Another request...

The deer may not know that, I am going to become the fearless, emotionless tool of god. Maybe she can read minds, but I don't really care. She probably heard what I just thought about since her animal face made a pretty weird expression, but then, another smile appeared. A very weird encounter, us humans, looking at something godlike that is not about to kill us.

"You really are an interesting one. Your friend here, I think his name is Marcus. Is scared to the brim, look at him, his legs are trembling. But you are just casually standing and talking with me." Is it really that impressive? But once again, she can read my mind so even thinking isn't something I should do. It's just confusing. "It is impressive, I will repeat myself here even if I don't like to. You are the weakest human I've seen on those grounds. The weakest I've seen for several thousands of years. Dozens at this point. And all of them weren't even thinking about stopping themselves from being afraid."

"At this point, any thought is something I tell you. So, there is no point of talking actually."

"Well, I can give you back movement, I don't want you to be strangled like that."

"I was able to move once again, breathe air properly. Lungs fully capable of breathing, I sat down leaning against a tree and yawned. Marcus also got back his right to move, but instead of staying here with me, he just started running away back to our cave. But not screaming. Just running."

"As you can see, you are one of a kind, at least in my eyes."

"She also sat down, her body covered a little in the grass. Now a realization in my mind, she is a beautiful animal. She was shining almost like a white sun, she was looking straight at me."

"Why are you fearless? As a human?"

"She asked me, I am not sure of the answer. Is it really because of the god I hope for? That he exists and I may be his weapon? Or is it because of the things I went through, the pain I experienced, the hate that's been oozing out of me?"

"I can feel it. The hate, the disgust, but you keep them down, fearless thing. Poor thing lost everything that you could've hoped for. Authority, mother's love, and at this point. Feelings. I see all of that inside your soul… A very… Dark and sorrowful soul."

"The deer looked at me directly and stared. It felt weird, she was looking into my soul finding all of the pieces that made me fearless. Everything I've been to… Her face made a gesture 'yes'. Therefore it must be the thing, she looked at it from a weird angle."

"I wish I could do something for you. But I can't and don't actually want to. You are a weird person, very different from any human I spoke to. Even that demon from one of your memories, I remember him. He wasn't like you are, he was also a little afraid. But you feel like someone who is not afraid at all, I wonder how much it actually mattered for you. I am not a human, I don't know this feeling."

"I also don't. Everything went quiet… Even my thoughts."

"What do you want to do? I know where you are and what you are about to do in two days. But you weren't like this before, so, what exactly do you want to do once you leave?"

"Are you that interested? I guess you are… Well, I want to change all of this unfair shit. This isn't a world anymore this isn't anything of that sort actually. I've explained it so many times, but I will do it for you. Don't you think that this world is just… Unfair? For those born without power, for those with a fate worse than that actually. People are betrayed by their own people because of authority, it's just… Flawed. Completely flawed. All of those people deserve death, you maybe don't know that because you never had feelings. But if you had your babies, would you throw them away if they didn't have power?"

"I never would… The Kingdom of animals is pretty different from humans. We care about each other's flaws. We help each other overcome them, somehow at least. If the baby would die anyway if it was incomplete pain. It would be better to ease their pain if they are in pain. But otherwise… There is no chance that we would kill our young ones."

"Well, that probably means that we are more of a mindless animal than animals themselves. Were you always on this mountain?"

"Not always, but right before my death as a regular deer. I came to those mountains, before even that shrine, that relic was there. Before it was even a mountain. That tree there. It made me what I am now, it made me survive for ages. Its power was divine. Therefore it's so large. I don't know why… But ever since it did that to me, I felt as if something was there at the very top of it. I don't know what but something is just… Pulling me there, trying to take me to the top of it. The problem is, I am a deer, I cannot climb. And I don't want to send anyone I don't trust there, but if I won't I won't learn what is there. You are very different, I may be naive, very naive. But I feel like you should be the one to go to that tree. Up to its core and see what there is and hopefully. I would be still alive by then, maybe you will tell me."

"Is that a favor? This question left my mind, no words left my mouth, no point of me speaking, she was here right in my mind."

"That's how you call it?"

"She asked and I immediately answered. Yes. But a favor also may request something from you. I am not an idiot even if fearless would mean that I am. For it, I want something back."

"Whatever it is on that mountain. You can keep it, but before you do so you need to tell me about it. I don't think I will die because of some shrine, I am almost as old as all of humanity itself. So, you take it but have to show it to me first, or explain what you've seen."

"That is a very weird request but. I don't want to disagree. It's a very high tree and it would be really hard to climb there, but I will do it. You are a naive being, but you aren't a humanlike existence. You aren't as flawed as I am or anyone else. Therefore, I know that you are honest. I will try, do my best to do it."

"Thank you… Hayden. The fearless, I give you that title. If you are going to use it, do it, if someone won't believe you, you know who gave you that title. An ancient being that lived for an incredibly long amount of time. You know it's not an easy honor to earn."

"I know it isn't, but yet, another request I have to fulfill…"

"There is no time limit to this one. You can do it when you want, even if my body would die, my soul would remain for a long time here. Oh, right. I need to do something, all humans do that don't they? You don't know my name."

"Right, I don't know your name. I realized then, this whole time I had my eyes closed, I opened them. Took a very deep breath. Rethinking my own actions at this point… What a weird thing to do."

"I am called by many things, but it all is the same name. 'Namtufare', this name was given to me by all of the living creatures in this place. So, I kept it and it feels very nice to have a name. I don't know why… But it just feels very… Nice."

"Namtufare… Weird name, but I feel it's a very fitting one. A little animal like but still a name, just like for humans…"

"I will have to go now. My time for today has ended, I leave now. Have a nice… Day? I think that's what you say… Yes. Have a nice day, friend." The great sacred deer stood up and started walking somewhere, after each step, the plants bloomed. Trees got unfrozen… What is that? Or rather… Who. It called me her friend, I am a friend of an ancient animal, what a weird thing.

It's time to go back. Hayden the fearless, I laughed a little while standing up. Then the animal disappeared and so did I when I started walking back into the woods… The dark, scary, and quiet woods. With some trees having a small hole… Way back.