A Chance meeting

"What's an Espada?"

Arsh was still curious about the word, which meant some kind of authority for normal people. If that wasn't the reason, Alan wouldn't have mentioned that to him, to show the threat he represented.

"How much do you know about the world we live in ?"

Alan turned the question around and asked Arsh a question in return.

"It is ruled by gods." 

Arsh replied immediately. This was the only thing Arsh heard throughout his life in the secluded village. That the omnipotent Gods are the ruler of every world.

"Half right and half wrong. I don't know, how you know about the gods, but they don't really directly rule the world."

Alan eyed him carefully, then slowly lifted 4 of his fingers in the air.

"There are 4 continents on our planet. They all have many different cities and towns. The thing to note is every single one of them is in the jurisdiction of the churches, only except for the northern continent..... Do you know why?"

"Northern continent is mostly covered in very dense forest and mountains from three directions. You will be labeled a criminal if you even set foot on the northern continent. Unless of course, you are an adventurer or an official." 

Arsh looked at him in confusion. He didn't know any of that. But he was still more confused, about how all of that was related to Alan, being an Espada.

"There is a town just near the shore of this continent. It isn't particularly big nor too small, but you can get your daily necessities from there."

After finishing the basic trivia about geography, Alan's eyes suddenly turned serious.

"Every human on this planet prays to the 5 gods, the creators of the universe. But they are sorely mistaken about their almighty gods."

Alan's tone turned ominous, and his voice became quieter and quieter with every word said.

"There is a being more powerful than any of the 5 gods, The only ruler of this northern continent, we call him the -"

"DEATH GOD," Alan and Arsh said in unison.

Suddenly, Alan's mask faltered, his face showing a variety of emotions. The most apparent being confusion, from his expression.

'I think... I should have kept my mouth shut.'

Arsh saw the sudden change in his demeanor of Alan. And he once again was sure. He mentioned something, he shouldn't have to him.

Alan went completely silent, his expression again changing to an unreadable one.

"First, you tell me about yourself. You can trust me, kid. I am also here because of treason, so we are basically in the same boat"

Alan changed the topic completely, taking interest in the kid in front of him. 

Arsh cursed himself for causing the stupid situation in the first place. He took a deep breath, looking at Alan for an unusually long time.

Alan was different from any person he ever met. He had no presence, nor any signs of magic essence. He was a sadistic, and mysterious person in his own right.

But Arsh was sure of one thing after their fateful conversation.

'If this guy was my enemy or the church's fiend. I would have been dead already.'

Arsh decided to trust the mysterious stranger for the time being. It didn't look like he was itching to kill him anytime soon.

Again what other choice did he have anyway? He needed information about the outer world, and as per the promise, he had to tell him all about the forsaken ones.

'He is the least trustworthy person, I ever met in my life.'

Arsh sighed and started telling his story from the very start. As to how he reached that river.

The hell he saw there before that. The strange being of the dark temple. The 5 intruders and the massacre they brought with them. Every memory from that day was etched deep into the very heart of Arsh. He couldn't ever forget it, even if he tried. 

Alan was silent, listening to the story attentively. Rarely asking questions in between sometimes.

Arsh told him about how he lived the last 14 years of his life with his mother Samantha. How Edward was the only person akin to a friend to him. And the kind villagers, who were major parts of his life.

Arsh didn't show an ounce of emotion while telling the story. Talking as though, he was unrelated to the whole incident. But in truth, he didn't want to look weak or more accurately, feel weak.

He already has to come to terms with losing everything. They were never going to come back, whether he liked it or not.

But it didn't mean it hurt any less for him. His voice became dry sometimes along the lines, giving away the grief, and sadness, he felt remembering the horrors of the faithful day.

Alan listened to the whole story and looked at Arsh. The kid in front of him looked weak, frail, and brittle as if he would break, if not touched carefully.

"It's going to be okay, kid."

Alan removed his solemn masked expression and looked at Arsh, his eyes filled with pity and sadness. Suddenly pulling him into a hug. 

"It must have been hard on you kid." 

Arsh was now alone in this unknown world, with no one to rely on. He had no allies, no friends, and no family. All alone in this cruel, cruel world. It was just too much.

His tears flowed uncontrollably from his eyes, in the hold of the stranger. He didn't know what was going to happen in the future. If he was going to be alive or die for revenge.

But this little act of compassion given by the complete stranger meant everything to him, at that very moment.

"Yeah, it was"

___________________________

"Let's start from the start, kid. I was an Espada for the southern continent's military. It is a rank given to an assassin, who kills what is deemed to be a threat by churches."

Alan pointed at the uniform on the ground. Showing Arsh proof of the conversation they were having.

'This guy didn't know anything about housekeeping.'

Arsh looked at the wrinkled uniform on the ground. He now had a basic understanding of the person, in front of him. 

'He is a lazy bastard.'

Arsh sighed and focused on the explanation, continuously given to him by the named assassin.

"Every continent consists of many cities with one capital at the center and as you have guessed by now. It is ruled by the gods or more accurately Church of gods."

Alan stood up from his seat suddenly and walked to the front of the window. Looking outside he continued slowly-

"I betrayed them when I was on a mission to kill newborn twins and their mother. I always knew I am a monster, but even then I was not able to kill those kids."

Alan was a little far away. But Arsh can guess what kind of expression he was making right now.

"I knew a blunt knife has no use. So it was only a matter of time before I was killed by my fellow Espada. So I ran away in the northern continent, away from the eyes of gods."

Alan turned away from the window and looked at Arsh.

"The northern continent has only one town near the shore, but no monarch. This place is filled with all types of magical creatures, who can kill you just by their presence. But..." 

Alan pointed a finger at Arsh, looking straight into his crimson eyes.

"In the deep forest of the northern continent. There live humans, who have declined the hands of gods, and are trying to go against their will. We call them the forsaken ones," 

Alan sighed and added-

"This is the most famous bedtime story for children on other continents. If they only knew, you existed though."

For Arsh, it was a lot of information to take in. He never saw any person in the village, planning any coup against the churches or the gods. But he was more intrigued by another thing, which Alan never mentioned throughout his explanation.

"What about the death god?"

The absolute darkness with 4 eyes, he saw in the temple. The very representation of end, or death.

"I don't know anything about him. Except, that he is the reason there are no churches on this continent."

"He is the very representation of death and his emblem has been removed from every history book to hide his existence. Most people don't even know that he exists."

Arsh didn't know, the being he met was, the most powerful in existence. He was confused as to why that mysterious, all-powerful being, let him live.

Arsh announced to the very god of death, he was coming for his head. But he let him go? Why was that?

'Probably because it was a joke for him.....'

For a being like that. Humans such as Arsh must be equivalent to ants. But if it was really the truth, why were the churches hunting him specifically?

Arsh was sure the 5 intruders were there for his life. They were specifically targeting him. And the villagers were aware of that.

'Mom too was connected to them somehow.'

Arsh remembered the face of the smiling intruder, and what he said. About Samantha being like a sister to him. 

There were thousands of things he wanted to ask. But he knew there was no one to answer them yet. If he wanted an answer there was only one way.

To stand up to real deities. The Gods, who are hailed as the very creators of the whole world.

But how can a human like him even stand a chance against them? 

"What the hell am I supposed to do?"

Arsh asked himself, confused, about where his life should go, from here on out. 

'Wait! What about him?'

Arsh shook his thoughts away and looked at the man named Alan, in front of him as a final ray of hope. For answers to his question.

"I can't tell you that, Kid. But I can help you figure it out."

Alan smirked and stood up, gesturing for Arsh to follow him.