[SE] Don't be shelf-ish

The journey had indeed only taken a couple of days in the fair weather of Longheat. The Peregrine was small for a skyboat but swift for her size, and Tal was deft at reading the winds and currents of the higher air. Testing the compass proved the trade's worth, too, and Messenger brightened considerably at seeing it in action. Though he made an attempt to teach Maea there simply wasn't time to pass on several years of experience in such a short time, and the courier was never good with words, especially to explain something that was as much felt as seen. The best that he could do was agree to continue the lessons the next time she rode with him, in the hopes that, like him, she'd pick the knack up eventually.

It was lunchtime when they arrived at the skyport and docked. Tal moved briskly into town, Boreal circling overhead and watching out for void-tainted fauna that might attempt to waylay her human again. She had a particular vendetta against tangleweeds...

But today the journey was uneventful, and they made their way to the Atheneum without incident. It was the courier's first visit to the imposing edifice, and he slipped inside with a complicated expression on his face, stopping suddenly in the doorway to take in the towering rotunda and whistle in reluctant astonishment. "Well... hail. That's... wow. A lotta fuckin' books."

Perhaps his legend title should have been 'Captain Obvious' instead.