No One is a Good Man

I had the hand of the fire god in a shoulder clutch (it looked like any modern pistol now, it was weird how it changed appearance almost as if to disguise itself). I had the list of names in my pocket and a drink in my hand, because getting a quest like this necessitates drinking. Valrym kept his distance, I was pretty sure he could sense the power I had with me. I was about to say something to him to try and start the dialogue when a hand clapped down on my shoulder, it was Hanlon. Thankfully I was seated at a table and not the bar, though I don't care that other people hear me, I don't like talking with Hanlon in public, if only because I'm afraid he'll kill me for disclosing some secret I didn't know was a secret.

"I love the smell of a god in the morning, smells like trouble." I continue to be amazed at Hanlon's ability to sense gods I'd almost think he was one, but what would he be the god of? Smugness? Secrets? I don't think there is a god of weaponry.

"You're always so chipper when you know I'm screwed."

"You're not screwed I'm sure, I see a list of names and you've got the hand of the fire god, I'm going to make a quick assumption and guess she wants you to kill the men on the list?"

"And one lady." Her name was at the top, I assumed that meant she was in charge (I was right).

"And you're thinking you're screwed because?"

"They're high ranking church officials, a church that was recently one all about combat, which tells me these people will be highly protected."

"Recently is a matter of opinion Trezlan, but I can assure you their protection isn't that good, its a side effect of being all conflict can be personal like they went to, means you stop thinking people will try and kill you." Of course Hanlon would know about the types of body guards that a member of the church would have, I should not have been surprised at all. Still despite him saying that I didn't exactly believe it.

"So I guess I should go out there and get the job done and stop delaying?"

"Unless you have some kind of conscience about killing people or something? Which I can't imagine you do. Might think they are innocent or not bad people."

"No on is a good person, not here, and especially not people who run a religion, I'm just trying to decide if I do this if I'll actually be free and clear."

"What you should be worried about is if the entity you were talking to is the fire god. Otherwise you'll just be killing the fire god's followers for some thing else thus pissing off the real one." I admit I hadn't thought of that particular issue. I took the Fire God at full face value.

"Wow thanks now I'm all the more terrified of doing this."

"I'm just screwing with you, though you do tend to take entities at their word and you really shouldn't. Though I'd recommend doing this for the good fire lady because her power is exponential and soon enough we'll stop thinking about gods and more about god, if you take my drift." Hanlon was the master of making you feel better one moment and then crushing you with depression the next. I finished my drink nodded at Hanlon and left, I had some killing to do.

Negotiations of the Fire God

"No, does no work for you,? no." I was not about to burn to death a bunch of people on the word of a god. I normally do that when they upset me, or I'm having a bad day or some other spurious reasoning! But not just because a god told me so. She smiled after she pouted a bit.

"Come on haven't you just wanted to truly let got and burn everything?"

"I did that once, I was corrupted beyond belief and was a scourge on the city I burned a lot of people."

"And how did that make you feel?"

"Awful."

She frowned, "You're no fun! I swear for someone who is what you are, you take no joy in being it." I was lot as to what she was alluding to, but years of dealing with Hanlon had trained me with this kind of speak in half tones bullshit.

"So if there isn't anything else there's the door you can see yourself out of it."

"Oh throwing me out like so much last nights trash? Have you forgot what I am and what you owe me? I saved you from damnation at least twice, and I can burn you alive." With the last statement I felt all of my body be extremely hot like my blood was boiling, it was brief but the threat had been repeated this time with the physical effect. The fire god then smiled and clapped her hands together. "Ok so you won't burn a bunch of people to death that's fine I guess fine be that way, what you can do for me, is kill a specific group of people, just some malcontents ruining my religion."

"You mean making your religion into a family friendly affair devoid of martial combat?"

"I mean turning my followers from the true spirit of belief in me and weaking me as a result, kill them and I'm sure the idiots will return to the way they are supposed to worship."

"And you can't do this because?"

"Stupid rules I agreed to with other gods, I can help my people, or this pathetic orb, but I can't direct them to worship properly! My hands are tied."

"But you can have someone else do it for you?"

"Well special people sure, you're one of them, a loop hole of sorts." I keep being terrified by god politics, even more so when they are threatening to burn me to death.

"And if I say no you'll incinerate me."

"Well I don't want to say I'll set your testicles on fire and turn your penis into charcoal."

"But you literally just did." She smiled and then produced a scroll with names blackened into it, gods never updated to type writers. And then she disappeared as suddenly as she was there. The list was twenty gods damned names deep though! But seeing as I wanted to keep my jangly bits not currently on fire I decided best to follow what she said.

Pawn of the Fire God

I sat there dumbfounded that the fire god was in my office. She didn't have all of her trappings of before, now she was wearing a red suit (fitting I guess) with a bright red shirt and tie. She almost looked like a lawyer or some other business professional. I didn't see a weapon, but I guess much like her followers she had switched to a more subdued style. She had short red hair as well, spiked in the front, who styles the hair of the gods? I have no idea.

"Whatever it is you think I did, I did not do it." Best to start at the place of do not destroy me for existing.

"Please Trezlan if I was here to annihilate you I would have done so before you even turned around, burned you from the inside out." She got close and I could feel the energy just bouncing from inside her. Like I'd been near her before, but this was intimately more personal and very much more intimidating. She basically told me she could blow me up, and I believed her.

"Mordere set me up I take it." It was the obvious choice, he gave me her hand, and knew I'd eventually touch it.

"Set up is so," She paused briefly to consider language, "Pedestrian, I like to think of arranged, but yes Mordere did arrange for you to have my weapon and assumed you'd need to use it as he had several children he knew would come for the weapon."

"So you want something from me?"

"Always getting right to business, why can't you just enjoy my company? I am the god you should be following instead of worshiping death like you do, sure you have extended your life, but I give you the power of life and death with your fire, if not for me you wouldn't have your necromancy." I've long wondered if the gods are any way associated with magic, I have noticed fire is a more common magical ability where as something like shifting is not (fire from the fire god, shifting from chaos? Who is dead maybe), but found no proof of this. Honestly I don't believe the Fire God was telling the truth about magical ability here either, Gods are like that, I mean warfare is not exactly an honest thing, and so the god of it wouldn't be some bastion of honesty either (I don't think there is a god of honesty because no one in this gods damned world could sustain that!)

"I don't worship death."

"Oh please you reek of it and your interactions with it, its infused in every essence of your being though I do sense the stink of another on you now, I swear Trezlan you could have just asked me for a favor I would have maybe obliged you." She ran a hand over my bald head and what little hair I had up there from my last shaving was gone instantly, she flashed her teeth and I could see a hinge of fire behind them. Whatever form she had taken she cared not to hide too much what she was.

"Get to what you want please." She flashed a pouty face.

"Fine straight to business, I need you to do something for me."

"And that is?"

"I want you to burn my followers alive."

"Oh." I have to admit I should have seen this coming.

Do not Tempt The Real Fire God

"Put the box down and step away." It was a man's voice though I suspected at first it would be a female (I guess the most recent daughter having had the power of the fire god once didn't seek it out like this moron did).

"You really want my grand mothers secret recipes? I won't stop you her cake was delicious." I never actually knew my grandmother, at this point I don't even remember her, did I even have one? Questions I'll never care to answer. The gunman had his pistol in my back, it felt like a modern one based on barrel and I didn't hear the hammer hit back, but he might have just been threatening and not intending on killing me.

"Don't bullshit me Lorentino, I know what's in the box, its the only thing my father would leave to someone like you." I turned around and saw the shriveled little punk who confronted me. He had a wispy mustache and baggy clothing. He looked like a dirty vagrant and I could see why Mordere the elder wanted nothing to do with him.

"Someone like me? What ever do you mean by that you little shit? Someone stronger than you? Someone able to kill you with the snap of a finger? Someone who has fought gods and killed them and could just as easily destroy you WITHOUT A THOUGHT? THAT'S WHAT YOU MEANT BY SOMEONE LIKE ME?!?" I admit I'm getting sick and tired of being treated like garbage, especially by some family cast off. he stumbled backwards and ran into one of my shelves, he pulled the hammer back on his pistol (it was modern, but even semi-auto's have a hammer, it taps the trigger for an easier pull).

"Stay back." His voice stammered, he wasn't sold on this.

"Oh now you want me to stay away from you? Big man with a gun? Well let me show you what you came to find!" I opened the box and drew the hand of the fire god, upon touching it was like sticking my hand in molten lava, but I didn't care, I drew the pistol and blasted the lesser Mordere. He was vaporized instantly. My anger dialed back down I put the pistol back into the box, it was draining to have fired it, and draining still to have even touched it. I shouldn't have bothered, but like I said I'm tired of being treated like a child, especially by someone who was a damned child. I almost worried someone would call the local police on me after my display, but I didn't hear boots tromping after me or anything. So I figured I was in the clear. And I was, from the authority anyway.

"Mr. Lorentino I'm so glad you contacted me." I turned around and it was the Fire God. Well it was, but it wasn't. I tell you things have gotten weird in the modern world, and the God's are one of those things that has gotten all screwed up. But as usual next entry blah blah blah. Look I give you a taste!

I Thought He Was Dead Already

"You know you'd be less scary if you just told people you were a mortician." The tall man was named Barrow and he was an undertaker as if my initial dialogue entry there wasn't a clue or anything. The men with him were his assistants. It at least explained the clothing.

"Actually I used to introduce myself as an undertaker and that scared people more." We were seated in Barrow's office, it was pleasant enough for an office where you go when someone dies (very sparse furniture wood tones so as to not be too threatening the complete opposite of the giant that was Barrow).

"I could see how that can happen, why did you become an undertaker in the first place?" He looked at me oddly like no one had ever asked him the question before.

"I'm a people person Mr. Lorentino." I couldn't tell if that was a joke or not, he seemed sincere and so I left it at that. I was with the undertaker because Mordere had died and left me something, I thought he was dead already, I swear I wrote that he died not too long ago (this is the reason I write this journal so as to not forget things I should know, now I'm wondering if time periods are blending in my head, oh gods best to not think about that). He produced a box and put it on the table I knew the box, and so I knew probably what was inside it, what I didn't know is why he was giving it to me.

"Is that all?"

"Yes everything else was given to the church." I nodded I didn't want to grab the box or even open it, I thought I was done with that pistol, but unfortunately Mordere the evil bastard had other plans.

"Why didn't this go to his family?"

"While Mr. Mordere had several children this box was specifically not to be given to any of them, which they all understood. In his instruction he left a note saying a blood line is imperfect but Lorentino is eternal. Which I have no clue what that mans Mr. Lorentino, other than I don't want to know what it means." I nodded and took the box.

"Will there be a funeral for people to pay their respects?"

"For an assassin? No, we'll bury the body without headstone and pray that will be the end of it. The church has disavowed Mr. Mordere and his type, they are going for a more welcoming image that that of Sins hiding in the shadows and displays of martial strength." That made me sad, that the Church of the Fire God was becoming more political and less overt, I mean things change, but come on YOU WORSHIP THE GOD OF CONFLICT! Followers these days!

"That's sad."

"That's business, which does lead me to one question, I checked my records and that of my predecessor I have never buried a Lorentino, neither has he. What are you Mr. Lorentino?"

I smiled, "Someone who is eternal obviously." Barrow did not return my smile instead he had the look most people do when they see beyond their station in life. I took my leave of the undertaker and made my way back to my office, trying not to draw any notice that I carried one of the most powerful weapons in creation. Sadly someone already knew and they were waiting for me at my office. No marginally good deed goes unpunished!

Stop Guessing You'll Never Guess

"It was money of course you'd take money." Val suddenly cared when I told him the Wind Goddess had granted me a wish. Though as usual he did not believe me when I said it. I had made my way back to town, the rain had mercifully stopped, though the cold was taking up the slack (because you can never have one without the other this time of damn year). I prefer a nice not too hot, not too cold climate. Something that is not possible anywhere, I swear I would have wished for that but the Wind Goddess would have probably just turned me into a fish or something equally horrible. Like I swear when I gave that lady my wish I had it completely written out, she actually frowned at me when I handed it to her. BUT I GOT WHAT I WANTED GODS DAMN IT!

"I did not take money Val." Because money is the root of all evil, on top of that again I'd probably be killed by a huge stack of money or some other horrible thing. I mean look what happened to Elise when she wished for power.

"Than eternal life."

"And wind up as a rock? No just stop guessing I shouldn't have brought it up."

"You brought it up because you wanted to brag, and then you didn't want to tell me because you didn't want me knowing what pact you made with that wind creature who is not a goddess despite what you think." I could sense what was coming next, Val and I had been doing this dance for years.

"I'll see myself out then."

"Make sure you do!" I didn't pay my bill, though he knew I'd be back to pay it so it wasn't like a major thing to do. I was a bit worried by the "she's not a goddess thing." but its not like what I asked for could have some long term horrible consequence years down the road (well it hasn't so far, so uhh fingers crossed!) I was on my way grumbling about a comeback for Val when I bumped into a tall man in a dark suit. Because I pay attention like garbage when I'm angry.

"Trezlan Lorentino?" His voice was booming, almost as loud as he was tall and he was very tall.

"If I say no will you go away."

"No." Quieter this time, but still there.

"Fine that's me lets get going I know no good can come of this." And I was right! Because I always am.

Not a Very Fair Sacrifice

"She demands blood, and I figure your blood is the best I can offer, the last time I gave her my family and this is what I got." Elise was a horrific monster, and not just for the sacrificing her family part though that does seem pretty awful. Her body was all wrong, arms were double the size of her legs and were bent and twisted with too much muscle. Her fingers weren't all the same size and each one ended in a nasty claw. She wasn't wearing any clothes anymore, though its not like it was very tittilating to see her ugly misshapen naked body, it was revolting.

"A sacrifice usually is something from yourself not someone else." That's not entirely accurate of anything really, but I was shackled by a horrible monster who had been a wonderful young woman not to long before (why did she look one way before and now horrific? Side effect of her wish, she didn't specify properly her power and so outside of a super concentrated effort the monster before me was what she really looked like, I like to think it was an outer portrayal of her inner turmoil, but that was just me personally).

"Oh Trezlan if you weren't such an idiot you'd be endearing." I've heard this so many times. So the monster had me down and out, my hands shackled behind my back and there I was waiting for death when the wind goddess showed up. Now I've seen the Fire God (this seems like a brag because it is) and she is gorgeous, but the wind goddess is beyond beauty, like in my dreams when I think of true beauty I think of the wind goddess (sorry future ladies I'll disappoint). I won't even bother trying to describe her (also I think her appearance changed based on the person who perceives her, as the descriptions I read looked nothing like the wind goddess I saw).

"Children." Her voice was like a musical instrument, even with a simple one word sentence of children.

"Wind Goddess I bring you a gift for the slaughter grant me my wish!" The goddess looked at me and back to the twisted shape of Elise.

"I have already given you a gift, I see that you are unhappy with your strength."

"I'm hideous! You promised me power!"

"And you have power, you have strength and speed others wish they had, you did not care for your looks nor specify you wanted to keep them." She stalked to the wind goddess and looked to strike the goddess which I knew was a bad idea and as soon as she raised an arm she was annihilated. Elise vanquished the goddess turned to me with a smile. "Sacrifice accepted, child what gift can I bestow on you."

This sudden reversal of fortune brought a smile to my face. So what wish did I ask for? You know how this works! Actually I won't tell you because it was personal, let me just say that I didn't ask for money because I was really worried I'd get turned into money.