Jason was washing his cups in his kitchen. He was standing in front of the counter and rolled up the sleeve of his sweater to his elbow. A scar that lighter than his skin color was starting at his elbow, disappearing into his upper arm hidden by the sleeve of his sweater. It was impossible to understand what he was thinking by looking at his face. He could be meditating or dreaming of killing his enemies.
Actually, now Jason didn't know what he was thinking either. He was the water that touched his hand, not himself. Before he got here, he was in a secret water source under the earth. Before that, he had rained from the sky and was absorbed by the earth. He would evaporate, rain, and give life to the earth again and again. Sky, earth, sky, earth. Just as it has been going on for millions of years. He was once the first tear to fall from a baby's eye. Once he was a man's last drop of blood.
''Who is Nedim?'' A little girl's voice broke his trance. He turned off the tap and looked over his shoulder at the girl. She was sitting on the sofa and wrapped Jason's jacket around herself. Only her feet and her face were visible.
Jason wiped his hands with a kitchen towel. ''Were you awake as we spoke?'' He threw the towel on the counter and approached the sofa. ''Nedim is one or two years older than you. 'Cause he has no one to take car of him, Zack let him live in the mansion in exchange for errands. You would meet him soon.'' He stretched out his hand and touched the little girl's cheek. ''Are you cold? You are cold as ice.'' Eve nodded. ''Come, I know what you need.''
Eve followed Jason into the bedroom and then into the bathroom. His dirty shirt was still on the floor. Other than that, the bathroom was tastefully decorated. There was a white, marble free-standing tub in the corner; shower gels, bath salts, and more were in glass jars on a shelf on a wall. On another shelf, towels and bathrobes were folded, waiting to be used. Lastly the marble toilet and dressing table with a mirror and sink completed the marble design of the apartment. Eve looked at the Jason.
''Don't look at me, I rented the apartment together with its stuff. I guess the former owner liked the marble and pink cups.'' He said, but he did not said that he rented the apartment because he liked the bathroom. He lifted the little girl and put her in the empty tub, ''If you press this button,'' said by pointing to a button, ''water fills the bathtub. You can set the temperature here.'' He took a glass jar from the shelf. ''Pour this into water. I will be back when you are done.''
He left Eve in the bathroom and went back to the bedroom. While trying to find something the girl could wear, he cursed at himself for forgetting to tell Zack to start heating the apartment when he had the opportunity. He could feel the warm water starting to flow from the pipes beneath the ground where he was standing. He chose a sweater and a boxer, then took the winter quilt from the closet.
Before closing the closet, his eyes caught on the gun in one of the drawers. He thought for a few moments. He had been detained once, faced with shape shifters twice until now. Laws did not prevent the shape shifters from hiding bodies or kidnapping. Moreover, they still didn't get what they wanted. The house was protected by spell, but... many shape shifter packs housed the priests of the god Panwa. It was not impossible for a mighty priest to break through Jason's defenses. When that happened, what would keep them out of the house? Kindness?
Jason didn't believe that kindness would keep the beastmen out of the house. He left the quilt and gun on the bed. The flow of water had just stopped. Taking the sweater and boxer, he clicked on the bathroom door. When there was no response from Eve, he got worried and entered the bathroom. The little girl was in the sparkling water up to her nose. Only her eyes and nose were visible. Jason left the clothes on the dressing table and took a comb from the drawer.
''Are you better now?'' He took another glass jar from the shelf. Eve nodded.
''Your hair is still full of sand and tangled.'' When Jason he opened the lid of the jar in his hand, he smelled the soothing lavender. He poured some of the liquid from the jar onto the girl's hair and began to gently massage her head.
''Jason, what does 'gift' mean?'' Eve sat up in the bathtub to speak. The water was at the level of her neck now.
''Some people are born with abilities others don't have. Sometimes gods bestow abilities on their believers. We called these abilities as gifts.'' Jason began to comb her tangled hair.
''So... Did that nurse heal my foot with her gift?''
''Probably. When did that happen?''
''When you go to shape shifter paperwork. What is shape shifter paperwork?''
''Were you awake while I was talking to Marguerite? Shape shifters are a kind of... community. Paperwork is the most boring thing in the world.''
''Are they strong?''
''Of course. They are the chosen ones of god Panwa.'' Jason thought that sounds better than people with the mutant virus.
''Who else is strong?''
''Hmm... When it comes to strenght, the God of War comes to mind first. However, he is not welcomed anywhere in the world. Battlefields are his temples and everyone who fights for their lives is his disciple.'' Jason started to rinse her hair. ''If we are talking about who controls the resources and forces in the world, I have to say that the gods of light are dominant in this matter though they are not that strong in this city.'' Jason stood up.
''Probably the presence of Nyx and Panwa prevented the gods of light from getting stronger in this city.'' And maybe with the presence of the dark goddess whose name is forbidden to speak, ''I left something you can wear. Come to the kitchen when you are dried and dressed. You must be hungry.''
''I am not hungry. I ate at the hospital. Who is Nyx?''
''It's been hours since you left the hospital. Don't forget to dry your hair properly.'' Jason went to the kitchen to find something to eat. Jam, honey, cheese, bread and toaster. It was more than enough. An hour later, Eve was dressed, eaten, and curled up under the quilt.
''Is that a gun?'' Her eyes opened in surprise. Jason nodded. ''A laser gun?''
Jason gave a laugh. ''No. No it is not a laser gun.''
Eve bowed her head, ''I want to learn about world, Jason.''
''Glad to hear that. What about joining Nyx temple?'' Eve's eyes sparkled.
''Yes!''
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[New side quests has been created.
-Learn about origin world's gods and goddesses.
-Learn about origin world's weapons.]
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At three o'clock, while Eve and Jason are asleep
Perhaps it was the sound of a shadow, or the stranger's breath against his skin, probably just an instinct that woke Jason up. He found the gun standing by his pillow, hidden by the quilt. 'If I'm wrong, I won't be disgraced to anyone but myself anyway. Door or window?' He thought for a second. There was neither outside noise nor wind blowing in the room. He raised his gun towards the door.
''Don't shoot. It is me.''
'If you have dragon instincts, you should trust them.' He looked at the face of the man waiting with his hands in the air to see who his visitor was.