World of Gods: Blackwater

Chapter 7: Escape

William just scratched his scraggly beard. His soft eyes gently rested upon Lucine. He could tell the young woman felt lost. So he would reach out onto a nearby table, grabbing a small glass bottle. After he got off his chair, the skinny old man would work his way to the side of Lucine's bed. "Here, child, drink this. It will make you feel better." William told Lucine.

"You know, I'm an adult... right?" Lucine asked him.

"Are you? Well, good to know. I assumed you were still a child due to your size. Either way, drink up" he reminded her.

Lucine reached out and took it. Examining the glowing pink liquid inside the bottle. "What is this?" Lucine asked.

"It's a vitality potion. We don't have much in terms of resources. Though I cannot see any better person to give it than our future Goddess." William replied as he straightened out the black and brown robes he was wearing.

"Where I come from, when someone hands you a glowing bottle of liquid and calls it a potion, you run the other way." Lucine teased, trying to keep the mood light.

William chuckled a bit. "Well, we do come from different worlds, don't we? Though I promise it's safe. I made it myself."

Lucine would hold the bottle in her lap for the moment. Thinking back to her history lessons, she was curious about what William's profession may have been called. "So you are like an alchemist or something?" Lucine asked.

William smiled. "Yes, and one of Alex's retainers. I have watched over him since he was young. At the command of our previous Goddess."

Lucine's eyes widened. "So are you with this Silver Star?" William nodded to Lucine's question. "I appreciate you watching over me, William, but I am still having trouble trusting anyone here."

"That is understandable. I don't expect you to trust us." William replied as he walked over to the chair he had been sitting on. He brought it over to the side of the bed so he could rest. "What is on your mind?"

Lucine sighed. "Even if you did not want to hurt or use me like Saverious, what would I do? It's not like I can just run back to him or out of Blackwater. Where would I go? I don't even know where I am in the first place, other than in the sewers. To make matters worse, Alex, that giant asshole, is walking around somewhere nearby!" Lucine had flashbacks to how Saverious had tricked her. She felt so naive and foolish. "I won't be made to look like a fool again."

"You remind me of Celine." William replied.

"Who?"

"She was the previous Goddess of the Silver Star. She always mulled things over in her head, always wondering what the right decision was, always questioning herself, up until the very end." William told Lucine.

"What happened to her?" Lucine asked.

"She died protecting the Sanctuary from our enemy, the Scarlet Star. She gave her life to banish their God to the plains of fire. A harsh and unforgiving realm." William explained.

Lucine could see the sadness and pain on William's face as he spoke about Celine's death. "I see, she sounded like a great person."

"She was indeed." His voice was quiet. "Everyone she interacted with was affected by her. She had the ability to reach into a person and bring out their very best. Even though the Silver Star is a small faction, she was greatly respected."

Looking at the old man, Lucine felt his words were genuine. The pain, admiration, and love in those words about Celine was the first honest thing she had heard since arriving in Blackwater, though she didn't know how to respond to such a thing. Let alone how they expected her to fill the shoes of such a great person. Instead, there was just an awkward moment of silence between the two of them.