chronicles of eden - act I (3 page)

"We have to try though; we can’t stay isolated from the world like this, especially if the Darker Ones do come near our home. The enemy of our enemy is our friend. We need help against those that are truly evil at heart, and so do some of these other 'monsters'," Daniel said urgently.

"They are all enemies, none of them can be 'friends' to humans," another councilwoman said shaking her head. Daniel started to speak again before Triska's mother held up her hand to silence him.

"Now, we've all heard your ideas time and again, and we've even agreed to hear you out this time in hopes you had something to prove it with, but your assumptions are not enough for us to even consider forming 'relations' with these accursed beasts," she said sternly. Daniel looked at her with disbelief then down at his book. Triska glanced down in thought for a moment then looked over to her mother.

"But… mother, he does have a point. Our village, our race is in danger from being wiped out, not simply dying off from our men being taken, but being trapped here like this. What if learning to live with them peacefully is our only hope? What if some of them
can
help us survive?" she questioned. Her mother shook her head and leaned back in her chair as Triska stepped forward.

"There is no denying that certain classes of monsters have extraordinary fighters and healers, some with powerful magic and medicine as well. Some even make weaponry greater than mankind has to offer. If we could find a way to live with them, then the Darker Ones wouldn't be such a threat to us," she pleaded.

"Our way of survival is to stay the hell away from these things and kill them if they dare come after us, not try to talk to them when all they want to do is have their kind increase in number while ours drops. Mankind is already spread thin around the world, much too thin if you ask me, and you two know this,” the chief declared firmly. Triska opened her mouth and started to speak before the woman slammed her hands down on the table.

"Enough of this pointless discussion. You have done nothing but waste our morning by telling us what we already know, and we have better things to do with our time than hear some crazy theories that have absolutely no proof to back them up with," she raged. Triska looked down with closed eyes then slowly glanced over to her friend. She had feared this would be the reaction from the council, and her mother as well. Daniel clenched his fists as he looked at his book, his eyes narrowed as he refused to believe such blind thinking. After a moment he looked to the council with a determined expression.

"Then let me get the proof," he offered.

"We are not letting you take any of our fighters or resources with you on this foolish journey. That would be a death sentence on them and a waste of weapons and food," a council member said shaking her head. Daniel growled quietly to himself then nodded.

"Alright then, so be it. Then I'll go alone," he declared. The council looked at him with a bit of surprise as Triska stared at him with shock.

"What? Alone?" she said in disbelief.

"You'll go out into the wastelands alone? A lone boy against a world of monsters? How foolish are you?" a council member said with a laugh.

"You must be joking," another chuckled.

"Not at all. If that's what it takes then so be it. I won't just accept that this is our lot in life, living out a meager existence in fear of what may be lurking in the darkness," Daniel said firmly. The council started to laugh as Triska's mother just eyed the boy carefully. Daniel shook his head and looked at them with discontent.

"I'll go out there myself, and I'll prove to you that some monsters can be our allies. That we need them to survive in this world just as they need us," he said assuredly.

"He's serious, he's actually serious about going out there alone," a councilwoman said while chuckling.

"I say let him go, let him prove us right and be rid of another lunatic in the village at the same time," another said with a laugh.

Triska looked at her friend with worry then shook her head as the council members started to laugh more. She slowly reached out towards him as she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

"You can't mean that… you can't-"

"Silence!" Triska's mother called out. Everybody stopped and looked to the woman as she stared intently at Daniel.

"You would really throw your life away like that just to try to prove a point? You are by no means special to me, boy, but I don't wish for you to kill yourself so early in your life," she said. Daniel just looked at her for a moment then glanced to the book in his hand.

"I'm not doing this for you; I'm doing it for our race. For mankind. If this is what it takes to help my kind then so be it," he declared boldly. Triska looked at him like he was crazy while her mother eyed him cautiously. After a pause Daniel looked up at the council with a calm smile.

"If I'm really wrong, then you'll indeed never hear my crazy theories again. You can do whatever you think is best with the village against the monsters without me being here speaking such radical ideas. However, what if I'm right? What if they can be our allies? What if we could have a better life than hiding in our little pocket of the world?" he questioned. The council members glanced to each other while Triska just shook her head at him with disbelief still. Her mother looked up for a moment in thought, then back down to the boy.

"Seeing as how you're going to go either way, very well. I personally don't expect to see you ever again; however you do have a point. If you are right, and that is a very big
if
, it could be beneficial for mankind. Still, you are aware that the first monster you meet will not show mercy when her nature calls to her, correct? If you really are prepared to face that fate then be off with your quest, we will not stop you. For what it's worth, I wish you luck. Not that it will make a difference," she said calmly. Daniel nodded as the council started whispering to each other. Triska looked at him then to her mother.

"Mother, you can't let him go out there alone. He's not trained to fight or anything. He won't last a day," she pleaded. Daniel chuckled and looked over to his friend with a slight smile.

"Hey, c'mon, I can handle myself out there just fine. I know how to prepare meals out in the wilderness and to watch out for thieves," he said reassuringly. Triska shook her head and looked to him with concern.

"You can't go alone, you won't be just fine. Thieves would be the last of your worries if you meet a hostile monster. You might even be killed on the spot if she deems you an unworthy mate," she cautioned.

"I would expect as much actually," a councilwoman chuckled to another member.

"True, what monster would want that boy as a mate?" the woman laughed in agreement.

"My daughter does speak the truth, boy, you should heed her words," Triska's mother warned. Daniel shook his head and looked to her with a calm smile.

"Thank you for your concern, but I need to do this. I know what I've put together is the right start to this, and I'm going to carry it all the way. There are those out there that can join us in our survival, maybe even help us live better lives in this world. I won't just sit here and do nothing to help my race," he said proudly.

"Very well, we will have the gatekeeper near the plains open the way for you when you are ready to depart. I expect we won't see you again," a councilwoman said.

"I will give you this, you are brave. However it doesn't hide your foolishness," another said simply. Daniel nodded then bowed to the council as Triska watched him with worried eyes. Her mother looked at Daniel with a dull gaze then shook her head.

‘Such a waste of a life, however there is no reasoning with this one. I feel a small amount of pity for you, lad, may your end be swift and painless out there.'

*****

Inside his home Daniel was gathering his gear into a backpack, the brown leather carrying bag being filled with essentials from his home. Food that was wrapped in cloth, with bread, vegetables, fruits, and some freshly cut meat, a change of clothing, as well as a rollout sleeping mat that was secured to the bottom of the backpack. After putting away a few other items he glanced to the table. There was a small dagger he had since he was all alone, the boy having never really used it for anything. He smiled softly then took the blade, and sheathed it then placed it inside his outer shirt in a pocket. It may not do much against a monster, or even a human, but it was all he had for protection. As he finished packing other items for his journey the front door opened. He looked over to see Triska walking in and setting down a large leather duffel bag as she eyed him with an annoyed expression. On her back she had a sheathed sword that was strapped behind at an angle.

"Alright, let's get going then. We have a long way to go, and need to find a decent place to set up camp when it starts to get dark," she said firmly as she checked her dagger at her hip. She reached back and slightly extended her sword out to examine it with a careful eye. It was of solid steel and polished nicely, the fine blade having an angled hilt and black grip. Normally a weapon of that quality would be expensive to obtain, however being the daughter of the chief had its benefits. She sheathed the blade then looked to her friend who was staring at her with surprise.

"What? We? What are you talking about, Triska?" he asked. The girl marched up to him and leaned in close to his face with a slight scowl.

"What does it look like? I'm going with you to keep you alive out there," she said sternly.

"Going with me?" he stuttered.

"Yes. Going with you. You won't last a day out there without somebody watching your back," Triska said firmly. She looked to the window then back to him as she crossed her arms before her.

"Actually, I don't think you would even last an hour. Thirty minutes tops," she said flatly. Daniel sighed at that comment.

"Hey, I'm not that helpless you know. And I do have protection, I have my own weapon, remember?" he said as he held out his shirt to show the dagger sheathed inside. Triska scoffed then quickly unsheathed her sword, whipping the blade around to Daniel’s throat. The sound of the metal ringing from the maneuver echoed out as Daniel fell silent.

"You call that a weapon?
This
is a weapon, and I'm far more skilled with using it than you are using that little knife," she said proudly. He looked at the sword with wide eyes while trembling slightly.

"But…" he said weakly.

"No buts!" she yelled as she moved forward, the boy backing up nervously against a wall. She held the blade to his throat as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"I'm not going to just let you go out there alone and get raped and killed, no way!" she shouted out.

"I'm not going to be… Triska, could you please put that away?" he said looking at the blade with nervous eyes.

"You're not a fighter, you're a thinker; a thinker who would be taken away without any problem from the weakest of monsters. You need somebody to help with the dangers along the way, you said so yourself," she said sternly.

"But… why you?" he asked nervously.

"Why not me? You don't
want
me to go with you? Is that what you're saying?" Triska demanded as she held the blade closer to him.

"No no! I didn't mean that! It's just… why… I mean…" he stammered nervously. Triska growled then whipped the blade around, spinning it in one hand before sheathing it behind her. There was no doubt about it; she was a skillful fighter as most women of the world were. Seeing as how their men were always in danger it wasn't uncommon for women to take up the roles of fighters and soldiers.

"Then what? Give me one good reason why I can't go with you," she demanded. He just looked at her for a moment then down.

"Well… you are the daughter of the village chief; I don't think your mother-"

"What my mother thinks or says doesn't dictate my life. I've been training to become a fighter here anyway, I'm ready for this. It's my choice where to go and what to do with my life, and I'm choosing to do this," Triska said sternly. She growled quietly and looked away with clenched fists.

"There's no way some wretched disgusting monster is going to take you away to be her mate. Not when I saw you first," she muttered to herself, out of earshot of Daniel. He watched her say something quietly then tilted his head slightly.

"What was that?" he asked curiously. She jumped a bit then looked away with a slight blush.

"Nothing! I'm just saying, you need somebody who can fight, and nobody else in the village is going to give you a hand with this. It may as well be me," she reasoned with quickly. After a pause she looked to him again with a focused expression.

"I'm your guardian on this journey. You're a man, you should get used to women telling you what to do. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a monster or human, men don't get a say in the matter," she said sternly. He just looked at her with bewilderment as she glanced to his backpack on the ground. Before he could speak out in protest she looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Is that all you’re bringing? That can't be enough supplies to last you," she said curiously. He glanced to it then nodded.

"Well, it's all the food and clothing I really have. And a few other books along with my monster guide," he reasoned.

"You're kidding right?" Triska said shaking her head. She sighed then nodded to herself.

"Yeah, you definitely need me and my expertise on this trip. No doubt about it," she said simply.

"I know how to gather food in the wilderness, I'm not helpless you know," he said tiredly. She shook her head and walked over to her bag.

"Yeah, you are actually. But don't worry, you have me with you. I'll take good care of you," she said proudly as she undid the top flap to the large bag. She looked through it for a moment then nodded with a thoughtful expression.

"I've got plenty of food I can cook for you, medical supplies for when you're seriously hurt, some blankets and pillows for us to share together under the night sky, a fold-out stretcher for when I have to drag your unconscious hide back to civilization, equipment for trapping smaller animals and fishing for later, my allowance to cover lodgings, a map of our surrounding lands, plenty of clothing to change into after I get dirtied up saving your life from those things, and a new swimsuit I had made for when we just need to relax in the water together," she said with a smile, forming a small blush at the end of her rant. She stood up and smiled proudly at her friend.