Monster Five - Child

Monster Five - Child

Another book that failed to deliver on its initial premise.

She sighed a little and shifted upon her seat. Usually, the Dark Goddess would lounge to the side, perhaps with a cushion or some smaller, weaker monster next to her. Now she sat with her legs crossed at the knee and her back straight in a proper royals bearing.

It was, of course, all the fault of the child.

Luciana glanced away from the book held before her in the grasping claws of one of her beasts and to the far end of the library.

Finding the child wasnt difficult, one had only to look for the stack of books set in a semi-circle atop one of the study tables. The child was hunched over a book, bent nearly in half so that her face was almost touching the page of the tome she read. Her lips were working as she read, perhaps sounding out the words? No, she read too quickly for that.

Luciana looked away and back to her own book. Another piece from Santafaria. Fiction again. She had long ago decided to be honest with herself, something which did not come naturally to her. One of the things she had to admit to was enjoying fiction over non-fictional texts. There was just more value as entertainment in a story over something informative. Not that she avoided purchasing every sample of both.Visit no(v)eLb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience

Her thoughts were wandering, she realized.

A slight gesture of her hand, a minute pulse of magic tinged with brooding, and the creature holding her book retreated. Another monster carefully set a bookmark in place and the book was closed and laid onto a nearby table.

Luciana leaned back into her seat and gazed over at the child, at Valeria. She was interesting, a little font of potential. A distraction from the mundane of her usual day-to-day.

It had been a week since the child awakened from the deep sleep Luciana had found her in. In that time the child had moved very little. She went from her rooms to the library, occasionally to the bathing room near her room, and twice a day down to the dining room. A simple routine, one that allowed the child to spend a maximum amount of time diving into old texts and tomes.

Diligent.

No, not merely diligent. Interested in the act of learning.

Of course, the childs attention-span was about what Luciana was expecting from someone seeming so young. She jumped from topic to topic, her searches through the shelves often waylaid when she encountered an interesting text.

It was strange, to feel a presence moving through her castle that was not one of her monsters, and yet was.

It was... nice?

Luciana held back a grimace.

She might have chosen not to lie to herself, but that was no reason to start thinking such foolish thoughts.

Valeria was looking up to her, eyes sparking, hope wafting off of her like the fresh scent of a flower in bloom.

You will never be able to summon magical creatures as summoners can. That art is beyond you in many ways, and you would likely need texts and training only found in Iaria. The distance is rather great. There is another option, one uniquely available only to yourself.

Only me? Valeria asked.

Luciana nodded. I can do it too, of course. It would require that you have a good understanding of magic, a foundation, at the very least.

I can learn!

Luciana nodded, then she indulged herself and patted the child upon the head. The strange joy that sparked in Valeria did not go unnoticed to her. Then you shall learn. Perhaps some light instruction outside would do you good as well.

Im okay not going outside, Valeria said.

I will not have you practicing some fledgeling magics in my castle, Luciana said. Now, go eat, you have been studying for far too long.

Valeria jumped to her feet, almost tripped on her chair, then hesitated next to Luciana. Her arms rose a little, then lowered. Okay! she said before scampering off.

Luciana watched her go, then considered her own actions.

Was she really merely allowing the child to find her own path in the dark, or was she pushing things along?

Hmm, she hummed. In either case, I wouldnt go against my own word.

If she started to do these things for the child, then that would require some small amount of aid from the outside. Which in turn...

Repercussions.

Perhaps not all bad, though.

She certainly looked forward to it.

***