The Monsterhunter

The manuscript

I swear sometimes I wonder how my mind could choose such an annoying cat alarm clock maybe I should have left the normal one, but I doubt that would be so effective in waking me up so quickly. So it is a successfully annoying alarm sound.

I heard Nana stir next to me and said "I swear I should break your phone, that alarm is my nightmare."

"That's why I love it so much." I said mockingly.

Nana stuck her tongue out at me.

"Yeah very mature, what are you like five, grow up." I rolled my eyes at her.

After that we went downstairs to eat, Tuck was already waiting wit a light breakfast prepared. After we ate I went to fetch my book with the moving cities as I liked to call them, a stupid name I know but very practical.

As soon as Tuck saw the book he stiffed and sighed powerfully.

"What is it?" I asked suddenly aware of the change in the atmosphere, which suddenly became gloomy.

"That is one of the ancient forbidden manuscripts, and holds great power at a terrible cost. I am surprised you are still alive after touching that. Tell me do you know why these manuscripts were forbidden?" he said with a grave look on his face.

"No, not really, it was described very little in this book that they used these manuscripts to conquer more and destroy, it talks mostly about people wanting more power." I said in summary of what I read.

"Well that is partially right, but they gained that power by controlling the monsters and when they realized they cannot be control by magic things took a turn for the worst, and monsters became more evolved." He said solemnly.

"Well we cannot change the mess of other people now." Nana said bugging in the discussion.

"Khris why don't you open it and let me look through it. And remember don't let anyone else touch it or they might die." I nodded and sat next to him at the table. When I opened the book something vibrated through me and it sort of felt good and right, but then I remembered what Tuck said and ignored it. I started turning the pages as Tuck silently studied them. This book was considerately thin but it contained a lot of important information. He paused longer on the moving picture of The Lost City and then he saw the writing on the bottom of the page.

I don't think I mentioned this but when I saw the writing now it was different, it was red and more messy, just like someone wrote it with his own blood just moments before he died. It was horrific, but also intriguing.

"The writing is different, when I first read it it was just plain black and I could clearly see the letters and now it looks like this, as if it was written with blood by a dying person." I said my thoughts out loud.

"It could be that this was the form that it was originally written in, as you entered Hell it comed to its true form." explained Tuck. He than went to grab some paper for the translation and I looked at the empty map with The Lost City. And I stared hard almost like the imagine was welcoming me there, that if I could I could just step inside it and arrive there. The sound of Tuck's paper and pen awakened me from my thoughts.

"Well let's get to it, you can go and get more rest and ready yourself for the rejection in the afternoon, I will call on you when I am done." And he got to work. I now noticed that he also brought and old and thick book, probably a dictionary. So I left the room with Nana and said to her that I would like to get more sleep for the afternoon. She hugged me and went downstairs.

As I sat in bed I thought about the rejection, so the whole idea of a mate being a person you cannot leave all your life, is stupid. He couldn't even stay with me for a month, the asshole. Deep down I could feel myself hurting but I just ignored and drifted slowly to sleep.

I felt someone shake me, but I wanted to sleep more.

"Five more minutes." I said, but then again I was shacked , more powerfully this time and I heard Nana's voice telling me to wake up, because it was already afternoon and Tuck was done translating the text. Surprisingly I slept very well and felt refreshed ready to deal with the rejection the best way that I could.

I dressed myself in a long sleeved black top and my military pants with a pair of black boots. I brushed my long dark blue hair and let it loose on my back and before I went downstairs I threw over my black leather jacket and put on my bracelet to have horns and not look out of place.

Tuck was waiting for me by the kitchen table. when he saw me he said:

"Well seems like you got a good sleep, I made some calls and your mate will arrive later apparently, but I recommend that you start packing just in case you will need to flee quickly and quietly."

"Yeah I will start packing as soon as we are done with the text." I said agreeing to him.

"Good so we will get straight to it, it was harder than expected since the writing was so smudged but the best translation I could come up with was "To the place where it all started, the red moon will guide you to what you seek." He finished.

"Great it is a riddle, now we have to figure it out and it will take time. What is most obvious is the place where it all started is clearly The Lost City so first of all I just have to get there first and than I will figure something out from there, but I don't know the way since it is not located in the known boundaries of hell." I said knowing that the journey will only get harder from here.

Tuck looked at me with a doubtful expression, and said:

"You really are a determined person, aren't you?"

"I can't help it, it's in my nature. But I should go start pack for the worst so thank you very much Tuck. I owe you." I thanked him for his work.

"I may be able to help you get there. From what I heard there is a guide that is willing to sneak people in the unknown land for the right price." He said rather skeptical.

"That is great where can I find him?"

"He is rumored to live near The Last Night at the borders of hell, but I have one request, Nana will not go farther than that with you. You have to promise me that and I will come along with you to the guide but not further." He said with a serious look on his face.

At this statement Nana bursted out and started arguing with her uncle. I sighed and told her:

"Nana he is right, it is too dangerous for you, and I cannot put you in danger for my goal. I will never forgive myself if something happened to you. I am sorry." At this point she started crying and hugged me as I continued. "It is settled then we will leave after the rejection, but now I have to go pack because I have a long journey ahead." I released Nana and we both headed upstairs.

I could see that she was sad, but Tuck was right I couldn't put her life in danger for my own goal. I would have to do this on my own, because after all this is my destiny and deep inside I knew it.