Tiffany was troubled... extremely troubled. Talking with the head girl, Vera Matsumoto had helped, but only a little. No matter how crazy it sounded, Tiffany just couldn't shake the feeling that her "nightmares" were not just dreams. And they weren't fantasies or hallucinations either.

They were real. The monsters here were real.

She was sure of it. Well, pretty sure anyway. She knew she didn't feel like she was crazy. She supposed that crazy people probably didn't feel like they were crazy, either, but that really wasn't the point. She could remember the things she had seen. The things they had done to her...

As a new student, Tiffany didn't really know any of her upper classmates. So, there was probably no help to be had there. What was she supposed to do? Go around asking everyone, "Excuse me, would you be interested in helping me figure out a way to defend myself from monsters?" They woild have her locked up for sure!

Over the last few days, though, she had been thinking a lot about the yellow-eyed demon that had had all the strawberry flavored candy wrappers and stems in his lair. He was smaller than the other things she had encountered... maybe less dangerous. And... he had offered her a deal before... maybe he could be bargained with. Maybe he could help her find a way to defend herself...

She had saved every strawberry or strawberry flavored thing they had served in the cafeteria for 2 days now. There were actual berries, yogurt, jello, candies and pastries. Would that be enough? Tiffany hoped so. Apparently, she had made up her mind. The next time she had a "nightmare", she was going to fight. But only if she could figure out some way to survive first. Wrapping up her goodies and placing them carefully in a tote bag originally intended to carry books, she set off towards the wooded area where she had first run across the dusky skinned fiend.

Less than an hour later, Tiffany took a look around to make sure she wasn't followed and plunged into the treeline. She had made sure to come here on a weekend, when there were no classes, just extracurricular activities like sports and club meetings and things like that. She also made sure to come in the daytime. She wasn't sure if the yellow-eyed demon would be out in daylight hours or not, but she didn't want to be out here in the woods... alone... at night...

There were worse things out here than the thing she was looking for.

Now that she was out here though, she wasn't really sure what to do. Her memory of what direction the creature's lair had been in was somewhat hazy. It had been too long and she had been all but convinced by the school medical staff that the entire incident had never happened.

How did one go about summoning a demon? Perform a ritual? The idea almost made her laugh. Since she didn't know any demon summoning rituals, she would just have to try yelling.

"Hello? Hey! Are you out there?! I brought strawberries!"

"Yelling about strawberries in the woods in an effort to find a demonic being that may or may not actually exist... maybe I really AM crazy..." Tiffany thought for like the millionth time since she had arrived here.

It was dim and shady here beneath the trees, but maybe the demon didn't come out in the daytime after all. Looking for anything that seemed familiar to her, Tiffany decided to make her way a little deeper into the trees...

Slarr hadn't been in the best of moods that day. Once again Birch kicked him out of his garden which was all too common as of late. And for what? A little fire? In the end Birch had a need for him so before long he would be back in the good graces of the sentient plant but it always sucked for a matter of days.

There were no finer strawberries on the island, none that had been bigger either. Pickings elsewhere had been slim especially when he found that one bush hadn't bloomed any fruit yet and another two had already been picked clean by him.

So he did a bit of hunting to take his mind off of things. Slarr was as active in the day as he had been at night having no set schedule. But more often it was the day that he did most of his hunting unless he went onto the campus. Being able to turn into smoke and go invisible had it's advantages and sneaking into places had been easy for him.

All in all he wasted his time hunting. The reason for hunting during the day was that the girls only came out this way while it was still light and he really didn't want to go to the campus tonight. The only target he had come across had that distasteful raven hair and wasn't blond or chestnut colored sadly.

There was too much competition in the region too. Then he heard a voice, a student calling. It sounded familiar though it couldn't be … it made little sense. Anyone that knew of the things on the island wouldn't be calling out, such a good way to attract unwanted attention.

But he couldn't pass up on the fact that the magic word was spoken. Strawberries …

So he headed that way arriving just in time too as he saw something in the shadows near the student getting ready to make a move on her. A flaming bolt would sail past her shoulder narrowly missing and chasing off whatever was there as he became visible up on a tree branch.

Hoping down he made a gesture snuffing out the flames that started to burn some of the forest floor. Lemon yellow eyes peeling toward her as he looked her up and down remembering just who she was.

“Now why have you so willingly returned to the web of the spider? And just where are these strawberries? If you are lying ...” He trailed off letting her imagination fill in that pause as a small flame danced on the point of his finger.

"Oh!"

Tiffany jumped, startled as a blast of heat suddenly sailed over her shoulder and crashed into the leaf littered floor of the woods behind her. A dark, shadowy shape slithered quickly off through the trees, apparently driven off by the flames. She wasn't sure what it was, but as she watched it make it's escape, she heard something large and heavy thump to the ground behind her, back in the direction she had originally been walking in. Spinning back around, she found herself face to face with the very creature she had come here to find.

"OHH!"

Tiffany jumped again, having not yet recovered from her initial shock. As he asked her, somewhat threateningly at that, about the strawberries, she realized she must look rather foolish... staring open mouthed in surprise at the creature. Her surprise rapidly gave way to a sense of satisfaction and validation, however. She KNEW these creatures were real... and right here in front of her was the proof. The blonde student quickly regained her composure.

"Umm...h- here. I have them right here. I knew you liked them and... I wanted... wanted to talk to you. There's only a few berries and they're a little warm now, but there's candy and some pastries there too..." Tiffany said as she knelt down and opened the bag of strawberry flavored treats.

"I can get more, too. I could come back 2 or 3 times a week if you want. But...I want to make a deal with you."

The pretty blonde was still terrified of him, but she had been right in thinking he seemed less dangerous than some of the other... creatures... she had encountered. She hoped he would be interested in coming to an agreement.

Before she had even unfolded her cloth he was on the move towards her. Ignoring what she was saying to have a look at the goods but a simple word captured his attention. He was a Belzar after all and he had a knack for arranging deals.

Granted he wasn't very high on the totem pole but over time he could be promoted and undergo that metamorphosis winding up stronger as a result. Isolation here rarely helped matters and he had just changed not that long ago hitting particular milestones would still result in his change.

But he would be here a long before he advanced again even if he made deals daily so he tended to give up on making deals since there was no way he would advance. There were other tasks that would promote him quicker many of which he could not perform here on his self imposed exile. Things between the Belzar factions had been getting heated.

Those lemon yellow eyes flicked back to her after he had popped a few berries in his mouth. “A deal? And just what are you expecting in return?”

He was curious, though the threat level seemed to lower with the presentation of goods. At least the immediate threat was lowered but there was no way of telling for sure.

Tiffany cleared her throat before answering. She was nervous, but she needed to maintain her composure if she was going to successfully negotiate with this creature.

"It's simple. I want you to teach me. I want to know about the other... beings... that live here. Their strengths and weaknesses. I want to learn how to defend myself from them. I can come here 2 or 3 times a week. If you'll help me... teach me what you can... I'll bring more treats for you. I can't promise there will always be fresh berries, they don't often put those out, but there are ALWAYS pastries and other strawberry flavored stuff."

Tiffany paused there and gave the demon a questioning look as she waited for him to respond. She watched him carefully, ready to make a run for it if she needed to.

He picked up a pastry ready to bite into that rectangular goodness. Unlike Wild Berry these would be strawberry but that whole situation with that other student worked out, a different bargain had been made not with the student herself but one of the residents of the island that took a fancy to that one.

Monster or human a bargain was a bargain. He didn't discriminate against a species though humans were the ones that made the most deals, often they had the most to gain. He looked at her, his mouth opened wide ready to take a bite then he burst out laughing.

The thought of her fighting against the things here. Then his bout of laughter subsided. “Your serious?”

His demeanor changed when she confirmed she had been. He was more thoughtful. “Knowledge is easy. Fighting is more difficult, especially for you. I can easily get the better of you. Physically you wouldn't be a match against most things except maybe the pixies and there are other things to worry about. Taking out one or two yeah but a swarm. Well, not unless you can do this.”

He generated a flame on the tip of his finger for a small moment. Taking a bite of the pastry he thoroughly chewed savoring the taste. “Dessert or dessert … I could take both. Granted I wouldn't get a constant supply. Instant gratification or waiting for a greater reward. Such a quandary.”

He watched the tenseness of her body, the uncertainty, she was priming herself to run if need be. Slarr fed her uneasy for a bit longer taking another bit.

“You won't like the training. Even if you do have some hidden talent I do not yet know about. You're better off trying to run but where can you run on an island? You can only go so far. Still … alright, if you honor your end of the agreement then I see no harm in it. I can teach you about some of the present but the past and future are topics off limits.

“The denizens of the island change from time to time. Some are stuck or stranded here, others come and go, others still are here only for a short time. My knowledge is limited to those that stick around the longest and live close by or those I interact with. Birch, Ania, Aegir,” the last name was said with a bit of disdain.

A brief look of anger flashed across Tiffany's face when the demon laughed at her. It slowly faded away though as she realized that the creature wasn't wrong. The idea of her fighting monsters... it WAS ridiculous. But it also wasn't exactly what she had had in mind.

"Don't get me wrong... it's not like I plan to go hunting these things down. That would just be stupid... unless you know something that I don't... It's just that the existence of these creatures... YOUR existence... when you're not SUPPOSED to exist... for someone like me, that changes the rules of the game completely. If there are demons, then aren't there ways to repel them? Rituals? Spells? Something? I don't expect you to be able to train me to be a fearless, invincible monster hunter... I just want to find a way to not be a helpless victim anymore if there is one."

After a brief pause, she went on.

"Ania, Birch, Aegir... so, these things have names. I don't think I caught your name when we last... umm... met. (A slight flush of embarrassment warms her cheeks as she says this last part) Do you have a name? What should I call you?"

“Not suppose to exist? The universe is such a big place don't you think? What if what you perceive as monsters … not important … any way the fact is that yes we are real. Yes, there is strangeness that your mind cannot comprehend. And yes we have names. Well most of us do.

“There are some that are more animal then anything. Others that are driven by a sole drive and have no identity to speak of. Most are sentient, many do not speak with their playthings. What would be the point? Yet some delight in it.

“We are all varied just like you humans. Fighting may not be your best option, especially if you desire to hunt the monsters so to speak. You may call me Slarr. And yes there are techniques that can be used that will assist you. Most humans cannot employ them but few are connected to the arts.

“There was a time that there were those of your people that were connect to them. You have a habit of attacking anything that is different than you. How many people were executed for being witches? Did you know that some of them actually were witches? Small numbers still exist. There are even some here that have such traits though I have only run across one allegedly. I have heard a few things but have never seen it first hand.”

He rubbed his chin in thought. “Each creature is a bit different so it will be tougher to prepare you against all of them. What might help is some generic preparation.”

Tiffany thought carefully about what the yellow-eyed demon had said.

"Like I said, I get that you probably won't be able to teach me how to actually win a fight against any of these creatures. But whatever you CAN teach me will at least be a start. I don't know if I possess any innate talents or not, but I'm willing to try and I'll do whatever you say to find out."

A concerned look came over her face before she went on. She suddenly realized she was committing to something with no idea of what she was getting into.

"There is just one other thing... You said I wouldn't like the training... what exactly did you have in mind?"

It was his turn to think. Lemon yellow eyes scanned her keenly as he rubbed his chin.

“We will find out. Of course this has all been unexpected. Give me a week to prepare and come back with more goodies. Then we will begin.”

Holding up a container of jello he examined it clearly trying to figure out the packaging. Then peeling off the top he looked at the odd substance, smelled it and even stuck his finger in it raising a brow at the jiggle nature of the stuff. Scooping some of it out he had a taste of it.

“Both like and unlike liquid. The texture is unusual ...” He shook his head dismissing his own babbling. “One week from today. Our next meeting will be at dusk at your campus' sporting field. It will be easier for you to get there, less dangerous. We will relocate from there but the resources of the campus will be put to good use.

“But I cannot and will not protect you from any hazards you may face getting to or fro these places. While in my company you will not need to worry unless Aegir is around.” More disdain was emphasized on that name.

Tiffany nodded in agreement to his plan.

"Before I go, two things... First, it's obvious you dislike this Aegir. I'm curious now. Why is that? And second, what do you think of the jello? Because if you like it, there is an almost limitless supply of that stuff."

“Jello is different. Good but messy. Hard to eat unless ...”

Slarr seemed to come up with a solution to the problem placing the cup to his mouth and squeezing it causing the contents to rise up out of it and into his gullet. “As for Aegir ...”

“He is powerful. My defenses are meaningless against him, long story. As far as I can tell he is an ancient being that has a knack of driving me away from my targets. I would say it is for his own interests, like how a predator drives another smaller predator away from a kill.

“But it's not like that from what I've seen. He doesn't pounce on a target straight away and seems to have some sort of relationship with these targets.” He shrugged. “Maybe he charms them or has them charmed. He does possess psionic abilities. But even he can't protect his chosen forever. I've managed to find a few of them after the fact but he has a way of ruining the mood.

“Usually our territory doesn't overlap. He's often at the beach or in the jungle by one of the hiking paths but he isn't always predictable. I don't think he likes the light much so campus visits are rarer for him during the day at least unless it's overcast.”

"So, stay away from Aegir... good to know. If I can help it, I plan on staying away from everything. But surely, the last thing I need is to run into a powerful, ancient being with strong psychic abilities. He sounds terrible."

With that said, and no further instructions from Slarr, Tiffany headed back to the school.

She spent the next week wondering about whether or not this was a good idea. Slarr was a monster. A demon. How could she trust him? Still, what alternative was there. All that week she spent every second of her free time in the library learning everything she could about magic and spells, demonology, paranormal activity and psychic phenomena like ESP and psychokinesis. She wasn't surprised to find that the library had a large number of books on those subjects. And during all that time she stashed away every strawberry or strawberry flavored thing she could get her hands on. Luckily, despite fresh berries being seasonal, there was a fair supply of them being served at the school. Especially on the dessert tray during the evening meal.

Finally, one week had passed, and Tiffany found herself standing at the far end of the athletics field as the sun began to set awaiting the arrival of Slarr, his "payment" in an overstuffed tote bag at her feet.

“He's certainly no fun,” Slarr commented. He did not know what he did with the students in question but always grew upset when a target was snatched out from under him. That and the way certain students seemed to act.

It would be great to have some sort of hypnosis where targets came to him. He did manage to obtain two contracts, now three. Even if none of them weren't actually written down. Of course he did not need his bargains written down. Had he been still acting on behalf of his home world that certainly help. Proof that he was doing his job.

“I will need Ania to fetch some of my things. I do not leave Shokushu. Haven't for some time now.”

The week for him had been spent loafing about. He had to wait for Ania to get back with his things first and when she had he had to refresh himself on numerous details that he had forgotten. He went to the field not really expecting her to show.

Invisibility was a blessing, he was able to hide out and even get the drop on her setting an invisible hand upon her shoulder.

“You haven't wasted my time yet. Unless you didn't bring along the goods which I assume are in that bag. Pick it up and head straight towards the jungle line.” That hand shifted her facing pointing her in the direction he wished for her to move in.

Once in the jungle he became visible again leading her to a small clearing where there was a bag of his own. Opening it he took out a thick tome turning it over to her while he sat on a stone seeing what goodies she had in that bag.

“Turn to the book marked page and read it.”

The page in question was in a script she was unfamiliar with.