"Welcome back..." replied a woman, sitting on top of a few rugs.
She had long white hair that fell down to her mid back and gentle brown eyes. When she smiled, a strange warmth filled the air in the tent. She was wearing a long sleeve brown t-shirt and a pair of black pants, hidden underneath a thin layer of blankets. Her pale skin blended in with her hair, giving her an almost phantom appearance. She had round cheeks that tapered out, giving her an almost heart like face. From just a glance, anyone could tell she was beautiful, angelic almost.
She struggled to move. "Did yo-" She coughed loudly.
Sky quickly placed the basket down and rushed to her side. "Jeez, how many times do I have to tell you, don't push yourself..." He slowly helped her move to a more comfortable sitting position.
The inside of the tent was more spacious than you'd expect. There was enough room for two individuals to live comfortably, even with all the random bits and pieces of equipment placed here and there. To the right was a small kitchen, complete with a small gas stove, for which Sky would have to borrow gas every few days and other utensils. To the left was a comfortable bed, made from rugs and blankets, on top of which Sky's mother slept and in the small area between was Sky's little, open room. He had some of his things he'd found lined up against the wall, along with anything useful that had come with the food he had stolen. The large rug was placed over the ground, making the sitting area a bit more comfortable. All in all, it had everything Sky needed.
Sky quickly turned around and grabbed the small basket he had placed near the door and smiled at his mother. "Look what Mr. Haj made today… it's still warm and smells amazing… I bet this could last us a good week at least, don't you think?" He smiled as he grabbed a loaf and broke a piece off and gave it to his mother.
"I'm sorry Sky…" She said as she fumbled with the bread.
"Mama, not this again..." Sky replied through a mouthful of bread.
A sad smile grew on her face. "I think it's about time I told you about your father." She said gently, taking a small bite of the bread.
Sky waved his hand, shooing away the idea. "I don't wanna hear about that deadbeat man who abandoned us." Sky said, finishing the last of the bread.
"Sky… what do you know about the gods?" She asked, taking another small bite.
"Hm? They got beat up by the giants then disappeared." He said confidently, shifting to a cross legged position. "And because of that the giants sometimes attack the humans."
She smiled at the naive boy. "Do you know why they disappeared… why the giants attack humans?" She asked.
Sky had a feeling that no matter what he said he was going to get the answer anyway. "Well… not to clearly..." He finally admitted.
"The giants attacked the gods because they were hurting." She said, catching the attention of Sky.
"When the gods first created this world, they created the Dwarves, Elves, Giants and Fishfolk to help it become what it is today," She said gently, "But after they created the humans, the gods turned their attention towards them, making the other races feel neglected."
"Then they deserve it!" Sky said as if he'd come to a conclusion, "If they created them, why neglect them?"
She finished the bread and dusted her hands. "Do you know why the gods did what they did…?" She asked, looking at Sky and remembering seeing the five year old boy who had just stolen for the first time. "Like a mother who can't help but always looks after her weakest child, the gods realized that unlike the other races the humans would need someone to guide them..." She reached out and touched Sky's cheek before running her hand into his hair.
"The gods never wanted to neglect them… they loved them with all their heart, after all it was the gods who breathed life into them, wasn't it?" She smiled.
"But the gods themselves could not admit it, they're a little too full of themselves, Hehehe!" Sky watched his mother giggle, her eyes were on him but she was looking at something distant.
"After all, how can a mother ever admit she's giving special attention to her weak child?" She continued, "So the giants and the other races declared war, to which the Gods answered in kind, leading us to this state."
"As for why they attack the humans… they only attack a special kind of human." She said, a worried look appeared in her eyes.
She moved her fingers through Sky's hair and smiled once again. "The gods sometimes come out of hiding, and they meet humans, fall in love and have children." She said. "These children are the ones that the giants attack, not out of love, anger, pain, or resentment, but fear..."
A puzzled look appeared on Sky's face.
"Their fear is why we need to teach you how to fight, how to defend yourself, how to live..." said a familiar voice from outside of the tent, "Because a scared being will go to great lengths just to survive..."