chronicles of eden - act I (2 page)

"I need to talk to them and try to convince them with what I know. I know I'm right, Triska, I know it. I just need to go out and get the proof myself," he said confidently.

"Get the proof? Where?" Triska asked.

"Out there, outside of this village. I've done all I can with what we do know so far, but old books and stories from the elders only go so far. I need to venture out and find the evidence the world wants myself," he said looking to her with a calm smile. She looked at him with evident concern then down to the book he was holding.

“I know the people here haven’t exactly been kind to you, but if you're trying to get kicked out of here on purpose just as an excuse to leave I wish you'd reconsider that option," she said softly. He shook his head and handed her the book.

"It’s not at all like that. I just need to ask for some help from the council with my journey. I can complete my research and theories, but only out there. This village is so closed off from the world, I can’t do anymore with this here," he reasoned. She took the book and thumbed through the few pages he had written so far, some of them she had read before.

"What kind of help are you going to ask for?" she asked looking to him. He looked up with a curious smile while holding a hand to his chin.

"Well… a good expedition out into the uncharted zones would be dangerous and long. I would probably need a dozen armed escorts, maybe a horse and carriage as well. A donation from the treasury to pay for expenses and lodgings along the way would come in handy as well. And maybe some better clothing for the trip, something more suited to being out in the wilderness," he said looking to his clothing. After a moment of silence he looked to see Triska staring at him with a dull expression.

"Is that all?" she asked raising an eyebrow. He chuckled nervously and looked down with a bit of embarrassment.

"Well… at most somebody to help with the dangers along the way, although the horse and carriage would come in handy," he said weakly. Triska just looked at him for a moment then shook her head.

"Like I said, please reconsider the option of trying to get kicked out of the village on purpose," she said flatly before holding the book out to him. As he took back the item she glanced away.

"You know… I'm pretty good with a sword. I could…" she said hesitantly.

Bells sounded from the nearby steeple, the two looking towards the sound as it echoed throughout the village. Triska sighed and looked back to him.

"We need to go, they'll be expecting us. Please… just be careful with what you say," she said softly. He nodded and held onto the book tightly.

"This is for the greater good, our greater good. I know just what to say to them," he replied with confidence. The two started walking down the stone path towards the village center. As they did Triska glanced to her friend, biting her lip slightly before looking back ahead.

*****

Inside the village center the two stood before the council members. The large chamber was a stone hall, with the floor being flat concrete and with several stone pillars to the sides. From the large double doors that led back out into the streets there was a worn red carpet rolled out towards the council members that sat at a long table. Sitting at the stone table with wooden supports were the eight members of the council, all of whom were female, watching the two teenagers with dull and uninterested expressions. They all had normal clothing on of the villagers, yet were known to be the ones that were in charge. Each one of them were looking at the boy without any interest while Triska was watching one particular council member, the woman with longer black hair and dark brown eyes. She was a rather attractive woman compared to the others in the village; however like her daughter she didn’t wear much jewelry or wear clothing such as dresses or gowns. Instead she wore a more masculine outfit, with steel tipped boots, pants that had a few cuts and tears near the knees, a long sleeve shirt with bronze plated shoulder guards, and a blade sheathed at her hip that she always carried with her. Like her daughter, she was known to be a very capable fighter, and one of the strongest in the village.

She watched the boy walk towards the council, her reluctance to being there on that day obvious even with her daughter’s plea that she would give her friend a chance to speak.

"Alright, Daniel, we've gathered here today to listen to your… ideas with an open ear. However, I must let you know that right now you have absolutely no credibility or work to stand on, and as such we expect your presentation to be flawless in every way, is that clear?” she asked.

"Yes ma’am, thank you all for letting me speak to you like this," he said with a bow.

"Very well, please proceed," another councilwoman said with a wave of her hand. Triska looked to her mother with worried glance then to her friend again.

"Of course. Council members, I know everybody thinks that my theories are completely absurd, and frankly I don't blame you at all," Daniel started while looking around at the women.

"But believe me when I say that we don't have to live in fear like this. We can still live in this world as humans have done long ago without cowering behind our walls," he said assuredly.

"First off, we are not 'cowering in fear’; we have a good life here that is peaceful and blessed with everything we need. Secondly, those stories about humans having ruled the world long ago are just that, stories. The real world out there is nothing but chaos without any order or control in the least," a council member said shaking her head. Triska looked to her mother who was giving the boy a dull expression still. She glanced to her and saw Triska motioning towards Daniel. The woman rolled her eyes then raised a hand up.

"Give him a chance to speak first, that's why we're here today," the chief said tiredly. Triska smiled softly at her mother then to Daniel. He nodded then held up his book.

"I've been collecting notes and information about what we know of them, from how they live to how they think. Everything we know about them I've been going through again and again while creating this book, this guide to their existence," he said simply.

"We know enough. They kill, they destroy, they rape, they feed, and they reproduce. Every single one of them are an abomination from the otherworld, what more could you possibly have to shed light on at this point?" a councilwoman said bitterly. Again Triska's mother merely held up her hand to silence the members. Daniel shook his head and looked at the council member with a dull expression.

"For one, they're not all like that," he said flatly.

"Oh no? Name one example of one of those things acting civil or tame," another said with discontent.

"Ok, again, shut up and listen to the kid," Triska's mother said, covering her eyes with one hand tiredly. Daniel looked around at the council members then to his book as he calmly opened it to a page.

"Monster class: Elf. Lives among secluded forests. Peaceful and good-natured when encountered. They use bows, arrows, and small weapons to hunt woodland animals with and are omnivorous. There have even been several reports of elves coming to aid humans against other hostile monsters in the forests. Although they are prideful and aggressive when provoked, they do not hunt or attack humans unless attacked first," he read aloud. After a quick glance around at the women to seeing no reaction he continued.

"Monster class: Angel. Seemingly from heaven itself. They are not technically monsters, although since they aren't 'human' they are placed into that category. They are protective and caring to those that value life, and have in rare cases shown themselves to humans that are in dire need of help. They are not hostile with humans, and do not even engage in battle or fights if provoked," he continued. The council members glanced to each other then back to Daniel, none of them speaking or showing any further reaction.

"Monster class: Unicorn. Found in forests, although extremely rare. As peaceful as they are gentle, they do not engage in any battles or conflicts. They mostly avoid contact with us because we are considered to them 'evil and untrustworthy'. The few cases of contact reported show that they are good-natured and have even helped heal wounded or sickly travelers out of pity for them. They have a high magical affinity and have even created cures to certain deadly poisons that we humans couldn't," Daniel said calmly. He looked around at the council members as Triska smiled softly.

"Those are just three examples for you. And yes, I'm not blind. I do know there are a great deal of other monsters out in our world, many of which who are indeed evil-natured. But just as humans can be both good and evil, so can these 'monsters'," he said proudly. Triska smiled then looked at the council, the women among the table watching the boy with dull expressions still. After a moment Triska's mother raised her eyebrow.

"Before we respond to your…
examples
, what is it you have come here to ask?" she asked with an accusing stare.

"I wish to venture out into the lands around our village and learn more about these monsters, and hopefully others as well. Perhaps even form alliances with those that are peaceful. Our walls and weapons may stop lesser monsters from destroying our homes, but that won't last forever. The city of Rishkin was leveled to the ground by stronger ones than they were prepared for, we could fall just as easily. We shouldn't fear all these beings when there are some that could help us," Daniel pleaded. The council members started to chuckle amusingly as he shook his head.

"Some of them have powerful medicine and magic, others are expert warriors themselves. Why must mankind treat them all as enemies when they don't all have to be?" he asked with urgency. Triska's mother looked to her daughter with a dull glance then back to the boy.

"Because they all
are
enemies. Your examples do nothing to back up your theory that these… things can be anything other than monsters," she said. Daniel looked at her with concern then to his book.

"You left out one important detail with your little presentation, I'm sure by choice. Every monster, every type, either good or evil as you put it, has one thing in common. And you must know this as well seeing as how you dedicated your life to studying them like this," the chief said with discontent. Daniel glanced away as he knew where the council was going with this.

"I know… I know about that. But-"

"But nothing," the chief said sternly. Daniel and Triska looked to the council as they glanced to each other.

"Every single one of those monsters is a threat to humans. No matter what they appear to be, or what they can 'offer' our race, it all will end the same way for us," a council member declared.

"Did you think listing off the few monsters that claim to be peaceful like that would sway us? That we didn't already know of those types that roamed our world?" another said with a dull glare. Daniel glanced to Triska then back to the council.

"Every single one of those things is
female
. There are no male monsters, ever," another council member said crossing her arms.

"Their desire to breed always takes precedence over all else, some more so than others," another member added.

"It's how it is with all monsters, how it would be with you should you venture out to 'talk to them'," another said shaking her head slightly.

"They would take you, force you to be their mate, and keep you to help populate their race. That's why we fight them, why we try to kill them. They will take all the men from humanity and use them to breed new monsters, leaving the human race to wither and die," Triska's mother said sternly.

Daniel glanced to his book with concern, knowing what they said was true; every single monster that exists was female, and all desiring to reproduce. Even though all monsters resembled human women in some way, and some may be quite alluring, they were still monsters. That meant abducting and taking human men by force to breed with. Even the ones he had listed off, the ones that were so peaceful in nature were the same way eventually. Those that were gentle with people, those that offered medicine or help from other dangers would all succumb to their inner nature at some point. Men would be taken away while women were either fended off or downright killed. Normally sex wouldn't be something a man would turn down, but when being forced into it to help breed something far from human, the allure of the carnal act loses its appeal rather quickly to most. Not to mention they can be rather… forceful and rough when it comes to their 'love making', with some being quite sadistic in nature.

Daniel looked at the book in his hand then shook his head.

"I don't believe that can be the case for them all. The ones that showed they care about us, that protected those that needed help, they can't all be so… so…" he said with a bit of frustration.

"Evil?" Triska's mother finished with a raised eyebrow. Daniel nodded and looked to her.

"They have to be able to be tamed, or helped to control their inner nature. There are other monsters out there that do kill everybody, man and monster alike, and they are greater in number than we know. Some with powerful magic or incredible strength, those are the real evil ones, the Darker Ones of our world. There has to be ways to coexist with those that are good-natured, we need their help in survival just as they need ours," he defended with.

"There have been those that shared your ideas boy. Those that thought some of these things could be civilized and brought into our homelands or that they could be trained to control their urges. I have yet to hear of one that is still free in the world without being taken by force by their trusted monsters," a council member said with a scoff.

“We hardly hear about anything here in Edgewood, we barely let what travelers do come our way past our walls,” Daniel said shaking his head.

“That’s because it’s safe here in our village, and we have no reason to risk losing that by going out into the wastelands of this world or by letting every stranger that comes by into our home. We have everything we need here, and no monsters around us, this is as good as life will get for our people. There is no sense in us trying to coexist with those… things out there,” a council member firmly stated.