Can I Trust You?

I woke up after some time. From the window I could see it was still dark outside. First thought was to go back to sleep again, but I couldn’t. It was strange... I didn’t even know what could I do. Everyone was sleeping for sure...

Uh? What was that? Something's nearby. I can’t see it from here. It bothers me too much, I’ll have a peek on it from doors. Uhh... It’s cold...

... Nothing’s there. Maybe it was my imagination? Besides, there’s not much I can see in this darkness anyway... Guess I can go back-

It wasn’t my imagination! I can clearly hear footstep...s? There’s more of them. Plus, I can see something coming closer.

Crap! They look like wolves! I don’t think anything good comes with them. Need to go back before they’ll notice me! Uhuhuh... Guess it’s too late already. They started growling like crazy and rushed onto me, but I closed doors instantly.

„What’s going on?!”

Ouranos appeared from nowhere. It was a weird view to see him without his usual clothes and earrings.

„Ouranos...”

One of the wolves howled. He took his cloak and stick.

„Step aside and don’t go outside.”

Is he seriously going there?!

„You-You're going there?! H-Hey!”

He didn’t even bother to respond, just went outside.

I’m not sure how many of them are there, but I have bad feeling about this. I can’t just stay here and do nothing, but what should I do?

Uh? What was that sound? Ughhh... ! I’m going! I won’t let him do everything all the time!

I went outside and already saw him. He was holding his stick a bit higher than usual...

! That’s the sound! The stick is doing it! Its upper part glows whenever something is coming from it, like... lightning? Something similar is glowing in Ouranos' hand too. Ugh, he noticed me.

„I told you to stay!” he shouted. „Go back!”

What should I do? Go back? I’m sure he knows what he’s doing, but, I feel like I can do something too! I can see 5 wolves near him, he’s clearly outnumbered! Uhhhh... Think, Gaia! Think! You’re not dumb!

In the same moment they surrounded him. It’s getting worse and worse... I can’t think straight! Plus, my heart is racing too. Is it because of that situation? I need to at least stop them from doing anything.

One of them was at Ouranos' back. There’s no way he can see that! My body is agitating too much! I need to do something!

Ugh! Just stop and don’t move! Just-

„STOP!” I shouted loudly.

All wolves weren’t moving at all. They were trying, but couldn’t. I’ve felt their force. Ouranos turned in my direction. First, he looked at me. He was clearly shocked. I think he didn’t know what happened, but I didn’t know either. Then he noticed the wolf on his back. He backed out to me. Wolves still weren’t moving.

Now, that Ouranos is safe, I’m more angry than worried. They wanted to hurt someone. I’m really angry, it’s really hard to control this feeling.

I stopped feeling force from them. Earlier, they tried to get away from it, now, I don’t sense anything. Did I...?

„Gaia, let go.” Ouranos said quietly, as he tried to calm me.

I did it. He slowly went into their direction, but for what? They can still harm him!

„Ouranos!”

„It’s fine.”

Uhh, it’s not fine.

He bend his knees to get closer look on wolf. It wasn’t moving at all. Same as others. I think, I really killed them...

I noticed a bright light coming from village. Probably people heard us and are coming to check what happened.

„People are coming.” I said to him.

He looked there, stood up and was waving his hand in wolves directions. Soon I noticed he slashed them, but I wasn’t sure for what.

„Don’t tell them what has happened here and what you have seen.”

„Uh, why?”

„It is very important.”

He was very serious about that, but why I shouldn’t tell... ? He’ll have to explain it later.

„I won’t.”

„Thank you.”

He came back. His hands were full of blood, same as lower part of stick.

„W-why?”

„Not now. Later.”

His actions doesn’t really have sense now.

„Mr Ouranos! Everything's okay? We heard damn wolves howling!” said one of the man; there were 3 of them, including Chief.

„We are fine and we took care of them, as you can see.”

They came up closer to see one.

„For God's sake, what a brute...” man seemed to be negatively impressed.

„Well, if they’re already dead, then we’re out of here.” said Chief and went back; I really dislike this person.

„Oh, alright! Mr Ouranos, miss, thank you.” said man and went with other one back as well.

At least one of them... That Chief, even in situation like that he can’t appreciate our help. I seriously dislike him. Uh...

As soon as they were far enough, Ouranos were dragging wolves' bodies into one pile, but not by his hand... I mean, he was just directing bodies by his hand, but not touching them. I’m still impressed how is he able to do that. Same as I didn’t know he can do something like that.

I wasn’t sure what came next, but bodies disappeared and nothing left after them.

„Let’s go back.” he said.

I nodded. It will be a long night. Now he has a lot more things to explain.

„I will make something to drink and be back right after.”

He disappeared behind the door. I sat on the chair and again, waited for him. Fireplace was still working. That was good since it was cold outside and I had to warm up. It wasn’t giving enough warm, so I had to take duvet from bed and cover myself. It was much better~

He came back with two cups and sat on the next chair.

He doesn’t seem to be kind of person to run away from situation like this, but definitely he didn’t want to say anything. Is it really that bad? That he asked me to not say anything? They didn’t even ask about details, so it was good for him, but still...

„Do you remember when you asked me why did I help you?” he asked.

„Uhh, I do.”

„I haven’t said the main reason behind it.”

„Uh?”

He had another reason?

„It is true that I didn’t know why I wanted to help you. At first, I thought it might be due that I didn’t feel any evil presence. If you would have any, then I wouldn’t be able to even communicate with you. Then I realised another thing.”

„?”

„That you may be Titan as well.”

Titan? I’ve never heard about it. Wait... as well?

„As well?”

He sighed. „Can I trust you?”

Huh? What is this question?

„Uh? Of course.”

He was looking deeply at me, as my answer wasn’t enough convincing for him. What else I can say? Uh... If it’s really something important... Is he again afraid that I’ll spill a word?

„I won’t say anything to anybody.” I was serious about it.

„Let this conversation not go anywhere outside this room.”

„You got it.”

„So, going back to the topic.” he took a sip from his cup. „I assume that you probably know what I have wanted to say, don’t you?”

Probably... It was just a guess.

„It is still easy to read from you. Anyway, I had to check this first, simply by observing you. Titans are creatures that were inhabitants of this planet long before humanity had appeared. Comparing to humans, our appearance can vary. It can resemble some animals or be a being that is nothing like anything existing in this world. For example, have every part from different beings.

We are intelligent by nature and rather not doing anything violent, unless provoked or forced, as you have been by your state.”

Every time I recalled this moment, I feel extremely anxious. I remember how hungry I was... I even wanted to... Ugh... I want to throw up on a single thought of that...

„Everyone in your place would do the same thing. It was a matter of your survival, as well as you couldn’t think rationally because of that, yet, you had a very strong will.”

„I didn’t want to kill unnecessarily, I guess.”

„Unnecessarily? Hmm...” he thought about something. „I am not sure if I have asked you that, but can you tell me more about your thought process before you gained enough vocabulary to express yourself? While it is difference with how you are speaking now and how you used to.”

„Well, I knew about things or two. My thoughts mostly focused on satisfying my hunger. I didn’t really think about anything else. Then I’ve met you and...”

„?”

„I had a mix of information in my head. I couldn’t tell who you are, but I was able to tell that you’re a man, simply by observing other people. Same that I knew that children are human's offspring. I don’t know why I knew that. Same as I could feel by the way you spoke that you were angry, by your face too, but I couldn’t name other feelings that you were expressing. Same as with many other things. I was lacking words to name them.”

„What about your morality?”

„Morality?”

„I said that you didn’t want to kill unnecessarily.”

I don’t know if I’ll be able to explain it...

„...”

„You haven’t met any other life forms before, right?”

„Right.”

„So why did you feel that killing, or devouring, people is not good?”

„... I don’t know. I’m not able to explain that.”

„... I see.”

„Ouranos?”

„Hm?”

„You’re the one as well, right?”

„... Yes.”

After everything what he has said I couldn’t think of any other answer he would give. Still, how does this relate to what has happened?

„Do they know?”

„No.” he said. „It will be better if things stay like that.”

„It has something to do with what happened just now or am I wrong?”

„It has, it has. Titans can also use magic. I am not aware of exact details, but we can use it. I have used it, as you could see, same as you have. Humans cannot use it. If they would see me while using it, I would have to run from here.”

Huh? It could be that serious?

„Why is that?” I asked surprised.

„Even if we are original inhabitants and we do not wish to have any troubles with humans, just want to live our lives, they do not understand it and see us as a danger. They do not respect us, constantly overtaking territory that belongs to us and then chasing us out of it.”

... Seriously...

„It actually happened to me. Out of nowhere people came to my land, cut out trees to build their houses... They destroyed that place...” he said that to himself.

I haven’t seen him like that yet. He was very upset, and disappointed. No wonder why...

„Whenever I tried to speak with them, they responded with disrespect and violence. Always. I didn’t want to cause a bloodshed while I have thought that wouldn’t change anything. Besides, I’m against resolving problems by violence. It never ends well.”

„But... didn’t they know earlier that it’s your land?”

„Of course they knew. They were just ignorants. I’m not the only one to who such situation has happened.”

„...”

„After a longer time of thinking I must admit that I could be more assertive, but outcome would be the same anyway.”

„Why do you think so?”

„I don’t think it would stop them from expansion. I have an acquaintance. He was living with his partner at a certain land. They never left it, even for a second. They didn’t really have much contact with humans. At some point they killed his partner, most likely without particular reason. He closed himself completely from everyone, including other Titans. Whoever cross his land, is killed, instantly. Once he almost killed me, but at last moment he recognised me.

Can you believe that people are still sending units to him?”

„Why would they anyway? I don’t understand them.”

For what reason they’re going there when they know that only certain death is waiting for them?

„The answer is very simple. Somehow they found out that cave, in which my acquaintance is living, is rich in valuable resources, including gold.”

„And they are risking their life for it?”

„From what he told me, they’re trying to flush him out of cave, so they can take over the cave. Little they know, that he will never move from there.”

„He doesn’t have to eat?”

„He can grab things from long distance. Very long distance.”

I feel really bad for him. I can’t even imagine how awful he feels...

Ouranos deeply sighed. It also has to infuriates him. Since we started talking about people's land expansion, he looks really upset. Even his way of speaking has changed. He seemed to me as cool person, there were moments that he lost this coolness, but then he came back to it, and now...

He can be emotional as well.

„We will finish this at morning. I need to go to sleep. Goodnight.” and he went to next room.

I didn’t even have a chance to respond.

It was... a hard conversation. Even for me it was hard to hear about things Ouranos said. I don’t really know what to think... It makes me upset too. Hmm... The more I think, the more it's upsetting. It will be better if I go to sleep too.