"What?" I said after hearing that offer from him. I do hate Donnie and wish he would get hit by a truck, but hearing Ophy wants to take care of him sends a chill down my spine. Like this guy wouldn't just kill Donnie but do something worse to him.
"Yeah, that manager of yours, the one that makes your job miserable, I could take care of him and make sure he never bothers you again."
"Hold up, by taking care of him you mean…"
"Kill him, that's easy. Just say the word and he's gone." Said Ophy like it's another Tuesday for him. I don't know how God takes care of annoying coworkers but talking about it so nonchalantly gives me goosebumps.
"No."
"No?" He asked like I just said something so confusing. "I thought you hated him?"
"I do, I hate his stupid face with his ridiculous mustache but I don't want you to kill him." I answered. This is more than I asked, I just want to get my hands on those Gods and nothing else. I don't care about Ophy's plan, and certainly don't want to kill innocent people. Donnie may be a prick but he's not the one who killed Andi, that's the riders who fought in front of the supermarket and those God that gives them power to do so. "Just don't kill people that's not involved in this whole charade, all right?"
"You sure? I mean, as your teammate, getting rid of your problems is the least I could do." He sounded genuinely baffled by my decision, and I realized I probably shouldn't be trying to anger him so much."
"No Ophy, please. Just, we need, I mean, I need to get stronger first. I don't know when my next fight is, so you gotta help me prepare."
He looked at me, obviously thinking why I don't take his offers but I don't want to be like those guys that thinking innocent bystander doesn't matter. I'll probably kill those riders in the future but I'll only kill those who deserve it.
"All right, but if you change your mind just call me."
"Thank you."
"Now," he said , hopefully already changing his focus on more pressing matters. "Like I said before, those dailies are a training regimen. From your words I guess the cosmos gave you the reward for completion, that's good. For the other riders, they probably get their patrons power to fight, since I can't give you mine I will help you to balance it. Something to make it fair for you."
"And that is?"
"weapon, my weapon. Since you are using my soul, my weapon will respond to you."
"That's what I'm talking about Ophy, that's right. Now what's your weapon?" I asked, for the first time thinking something finally worked in my favour, those riders I have fought so far have their own weapon. A weapon of my own, it's a game changer.
His expression changed again, like he was embarrassed about something. Oh don't tell me, this is going to be something ridiculous again. Just when I thought I finally could stand toe to toe with those guys.
"My weapon, my swords. I lost them."
"What? Are you kidding me Ophy. You're a God, how could you…"
I genuinely flabbergasted. This guy is playing with me, I swear this is some kind of skit or something. He's standing there looking at the ground, watching his feet like it's the most fascinating thing on the planet.
"Ophy be real, are you playing with me man? Like real real?" I know I said I shouldn't try to anger him so much, I realized I just raised my voice again but I'm at a loss here and pardon me for my French.
He finally looked up, once again looking like trying to find the right words to say.
"When…they kicked me out of heaven I lost everything, my power, my armor, my artifacts, my weapons. Everything, I walked the earth for centuries trying to get them back. I found some of my artifacts, which is hard since I can't be seen by those guys in heaven. But, I think I know where my weapons are."
"Continue." I swear to God, if this…wait…
"It's kept on cancer's temple." He continues
"I think millennia ago some of her followers found it and it's kept in their temple ever since. I can't get in since it's protected by cancer's power, you could get in and take it as yours."
"How?" I asked him, this started to sound like a quest in an RPG game, to infiltrate the enemy stronghold to retrieve the forbidden weapon. "You want me to sneak in and steal it? I'm pretty sure they didn't just leave it unguarded."
"No, that's a bad idea."
"You have a better one?"
"Maybe…"
"Maybe?" I asked, not realizing I raised my voice to a literal God, an exiled one but still a God.
"Listen Rei, cancer always holds a festival in her temple every year. Every year when the day the sun reaches its peak, cancer followers will flock to her temple and pray." He began explaining his :great idea. "It's a massive festival, thousands will be in the temple and you could get in, take my swords and get out before they even realize it's gone."
That sounds pretty good, I admit I never knew about the temple and how cancer has many followers. Besides my ignorance about cancer and her cult, slipping in while thousands busy praying sounds doable. I'll probably get cursed by cancer herself but that's besides the point, right now getting even playing field is the priority.
"That's a good plan, are you sure you have your weapon there? I don't wanna anger thousands of people for nothing."
"I can feel it, I'm trying to get closer before and I can feel it's calling me." He answered while flapping his hands in the air, looking way too animated for his mysterious bad guy persona that's starting to fade away. "Listen Rei, when you get close to my swords you'll hear it. Trust me."
I don't know why but maybe because I can see he's not that mysterious anymore, I think I can start to listen to him. Of course I'll keep my eyes on him, sleazy bad guy usually try to get closer to you before stab you in the back.
"Okay, we'll do your plan. I'll slip in hopefully not raise any suspicion from them and get that swords of yours."
"Sweet, now hold your breath."
"My what…"
Before I even asked what he meant, he grabbed me and everything blurred. I was dazed and confused, everything when black then white then every color hit my face. When everything goes back to normal, I'm standing on the top of a building.
I don't recognize where I was, the city is buzzing with life, car horns blared one after the other, it's night and neon signs light up the city like ten million fireflies. I can't read the sign on the building or on the roads, every sign reads as gibberish for me. I'm lost.
"Where are we?"
"Gerenvia."
"Gerenvia?"
"Gerenvia, capital city of Blacksand. What are they teaching in school these days?"
"Math."
"Math? Only math? No geography at all?"
"They do, they do, I just don't pay attention."
"That makes sense."
This guy, throwing jabs at me already? Wait, Blacksand. That's on another continent, so Ophy just teleported me to another continent in a blink of an eye.
"Didn't you say, you lose your power? How could you teleport us here?" I asked Ophy who's now fixed his eyes on the biggest building in the city.
"I do lose my power." Ophy answers keeping his on the giant building in the middle of the city." I found a couple of my artifacts that scattered across the planet, one of them allows me to teleport me to any place I've ever been."
"Okay."
"Look Rei, I know it's hard for you to trust me completely, but I never lie to you." Said Ophy, this time he looks at me, his eyes are different now, his vertical pupils look normal, and his expression looks like someone who begged you to trust them. Trusting him though, it's another matter completely.
"Ophy, I think we should focus on finding those swords." I answered because saying I can't trust him doesn't sound like a good idea.
"Right." he said while turning his attention back on that building again.
That building, I can see it rising like a mountain range dropped right into the city's center. It's not a building like the others; it's a colossal structure made of some dark, obsidian-like stone that seems to swallow all the light. It makes the skyscrapers around it look like children's toys. Spire after strange spire juts out from its main body, their tips like sharp teeth against the night sky.
The strangest part is how the city itself feels like it was built for this thing. The streets don't run in a grid, but instead swirl and curve around the great temple, as if they were laid down by a river that flowed around a massive stone in its path. In the dead of night, when the city's low hum is all I can hear, I feel like I'm not just looking at a building. I swear its intricate carvings seem to writhe in the shadows, and I feel like it's breathing. It's a silent, watchful giant at the heart of our world, and I'm just a tiny part of the city it built itself around.
"What's that?" I finally asked.
"Cancer temple. Her followers built this city around it. Then her followers got even bigger, and they built this country for her. Blacksand got its name from the sand around the base of that temple."
"And how can I find your swords in that giant temple?"
"Like I said, it will call you. You need to get closer Rei and follow the cry of my swords in that building."
"Easy for you to say. You are not the one who's going to the heart of the enemy base."
"Sorry Rei, this is the only way. We need the swords, and I can't get it for you."
"I know."
"Now get some rest, we need you at your best tomorrow." He said gently this time, like how my father used to sound when he didn't want me to worry about anything.
"Fine, but if you try anything funny…"
"I won't, I need you."
I looked at him, he still looked like those bad guy. Slick, cold, and probably eat fancy cereal for breakfast. But I feel safe, maybe because he admitted he needs me. Nevertheless I found a good wall and sit in front of it, trying to relax while Ophy locked his gaze at my biggest challenge yet. Before I know it, I fall asleep.