Chapter 45 - Everyone's Hero

"Let's do that again, let's do that again!"

Somewhere on the rooftop of a small house, Ray shouted excitedly as he tugged at Dyren's leg, urging him to jump through the skies once more. For the young boy, the few running movements reached the wonders of actual flight.

"Let me rest for a moment, alright?"

Disappointed, but without throwing a fit, Ray nodded obediently and sat next to Dyren, where they rested together under the gaze of the sun in the clear sky.

"So, you don't want to be a hero?"

Dyren asked the boy. Questioning Ray was his initial reason for kidnapping him from his mother. During his talk with Aiyla, he'd occasionally shifted his attention to Ray. Even after considering the boy's shyness, Dyren saw that his mother's concerns didn't seem to be entirely misplaced.

"I don't care about that..." Ray answered, his excitement dwindling into a forced smile. "If everyone wants me to be a hero, then that's fine... Maybe... It's not like I don't like them! I read the stories too! I like 'The Path of a Saint' as much as anyone else."

"Then, what's the problem? Don't tell me... is it Aiyla? Does she smack you too often? Damn it, I knew she could never properly raise a child!" But even with Dyren's joking around, Ray's mood barely improved after approaching this topic.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Dyren added, aware of his position. He barely knew the boy, but since he was Aiyla's child, blood or not, he was just as concerned about him as her. Something was troubling the boy, and he'd thought that, if Ray had someone else to talk to other than his mother, say the epitome of masculinity, a man like him, he'd open up more.

"Uncle Dyren... what am I?" Ray eventually broke the silence, which Dyren attributed to the truth of his conviction about himself.

"A hero... I guess you know that already. What do you mean, exactly?"

"Is that all...? I guess... what I want to ask is... am I... human?"

The sudden question left Dyren without an answer, his mind unable to come up with anything on the spot.

"Why do others tell me I have scales? Fangs? Or spheres? Am I a jin? A foren? Or something completely else...? Uncle Dyren, please tell me. What am I?"

"You look human to me-..."

He immediately regretted that answer and swallowed the rest of his words. Ray certainly didn't hope to hear something like that, he knew that. The desperation in the boy's voice betrayed his age, further driving the notion home that he should take this matter seriously.

"Have you spoken to your mother about this?"

"No... I don't think her answer would mean anything..." The young boy said, aware of the biased tendencies of a parent. "I don't understand... Mo...Mom is a human, and I'm her child. You too, Uncle Dyren, think I look like a human. So, why am I... not? If the two of you think so, then I'd like to think so too, but the others..."

At first, Dyren didn't understand when or why he'd left such a big impression on the boy that he was considered on the same level as his mother. But then the answer came to him. It simply meant that there was no one else. Armin had been even busier than himself, and aside from Aiyla, most adults treated him with distant respect or religious fervor. There probably weren't many that would treat him like the brat he was. Even if Dyren's action resulted in something he hadn't initially intended, he was well aware of the responsibility that came with it since he'd already gained the child's attention.

'Guess that explains why Aiyla hasn't turned me into mincemeat yet...'

"Do you know about Amir?"

"Huh? A little... The humans call him a martyr, right?"

"Yes, but he wasn't just humanity's martyr. He was the only hero of the Second World. But it is said that there were rumors that he favored humanity over the other races. Why? Because he was born human. Whether these rumors were true or not, didn't matter. The accusations remained, resulting in various problems until the gods realized their mistake. That's why the gods, who created all of us, created you differently. Remember, Ray, if you are a hero of this world, you are everyone's hero. A guiding light for every race. Therefore, as a hero, you can't be just human."

"...I understand." The boy nodded obediently with his eyes cast down to hide his expression. Dyren, in turn, realized how difficult it was to interact with the boy. He was a two year old with the body of a ten-year-old, and his mind was already unbelievably matured. It made him forget that he was talking to a little boy. But regardless of Ray's situation, in the end, he was just that. A child.

"But don't you worry, Ray." He added, his voice brimming with boundless confidence and strength, causing the boy to look up again with a glimmer of expectation that hid behind his welling tears.

"If you don't want to be a hero, then your Uncle will take your place!"

"...Really? You'd do that? Why? It just sounds like a burden to me..."

"Because I always wanted to be one!! To be someone that would help others in their need, saving the day in blinding white armor and getting all the women! That would make me happy and everyone else as well, so what better result is there? For me, that's what a hero can and should do, and it's what I want to do!"

"For everyone to be happy...?" Ray was left with a quizzical expression.

"Haha! I'm exaggerating, don't take me by my every word. Also, I could hardly take your place. But even if I can't, I'm sure Armin will. He's working hard on that, not only for your sake but for everyones. After all, he carries the name of Amir's chosen, even if he doesn't like it. There's also Eri, but I guess you haven't met her yet. You, Ray, don't have to worry about anything at all. Just go and have fun playing around with the rest of the children. But don't listen to them! If you want to be a human, then just be one! Unlike the others, you can choose that for yourself. You can also be a jin, rykul or whatever. Just do what you want, act as you want, and if others don't want to listen, make them! Be selfish like the brat you are. That whole hero business, leave it to us to care about for the time being."

"Umm." Ray nodded wildly, grinning from face to face as he wiped away the remains of his tears. Dyren didn't know how much he really comprehended, but he liked to think that his words struck a chord with the boy. "Thanks, Uncle, I think I understand."

"So this is where the two of you've been hiding."

Signaling the end of their conversation, Aiyla appeared behind them before any of them realized it. Her soundless movements and sudden appearance, startled Dyren into an immediate sprint, leading straight out of the city while his distorted voice trailed behind him.

"I remember, I've got to go! Raven and Julien must be sick of waiting for me! Tell Armin I said 'hi' when he returns!"

"Come back soon, Uncle Dyren!" Ray waved after him with excitement. To his side, Aiyla released a quiet sigh before raising her hand to wave him goodbye as well. As a token of gratitude, she'd decided to not chase after him further, which Dyren more than welcomed.

'I best do come back soon, else the next time I see the brat, he might look older than handsome little me. Can't have that, can we...'

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"I don't know what I expected, but this is somewhat disappointing...?"

Reynold said out loud, not having to worry about being disrespectful to the two jin leading them. Since the group was headed towards a larger village, which presumably functioned as the capital of the jin, he'd expected something different. Yet, this new village looked exactly the same as the previous one, only with a few more stones. Even the surrounding forest of long, naked tree trunks was the same.

"The jin don't particularly favor gathering together in cities and are more spread across their territory in small communities. It's rare for them to have a permanent residence. I'm more surprised about how close to the border this important village is." Tormen answered his complaint, but it didn't change Reynold's impression.

The two were given another lodging that didn't differ much from their previous one. They had been told to wait until Zzuurr informed the elders about their intentions. In the meantime, they were allowed to do as they pleased. Tormen used this time to wander about the village and its surrounding outskirts, while Reynold cooped himself up at their home, driven to madness by the boredom.

It had taken an entire week until they heard from the attendant again.

"My apologies, Honored Tormen. I'm afraid we've run into some troubles."

"What happened?"

"The Master is absent. So it can be said that jurisdiction falls into the Young Master's hands, but the elders have been giving us a hard time, which is quite understandable."

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"Zzuurr's father is absent?"

"It's not worth mentioning. He went to meet the Third Order after they'd found something within our territory. This is all I can say, but rest assured, it's nothing to worry about. Regarding your request, I ask that your accompaniment stays behind while you follow after me."

Reynold shrugged with his shoulders, but mentioned that if Tormen took too long, he'd leave by himself, in which case, he shouldn't worry too much. During this week he'd come to the conclusion that his only option was either facing the tune of his superiors or continue wandering about like a stray. If that was the case, he'd rather choose the former and hope for the best.

"I'm probably just overthinking anyways, so I'll be heading back to Levestein."

"Then, in case this is goodbye, take this." Tormen handed over a flat button made of metal, similar to a coin. It had several tiny orifices but other than its strange appearance there was nothing noteworthy about it.

"What is it?"

"You'll understand when you play around with it a bit. If you bring it back to your superior, I'm sure they'll like it. No need to be polite, it's nothing expensive and just a small parting gift for a friend."

Reynold took him by his word and stored the device away. Even he could tell that it was impossible for it to be something outrageously dangerous. He could study it later and if necessary throw it away then. After having agreed on everything, Reynold stayed behind as Tormen and the attendant left the village.

"Please behave yourself, and follow every instruction of the Young Master, Honored Tormen. He's gone through a lot for your sake. Not only did he go against Ayla's priests, but he even asked for permission from the Third Order. I can hardly understand what has gotten into him, so pardon my inquiry. What happened between the two of you on the day you found the Young Master?"

"I found Zzuurr collapsed on the streets between the two borders of our territories. I don't want to exaggerate, or anything, but I'd thought he was dead. Only after coming closer did I realize that he still had a weak pulse left, so I helped him as one should."

"I understand. It seems that it's only natural that the Young Master feels grateful towards the savior of his life. I assume you felt no need to take care of him until help arrived?"

"I assured myself that he was fine before I left. After all, I was afraid of unjust suspicions at the time."

"Of course, in such a situation, I can't criticize your actions. Please don't think that I blame you... And yet, you have decided to wander about our territory until you got caught?"

"Such is the bane of our being - curiosity. It's humanity's natural enemy, but also its greatest gift."

"Yes, you've told me so... One last question. I wondered if you'd seen anyone else when you found the Young Master. Was there anyone injured, or even corpses when you found him?"

"I didn't see any, no."

"I see."

The two continued walking, heading further away until the village they'd left was out of sight. Inside the forest, it was difficult to not get lost. The treetops covered the sky and the trees themselves appeared the same wherever one looked, making orientation a difficult task. Yet the attendant headed straight into one direction without ever slowing down or stopping. All Tormen could do was follow behind him as silence fell between them.

"Lately, I've been traveling a lot, you see." Tormen resumed their conversation on their path that led to nowhere.

"And all the while, I've been looking for the answer to one particular question that intrigued me to no end. It was the target of all my curiosity."

"Oh? What might that question be, if I may ask?"

"Of course, let me present it to you! Do you think the soul exists? Tell me, what do the jin think about this wondrous, and mysterious aspect of life?"

"Naturally, it exists." There was no doubt in the attendant's voice as he stopped in his tracks. Around them, there were no signs of their destination, or anything else, other than the same scenery of dead silent trees.

"We consume the souls of others for our own being. We bequeath part of our own soul onto our descendants for generations to come. Thus, we, that is all living beings in this world, create connections of life that range from the past to the present and into the future. These individual connections of generations will be consumed, strengthened, and passed on, until one day, at the end of it all, only one chain of souls, containing all mortal life, is left that may ascend into the realm of gods. That is what the jin believe and pray for, under the protective watch of the Goddess of Life."

"Interesting! Very interesting, indeed!" Tormen exclaimed with a bundle of laughter and joy while the attendant remained reactionless nor did he resume moving. "I can see your point, and I've noticed some similarities in your people's behavior. So instead of a cycle of reincarnation, you believe in the continuation of the soul... But let me ask you this. If the soul exists, do you think it can be controlled? Or is it devoid of any interactions, despite being part of your being?"

"What do you mean?" The attendant asked perplexed, unable to understand what Tormen was getting at.

"Isn't it an obvious question?" Tormen sounded even more surprised before he continued talking to the back of the attendant that made no attempt to hold a proper conversation.

"Your arm exists and it belongs to you. Therefore, you can control it - move it. The same can be said about the rest of your body. Now one might wonder, what about the heart? Organs? You don't control those, they function automatically. But is that true? Your brain controls the heart, and you control the brain. So, in a sense, you control your heart, even if it takes the form of unconscious signals. Then again, you can't influence those with your will alone. Still, most would agree that your heart and your body belongs to you."

While Tormen continued what the attendant deemed meaningless drivel, the latter focused on his own task instead of listening to him. His arms that hid behind the cover of his body grew in size, turning from paw-hands into sharp claws that cut through the air with the slightest of their movements. A red glint filled his eyes, invisible to Tormen, resembling the sight of blood that came with the jin's way of life.

"So what about the soul?" Tormen continued unhindered.

"Can you control it? Can you decide where you will be born? Can you decide how long you will live? Can you control your death and keep your soul from returning into the cycle? No. You can't do anything. Your soul is completely out of your control. Subconscious or not. So, the question that follows is...

Does your soul even belong to you?"

"What...?" The glint in the attendant's eyes disappeared, replaced by confusion. There was something about Tormen's words that resonated with him but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. Yet, it was enough for his mind to return him from his bloodthirst into a shivering calmness as he saw Tormen walk past him before he noticed him.

"If your soul doesn't belong to you then to who does it? The gods? Or the World? Regardless, someone or something is in control. In control of the very essence of your life, your entire being and existence - your soul. But the interesting thing here is, that control can be taken away. You can regain control. All that you need to do, is exist outside of those laws."

Tormen turned around to meet the attendant's gaze. He paid no heed to the transformation of the ferocious claws and instead stared him directly in the eyes. The vicious glint of the attendant no longer remained as he lost himself in the dreadful calmness of Tormen's eyes.

"Of course," Tormen flashed him a regular, old smile, but the shivering that had consumed the attendant's body didn't relent. "that is just my theory. But given your imagination and concept of the soul, there would be some contradictions. After all, in your eyes, the soul becomes part of your descendants. That would mean if you took control it would be akin to killing off the descendant. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but that shows that you're quite wrong in your assumptions. Although it still holds some interesting pieces of truth, it's far from it. Be that as it may, I guess this is the end of our little chats. I quite enjoyed them for what it's worth. Also, thank you for leading me this far, I think I know the way from here."

The jin was completely overwhelmed. The extent of indifference from Tormen's gaze had rendered him breathless until he was brought back to reality by his last words. The threat implied in those did not elude him as the human that stared at him assumed the appearance of a menace that knew no equal. But he didn't let himself succumb to the instinctive fear that made its way into the depths of his soul.

This had been his plan regardless. There were too many unknown variables about this human, and his Young Master had acted far too unreasonable. After agreeing with the elders in the central village they'd decided that to get rid of him was the best choice. Something had happened between Tormen and the Young Master that they couldn't understand. Thus, the elders assumed responsibility, regardless of the result, and ordered the attendant to get rid of Tormen.

But he didn't know. He couldn't possibly know that he'd never been the hunter in this game of prey.

The jin took a jump back before landing on his four limbs. His body bulged, growing exponentially larger in leaps and bounds. Soon the appearance of a frail creature that could be mistaken for a human from the distance was no more. In its place arose a ravenous beast which sight eclipsed the fragile human beneath it.

"The magic of the jin is also so very interesting! Using what you think of as the connection between souls as a mental image, you revert yourselves into your former glory that existed in the Second World. At first, I'd thought that it was akin to going back in time, but it's actually much simpler than that. You just revert back to what you once were. Your past still lies dormant within you. That is indeed very intriguing. Unfortunately for you, the world does not permit you to reside in this state any longer. Your time is limited and I guess the tax on your mana resources must be quite heavy."

The beast didn't listen to any more nonsense. Using its tremendous, piston-like legs, it turned its body into a gigantic bullet that pounced towards its prey.

"Fetch!"

Tormen chuckled as he threw away something akin to a small metal ball that was barely the size of a thumb. Naturally, the beast ignored his taunt as its fangs found its target, which barely attempted dodging. The maw that could swallow Tormen whole with ease, connected with one of his arm's. In one abrupt motion, it was torn apart from the shoulder, as Tormen was thrown away against a nearby tree that was almost rooted out from the impact.

Seeing the glimpse of victory, the beast calmed down as it swallowed the arm whole. When the small cloud of dust and leaves settled, however, it couldn't believe its eyes when it saw the human standing straight, completely unimpeded by the missing arm or the force of impact. Any sign of blood was missing, and now that it had become aware of it, the arm it had swallowed also lacked that unique taste of fresh blood. It intended to immediately resume its onslaught, readying its muscles to their extremes, when it suddenly howled out in agony. 

Without warning, its innards were torn to shreds and tiny holes appeared around its stomach. From within them, small objects had cut through the air, screeching like banshees into their surroundings, before ending in a small explosion in the distance. As a result, the beast lost all of its vigor. It crumbled to the ground, staring at the dozen holes, unable to comprehend what had happened. Even when its head turned into the direction of the explosion, it was unable to understand how a human was capable of defeating it with such ease. It was old, and since long on death's doorstep, but it was nonetheless filled with the pride of its inborn strength.

'Human...? No...'

 "Ah, that?" Tormen answered, following the beast's gaze. "It's a one-time use construct. I doubt few humans would ever create something like that since they'd lose their progress after every use and would be forced to start anew again. Their loss, because they can be quite powerful. These particular ones work like magnets, not that I'd expect you to understand that. You could call it a form of lightning, very loosely speaking. Coincidentally, I am also well aware of the weakness of your innards."

The monstrous beast shrank, turning back into its frail appearance of an old jin. The holes remained, the blood, he had expected to see from Tormen, gushing out of his own wounds. Meanwhile, in his dwindling vision, the 'human' before him was without a scratch.

But there was no point for him to think about this anymore. His death was a certainty, the confusion in his mind held no meaning. Even so, the unspoken questions remained and seeped through into his quizzical, painfully twisted expression.

"I'm Aien," Tormen answered courteously. "And I'm here to take away what belongs to you. So, you don't have to worry. Death is far from the certainty that you believe it is. Its mercy is reserved only for those that have earned it."