<h4>Chapter 13:</h4>


    After all that, as we hit a dead end, we get to, at least, explore the city as she shows me around the ce and I''m grateful for the opportunity because after some hovering about we actually stumble upon an solution to my problem.


    And that is... a bookstore!


    I start pawing her back at the sight of it, only to be scolded at the next moment for moving around while mid-air, but at least I get her attention towards the ce I want to go to.


    Wend on one of the wooden tforms after turning around in the air, and as her talons rasp the floor we are meet with a slight problem, one of the firsts actually to be given for your size and kind; and now that I think of it, it is actually a given that it took so long for it too.


    Because on the side there was a board indicating that the tforms leading to the shops on this side are only to be used by humanoid beings.


    It may have something to do with the size and structure of the balconies, smaller than the others we have been through so far, or perhaps even our weight has something to do with it, but since it disqualified all other creatures, no matter how big or small, using the term ''humanoid'', it makes me thinks that perhaps there was something more to it.


    That is my first taste of the prejudice that my kin, my species receives, no matter how small, and even though it is in such a simplistic act it still feels bitter in my mouth.


    And yet I have no time to swallow it when mother surprises me and, afterying down and indicating that I should get down from her back, she looks over the bag stringed around her neck and close her eyes, focusing, and something starts shinning behind the brown clothe.


    The next second, however, is herself that is let alight, shinning up blinding like a white sun, only for that to go as quickly as it came.


    But as I open my eyes I''m left in shock at what I see, for standing there is not my griffin fluffy white ck mother, but instead a winged woman that stands up with grace.


    I frown, at lost, but the giggle she gives me is distinctive.


    "M-mother?"


    "Yes my love?"


    It is unmistakable, so once that is settled I go back to taking in her strange new appearance, on how her pair of white wings still frame her from behind, twice her size, and when they fold the big long feather at the ends brush the floor, like a cape almost.


    Only then my gaze goes towards the round beautiful face of the woman in front of me, the hair ck in great contrast with the rest of her pale white body, the only things keeping her frompletely blending in with the s is her birdy talon filled feet that curve slightly below her.


    "Surprise!"


    I stare at her, not amused. "Mother..."


    "What love?"


    "Could you tell me about it before doing something like this next time!" Scared the shit out of me!


    "Oh, sorry hon, didn''t mean to scare you."


    "I''m not! Who would be scared by that?" Sheughs, which only makes me want to roll my eyes at her, but that would be too uncool so I take a deep breath and try to calm down, puffing my chest out.


    Ok, well, at least we can ess the bookstore now.


    She takes me off the ground and carries me in front of her as my feet dangle in the air, but at least I have a good view of where we are heading, especially since because of her bird legs mother is actually taller than most around, receiving some gazes that I choose to ignore most of the time at least, but not the disgusting ones that stare at her, entranced by her beauty, those receive a cracking ss chirp in return from my part.


    Daring to stare at my mother with those impure eyes... I will not let it pass!


    Mother seems amused by my reaction, patting me from time to time as if trying to coax a child, but I won''t deny that it feltfortably good, almost enough to make me sleepy.


    "Shh, hon, it will be over soon, hold on on your nap a little longer."


    I shift in her arms, but before the movement lubies me to sleep we arrive, making my eyes shot open and my long tail to twist excited midair.


    The ce is simple, small, yet charming in a way, with red bricks at the front and an entrance made of dark green wood, some ss too to disy the piles and piles of books inside, cramped in such small space.


    Sounding like a small piece of paradise so far.


    We open the door to the stale smell of books, ink and paper, and I take it in very slowly, quite fond of this new find perfume as the green door swings back and closes with a click.


    "In a second!" Someone says at the back.


    My gazends on the shelves everywhere, from the ceiling to the ground, and I bet if he could bend thews of physics there would not be a ce left here without books in it.


    Passing by a pile of romances at the front where a ck and white winged cat sleeps on top of, we find the seller at the back as he stays on top of a wooden stair, grabbing some books at the top.


    ... Why would he have a stair if he has wings? I think, but soon find why when he clumsy falls back and beats his small brown wings to keep himself from falling, but ens up knocking a few piles of books to the ground in the process.


    "Ouch, ugh, clumsy me, sorry, will be with you in a second!"


    "No hurry, we can wait." And that''s just what we end up doing as we watch the small man descend the stairs with the books he was after, only to have to clean up the mess he made in the process.


    Once he is ready to attend us I can have a clearer view of him, from the nervous gesture of rubbing his hands in front of him, to pulling the round sses up from his small nose, all and all giving him the appearance of a small frightened bird.


    And even if mother, as an owl-leopard, weren''t the biggest griffin around, when put together with humanoids she seems to tower over them, which gives off a slight oppressive aura to her.


    Plus the huge wings at the back that prevented her from turning too much inside this shop added to that aura too. Yeah, that, and probably the predator in her too.


    "I want to see if you have any magic books around." I say, making that he finally notices my presence in my mother''s arms, and the vision of me makes him rx a little.


    "Oh, of course little one, I have a few around, what do you have in mind?"


    What do I have in mind? Didn''t think I would have something to choose from to begin with.


    "Something I can learn, with... ice and wind. Something basic." He nods at every word, moving his head way too much, almost like a dove, a small brown dove for sure.


    "I will see what I can find for you little one." I look over the piles and piles of books.


    Well, this is going to take a while I suppose.