The Payment of Dues

Conrad jolted awake, his face quickly turning to a grimace. An aggressive throbbing feeling was coming from his left arm. He turned over, checking the appendage, to find it had been wrapped in bandages and placed in a sling. Blinking the rest of the sleep out of his eyes, he glanced around at the small bedroom he was occupying.

It wasn't exactly the lap of luxury that he had been accustomed to over the course of his life. The dresser was small and covered in cracks. The drapes over the solitary window were worn and had holes in a couple spots. And the bleak, unpainted walls gave off a lifeless feeling.

"Behind you."

Conrad panicked, jerking around to see behind him. Nana had been watching him in his blind spot, a sizable smirk was painted across her face. Far more infuriating than that, though, was what she was sitting on. An incredibly plush-looking armchair, easily more expensive than everything else in the room put together, supported her quite comfortably as she observed Conrad.

"Nana. Did you and the old man carry me here?"

"Oh, no. He doesn't know I'm here. Or even know I exist. He brought you in and fixed up your arm as thanks for killing that wolf. That action of yours inadvertently brought quite a banquet to his doorstep. Have you ever tried wolf meat?"

Conrad cocked an eyebrow. "I thought you knew everything about me and every other human being. Omnipotent and omnipresent, right?"

Nana laughed lightly. "Conrad, after countless conversations with mortals in the past, I've learned that the most productive manner of communication is to pretend you're at their level. Ask questions you already know the answer to. Wait for responses that you perfectly predict every time. The more power and control one has, the more important it is to remind oneself to courteous and patient."

"That's so kind of you."

"Careful, boy." Nana's eyes widened slightly and her smile grew. "Sarcasm was one of my countless gifts to all of you. I can tell when it is being used against me, no matter how subtly."

Conrad nodded, reclining against the wall and glancing down on his bed. "I didn't mean to give you undue attitude. I'm just processing a lot right now and I'm a little overwhelmed. In the last day, I've come face-to-face with an actual goddess, entered a verbal contract with her to go explore another world, had my soul removed and thrown into someone else's body, and almost got killed by a hungry wolf."

"For what it's worth, you're being conditioned. The longer you explore this world, the more it's going to take to shake you. Remember why you accepted my deal. You have opportunities to experience things here that you would never be able to where you came from. By the time you make it home...after all the struggles, mistakes, and victories...you'll have become a commendable man in both ability and wisdom."

"That reminds me. You told me you'd let me go home once you're satisfied with what you've seen from me. Any hints on what you want to see me do?"

She giggled. "Already trying to run away when you've only dipped in your toes in this life so far? Don't disappoint me."

"I'm not going to run away. Just trying to gauge what you're looking for, for future reference. I'll keep building myself here. Even if I wanted to back out and beg you to send me back, I know it wouldn't amount to anything."

"True. Don't worry, boy, I'm just teasing you. As far as what I want is concerned? You're rough around in the edges in practically every way, other than your speaking skills, which you assuredly have Nicholas to thank for. Keep working to fulfill more and more of that potential of yours. I won't even entertain the idea of returning you anytime soon, not when you still have this much room for growth."

Conrad pouted. "I already knew you wanted to watch me struggle and go through new experiences. I feel like you haven't told me anything substantial."

Nana made a dismissive gesture. "That's the point. You're a baby barely out of diapers. Someone like you, regardless of the world you're in, only really has one responsibility. Learn and grow. Oh...and like we talked about before, show me more of the dignity and nobility of the human struggle while you're at it, for my enjoyment."

Nana stood, causing the chair she was sitting in to vanish with a wave. "Alright, that's enough of that subject. Please don't bring it up again. You're here for the long haul. Besides, you're not even guaranteed to survive long enough to earn my full approval, are you?" She flashed him another one of her cheeky grins.

Conrad nodded solemnly. Nana had proved through the wolf encounter that she had no interest in interfering in his trials, not even with the jaws of a beast inches from his neck. She clearly thought he was a very promising young man, but Conrad wasn't about to delude himself into thinking she couldn't find someone else like him. He truly had no leverage in this situation.

Nana glanced to the side, sensing something, and opted to lean against the wall of the bedroom.

There was a knock at the door, followed by the old farmer's voice. "We'll give you a moment. Then we're coming in."

Conrad was slightly confused. We?

A few seconds later, the door swung open. The old farmer from last night was there, as was a woman of around the farmer's age, and a significantly younger woman as well.

Oh, of course...why wouldn't he have a family?

The younger woman stepped forward, smiling brightly and inspecting Conrad. "Hey there! You feeling any better without those wolf teeth lodged in your arm?"

"Carmela!" The older lady scowled. "No need to be so tasteless. I'm sure that was a very frightening experience for the lad!"

The farmer merely grunted, seemingly accustomed to his girl's behavior. Or maybe he just wasn't as worried about Conrad's feelings as his wife was. He eyed Conrad up and down. "Heard you talking to yourself, so I figured you were good to go. How's the arm?"

Talking to himself? Wouldn't he also have heard Nana?

Conrad looked to the side. Sure enough, Nana was still here. She had her arms crossed and was simply staring at the wall, tapping her feet, but otherwise unresponsive. The other three were paying her no mind at all. Thinking quickly, Conrad realized she must have made herself impossible to sense altogether by anyone other than himself.

"You alright, kid?"

Conrad turned back to the farmer and his family. "Oh...yes, I'm fine. Just a little out of sorts."

"Let's get a little food in you then, dear." The mother smiled warmly.

"And once you've eaten, Carmela will teach you how to help around here. We've got some chores someone can do with one hand." The father clapped his daughter on the shoulder gently.

The mother sighed deeply, lowering her voice and addressing her husband as Carmela inspected Conrad. "Joshua, dear, I keep telling you and Carmela that you need to work on your social graces. She's taking cues from you as well. Now, let's feed this young man before worrying about dues being paid."

Try as he might, Conrad couldn't help but overhear. "It's okay, miss. You're very kind, but I don't mind. All I've done is drop a dead wolf at your doorstep. You're the ones who cooked it. And fixed my arm. And gave me a place to stay last night."

"Well said," Joshua muttered.

The mother flashed Joshua another look, before softening her features as she returned her attention to Conrad. "You're very considerate, dear." She stepped forward and shook his hand. "My name is Cassandra. What about yours?"

"Conrad. Thank you for the hospitality, Cassandra."

Cassandra beamed. "Our pleasure! Now, let's get to eating. We should enjoy our meal before we get to stressing about what to do with the energy it provides us."

Conrad smiled sincerely, following the family. Nana watched them exit the bedroom, her expression rather neutral. After a moment's silence, she stood straight and stretched, yawning. Turning around, she walked through the wall of the house, phasing through it as if it was less tangible than water.

Breakfast was a cheery affair. Even something as simple as porridge, milk, bread, and eggs became a gratifying experience in a room with this of genuine happiness inside of it. Even Joshua was able to crack a smile with his wife's cooking in his stomach. Conrad laughed and chatted along with the family, grasping to this moment of bliss after the chaos and violence of yesterday.

And then, seemingly moments later, the meal was over and Carmela was showing the field behind the house to Conrad. She grinned widely. "Ever weeded a field, mister?"

Off in the distance, Nana laughed.