Melly found herself being guided by a little figure, who directed her towards an ancient stone building. The massive structure had been constructed on the posh side of the City, close to the royal quarter.

The instant she passed through the threshold of the library; she was inundated with the scent of old books. The official Skull City library was enormous with high wooden ceilings and thousands of rows of bookshelves.

Each footstep on the polished floors sent echoes throughout the entire hall. Walking ahead, was her guide, the Hunter’s lodge administrator. Apparently, he was the replacement for the Mistress, since she wasn’t the ‘book type’. For now, they needed to conduct research, and the administrator was the right guy for the job.

“What was your name again?” Melly asked.

“Tick!” the administrator squeaked.

Her guide bobbed as they moved down the long hall, his giant hat flapping with every stride. Melly gave him a look over and was alarmed to spot a big fluffy tail. It was dark orange and seemed to flick each half a second or so.

Melly then noticed that Tick was concealing a large dark tome that had been sealed shut with a leather belt. Looking up, she observed the many workers of the city library. On series of podiums sat rows of occupied librarians who fawned over literary treasures. A golden plaque above them read:

The Keepers of the books!

As she walked, Melly noticed that there were a number of hooded individuals hidden between the bookshelves. They leisurely sat in leather chairs between stacks gorging themselves with fresh knowledge.

I wonder if there’s a magic school in Skull City, like the hunter’s lodge. A magic guild or something.

Tick paused for a second searching for someone.

“Where are we going,” Melly asked.

“Out back!”

The sound of their voices travelled further than they anticipated. One of the keepers, a man who looked to be in his one hundred and twenties shushed at them from behind his post.

Melly gave the man an apologetic look and mouthed, “sorry,” Then continued down the hall.

The keeper rolled his eyes and went back to doting over the tome that lay before him.

As they neared the end of the library, they arrived at a dugout in the stone. There lay a wooden trapdoor that looked frequently used. There even was an attendant to help people through.

“Where does this lead?” Melly whispered.

“R and R, the alchemist labs, magic laboratory. Oh, and the restricted section.” Tick whispered back.

The trapdoors attendant knocked on the wood three times and raised the lid. Descending the stairs, they found themselves in a small room with a singular door. The small space smelt dusty and Melly could hear muffled voices from the other side.

As soon as the trapdoor above closed, the smaller side door burst open. A man in dark robes waved a hand and commanded, “Quick Tick! Come in! Come in! It’s starting!”

“What’s starting?” Melly asked.

“The match of course!”

Tick rushed forward and disappeared behind the robed man. Melly shrugged, following in their footsteps.

“What the?”

Melly was met with a sight she couldn’t have anticipated.

In a wide depression in the floor stood around a hundred hooded figures. They all faced inward at a spectacle obscured between them. They yelled and hollered excitedly slapping at each other’s backs and pointing.

“A hundred crowns on the ‘Long and Exciting History of Fungus’!” yelled a man.

“Goat shit! Two hundred on the ‘Etiquette and Mating Habits of the common Squonk’!”

A fight? Melly wondered. It must be!

“Rip him to shreds!”

“Hurry up and fight!” another confirmed Melly’s suspicion.

The sea of robes shrouded whoever the fighters were. Melly’s curiosity got the better of her as she pushed her way through the crowd. There she was met by the sight of the strangest combatants she had ever seen.

Two magically enchanted books bounced around a small fighters’ ring and was currently attempting to rip each other apart.

The larger green tome with a picture of a toadstool did a somersault mid-air and landed behind the other. It then instantly bit the smaller book from behind. With a savage flick, it tore its cover off and preceded to shred its contents all over the floor.

“The Fungus has done it!” yelled the event coordinator who skipped around the paper bound crime scene and handed out sacks of coins to the winners.

Melly spotted Tick in the crowd holding his book closely, stroking its spine with a look of genuine affection. An excited patron knocked over the Administrator, sending his hat flying to reveal his face.

Melly gawked as she finally saw what the little guy looked like. Tick was a creature who looked somewhere between half a squirrel and a man. He hurriedly regained his hat, placing it back on his head.

The robed man who had beckoned them now stood beside Tick. He was patting him on the back and pointing towards the mayhem before them. It appeared it was Tick’s turn.

With the victor ready for more, it was time for the ‘Long and Exciting History of Fungus’ to meet his next adversary.

Tick unravelled the belt from his book and placed it down before the murderous manuscript. The new fighting book was black, unadorned and had no title.

The crowd went silent as they began to chant,

“Fight! Fight! Fight!”

Lunging forwards the fungus book made the first move. Tick’s book flipped over, narrowly dodging the mushroom onslaught. Before Melly could blink the fungus book spun around and flew back, attacking another time.

Darkened covers jumped up dodging the savage assault once more. Melly wasn’t sure if a book could look angry or not. Either way the enraged quivering of the green book looked menacing as it attempted to lunge for the third time.

The black book flipped open and slid forwards. A flicker of motion spun between its pages as a paper arm reached out and caught the green book.

The history of fungus thrashed about trying to free itself as another paper arm appeared from the black book. The second appendage clamped down on its prey and with an almighty wrench, tore the green book in half.

Dismembered pages fell to the floor as the loser tumbled apart in a messy pile.

The organiser edged around the new victor and handed a large sack of coins to Tick, who pocketed his winnings.

“Your bloody book cheated!” a freckle faced youth pushed his way towards Tick. His robe was green like his defeated tome and was furiously pointing at the remains of his prized fighter.

“Now, Now, Junior! Tick won fair and square!” the coordinator attempted to calm the incensed youth.

The black book sensed hostility and lunged for the green clad teen.

Junior shrieked as the victorious fighter produced another paper appendage and kicked him across the backside.

“Hey! Contain your fighter!” cried the coordinator.

Tick lunged for his book and wrapped it up in a comforting hug, stroking the spine and cooing it calm. As soon at the book quieted Tick replaced the belt around it’s cover and approached Junior.

Melly found herself instinctively going towards the squirrel’s side as the green clothed youth yelled harsh words at him.

“Wait a second,” Melly said. “We all saw it. Tick’s book won!”

Murmurs of agreement echoed throughout the crowd.

“And who the hell are you?” shouted Junior. “You know what? I don’t care!”

Melly’s fists balled up, staring with eyes like daggers.

“When my uncle hears of this there will be HELL to pay! You hear me? HELL!”

“Now, now, junior,” the coordinator repeated. “There’s no need…”

Junior ignored the man and stormed off in a huff and disappeared through the door they had entered from. Chuckles resounded throughout the crowd.

“Stupid kid,” said a voice.

“I swear, that bloody family!” said another.

After the crowd had thinned, Melly and Tick made their way down a hallway that led to the restricted section. Finally, she would get the information she needed. There were so many different magical animals in Fanswald yet she wanted to find what the best option was and how to get it.

Tick directed her into a dark room that had been sealed behind a thick iron gate.

The security inspector sat behind a protected booth with a solitary candle. He stared at the two newcomers with a face smeared with boredom.

“You got a pass?” the inspector asked.

Tick rummaged in his pocket and produced a small card.

“We are here on behalf of the hunter’s lodge.” Tick said.

The inspector snatched the pass and stamped it without looking.

“Come in.”

The iron door creaked open, allowing them passage. Melly felt exhilarated as she followed Tick towards the section labelled:

Magical Beasts of Myth!

They were currently the only ones in the restricted section. As they walked down the aisle Melly scanned over the titles of the books. There were instructions of how to tame grass and historical accounts of invisible sheep.

Melly marvelled at the covers and wondered why they were restricted. Maybe people tamed grass and turned them on their neighbours? Melly wondered.

Tick abruptly stopped by a section labelled Flying monsters. Her finger trailed over the spines of each book as she read one after the other. Disappointment rose within her as many of the books contained useless information.

One book was even labelled ‘What to do if your Cow falls in love with Clouds!’

Melly shook her head. These books would not help in her at all.

Shuffling of feet and a jumble of voices interrupted her pursuit. Melly peered down the aisle and found a group of blue robed individuals rushing towards her.

“It’s the royal mages,” Tick whispered. His voice seemed strained as he turned away from their eyesight, covering his face with his enormous hat and hiding his bushy tail.

“Out the way!” a young woman called out. She gestured towards Melly who backed up.

One of the mages with a gold string around his blue robes said, “Grab all the books related to plant life.”

The book Melly had observed about taming grass flew off the shelf and fell into the arms of a mage. Within a few short moments the group had collected a large bounty of animal related tomes and rushed back out of the restricted section.

“Seriously?” asked Melly. Her tone hiding none of her anger.

Tick turned back around giving her a shrug. “I wonder what’s that all about?”

Melly sighed. Most of the flying section had also been officially acquired by the royal mages.

“Does this mean I will have to wait?” Melly asked.

Before Tick could respond, the black fighting book lunged forwards and skidded under a nearby shelf. Tick scrambled to retrieve his book only to find that it had somehow found a friend.

Melly bent down and freed the book from a death grip and read:

The Fanswald guide to Legendary flying beasts!

On its cover was a picture of the most legendary beast of all.