Feng scratched her head while staring at the board. "I don't understand. How is making death the work of the devil be of any help?"
"You clearly don't understand who Gisele is?" Anna raised her finger and puffed out her chest, "She is a proud warrior orc. But in orc society, especially where Gisele was born in, fighting was looked down upon. But worse, the act of killing is taboo among her people."
"Isn't that like, all cultures?"
"Yes, but what's important is the context behind their belief. You see orcs have the same ancestors as the elves. But while the elves lived longer, the orcs did not. They were the pack of mules of the Sky People. Despite the Sky People's fear of death, they don't care about lives of the other races. Remember elves were just their guinea pigs or lab rats. Orcs were killed once they reached a certain age past their prime. Because of this, living past what the Sky People's believed to be an orc's final year is an act of rebellion. And eventually, the act of living is seen as a rebellion against the gods, which were the Sky people." Anna stood up and picked up the books, "And with these three books, I now have a compelling argument, a perfect counter, a reverse card!"
"I still don't understand."
"Killing her is the same as following the orders of the Sky People. And her dying is undermining her people's efforts."
"I'm not sure these are actually good points to use as an argument though."
Anna pulled her hair, "But there is nothing else I can do. She is my role model. The very person I aspire to be. I can't let her die, let alone kill her. This is my only chance, and maybe she will even teach me the things she knows about magic and mana. These are our only hope!"
"You mean 'your' only hope." Feng corrected her.
Anna and Feng left the room and walked back to the main lobby. Gisele was floating up in the air with her arms crossed. "You're back!" She said with enthusiasm after waiting for hours.
Feng pulled out a whiteboard and wrote down the books the two women research. Anna gave her presentation as if she was standing in front of an auditorium filled with old veterans. Her body moved in a regal matter, her voice commanded the attention of the entire room, and her words were as clear as day. The only difference between her current presentation from the past was the childish expression she could not contain.
Everyone in the library could see her through her formal exterior due to her gleaming eyes and a happy smile. Gisele could not help but stare at Anna's dichotomy. She found Anna's mannerisms, both her professional body language and girlish smile, to be entertaining. The presentation continued citing all sources, history, and philosophy in the hopes of convincing Gisele to avoid seeking death. The audience was at awe for every point she presented and applauded at the end of the presentation. B Gisele found her arguments faulty at best.
"So, Ms. Gisele. What do you think? Would you reconsider?"
"Before I give you my answer, there are some things you forgot during your research." Anna's smiled disappeared because she knew that it did not mean good news. "First, dragons believe that death is the creation of the devil, but death is the devil. But dragons also believe the devil as one of the universe's core, and its destruction would the end of our universe. They believed entropy was part of life and should not be reversed. Sure, the devil is bad, but the dragons do not care for it. The reason why the dragons joined Tinia is because of the Bökh Fight, but the dragons' indifference in the conflict was because they believed the Sky People will fail even without the dragons' interference."
"But that means our books, the library's books are wrong! And they can't be wrong!" Feng rioted. "Our books were gathered and vented by the most highly reputable sources and scholars. Anna's researches are not mistaken. Right, Anna?" Anna lowered her head, "Anna?"
"And the Sky People feared death because they were stuck, surrounded by death space for what seemed to be an eternity. Death is a disease surely, but for them, death was a phobia they tried to conquer. The only one you got right was Sagen's view of death, but I felt like you purposely exaggerated his view and made superficial connections to my situation. But I do admit; I was surprised when you mentioned my race's history. I thought our story was lost in the midst of time like the goblins. Otherwise, your presentation was, eh."
After a minute, a silence, Anna asked, "So, um. I guess I have to fight you then."
"No."
Anna raised her head and looked at Gisele in surprise, "But, I had wrong, or I guess contentious sources. Hell, I only used three, I should have searched for more to support my thesis. I have wasted your time and,"
"Those are all true but the part of wasting my time. Your passion was enough for me." Gisele lowered herself down on the ground. "All the so-called scholars I met while bunkering down here were lifeless, to say the least. I felt like they were forced to become scholars rather than aspire to become one. But you were so youthful or lively."
"Lively?"
"Did you not notice? You were smiling like a child that just got a puppy." Anna slapped her face and covered her red cheeks with her hands, "And I found your energy and passion refreshing. I'll stay here, and I will assist you with your research. If you want, of course."
"Really!" Anna yelped.
"Yes, but I must warn you. I'm not as good of a teacher as my master, the Red Wizard, but I will do my best as long as you still want to learn."
"Yes!" Anna gave Gisele's ghostly body a hug, which was to be expected by the librarians. Gisele, on the other hand, finds this kinship to be awkward.