*Loudlaughter*
-You have an interesting boy here, Nergal.
-Indeed he is. I am kind of sad though you staged such a big fight without even inviting me!
-Huh I am sorry my friend but when I saw him knocking Namtar down I got excited and couldn’t wait for you!
-Oh Namtar…?Did he now?
-Yes father, he was able to… over power me!
Wow this kid is truly something, I couldn’t control the smile that formed on my face.
To overpower Namtar in such a short time…
Although it is true Namtar is still young… but, still he is only a human.
Unlike me Namtar looked ashamed from his loss, so I grabbed him and whispered to his ear…
-Don’t think less of yourself here child, it is only natural for a student to exceed his mentor... if it tells you anything is that the quality of the teacher!
Namtar nodded at me with a faint smile on his face then turned around and disappeared in his shadow.
*puff*
-ThisNamtar is as annoying as his father huh, Nergal.
-Huh,maybe my friend, maybe. Anyway don’t you need to take your champion to Gula now?
-Oh yes I do, not that I like going to her!
-None of us like that to be honest.
*Sigh*
Hadad walked to his champion and cared him on his back and went to pullout his weapon from Atlas’s unconscious body.
-Don’t you think Atlas has earned this weapon? He did spare your champion’s life afterall.
-You know what… he did earn it!
See you later God of death!
-Later God of smiths!
Hadad started walking away from us, as he didn’t have the ability to transport like me.
*puff*
.
.
.
I shifted my eyes towards my champion laying on the ground only alive because of the shadow I slipped on him without Hadad noticing… I trust that dumb giant. Still he doesn’t need to know about the lake…
for now at least.
With the same shadow I throw the boy in the lake… about a minute later he woke up and started walking out of the lake.
-Did… did I lose?
-No, you won.
-Where is Oliver, and the big guy?
*Laugh*
So his name is Oliver… and big guy huh? He probably didn’t introduce himself as usual.
-They went to… a doctor. You caused some serious damage to that human!
-He caused some serious damage to me as well… Who were they anyway?
.
.
.
-The ‘Bigguy’ is a god, the god of Smiths to be exact. And the human is his Champion!
-I see…
-Why didn’t you kill him Atlas?
-I just didn’t feal like it.
-Well no matter what you want… you have to kill your opponents in the tournament.
.
.
.
I could sense an uncomfortable silence while Atlas stood in front of me holding his sword in his hand and caressing his left hand on his hair which has grown a lot in the past 6 months it easily crosses his neck now.
I extended my shadow to the spear that was resting on the ground near a pool of blood which is mostly Atlas’s and grabbed it bringing it closer to him…
-What is this doing here?
-Hadad left it for you… every war must have its spoils, you know?!
He grabbed the golden spear and examined it for a second and thrust the top part in the ground.
-Nergal…what happens when humans die?
.
.
.
-… Theycome here!
-Even I?
-Normally, yes but, in the tournament it’s deferent… if you die there you will just disappear like you never existed before!
-Huh... so normaly what happens after you come here?
-This place is raw just like the gods intended for yours to be, a place where only the strong can live.
-So poeple can die again here?
-After humans come here they will have to fight for there soul and and if they fail and die, they become one of the creatures hunting others just a soulless vessal.
-Does that make sense to you Nergal? Is this fair?
-It is fair! Only the strong should thrive, this is how it was always meant to be yet,you made the weak and strong equals… sometimes the weak overshadowing the strong and that's absurd in my point of view.
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The silence came back again, seems like he doesn’t agree with me. This time he was looking at his left hand in a strange fashion…Then he lifted his chin and glanced at me with the tip of his eye.
Aproposition
-Why should I fight for you Nergal?
This came out of nowhere… I wasn’t expecting this question now?
Why should he fight for me?
.
.
.
-Because yo
-You don’t have a reason Nergal!
Nonetheless, I have a proposition!
-I am listening…
-My father and aunt, I want you to protect them when they die and provide them all they need and want in exchange of that I will fight for you! Just that we are clear you will do that either I win or lose.
*Hmmm*
-Interesting… I accept your proposal Atlas!
I walked to him and touched his back with my left hand and gave him two new abilities of mine. Ones that would complement his fighting style which he learnt from Namtar.
Unlike last time he didn’t scream or struggle while the runes were being drown on him he just did nothing…
-What did you give me this time?
-You will know in time! Now grab your gear and follow me.
He grabbed the spear with his left hand while already holding his sword in the other.
I started walking without him talking until we entered the woods…
-I didn’tknow there was a forest here.
-There is much more to this place that you don’t know Atlas.
He shrugged it off and kept walking.
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.
.
-Where are we going Nergal? Where is Namtar?
-Namtar isn’t going to train you anymore! We are going to your new instructor!
-Who might that be?
-You will find soon enough…
We were walking for a while.
Atlas didn’t speak anything after that he was turning his head left and right examining his new surroundings, at least that is my conclusion.
We reached our destination but, the man I was looking for was nowhere to befound…
-So? Where is he?
-Not... farfrom here.
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*Bump*
I turned around .
-Been awhile God of Death.
-Indeed…Enkidu.
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