Intermission 2

Well, we've finally done it dear reader or readers! We've reached what I call the true halfway point of this story. I assume many of you who are reading this religiously (thank you by the way) have so many questions at this point. I promise you, they will be answered in due time. I don't believe in creating a story with too many gaps or lore drops that are too loose. My hero days taught me that confusion is one of the worst things a person can experience when they have to endure a trial. Being lost and confused, it is like a poison...slowly ebbs away at your energy. 

You see, when I was a hero, I spent a greater majority of my days putting up a brave face. Yes, I was naturally brave but I would be lying to you if there wasn't a time where I wanted to be like Mateo...to run and hide in a cave somewhere and hope another hero would take my place. As you can read for yourself, I was like a missile being shot with no guidance towards a target I knew little about. Slain was a being that seemed to be comparable to a God...how could I with a sword that had auto defense and an unknown ability win against such an imposing  force? We had a hero who could only awaken powers, a cat-woman who had a truly terrifying ability and a cowardly hero who could create items but at a cost. Nothing about that screamed a powerful team of heroes who would defeat a God. Yet, despite that, I stood firm and pushed forward. I wanted to be the hero my party relied on and for myself, I needed to rise from the days of being a nobody to a somebody! 

These intermissions aren't really meant to help you as a reader understand...more so to allow me a bit of a respite. With my older age comes issues with memory, weakness and just...pain sadly. Still, I'm  able to speak my words out loud so my companion can write this story through their tears and show the world I was here. That I was a hero...despite being a normal office worker with no powerful abilities or skills. I say this constantly as a mantra and it gave me an unseen strength. 

Anyways, let me digress once more. Sorry, I felt like I was rambling a bit there. Have you figured out the secret I've hidden in this story? I said to look at the chapter titles, at least I think I did. Now I'll give you a second clue, really look only at the first word of each chapter title. Within there's a message I promise and one that I think will explain something fascinating about this world we exist in. Alas, I want to keep moving with the story though. There won't be another intermission until the very last chapter. Before the final battle, before I begin the most dangerous quest of all, I will talk with you all one last time and give you one more last hint. That intermission will be the final time I will talk with you all. By then, I'll most likely have departed this world. 

Don't cry, remember I said it in the prologue, I had a wonderful life! Still, there's something I want to share with you all and that will come near the end. For now, continue on reading. There's one more quest before the finale and the team has been assembled. What will I, the hero who seems to have no power, do against a God? Well...that is for you to uncover. I love you all for making it this far into my tale...now it is time to begin the final push towards Slain...