Harpyness is Only Skin Deep (Tales of Arvia Book 1) by Willison D. H

Author:Willison, D. H. [Willison, D. H.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-01-17T00:00:00+00:00

◊ ◊ ◊

Four days had passed since our ordeal in the sewers. Once again, I’m thankful for the healing and purifying qualities of Arvian groundwater, even Xin’s slightly turbid, saline well water sufficient to ward off infection and speed healing. On earth, a jagged wound drenched in raw sewage is a recipe for all sorts of nasty complications. Then again, on earth the rats are only a quarter as large. While my wounds had not fully healed in this time, at least the pain, for the most part, had subsided. And multiple washings of my clothing and bathings of my body had thankfully ridden me of the stench: today was a very special day, and I’d be heartbroken were I denied entrance due to poor hygiene.

I darted between awning and overhang in a futile attempt to stay out of the rain showers this morning. Who would have suspected that a sturdy umbrella should have made my packing list those many months ago.

I could have wrung out not only the majority of my clothes, but my body as well by the time I finally arrived. I removed my outer garment: a locally-sourced, fair-trade, organic natural fiber, chemical-free cloak. That was not how it was described in the outerwear shop where I purchased it, however. There it was simply an economy-grade partially water-resistant woolen cloak. I hung it on the mahogany coat rack, and approached the receptionist, a thin gentleman, strikingly similar in appearance to Charles-Lee, with the exception of rather prominent elf-ears.

“Good morning,” I said, placing my referral letter on the counter in front of him.

“Good morning,” he replied, perusing the letter. “May I see your medallion?”

“Here you are.”

“Rare to see a resident in here. But your referral is in order. That will be ten silver.”

Two days wages of mine clanked as they hit the oaken countertop.

“You have access to the main collection only. Food, drink, and ink are prohibited in the library, and you’ll have to dry off completely prior to entering.”

“Pencil is OK though, right? I may want to take a few notes.”

“Certainly. I hope you find your day at the Xin library enlightening.”

I stared in awe a solid two minutes at the main collection room. This was a cathedral of granite and fluted wood paneling, a cathedral dedicated to the worship of knowledge. Floor-to-ceiling multi-pane windows throughout the second story, and peaked frosted-glass skylights illuminated the five-meter-tall chamber even on a rainy day like today. Books were arranged on floor-to-ceiling mahogany shelves around the perimeter of the room, including the second story gallery which extended out on three sides of the rectangular room. Banks of oaken reading tables and low-back rock elm stools were arranged along the center of the room, of which perhaps only a third were occupied at the moment. And the books themselves: a treasure. Far greater variety in size and proportion than I had ever seen in a library from earth, with some tomes the size of a cabinet door. And the scent! I

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.