The Tower's Secret

7. Lie

Grey contemplated his options, his eyes flitting back and forth in trepidation as he watched the old man from afar. Beads of perspiration trickled down his neck, cooling in the wind. It was his first time meeting anyone other than Asis in the sky. Of course, he had seen flying creatures; they were just never able to see him.

Until now.

Grey swallowed thickly, ready to bolt and end his suspension of disbelief, ready to descend to the ground. However, in that moment, the old man called out to Grey.

"Do not worry, boy," he spoke, a deep yet thin voice swirling in the wind. "I merely came up here to relax my mind; I will not hurt you if you do not hurt me."

Never let down your guard.

Tensing warily as Asis's words echoed in his mind, Grey did not respond. However, he still kept himself afloat, wavering when he heard the mellow words spoken.

"In fact," the man continued, "I have never seen many people up here, so I am pleasantly surprised to meet another like you. Would you care to talk and exchange information?"

Grey spoke up, surprised by the slight tremor in his voice. "How do I know that you will not kill me once I near you?"

The old man held up his shriveled hands, "I have no weapons."

"Which means nothing in this world where characters can use powers."

A pause ensued followed by a small chuckle, "I suppose you can never truly tell if a person is dangerous or not. And my words are probably meaningless too," the man waved his hand nonchalantly, "In the end, you decide if my intentions are true. You can trust, or you can distrust. But remember, in this world where people must distrust to live, trusting occasionally and selectively will give you an advantage. You can obtain valuable information and allies. However, you must decide which paths of trust are worth taking and which paths will lead to your demise."

Grey squinted his eyes. Why did it seem that all old men were wise and powerful with their words? Many of the stories he read included them, whether they were insightful mentors or sagacious prophets. Maybe it was a common stereotype, Grey realized, and he was finally meeting one in person.

Never let down your guard, the words echoed again.

However, another voice reverberated in his mind, resonating quietly yet loudly.

"Trusting occasionally and selectively will give you an advantage.... You can obtain valuable information and allies."

Despite Grey's preconceptions, the old man's words rang with truth. Grey knew he could still run away and play it safe, but taking a risk could also mean gaining more knowledge about his world from someone else.

And for some inexplicable reason, the man seemed...safe. The killing intent normally emanating from most characters could not be be sensed in him. If the old man truly was a recurring archetypal character, Grey could benefit. For the first time, Grey decided to trust his instincts. Locating a faster wind current, he prepared to head over.

↜↝---⥈---↜↝

Conversation was a strange thing. Grey had never truly spoken with anyone other than Asis, but he'd never expected it to be so...normal. 

At first, he had been at a loss at words, still wary of the old man and taut with apprehension. However, gradually, once the man introduced himself, once the man started talking, once his calm demeanor placated Grey's anxiety, conversation became almost a fun thing.

Soon enough, Grey had learned quite a bit about the old man's background. Cervid was his name; he was part deer, and in his storyline, he had fallen in love with a river snake.