Looking at the two unconscious pirates tied up in the middle of our freighter, one couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for them.

“Erm, don’t you think those ropes are a little too tight, Revy?” Asked Godard, who had improved greatly in the past hour, the nausea completely fading away. He was the quickest to recover, with Athena taking the longest time.

“No, not tight enough.” I said, undoing the knots and redoing them a little more forcibly this time. There was a low groan from one of the two survivors prisoners as the ropes restricted them even further.

They stirred gently under my tender ministrations, evidence that they’ll wake up sometime soon. Good—Jvorg can question them then, and we can be on our way again. Or not, considering that the crew who knew how to pilot this thing jettisoned themselves out into space and towards oblivion. But that’s a problem for later. Besides, if worst comes to worst, I’ll just have to learn how to fly a class-7 civilian charter freighter.

Ah, it seems that Athena has gotten a tad impatient. A bucket of ice-cold water splashes over the two pirates, bringing them to a sputtering and sudden awakening. They looked around in a panic, trying to take in the situation all at once. The girl spotted Heimdal and started shaking—He apparently was the last thing she saw before being knocked out, so it’s understandable if there’s some mental trauma there.

“W-what do you people want with us?” She asked quietly, eyes wide in fear.

“From you? Likely nothing. Your comrade, however, is a somewhat different story, no?” Said Jvorg, who had turned to look at the middle aged man. This guy was calm, and seemed much more at ease than the girl.

“What would you like to know?” he asked, not a single trace of guile on his face.

“Well, I could not help but notice that the engines of your ships are somewhat…unusual, and have imparted quite the noticeable upgrade at sub-light speeds. Acceleration, maneuverability, energy conservation—your engines top all others I have seen thus far.” Said Jvorg, an amiable smile on his face. But that slid away in the next instant, a stern tone entering his voice. “So, where did you get these engines?”

“I forget!” Said the man without worry. “Maybe they were from the scrap heap, maybe we looted them from a cargo hull. How am I supposed to know exactly where our stuff comes from?”

“He’s lying.” Said Athena. “I elect we give him a reason to tell the truth. How about if we kill this girl you were with?”

“Go ahead.” Said the man, eliciting a gasp and look of betrayal from the girl. “It wouldn’t magically change my memory. I don’t know where the engines came from.”

“We’ll see how long you’re willing to lie when you’re missing all your fingernails, teeth, and ears.” Said Athena, walking towards him menacingly.

“Not lying. He is telling truth.” I said, interjecting myself. Athena halted, and turned towards me with an annoyed expression.

“I don’t need some little girl messing this up. Butt out, kid.”

“I’m an adult. He’s not lying.”

“Oh? And I suppose you would know a lot about the world then? Scum like this guy lie by habit. It’s what they do. Welcome to the real world, kid.” Said Athena dismissively.

My head tilted to the side a little in confusion.

“But I’m in real world always?”

“Ugh, I don’t have the time or patience to argue with you. Go bother that Jvorg guy or something.”

“No thank you, I am perfectly content watching this. Besides, I have much more faith in young Revian than I do you right now, Athena.” Commented Jvorg.

“Oh shut it, would you?” Said Athena, before turning back to the middle aged pirate—who was watching the proceedings with some amount of humor. “Now, we could do this the easy way, or the hard….”

“No need, he’s not lying.” I said once more.

“Okay! I get it! You think he’s telling the truth!” Said Athena, exasperated. “Seven hells, if you want to interrogate him, be my guest. Go ahead! I can’t wait to see the glorious results you’d bring to us, ‘o wise one!” She continued, very sarcastically.

I shrugged, and walked closer to the man.

Glancing at Athena with some spite in my heart, I decided this would be better suited to an empty room. At my suggestion, everyone went back to their little rooms to wait out my ‘interrogation’. The girl was brought into the crew quarters, and locked inside for the time being. Once everyone was gone, I spoke.

“Would you like to trade?”

“Trade? I don’t think you would have anything of worth to me, lass.” Said the man, a distinct swagger and bravado in his words.

I smiled sadly.

“How much are your memories worth?”

“Absolutely nothing.” Replied the man. “I don’t know where the engines came from. You were the only one who seemed to think that I was telling the truth, so why ask after my memories now?”

“Not talking about engines. Good memories.”

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“Good memories? I have none. I’m a pirate, an outlaw. There’s nothing good about me. I’m willing to sacrifice anyone to stay alive. I’m a bad person, with bad memories. Nothing you do will have me telling you where those engines came from.”

“Everyone has good memories, even you.”

“And I’m telling you, lass, you’re wrong.”

“Trade then—good memories for information.”

“What? Are you going to give me good memories or something? While I appreciate the offer, you’re a bit young, and I prefer women of the bouncier variety.”

Sighing, I pressed a finger to the man’s forehead, to his confusion.

“This should make you understand.” I said, flooding his mind with my power.

“Wha—Where are we?” He asked, no longer bound to a chair, and standing upright. Not only that, but he looked decades younger.

“Inside memories.” I said, my voice only a whisper of a suggestion inside here. I didn’t manifest any avatar inside his mind, only acting as an observer off to the side, and not interfering any further.

“But this is….” Started the man, looking down at his hands, at his clothes, and at the scenery around him. “This is impossible. This can’t be. My homeworld was destroyed….”

He started walking purposefully in one direction, following a brick sidewalk that ambled off towards a quaint looking home.

The entire planet could be described this way, being small, heavily wooded with red leaved trees and orange grass waving in the wind. There was no dome protecting the communities—the planet had it’s own self-sustaining atmosphere and ecosystem.

“Peter? Peter! It’s dinner time!” Called a voice from inside the quaint home. The man looked stricken hearing the voice, and fell to his knees.

“No…Get me out of here. I don’t want to remember this….” He said, his voice breaking a little.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure, little demon. Get me out of here right now, and I’ll tell everything I know.”

“Okay.” I said, the illusion fading from the man’s mind, bringing him back to the chair in which he is restrained, and my finger on his forehead. He looked up at me, a stricken and devastated expression on his face, one which briefly turned to wonder as he took in the one outstanding feature of my Awakened form.

“Your…eye…?” He said, almost under his breath, his entire focus falling into my gaze.

I let my power fall away, bringing me back to normalcy—Including my eye. The man’s attention snapped away from it, bringing back the memory of what I had just shown him. He instantly grew somber, and almost regretful.

“Can come back in!” I called out to everyone waiting in their rooms.

“That was fast, little girl.” Said Athena, obviously believing that I had already failed somehow.

“I don’t know where the engines came from.” Said the man, widening Athena’s smirk. “However, this is because the time in which I…acquired them was wiped from my mind. I truly do not remember where we got them, only that a trade of some sort took place, and that we are allowed to do whatever we want with the engines.”

“The entire event was removed from you memory?” Asked Jvorg.

“Yeah. I just have a vague idea of the terms and whatnot. Everything else is blank.”

“Do you know how to maintain the engines, then?”

“Sure I do, if it’s just basic things like maintenance and surface repairs. I remember very specifically that opening up the main components of the engine will cause it to explode, though.”

“That is…good to know” Said Heimdal. “Is there anything else you can remember?”

“My group was not the only ones to get the engines, and the others also have no idea who gave it to them, or why.”

“I see. So, there is likely a mind mage working behind this. Hmm, how curious.” Said Jvorg.

“Wait, I don’t understand. What did you even do to this guy?” Asked Athena, looking at me with a curious mix of angry, inquisitiveness, and annoyance.

I shrugged.

“Ask him, not me.”

She instantly rounded on him, threatening bodily harm with that glare.

“Why should I tell you?” He asked. “Been nothing but nasty to me, you have.”

“You should do it because I’m the scariest thing in the room right now. I’m the…”

“Ah, no.” Said the man, shaking his head and bringing Athena up short.

“What do you mean, ‘no’?” She asked, even more annoyed now.

“You aren’t the scariest thing in this room.” He said, in a matter of fact manner. “At least, not to me. Not by far.”

“Do you not know what your situation is?!” Demanded Athena. “I can harm you so badly, you wish for death!”

The man chuckled darkly.

“No, no you can’t. I’ve seen too much for pain to work like that. I’ve lost more than many have ever had, and suffered through my own trials and tribulations. Something small like torture stopped working years and years ago.

“Besides, you’re not intimidating enough. All talk, no game.”

“Why you!”

“Athena.” Barked Heimdal. “Behave yourself, or remove yourself. The Greeks might encourage such rampant arrogance and tolerate such lack of self control, but I will not. Be an adult.”

Athena froze, composing herself for a brief moment. I didn’t miss the hint of malevolence in her eyes though, her true thoughts of the situation bubbling through.

“…Fine.” She replied. “I still wish to know how our little Revian here coaxed this pirate to share his information. Obviously, she did not have enough time to break him down first, so I’m just a little suspicious on how this worked out.”

“You don’t need to be suspicious. Your little demon here only demonstrated that not telling what I know would lead down a path I don’t wish to follow again.” Said the pirate morosely. “I have regrets—something I’m sure you don’t know a whole lot about.”

“That tells me nothing. Would someone bother translating?” Asked Athena.

I sighed, stepping towards her. Athena got an apprehensive look on her face seeing me walk closer.

“I’ll show you.”

“Wait, what are you doing?” Asked Athena. “Stay back there! I’m warning you!” She said, picking up on the aura around me. I looked up at her, back in my Awakened form. She looked right into my eye, and her jaw immediately went slightly slack as I plunged deep into one of her old memories.

A little girl stood in the middle of a training pitch, edged by racks of blunted weapons and a gaggle of older kids.

“Now, Naïven, what’s the first rule of combat?” Asked the instructor in front of the little girl.

“To never hesitate!” She yelled out enthusiastically, gripping tighter the little sword in her hands.

“Good, good. Not, attack me.” He said.

“Yaaaa!”

The girl screamed a high pitched war cry as she hurdled towards the instructor with her little sword, and enthusiastically started raining down ineffective blows—all of which he blocked.

“Look for openings, don’t just hack away thoughtlessly.” Said the instructor, swatting at the girl’s side lightly with his own sword. “Pay attention, watch me and not my sword. Bring your stance lower for better stability. You’re gripping the hilt too hard again, loosen up. Block, then counter, don’t try it before I’ve even hit you. Lower your stance! Keep your back straight, bring the strength from all over and into your arm, don’t isolate it.”

The instructor kept up a torrent of teachings, making sure to reinforce the lessons with good side blows to the girl. An indeterminate amount of time later, and she was unable to stand any longer, forcing the instructor to stop.

“Good job today, Lady Naïven. You lasted 2 minutes more than yesterday. I’ll see you here this time tomorrow. Don’t forget to stretch before bed.”

“Yes, sir.” Said Naïven from the ground.

I ended the memory, and smiled at Athena, who stood in front of me completely stunned.

“You, you….what the hell are you?!” She asked, looking a little frightened.

Jvorg and Heimdal also stared at me with amusement, knowing the answer and looking forward to Athena’s reaction. I suppose they also wanted to know how much I’m willing to tell.

Eh, no reason to hide it from her.

“I’m Odin.” I said, shrugging.

There was a pause.

“What!” Cried out Athena and my friends all at once.