Valerie and the Legends of Oscavia

Chapter Ten: Totally Stressed Out

Valerie could barely find time for herself. Ever since Nicole was discharged from the hospital with a broken leg, things became different from what they were before.

She had to wake up extra early, make breakfast for Nicole, clean as much of the house as she could or risk being yelled at, do her homework, get late to school, dodge bullies, run to classes, concentrate and try not to zone out, listen to Sophie and contribute to whatever she was saying, run back home, make dinner, clean up Nicole's room, get her into the bed when she was ready, and travel into Oscavia where it was an entirely different ball game.

"What are they?" Valerie asked as she looked at the huge gross roots that deformed that part of the city.

"Roots, that is what we call them, we do not know why they are here" Mayi replied "but it is telling us something, we need to get ready for the inevitable, the true Dark Times are coming upon us, we must begin training immediately"

Training was split into sections.

First, it was a library session with Kyoh.

"More studying?!" Valerie groaned rubbing her temple when he dropped a huge pile of books on the table before her.

"Yes, if you want to fight in Oscavia, you need to know about Oscavia, all the advantages you have and how to use them, all the disadvantages and how to avoid them" he said and she groaned again.

He took a random book and opened it before putting it in front of her. Tiredly, she glanced across the library to see Tijan sketching something in a notepad with a red pencil. He was still her bodyguard. Unfortunately.

She turned back to the book in front of her and gasped. The ink drawing she saw was enough to drive tiredness out of her.

"Holy moly, what is that?!" Valerie asked covering her eyes. It was terrifying in black and white so how on Earth did it look like in real life?!

"That is an akanon" Kyoh said, he said "akanon" with a shudder "it breathes fire and it's gruesome ugliness is literally petrifying, you must never look at it face to face"

"No need to tell me that twice" Valerie shuddered.

He opened the next page and showed another ink drawing. "What do you think this is, it looks harmless does it not?"

"Aww" Valerie cooed "it's a cute little puppy"

"It is called a Xangle!" He flipped the next page "it transforms into a huge blood thirsty winged beast!"

Valerie gasped at the next ink drawing, it was a dangerous looking lion with huge, magnificent wings, it was portrayed eating a man who looked like a doll compared to it.

"Gross!" Valerie said "next monster please"

"Next we have the Digger, it is harmless actually" Kyoh continued opening a page that had the painting of a less gross creature that looked like a slimy grasshopper.

"Ah, an English name" Valerie said nodding.

"Yes, The Void discovered it. You see, a way to discover a dark creature is the American-Oscavian accent that they have"

"Why?"

"The void had followers and they all though highly of him, they worshipped him, dressed like him, learnt his language to impress him and that formed the nation that they are now"