The pace called home

I can feel my heart pounding in my chest, as I keep running. The streets are blurred, sometimes the sunrays peek through the buildings as I zoom past them.

As I turned to take the corner past the statue of Lady Selren, I almost collided with Umi. She's the local beauty, loved by all and wanted by many.

"Whoa.. Khav, what's the rush", Umi asked casually.

"..to the library", I said panting, sweat trickling down the side of my face.

Saying that I kept running, and I swear I heard Umi giggle.

Lake Selren looks particularly beautiful in the morning. Blue tails swimming across the lake and sometimes you could see the Bopler jump out of the lake showing off it's rainbow scales. Beyond the beautiful lake was the library of the Pilgrims. I almost barged inside.

"Khavvvv", yelled Master Kulle, glowering at me.

Lowering my books on the table, and looked straight at him. Beads of sweat forming on my face. Master Kulle is like an old hermit, looking like a nice and sweet man but in reality he is a very stern person.

"How many times have i said. This is a place of devotion, not a..a playground for you to stomp around.", He said as he stood tall in front of me.

I couldn't look at him yet I could feel his strong gaze on me.

" My apologies Master, this won't happen again.", I said with my shoulders tensed up and my eyes down to the floor.

" Hahh", he sighed and stepped closer to me, and rested his hands on my shoulders, "don't be sorry Khav, be better".

I couldn't say anything, just nodded my head and left for my station, beginning my day as the librarian's apprentice.

Clean the shelves, wipe dust off the books, arrange them, check books in and out. Usual works, although sometimes there's a fight here, a quarrel there. And it's my job to stop that as well. No wonder there was a job opening.

Lucky for Master Kulle, I love the job. All the history of Vaani is in this place, and i dream of learning all of it.

But I'm not allowed to learn them yet, all I am allowed is to learn about the royal families and their heritage. It's been almost a year now that I've started

The day went by without me even noticing, and it was evening already.

"This is boring", I said turning a page. These people the so called royals, all they do is stay in their palaces and don't even engage with us the commoners.

"Then lucky for you", says Master Kulle, "you are being promoted as of now, to the assistant librarian, with access to every book in these halls".

"Just like that?", I asked.

"I've seen you look at those shelves with a hunger I've only seen in myself in my youth", he said with little sense of pride.

"I...um thank you Master", I said bowing my head in front of him.

As he left, I almost went into a happy dance. Just then I heard someone clapping softly near the book shelves.

And here I thought that I was smelling something foul in here. Now I know what it was, Verth.

"So the little bird got promoted.", he said stepping out of the dark.

As he stepped closer to me, I felt frozen in place. Verth has always been the bully, to kids like me. But something felt off about him. His eyes like a predator, staring me down, a prey.

I almost backed in the table behind me, as he leaned against the wall behind me and said," Guess we'll be working together from now on, and I'll be watching you very closely."

His voice is sadistic yet sensual, like the growl of a hungry beast. He kept looking at me, as if searching for something. And then he stepped back picking up a book from the table behind me.

Without any further word, he went away and i just stood there, frozen.

The evening bell broke my tance, and I made my way towards the exit. Evenings are exciting in Beltham. But it's particularly spectacular near the wharfs, merchandise from far away as well as people.

I always loved it there, had an unknown longing for that place.

I could see the wharfs from the bridge. I stopped there for a few minutes to look at that direction.

"Someday I'll travel the world too", I said to myself.

But who am i kidding, I have no drahm to my name. A dream that big requires a lot of drahm. Thinking such i made my way towards the place i call home.