THE MIDDAY haze of cook fires and flame-filled rubbish bins cloaks the damp air above Kahara Nattaa, the City of Leaves, the heart of learning in the Juparti Dominion, and home to the Library of Mysteries.
Sunlight bends, cobalt and crimson, flowing through ancient warped windows to dance among shadowed shelves bending under the centuries of knowledge in the dust-tinted tomes weighing them down.
A rakthor male and a yutan female stare at each other across a private table in a secluded level of the library. A human male stands not far behind them, leaning against a stand of books, a long blade at his belt.
The yutan looks down at the contents of a leather folio.
"You can vouch for the origin?"
"Yes. Is it plausible?"
Not with any use of The Sight I have ever witnessed, but still, frighteningly possible, the yutan thinks to herself.
"Yes. Very much so."
The rakthor considers the yutan. The female appears nervous. Her breath quicker. This revelation frightens her. That is unsettling.
"I may retain this copy?"
"As per our agreement."
The rakthor stands.
"How will you proceed?"
The rakthor stares at the yutan a moment. Why does she ask? Does she wonder what she herself should do with this knowledge?
"I will advance this to my superiors on the Central Governing Committee."
"And then?"
"And then they will decide what to do based on what they will then know."
"Thank you for sharing this with me."
"Thank you for your assistance with it."
The rakthor bows slightly to the yutan and then walks from the room of books.
The yutan watches him go.
What will they do, the Reptile Realm? What will my people do? Who among them can I share confidence with? My Sight master is too old and infirm and disconnected from the politics of the pods to be of use. My cousin, the scout, had a skilled master. Sight Master Lamna. Yes. I can take it to her.
The yutan closes the folio and stands, placing it in a leather satchel. She walks past the human male with a nod.
The human turns and follows her out of the library, smiling as he walks.
Whatever he gave her is worth more than she'spayin' me to guard her. Enough, maybe, to pay my debt ta the wyrin.