Trust

As Sheyken was still in awe of the situation he would have been in if he did not have the Greosen, his stomach was turning in on itself. Only realizing the feeling made him want to stop thinking about it. Ningal and Vitula were having a conversation between themselves at that point but he had not heard a word of what they were talking about because he was in deep thought before that moment. They finished talking to each other and then faced him.

"Sheyken I know it must be traumatizing to hear that something like that had been done to you. Try to stay calm. If you need to, we can take a break and continue this conversation later."

Ningal said with concern.

'Traumatized? Am I traumatized?... Well, right now thinking about Tenebris makes me want to vomit. My stomach cannot handle the thought of her, but regardless, I was and still am a soldier. I should soldier on even though I almost became someone's plaything for the rest of my life. Ningal, you were indeed sent from heaven. If I never met you....'

He stopped his thoughts. They were going on forever while two people were looking at him with concern and waiting for his answer.

"I am fine. I just needed to gather my thoughts that is all. I think it would be best if we finish our conversation at one go."

He said while trying to fake a smile. Vitula did not like how his state of mind was and thought that if they continue, whatever they said at that point was going to get in one ear and come out the other. Ningal stood up and brought him some water to drink. He had not notice it but his mouth had become dry.

'Looks like I cannot hide my true feelings very well yet.'

He thought as he drunk the water, feeling a little bit at ease as he did so. Vitula thought of changing the conversation in order to calm him down.

"Before we continue, why don't you tell us about your past just like we have told you. I am sure whatever happened to bring you here you can now trust us to help you. By telling you our story we did put our lives and that of our children in your hands after all."

Ningal looked down at the floor with a gloomy face as Vitula finished talking. She knew it was only right to tell him everything from the start, but if one person would want to leave the past behind and never talk about it ever again, it was her.

'The past? what should I do? They did tell me some of their deepest secrets and trusting me with the lives of their children is something no parent would do nonchalantly. Do I move from the norm? In all the novels I have read, most, if not all the characters do not tell anyone about where they came from unless they are summoned and the summoner knows about Earth. Well, what do I have to lose? The worst that can come of it is them thinking the curse has made me crazy, but should I tell them about Arloch too? since they are from this would they might know about her. It would allow me to know if I can use her as my trump card.'

Sheyken thought for a while with the other two in the room waiting patiently for him.

"I will tell you about myself, but you must know that everything I tell you is absolutely real and I am not crazy."

Ningal and Vitula looked at each other and nodded their heads.

"Do not worry. Whatever you tell use can never rival the absurdities that happened in this village."

Vitula said with a smile. He was glad his plan was working as Sheyken's face had returned back to normal again.

"First of all, I do not have a father that got lost in the Benevolent woods....."

Sheyken told them about what he lied about first. He then started at the begging and told them that he was originally from Earth. He told them a little about his time there and then moved on to him meeting his real father. He then told them about how he woke up in the Benevolent woods and who he thought the body he used to reincarnate in Uros was off. He went on to the three months he had spent there to when he found the valley.

By the time he got to that part, Ningal and Vitula did not know what to think. When he told them about meeting a Lich called Arloch, Ningal had to stop him. His story was not good for her heart.

"Sheyken, are you sure you did not dream all this when you woke up in the woods? You might have hit your head and your father is really out there."

Ningal said with concern.

"Ningal, let the kid finish his story. Don't you remember what he asked of us before he told us this? Do not spit on his resolve to tell us what he has gone through."

"But Vitula, he is telling us that he is a man in a kid's body, that he met a Guard... a god, and that he is from another planet."

"I know, and this is Uros. A place where the unthinkable can happen. You are a testament to that. Either then his story sounding unrealistic, do you have any reason to doubt him. He did lie to you before but I would have done the same if I was in his position the first time he met you. Not to mention that he says he is a child of a god or what he called him. If he is, he is the most important person in Uros right now."

Vitula said with a spit of anger in his voice. Knowing how much resolve it should have taken Sheyken to tell them as much as he had was making him angry for Ningal to question him after they too had been hiding something that could potentially kill him.

"Sorry Sheyken. Your story is just...."

Ningal could not finish her words.

"I know. It would be hard to even believe it myself if I was you."

"Please continue. I will try to keep an open mind."

Ningal said, still not knowing what to think about it all. Sheyken continued to talk about his master, then the other five existences together with the fact that he thought Tenebris was the one who cursed him. He talked about the fight he witnessed between Arloch and the Neritetus. He then ended his story with how he got the potions, campus, Plot armor, and Shadow.

He had left many other things out. Like that the oil has healing qualities but only saying it had unknown qualities, the tree with red leaves, anything to do with Ruby amongst other things, and the fact that he had a way to contact Arloch. They were small details but they would be his trump card if anyone got information out of them.

Vitula and Ningal stayed quiet for some time, but Vitula spoke up first.

"A Lich huh. And you stayed with them for two years."

Sheyken let out an awkward laugh.

"You know, because the story is just so absurd and unrealistic such that I think all the people in Uros can live their lives without going through even one event in your story, that is why I am inclined to believe it. No one could be this creative at your age even though you say you should be 21 years now. Tell me, do you believe you think and act like you are that old."

Sheyken thought for a moment then answered.

"No. I think living in this body has made me think and act as old as it is, but I would like to think I make grown-up decisions still."

Ningal came closer to him and gave him a hug. She was crying and still did not know how to act or feel about his situation if she was to believe his story. She then let him go and set back on her chair.

"Well, here we thought we had it bad, but for only a child to come along and turn our world upside down."

"Singal, Flosbris's husband once told me a story when we were young. He had said it was passed down in their family. Something about the cursed. It had to do with someone who was not from Uros but I cannot remember what he told me."

Ningal said and the words court Sheyken's attention.

"Well, I am sure you will remember after some rest. I thought we would be telling you some shocking things about our village but you have gone and shocked us. At this rate, we will die from a heart attack before we tell you. Let me asked you something before we continue."

"You can ask anything you want to ask."

Sheyken replied.

"I know you told us this as a show of appreciation for us trusting you with our secrets too. You also told us so you can find out some information about any part of your story we may know about but I am sorry son. We leave in an isolated place and I am afraid we do not have answers for you. We do not even know the Lich named Arloch. What we have for now is what Ningal remembers of what Singal told her long ago and I am sure after some rest she will try and remember more."

Vitula said while rubbing Ningal's back to try and console her. He knew that Sheyken's story was too much for anyone to hear, let alone a person with a pure heart like hers.

"I know I had advertised my son to you earlier, but if all that you said is true, you will need someone smart and trustworthy by your side. He is all of those things and more. So, what I am asking you is this; if you think it is worth telling him and letting him help you, please do and do it in the short while when you have met. You will surely archive great things together, but in exchange, you must never tell anyone what you have told as ever again. Even if you trust them, they might use it against you in the future. This is Uros and people do anything to get power. I am not saying my son will never betray you but you need someone to carry that burden with. From what you have told me the experience you have had so far would be too much for any person, but you seem to be born in chaos and I think these absurd situations will follow you where ever you go. For example, after you exited the forest you fell upon this village, which has fallen into darkness."

"I promise."

Sheyken replied without batting an eye which made Vitula smile again.

'He really is selling his son out to me. He doesn't have to. He saved my life together with his family's potion. I do have to repay them. He does have a point though, even though I need information, going about finding it by telling people I think I trust my story will just get me killed sooner or later. Guess I was right. I am thinking like a child for the most part now. At least it is time to know what the hell is wrong with this village. I think I should go straight to the point and ask him, even though Ningal seems to be having a midlife crisis. Did I look like that when I heard about my curse?'

Sheyken thought as he set up straight.

"Who are 'them'."

He asked Vitula. Ningal stopped looking down at the floor and looked at Sheyken and Vitula who were both looking at each other. The atmosphere went even colder than it was when he asked the question.