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Lazarus and the others walked behind Reginald along a marbled hallway with expensive looking painting along the walls.
They depicted different elven and dwarf portraits. Reginald explained that these magical archives had members stretching back for many eons. Each of these paintings showed a wizard or warlock who was a member. Lazarus nodded. They kept moving until they stopped at a door, which opened by itself.
They entered a large room filled with wooden bookshelves displaying all types of leather tomes. Elves and other people moved around the library. Then he saw something which almost made him gasp; several small people flying around on tiny wings.
Grace said, "Reginald, who are these people?"
"Oh, those are scholar fairies," Reginald said. "They can help us."
Reginald whistled in an odd tone, then said in a musical voice, "Braiden, we need your help."
One of the fairies flew over to them. Braiden had red hair and was about the size of his hand. The sound of Braiden's wings fluttered in the air.
"Yes," he said. The fairie’s voice sounded like a flute.
"We need a book that shows us to the Blessed Isles. Can you find it, Braiden?"
The faerie was quiet for several seconds. "Sir, this might take some time. Nobody had looked for this subject in a long time. I have to consult the other faeries."
"I will have my guests take a seat in the Cultural Gardens."
Braiden flew away. Reginald nodded and they followed him into the hallway that they’d entered from. They walked into an adjacent hallway and continued until the corridor stopped at a set of glass double doors.
Lazarus saw a long grass field. He was thinking about his dream and felt a little embarrassed. Cindy gave him a look. Grace shook her head and smirked at him. The girls seem to have read his mind.
Walking into the gardens, Reginald said, "These gardens are tended by the garden gnomes."
Lazarus almost laughed. "There are garden gnomes?"
"Yes. There’s one right now."
He saw a short, squat figure moving among the bushes. He was not dressed like the gnome sculptures Lazarus had seen back in his time. The gnome was wearing brown pants and a blue shirt with a dark green smock. On his smock was an assortment of tools. The gnome was inspecting a bush and cutting off browning leaves with a garden shear.
The scent of jasmine flowers billowed in the air. The plants and rose bushes looked like the same type of vegetation back on his Earth. A deep depression suddenly engulfed him. Everything he knew was gone.
They walked on a cobblestone path smelling the clean air laced with the scent of flowers. Butterflies flittered among the bushes.
Reginald said, "We like these gardens because my Mages spend a lot of time reading and studying, and we need the gardens to relax our minds and bodies."
"Yes," Cindy agreed.
Lazarus liked this garden as well. He also sensed Earth magic shrouding this place.
They walked under a wooden patio trellis Plants grew along the trellis, creating a cool, shadowed area to relax. A table with chairs was set up beneath the shelter. The sun was high in the sky, and casting a warm glow.
"Reginald," Lazarus said, "is the war going well against the orcs?"
"Please sit," Reginald said. "I cannot speak to you about the war. I'm not a war Mage. You need to ask the Princess about that."
They all sat down. Lazarus was trying to get information, unsure if these people would tell them the truth.
Grace said, "It is beautiful here. I can feel the magic energizing me."
Reginald didn't sit. "I know. Your power is tied to Earth magic."
"How can you tell?" Grace asked, her face in half-shadow from the sun pouring through the leaves and vines.
"I could see your aura," Reginald said. "Cindy is powerful in water magic. And Master Lazarus is powerful in..."
Reginald looked at him, and Lazarus sensed Reginald cast a small spell over him.
"You have strength in all of the elements, even the magic of the cosmos."
The elf stared at him in awe. Everybody was quiet for a while. The sound of a fluttering butterfly whispered close by, as Braiden, the faerie, flew toward them.
"Master Reginald, we have found some books indicating where the Blessed Isles are located."
Reginald looked away from Lazarus. "Thank you, Braiden."
***
THEY WERE INSIDE A long square room with several tables and chairs in the interior.
On the table before them was a pile of books and maps. Braiden hovered close to Reginald. Lazarus was looking at a leather map made with dark ink imprinted on it. It depicted the whole of Middle Earth and beyond.
Lazarus said, "I don't know where we are."
Reginald pointed near the bottom right of the map. "This is where the Capital is located."
"Where are the Blessed Isles?" he said.
"If this map is correct," Reginald said, "they are through the Lake of Vestial and beyond the glacial mountains."
"How do we get past these mountains?" Cindy asked, pointing at the mountain ranges.
"We have scouts who have been to this area. But be warned, Alpha Mages. It will be a hard journey."
Lazarus wanted to tell the Professor and Della to stay here in this magical library. But they had already talked about going, and they were determined to go with them.
"So, can you tell us anything about these places?" Lazarus asked.
"I'm not a scout, and there are different people who will help you. But I can tell you the glacial mountains are only passable through the caverns berneath," Reginald said.
