Chapter 6: DON'T TRUST HIM

For all of my readers who have started reading my new book. I want to say thank you for at least trying it out and give my apologies for not publishing for weeks. I'm a really busy person so I can only do this in my free time. Thanks again:,-)

"I honestly don't know", she said softly. Could it be that he looked so innocent that she doubted he'd be much harm? Was it that she wanted to study this legendary creature? Or did she simply not want someone's blood on her conscience? "You are in the land of hupards. If your here it means that the story of origin is correct", she muttered to herself, deep in thought.

" The story of what now?".

"Origin. Like how hupards left the humans through the help of Ovashi".

"...."

The silence between the confused human and the elaborative hupard was strangling.

"You don't know it, do you?".

"I do not", came an honest statement. "I just really need to get back home to my family. I don't know how I even got here in the first place".

Family? He had a family? " Where were you before ending up here?".

"I was walking through the forest to get some wood but then I fell and when I woke up I was here!".

Bica only saw honestly in those eyes of his and it only frustrated her more. She needed a sign. Just one sign that was negative and she wouldn't hesitate to give him up right away. Unfortunately she got none of it, only an afraid and confused creature in her hands. To others this was a great discovery but to her it only meant trouble. "I'm sorry human but I don't know any way to get you home to your family".

" What? Does that mean I'm going to be stuck here for life?", he asked.

"I can't say for sure but I don't think you'll be going anytime soon", she answered him honestly.

"Well at least can you untie me. I'm very uncomfortable".

Bica hesitated, she might have felt pity for this human male but that didn't mean she trusted him. Infact it was far from that. Assuming she found him in the day and not the dark night, she would have done something way worse than tieing him to a tree trunk. "I will but first, what am I going to do with you?", was a question asked more to herself than him.

"W-what?"

"Relax, I'm not going to harm you", he almost breathed a sigh of relief until he heard her next statement. "I hope".

"What do you mean you hope?",

"It should be fine as long as you don't do anything stupid but how can I trust you? How can I trust that you are not what the legends say you are? That you aren't evil and won't try stab me in the back?".

"I'm not f-foolish enough to cause my own death", this was believable because of the way he was stuttering.

"Seems true", she said at last, pulling out a pocket knife and using it to cut through the ropes.

As he felt the ropes that had been wound around him finally come loose, he breathed out a sigh of relief he didn't even know he had been holding. This creature wasn't going to kill him, at least if he was careful enough.

"What's your name?"

"Jerry", he answered bleakly and exhausted, it was hard for him to even stand up.

"Jerry...", she repeated as if trying to get the name etched on her mind. "That's a strange name, mine is Bica".

Great, thought the Ginger red haired human named Jerry. The name Bica doesn't sound strange at all, sneered a sarcastic voice in his head but he quailed it down, he ought to at least be grateful as this so called hupard let him live. But the thought of going back home didn't leave his mind. He would gain her trust and then find a way to escape and go back home. "Thank you mistress Bica".

Bica was surprised at his way of addressing her but she didn't say anything more concerning it. "You are probably hungry. I'll go hunting, what do you-", she stopped when she saw him wobbling. " Are you alright?".

"Yes I'm fine", in truth he wasn't. He felt like his head was spinning and throbbing, he also felt like he couldn't breathe properly. Just as he lost his balance, Bica caught his arm and prevented him from falling and his body fell limp in her arms. Bica looked at him in surprise trying to figure out what happened. He fainted....? His body was burning, was he sick?

****

Later that day, Bica visited the local library. She wanted to check if there could be anything she could find on humans even though she highly doubted there was. "Well if it isn't the town's greatest bookworm", said a short stubby man with huge spectacles she doubted fit his face well on a desk. It was Creston, the librarian. "How are you doing?", he asked.

"I'm fine, sir. How are the grand kids at home doing?", she smiled.

"They are fine but they give too much trouble for their age", said the librarian with an annoyed look, before his expression changed to one of a smile again. "Have you finished the book you took two days ago already?"

Bica went over to the book shelves aligned in alphabetical order and began going through them. "Actually, I finished the book and returned it that same day to your assistant. It was quite interesting. I really like how the revolution ended".

The old man shook his head. "I've yet to see any existing book you wouldn't like to read. You have read almost everything in this library".

" Almost, sir, but not all".

"Is there anything in particular you are looking for?", he asked, seeing how she scanned through the racks one by one.

"Actually yes", she answered, turning around with a small book in her hand.

"I'd like ancient history and mythological books, other than those ones over there. One that deals with royal creations, rare and unseen creatures that are deemed evil probably or ancient fantasies on demons, monsters, resident evils,..... humans? ".