The Village Chief pulled out a small book from the drawer he was rummaging through.
Jeff, visibly worried, let out a sigh of relief.
The fish-man sat down, starting to chew on some rotten meat he had taken from his uniform pocket.
"Sit in front of me, human. Now I will tell you the story of the Abyssal Guardian...
I have a feeling this story will take a while..."
After saying these words, the Village Chief began to narrate, opening his book on his lap:

A long time ago, a very long time ago, a rather naive but kind-hearted human decided to explore an unknown place.
The man ventured forth using a map kept by his elder, found during the war between the aquatic beings and humans.
Once he arrived, the human found himself in front of a village populated by a peculiar race: the aquatic race.
The beings quickly discovered that a human had crossed the boundaries of the village, so, hostile, they decided to kill him.
But the human, with great determination, told them that he was only exploring that place; he had not come there to do harm.
And, to earn their trust, he chose to help them restore their relationship with humanity.
Thus, little by little, that race became like family to the human. Unfortunately, when the moment of truth arrived, that is, their peaceful protest to return to human territory, those monsters did not even want to listen to one of their own, thinking he had been manipulated or threatened in some way.
The man, annoyed by his own kind, told the opposing race that it was too dangerous... and that humans would not change their minds.
Years passed, and the adventurer had to return to his family, but he left behind a defense system to protect his friends: "The Bell of Knowledge."
That figure of a human was painted as a true savior.
Some are still waiting for his return...

Jeff was truly astonished.
"Exactly. The man believed in us so much that he even wanted to get the tattoo of the people!"
Not knowing anything, Jeff asked what it was.
Annoyed, he replied:
"Bleh, you humans don’t read books anymore.
It was a rite to join the tribe, a symbol of the homeland. With that tattoo, he was, in every way, a fish-human, just like me. But I, in reality, have never lived among humans...
Well! So, boy! This story was to help you understand how important it was for me to know the origin of this map."
...Jeff suddenly began to think and think: Why had this race been excluded without any chance? Had they done something wrong? Are we humans really that terrible? Why didn’t they even listen to them? It’s not fair...
The Village Chief noticed the conflict in the young man's mind:
"Boy. I ask you as the Village Chief. Your information could save many lives, and I would be truly grateful...
I’m sorry if I threatened you before... but I need! To know!" he continued, touching the bottom of his chin with his thumb.
For the first time, Jeff spoke with determination:
"I will take you there".

<Chapter 15 will be revealed on 01/17/25>