The Ravenous Library: Tale of the Beast

Prologue: Pt1

“Legend tells of a library. Nothing too extraordinary sounding, but when you look closer, it becomes wonderish. For the library, isn't really a library at all, but a spell, which contains a creature, with a love and thirst for knowledge. This creature can cast the strongest of spells.

It created this library, then placed a spell which turned those with bad intentions into a new book. This new book would contain all the knowledge this person may have had in their life.

The creature used a spell, that turned the humans, vampires, werewolves, selkie, and fae alike, into a book. Even a few angels or demons once in a while.

It uses this spell to collect knowledge and lure in more people with that knowledge. There are many tales, and many legends in the deep cavernous library. Innumerable shelves, and each one is full to the very brim with books of knowledge. There are even hundreds of books that don't fit.This is the tale of the ravenous library, of the beast who seeks knowledge from others.”

As Zurina closed the book, Hugo and Belladonna looked up at the older girl with wide eyes. They both looked super excited, but what Zurina didn’t expect was what Hugo said in response to the end of the book they were reading.

He looked up, smiled widely and then jumped to his knees. He put his hands on Zurina’s knees, and stared into her eyes before he spoke. His voice was like melted dark chocolate, even at the tender age of 98. He was a vampire after all. He was currently what humans considered a middle schooler age.

“When I grow up, I want to find the library. I want to read all those books. It sounds like an amazing place to live too!” Hugo exclaimed excitedly.

This caused both girls to look at him with shock. Hadn’t he been listening? If he found and entered the library, he would be turned into a book by the beast. He just kept smiling, then he jumped the rest of the way to his feet.

Running out of the room laughing, he ran all around the front yard of the orphanage. Most of the kids there were humans, as mythic orphancy was so rare mythics didn’t have there own orphanages.

When it did happen, the child was disguised as a human, and placed in a human orphanage. It was sad that the number had increased, but hopefully it would slowly decrease over time.

Zurina, Belladonna, and Hugo were only three of six kids. Of the ones in this orphanage, only one was a human. Her name was Petra, though she didn’t like the name she had been given. Insisting they called her simone, not Petra. The other two, were Leana and Chess.

Chess, as his name may suggest, liked chess and is a really good player. No one in the orphanage or at school could beat him. He had even gone to world championships before, and he was only eleven.

Leana, was one of four girls. She was also considered to be one of the prettiest girls in school. Despite her wild hair and eye colors, which some might consider freakish or inhuman. She had just started highschool, and was among the top ten in the school grade wise.

Belladonna, was one of the youngest. She was just started 5th grade, and she was the top in her class. Even if she was the shortest, which she was teased about every day, but never let show.

Petra, the human of the bunch, the youngest at age ten, she was in fourth grade. She was high-functioning autistic, and the only thing that really gave her away, was that she had a terrible stutter. Most thought she was just really shy though, even when she was reading out loud for the class.

Hugo, was the only other boy in the orphanage. He was just starting highschool, like Leana, and he was the popular boy to her popular girl. They weren’t dating or anything. In fact, they hardly got along even when it was just the two of them.

Zurina, was the oldest of them, and was a senior in highschool. This meant she would be leaving soon, with just a little to help her get on her feet. And she would be able to get a job, so she was set. What they didn’t know, is that she had decided to adopt the younger ones of the group. Even Petra, who was a human.

Finally, there was the Matron of the orphanage, Jule Turney. She was young, to be trusted with this job. Despite her age, she had major back problems that sometimes left her bed ridden for days. In light of this Zue=rina had become the mother of the group, and taken over when Jule was having one of her off days.

Jule, was a very kind matron, but she was very lonely even with the kids. Her husband had left her, as just a few years before she took over this job, she was a drug addict. She had been in an accident, which is why her back was hurt, but the meds she had to take were addicting to her. She couldn’t walk because of them, and she couldn’t process things properly.

She was an invalid, and he left her for it. Even when she finally got out of the mess she had been in, he didn’t come back. So she found something else to occupy her time. That was the orphanage, where all the kids could distract her on the bad days, by coming in and singing or reading her one of their many books.

That was the info I had been for my latest job. That was what I knew. I wasn't given anything other than that, but the description of my target. I was being sent to kill Hugo.