“That’s a peacock Renn. That’s basically what Rapti is,” Vim said as I watched the bird with the huge tail walk across the road in front of us.

The thing’s feathers were not just big, they were bigger than me! They reminded me of Nasba’s tail feathers and her children. They were even strangely colorful, with odd designs and…

Another bird stepped out of the tall wheat. It hurried over to its fellow, bobbing its head as it did.

“Peacocks…” I whispered as I studied them. They seemed kind of like turkeys or something, but weren’t as fat. Could they fly? They looked like they had wings but their tail feathers looked so ridiculously large that it was hard to imagine them capable…

The first bird finally noticed its friend approach, squawked loudly at it, and then the two ran off into the field of grass on the other side of the path.

“So… Rapti’s feathers look like that?” I asked. And they grew from the back of her head? No wonder she plucked them. They probably were heavy.

“Yeah. Her feathers were more blue I think though,” Vim said as he thought about it.

Hm…

“How come Nasba and her children aren’t these then? I’ll be honest their feathers look more like those than duck feathers,” I said.

“Because you hadn’t seen their elders hundreds of years ago. Their oldest members had feathers all over their bodies, and it was quite clear they were ducks. Plus their feathers aren’t as pretty, and don’t have the reflective traits. They only seem similar thanks to how large and long they are is all,” Vim said.

I frowned, because I myself had found Nasba’s feathers rather pretty. Honestly they hadn’t seemed that less interesting than these at all, so it was interesting to hear Vim say they were noticeably less so, based on how he had said it.

“This species is a peafowl. They’re pheasants. The males are called peacocks, and the females peahens. Or just hens, I guess,” Vim continued to teach me about them.

“Are these the males or females?” I asked.

“Males. The hens are more normal looking. They don’t have the big fancy feathers,” he said.

“Isn’t it weird the male birds are always prettier?” I asked as the birds hurried away, heading for an open field of flowers and tall grass.

“Every species has its odd features for the males. Fancy colors, different sizes, calls or dances. It’s their way of telling who is healthy and who isn’t. Diseased birds won’t be as pretty, or dance as well. Sickly animals won’t be as noisy or big. Humans have the same traits, people just don’t put any stock into them usually… or if they do it’s subconscious,” Vim said.

“Wouldn’t explain you, Vim. You’re rather average looking,” I said as I glanced at him.

He smirked a little, as if proud to hear it was so. “And you’re absolutely stunning.”

Although I had expected him to counter in such a way, per usual, I still blushed a little and looked away from him. I pretended to search and stare out at the birds, which were nearly out of sight thanks to the tall grass they were entering.

Really. It was so difficult to tease him! Why was he able to say such things so confidently all the while sounding so sincere? It was almost as if he wasn’t teasing me at all, and had just been stating a simple fact.

“Shall we continue Renn?” Vim asked after a moment.

I nodded slowly as I glanced around at the surrounding village. “I’m surprised no one has come over to say hello yet,” I said.

Oplar had ran off not long after we neared the Summit. She hadn’t really said as to why, but Vim hadn’t seemed bothered or surprised… so maybe it was normal. Maybe she had a friend here she wanted to hurry and see.

It was too bad for her. Vim and I had been flirting quite a bit since she had left.

“It’d be more shocking if someone actually did, Renn. Come on… I’m technically not supposed to linger outside very long here,” Vim said as he stepped passed me, heading towards where there were a bunch of buildings.

“Not supposed to linger? It’s not really that bad is it, Vim? They’re the ones who called for you,” I said as I hurried to his side.

“I’m banished from here, Renn. There’s a building in the center of the village, that way, which I’m supposed to stay in unless doing something they’ve asked of me,” he said with a point.

Frowning, I didn’t like that at all. They made him stay confined to a building…?

“Wait… is that why you said we’d be able to easily sleep together here?” I asked, finding that to make a lot of sense.

He chuckled at me. “Suddenly not as upsetting, is it?” he asked.

Well…

Although I didn’t want to openly admit he was absolutely correct, I couldn’t help but sheepishly smile and nod. “So I guess I should thank them. What about Oplar then, Vim? Will she be staying with us too?” I asked.

“Oplar can if she wants. She has a friend here though… who is likely who she had run off to see,” he said.

Right. So my assumption was correct.

Although I enjoyed Oplar’s presence, a little more than I thought I would have, I kind of hoped she’d stay with her friend instead.

I had enjoyed staying in the same room, alone, with Vim at the Crypt. Even if it had only been when we slept… but if he was forced to remain indoors during his stay, outside of when he was helping with whatever they summoned him for…

That meant he and I might get to spend many days alone together here.

Doing my best to not find such an idea too exciting, I kept my pace even with Vim as we neared the larger cluster of buildings.

They were mostly two or three stories tall. And large. They were all made from dark wood, with even darker roofs. They kind of reminded me of some of the buildings back home, in the north. It was a little nice to finally see familiar styled buildings again.

All around us, and the buildings, were farms. Not all were being used at the moment, with some just growing grass and flowers, but a good portion looked to be growing wheat and corn. Off in the distance, looking like large blobs of darkness in the seas of golden and green, were other buildings. Some looked huge from a distance, which made me wonder if they were barns or something else.

“Why’s this place called the Summit Vim? We’re no longer on the mountains,” I said. In fact all of the mountains were surrounding us. As if we were in some giant bowl or something.

“It’s a reference from their origin. A long time ago a god lived here. It was considered the summit of all civilization because of it. It’s… a shadow of its former self, to be honest,” he said softly.

Glancing at Vim, I noted the way he had explained it to me. That hadn’t just been him telling me this place’s history… that had been genuine sadness over the history he was sharing.

“So… kind of like the Keep?” I asked carefully.

He nodded. “That’s a good way to think of it, yes. That had been a true capital castle, though. This place was fancier than it is now, by a long shot… but it had still been kind of primitive really. There were just more people, and they had this huge towering building. Their god lived at the top of it, overlooking the whole area. Think of a giant spire, kind of like those monoliths back at Landi’s.”

“Did gods live on top of those too?” I asked.

Vim did something he hadn’t done in a long time.

He stopped walking, out of surprise of my question.

Although a little sad that I’d shocked him to such a degree again, I still found myself smiling a little at him. He looked absolutely troubled… as he reached up and rubbed his face, looking tired all of a sudden.

“Sorry,” I apologized, though I still smirked at him.

“No you’re not,” he grumbled.

My smirk turned into a happy grin as I nodded. I wasn’t.

Vim eventually sighed, but nodded. “They hadn’t lived at the top of them, no. But those monoliths were indeed made by what you’d call a god.”

“Oh…? Then why so bothered over it?” I asked.

“Because only you could have a mind that is more beautiful than the rest of you.”

My smile went stiff, and my tail coiled upward, to try and wrap around the bag hanging at my waist.

After a moment I coughed and giggled. “Jeez, Vim!” I said as I reached over and smacked him lightly on the arm.

He huffed at me as I snickered and enjoyed the moment. Really! I had been kind of joking earlier about the flirting, but maybe I shouldn’t have!

I was only able to giggle for a short while, as I realized there was someone waiting for us. A single person, amongst many houses.

He was rather noticeable… mostly because he was dressed in all black, and was rather large. He was a portly man.

“That is…?” I asked as we walked towards him.

“The current elder of the village. By the way… please don’t get too bothered, Renn. Or offended,” Vim said softly.

“Hm…? Is he going to be rude?” I asked.

“No. He won’t be. But… well… haven’t you noticed?” he asked.

Noticed what?

Glancing around, I frowned until I saw movement. In one of the larger windows on the nearest building.

Focusing on it, I realized quickly what Vim meant… and had meant, all along.

The village wasn’t empty, or quiet at all.

There were likely dozens of windows in sight, on all the nearby buildings… and darn near every single one had someone staring at us from them. Some had multiple pairs of eyes peering out from behind curtains and shutters.

“Oh…” I groaned as I realized what he meant.

“Yeah. It’s not their fault Renn. I’ll explain it later, when we’re alone. But they have good reason to be scared of me,” he said.

“Why’d you not explain it earlier?” I asked.

“Oplar,” was all he said.

Ah…

Feeling a little stunned by such an obvious reason, I did my best to not say anything as we stepped off the path we were on and onto a brick village center courtyard.

The bricks were rather uniform, reminding me of Lumen, but they were a strange yellow color. Almost brown. Maybe they were just old.

Walking onto the bricks, I glanced past the buildings nearby and realized this whole area was layered with bricks. It was actually surprising… It was definitely a courtyard, similar to what the Weaver’s Hut had, but on another level. The place was massive… it’d take me several minutes to run from one side to the other.

It was like a whole town itself. Maybe that was what it was meant to be.

“Welcome, Vim,” the large man said as we drew closer.

“How’ve you been, Thrain?” Vim asked as we paused a few feet from him.

He gave Vim a soft smile as he nodded, and I noticed the way his chin moved as he did so. “I’ve been well. Though to be honest I’ve had some troubles lately,” he said.

As he spoke, what I had noticed before became even more obvious.

Thrain looked fat. He looked very large… His neck was round, and he didn’t have one chin, he had two… maybe even three.

Yet not an inch of his body was soft. His skin didn’t jiggle. The fact I had noticed it so quickly made me realize how odd it was. Maybe he wasn’t fat? He looked it, but…

He turned and gestured behind him. “Shall we?” he invited us to follow him.

Vim nodded as Thrain turned around and began to walk. As he did, I paid close attention to the way his whole body shifted and moved under his thick black clothes.

Yes. He was fat. But it wasn’t a soft fat. Something told me if I touched him, he’d be as hard and solid as Vim was.

Interesting. I wonder what they are. It must be related to his bloodline.

“Oplar is here as well. She ran off earlier though,” Vim told him.

Thrain chuckled, and once again my deductions were proven correct. His whole body was stiff. “She’ll turn up soon enough!” he said happily.

Hm…

As we followed Thrain past buildings and deeper into the center of the village, I did my best to ignore the stares. From windows. From half open doors.

There were a lot of people here, based off all the eyes staring at us.

What was odd though wasn’t just the fact that they were all hiding away in their homes… but that none of them looked fat like Thrain. Most looked normal, and were even dressed in similar clothes I’d see at any major human city. They weren’t wearing leather, but cotton and other flaxes.

Glancing at Vim, I noted the soft smile on his face. Either he and Thrain were friends… or he actually liked it when everyone ignored and hid from him.

Maybe they did…? Usually when we go to a Society location he does get swarmed at first. With questions, requests, and stories. So… maybe he actually liked it when he was kind of left alone?

It was rather quiet.

In fact… it was strangely quiet.

I was used to silence. Especially when Vim and I traveled, and even more so when we traveled through open plains or dense forests. Yet…

This wasn’t some distant, un-lived and empty area. This was a town. A village. One of the biggest in the Society, even.

Yet it was as quiet as the forests we had just traveled through to get here.

Realizing it was so quiet made me feel a little anxious. My tail became a tad stiff, and I rolled a shoulder… as if it was stiff from carrying bags for so long. Yet I hadn’t been. The only bags I carried were tied to my waist. The small ones, holding letters and other small items. Vim was carrying the larger bags, and Oplar had the others.

We rounded a large building and the bricks changed color. They became a whiter, cleaner, style… but they also became larger. The yellowish bricks had been about the size of my feet. These were as long as my forearm, and about half as wide.

It was interesting that the bricks were different colors and stuff, but all of the houses were bland browns and blacks.

“Ah!”

I turned as we passed a large building, which was obviously some kind of house. The front door shut, and I heard the typical sound of a mother scolding a child.

Smiling softly, I wondered if maybe a kid had tried to leave… not realizing who was outside. Did that mean the parents and elders all forced the children to not come near Vim…?

That was a rather sad thought.

A few minutes later we approached a large four-storied building. One without people staring out of its windows.

But there was another. A tall woman stood at the entrance, right outside the door. She was thin, and was glaring daggers at us as we neared.

Doing my best to not feel more awkward than I needed to, I strode up to the door alongside Vim… As Thrain simply walked past the woman, and went into the building.

“Hey there Ash,” Vim greeted the woman.

She didn’t respond. She simply narrowed her eyes. She didn’t even scoff, or huff at us, as we passed.

“Um…” I waved lightly at her as I followed Vim into the building.

The tall woman noticed my waving, and me, as if she hadn’t noticed me before. She blinked… and calmed down a little as she nodded at me.

I stepped past her, and into the building, and smirked a little in victory.

She followed us in, closing the door behind us, and the moment she did… the world stopped being quiet.

Pausing a tiny moment, I glanced back… and ignored the tall woman who went still at being looked at.

Past her, I could hear voices. People talking. They were too distant and muffled to make out, but it was clear that the village had just relaxed a little.

Because Vim was now in this building.

Was this where we’d be sleeping?

Turning back around, as to not further disturb the tall woman, I picked up my pace to follow Vim down the hallway. I peered into each room we passed, and was both surprised at how clean and fancy this place was… but also realized quickly that this was likely where we’d be staying.

There was a strange coldness in the building. A lack of smells. It was clear no one lived here, actually lived here. There was no smell of cooking, or sweat. There was the faint smell of dirt and old wear and tear, but also the smell of someone having recently cleaned. I smelled wood that had been wiped down. Rugs that had been aired out. And the shelves and tables I saw were noticeably missing a layer of dust.

This was either some kind of weird office building, or this was basically an inn. Someplace the village cleaned and routinely up-kept, but wasn’t lived in.

Rounding a corner, we immediately stepped into the first room on the right. It was a larger room, with a large square table. A table of deep red.

Rather impressed with the table, I stepped over to it as Vim and Thrain both went to sit at it. Instead of sitting right away, I ran my hand along the surface of the table, and was a little stunned to feel how smooth it was.

My hand even made tiny little squeaks as I ran it along the surface…

How’d they sand it so well?

Thrain coughed lightly, and I glanced up from the table and found that not only was he and Vim sitting… so too had the tall woman. And they were all staring at me.

Right.

I stepped around the table, to sit next to Vim. As I pulled the chair out from under the table, I noticed our bags near Vim’s feet. He had taken them off as to sit comfortably.

Sitting down, I smiled gently at the two across the table from Vim and I, and happily went to waiting for whoever would speak first.

“I thank you for coming, Vim,” Thrain said after I got comfortable.

“Hopefully you hadn’t waited long. I just heard from Oplar of your summons about a month ago,” Vim said.

Thrain smiled as he gently waved Vim’s worry away. “Our request this time is… rather serious, but it is fine. We sent word only a few months ago,” he said.

“Hm. Before that I do have letters for you… unless the request needs immediate attention?” Vim asked.

“Ah. No. It can wait,” Thrain said with a nod.

I perked up as I reached down to my waist. I untied and opened the bag made from monarch leather, and then hesitated.

Which letter? I didn’t remember any addressed to Thrain…

“The red ones, Renn,” Vim said gently.

Ah. I nodded as I quickly dug out the few red envelopes. They were indeed the only red ones I had.

As I leaned forward to hand them to Thrain, I hesitated a small moment as I realized both Thrain and the woman, Ash, were staring at me with odd looks.

“Hm…?” I did my best to not get too bothered by their strange looks, and gladly didn’t have to try too hard or for long. Thrain smiled and took the letters after only a moment of hesitation, and Ash likewise calmed down as he did.

“Thank you… I’m sorry, I’ve been rude. My name is Thrain the Fifth. Welcome to the Summit… Miss…?” Thrain introduced himself and held out his hand. He had even stood from his chair, as to be proper.

I too quickly stood and quickly took his hand. “Renn…! It’s fine… I get it, I think,” I said as I took his hand.

“Renn…?” Thrain frowned as we shook hands, and I gulped at the feeling of solid stone.

His hands were harder, rougher, and thicker than Vim’s. To the point it was almost unnerving. It was like holding a brick.

He was gentle though, and didn’t squeeze my hand anywhere near hard enough to hurt me. He likely didn’t know how strong I was, and it was a kind gesture on his part. But… even though he didn’t squeeze very hard, I couldn’t help but notice and acknowledge that he was likely very strong. He wasn’t weak or frail at all, and not just because he was so firm and hard.

“Are you a wolf, Renn?” Ash asked as I went to sitting back down, done shaking Thrain’s hand.

“Uh… no. I’m a cat. A jaguar,” I said.

Ash’s eyes narrowed at me, but not in the way she had been glaring at Vim earlier. It was clear she was more shocked than angry.

“A jaguar…! Fascinating. I wonder from which line you hail…?” Thrain asked as he placed the red letters aside, next to him.

Oh…? I had thought he’d go to reading them. Maybe they weren’t for him, or maybe he suddenly found me more interesting and important than they.

“I uh… I don’t know. My elders were big, and had black fur, but I don’t know more than that… I’m sorry,” I said, unsure of what else to say. Hopefully I’d not receive the same treatment here as I had at the Bell Church.

Thrain tilted his head and Ash coughed a smile. “He means which god you hail from, dear. Who created you?” Ash asked.

Created me…

My tail coiled around one of the chair’s legs as my grandparents stories rushed through my mind.

They had said similar things.

“I’m sorry… I don’t know,” I said honestly.

Thrain chuckled as he waved at the tall woman. “Now, now, Ash. It’s very rare nowadays for anyone to know their heritage! If anything it’d be stranger if she did, actually!” he said happily.

Ash knowingly nodded, understanding.

Although glad the two weren’t making a big deal out of it… I was also a little peeved at the way they were acting. Had they just somewhat insulted me? Did they think themselves better because they knew their supposed creator, while I didn’t? Or was I just reading into them a little too much, because I was upset they had reminded me of my grandparents?

“I apologize Renn. My name is Ash. Me and my husband welcome you to the Summit,” Ash then said as she bowed her head a tad.

Oh…? I glanced back and forth for a moment, between the two.

They were married…!

“Thank you…! I’ve never been somewhere with so many of our kind in one place, so I’m a little excited to be honest,” I said to them.

The two smiled and nodded. “Right? We’re quite proud of our numbers. We’re not just amongst the largest; we’re also one of the oldest locations in the Society too! Our people lived here far before the Society was even a thought!” Thrain said proudly.

Oh. Right. Their god had been here.

Yes… that likely had been a long time ago…

I nodded as Thrain crossed his arms, which was a feat considering how thick they were.

“In a day or two it’ll get lively again. You’ll enjoy seeing us at our best, I promise!” Thrain added with even more pride.

“Hm!” I nodded again, and actually was excited to see it. Hundreds supposedly lived here, and I believed it based off all the buildings. Some were so distant they were blurry. I could see hundreds of people living here.

“Yes. Vim has rules, but they’re not extended to any other visitor. Please relax and feel free to enjoy our home, Renn. We are not predators, but we’re a proud bloodline. We shall not shy away just because of what you are,” Ash said to me.

My tail coiled harder around the chair’s leg. “I see… Thank you,” I said, unsure of how else to respond to that.

It was… kind. In a way. Yet… also a little painful. To have people assume things about me just by looking at me. I should be long used to it, but lately the places we’d been and the people we’ve met have all been… well…

Rather welcoming and nice. A lot of the more recent locations had welcomed me even without saying such a thing.

“Shall she be needing her own place to sleep, Vim?” Ash then asked him.

My ears fluttered a little in annoyance. Why ask him and not me? “I’m okay staying with Vim,” I said before he could speak up.

If either of them were bothered or startled by my answer, they didn’t show it. They simply nodded nod smiled. “Okay,” Ash said.

Calming down a little, I wondered if maybe I was… being too defensive. Maybe they weren’t being rude at all, and I was just reading too much into their words and actions. Between this place and its people being so rude to Vim and their question about my so called creator… well…

“Well then… If you don’t mind Vim, I’d like to go over the letters first,” Thrain said calmly as he grabbed them.

Oh…? Was he asking us to leave the room, or was he going to just sit here and read them in front of us?

Instead though he stood, as did Ash.

A little surprised, I remained seated since Vim did too. “This house is fully furnished, Renn. Please feel free to make yourself at home. If there’s anything you need, just let someone know and we’ll get it for you,” Ash said to me as Thrain stepped around the table, heading for the exit.

“Oh… okay…?” I shifted a little uncomfortably as Ash smiled and nodded, and then went to follow her husband.

The two left without another word, and I gulped as I listened to them silently walk down the hallway… to the front door… then out of the house.

They shut the door behind them, and my ear fluttered because of it. “Vim…?” I asked as I turned to look at him.

“Hm?” he tilted his head at me as he went to stand up too.

“This is where we’re staying?” I asked.

“Yeah.”

Huh…

“And they’re just… going to leave? Not even going to tell us what they summoned you for?” I asked.

“It must not be that concerning. It’s fine. He’ll either come back later, or in the morning,” Vim said as he bent down to pick up all the bags he had just discarded a moment ago.

Feeling a little out of place, I too slowly stood. The room was big enough Vim didn’t need me to get out of the way or move my chair as he walked around the table and left.

I followed after him, without even putting my chair back properly.

He rounded the corner, heading for the entrance, but instead of leaving he went into one of the rooms near the front door. A large sitting area, with a huge couch and big chairs.

I stood in the hallway for a moment, and studied the place.

It really was nice. The floors were wood. Smooth. The ceiling was high, but had rows of designs on the edges where it met the walls. The doorways were thick, though without doors, and rounded at the top instead of flat like usual.

“I… figured it would have been a shack, or something. Or maybe some kind of prison,” I said softly as I stepped into the room.

Vim chuckled at me as he put the bags down onto the floor next to the couch. “They… don’t like me, Renn. But they themselves are not bad people. They’re odd, sure, but their oddness is normal. Most of our people used to be like them. Stuck in their strange ways. In fact a long time ago they had been considered some of the most human-like amongst us,” he said.

Them…?

“They do look human enough… except for Thrain,” I said.

“Hm…? What about him doesn’t look human?” he asked, interested.

“His fat. It doesn’t jiggle, and it isn’t soft at all.”

Vim paused a moment, then he chuckled softly for a tiny moment. “Right. Doesn’t jiggle.”

Although upset he found my words so humorous, I couldn’t help but smile at him as I watched him nod and smirk.

“What are they, Vim?” I asked.

“They’re cavy. Little pigs. Guinea pigs. They’re a type of rodent,” he said as he sat down on the couch with a huff.

Little… pigs…?

I shifted as I tried to understand Vim’s meaning. He had called them pigs, but yet called them a rodent.

Thrain being a pig did somewhat make sense. I’ve patted many fat hogs, and sometimes even though fat they were hard to the touch. As if full of air and swelling, about to burst. Especially when they were on their side, snoring away.

But… rodents…?

“So… tiny pigs?” I asked.

He nodded, but paused. “Ah. No. Not actual pigs. Think more like a fat rodent. Imagine a rabbit and a mouse mixed together, kind of,” he said as he explained.

A rabbit and mouse…

“Why’s he so hard then?” I asked as I neared him. There was a small knee high table in front of the couch, which was between us.

“He’s just strong. He’s an oddity for his kind. Most of them are rather frail beings,” he said as I stepped around the table and went to stand in front of him.

“And they’re married?” I asked.

“Thrail and Ash? Yes. Have been for a long time. They have a few children, but I’ve only ever met one of them and only for a moment,” Vim said.

Oh…

My tail laid onto the table, going low, thanks to how sad such a thing was.

“It’s not that sad, Renn. As I’ve mentioned… they have good reason for being so upset with me,” he said gently.

“You’re their protector, Vim. You’re a kind man. It doesn’t make any sense,” I said. I’ve tried to imagine what he could have possibly done, but it was hard to imagine why an entire village would despise him so much that they’d not even leave their homes when he visited. If I was understanding it properly, he wasn’t even allowed to meet the children of those who did at least talk to him!

Vim was not a cruel man. Anything he had done, or could have done… had to have been for good reason.

I shifted as I stared at the man relaxing on the couch. He had a tiny smile on his face, enjoying my own frustrations.

“Is this place your mistake, Vim?” I asked.

Vim’s smile died, and I felt the room grow colder. As if a sudden chill breeze had just pass by. Yet this building was well made. Not a draft could be felt, or heard.

“No. That happened a long time ago. Even before this place,” Vim answered.

I gulped and nodded. “Okay…”

He sighed and leaned back a little more. The couch surprisingly didn’t creak or complain at all as he did so, and he nodded. “Remember how I said that a god was here?” he asked.

I nodded.

“It was their god. The one they worshiped,” he said.

My eyes narrowed as I slowly nodded again… and somehow knew where this was going. “Right…” I mumbled lightly.

“I was the one who killed her,” Vim said.

For a tiny moment I couldn’t comprehend his words… but then as I did…

Smiling softly, about to laugh at the ridiculous and even audacious comment… I stared at the man who was staring back without a smile or frown.

He was serious.

Wobbly stepping forward, I turned and basically fell onto the couch next to Vim.

Surprisingly the couch was very soft. Soft enough it hadn’t even bothered my tail at all upon sitting on it.

“You okay…?” he asked softly as I stared blankly at the nearby window. It was half covered by a large drape. I’ll need to close them soon, once it grew darker… so that no one outside could see in and…

Taking a deep breath, I sighed as I reached up to rub my eyes. They suddenly hurt. “You killed their god,” I whispered.

“Yes. And uh… a lot of them too, while at it. They had not been happy at the time, at all, so…” Vim had started to mumble, as if ashamed.

And he should be.

“No wonder they hate you! No wonder they’re terrified of you!”

I heard and felt Vim nod as I stopped rubbing my eyes. “Yes. Exactly. Their hate is justified. Understandable. I took their holy figure and slaughtered her. And had done so brutally, too. I… honestly Renn, I had not done it in a way that had been fitting for the moment. Think of what happened with Tim, but far worse,” Vim explained quietly.

Staring at him, I felt a strange cold chill run up my tail and spine.

If this wasn’t his mistake… just how bad had that been, then?

I wasn’t entirely sure yet what to think of these gods so many people spoke of. Were they literal? Figurative? Is the god Vim was speaking of a real god, like the one in all those scriptures… or was it like the gods written in those fairy tales and legends… like the ones the pagans sang about?

Or well…

Did it matter…?

Even if she hadn’t been a real god, and just a person… a normal person… it didn’t matter. They all saw it in black and white. They saw their god, and Vim. Their god and the one who killed her.

Their god and their devil.

“Why’d you do it…?” I asked softly.

Vim finally smiled, but did so sadly. “I’ll not answer that, Renn. Not yet.”

For once I wanted to smack him. To grab his head and shake the truth out of him… but I didn’t. I kept myself under control as I looked away from him, and shook my head. “I wanted to hate them. For being weird. For acting kind of rude. Now I pity them,” I said.

“They are pitiful, Renn… why do you think I’m so willing to endure their hatred? It’s not just my belief in free will here… it’s my penance,” he said.

Grabbing my knees, I squeezed them. The thick cloth and leather straps that ran down them, connecting my thigh pieces to my calf pieces, protested under my grip. “I… I need a moment. To process this,” I said honestly.

“Hm.” Vim simply nodded as he sat back, going quiet.

He remained quiet for a little over an hour… as I deeply pondered him and his strange, yet great, failures.

I continued to ponder and debate. To weigh certain questions against others. To try and comprehend the strange fact he had so simply said.

He had killed a god.

Vim was capable of killing gods.

It shouldn’t have been so surprising… he was able to kill monarchs. Giant creatures with strange abilities… but…

But… I had still seen him as something normal. I knew killing giant, powerful, creatures was possible. I’d seen Witch do it with but a touch. A frail woman who was practically human in every other way.

Yet a god…?

I twitched as my head began to ache a little.

The sun had begun to set. My stomach started to grumble in complaint. My tail began to itch beneath me.

And still Vim said nothing. He remained still. Waiting patiently…

Then, right before I was about to speak up… the door opened.

“You all better have food ready!” Oplar shouted as she entered the house.

Vim sighed as he stood, and I had no choice but stand and join him.

It wasn’t Oplar’s fault. It was my own. It took me far too long to sort my thoughts and feelings about it.

Plus… helping them cook, and then eating dinner, was a great excuse to give myself more time.

More time to figure it all out. More time to understand…

And most importantly…

More time to ignore the very weird thought that had sprung forth the moment he had told me what he’d done.

Only something, or someone, special could kill a god.

And that fact terrified me beyond reason.

I wished to forget it. To bury it deep forever.

Vim was not supposed to be something so special as that…

Because then I’d not be able to make him my own.

Because I was not special. Not enough to match someone like that.

And that was what terrified me more than anything else.

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