Of Cats and Men

Schwenk awoke late the next morning, the leaden sky not allowing the sun to disturb his slumbers. He walked into the bathroom and he ran his hand over his stubbly chin, a shave could wait until another day. He got dressed and looked out of the window, snow was falling hard and thick. He added a woollen scarf to his ensemble and went out. Lani was crashing around in the back of the hotel, so he slipped out without conversation. He thought Lani was nice, but since yesterday and the revelation that she was related to his would be assassin he thought the occasional wide berth seemed appropriate. He crunched out into the streets, they were mainly empty, the snow driving casual pedestrians indoors. Today’s destination was a little different to usual….today was a day for the library.

He gingerly walked up the white-crusted steps and into the large, extravagant lobby of the old library. He headed for the section marked ‘Tribal’.

Jaada had mentioned something about a tribe….but not a name.

“Still….how many tribes are there….with shamanic tribes……..” he shrugged as he walked up into the west tower and up the steps. When he reached the small reading room he was dismayed by the number of dusty volumes. He knew that he was to return to Jaada to find out the information today, but….well he had spare time and liked the legwork. Besides…he knew Aurelio wouldn’t come inside the library….he was afraid education and learning would force it’s way inside his thick skull. He sat alone at a creaky desk and looked out over the cityscape below, cold and white.

He reached for the first large tome, ‘Balzan’s Treaty of the Mountain.’ He returned it straight away….it was written in ancient Thunderian and Schwenk didn’t stand a chance. The same was to be said of the next four books. He groaned. The next book was written in common, it was ‘The Jungle Tribes of Calastria’ by Siluran. He’s heard of neither Siluran or Calastria, but at least he could read it. It listed various tribes and clans and their, mostly gory, practices. There were mention of shamans and staff’s, but nothing accurate or relevant. He put it to one side. The next book was called ‘Origin of the Spirits and the Other Worlds’, it was in common and, Schwenk delighted in, had pictures. He thumbed through the book and found…..amazingly…..a picture of a staff, with shaman, with a brilliant glowing crystal fixed on top.

“OK……why would a scientist have a shamans crystal…..and….why want that same scientist dead…….and……destroy that crystal….it makes no sense!!” he mused. He noted that this staff and shaman belonged to the Tyrus tribe, and he also noted that this ‘tribe’ was not mono-species at all. It almost seemed like a cult, that covered all clans of Thunderian. He wrote a few notes down in his pad and replaced the book. He then pondered some more.

“This makes no sense……” he sighed. He rubbed his bristly chin again.

“I really need a shave……” he concluded.

“Time to see Jaada I think…..get this thing sorted out!”