43rd of Spring 515AV
The Valkalah Library smelled of old parchment, dusty covers and a tinge of sweat, likely produced by those hawk-nosed snobs who had decided to spend the day in a muggy, dimly lit room rather than enjoy the sun. Or perhaps the sweat and blood dripped off the pages on Riverfall’s wars and sieges. Right after he’d entered the library an elderly Nakivak had shooed him towards the children’s corner, forcing him to sit through half a sermon on Riverfall’s long-dead heroes. It was only on the pretense of wetting his pants that she allowed him to slip from her sight. He had headed straight into a quiet side room where he didn’t have to endure the chattering of kids half his age, or the dumb smiles of old, decaying people who thought their stories were even remotely interesting.
‘Science, Arts, and Religion’ the plaque over the door had read. A mere season ago his interest in that particular section would have had a different cause. Now, it was all about learning to understand the enemy and their followers. Polished wood creaked under his boots as he tip toed through the lanes, his finger tracing rows of covers. It was a much cooler room, thanks to one of the large, rectangular windows that allowed sun and air to breathe freely. A large table had been lined underneath the window sills. Seated at it, a handful of quiet, hunched-over souls soaked up new knowledge like sponges. He hardly gave them a glance before stepping into the maze of bookcases.
Many of the heftier books were on the subject of art, some particularly dusty ones promised detailed scientific accounts of various gems; their origins and their supposed healing powers. Perhaps another day...
In the end, he’d nearly gone full circle through the rectangular room before he found the small bookcase on religious subjects, a tiny, rickety little thing bulging dangerously under the weight of the tomes laid therein. Strange, he'd expected it to be of more importance in a city like this. Or maybe it was not. Not too interested in any of the books stacked within the bookcase he turned around and let his eyes slide across the room. Almost immediately they settled on the girl near the window sill; a young looking woman with flowing honey hair and-
Horns? He’d seen them before on Caelum but never thought too much of it. It was just how the man looked. A mental sigh sounded in his mind. He’d never questioned why Caelum looked that way or if there were more of his people, let alone what kind of people that would be. Somewhat intrigued, by benefit of the purple cutting through her hair, he let his gaze wander over her face, quietly observing her every feature until eventually, his eyes slid down to the book underneath her fingers. She was quite pretty, she couldn't be much older than himself. Sucking in a breath, he mustered his courage and soldiered forward.
Clearing his throat he tapped the girl on her shoulder “Excuse me, but will you be done with that soon? I need it.” It was a petty excuse to talk to her, but perhaps it was passable.
The Valkalah Library smelled of old parchment, dusty covers and a tinge of sweat, likely produced by those hawk-nosed snobs who had decided to spend the day in a muggy, dimly lit room rather than enjoy the sun. Or perhaps the sweat and blood dripped off the pages on Riverfall’s wars and sieges. Right after he’d entered the library an elderly Nakivak had shooed him towards the children’s corner, forcing him to sit through half a sermon on Riverfall’s long-dead heroes. It was only on the pretense of wetting his pants that she allowed him to slip from her sight. He had headed straight into a quiet side room where he didn’t have to endure the chattering of kids half his age, or the dumb smiles of old, decaying people who thought their stories were even remotely interesting.
‘Science, Arts, and Religion’ the plaque over the door had read. A mere season ago his interest in that particular section would have had a different cause. Now, it was all about learning to understand the enemy and their followers. Polished wood creaked under his boots as he tip toed through the lanes, his finger tracing rows of covers. It was a much cooler room, thanks to one of the large, rectangular windows that allowed sun and air to breathe freely. A large table had been lined underneath the window sills. Seated at it, a handful of quiet, hunched-over souls soaked up new knowledge like sponges. He hardly gave them a glance before stepping into the maze of bookcases.
Many of the heftier books were on the subject of art, some particularly dusty ones promised detailed scientific accounts of various gems; their origins and their supposed healing powers. Perhaps another day...
In the end, he’d nearly gone full circle through the rectangular room before he found the small bookcase on religious subjects, a tiny, rickety little thing bulging dangerously under the weight of the tomes laid therein. Strange, he'd expected it to be of more importance in a city like this. Or maybe it was not. Not too interested in any of the books stacked within the bookcase he turned around and let his eyes slide across the room. Almost immediately they settled on the girl near the window sill; a young looking woman with flowing honey hair and-
Horns? He’d seen them before on Caelum but never thought too much of it. It was just how the man looked. A mental sigh sounded in his mind. He’d never questioned why Caelum looked that way or if there were more of his people, let alone what kind of people that would be. Somewhat intrigued, by benefit of the purple cutting through her hair, he let his gaze wander over her face, quietly observing her every feature until eventually, his eyes slid down to the book underneath her fingers. She was quite pretty, she couldn't be much older than himself. Sucking in a breath, he mustered his courage and soldiered forward.
Clearing his throat he tapped the girl on her shoulder “Excuse me, but will you be done with that soon? I need it.” It was a petty excuse to talk to her, but perhaps it was passable.
