Entering the stall, Josiah was once again filled with the feeling of unease. Because it was nighttime, ethereal flames lighted the stall. Although the flames were unnaturally still, the shadows of objects hit by its light began to dance and move in strange ways. He began to reach for one of the flames when the crone stopped him.
"Ah child, I wouldn't recommend touching a spirits flame, lest you want to keep your life."
Josiah pulled his hand back before it touched the ghostly flame and stared at the Crone.
"So.. who are you truly, and where did you come from. Why am I cursed to such a fate. And how-"
"So many questions, such little time. Come child I'll answer all in earnest with time." The crone gestured as for him to follow. And continued deeper into the stall. Hesitantly he followed once more. If he was uncertain before, he knew now that the stall had to be magical in some way. Deeper and deeper they moved into the stall. And yet outwardly it was the same size as any other. Just as Josiah was starting to doubt whether he should keep going the Crone stopped and began muttering to herself,
"Yes, this should be far enough..."
She began reaching in her robes making Josiah step back a little.
'She.. hasn't brought me to assassinate me has she?!'
His heart began beating faster and he was ready to flee need be. He hadn't brought any weapons of his own, he didn't see the need. Weapons were for hunting beast, not other people. However she instead pulled out a small hourglass made of black wood. The sand inside a pure and pristine white. It was still flowing in the same direction no matter which way it was flipped. And there wasn't much sand left to fill the bottom half remaining.
"What.. is that for?"
The Crone smiled. "There isn't much time left child. So ask your questions. I'll only answer 3."
Josiah frowned.
'Only 3? She said she'd explain everything though, strange.'
"Ask your first question child." Josiah pondered for a moment, but then finally asked his first question...
The man stopped speaking for a moment, confusing the boy. The boy saw him muttering, and then he jumped from the laughter that began to fill the temple. At first he didn't realize where it was coming from. Then he realized it was the man. The man was laughing, to the point of bending over and trembling. When his laughter finally died down he turned to the boy and looked deep into his eyes once more. Although it wasn't as much as before. Making eye contact with the man caused a pressure to build up inside the boy causining him to look away.
"Child. If I granted you three questions.. what would you ask?"
The boy was a little stunned. He had many things he wished to ask, but when limited to only three only the most important surfaced. The boy looked at him with confidence and firm in his decision said
"I'd ask your name once more. I'd ask what happened to the world. Why is it in ruin? And I'd ask what happened to the gods that I've only heard stories about."
The man looked deeply into his eyes, making the pressure from before intensify. He was silent for quite some time, as if thinking about these questions the boy asked. Then he finally said,
"A long time ago. The gods created a game involving 3 questions. The rules were simple. Two beings would ask each other one question to a total of three. Once you agree to the game you must answer each question asked with full honesty. I don't recommend trying to lie, the repercussions are a bit extreme. Each party would have the ability to skip one of those questions."
"I say all of that to ask you this, would you like to play a game child?"
The boy looked at him. Wondering what he could possibly wish to ask the boy himself. But eventually agreed to these terms.
"Yes I wish to play. In that case may I go first?" The man nodded and the boy continued, "What happened to the gods? Where did they go?"
The man stared deeply at the boy then said in a very strange tone, "They are gone now. I have nothing more to say about that."
'What?' The boy was stunned. That, that couldn't be right. There's no way they could just be gone. There's no way... right? But he said that the game required everyone to tell the truth so. They must truly be gone somehow.
"Where did they go then?"
The man began once more, "After I imprisoned fate. The other two gods had their balance overthrown, causing them to be sealed away as well. But it seems that has changed most recently…"
The boy shook his head. This was just leading to more questions! And he wasted his second on something he knew nothing about! The boy shook slightly then hesitantly asked the man his final question.
"What happened to make the kingdom fall to ruin?"
The man demeanor changed. Seeming almost sad, "I'll skip." He said with a sigh.
The boy was stunned, "That's cheating! You made me waste my second question!" The man's gaze turned colder causing the boy to lower his tone.
"No, you wasted your second question. And I explained in the rules you can skip did I not? Now it's my turn to ask you."
The boy was nervous. What could someone as powerful as this man want to know from him?
"Where have you come from?" The man asked.
The boy hesitated, and was about to say he didn't know but something began pressing at his brain. As if forcing him to answer truthfully. The more he resisted the harder it got, until he finally said "The south. I came from further south. I don't know where exactly, the town I lived in was destroyed by raiders." The man nodded. Then asked his second question.
"Do you have any family that survived." The boy shook his head. "No, they all died when the raiders came. I'm not sure if anyone else escaped. But my father told me to head north if anything ever happened." The man nodded once more, then asked his final question.
"What is your name boy?"
This caught the boy off guard. His name? Why that of all things? The boy scratched his head and then smiled. "I'll skip." The man looked at him. Then eventually sighed. "Well, that concludes our game, shall we continue the story then?" The boy nodded. And the man began once more...