Interlude: The First Meeting

Silence filled the room save for the sound of the doors shutting from behind Zarall and the other two. They all stared at the teenage-looking person known as Valer with great suspicion. Primrose felt that this man seemed familiar.

“I am sorry, but who exactly are you?” Zarall asked calmly.

“I am Valer.” Valer replied, voice monotone.

“It’s you!? I thought you were talking to Afa! Why did you change clothes and what’s wrong with your eyes?” The pixie exclaimed panicked.

“I haven’t talked to her since arriving here. You three are the first beings I’ve spoken to. You’ve mistaken me for someone else.” Valer replied.

“Okay, why are you here then?” Zarall asked.

“To help aid you in your current… situation.” Valer said slowly.

“What situation?” Primrose asked.

“Are you talking about the man Afa is talking to, Hallow?” The pixie asked.

“Yes, I am referring to him.” Valer nodded.

“What is your relation with this Hallow?” Zarall asked.

“It is… complicated.” Valer said with a small pause, looking like he was trying figure out what exactly his relationship was with Hallow.

“Alright, could you explain what is going on?” Zarall asked, trying to move the conversation along.

“Hallow is what you can consider to be a god, a rather chaotic one at that. He is not from here and has arrived to wreak havoc on Strarth. My superiors would like to have these issues fixed.” Valer said.

“And who exactly are you?” Primrose asked again still feeling uneasy looking at him.

“I am Valer.” Valer answered, before adding, “I suppose I may be considered a god from elsewhere as well. My job is to try and mitigate any issues caused by deities in worlds they do not belong to.”

“Why do you look like Hallow?” The pixie asked.

“It’s very complicated.” Valer said after pondering for a moment.

“Why do you look like you’re related to Bryson?” Primrose asked.

“Again, for complicated reasons.”

“Where is Bryson from? He’s not from this world, where did he come from?” Zarall asked.

“The one called Bryson was originally meant to live somewhere else. Hallow stole him, changed him, and threw him here.” Valer said, this entire time his face remained neutral.

“Changed him how?” Primrose asked in concern.

“Hallow simply expanded on Bryson’s latent capabilities.”

“Are you going to take Bryson back to his home world?”

“No, he’s lived here his entire existence here. He belongs here now; I would rather not rip him from his life here. Even if he should have never been here to begin with.” Valer said.

“You seem to know everything already, why did you come and visit me?” Zarall asked.

“Because you are going to maintain the balance that Hallow and Afa will attempt to ruin.” Valer answered flatly.

“Zarall? Why don’t you do stop them?” The pixie asked, “You said you are here to fix the problems Hallow causes.”

“I am fixing them through you.” Valer replied to the pixie, “Currently neither Hallow nor I are allowed to influence anything directly, for the most part. This is why Hallow came in contact with your… Afa.”

“For the most part?” She asked as she instinctively found herself hiding behind Primrose as Valer’s emotionless eyes stared at her.

“There are exceptions to the rule and the rules can be bent.” Valer said.

“Why would Hallow also follow these rules? You made the impression that he doesn’t listen to your superiors.” Zarall asked.

“Hallow follows these rules like everyone else. For there are some rules that you simply do not break.” Valer said, for the first time there was a flash of emotion in his eyes, anger. It looked as if he was recalling an unpleasant memory.

“I see… but why look for me to help? Why not someone else?” Zarall asked after noticing this small twinge of emotion.

“With the Six asleep, you and Afa are the two gods with the most influence. You are the god of guidance; I am hoping that you can guide this world through what’s going to happen.” Valer said looking directly at Zarall.

“Well, that is quite the bit of pressure.” Zarall said with a nervous chuckle.

“You just need to hold on until the Six awake. They will take care of it when they do.”

“Do you know how long before the Great Six awake?”

“In a decade or so.”

“That’s a long time. A lot can happen.”

“You won’t be doing this alone. You will receive aid.”

“You’ll help provide information?”

“No, not me necessarily.”

Zarall raised an eyebrow in surprise, “I thought you said your supervisors wanted you to deal with Hallow?”

“I said they want Hallows plans to be thwarted. Not that I will be the one that guides you.” Valer replied, “That main job is for someone else.”

“Who?”

“I do not know. I need to find them first.”

“Are you saying that you are pushing this responsibility to someone else?”

“No. I would help deal with this issue if I could. But I am currently assigned to another mission. I only arrived here early to investigate at the request of a good acquaintance as I had time to spare.” Valer said.

“Would we know this acquaintance?”

“They would rather withhold their name for now, but yes. You have met. They wanted me to be the one to select an advisor for you.” Valer replied curtly.

“A guide for a god of guidance, huh?” Zarall mused, “Well, it sure looks like I will need one. Then, is this all you have to say?”

“For now yes.” Valer said nodding, “Once I find someone to be your advisor, I won’t be able to interact with you much. As I will need to focus my time elsewhere.” He said as he turned around facing the windows toward the porch, “Good luck.”

“W-wait!” Primrose called out.

Valer turned back toward Primrose and cocked his head sideways as he waited for her to speak.

“Bryson, what does he have to do with all of this? Why did Hallow send him here? What’s going to happen to him?” Primrose asked, bombarding Valer with questions.

Valer simply stared at Primrose in silence for a moment. His face blank and his eyes emotionless, after an agonizing moment he finally spoke, “Bryson serves many purposes for Hallow. He’s a bargaining chip that can be used for Afa, he’s a source in which events can more easily occur around him as he is not originally of this world.” Valer then paused and stared at Primrose in silence again.

“There’s more to that isn’t there?” She asked.

“Yes, but why do you ask?”

“Have you met the boy?”

“Yes, I briefly spoke with him.” Valer said with a single nod.

“I thought you couldn’t directly influence anything?” The pixie asked.

“I didn’t do anything but say a few words, he did not know what I was.” Valer said simply.

“So then you would know that he’s a decent boy.” Primrose said.

“Yes. He seems fine.”

“He is and I would like to keep it that way. So any information you can give would be great. It would help deal with what Hallows plans as well.” Primrose said, eyes pleading Valer to divulge more information.

“Hallow took Bryson to spite someone. He took him here because this is a good place to… ‘play’ with him since Afa requested a person to be brought. He wants Bryson to go through various challenges. Though I’m not sure to what end. All I know is he wants Bryson to go through them. Take that how you will.” Valer said, “Any more questions?” He asked.

“No… no that’s enough thank you.” Primrose said with a troubled look on her face.

“Alright then. Good luck to all of you.” Valer said before vanishing before them.

Zarall gave a small sigh before looking over to the other two, “Alright, looks like we have our work cut out for us.” He said with a small smile.