I’m not the type to say that things should go a certain way or things have to be placed a certain way, but I do like a bit of order in my life, where ever I can get it.

“So you’re finally up?”

I glanced at her, the way her blonde hair danced in the sun with the gentle breeze. She was pale, like she’d been stuck in a thousand year winter. She turned to me and I saw oceans in her eyes, they were so deep and all knowing. Her lips were plump, and she spilled eternal beauty. Like a statue. That was when I knew the girl before me wasn’t human.

“Who are you?”

She sighed, “Now’s not the time for that. You’ve died.”

“Oh. Oh yeah. Well that sucks.”

“You’re taking this well.”

I shrugged, “What else can I do?”

“Spoken like a true enlightened one. You should have become a monk in your past life, you’ve got just the mentality for it.”

“That would have been boring though.”

“If you had become a monk, we probably would have met earlier.”

“Are you god?”

“My name is Alara.”

“But are you god?”

She tilted her head, “I am not the god of your world, so the you that retains your memories from your past life should not be calling me god at all. I am not god of yours.”

“What was so urgent?”

Her eyes widened like she had forgotten. Geez, air head much? “I’m terribly sorry. Let’s get back to business. First let me tell you a story.” She turned her attention back at the sky. It was evening, but still light enough to see everything clearly.

“There once was a god who was very powerful. She fell in love with the stars and tried to make her own. She succeeded, but her stars quickly turned into a fine powder and fell to the earth. The goddess cried for a long time, her tears soaking in with the powder.”

The people on the earth screamed in fear, as it was raining ash. They thought a volcano had erupted and was coming for their lives. Soon, after the dust had settled, the people gradually came back.”

From the piles of ash rose people, the people that lived on the earth gathered around and rose cries of joys, calling the beings heroes that would save them from monsters. The heroes took their roles with great attitudes, and led the charge of conquering monsters and demi-humans alike.”

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Only, they didn’t stop there. Soon, the heroes turned their swords on the goddess that created them. They attacked her believers and her priests, taking away her power until *poof* she vanished.” The girl ended her story, looking down heartened.

I sat captivated by her story, knowing that down in my soul, it was true. “I’ve never heard this story before. Certainly it was a big enough event for it to be at least passed along verbally.”

Alara waved her hand, “It didn’t happen on your earth, but an earth that exists elsewhere.”

I nodded, understanding that this is one of those alternate dimensions thing. “What happened to the heroes?”

“They were revered as gods until a new god stepped in and created demons. The heroes had a much harder time fighting the demons, as they possessed power much stronger than innocent people and monsters. So they turned their swords on the demons and vowed that all heroes would exist for fighting demons.”

“Why would a god do such a thing as creating demons?”

She gave me a wry smile, “It was so that humans would forget about killing gods and use all their efforts against demons. Gods, after all, are rather weak creatures.”

“Why didn’t that goddess step in when her believers were being killed?”

“She loved the heroes that contained her stars. She loved them so much that they became her doom. Now she stands as a lesson to us all. If we want to survive, sometimes we have to be cruel even to the ones we love.” Alara gave me a sad smile. “That’s why, I’m sorry to you.”

“Me?” What was so good about me? I was almost thirty and had wasted my days away on video games. I was no good if you asked anyone around me. Hell, even my mother was tired of me.

“I’m going to send you to that world, or that’s where your soul is heading whether or not I say so.” She scooted closer, giving me a kiss on the forehead, “That’s why I’ll leave you with these gifts, use them well. I pray for the day you safely return to me.”

My body shuddered as I felt something coursing through me. I closed my eyes and asked, “Who would you be praying to exactly?”

That seemed to ruin the moment because she gave me a sour look. “I’ve given you gifts to aid you on your journey, the least you can do is thank me and not ask me stupid questions.”

I bowed my head, “Thank you.”

She smiled triumphantly at me. “That’s my boy. Now go get ‘em.”

I wanted to ask who I was getting but the scene faded away with her head turning to watch the sunset. She whispered something but I couldn’t understand it, her voice was too soft.