The skittering of stones, the creak of the decayed buildings, and the lonely wind.

I hear it all; my senses sharpen beyond the level of a normal human. The effects of the blessings were more than ceremonial.

My muscles coil with strength and vitality.

Even in sleep, my mind is guarded from trespassers on my territory, which is very important on this mainland. Unlike the land of snakes, where few other than pilgrims lived, I encountered the despair of death.

I watch as a woman, seemingly newly passed, cries alone in the abyss.

I feel torn. Am I the sort of person to play the hero and guide her to safety?

I think to the others I had passed and shake my head. There are too many. To save one would be hypocrisy.

Still, I sense a monster in the vicinity.

The woman doesn't notice it in her despair. But, it is making a B-line to her at a good speed.

With a sigh, I make my move and step between the two.

The monster is an imp. Small and fast. With claws accustomed to tearing flesh.

It's not a creature I would fear even before receiving the boons of 10 gods. But, the woman would have no chance in her frame of mind.

The woman's eyes turn up as I stand with my back to her.

The imp is undeterred and jumps with great agility at me.

To my eyes, the monster might as well have been walking.

My bat swings true, and the imp makes a bloody mess.

Without looking back, I move to leave.

"W-Wait!" I hear the desperate voice.

My feet stop. But, I will not turn back to her.

"Please, what's going on? Please, don't leave."

I hear the tears slide down her cheeks.

I'm such a hypocrite.

I turn to the woman and see Lily. Golden hair framing a beautiful face.

But it's not Lily—just a woman who looked somewhat like her.

My heart drops at the roller coaster of emotion I experienced in a couple of seconds.

The woman eagerly comes up to me, her tears drying.

"I'm Kat," she looks uncertainly into my eyes. "I don't know what's going on."

I had picked up on that, I think silently.

"You're dead."

My words hang over us for a moment.

She lets out a nervous laugh.

"What are you talking about? I'm alive. My heart is pounding. I'm breathing. I'm not dead."

As she rationalizes her situation, I look at her patiently.

"This is where you go after dying in the living world. Look at the sky. Try to find the sun and moon."

Her brow knits as she looks at the twilight sky.

"That... That could be the way the sun sets."

I feel a slight chuckle escape from me.

"I've saved you from the imp. And explained to you your circumstances. I hope you have a long afterlife."

I turn to leave.

"W-Wait. Please. You must know a safe place. "Please, I'm begging you. Take me someplace else."

I'm beginning to regret saving her.

"Follow me as you will. But, I give no guarantee of finding safety."

Without a glance, I turn to the path I had stepped off for this annoyance.

I hear her feet hastily follow me.

I walked for a long period and could tell the exhaustion my hanger-on was experiencing.

"Please... Stop," she pleads.

I don't.

She persists long enough for me to reach a stream of fresh water.

Relief, as she had never experienced before, washes over her as she dunks her head in the cool water.

I fill my canteen and set about making camp.

Kat watches as I set a fire and begin eating from my rations.

Her eyes are greedy as I eat.

"Please, could I have some?"

I look at her blankly, "How long are you gonna keep begging?"

She looks ashamed while I stand.

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"Come with me."

I recall that time, seemingly long ago, when I met someone in the wilderness and was shown how to survive.

Two long branches end in points. Kat looks uncertain as she takes one.

"This is how you will survive."

I demonstrate by finding the signs of a rat hovel.

One thing that was lacking in the land of snakes was rats. The mainland has no such population control.

The woman whose life I'd saved squeals at the sight of the rodents.

"Those are rats!" she exclaims as though I didn't know.

The animals scurry around as their home has been upended. I lance one of the critters and withdraw.

At the fire, I clean the carcass before cooking it.

Kat looks on with disdain.

Finally, I offer the cooked rat to the damsel in perpetual distress.

She reaches out with a shaky hand and grasps the stick.

She looks at it as though it were poison.

"I won't get sick from eating this, will I?"

I let out a sigh and bite my cheek.

Gradually, she picks at the meal, and I can see her gaining confidence.

After the meal, she lays the remains on the fire.

"Thank you."

Her words are heartfelt, but I only feel fatigued.

"You'll have to hunt on your own from now on. I'll show you how."

She nods her understanding, and we settle down, watching the fire.

"How'd you die?"

Her question brings back memories of a time when I was a much different person.

"Hit by a truck. You?"

She smiles awkwardly, "I don't know. The last thing I remember is going to work. I don't know anything else."

"Cherish those memories for as long as you can."

"Why?"

"Memories are the currency of this world. Your living memories are worth far more than the ones you make in the world of the dead."

I feel an emptiness in my memories from my communion with the god of the 8th temple. I still remember Lily. I lost some memories of our time together. But I held on as best I could.

Kat looks at me quietly for a moment.

"How long have you been here?"

Her question is something I'd like to know myself. But, the measurement of time in this place is dubious at best.

"Less than a year, I think."

"And you've been wandering this whole time?"

I nod, "After a manner."

She doesn't need to know of my pilgrimage.

She smiles, "I wish I could have met you before you died."

I'm startled by her words.

"Yeah," I say. "The place does change you."

Despite myself, I enjoy conversing with Kat.

We spent the next day training her on how to track rats.

She proved more adept at the action than I had expected.

On our third day, we collected camp and moved on.

While I had initially wanted to leave her to fend for herself, I couldn't bring myself to turn her away. Perhaps I'm just lonely.

As I navigate the ruins of a city, I detect a change taking over the surrounding region.

The further we walk along the current trajectory, the more intense the thrumming energy resonates with me.

In this way, the buildings recover from their rot. Glowing purple gems line the streets.

I remember one such crystal from early in my afterlife.

But, this was not a stand-alone phenomenon—rows of buildings that could have fit in a contemporary city sparkle with vitality.

The people who wander the streets are varied in their status. I see the elite traveling with guards. And I see beggars on the street trying to fill the void in their souls.

I think that that is the lowest a human can be degraded to until I see people in rags with chains on their wrists.

As I travel along the street, I see many human cattle take the abuse of their masters.

I feel Kat draw closer to me.

"What is this?" she asks with a frown.

"It is my first time seeing it myself."

My words are true. I only spent a little time on the mainland before taking up the challenge.

I am remiss to waste memories on frivolities. But it feels like a lifetime since I've last had a beer.

I need to learn the function of most of the buildings. But, the sound of raucous laughter and the smells of an alehouse carry in the air.

Kat follows my lead as I enter the facility.

Some faces turn up at the newcomers. But, most mind their drink.

Having had rats and snakes as the foundation of my diet for so long, I desire starchy carbs. So, rather than sit at the bar, I find a table and wait.

My companion looks at me uncertainly as she sits across from me.

"I thought you said things like this cost memories. I only have memories from life. Should I use them here?"

I wave my hand, "It's fine. I'll cover you."

Her concern evaporates, and the corner of my lips twitches.

I brought her here. I might as well own up to it.

A woman of thick proportions comes to stand before our table.

"How are you doing, handsome? Know what you want?"

Her smile is enthusiastic as she looks from me to Kat, "And you, darling?"

"Actually," I say. "I'm not sure what I want. What kind of beer do you have on tap?"

As one would expect, none of the brands from my life survived this world.

"I got a light beer you'll like. 2 pints?" she asks.

"I was hoping for a pitcher."

She nods and raves about the house special. Thus, our meal is decided.

Of course, it is payment upfront in the world of the dead. But, I don't mind. I have a few memories that I wanted to get rid of anyway. And, unlike my communion with the god at the 8th temple, I have control over what I submit.

The threshold was satisfied, and we were served our drinks shortly.

Kat looks uncertainly into her mug, "I never was much of a beer drinker."

Her words make me smile, "More for me then."

She shakes her head and tastes bitterness.

"Hmm," she hums. "It's not bad."

I let out a sigh, less for me.

"What are you talking about?!" comes an excited voice.

"Circles?" Another voice asks. "What are those?"

"I'm telling you, shit's going wild on that island. What was it called? The land of snakes. I heard that hell has opened onto that island."

There is a silence that hangs in the air.

"Then, this world is lost."

"Maybe, they say that golden warriors came down from the sky. The island's a war zone."

"But," someone thinks. "Can demons cross the sea to reach us?"

"I don't know. But I'll start running after I'm done here."

Some voices share their skepticism. But, the mood is obvious.

"The demons will cross," my words are little more than a whisper.

Kat looks at me curiously, "Why do you say that?"

Before I answer, the house specials are brought out to us.

"Let me know if you need something else," the waitress says with a wink.

After living like a hunter/gatherer for so long, it's nice to be waited on.

The food has meat. But I relish the potato-like tubers with a slight seasoning of salt.

It's a hefty meal and worth losing some memories for.

Kat is just as pleased with the meal as I am, and we eat with abandonment.

Faster than I'd like, the pitcher empties. But I feel a pleasant buzz spread through me.

When was the last time I felt like this?

Stuffed and satisfied, I push the plate away from me.

I drank the lion's share of the booze, so my companion is more clear-headed than I.

"What now?" she asks.

I look at her momentarily, "It's not worth it to stay the night in this part of town. We can find a suitable building on the fringes."

She nods her agreement, and we stand to leave.

Even in my haze, I can sense them watching us.

Outside the tavern, I hear them stand and reach the door.

Unperturbed, Kat and I searched for a suitable place to rest.

They make their move as we leave the restorative glow of purple light.

"Stop right there," comes a commanding voice.

We stop and turn around.

"You must have a lot of memories to be so spendthrift. You may donate a few. Would you?"

He speaks so arrogantly that my pleasant buzz evaporates.

On the one hand, the man carries a crystal I know to harvest memories. And a conventional revolver pistol in the other.

The leader's men flank him with both sharp and blunt implements.

"And that girl," the man says with an ugly sneer. "She'll be a strong earner."

I breathe out.

"Throw away your bat and do as you're told. And, you can walk away with your life."

As I end my out-breath, I move.

Two of the men flank their boss and move to intercept me. But, my bat might as well be a sword as it cuts through them with sickening crunching sounds.

For all my speed and the blessings I received, I am not faster than a bullet.

I feel the first burn on my abdomen and the second on my shoulder.

Still, there is no stopping me as I bring my bat straight down on the boss's head.

The gore adds up as I move through the rest of the men.

One escapes. But, I am unconcerned.

As I return to Kat's side, I see the alarm and fear in her expression.

But, her fear isn't of the thugs.

I see her tremble at my approach.

Rather than explain myself, I walk past her in search of a place to rest.