Men who were made out to be good people, loving and compassionate, helping those in need. He got up to tell them what happened, but the man sitting next to him grabbed his arm and pulled him down.

  “They won’t listen if you tell them the truth. Just let it be, your conscience is troubled enough.” The man said to him. Dirk sat back down, not out of calmness, but surprise.

  “How do you know that? You don’t know me.” He responded.

  “Sure I do, you’re Dirk, you killed your brother and was with your mother during her last moments. Leena was very fond of you and Arn.” He loosened his grip on Dirk’s arm, which noticeably left a mark. Dirk pulled his arm back and winced.

  “Are you kin to one of the villagers?” Dirk growled. “One of the men hiding in their houses while my mother was beaten and raped till she died?”

  The man waved his hands in front of him when he saw Dirk’s hand was grabbing the handle of his sword. “No no, I’m Bel, and I’m the god of food.” Dirk’s mouth opened but Bel quickly shut it down and said “Let me explain why that’s important, I promise you it’s the truth.”

  “I was created when humans were, because humans are fragile and need to replenish themselves. I don’t gain any weight when I eat, but I don’t eat food like you do. Because I take on the properties of what I eat.” Bel explained. “So for example, if I can run fast as a horse, but ate another horse, I could run twice as fast as a horse.”

  “This isn’t just physical capabilities, it’s emotions and memories too. For a time, I can even sustain their life for years if they were alive while I ate. And I could let them talk. I happened upon a scene in a village far to the south, a woman, covered in a jacket, the rest of her clothes torn.” Dirk's face hardened more. “I consume humans who died with noble hearts and intentions, or else had some goal. I saw the men around, and left them be. Your mother, I consumed.”

  Dirk stood up and pulled out Nopaew. “You dishonored my mother’s corpse!” and with that he swung down on Bel. Bel didn’t make any move to dodge, instead the blade hit his skin and bounced off, leaving only a tiny cut where the shoulder should have been sliced deeply.

  Bel grabbed the blade, and though it cut his hand, he wrested it from Dirk’s grip, grabbed the handle, and put it back in its scabbard, before sitting back down. “Do you want to know what your mother’s last thoughts were? They were of you, and the pain you’d carry. Not of her own body or safety. At no point during her attack was her mind on herself. That’s why I’m here now.”

  “You struck me without hesitation and in defense of honor. I should’ve known you’d be reckless and foolish. But like Leena, I’m now blinded by concern.” Dirk moved his hand to his blade again. “Don’t try it again. I’m not going to kill you, but I won’t take your repeated attacks further. I honored your mother, and left the rest of the bodies to rot.”

  Dirk finally sat down again. “So why are you here, Bel? I don’t do favors. Certain deity with a bunch of arms might though.” Bel just laughed.

  “Indeed, and it is not a favor I come for. No, it is your mother’s last wish. She wished she could protect you from the eyes and attacks of others. I took her wishes, and will see them through for as long as you live, even if that is only 80 more years.” Bel smiled. “I have gained her heart, after all. And it is most gentle but overpowering.”

  Dirk sat and looked into his empty cup. “Hey innkeep, refill this cup!” He said. Then turned to Bel. “I won’t owe you a thing. You can follow and protect me, but I don’t need it. And I won’t help you. My mother is dead, her dreams live with me, not you.”

  “Right again you are, but you are just a child. If you die, your mothers dreams also die. I will not have that.” The innkeeper refilled Dirk’s cup. “Hey, don’t you want something stronger?”

  Dirk shrugged. “No, I need to stay sane to keep my hatred alive. No alcohol.” Then drank his… milk. “How much, innkeep?” Dirk shouted.

  “That’ll be 1 coin, 12 if you’re rooming here.” The innkeep reached towards Dirk, then behind him to grab a bag from the hand of Bel. He opened it and began counting. “Let’s see, 24 little engraved stones, and 2 engraved pieces of gold.” He squinted, and then his eyes widened. “This is ancient, from the first age! Where did you happen across these, young man?” He asked Bel.

  “Oh I’ve done some traveling. I’m not as young as I look, I can assure you! I might even be older than you, but travels make the heart happy and pockets filled if you know where to go.” His brown eyes shone with stories untold, and experiences that could be useful. His white skin finally showed before it slunk back into his shadowy cloak.

  He noticed Dirk’s surprise. “I just don’t like to be seen. Stories spread easily, and my appearance doesn’t change unless I eat something overpowering in appearance.” He stood up. “Well, that should cover not just our rooms to the finest rooms, but whatever food you may want tonight. I implore you stay, not as a favor, but because you need rest. Your pockets are too light.”

  Dirk didn’t say another word to him, just asked the innkeep which room was the finest, and after being directed to the left most room, found himself laying on it. It was comfy, but not as comfy as the bed from home. There were little treats, including some chocolate, on the dresser. He got up just to grab it, and marveled at its taste. Sweet, but not too sweet. A bit bitter, but the appeal of it was not lost on him. That night, he would say a poem out loud for nobody but himself to hear.

  I’m a broken boy, not a man

  Traveling these accursed lands.

  What is going on in my life?

  I’ve brought only strife.

  My brother, died at my feet

  My mother, in my own arms.

  He never got to live his dreams

  And I couldn’t protect her from harm.

  The rock I used is now my only defense.

  And my mother’s battered body haunts me

  Cursed be my mind, so woefully dense

  And cursed be the future that I see.

  Every night I dream of my mother’s rape.

  Or of peace that will never be achieved.

  I could’ve kept my mother safe

  But instead I have no reprieve.

  Oh mother, I hope you’re watching me from Hope’s field.

  Please, guide me on the path I walk

  Or get Keletaliotionaga, the god of the real

  And let me hear him talk.

  And Arn, if Hope’s field exists, please forgive your brother.

  You can hate me like I already do, I ask for much

  I killed you and didn’t even protect mother.

  I don’t deserve to be considered family as such.

  My failures weigh down on my chest

  Who can remove something so heavy?

  My heart barely beats inside my breast

  I can’t carry this, I’m not ready.

  “Heh, I guess believing in Keletaliotionaga isn’t that crazy now that I’ve seen literal gods and talking books.” He found himself laughing through his tears, but not for long. “If you do exist beyond all other gods, I’m not deserving to be in the same place as my family. Please take care of them.” And after he made this request to the being even gods debated the existence of, he fell to sleep, without even getting in the blankets.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  He woke up later that night and walked out of the inn. This was probably the only way to avoid being seen by Bel, so he had to get up.

  As he walked out the door, mumbling to himself about wanting sleep, Bel was waiting for him. “Already going? Don’t you need your rest?” He asked from the darkness beside the open door.

  Dirk just looked at him, then dashed as if to try and outrun him. To no avail, while Dirk was breathless, Bel was smiling and talking. “You know you need to be taking care of yourself. You’re just a child, after all.” Then he got in front of Dirk and stopped. Dirk couldn’t stop in time and ran face first into him.

  “This is my burden, it is what the 13 gods decided of me. Stay out of it if you want to avoid death.” He finally responded. “You may have taken on the memories of my mother, but you are not her. Don’t tell me what to do.” Bel, to his surprise, stepped out of his way.

  “Alright, but you’ve seen that no weapons have an effect on me, and that I can run faster than you can. Do you really think I’m going to die just because you brought death to a large group of people?” Bel inquired.

  “You’re forgetting, 1 of those people I didn’t kill, and I killed many more to save her. Just stay out of my way if you value your life.” He retorted.

  Bel didn’t look very convinced. “Don’t you value your life? If you carry death with you, then turn that death into life. You’re pretty good with a sword, especially one that tries to kill anyone who isn’t you.” Then after smiling. “You were not made into the god of death, that’s Morti, you’re likely the god of conflict that made his waves through the gods ears. Which means conflict resolution.”

  Dirk sat down. “So what, I somehow save people instead of killing them?” He looked down at the soil beneath him. “You know I can’t do that. But neither can I easily die. The sword won’t let me kill myself. And it won’t detach from me either.”

  “Conflict exists to end conflict. 2 people fighting only fight until the other person loses or admits defeat. Use that. You’ve got a few thousand years. And now, the entire Cadre of memories that your mother had too. Even the ones she forgot.” Bel did make a convincing argument.

  “Very well, you have 2 weeks to teach me. After that, I’ll leave. And ignore you.”

  Bel just led Dirk into a forest around 4 days away. He would listen to Bel, but remained silent often. Until around the 3rd day, when he finally asked “Where are we going?”

  “Do you wish to know if following me has any sort of merit? If it has a purpose?” Bel asked.

  “Yes. Why are we traveling this far away, if you’ll just have to bring me back?” Dirk asked.

  “Who said I’m bringing you back? We didn’t agree on that. Just that I have 2 weeks to teach you. From there, you’re either on your own, or can continue.” Was Bel’s response. “Don’t be too hasty. You’re always in such a rush, it’s no wonder Leena always had to clean up after you. You never did it yourself.” He continued.

  “But I see through you. You’re still a child. Acting like an adult. Unable to actually be either. Perhaps I can change that.”

  Dirk raised his eyebrow. “Even my own mother wouldn’t let me be a child or adult, but you think you can help me be either?” He asked. “This will be an empty week and a half. I can tell.” He finished.

  “We’ll see about that. The first part is already done.” Bel smiled.

  “What do you mean? What was the first part?” Dirk questioned, curiously.

  “Scratch that, first 2 parts are done. There’s many more, but you’re catching on quicker than you realize. Quicker than you ever will realize.” Bel refused to say anymore, but his smile betrayed him. The part of him that was Leena had made progress.

  When they reached the forest a few days later, only a week and a day were left. “Here we are, the forest. From here, I won’t give you food or shelter. Instead, you must do both yourself.” Was Bel’s words.

  Dirk looked worried. “I don’t have money for the kingdom of, what was it called?”

  “Griad. The city is called Griad.” Bel said.

  “I don’t have money for this kingdom, what am I to do?” He asked.

  “Who said you needed money to live? That’s not something you should live by.” Was the response. “I won’t say anymore. Go and live, then talk when you have shelter and can make both of us a meal.”

  Dirk walked away. He pondered for a few seconds. “I think I’ll start by making shelter. But how to do that?” He questioned while he thought none could hear him. “I know, I’ll just stay where I’m at, and make a house of wood.”

  So he pulled out Nopaew, and spoke to it. “Think you could cut down a tree?” He asked the godly blade of punishment.

  “I can’t be broken, I’m a god myself.” Dirk’s eyes widened in surprise.

  “So the answer is yes?” He asked it.

  “The answer is not just yes, I won’t get dull either. Though, I could make this easier for you still.” The blade said inside Dirk’s mind. “I won’t though. This is your test, not mine. Use me if you want, but I won’t help besides being a blade for protection and slowly making shelter.”

  So Dirk just hacked away at a few trees as best as he could. It took him hours, but he had a few trees felled after a bit. He tried to stack the logs in a pattern that holds itself up, but failed. No matter what he did, it kept falling. It was getting late, but he decided not to settle or rest. He instead sat thinking.

  After a bit, he decided to slice the felled trees, to make stacking the wood easier. Cutting each one through would be a bit hard, as he soon discovered. This alone could take all week. But he got an idea yet again. After a few shorter hours, the ends of each log was cut in a way that the ends stacked on each other, and the space between the wood was relatively thin, but it should still be good enough. Now, he could rest.

  As he laid down, he found that the ground was not as comfortable. Not surprising to anyone who isn’t a god, but at this point, the deity of conflict was getting used to some of the differences between gods and man, his increased vigor and inability to die by normal means he could go on all week. He took full advantage of that, and he decided to make a bed of wood.

  He wasn’t a carpenter, so his bed ended up just being some soft dirt on top of a few logs, just big enough to lay down on. As he did, he fell asleep, and woke just a few hours later. His stomach grumbled. He ignored it, and felt the ground beneath his feet. Not quite soft enough to do anything with, he’d have to wait until the middle of the day and use some water, unless he could find a river nearby and take from the line where it meets the dirt. The cold was what woke him, and made it unsuitable for living in any sort of comfort.

  Instead, he went and carefully tried to sneak up on a bird. Once he got about 10 feet away, it looked at him and then flew away. He tried this several more times, with more birds. Each time, they had a space where they seemed to know instinctually that he was there, and fly away. He wasn’t quick enough to catch any other animal, and none were big enough to charge him. But he did find some wild blueberries as he searched for animals, and he ate some as he tried tracking.

  At the middle of the day, he was not filled, and the ground had gotten a bit softer, so he decided to insulate his house with mud. That took him the rest of the day, and Dirk collapsed on the ground right after. Away from the ease of the city, he couldn’t do much except try to survive. He crawled outside, and found insects swarming around the hut. As they flew near his mouth, he would try to eat them.

  Usually he’d be picky, but exhaustion removed any sense of flavor that may have prevented him from eating. He didn’t get to eat many of the bugs, and their blood made him spit it right back out. “I could get diseased and die if I’m not careful” He realized. So he waited until his strength cane back enough to stand, and ate as many blueberries as he could. For 3 days, he struggled to regain energy by eating blueberries. On the 4th day, he was well enough to try hunting again.

  Dirk questioned for a full day, thinking about everything possible to get a good 2 meals out of a hunt, when he couldn’t even catch a bird. At that moment, he saw a squirrel climbing a tree, and developed a plan when he saw it was carrying nuts. He sat silently several feet away from the tree, barely daring to even breathe.

  Then, he saw it. The squirrel was leaving its place in the treetop. He followed it from a distance, and saw it enter a bush, then come out with more nuts a few minutes later. When it did, he started setting his trap in motion. The nuts were stuck to the bush, so it may take a bit for the squirrel to get it off the bush. The trap was simple, a cloth would fall on the squirrel when it entered the bush by its usual method.

  He set similar traps where he found the entrances to the bushes with nuts. That night, he ate a feast of squirrel meat. He also stayed awake, to try and hear running water, and it didn’t take him long amidst the quiet of the night. About a week later, he was sitting down, and somehow Bel knew exactly where Dirk was. Bel knocked on the open door, and to his surprise, Dirk had a portion of fish meat and squirrel meat ready for him, with a side of baked blueberries and a rough cup of water.

  He sat opposite Dirk, with his legs crossed underneath him, and the 2 ate in silence. “This squirrel, I don’t usually eat squirrels. Then, I don’t eat anything unless I like the taste. But the fish, and the blueberries, both are good.” Dirk lifted his water to his mouth in response, then set it down after a long gulp.

  “Thank you. This was harder than I expected, but I’ve grown accustomed to it.” He said.

  “I know. It took everything I had to convince the portion of me that was Leena to calm down. That you’d survive. I started to doubt after the first few days.” Bel said. “But she did calm down. Very strong grip on reality and potential, that woman.” He continued.

  Dirk smiled at the thought. “She would have ran right through the wood of a tree just to feed me in life. The fact her love remains in death, it’s unnatural. And welcome. You are welcome to converse with me as you please. I have missed mother.” Dirk said through happy tears.

  “Why was your mother unmarried? Did her husband die?” Bel asked.

  “I hoped you’d be able to answer that for me. I don’t think she was ever married.” Dirk said. “I always wanted to meet my father, but apparently she didn’t know who the father is. Or if Arn and I shared the same father.”

  Bel, for the first time in a long time, questioned. “I have a theory, but. No, I don’t want to say what it might be. Let’s just leave it at she loved you very much, she still loves you more than any other woman has loved her own child, and go from there.” Bel said.

  Bel’s thought wasn’t something he was going to share with the young boy. But Leena may have been raped in her sleep, then the attacker goes right afterwards. No conflict, no noise, no one but the rapist remembering what happened. And from it, 1 boy would be born, a year after Dirk. The attack stops for whatever reason. Bel kept this theory to himself. And Dirk seemed to not mind being kept in the dark.

  “Well Dirk, you’ve kept up your end of the bargain. Now it’s time for me to leave you be. Your mother is content as well, seeing you enjoy life.” Bel got up, but before he could even turn around, Dirk motioned him to sit down again.

  “Wait, that wasn’t the agreement. The agreement was you’d stop bothering me if I listened and decided.” Dirk said.

  Bel sat back down. “So what is it you’re saying?” Bel asked.

  Dirk found himself smiling for just a moment, as he had neither taken a human life, nor had to fight a human for these 2 weeks. He didn’t even hear word of the Black Rose Swordsman. “Keep teaching me.” Were his words.