"A library?"
"Yeah, I want to research some things but I don't know where to go. Do you have any recommendations?" Talon asked.
He didn't know whether libraries in this city would be useful for him. But, that was the first obvious step to take. Whether it birthed results or not was still a mystery. 'I hope it does or things will get a little bit too complicated.' He thought to himself.
"Hmm, we do have a few libraries. But, the biggest one is the Aridopolis Library. It's one kilometer south of here. It's pretty obvious so you can find it easily." Emino replied after thinking for a moment.
"Oh, ok, thank you!"
"If you want, I can bring you there," Emino said.
"No, it's fine, I can find it alone. Thank you again for helping me today, I really appreciate it."
"Hey, anytime, friend. I will be there tomorrow. You better pass the test, understood?!"
"Haha, I will try my best." Talon laughed before he bid him farewell and walked away.
Acrypha floated next to him as she stared at Emino walking away. "He is really being nice to you, isn't he?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah... He is being nice. Almost too nice if you ask my opinion." Talon replied with a serious look on his face.
This entire time, Emino had been quite helpful and patient with Talon, almost to a suspicious degree. He knew that the man wasn't helping him only out of the kindness of his heart. There was something he wanted and Talon still couldn't figure it out.
'Well, he doesn't seem to be seeking anything malicious for now. I will use his help and then see what happens.' He thought to himself as he increased his speed and headed to the library that Emino told him about.
Eventually, Talon emerged from the Blue Tower district and found himself in a different, far calmer area of the city. It seemed to be some kind of neighborhood as there weren't that many shops and mostly houses.
There, a particularly big building could be seen around the corner. It had this old yet elegant style that made it stand out amongst the other houses. A sign that said, 'Aridopolis Library' could be seen above the double doors.
"I think this is it," Talon murmured as he approached the library and walked inside. Looking around, he was surprised to see long rows of shelves in every direction. All of them were filled with books from top to bottom.
There were some tables stationed around the place for people to sit down and read and there were some visitors here and there. But, the entire place was calm and serene which instantly put Talon at peace.
Looking around him, he noticed a small counter where an old man was sitting. Approaching him, he spoke in a quiet tone.
"Excuse me."
The old man lifted his eyes up, staring at Talon from above the glasses. "How can I help you, sir?" He asked in a soft tone.
"Yeah, I can see that. It seems like whoever put these books here made sure nothing of the Azurians or the history between these two races is ever mentioned. But, it's quite impressive how they were able to erase such a historical event without leaving any trace behind."
Talon had always heard that history is written by the winners and this seemed like an example of that. For something to be erased, it required intense work and special brainwashing for the people who lived in that era so that they wouldn't pass that knowledge to future generations.
'I'm sure it has something to do with the Sky Seekers and the entire guild behind them.' Staring into the distance with a dazed look, he thought about everything he knew so far.
Things were getting a little bit clearer for him. History has changed, and people are living under the illusion that humans are the victims and the winners at the same time. They perhaps don't even know that Azurians still exist as they are simply a myth of sorts now.
"Talon?" Acrypha said.
That snapped him out of his thoughts as he finally stood up and brought all the books along with him. "Well, I guess there is no point in trying to overthink it. We need to work with what we know. At least I have a clearer vision of what to expect now so I won't be taken by surprise in the future." He said as he started putting the books back where they belonged.
"Well, you never know what could happen. This world is very odd and the people in it aren't as simple as you might think. You have to always be careful." Acrypha said seriously.
"Yeah, I know what you're talking about. I won't put my guard down. Never did, never will." He smiled reassuringly before he finally left the library.
"Damn, I almost forgot about Arryn. That poor guy must've waited too much." Talon sighed as he hurried his steps back to the inn.
A few minutes later, he reached his destination and walked into their assigned room. There, he found Arryn lying asleep on the bed. The boy waited for long hours before he got tired and slept.
'He is really something else. I don't know why he reminds me a little bit of my younger self.' Talon sighed with a wry smile as he stared at the sleeping kid. Sitting down next to him, he tapped his shoulder.
"Hey, Arryn, wake up! Psst, Arryn!"
Shaking the boy gently, he watched as he opened his eyes.
"Talon?" He asked as he rubbed his eyes. "You're back."
"Yeah, sorry for making you wait. I had too much to do." Talon apologized.
"It's fine. I just napped since the evening." Arryn asked.
"Hmm, good, ok, wash your face. We need to go." Talon said.
"Go? Where?"
"Hm? Of course, we are going to start your training."
A//N: If you enjoyed reading, don't forget to support the book with GT and PS. Thank you!