chronicles of eden - act I (56 page)

"Here's 180, I have the rest in my duffel bag,” she said casually. She blinked then saw the strange expression on his face as he just stared at her.

"What's wrong?" she asked simply. After a long pause of silence he looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"What are you trying to pull, just what kind of monster are you?" he asked sternly.

"What? Monster? I'm not a monster, I'm human just like you," Triska said confused. The man reached down and grabbed the strap to the duffel bag, then strained and grunted as he tried to lift it up. The other men around the area watched closely while Triska watched the guy with a raised eyebrow.

"What the… how the hell is this thing so heavy?" he asked in disbelief. Triska glanced to the bag then to him as he let it go and shook his head with discontent.

"There's no way you're human, no human girl could carry that thing with one hand," he accused sharply, pointing to her with a glare. She looked at him with puzzlement then down to her bag.

"What are you talking about? It's just my duffel bag, it's not that heavy," she said shaking her head.

The ground under the duffel bag cracked apart some more, then gave away slightly as it dropped down into a small rut. The man stared at it with wide eyes then back to Triska with a glare.

"Like hell it's not heavy. Now beat it, we don't sell these to monsters like you. Go to the marketplace if you want to buy something," he scoffed, waving his hand away. Triska looked at him with a bit of surprise then glared at him.

"Hey, hold on a second here. I'm not a monster, I'm a human girl. Just because you're lacking upper body strength doesn't give you the right to make such wild accusations," she said sternly.

The duffel bag dropped down another foot into the ground as a dust cloud rose up, the area around the small hole cracking more as the men looked down to it with wide eyes.

"Furthermore I'm a paying customer, remember? I got the gold you wanted for the caravan, I'm paying for it in full without any complaints," Triska continued as she glared at the man still, not seeing the bag dropping down yet another foot as a loud crunching sound was heard in the now deep hole in the ground. The man glanced down to it then back to the girl as she pointed a finger at him with a narrowed stare.

"And I resent being called a monster, I'm a human being and damn proud of it! So don't go running your mouth about me being a monster of Eden, I may not have my sword with me but I can damn well kick your ass with my fists alone!" she yelled out. The man blinked then looked down to the bag that was deep in the hole between them. Triska grunted then reached down and grabbed the strap of the bag, hoisting it up and slinging it over her shoulder with one hand.

"I know how you people treat monsters that do come through here; even though this is a neutral city you still overcharge them and treat them like crap. It's despicable, it's no wonder they treat you like cattle out there in the world," she said loudly. The man opened his mouth to speak before Triska dropped her duffel bag next to her, the ground again cracking and crushing in slightly as the men around the area looked at it with wide eyes.

"I mean, yeah, I get it. They're monsters; they steal men away and use them to breed with. But you're the ones that decided to allow them in here to trade with, to buy their stuff that's of much higher quality and value than your own junk. If you want them to come here so you can get their stuff, then I suggest showing a little goddamned hospitality. You want to bash their skulls in when you see them outside, that's your choice. But in a neutral city you show them some goddamned equality!" she yelled out.

Over in the courtyard Alyssa and Squeak were sitting at the edge of the fountain, the two monster girls waiting for their companions to return. After a pause Alyssa blinked then glanced off towards the eastern side of the city.

"I don't know why, but I feel like Triska's screwing up," she said flatly.

Back at the stables where a loud girl's yell was heard the stablemen were just staring at Triska with stunned expressions while she was glaring at the man in front of her. Lucky just stood quietly behind her still, casually looking around as his tail swished about behind him gently. Triska reached into her duffel bag and pulled out the remaining gold coins for the purchase, dropping them into the small carrying pouch and then chucking it at the man with discontent. He caught it with a surprised jump as she pointed to him accusingly.

"If you want to do business in this city then you can start by showing some respect for your customers. There's your money, 200 gold coins for the caravan, and I'd appreciate it if you would keep your outrageous accusations to yourself," she said sternly. The man glanced down to the bag then back to the girl as she put a hand to her hip with an annoyed expression. She grabbed her duffel bag and slung it over her shoulder then grabbed Lucky's reins.

"Well? Are you going to help a young lady hitch up the ride to her horse or not? What kind of men are you anyway, where are your manners?" she demanded, looking around at all the stablemen that were just staring at her.

"Uh…" the stableman holding the gold said unsurely.

"You people are unbelievable. I can understand your resentment towards monsters, but show a little goddamned class in the presence of a lady," Triska said shaking her head with a scoff. The man glanced to the other stablemen then back to the girl with a bit of concern.

"But…" he said nervously.

"But nothing! This is horrible service, what are you trying to pull here? Do I need to get the city guard here to straighten this out?" Triska threatened with a sharp look at him. He jumped a bit and shook his head nervously.

"No, no that won't be necessary. Really, I'm sorry… about saying…" he stuttered as he saw the girl somehow carrying the bag with one hand behind her back. She raised an eyebrow at him as he stammered something, the man then pausing for a moment before smiling nervously.

"Ah, never mind. Forget I said anything… miss," he said as he motioned for the two stablemen nearby to resume getting the caravan ready. They glanced to each other then proceeded to get the ride set while Triska walked Lucky over towards it. She stopped and glanced to the man as she passed him.

"If I were a monster, I wouldn't bother trying to take you away out there. I would want somebody who isn't so thickheaded that he can't tell the difference between a monster and a human girl," she stated with discontent. The man opened his mouth to speak as she walked past him, and then closed his mouth as he watched her carrying the duffel bag without any issues whatsoever. The two stablemen helped hitch Lucky to the front of the caravan while Triska climbed aboard, the girl setting her duffel bag down inside the cabin. She sat at the driver's seat and took the reins, then glanced to the men as they just stared at her with wonder.

"A pleasure doing business with you," she said dryly before snapping the reins. Lucky started trotting off down the street with the caravan in tow, the single horse pulling the larger wagon with little problem. The stablemen just stared with wide eyes as the man holding the bag of gold dropped it with a stunned expression.

"Wow… that’s… a strong horse," he said quietly.

Triska watched as Lucky pulled the caravan down the street at a calm pace, the horse moving along while she had a dull expression on her face.

"What's with everybody doubting that I'm a human anyway? I just don't get it," she questioned quietly to herself. Looking back ahead she shrugged with a calm smile. She had their ride out in the outerlands now; all that was left was to regroup then set off into the world.

*****

Daniel rubbed his eyes a bit then looked back down to his guidebook, glancing over to the monster book that was from the library next to it then back to his as he compared the entries with the ones in the other book. He had been making sure his current records were accurate while also adding in a few others that he hadn't known of. He set down his pen as he rechecked his writing again then smiled curiously.

"I didn't realize there were so many different types of monsters in this world, I wonder how many are in this region alone," he asked himself quietly as he looked through the book from the library.

"Quite a few actually," Specca said from behind him. He looked over to see the nixie smiling at him with a curious expression.

"Were there any in particular you were hoping to meet first?" she asked.

"Oh, hello, Specca. Well, I didn't have any in mind, I guess any I can find will do," he said looking back to his book.

"Oh, but you must be careful out there, Daniel, not all monsters would be so willing to talk about such ideas as coexistence. Some of them can be rather… unpleasant with their men," Specca cautioned as she walked over beside him. Daniel nodded then glanced to her.

"Well, what about your race?" he asked quietly. She looked around to make sure nobody was nearby then shrugged slightly.

"I'm not sure. We're not violent or anything, and we don't invade human lands for our men, but I'm not sure if coexisting has ever crossed any of their minds before," she said softly as her hands fidgeted in front of her. Daniel glanced to them with a curious eye then back to her as she was looking down at his book.

"Well you seem rather peaceful, perhaps your race would be one I could try talking to first," he reasoned with a slight smile. She looked to him then smiled worriedly.

"Perhaps, although I wouldn't recommend it. If one of them charms you and takes you away, your journey will come to a swift end," she warned, sitting down next to him. Again her hands fidgeted in her lap as she looked at the monster book with worry.

"My kind are found near large bodies of water or expansive rivers away from human civilization. We don't live above the water though, we live under it. If you're charmed into submission and taken down into the water, you'll never come back up again," she said looking back to him worriedly.

"Your people drown the humans they catch?" he asked with a stunned expression. She blinked then smiled amusingly at him.

"What? Oh dear no, not at all. That wouldn’t work so well for either of us, would it? We are quite skilled in the magical arts, Daniel, and one of our most well-known spells is to grant a land based creature the ability to breathe underwater. A nixie would cast that on you so you would live while underwater, you would be able to breathe as if you were on land," she explained with a slight smile.

"Wow, your people can do that?" he asked curiously. Specca nodded then looked down with concern.

"Yes, but, in doing so they would never allow you to leave. You'll never return to the surface, Daniel, you'll be kept underwater as a nixie's husband for the rest of your life. If your negotiations with my race don't go well, you'll be trapped down there forever," she said glancing back up to him worriedly. He nodded slowly then looked back to his book.

"I have a feeling that's how it will be with any monster race I talk to," he said softly. Specca looked at him curiously as he casually turned the page in his book.

"Whether the monster race if friendly or not, they're going to do what their nature is telling them to do. I'm a human male; their nature will be of course to take me away as their breeder, one way or another. At least with your race it sounds like they would be somewhat kind with it," he commented, laughing a bit to himself at the end.

"I don't understand how you can be so calm about such an endeavor. You're risking your own life, your own freedom even, all on a mere chance that those you speak with will agree with your idea. Aren't you afraid?" Specca asked with worry. Daniel nodded then looked back to her with a calm smile.

"Well, yeah, a little. After all I might run into one of the more… ruthless monsters out there that wouldn't be so keen on listening to me rather than humping me to death. Still, somebody has to try," he reasoned with a slight shrug.

"But why you? Why are you doing this?" Specca asked curiously.

"Because I believe, Specca, I believe that monsters and humans can get along if they try. Some monsters out there may indeed be so savage and wild that coexistence will never be possible, but there are others, like you, that may be able to give peace a chance," he reasoned gently. Specca watched him with a curious expression, the boy looking back down to his book as the nixie tilted her head in wonder. After a moment she smiled softly and looked down.

"You're such an interesting human, Daniel, to think in such a way like that," she said while her hands fidgeted more. She flinched slightly then scratched her gloved hand with annoyance.

"Are you alright?" Daniel asked looking to her. She nodded slowly then glanced around.

"I'll be fine. These gloves always irritate me," she said softly.

"Why not take them off then?" Daniel asked. Specca shook her head and looked at her gloved hands with worry.

"No no, that wouldn't be the best thing to do… in here," she said looking back up to him. Daniel looked at her for a moment then slowly down to her hands.

"Oh, you're hiding them," he said quietly. Her hands looked perfectly normal with her long gloves on, but it was apparent that underneath they weren't normal at all. Specca looked at them with concern then glanced away.

"A small amount of discomfort is a price to pay for staying here. It's because I'm allowed to stay in this city that I've seen and read such amazing things, as well as… met such amazing humans…" she said softly before looking back to him. He looked up into her eyes as she was smiling gently at him.

"Like you," she finished. Daniel looked at her for a moment then smiled gently as well.

"I'm glad I got a chance to meet an amazing girl like you, Specca," he said kindly. She looked at him with wonder then smiled bashfully.

"Girl, you called me a… girl, instead of a… monster," she said timidly.

"Well, yeah. You are a girl after all," Daniel reasoned with a small smirk.

"I know, it's just… you made me feel… it wasn't like I was a…" Specca hesitated while looking down at her hands.

"A nameless monster of Eden," Daniel finished gently. Specca nodded and looked at him with a curious smile.