Armhianthia, Arbhin Cioc [world best books to read .txt] 📗

Some grass straws were still stuck in his feet, apparently they were sucking his blood. Horror came over him. Those nerves were blood sucking intestines. This grass was feeding on animals and life. Having enough evidence now, on his camera, he thought it time to continue his course through the universe.
And now for sure, he had enough of this planet. Stepping up to the screen cabin, he started the screen back on again and started the lift off procedure.
The Long Journey

The long journey

Finding it difficult to keep his eyes open, he took a glance outside. The coach was softly rocking side to side, with this pace of the horses Luse had enough chance to survey the horizon and all the people, towns and villages they passed. The younger Arabon was caught up in the papers from his ruler. But every now and then, he had a question for Luse, keeping the older Eagrival awake. At least he tried to be a good company, despite the amount of paper work he has to get through.
Despite the effort to keep his eyes from closing, he was smiling. Arabon had such wonderful set of brains, working in such wonderous way, that Luse wouldn’t dare to sleep off.
Still the next stop he felt Arabon tuck at his sleeve.
“Luse?” A face hovered in front of his nose, “Luse? Have you gone to sleep?”
Luse tried to make up an excuse but found nothing.
“You should have slept longer last night, and probably I should have told you yesterday that this journey would be long.”
Luse shook the sleep off his head. The fresh air outside the coach did his head some good.

It was still a long way to Nadirand but the horses were tired and had to freshen up. The inn they stopped, was large, custom to passengers and coaches. Luse and Arabon went into the inn, find the keeper for some drinks and refreshments. The inside of the inn was busy. People sitting at the wooden tables and drinking or eating while talking with neighbours. All eager for news. News travel by mouth here.
But the news was not always trustworthy either. When the people heard one thing, they told them to other, who changed a little to make the story worth listening to, after some exchanging from mouth to mouth, the story could have been over exaggerated at the end of the day. But a trainecd ear, like Eagrivals have learned to filter news to the core subject, would be able to make out the real news. Or at least the bit that are still left intact in the story. Someimes a piece of news has been altered so much after many mouths, that even trained ears can’t make out the best of it.
But Luse tried anyway.
He took a seat near one of the walls at the back of the inn, with Arabon in his behind. Arabon was as normal not aware of anything around him. And looked disturbed, when the inn keeper stood next to him, to ask for his drink. Arabon ordered a wine for Luse and himself, sweet red wine. Luse had took a seat next to a person, seemingly a farmer. He even smelled of animals and dust from the land.
After some short introduction, where Luse introduced himself as a traveler, the farmer talked about what was going on in the land. His brother was sheepfarmer and had heard that someone at the markets told him that the people of Riss were holding their trades with Aramir. The ruler at Aramir would have been rude to the sailors.
Luse smiled, it was a strange story. If someone was rude, he was told to be a ‘Riss-sailor’. Those people could sound as rude as a cursing maid, while talking everydays business. If you would offend a Riss-sailor, you would have to be very faul-mouthed. Luse paid the farmer back with a news fact that he had heard. You exchange news with news. Onlyif you are really eager for some news, or information, you could pay the informant, of course. And depending on how well you could use the news, you paid more or less. But everyday news, was just repaid with telling back news. The farmer nodded, LUses news wasn’t very breathtaking. He had seen the road, today and nothing much more. So he thought of telling the farmer the first thing that came to his mind. a news he heard four days back already.
The inn keeper came back with the drinks Arabon had ordered. Luse took his mug. At the same time, via the backdoor the coach driver entered the room and Arabon waved to the man, to show him where they were sitting. The driver nodded to see he’d seen Arabon and went to sit at the bar. Some quick drinks, they would soon be leaving again.
Luse and the farmer still talked some more and Arabon only sat there, observing the inn and drinking his wine.
Not long after the driver waved at the two Eagrivals. Luse said his goodbyes to the farmer and they left the inn for another long drive to Nadirand.
Soon both Luse and Arabon were sleeping in the coach. It would take still some hours before they would be there.
When they finally arrived at the court of King Arbnad it was well dark. The Coach driver sent the horses right to the stables, where Luse and Arabon exited the cart.
They were waited for by a servant, bringing them both to their quarters. First Arabon was escorted to his own room, then the servant walked Luse to his chambers. Half way the halls, the servant turned to Luse. With soft voice, he said: “My lord. There has been no message of your arrival here at the court, my lord.“ As the servant turned to look at Luse, it was indeed a hint of sorry touching his eyes. “If we had only known a day earlier, the guests rooms for Eagrival would have been made ready, but so far, we’d only have the real guest quarters.”
Luse nodded. Not many know that the cells where the Eagrival live, at Eagris, were nothing more then four walls and a study. Nadirand was not a rich country and neither was the palace. Everything was made with eye to logic. Decorating buildings was something only the richer people were able to effort. And the regents at Nadirand had never been looking down to the common people. Therefore the palace was not really very luxurious And many of the rooms were only readied when people were expected. Even in the last years no more then one Eagrival had given visit to Nadirand. Of course Arabon is that Eagrival and he just passed off to his quarters.
Luse was escorted to the guests rooms, where four maids were still busy with the bed, the cleaning was done quickly but thorough enough to be clean enough. Tomorrow they would make things better again. The guestroom wasn’t large, but enough for Luse and the time he was visiting Nadirand. He turned to the servant, “No need to clean the other Eagrival chambers, my best. I will only spend a week here, so no use to make more troubles then necessary.”
The servant looked at Luse with a blank stare. He obvious had ordered some maids already to ready the Eagrival rooms. Or at least he had made up a schedule for tomorrow in his head.
After some moments he nodded, wished Luse a good night and left the room. In the doorway he signed for the maids, to leave the room.
Luse turned to the bed, but because he had been sleeping in the coach, he was not that ready for bed, yet.
Just as he was deciding what to do, he turned from a sound at the door. A young servant stood in the doorway, with Luses luggage in his hands. He looked disturbed at Luse as if he hadn’t expected him to be there. Quickly he left the luggage at the inside of the door, slammed the door shut behind him, and Luse could see the boys face on the other side of the door, blushing and running off to hide his shame. A smile touched Luses eyes. He wouldn’t report the boy. That was not his way. The shame on the boy’s face, was enough for him already.
Taking his sleeping clothing out of the luggage, he changed clothes, put himself to bed and waited for sleep to come.
Then sat right back up again and got out of bed. He really had no sleep. Walking over to his luggage, he searched his belongings for his book. Took it out of the luggage and took a stool un aware of the shady light, he sat down and read that one page once again. He read it so many times already, that he could tell it by heart already. But maybe there was a combination of words he forgot.
After some hours of reading he took himself to bed and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Next morning Arabon woke up. His room was filled with light, beaming through the large windows. He had not bothered closing them last night. After leaving leaving Luse and the servant, he let himself fall on the bed and was sleeping before he could have counted to ten.
Now, he stared up at the light brighten up his quarters. The bed was in an chamber with open access from the other room. Where a large table stand. Half of the table was filled with parchements and quilts left at the desk. The other half was readied for breakfast. His bedroom was board covered at the bottom, worked with carvings. The walls were in strokes of yellow and white from floor to wall, while a stained white ceiling over his head hold to a crystal chandelier. Arabon changed his clothings, for he still was wearing the old clothes from the day before. After changing he went to the door.
The halls were empty besides some servants or maids entering rooms, or leaving them, carrying baskets of laundry. Some clean, other dirty.
Arabon left his chambers walking straight to the kings hall. Turning the hall left into a new hallway he passed the servants. Some he did notice and greeted a good morning, while he forgot others passing by without giving so much as a glimpse.
Strolling around the corridor he noticed fewer maids, till he stopped facing a wall. He turned and look down over an old hallway which seems to be out of use for more then some years. The hall was fully dark, no windows in the walls only two doors, one on each side of the hallway. Leaning against one of the walls, he overlooked the situation and had to come to the conclusion, that he was totally lost. And since this hallway was a dead-end he had no options then to return the way he came. He saw five seven meters ahead of him