6) The Exact Same Different Point of View

Liam is at the helm of the cart steering the horses with Simon’s guidance.

Simon approached him before they left about learning to drive so they could swap out for breaks and cover for him in case anything happened. Liam was apprehensive, but Simon assured him that he was a licensed buggy instructor. He said the buggy licence only applied to cities and that in the country anyone of appropriate age could drive during daylight hours without legal issue. It was to allow young farmhands to do their work without restriction. Simon was a good instructor.

After getting used to steering, Liam could split his attention to some of the sights. Despite being a brisk spring morning, it was beautiful. They had ridden into a more forested part of the hills. Mid morning light spilled through the trees. There were about an equal number of evergreens and broad leaves, the latter of which were still in the process of budding their new leaves.

Liam had noticed a few strange creatures back in the city, but all the animals he’d seen while driving had been no different from what he remembered in his previous world. Mostly cows, but a few roaming horses and sheep as well. He wondered when he’d see any monsters.

After about an hour of fair dirt road; Simon swapped in and covered the rest of the way, which was mostly bumps and mud. By mid-day they’d reached their destination. They had parked at almost the last flat spot before the foot of the first mountain.

Cecilia and JJ were in rough shape from the night before and the rough road didn’t help. But that was the last of the driving for a few days supposedly, so they’d recover.

Liam still hadn’t been debriefed on the details of their journey, other than they were to illustrate monsters for the new Bestiary. But from what he could gather from overhearing conversations between Simon and Aloe;

Simon Strom works for the Extrazoological Research Foundation who specialize in researching the extraordinary creatures of the world. He himself isn’t a researcher, he’s just an aid who does errands and runs communications between researchers. Through his time he’s become highly trusted and beloved in the research community and when this project started to come together he was the only one considered to taxi Aloe around the country.

Aloe Serviette was an accomplished illustrator and painter. She had illustrated several children's books and had several paintings sold to private collections, including the king’s of course. Liam had seen a lot of art in the castle, but hadn’t checked to see who had made what, so he had no idea which were hers, and whenever Liam looked even remotely in her direction she’d hide her work, so he had no idea what her art even looked like. She was approached for the project some months ago. She tried to play it cool, but the way she would light up asking Simon questions about monsters gave away her excitement.

Liam didn’t learn anything about Xon other than he was there for protection.

And… JJ was Xon’s back-up? Still not sure.

Liam was a last minute addition, an unwelcome one to some.

And Cecilia invited herself.

But the general idea was that they were going to tour around the country for as long as it took; meeting with local experts, researchers and citizens with firsthand accounts to not only learn and gather writings about monsters, but to try seeing and observing them for themselves to draw them.

Disembarking from the parked wagon; the fellowship gather their belongings and make their way down a 5 minute walking trail to an old cabin.

Smoke was lazily puffing from the crumbling stone chimney. The second floor roof was sagging and patched haphazardly. Vines creeped up the side of the stone walls. At the front was a covered porch that spanned the width of the house. The large table and outdoor stove made it clear this porch was used to entertain. The cabin was in a small clearing and from the house to the edge of that clearing was a garden. Very little was growing, but there could be seen a lot of preparation for the season to come. One could only imagine how lush the garden will look at its peak.

At the door they were greeted by two women. One was; late 40s, tan skin, dark disheveled hair with a few streaks of grey, cracked glasses, wearing mismatched garb of huntingwear and loungewear. And the other was roughly the same age; fading sandy brown hair, fair complexion, and simple farm clothes.

Simon introduced the woman wearing glasses as Isabelle- Izzy, he corrected, and stated that she’d be their guide for the region. And the other woman was Micha, but she insisted on being called Mimi.

The plan was that they’d stay here for the night and then hike for a few days to observe their first few subjects.

After getting settled in Liam notices the view from the back window. It was looking downhill toward the path they took and in the distance he could just make out the silhouette of the city they started from. This was a good chance to take out his art supplies and practice.

Noticing Liam looking out the window, trying to sketch; Mimi gets his attention and mentions that there’s an observation deck upstairs he could work from.

He went up to the deck, which was obscured by the roof from the direction they entered. From there it was much clearer and comfortable as he could see over the railing of the deck while sitting. The only drawbacks are that it’s open air, so there’s a mild spring breeze, AND that the deck was just as decrepit as the rest of the roof. He felt that it was one wrong move from the entire deck sliding off the roof and then down the hill in front of him.

Liam’s attempt at replicating the scene in front of him wasn’t to his liking, so he tried again, and again and again, but he just couldn’t get it looking right.

Drawing with a pencil was far more difficult to him than just plotting pixels with a mouse. It’s why it was his preferred method of art in his previous life. Having a limited resolution made it easier to accept when something looked good enough because there were only so many ways pixels could be shifted around to make them look any better. But in this world, the pixel art he’d done in the castle was far more tedious because he had to paint each pixel himself within a grid because there was no program or screen to dictate the distribution of the pixels for him automatically. Not to mention he couldn’t erase, zoom, select & transform, or undo. If he messed up he’d have to wait for the paint to dry before he could cover it up, and they were oils so it would take a while.

So the idea he has is that he’s just going to try learning to draw and paint normally for the time being until he can figure out a simpler way to do pixel art.

Still trying to sketch, Liam hears a cough coming from down below, the cough continues for a bit until he hears a groan of frustration. Sounds like Aloe. She’d gone out to walk around shortly after they arrived, so she’d been out an hour or two. Liam wonders what she sketched.

The next morning Liam wakes up early and heads to the kitchen where Izzy is preparing breakfast. He’s the only one up otherwise. She was chopping potatoes with some kind of magic. Izzy greets him and shows him the notebook Aloe left for her to look at. The art was gorgeous. He flipped through the pages; it was all sights they’d seen on their way here. When did she get the time to draw these? On the newest page was the same vista he’d tried several times to do justice the day before, but this… was infinitely more realized. Not only did she ink the lines, but it was filled in with gorgeous, vibrant water colours.

But he only admired the work for so long before he felt a searing presence behind him. Aloe snatches the book from his hands and begins to yell;

‘Who could say you could look at my book, Liam?!’ Aloe yells, the younger girl clearly distressed.

Izzy spoke up; ‘I showed him. I- was just-’ Izzy was fishing for the right words, she wasn’t prepared to explain herself for something she thought would be fine.

‘Your work looks beautiful!’ Liam breaks through after a moment of befuddlement. He gestures to the book in her hands; ‘I tried to draw the same thing yesterday, but I didn’t come anywhere close. You’re so good.’

Aloe looks down towards the illustration. Between Izzy and Liam’s looks of distress and Liam’s kind words; Aloe felt a wash of shame course through her. She wordlessly left the room.

As the party is about to muster on the porch before setting out on their expedition, Liam is pulled aside.

Aloe hands him his sketchbook which he couldn’t find all morning; ‘It’s not too bad… the drawing of the view behind the house. You just lack confidence in your lines…’ she says, her voice wavering.

‘Thank-’ Liam starts, but is cut off.

‘I’m sorry for yelling… and treating you like I’ve been. I’ve just been so frustrated and haven’t been acting myself. I know it’s not your fault.’ she says, tears welling in her eyes. ‘I don’t want to take on any apprentices, but if you need pointers; please ask any time.’

Liam and Aloe shake hands and head out the door to begin their journey.