The air in the library crackled with almost tangible energy as if the very essence of the Aether in the book responded to Naamaah's presence. The library itself seemed to breathe, inhaling the ancient knowledge and exhaling the stories woven into the parchment. Mågiats will not feel anything. Yet, Naamaah, as a Jana, could feel her body growing warmer and lighter. The air she breathed felt as clean as if she were atop a mountain.
“And why do we need to find Thaumaturgical creatures? Is it not enough with the tears of a mermaid queen or the head of a Dullahan?" Kannika questioned, her analytical mind seeking clarity.
“You’re a very curious little girl,” Naamaah chuckled, the sound echoing through the hallowed space of the library. “Creatures like mermaids or Dullahans have special characteristics. No matter if these creatures are the most deadly and demonic existing, or the most angelic and cute, their essence is of a purifying entity! Unlike humans who learn how to feel the Aether. These creatures are aware of it since the moment they’re born. Some spirits and the Fae don’t even have flesh and bones but are pure concentrated Aether. When the Exiles come, they'll need to be purified to stay in this world. That's why I look for more than enough material!”
“The Exiles?”
“Yeah, but don’t worry about them. You’ll learn when the time’s come.”
The gravity of Naamaah's words hung in the air, and Kannika wasn’t completely sure what her mentor meant, but she nodded.
“How did you know this book was here?” Kannika interrupted again.
“A friend told me,” Naamaah responded, her gaze fixed on the fantastical volume that only the likes of Arlos and Janas could perceive. The parchment, now arranged in a hardcover codex, bore mysterious stamps—an open left hand with an eye in the palm on the front cover, and a closed right hand with a mouth biting its tongue on the back.
“What do those hands mean?” Kannika's inquisitive nature sought to unravel the secrets hidden within the symbols.
“The hand with the eye means, in a few words, 'Look what you want.' While the other means something like 'but if you say something, you will bite your tongue.' A warning. A subtle one," Naamaah said, her voice carrying a weight of caution. "Nobody can tell others where this book is, if you want others to know its whereabouts they must come and see it for themselves. So be careful about what you say,”
A hushed silence settled in the room as Naamaah flipped pages until reaching the middle of the book. “I shalt do what I wilt!” she sang, breaking the quiet with a haunting melody.
“With that spell, everyone could read it!” Kannika's apprehension lingered in the air.
“Perhaps,” Naamaah smiled. “The truth is that only ten people managed to find this book since Jefferson purchased it, ten including my friend, you, and I.”
The air crackled with magical resonance as the pages of the ancient codex began to illuminate with symbols and letters in a vibrant, orange Avestic language. The room filled with an otherworldly glow, casting shadows that danced like specters on the walls.
“At first, this log was written in Avestic by its creator, successive alterations of the spell changed it to Greek,” Naamaah explained, clearing their throat. “The last person to alter the log also created the complex encryption code.”
The numbers and names materialized on the pages; an intricate dance of illuminated symbols scattered across the ancient surface. Each of the characters, some in Greek and others in Avestic script, seemed to pulsate with a life of its own.
Naamaah's eyes reflected the ethereal glow emanating from the codex. The scent of ancient parchment mingled with the mystical energy that hung in the air, creating an atmosphere both alluring and foreboding.
As the symbols continued to unveil the secrets within, Naamaah's expression remained inscrutable. The room resonated with a symphony of whispered incantations, a chorus of forgotten voices that echoed through the ages, it was as if she could hear the voices of those who wrote the log. Naamaah had experienced this otherworldly sensation before, but it was incredibly alluring and fascinating.
“Awesome,” Kannika’s eyes moved from one side to the other following the dance of lights. In a few seconds, all the swirling energy went quiet as the light coming from the characters in the book dimmed down letting Naamaah see what they were, a list with numbers.
Human... 1,600,000,000
True Vampire... 3
Vampire Servant… 15
Lycanthrope... 18
Mermaid... 135
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Taimato... 1
Dragon... 10
Wock… 112
Jeibaa… 87
Dodo… 0
Sheep… 625,290,000
Horse… 97,799,000
Cattle… 410,080,000
Unicorn… 0
Hydra… 0
Griffin… 0
Cyclops… 0
Centaur… 0
Sasquatch… 1
Chupacabra… 5
Yeti… 1
Wockjeiba… 1
Volucrys... 123
Gorgon... 1
Phoenix... 1
Baku... 1,600,000,00
"The numbers are really daunting," Naamaah murmured to herself, her voice barely a whisper. "Since the Middle Ages, humankind has been wiping out all these mystical creatures."
Kannika leaned over Naamaah’s shoulder; her eyes wide with curiosity. "Are the unicorns extinct?" she asked, her voice tinged with sadness. "I was hoping to see one once!"
Naamaah reached out and gently tapped the word ‘Unicorn’. The glowing letter started to wiggle before rearranging to form new words. Naamaah's eyes scanned the information, her heart sinking with each word.
"Death of the last specimen: September 17, 1831," Naamaah read, her voice filled with a mix of sorrow and wonder. "Owner of the last specimen: Former Queen Fatima Alhazred. Last location: Sultanate of Iram of the Pillars."
Kannika let out a small sigh. The thought of such majestic creatures being wiped from existence was a tragedy beyond measure.
"Humans and Baku have the same numbers," Kannika said after the words rearranged to show the same list.
Naamaah nodded. "That's because they are spirits that follow humans since the moment they’re born," she explained. "There is one Baku per person... although less than 1% of humans know that they exist or are even able to see them."
“Do I have a Baku?”
“Yes,” Naamaah smiled. “Everybody has a Baku.”
She continued to flip through the pages, her eyes scanning the faded text. The stories of these mythical creatures, their lives, and their tragic ends were etched into the pages with ink and sorrow.
Kraken... 1
Asaralialos... 3
Succubae... 1
Incubae... 1
Naga... 1
White Eagle... 5
Tengu… 0
Amaru… 0
Quetzal... 1
Ashura... 0
Leviathan… 1
Behemoth… 1
Kuyutha… 1
Bahamut… 1
Urisk... 528
Boggart… 0
Harpy... 0
Satyr... 89
Minotaur... 1
Manticore... 0
“I see creatures I didn’t know existed.” Kannika leaned in closer, her eyes scanning the intricate text with fascination.
“There are too many of them. Here you have not only the mythical ones but also the normal ones that have been on this planet since the world was the world. Even creatures that went extinct before the creation of this log and existed long before mankind. A biologist would be excited if they had the chance to read this book!”
“Before mankind? Like what?” Kannika asked, eyes shining brightly with excitement.
Tyrannosaurus rex… 0
Plesiosaurus... 0
Dwarf... 15
Dökkálfar... 3
Ljósálfar... 1
Mazda... 3
“These are a great example. They are much older than the first modern humans. Look at this!” Naamaah touched Mazda to reveal its contents. All the other letters dispersed and gave way to a rather short but precise description. She started reading and translating to Kannika.
Mazda: Existed from before the modern humans. Located mainly in the territories of the Achaemenid Empire, deified by its inhabitants. They are differentiated into two clans in particular and opposed objectives: the Hormizd and the Ahrimans.
Contributions: The invention of pulleys, the discovery of fire, the invention of the wheel, and the refinement of iron, tin, gold, silver, and copper. Actions traditionally attributed to humans.
Number of current live specimens: 3
Location specimen 1: Moldova Principality.
Location specimen 2: New France.
Location specimen 3: Unknown.
“Unknown?” Kannika asked.
“So, it seems. This book can know the location of all creatures although it's not completely accurate. Look at this!” Naamaah sought Humans again. The page was full of features and contributions; so many that she had to flip the pages to continue reading. She touched several letters that became brighter until they formed her name.
Naamaah Crowley.
Location: Library of Congress, Washington D.C., United States of America.
“Awesome!” Kannika beamed. “So, what must we hunt now?”
“We will look for a feather of one of the five White Eagles and then the last Gorgon.”
“Where do we find them?”
Naamaah tapped on the names of the creatures, and as they did before, the letter rearranged.
White Eagle.
Major contributions: the creation of the Andean Mountain Range.
Number of live specimens: 5
Current Location: Mirripuy Territory, Andean Mountain Range, Republic of Great Colombia.
After translating it to Kannika who wrote down some notes on a notepad, she flipped the pages until she found the gorgons.
Gorgon.
More contributions: Protection of houses, banks, and objects or places of great value in ancient Greece
Number of living specimens: 1.
Location: Franchthi Cave, Kingdom of Greece.
“Let's go now,” Naamaah finally closed the book.
“Why don’t we take the book with us?”
“If I could... I would have done it a long time ago,” Naamaah patted Kannika's head. “There’s a spell that won’t let me remove from here. Unfortunately, I can’t dispel it.”