It took quite some time, for despite how it sounded, the book wasn't in the "A" section, and at first glance, didn't have any words at all. The cover bore a peculiar symbol; an island hovering far above ocean waves, smaller symbols that hinted at burrows and plant life on the levitating island, and fish in the waves below. Due to his position as God's Wisdom, Michael could swiftly parse the pictograms and scattered language within the book, but... scattered throughout... were the odd phrases in Earth-based languages.
The book wasn't changing itself to become more understandable- the words were just *there*, entirely different from the visual language Arithians used. Was it worth it to consider was that something about Airth itself must have some relation to Earth, somehow... right? Or did it have something to do with Connie's sudden appearance? Because for Airth to have an some ancient ties with Earth was ludicrous... wasn't it...?
As for the actual books contents- it mostly seemed to be stories. The creation of the world (two beings appearing in darkness, creating a world together. One of land and sun, the other moon and sky. Creating the world, creating plants and creatures and people, before making the sun moon and stars, to light day, light the night, and guide the way). Another story seemed to tell the tale of someone, a very much winged someone, flying into the sky and stealing a star for their distraught or ill child. And even more- arithians wielding magic that could control storms, or the sea, or pieces of earth. Arithians hunting prey far larger than themselves, Arithians residing in treetop nests and shallow burrows, working together to raise their chilidren.
From the mundane and back to the fantastical- another story telling of pieces of stars falling from the sky and down into the seas below, or impacting the floating islands that made up their dry land, and arithians discovering the pearl-like celestial objects, fashioning jewelry from them- or using them to open portals and hop between worlds.
The small blurbs in human language did little to clarify things, seeming the scrawls of a child. A question, or what might be a title of the story, or a name of a character. It was difficult to tell. It told the story of a species surviving, thriving even, with their gods watching over them and answering their prayers....
Until... Michael turned the pages halfway through, only to find ruined, charred pages. On closer inspection, they weren't simply burned; no soot rubbed off on his fingers. It looked like a myriad of teeth marks from innumerous mouths, both large and miniscule, had taken to gnawing and grinding the pages to bits, leaving these strange, magically damage scraps behind...
snowghoul
theartofmadeline
baratheonpilled
gracieabrams
gummygunk
