Nikodemus sighed, looking like he felt the weight of all his many years, yet he managed a smile for the troubled young woman in front of him.<br/>"Don't worry about it, child," he said, squeezing her shoulder in a way that was meant to be encouraging.<br/>"Maybe it did indeed want you to read it, some of these tomes seem to have a mind of their own. And you don't seem worse for wear, so maybe I exaggerated the risk." He rose from his chair, not without some effort, and walked over to the book and picked it up, his back creaking like old, dry wood.<br/>"But there is so much we don't know about the things of Faerie, some objects are extremely dangerous. Best I keep this under lock and key for now, hmmm?"<br/>He winked at her as he walked over to the desk and put the book in a drawer and locked it with a rather large and shiny brass key, which he then almost theatrically put in his pocket. It seemed like the old goat was putting on a show for her benefit.<br/>"There there child, enough of this gloom," he said as he sat down on the chair again, "let's lock away all dark thoughts with the book, yes? Focus on the positive. We are among friends, we are alive and we are free. I ask you, if all this is true, how bad could things really be?"<br/>It was clearly meant as a rhetorical question as the old man didn't wait for a reply.<br/>"Besides, Pylea should be here soon for your lesson, so chin up eh?" He was interupted by the sound of a bell going off somewhere high up in the tower.<br/>"And if I'm not mistaken that should be her now," he said as he rose and offered Ember his arm. "That girl keep suprising me with her newfound sense of punctuality. I tell you, working with you has done that girl a lot of good as well, " the old satyr chattered on as he and Ember made their way out of the vast library.