At the library

After this was clarified, the now larger group set off with their new protégé to a new destination, a small but fine feed store. There they bought dried meat for the dragons, gingerbread for the Aufhocker and rolls for the humans. On the way to the library, everyone ate in silence and looked around with interest. It is not often that creatures travel, and certainly not across borders,since the great war everyone has been too afraid. But here in Vrohmatsh it seemed as if that had never happened. Dragons, mermaids, shapeshifters, harpies and many more wherever you looked. That was the special thing about this city, no matter what environment you were used to, without you noticing it, a bubble formed around you that smelled, tasted and felt like home. This is how a mermaid could swim around on land because her bladder was filled with water or for others it was filled with air, like a harpy who was used to the warm, dry air and could create its own little whirlwind, communicating with it as if it were nothing. Or a dragon sharing a meat-flavored iced coffee with a shapeshifter elf in the form of a killer bunny. When this was only possible here and nobody cared what you were or where you came from.

When our group arrived at their destination, they were thrilled and filled with a calm they had rarely experienced. But now the tension grew as everyone realized that they were only minutes away from finding out why exactly she had sought out a book. They walked through an inconspicuous, old-fashioned gate that was more reminiscent of a side entrance than a main gate. In front of them was an endless spiral staircase without railings, wide enough for a dragon. But unfortunately the steps were a bit high, so they had to hop on the dragons and climb up the stairs with them. Fridrik simply flew alongside our heroes and was happy to finally no longer be alone and hoped to get answers too. After half an eternity they arrived at the top of the tower and entered a circular room with windows made of water, walls made of basalt, a floor on which grass and flowers grew and a ceiling that didn’t seem to exist but in reality consisted of a layer of air that sealed off the outside but could blow through the room at the whim of the owner. Fireflies flew throughout the room and provided enough light to read a book. The bookshelves grew out of the floor by themselves in the size of that it took to accommodate a new book. So it was not surprising that it looked to those who were unaware as if someone had done something completely wrong. Our group looked around in amazement and crossed the entire room. But there was no one to be seen far and wide.

Only a note that said: “I’m upstairs!” Fridrik held the note up and waved it to the others. Algonaria was so fascinated by the ceiling that she stood on her hind legs as best she could and slowly, almost in slow motion, nudged the layer of air with her nose. Or at least she had expected to bump into it. But as soon as she had touched the layer of air, she stood on it and looked into the bright sunshine and into a small, round face. “Greetings, Guardian of the Winds. I am pleased that you have found your way here. How are you?” asked the small face. Algonaria froze. She knew that voice. But it couldn’t be. But one look into his eyes confirmed her worst fears.