The woman holds the girls hand when she tries to leave the table.

"Mommy, Dad is back, is he not safificed?"

The mother holds her hand firm and doesn't let her get too close to me.

"I'm sorry, little girl... I am not your father." the girl looks confused, the woman tries to avert her gaze, focusing on the girl so that she wouldn't have to look at me. I kneel down to meet the girl's height and say "I am sorry for your loss... I can remember memories in his head, I can tell he loved you very much." honestly I can't, I cannot even remember their names, only what their parts were in his life, nothing of their past or even what he thought of them, only the very bare, but if I focus I can tell that there is someone missing. "His son is probably out working, he is very proud." I thought this would calm her but.

"Shut up!" the woman proclaims, the girl seems shocked, she l yanks her hand from her mother's clutch. "Leera, go outside." She sends her off with firm words. The girl, still confused, walks past me and out through the door, looks at us and then just wanders off. "Who are you?! what do I even call you?"

I hadn't thought of that, I don't have a name from before, not that I remember anyway. "I don't really have a name... I can only use his name, on top of using his body..." I shamefully admit.

She pauses for a moment. "Is... his memories, do you really remember them? is what you said true?" She looks at me with tears in her eyes, she clearly looks for comfort in my words. "Is he really proud of Dan? is my Dali still in there? can I enjoy him?" her voice breaks and more tears coalesce in her eyes.

When she says that time as if stops for me... I have a heavy feeling in my heart that permeates through my body. What I say here might effect the whole world, that's the feeling, as if I am being measured and what I do now will determine the outcome of everything. I know what I say won't be what changes the course of history, topple empires or feed the hungry, but... I feel it might be more important than it looks.

"No."

I say with a calm sorrowful tone. "I do not have memories of his, I did not know you existed before I entered the doorway. I can tell of people's place in his life but the emotions towards them, even their names are not at all in my mind. He is truly dead and all that is left is instinct." Her tears don't stop, I realize when I say this, a man died for me to be here, and all of his life is in front of me. "I know that the picture of the two of you is missing a son, an older brother to Leera, but I do not know who he is, or what Dali felt toward him before he left." I think I made the right decision, but I cannot tell.

A few minutes pass in wordless sobbing, when she calms and rubs her face with cloth she finally replies. "I think understand." she almost smiles for a moment "But why are you here?"

Why am I here? Did I just follow Dali's instinct to head home? No, that's the way I got here, the reason is... to supply for my mission. "I came to take what I can to complete my task... I know it might be too much to ask after all this but I must have assistance if I am to complete the task to save this village."

She agreed to let me take what I need within reason. Dali was a lumberjack, his axe suggests so, They won't need his size cloths and the axe might be useful, I can feel a faint warmth from it, I have some incline toward some supplies but I can't seem to associate them with Dali. A flint and steel, A rope, A canteen or something similar, a tent and bedroll kit, and a bag to carry all of it. I thought it would feel much heavier but Dali's body is huge and strong, I lift it with hardly any effort.

As I walk to the doorway a young man stops me, he looks young but large for someone of his age, Dali's son. "Dad... or, whatever your name is, wait." walk forward and stops me but it seems he found himself too close and when he remembered I am a stranger he takes a step back. "My sister told me... my dad is proud of me, is that true?" I guess it was a mistake to say that earlier "You do have his memories... did he really think my work is important? was he really proud?" A stern face of a young man trying to hide his pain is a bit too close to mine, he took a step forward once more without noticing it seems.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"Your name is..."

"Dan" he replies

"Dan, listen, I don't really know what he felt toward anyone, what I said was a lie in order to make your mom and sister feel better." His teary eyes change their look into ones of less emotion. "But I do know what he used to think were people in his life, and I can tell that in his mind, you were a part of this family, as much as your mother and sister." This is what I can discern from what little I feel when I try to search the remnants of Dali's mind.

Dan finds a way to smile albeit it with tears, "Thanks... I think he was proud of me..." he looks to my bag, probably understanding that I am about to leave "Did you take the family axe?"

"I didn't think it was a family axe... I'm sorry." I silently take it out of the bag, he seems reluctant to retrieve it but takes it anyway. "It probably won't kill any legendary beast anyway." I will need a weapon, but I'll probably find something more fitting at the blacksmith.

He puts his open hand in his pocket and retrieves it empty. "Hold on, I'll put this in its place and get some money, then you can buy a decent weapon." He walk to the other room and returns with a handful of metallic coins. "This is what we can spare, it should be enough even for a good piece of armor too." I look at the coins, some large and some small.

"umm... I am unfamillier with this currency... what are these?" I ask.

"Currency? this is money, five silver rocks and a dozen silver small rocks." He looks at me weird, "I should go with you, the smith's an honest man, but the peddler always looks to make a bit more of money." I hope he's not expecting a father son bonding with me... but he sure will be a great aid, at this point I don't know where to go to or who can even help.

I wonder, on the way there "Dan, how do you feel about Dali now?" it might be a bit much to pry into, but I am curious. And if I try to be honest, I think I really care.

"I never was religious, definitely not towards the church of Mythos, but it makes me a bit more now. It's so much alike, an empty husk of a dead god giving life, kind of like how his dead body is used by you. It feels like he really is one with Mythos right now. The god most people worship around here is right there" he points to the sky. "The Goddess of the sun, Luna, the eldest, god of the household. The peddler probably worships no god other than money, don't talk to him unless you have to."

That was a lot to take in, gods and religion in this odd place. "Can you tell me more? about the gods that is, and Mythos." I was intrigued by what little he did tell me.

He looks at the sky for a long second. "I was never really religious, that's pretty much all I know, the church will lecture you more. There are outsiders every once in a while, maybe you'll learn something from them." He did mention he's secular, I'll ask someone else maybe the smith has someone, if there are several gods may be a smith god also exists.

A few silent minutes pass before Dan quietly asks "Umm, so... what do I call you? "

I hadn't thought of that much "I... don't have a name, I think... I wouldn't like to use Dali's name, on top of already using his body." I guess choosing a name might as well come now, but... I don't really have any name I like. It's not a small thing to decide on too. I guess there's a reason why people don't choose their own name naturally, it's much easier to let others make the call, then you just have to live with it.

"I don't really have a name, and I don't have any name in mind... what do you think, Dan?" I might as well consult with him, normally it's parents who decide for their children and while he is not exactly my child it does feel slightly reversed. Never the less he spends a few moments thinking and finally he says

"I remember a story I was told as a child, there was a character called Fren... do you like it?" He says hesitantly. Fren. I think it sounds nice.

"No need to overthink, I like Fren, would you tell me the story about it too?"

"I don't remember. We're almost at the smith, I will tell you when I remember though."

When we arrive it must be almost noon, the sun is just above. "Dali, and Dan! it warms my heart to see you together, what's with the bag? going to get lumber? need ta' fix the ol' axe, huh?" The smith yells at us from his forge outside a building.

"We need a weapon, one to take out a dragon." I reply. The smith laughs hard.

"Huh, I suppose it would be next to the armor mad of Mithril." he continues what he thinks is a joke and keeps laughing.

"Dan, what is his name?" I whisper to Dan.

"It's Harry."

"Harry! How are you doing? I kept the ol' axe at home, but I need a weapon, a real one, and some armor too." I try to act like nothing's happened.

"Dali... Did someone get on your bad side? This is not very much like you." he looks confused a bit, still chuckling.

"This isn't Dal-" I pull Dan's shoulder as he is about to tell Harry that I'm an outsider, I remember Barn told me to be careful.

"What here going on now? Why are you acting so odd? We're not strangers, are we?" Harry worriedly asks.