, humans and anthros alike were starting to show various talents. This led to three more  
offices being created. The Office of Stars was charged with guiding the more massive  
starcruisers on their long distance voyages into far reaching planetary systems. Guided by a  
member of the Office who was skilled in 'reading' the ether of space, much like one  
would 'read' the winds in ancient times when mankind could only sail the seas, the ships  
would be able to travel safely.  
  

  The Office of Unusual Insight came to be after that, With its members travelling  
the planes of consciousness, it was the subject of much scrutiny and controversy. Even  
though the Office had put down many internal conflicts with its sheer presence; it was still  
looked down on as being secretive and self-serving. The Office of Self was on the other side  
of the coin from The Office of Unusual Insight. The Office of Self was directly concerned with  
the well being of every creature under humanity's wing. Through training and structured  
living, members of The Office of Self were able to manipulate the energies of life, healing  
others, and helping to ease the suffering of the infirmed.  
  
While The Office of Authors was the last Office formed, it was by and far the most  
renowned. Members of the Office, or simply 'Authors', were skilled in the writing of books.  
This was not to say that just any writer could become an 'Author'. The books the Authors  
wrote were written in such exacting detail, that once the book they had written was finished,  
it was possible to Travel to the location described in the book. As such, within a short amount  
of time that the ability to Traverse was discovered, the Office of Authors became  
indispensable. To combat the needs for food, Books were written describing lush worlds  
covered in naturally occurring grains and sustenance. Natural resources were handled in a  
similar fashion, with Books made about worlds of rich steel deposits.  
  

  Over the times, The art of Authoring became mostly lost however, as the Books  
that had been written were well, known, and well used; Most serving as natural preserves, or  
resource areas. Authors were steadily growing more and more rare, and to see someone  
wearing the badge of that Office was rarer still.  
  
Thusly, people made way for the imposing figure that calmly turned and waked  
into a tiny bookstore on the corner of 15th and Market Street...  
  
  
  
"You still wear that absurd cloak?" the not so young man behind the counter  
asked, his graying beard and moustache shifting with his grin.  
  
The cloaked figure pulled the hood back, Her finely shaped reptilian features  
dimly lit by the candle lamps of the antique store, "Yes, I do... and until you close up shop, I'll  
keep wearing it."  
  
"Aaach, I'll never understand you authors... Especially you, Rosie," the older man  
grumbled, smiling, "Yer the only Author I've yet to see waste away under her pen."  
  
The Dragoness smiled, "That's because I don't sit in a locked room, Writing." She  
pulled the cloak open, her clothing underneath fairly simple, yet wholly archaic. An ankle  
length cotton skirt covered her legs, with her top covered by a gray tunic, the back of which  
was opened to allow her wings room to move. Her wings, while functional, hardly looked the  
part, as there was no skin stretched between the long 'fingers' that formed the frame of the  
flying appendages. She held in her hands a cloth wrapped item. "I brought you something..."  
  

  The older man's eyes lit up, "Ah? Some Ancient text, I assume?? An appraisal?"  
  
"A present," she said curtly, smiling brightly, "from me to the man who should  
have been my father..."  
  
The elderly human's eyes grew soft, "I... I see..." He took the cloth bundle and  
opened it, a thick, leather and platinum bound book was what he found. "This... this isn't what  
I think it is, is it?"  
  
The dragoness smiled, "That depends on what you think it is..."  
  
The human opened the book, reading the first few passages, "My god... I didn't  
think these were made anymore... Did you do this?"  
  
She smiled, "Well, I AM an Author. It makes sense that I can Write."  
  
"Still, is it... real?"  
  
She sighed and flipped to the middle of the book, where the right page was blank,  
but the Left page had a picture in it... a picture that looked so real, it could have been a  
photo, or a window within the book. "Looks real to me, Ian... Wanna try it?"  
  
"What about my shop?"  
  
She nodded, "Lock up early..."  
  
The older man sighed and got to his feet, The ancient knee-brace creaking with  
the motion as he hobbled to the front door of the musty old shop and locked it. The  
Dragoness watched him and sighed, "When are you going to get that knee adjusted?"  
  

  "I don't trust those nanos, Rosie, you know that."  
  
'Rosie' sighed and shrugged, "yeah, I know... So, ready to go?"  
  
The older man nodded and led her to a back room, cradling the book in his hands  
as if it were a living thing. "You've got the Return Book, right?"  
  
She nodded, "Of course. I'll have to stay a day or two to Write it, but I've already  
got one there that leads to my study. We'll use that one for now, so don't forget your keys to  
get back in."  
  
The older man sighed and pockets the heavy keys for the door, "Anything else?"  
  
She smiled, "Be ready to take that jacket off, It's a nice spring day there."  
  
He nodded and watched as the pearl white Dragoness placed the open book on  
the table and pressed her hand to the picture on the page. She gave a wink to him as she  
vanished from sight in a faint sparkle of light. The Bookkeeper was old, and he'd seen his fair  
share of people Traversing, but he'd yet to experience it first hand. With a bit of uncertainty,  
his fingers touched the page with the window on it and he lightly pressed his palm to the  
frame. The world spun around him as he felt his feet leave the ground and the picture on the  
page surround him. A rush of fresh air assaulted his senses and he blinked on reflex, finding  
his unsteadied feet on solid ground.  
  

  "Easy there... that first step's a doozy," the dragoness Cooed, steadying her older  
friend.  
  
"Wow... that was... wow." The Bookkeeper laughed.  
  
She smiled, "Fun?"  
  
"Unsettling, actually... but somewhat fun." He smiled and looked around, they  
were in a small stone cave, the rustle of trees and the smell of dew-covered grass just  
outside the cool comfort of the cave. On a shelf lay a red leather book, and Rosie pulled a  
blue leather book from her shed Raincloak, setting it on a small desk-like outcropping of the  
cave. "The red one goes to my Study, this blue one will go to your back room."  
  
"Right." He looked around again, "Can we go out?"  
  
She smiled, "Of course... this is your world after all..."  
  
"Mine?" He blinked.  
  
She nodded, "I said it was a gift..."  
  
He smiled and hobbled out of the small cave, blinking in the bright afternoon sun.  
It was pleasant outside, not warm or cold, but a fresh breeze ran through the small meadow.  
Around him for miles stretched unsullied countryside.  
  
"I'm told this is the Lehvasi Plateau."  
  

  He blinked, "told? By who?"  
  
She nodded, "The natives, of course."  
  
He suddenly found himself gripped by a nameless fear, "N-natives?"  
  
"Natives," The dragoness smiled, pointing to a small group of humans crossing the  
meadow from the forest about four hundred yards away. The bookkeeper's eyes only knew  
that there were people coming, and he couldn't make out details.  
  
"Let's go meet them, they're quite anxious to see you," she smiled and walked  
ahead.  
  
The Bookkeeper trod along behind her, knee brace creaking the whole time. He  
felt his hear pounding and he tried to calm himself. Within minutes he was face to face with  
the group, all of them ad diverse as the inhabitants of the city he knew as home. There were  
ten in all, and the one that caught his attention the most was a young girl who had tanned  
skin, save for several lighter bands around her upper arms and uncovered thighs. The group  
wore simple clothing, tunics and short breeches or skirts, and he imagined them to be like  
the folk from the ancient stories of King Arthur's era. The girl smiled to him and bowed  
politely, and he could only return the bow, unnerved by the group's friendly attitude.  
  

  "Lady Rose! You have returned again, and you bring the friend you have spoke  
of?"  
  
The dragoness smiled to the older man, "Yes, Ku. He's a very close friend of  
mine, and he's going to be coming here a lot more, and I will be coming by a lot less."  
  
The older man nodded, "We will miss you greatly Lady Rose, but we understand  
that you are busy. You will of course be attending the festival?"  
  
Rose nodded to the bookkeeper and smiled, "Tonight's their festival for the spring  
equinox. There's food, music, dancing..."  
  
"Well, I don't know about the dancing, but I'm never one to turn down hospitality,"  
he laughed.  
  
The one Rose called Ku smiled, "Most excellent! Syui Will be thrilled!"  
  
"Who's Syui?" the Bookkeeper asked.  
  
Rose smiled, "Ahhh... Syui's been keeping me company on my trips here..."  
  
Ku nodded, smiling, "and you simply must read his latest work! He's become the  
talk of the City!"  
  
The bookkeeper arched an eyebrow and looked at Rose. Rose grinned, "I've been  
giving him pointers on creative writing... He's got talent, just like someone I know."  
  

  The Bookkeeper grinned and the entire group started back through the woods.  
After an hour's walk, the woods gave way to a wall crafted from heavy slabs of granite and  
festooned with brilliant green flags with the shape of a white dragon on them. The  
bookkeeper stared at the vision before him, and laughed, "I think I'm going to like it here..."  
  
Rose nodded to herself and smiled, looking towards a small hut to the south  
wistfully.

Source: https://sofurry.com/s/Rm0jgbL1