34th of Fall, 515 AV
The library is a peculiar sight to see. Alyona's certain that, though strange and unique in its own right, Riverfall was not occupied by an actual wall of water. Don't forget to breathe, says the sign on the door. She glances back at the library's entrance warily. Was it enchanted the way every other place in this city was enchanted. She'd only been here for a couple weeks, and already she had lost herself in the maze that is Alvadas several times. She sighs slightly before taking an uncertain step into the water.
Almost immediately after she steps in, she feels a strange sensation along her ribs. Not painful, but certainly uncomfortable. She pats her side gently and feels her skin raised and parted, like some sort of gash without the blood. She takes a breath in, and feels the gashes flutter. Oh. So that's how she's meant to keep breathing. She quickly regains her composure and walks the rest of the way into the library.
"A fee's required," a voice miraculously calls through the water, and Alyona looks up to see it's a woman, older and looking like she bit down on something sour.
"Ah," Alyona replies, pulling a few mizas from her pocket. "This enough?"
The librarian sighs, like Alyona has revealed her lowly station, but nods her head and resumes… whatever she was doing before. Alyona lets out a sigh of her own before she makes her way over to the rows and rows of bookcases.
She's surprised the books look as pristine as they do. She thought the water would damage them. Another facet of the enchantments, no doubt. She goes ahead and pulls a book from its place on the shelf and stares down at the symbols that are etched into the cover. She realizes suddenly that coming in and learning to read was possibly easier said than done. Revealing her failing to the librarian does not appeal to her in the slightest, especially with the dour look on the woman's face. So here she stands, staring dumbly at a book, with no hopes of learning what the symbols mean. Perhaps she should have tried harder to glimpse at the merchant's papers while she was still in his service. She places the book back in its original spot and resumes her walk through the aisles.
She paid to be here, so she might as well spend some time before deciding her endevour wasted.
Almost immediately after she steps in, she feels a strange sensation along her ribs. Not painful, but certainly uncomfortable. She pats her side gently and feels her skin raised and parted, like some sort of gash without the blood. She takes a breath in, and feels the gashes flutter. Oh. So that's how she's meant to keep breathing. She quickly regains her composure and walks the rest of the way into the library.
"A fee's required," a voice miraculously calls through the water, and Alyona looks up to see it's a woman, older and looking like she bit down on something sour.
"Ah," Alyona replies, pulling a few mizas from her pocket. "This enough?"
The librarian sighs, like Alyona has revealed her lowly station, but nods her head and resumes… whatever she was doing before. Alyona lets out a sigh of her own before she makes her way over to the rows and rows of bookcases.
She's surprised the books look as pristine as they do. She thought the water would damage them. Another facet of the enchantments, no doubt. She goes ahead and pulls a book from its place on the shelf and stares down at the symbols that are etched into the cover. She realizes suddenly that coming in and learning to read was possibly easier said than done. Revealing her failing to the librarian does not appeal to her in the slightest, especially with the dour look on the woman's face. So here she stands, staring dumbly at a book, with no hopes of learning what the symbols mean. Perhaps she should have tried harder to glimpse at the merchant's papers while she was still in his service. She places the book back in its original spot and resumes her walk through the aisles.
She paid to be here, so she might as well spend some time before deciding her endevour wasted.
