Chapter 3
The door creaked open..
A hooded man stepped into the quiet inn, the soft murmur of evening travelers fading behind him as the door closed.
"Hello Innkeeper," Zen said calmly in a stern tone
The keeper glanced up, startled for only a moment before recognition softened his expression
"Ah!. You're back Mister."
Zen nodded once and made his way upstairs. Each step was measured and slow.
Unhurried. He stopped before a door at the end of the hall.
"I'm back," Zen said.
Silence at first.
"Welcome back!," a young voice answered, careful but steady. "I'm ready now!."
Zen reached up and slowly lowered his hood.
For the first time, his face was visible.
Short black messy hair framed a tired expression. His eyes were grey, sharp, observant but his right eye slightly darker than his left, barely noticeable unless one looked closely.
Across from him stood a boy no older than ten.
Kuro.
Zen studied him quietly.
It's been three days since the village, Zen thought.
Zen's Inner Monologue: He's warmed up faster than I expected. How unusual Hm..
Zen: "Alright eat up,"
He continued whilst sitting down
"Next ship to capital of Oranos is in 2 hours, we must reach 30 minutes before they depart"
Kuro responded while eating the bread in front of him
"Alri--," he faltered, clearing his throat before continuing, "alright."
[A Day Earlier]
Kuro awoke to an unfamiliar ceiling.
His body stiffened instantly
The room smelled of wood and dust. A faint ache throbbed behind his eyes as he tried to remember what had happened
Pain spiked for a second
He groaned softly
"Oh?," a voice said. "You're awake."
Kuro turned sharply to the direction the voice came from.
A man sat across the room, back turned, resting on a small table
"Who are you?!" Kuro demanded, panic creeping into his voice. "Where am I? Where's my mother!?"
He swung his legs off the bed, slowly rising to his feet, trembling.
Zen sighed
"My name is Zen," he said calmly. "And you'll be spending a lot of time with me from now on."
Kuro froze
"What…?" His voice wavered. "What does that even mean.?"
Zen studied him for a moment before speaking again
"For now one thing at a time. What's your name?"
Kuro hesitated for a moment before speaking
"Kuro," he said quietly. "My name is Kuro."
Zen nodded
"I'll be blunt Kuro," Zen said. "You are a vessel for the devil."
The words hit Kuro hard..
"W-What…?" Kuro whispered. "What does that even mean?"
His chest tightened.
Kuro's Inner Monologue: A vessel? Is my mother dead? What about the village?—
Zen continued evenly
"When you turned ten, a devil attempted to take control of your body to open a gate to the Demon Realm."
Kuro's breath caught.
"What..?..My—my mom—"
"She's alive," Zen interrupted. "So are the villagers."
Relief crashed through him so suddenly his knees nearly gave out.
Zen turned away slightly.
"It was still a pain dealing with the Protector", he thought.
Kuro swallowed hard. Words tried to form, but none came out.
"Well," Zen sighed, rubbing his temples, "you don't have many options here."
Kuro looked up sharply.
"You'll be traveling with me," Zen said. "I'll teach you how to control your power, You can do whatever you want after.."
Kuro responded in a soft tone "Traveling..?,"
"Why not go home?"
Zen stood.
"We leave for Oranos soon."
"Oranos? Wait-why you didn't answer my question" Kuro blurted. "How long will we be traveling?"
"A while," Zen replied. "I'll explain more on the way, Ask me only what's necessary right now."
Kuro hesitated, then..
"What exactly did you mean by… vessel back then?"
Zen exhaled.
"Your mother was going to die during childbirth," he said. "Your father first offered himself but it wasn't enough.. the devil refused"
Kuro's hands clenched.
"He had no choice but to offer you as the devil's vessel," Zen continued. "And to delay the possession he gave up yes of his own life span. That's why it activated when you turned 10 years of age"
Kuro stared at the floor.
"What would've happened… if you didn't stop it?"
Zen didn't hesitate.
"The village would've been wiped out," he said. "Then a being called the Protector would've erased you, I have only managed to temporarily delay it"
Kuro covered his face.
"Then… why save me?" he muttered. "I should've died there instead."
Zen paused.
A flicker of memory surfaced
Zen's inner monologue: Like mother, like son…
"Because I simply wanted to," Zen said simply. "Not out of pity."
He turned toward the door
"Think it over," he added. "We leave in a day.."
The door closed softly behind him.
Kuro sat frozen.
Kuro: "This has to be a dream…Right..?"
Later the same day
Zen returned with food
Kuro stood suddenly, eyes fixed on him.
"Sir Zen," he said, voice shaking but determined. "If I get strong… Can I protect my mother? Can I return back home.?"
Zen stopped.
"Yes," he said. "And I will help you, Now drop the 'Sir' call me Zen."
Kuro's lips trembled for a moment, then a small, determined smile spread across his face.
"Yes...Zen."
That night, Kuro didn't sleep easily.
But he slept with resolve..
Day 2
Morning light flooded the streets as Zen and Kuro stepped into the market.
Kuro stayed close at first, watchful and cautious.
Then his eyes widened.
People laughed. Merchants shouted. Life moved.
"Where are we?" Kuro asked, awed.
"Arszbe," Zen replied.
"That's a weird name," Kuro said, grinning.
Zen had a faint smile.
They spent the day gathering supplies.
Later that night
"Also. We leave tomorrow," Zen mentioned suddenly.
"Oh…" Kuro muttered. "Already?"
"Yes."
"Where are we going?"
"Oranos."
"That's… like a week away!"
Zen met his gaze.
"You'll need better equipment to travel, I told you we would be travelling for a while"
Kuro hesitated
"I thought you were ready" Zen said.
"I am," Kuro replied quickly. "I just… got scared."
Zen softened
"We'll return someday," he said quietly. "To your home."
Then, softer
"And to mine."
The next day Morning
Kuro woke up in an empty room.
Panic surged for a moment,
Then he saw the note.
"Gone to buy food, get ready."
Kuro exhaled with relief
"It's going to be okay," he whispered.
And for the first time since the village
He believed it without hesitation for some reason.
[Information Box]
Oranos is a country flourishing of trades and merchandise, it's where you can find a lot of dwarf made items, most people who visit are merchants, mercenaries, mages or swordsmen
End of chapter.