Monsters Are Back

I Thought You Had Known

Szun was tired of adults. They talked and talked ---- what for? They had been like this for a year, ever since a monster was first spotted.

It was reported by a peasant's wife, who, after growing tired of waiting for her husband, decided to find him herself. She found half of him, along with a black beast enjoying its meal.

At first, the news was disappointing. It came from the isles of Cassidan, almost half of the world from him. His dreams of being a monster killer vanquished as fast as they appeared, and even more so when his father appointed scouts. They would, along with others from other kingdoms, scour the isles for the beast.

Szun volunteered to go too, so atleast there was a little chance he could kill it, but his father had told him he was better off studying for school.

So that lead him here, forced to read The History of Haens outside the capital hall. His father was inside, discussing what was called, "important matters" with the other lords. Like Szun said, adults talked.

The birds whistled from the garden in front of him. He wished he could look at that, rather than this. He rested his head on his hand and pouted. His finger ran across the book. In 632, the Haenen King started the Rose Ceremony, which ... blah blah blah blah.

He shook his head. In 632, the Haenen King started the Rose Ceremony, which consisted of blah blah blah blah.

"Damn!" Szun slapped the book onto the ground, and it skidded down the steps. It was stupid; reading. It was something those skinny four-eyed, egotistical, no social life, losers did. Not him. He was a monster killer. Well, would've been, but still.

What did the Haenens do that deserved his attention? If they were so important, he should've learned about them through fairytales and legends, not a stupid binder of paper.

"What are you reading?" A voice said. He turned.

There was a pale figure, staring.

"Ghost!" He shrieked. He leaped back like a cat and fell on his butt.

"I'm not a ghost," it said.

Szun blinked. The ghost stood in front of him with a frown and with a stunning similarity to a western girl. Then it clicked, and his face became furiously red. It was Signova.

"Do I really look like a ghost?" She asked. She was poking at her cheeks, which, in all fairness, were sickly white.

"Yes! I swear, you westerners eat something that make you look all pasty. And why did you whisper? Sounded like a demon coming for revenge."

"What was I going to do? Yell at you, dummy?" she said. "What were you reading?"

She skipped down the stairs and grabbed the bane of all books. Pushing a golden lock of hair from her eyes, she opened it to his bookmark.

"Don't waste your time, it's not worth it."

She continued to waste her time. She never really followed him. That was annoying.

"The Rose Ceremony," she mouthed, and her eyes squinted as if a cloud of dust had appeared. He grunted. She read good, as Ho Ten used to say. She didn't run her fingers through the words, and never seemed to reread her sentences. Ho Ten always said how scholarly she was. That was also annoying.

"Ew!" She exclaimed.

"What's ew?"

"Look here!" She beckoned him over and pointed to the bottom of the page. "In 632, the Haenen King started the Rose Ceremony, which consisted of a mass sacrifice of five to twelve month old babies. They were put outside the city walls, believing that they would satisfy the monsters and stop them from invading."