"I'll meet up with you two in a bit, I'm going to check out their library while we're here," he informed them with a smile. Triska looked at him with a raised eyebrow then smiled amusedly.
"Always with your nose in the books, huh?" she asked playfully. Daniel shrugged then looked off down the street where he saw a sign with a book decal on it near a large building. The library in Ashwood was two stories tall with rounded stone pillars in front of it, the building having a few people walking in through the fine crafted wooden doors.
"Never hurts to be too prepared. I'm going to see if they have any records of monster types here that I can copy down into my book, just to make sure we're ready for whatever we might find out in the wild," Daniel reasoned. Triska smiled gently at him as she nodded in agreement.
"You're the monster expert, whatever you say, Daniel," she said softly. Daniel chuckled then looked over to the two girls with a calm smile.
"I'll meet you where Alyssa said she'd be waiting at, are you two going to be ok on your own?" he asked. Triska nodded and glanced around at the people passing by in the streets, observing that all of them were watching the ant girl with cautious and harsh expressions.
"I'll keep an eye on Squeak, we'll be alright. Still, I think we should leave as soon as we're able, this place isn't exactly welcoming of monsters or those that hang around them," she said looking back to Daniel. He nodded then looked over to Squeak as the ant girl was watching him curiously.
"Just stay close to Triska, you'll be alright. I'll see you soon, ok?" he said gently. Squeak nodded and smiled as her antennae twitched a bit. He waved to them then walked off down the street with his bag slung behind him, his eyes glancing around curiously at the sight of the large city as he made his way towards the library. Triska watched him walk off then sighed softly.
"Alright then, let's get going, Squeak," she said as she looked over towards the nearby shops along the street. She blinked then looked over to seeing the ant girl eyeing another street curiously.
"Squeak?" Triska asked, then looking down the street as well. She saw people walking around casually and talking amongst themselves, but nothing out of the ordinary.
"What is it?" Triska asked looking back to Squeak. The ant girl glanced to her then looked back down the street while she squeaked and pointed ahead. Triska looked at her puzzled then glanced down the street again, still not seeing anything special. She shook her head then took the ant girl's hand and started leading her down another road towards the nearby stores.
"C'mon, we need to get our supplies and meet up with Daniel and Alyssa. We'll people watch later, ok?" she said as she walked the ant girl down the road. Squeak glanced to her then back down the other road, squeaking with a curious expression before she was led down the street by Triska.
Further down the other road a figure watched the human and ant girl disappear around the corner, a black cloak and hood concealing the face and body that turned to walk away down a nearby alleyway. As it did a green reptilian tail was briefly seen behind it below the cloak before vanishing into the shadows.
*****
"Wow…" Daniel said in awe, looking around with wonder as he had just walked into the library of the city. His old village had books of course, but nowhere near this many. The inside of the building was setup with both floors having shelves and shelves lined with books of various sizes and types, with the upper floor circling around the lower one above with an opening in the middle. The atrium style library had glass windows up above letting sunlight down into the building while a few windows were seen around the walls as well. There were warm lit lanterns hanging from hooks on some bookshelves and around the ceiling of the first floor while people were walking around, talking quietly on the green carpeted floors or searching for books of interest to them. Throughout both levels of the building there were dozens of tables and chairs setup with some people reading at them quietly.
"I… don't even know where to start," Daniel said with wonder.
"Can I help you?" a female voice said from beside him. He looked over to seeing a girl standing next to him. She was a bit shorter than he was, dressed with brown leather boots, a light blue dress that went down below her knees, a white blouse with a light blue tie down the middle, and white gloves that went up to her elbows. She had dark brunette hair that went down past her shoulders covering her ears, and wore rounded glasses over her brown eyes.
"Welcome to the Ashwood library, how may I help you?" she asked while she was carrying a few books in her arms close to her chest.
"Oh, hello. Yeah, I'm new here and… I was wondering if you had any books on…" Daniel said before trailing off while looking around again at the large collection of books in the building, then back to seeing the girl watching him with a curious smile.
"We have nearly every kind of book out there at this library, what are you searching for?" she asked with a cheery tone. He smiled and glanced around.
"Well, I was looking to see if you had any books on the types of monsters in the world, anything that would have descriptions of them and where they might be found," he said casually. She looked at him curiously then up in thought.
"Hmm, books on monsters…" she asked herself curiously. After a pause she looked over towards the shelves near the right side of the building.
"I think we have those over here, follow me, sir," she said before she trotted off. Daniel followed after her as he looked around curiously. The girl walked over towards a shelf and started examining a few of the labels, then looked up curiously. She hopped up and snatched a large book out of the higher shelf and then opened and held it before her with one hand while she held the other books she was carrying with the other.
"Here we go, a record book of the monsters of Eden," she informed, handing the book over to Daniel. He took it and flipped through the pages with a curious smile.
"Thank you, this is exactly what I was looking for," he said with a nod. The girl smiled at him as she held her books to her chest again.
"I'm happy to help, sir, is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked curiously.
"No, thank you. This is what I came here for. There are so many listings in here; it kind of makes my monster guidebook seem obsolete," Daniel said with a small laugh. The girl looked at him curiously as she tilted her head slightly in question.
"Your monster guidebook?" she asked. Daniel nodded then walked over to a nearby table, the girl following him and watching him with a curious eye still. Daniel set his bag down on the table and brought out his monster book, then sat down and opened it up while having the other book opened next to it.
"Yeah, I put together what I could from my village, but this book here seems much more detailed than the ones we had back home," he explained, checking through the new book and comparing it to his.
"If I may ask, why is it that you made that book?" she asked curiously.
"Well, I want to be prepared for when I meet them out in the world, this guidebook will-" he started before the girl jumped a bit and dropped the books she was carrying.
"Meet them? You're… planning on meeting them out there?" she asked with surprise. He nodded then looked to her with a weak smile.
"Yeah… it's a long story," he said with a shrug. She looked at him with wonder then down at his book.
"Why are you intending to look for them, don't you know what monsters will do to a male like you?" she asked worriedly. He nodded then looked down at his book with a solemn expression.
"Yeah, I know very well how their nature is and what they want. To find and use men to breed with, to merely survive the only way they can by using us humans as their breeding tools," he calmly stated. The girl looked at him worriedly then walked up next to him.
"If you know this then why are you intending to go out into the world looking for them? This book here was put together to warn you where these monsters are and how to avoid them, not to go seeking them out," she explained with concern. He nodded then glanced to her.
&nb
sp; "I know it seems crazy, but I have my reasons," he replied with a shrug. She looked at him curiously then down to his book.
"What reason would you have for wanting to find them? Are you some sort of monster hunter?" she asked looking back to him. He chuckled and shook his head.
"No no, nothing like that. It's… well, you wouldn't understand," he said looking back down to his book. She examined him with puzzlement then put her hands at her hips with an annoyed expression.
"What do you mean I wouldn't understand? I'm not stupid you know, I can handle information of any caliber. I can read and understand any book here in this library, so don't think whatever you're doing is beyond my comprehension," she stated assertively as she adjusted her glasses. Daniel glanced to her then looked back to his book with a small smirk.
"I see, I didn't mean to insult you in any way. What I meant was you may understand what I say, but you'd still think it's crazy regardless," he said with a shrug. She looked at him curiously then sat down next to him.
"Ok, now you've got my curiosity piqued. If you're not a monster hunter then why are you looking for them? Are you a researcher or something?" she asked. Daniel glanced up in thought then shook his head.
"Not quite. More like… an ambassador," he mused with a small chuckle.
"Ambassador?" she asked curiously. He nodded then looked over to her with a small smile.
"You see, I'm not looking to start a fight with any of them that I meet. I'm looking to see if… if they would be willing to give peace a chance between us," he said gently. The girl stared at him for a moment then raised an eyebrow.
"To give… peace a chance?" she asked slowly. He nodded then looked back down to his book with a sigh.
"I told you you'd think I was crazy," he said simply. After a pause he glanced back over to see the girl looking at him curiously still.
"Well?" she asked.
"Well what?" he replied confusedly.
"How do you intend to do that?" she asked tilting her head curiously. He smiled slightly then looked back down to his book as he turned the page.
"The only way I know how. I'm going to travel the lands looking for them, and try talking to them," he explained calmly. After another pause he glanced back over to see the girl still looking at him curiously. She just sat there, not laughing or making any kind of odd facial expressions at his plan. She glanced down to his book then back to him with a small smile.
"You're just going to travel the outerlands looking for these monsters, and hope that when you meet them they'll just talk to you rather than rape you to death?" she questioned, her words although sounding curious having no hint of ridicule or judgment in them. Daniel nodded and smiled with a slight amount of self-amusement.
"Yeah, that's my brilliant plan," he answered. She looked at him curiously then shook her head while her smile remained.
"Well, you're certainly the first person I've ever heard of that thought of such an idea before, but that seems like you're throwing your life away in doing so. What if you come across a monster that doesn't want to talk and instead wants you just for your seed?" she asked curiously. Daniel nodded slowly then looked up as he leaned back in his chair.
"Yeah, that is something to be worried about I suppose," he said softly.
"Well yes, it is. Yet you don't seem worried at all," she commented as she observed him. He chuckled and shook his head in response.
"No, I guess I'm not. After all I've had good luck so far… sort of," he reasoned.
"What do you mean by that?" she asked puzzled. He glanced to her and then turned a few pages in his book, showing her the listing for a monster class. She looked to it curiously as she adjusted her glasses.
"I've already met two monsters before coming here," he explained as she read the listing regarding the 'Witch' monster class. She looked to him with wide eyes and a small jump.
"Wait, you have?" she asked as she tried to keep her voice down. He nodded then turned the page and showed her his entry regarding the 'Ant Girl' monster class.
"Yeah, sort of ran into them on my way here. At first they were going to do what monsters do, try to take me away by force and have their way with me. The witch was about to charm me and keep me in her home and the ant girls were going to keep me with the other men they've collected in their nest. But…" he said before looking down. The girl watched him with wonder as she waited for him to continue. He smiled then set his book back down on the table.
"But they proved my theory right," he said softly.
"Your theory?" the girl asked curiously. Daniel nodded then looked to her with a calm smile.
"That they can fight their inner nature, that they can remain in control of themselves. That we can coexist together peacefully in this world," he explained. She looked at him with wonder then down to his book, remaining silent as the hushed voices of other people were faintly heard around them.
"Coexist? You think humans and monsters can… coexist?" she asked quietly. Daniel nodded as he looked at his book.
"I know we can. That witch and ant girl I met, they fought their nature for me; they stopped themselves and their own kind from using me as a breeding tool. They're fighting their nature right now while they travel with me on my journey," he said calmly.
"What? You're traveling with… two monsters? Really?" she asked looking to him with surprise.
"That's right, they offered to come along with me as both proof to my belief and to help me in case I run into any trouble out there," he replied. After a pause he looked over to see the girl staring at him with wonder still.
"You're serious, you think humans and monsters can live together?" she asked quietly. He nodded then looked down with a solemn expression.
"I know, you think it's outrageous, that I'm crazy. I don't expect you to understand," he said softly. Glancing over to the side he saw the girl still sitting there, not moving or laughing at him at all.
"How come… how come you want humans and monsters to coexist? I've never heard of anyone preaching such… unique beliefs," she inquired curiously. Although she seemed surprised by his intentions, she didn't make any comments questioning his sanity at all.
"Well, for one not all monsters are evil at heart. Sure, there are some out there that are truly malicious, the real Darker Ones of the world. But not all of them have to be our enemies. Some have weapons and magic beyond what we can make, and others have medicine that's more effective than our own. We can help each other, become allies in the world against the real monsters out there, the ones that would kill both man and monster alike," he reasoned as the girl watched him closely. She just stared at him, not moving or saying a word. After a while she looked down, the light against her glasses causing a soft glare that hid her eyes.
"You really believe that? You really believe that humans and monsters can live together?" she asked quietly.
"I know we can. I was saved by one when I was a little boy; I remember it clear as day. A monster saved my life, how could something that would save a young boy be evil? And the witch and ant girl I've come across, they've agreed to give peace a chance, to hopefully sway their own kind into talking peacefully with humans. They're not evil, not at all," he said shaking his head. The girl looked back up to him with worried eyes, her hands fidgeting a bit in her lap. He looked at her with remorse then back down to his book.
"I know what you're thinking, what everybody would think if they heard this. That it's crazy, that I'm crazy. Well I don't think it's crazy, not at all. I've already found two monsters that are willing to give peace a chance, two monsters that fought their inner nature to help me. There must be more out there, I just know it," he said softly. She looked at him for a moment then down to the book from the library with a gentle gaze.
"You're not crazy," she said quietly. Daniel looked over to her curiously as she turned a few pages in the book.
"But you are wrong regarding the monsters you found," she said shaking her head. Daniel sighed and looked back down at the tab
le.
"I know you think they're going to take me away, that they can't be trusted, that they're just lustful monsters like all the others out there. But I trust them with my life, I know they believe in us coexisting as much as I do," he said closing his eyes. The girl glanced to him as she turned to another page, and then gently pushed the book over in front of him.
"That's not what I meant," she said looking to him. He glanced to her then down to the book, reading the entry that was in front of him.
Monster class: Nixie. Found in rivers and large bodies of water. These water spirits are generally peaceful and reclusive in nature, however can become hostile if threatened or provoked. They are capable of breathing underwater and using unique magical spells, including the ability to charm men they come into contact with. Although rare to find, they are considered dangerous and to be avoided at all costs, especially if they are in the water.
Daniel examined the entry then glanced over to the girl who was looking at him with gentle eyes. They sat there in silence for a moment before she smiled at him.
"I mean you've found three that wish to coexist," she said softly. Daniel stared at her with a curious expression then slowly showed surprise as he realized what she was getting at.
"Wait, you… you're a-" he started before she quickly held a hand over his mouth and shook her head worriedly.
"Please be quiet, don't let anyone hear you," she pleaded quietly. She looked around quickly as the boy stared at her with wide eyes. Slowly she removed her hand as she looked back to him with a timid expression.
"You're… a monster too?" he asked quietly. She glanced around to make sure nobody was nearby, then slowly lifted her hands up and brought her hair back around her ears. Daniel saw that underneath her brunette locks she had teal colored hair that went down to her shoulders, being concealed completely by her wig. And behind that were her ears, which were light green reptilian fins, the ridges being pointed as they stuck out a bit from her head. She looked at him with worried eyes and nodded slowly before dropping her hair back down, covering the sight of her unique features.
chronicles of eden - act I Page 40