"Now we're going to take a look at the Great Goblin Fight at the city of Babylon, which occurred around 752 B.C.E. However, you must remember that these weren't the first creatures they fought. They've previously dealt with gremlins, demons, and even angels. Babylon was the center for monsters in the early days."

Elven pressed his hand on the large golden book and the room flashed brightly in yellow, dropping the kids onto the middle of a sandy-tiled courtyard. Surrounding them were tall blocks of crenelated sand-colored buildings with blue and red square patterns and several large pyramid construction that led to a high golden temple near the heavens. By looking at the people, Circe could easily tell who was rich and who wasn't.

There were tall men and women dressed in silky purple and orange robes while there were others dressed in ragged, smudged brown robes with torn sandals. But they didn't seem to be strolling around, they were running into the temples, far away from something. Circe witnessed a huge silver chariot of armored goblins trundling toward them pelting strong, shimmering golden spears at the cowering citizens.

"I would've actually wanted to live here," said Zebulon, spotting several young black princes helping up a fallen mixed girl. "It looks like paradise, but ya know…monsters and stuff."

"It looks like impending chaos," said Avery.

"They look weird," said Circe, seeing a black man with an Asian face and two golden earrings on his ears.

"Next up, Avalium, our final destination!" Elven shouted somewhere among the goblin mess. A mass of goblin footsoldiers were just starting to arrive when the kids were suddenly transported into the great noisy blackness of the modern city. Circe recognized those tall glassy skyscrapers, the glossy twinkling glare of the apartment and restaurant buildings, the smell of uncut gas and the utter hopelessness of ever finding yourself among the robotic masses.

A deep silhouette poked through the inky sky and landed on top of a bank building blazing its surrounding with fire. Circe saw a group of hooded Shadower fly toward the Chimera and attack it with connected flames. The red hungry eyes of the dragon widen, screeching apoplectically into the forbidden night. Then Circe saw a Shadower carry a massive gleaming sword and stab it up and under from the mouth and then through its head while massive green fireballs were shot at it, licking the three headed monster's face in agony. The Chimera fell and disappeared into a whispering cloud of smoke. But again, Circe felt it and met it's eyes when it did. But not only that, he knew, he knew that was his father. And in their collective minds, he knew that he wasn't completely dead. Otherwise he would've felt a great pain. But it hadn't mattered, for the students had suddenly warped back to their warm dim classroom. Circe was facing the strange book again just as he had at the beginning of class, but this time with a sense of uneasy disclosure.

Glossy red notebooks with a pen began to appear on the desks.

"Well, that was all we had for today guys. Be sure to write what you saw, what you liked or didn't like and we'll discuss that next class. Please be sure to hand it in before the bell rings, thanks."

The first year Monster students excitedly marched back to their seats and noisily began on the assignment.

"That Babylon trip. Yup, that was pretty cool. I'll just write that," said Zebulon contentedly.

"I like Babylon too," said Akatu in his thick African accent.

"I liked the first one in Lycea. I've never seen a Chimera that up close before," said Avery in a reverie of thought.

But Circe stared blankly at his page, not paying attention to any of the bumbling chatter. If what he'd seen was true, and it most like was since it had been recorded as fact, then he had just seen the monstrous form of his father for the first time in twelve years. And not only that, there lay the potential danger of him still being alive, that smoke had covered him, not destroyed him. And not to mention that Circe still hadn't felt any stab of pain. No, he was still out there. And it wasn't a question of what anymore, but rather of when. When would he make his final return?

The bell rang with a loud tantrum.

"Leave your papers on my desk please and have a wonderful day!" Elven shouted. "Circe, would you mind if I have a word?"

Circe laid his blank paper down. "Umm…sure."

Once everyone had left, Elven leaned in. "How's your first day going? You seem a bit… bothered. You're not still getting bullied because of that…thing, right?"

"No, I'm fine. Everything's going fine," Circe forced a creaky smile. His mouth was rather dry.

"Good. Hey, maybe this weekend you can stop by my house and we can chat a little bit."

"Sure," Circe shrugged seeing as he had nothing to lose. "I'll see you later, Elven. Gotta get to Monster Transformation."

Circe left, shaking his head. Sometimes he wondered if elves could read minds.