Reincarnated into a Snow Griffin

Chapter 14:

It doesn't take as much time as I expected at first for the shopkeeper to find it as he clearly knew where to look for them, somehow making sense of all this mess, what actually took some time is actually getting to the book without making a domino effect playout throughout the pile of books.

My mother waits patiently without saying a word, but I soon grow tired of being carried like a baby and, avid to explore such place, somewhat feeling at home surrounded by such objects, the paper smell relaxing and nostalgic, I jump from my mother's arm onto a pile, careful not to damage them with my cat claws as I look around the leather and paper covers.

I sit down obediently, watching around, but feeling eyes at the back of my head I turn only in time to receive a paw on the face coming straight from the winged cat that was sleeping before.

Oi, you!

He did not use his claws, only pawed at me, so it didn't hurt physically, only my pride, so I puff my feathers and open my small wings in a challenging manner.

Even if I'm still a month and a half baby griffin, I'm still enough to take down a domestic cat like you!

He stands on his hind legs to look bigger, stretching his front paws in the air with the claws outstretched, but in such position I find it hard to advance without taking a paw to the face.

Swinging my fluffy tail in annoyance I give it all and jump up at him in a moment of distraction, making the cat fall back with my weight and end up trapped under my body, and even if his hind legs attacked with little kicks like a bunny I still manage to bite his ear and cheeks, playfully without causing any harm, enjoying the little game we have going.

"Seraph, behave, you will make the books fall playing around like that."

I get off from the cat after that, and only after showing me his butt the cat goes away in search of another sleeping place, surely only known by himself in such a book maze like this.

Well, that was fun, I think, going back to waiting for the seller to find the book.

But then I grow bored once more, without a friend to play with, so I start looking around and walking over the books while being careful not to disturb the piles and make everything fall down on my head, looking and smelling the leather covers, some made of bamboo, papers and so on, coming from who knows where and being written from who knows how long.

But then I frown, and with a few steps in, that frown deepens... for I have encountered a small problem... actually, a big problem.

That is... that I cannot read!

That is a major problem! And a shock! It shouldn't be since I'm still young and uneducated, but still for some reason I didn't expect that!

I'm left staring at the odd scribbles, stubbornly trying to decipher them, when the seller finally gets back down with two books in hand.

"Sorry that I do not have many options, these kinds of books are hard to get by."

"Oh, is ok." I say, even though he was looking at mother for I had my back to them, but now that I had the goods in sight I turn around to face him. "What did you find?"

"Well, one is called Protective Spells and this one is, uhm, How not to Burn your Ass while Learning Magic." He coughs after saying the last title, his small face and pointy ears turning a little red.

"That's great! Not one, but two!" Mother says, ignoring the titles and the discomfort from the seller, going straight to business: "How much for them?"

"Each is five gold coins."

"Five gold coins?! You are kidding me, that is a robbery! For just piles of paper like this?"

"Sorry lady, but magic books are a very rare find, you may even look around but I'm certain you won't find better goods than this. Five gold is a bargain for what they are worth."

Mother seems ready to bargain and complain further, but she must have thought the same as I that, if finding a mage is hard as is, finding books about magic will be even worse, considering that the Alar do not study it and that all the knowledge about it has to come from the continent down below, which always means a higher price and lower quantity.

Still she goes about it: "Very well, I'll take one, however I'll only pay three gold coins."

"That cannot do, lady, I-"

"I understand the value of such goods, however for what I understand and from the dust on their covers they are not in high demand, are they? Three gold coins, or you may have them to gather dust on your pile for another few decades."

At that she turns around and takes me in her arms, only that once she is reaching for the door the seller calls out again:

"W-wait! Let's talk shall we? How about four gold coins then? Uhm? That's a bargain."

Mother stares daggers at him for a while, the already nervous and frightening little man coiling up further, his hands sweating, and pushing his glasses up his nose he says:

"You know what? Three gold coins sounds perfect, I accept. Which one will it be?"

You go girl! That's right, mother is a badass!

At that mother looks down, sifting the attention to me, and a second later I realize that they are waiting for me to choose.

Well... I start thinking, the second book with the long odd title seems to aim at beginners, and perhaps it will give me a better grasp and understanding of the basics, however learning Protective Spells can be what I needed in regards to making do with little life but tons of magic I have.

Plus... what would reading that book in public do to my cool image? Is like reading adult books with abs on the cover while keeping it up for all to see!

I would die of embarrassment!

Also Protective Spells sounds way cooler.

So is easy to make my choice at this point.

Only one remaining problem now... and that is to learn how to read!