Dry Aged Morsel

I stared back at Mendaciu blankly, scratching every inch of my mind to figure out how he knew about the dragon tooth. In the end, my lack of knowledge for this world was too apparent, so I stepped down and yielded.

"How do you know about that?" I asked.

"Woah, that's an interesting accent, perhaps thee is not of this region? No wonder thou knowest not of its peculiar nature." Mendaciu said as if it was so obvious. He paused for a bit to think of what to say next. "Well, thy loss of memory says it all." He answered.

"What's that suppose to mean?" I said sternly.

"Well, dragon teeth are known for their mysterious properties. Their nature to consume that which is intangible to us humans. Such intangible things include memories." He paused. "So... just how long has thee held on to such a thing?"

"Um, maybe just a couple days?" I answered honestly.

"I see, well, discard it now while thou can. Though dragon teeth consumeth thy memories, they aren't gone for good. Thy memories shall cometh back swiftly, just as long as thou partest with the tooth." He said in a more serious tone.

Suddenly, Mendaciu's expression shifts, his attention now on something else. "Nevermind that now, just remember to discard that wretched tooth. Now, tell me about the ruin piece you wield, wouldst thee?" He asked curiously yet haphazardly, in a way that seemed as though he wanted to switch topics quickly.

I stared at the piece of stone in my hand blankly, examining the engravings in its surface between my fingertips. The soft yellow light it emitted warmed my hand ever so slightly, mesmerizing me. I snapped back into reality, realizing I had to give some sort of answer.

"I just picked it up from somewhere." I lied.

"Well, twas a lucky find! I'm quite envious thou happened upon it without knowing its history. That thing is somewhat of a valuable relic in mine eyes. Thou knowest any of its relevance?" He asked curiously.

I shook my head, to which he cleared his throat to prepare for what looked like a long monologue.

"Haha, no matter, I love sharing my knowledge after all! I'm sure thou hast at the very least heard of the old gods from long passing tales, yes?" He asked nervously.

I nodded yes, vaguely remembering something that the pale girl had told me about gods and what not.

"Well, those gods once reigned over many natures in this world. They offered the miracles to control such natures to those who prayeth to them, yet now... they have gone silent, and our prayers now unheard. No one has been able to cast miracles for ages now. Some don't even believeth that the gods were once real." He paused, the tension in the air building up to what he was going to say next. "Does thou believest?" He asked me.

"I... uh." I did not know what to say, my ignorance of this world being made aloud.

"Well, the proof of their existence is right in thy hand." He pointed at the glowing ruin piece. "I'm sure thou retrieved such a piece from a long expired altar. Perhaps an altar that was once used to worshiped one of the many gods. The glow of such a piece is the residual power of the god worshiped at that altar, perhaps worship that spans centuries or even a millennium. Amazing how that piece of yours still holdeth so much power." He spoke in reverence.

So much information was being fed to me, so I backtracked on his statements to get a better understanding. "Hold on, why are the gods not answering?" I asked.

Mendaciu's face became slightly stern. "Who knows? Perhaps the great calamity has something to do with it." He spoke ominously. "Anywise, that ruin piece is valuable. Thou art lucky I've still got my head on straight, most would kill thee for that in this era."

I flinched at the statement, knowing that if he were to attack me, I probably would not stand a chance. Mendaciu seemed to have noticed the worry his statement brought me.

"Worry not miss! I don't intend to bring thee harm. The ruin piece is yours after all!" He paused. "All I ask of thee, is that thou partest with the dragon tooth. Matter a fact, I'll make a trade with thee!" He said nervously.

Mendaciu turns back toward the decrepit bed and bends down, picking up a dirty brown bag that had been propped up on the bed's splintered frame. He lifted the flap of fabric that covered the inside of the bag and began rummaging through his belongings, searching with haste. Finally, his arm begins to move upward, pulling out a small piece of fabric tied closed by a thread. He undid the knot, allowing the fabric to drape over his fingers. In his palm were strips of dry meat, seemingly in perfect condition.

"No I couldn't..." I said as I felt my stomach churn from hunger. After a bit of thinking, I decided to give in. "Are you sure?" I asked.

"I can tell thou art in dire need of rations. I still have another bundle if this isn't enough. I still need some for myself so don't get too greedy." He laughed, his joy filling the old dusty room.

In response, I reached into the pocket I kept the dragon tooth in, its long grained texture pressing into my fingers. As I began to lift it out, something faint grazed my mind. I heard nothing and felt nothing, yet there was a feeling of doubt that suddenly emerged, albeit very subtle. I pulled the tooth all the way out of my pocket, that tiny urge to keep hold of it still pulling me back. By the time the urge began to subside, I had already placed the dragon tooth into Mendaciu's hand, and I was indulging in the saltiness of dry aged meat.

"I thank thee for this." He said sincerely.

Suddenly, curiosity bubbled up inside me. "By the way, what do you intend to use it for?" I paused, thinking of my next words carefully. "Are you trying to wipe someone's memories?" I asked.

"Hmm, apologies, but one of my many secrets." He said quickly, as if trying to turn the conversation elsewhere. He looked at me with distant eyes, as if he was staring not at me, but something behind me, just as he had been doing for our entire conversation.

I decided not to pry, not truly knowing if Mendaciu was a threat or even trustworthy. Nevertheless, I got the food I have been long craving so I was too distracted to dwell on it further.