Chapter 8: 6-A Time of Respite

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That was a good book.  I kind of wish I could live in that kind of world.  I mean, I definitely don't want to live the life of any of the main characters.  That kind of life would just be way too much trouble.  After all, anyone who wants to go through constant struggles to live while willingly throwing themselves into those dangerous positions all because they somehow are the only ones who can save the world should be considered bordering on insanity.  Trying to jump across train tracks before an oncoming train turns you into a bloody mess is considered too dangerous, but if you really think about it is still less dangerous than a lot of the things the characters in these books end up doing.

The worlds in these books, however, is quite exciting.  Maybe it just seems exciting because it's something different, but at least it would be interesting to be in a place where the rules and laws were different and allowed so much more freedom.  That's probably why people visited other countries if he thought about it.  Going to a whole different world, though, where the very laws and rules of nature were also different because of the presence of magic and dragons and exotic races and species was a wonderful idea for his imagination to play around with.

Unfortunately the story in that particular book was over, so until he waited for his memories of everything to fade so that he could experience it all again with a sense of wonder he would have to find some other way to entertain himself.  There was that game he hadn't played for quite a while.  It had a lot of the same concepts like magic and dragons and stuff.  Maybe he could design a new character and try playing it again to give himself at least some sense of adventure and discovery.

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That was the second time he had a dream this week and the second time he woke up to find the man excitedly using his fancy stick to put marks on that...what was it called again...parchment.  Marik sighed as he slowly got out of bed.  It had only been a week, but he already had learned that when the man became like this that there was no getting his attention until he was done.  The stomachs of both the man and Marik rumbled, making the man pause for just a moment with a tilted head as if he was confused about something before ignoring it and continuing with what he was doing.

Marik headed over to the kitchen and started pulling some things out to prepare for breakfast.  He couldn't cook but there was plenty of things already prepared and stored away in various cabinets or the small room called a pantry.  He still wasn't a fan of eating a lot of the plants, which the man had called vegetables, but since he was trying to be a good boy he still pulled some out to add to the breakfast anyways.  Just as he placed the second plate of food on the table, the man finally appeared from the bedroom and turned his head in Marik's direction.

"Ah.  I forgot the forks."

Marik ran back over to the kitchen to grab a couple forks so that they could eat.  Honestly, he still find the idea of needing a fork just to eat kind of silly but at least it was fun getting to stab his food before he ate it.  He definitely enjoyed stabbing those bland vegetables.  Somehow it made him hate them just a little less.

"Lettuce, tomatoes, bryeberries, dried venison, and boiled eggs, is it?  A strange choice for breakfast.  Then again, I suppose I was lost in my own work so I won't complain.  Thank you for setting up the breakfast, boy."

"You're welcome."

Marik smiled lightly at the appreciation for his work and sat down with the man to eat.  It didn't take long for them to finish their meal and as Marik stacked the plates and forks together to take them out for washing later, the man threw a question at him that he wasn't expecting.

"Tell me, boy.  Did you, perhaps, have a strange dream last night?"

Marik gasped.  He had never told anyone about his dreams.  Even over this past week neither he nor the man had really talked about themselves.  It had been a simple arrangement where the man would teach some simple things to Marik and Marik would try to do the little things he could when the man got lost in his own work.  There were a few things here and there that the man had been vague about as if he didn't really want Marik to ask further about them, such as the jars on the shelves along the wall of the strange powers the man sometimes, almost thoughtlessly, exhibited.  The jars were only explained as something helped with research, and the strange powers were labeled as 'a bit of sorcery and a bit of magic, nothing fancy enough to bother with'.

"How did you know about my dreams?"

"As I thought.  This is quite interesting.  One moment."

The man gestured for Marik to retake his seat at the table as he went into the kitchen to get something.  He soon reappeared and set a bowl with some kind of slightly cloudy liquid, a ball of candy, and a thin knife on the table before sitting down as well.  He held the candy carefully and used the knife to quickly split it in half before setting the knife back down and handing one half of the candy over to Marik.

"You can eat this half if you want.  It won't be necessary for my little demonstration."

Marik nodded and happily popped the half candy into his mouth, letting the taste of honey spread around a bit before he chimped it into pieces and swallowed it.

"Mm.  You may be a little young to truly understand everything, which is why I'm doing it this way.  I guess the best place to start would be with me.  Listen carefully, boy.  If you ever see another person wearing a blindfold that looks like mine, do not anger them.  Fear them.  Those who are merely blind use simple strips of cloth instead...and that may be too much for right now.  Those wear these types of blindfolds as I do are dangerous people.  We do not use our eyes to see, having given that up so that we can see other things.  Like souls."

Marik inhaled in a small gasp.  The man could see his soul?  Wasn't that kind of super dangerous if he could do those weird power thing and affect it as well?

"Yes, boy.  I can see your soul.  Or should I say souls.  You have an extra half a soul in you.  See this liquid here?  This is what a young soul most often looks like.  It has yet to be fully formed and is mostly colorless."

The man brushed off some of the tiny pieces that came off of the candy into his palm then dropped them in the liquid.

"As one grows older their actions and environment and so forth tend to color the soul, shape it, and harden it.  Similar to how honey gets mixed with some other things then heated to become the candy you just ate half of."

The man picked up the remaining candy half and dropped it into the liquid as well.

"You, however, have more.  Much like this half candy within the liquid, there is a half soul within your young soul.  If you look close enough, you can see that the candy is slowly beginning to dissolve, yes?  Look even closer and you will see that tiny bits of it begin to break off before dissolving completely.  This is what is happening to you.  Tiny bits of your old soul and breaking off and mixing with your new one.  Those dreams you have are most likely memories, having broken off and becoming a part of you.  In time the old soul will completely mix with your new one and dye it in it's own colors."

This was some very complicated stuff.  Marik wasn't sure he entirely understood everything the man said, and he was completely lost about what it meant that his soul would be dyed a certain color.  The way the man said it made it sound like it was kind of a bad thing, but not necessarily a terrible thing.  The visual aid the man had set up for demonstration did help to understand what was happening a little though.  It did leave some questions unanswered.

"So where's the other half of my candy soul?"

"I couldn't tell you.  I am not a specialist in the matters of soul work and I was not there when you were born or conceived.  You would have to ask whoever or whatever put that half in you."

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"So someone else put half a soul in me?"

"Most definitely.  Such a thing is not a natural work.  That said, I do know of some masters in the manipulation of souls, and I doubt even they would have the capabilities to do something like this in such a clean manner.  My best, and only, guess for now is that it was one of the gods who did it.  If that were true then I may never know how it was done.  Why it was done, though, we may be able to get at least a hint of through your dreams and my studies of you."

"Umm.  Where did the other soul come from?"

"A past life.  That is the only definite thing I can say right now.  How long ago or from where this past life's soul came from, I cannot say.  I do know that it is an interesting color and shape.  It bears a uniqueness to it that I have not seen before.  Then again, I have not seen the shape and color every other soul before, so it may just be a lack of knowledge on my part.  If it came from a god as I suspect, though, then the possibilities are so endless that merely trying to make guesses at this point is an exercise in futility.  Any more questions?"

"Hmm.  So my soul, the liquid one, is becoming more like the old candy one, right?  Is it a bad thing ta have a candy flavored soul?"

"Hahaha.  A candy flavored soul.  What an interesting yet apt way to describe it.  The question, however, is a difficult one to answer.  Hmm.  How to say this.  The more...erm...flavoring that your soul gains, the harder it is for other flavors to get added in.  Typically, this would be a normal occurrence and would garner little attention or worry.  However, we already know that your new soul will eventually absorb the old one.  If you do not wish to follow in the footsteps of your past self, then yes it is a bad thing.  Unfortunately, you have something of a time limit.  If you wish to be your own person, or a new person, then you would have to decide how you want your soul to be colored and shaped and at least start making it that way before too much of the old soul gets taken in.  It's all very complicated, I know.  Luckily for you, it seems to be going at a slow enough pace that you have some still.  Years, if my estimations are even close."

"So I need to decide something in years?  Sorry, I didn't fully understand that."

"No worries, boy.  It's complicated stuff, especially at your age.  Let me see if I can simplify this for you.  You, just like everyone else, must choose who and what you want to be in your life.  Unlike everyone else, however, you do not have the majority of your life to work on it and decide, but only a few years.  If you don't want your past life to take over your future, then you will have to work harder than anyone else earlier than everyone else.  Did that make more sense?"

"I think so?"

"Good enough for now.  As time goes on we can begin to discuss this in more detail.  I told you a week ago that today I would offer you a pact.  I wish to study you and your soul.  I want to know what secrets your memories bring.  I feel that you will age mentally quite quickly due to your situation and I want whatever new perspectives and insights you could give me to aid in my research.  In return, I will ensure you have food, shelter, and whatever knowledge I can offer that I am not restricted in some way from providing.  I offer this for the next year.  What do you think?"

Marik thought about it.  He tried to think if there was anything bad about it anywhere or if there was anything he didn't understand.  Honestly he just wanted to be safe for as long as possible but he didn't want to push the man too far for fear he might take away the offer.  He finally decided it was probably better to just ask and make sure.

"If I say yes, does that mean I'm safe?"

The man contemplated he words for a moment before recognition showed on his face.

"You're safety and wellbeing will also be assured, yes.  I have no intention to cause you harm or maltreatment."

"This will only be for a year though, right?"

"Ah.  I did not mean to make you worry.  I only meant that in a year we could reform the pact again with whatever small changes that may need to be applied."

"So we could just have this one until I turn five, right?"

"I do not know your actual age much less your birthday, but I do not see a particular problem with that."

"I turned two years old six moons and thirteen days ago.  I think.  I might have missed a day or two while I was in the cave."

"In the cave you say?  Hmm.  How about we say until four years old just in case we need to change it, but with the promise that we will redo it.  In addition, though, I think it best that I hear your story."

"I guess that sounds okay."

"Good. Then we have a deal.  From today on you can call me Master."

"Marik."

"What?"

"My name is Marik."

"I see.  Unfortunately for us both, I am likely to continue calling you 'boy'.  I hope you understand for now that it's just something that will be the way it is."

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