Chapter 54

Chapter 54

The days began early for the people of the community, Daniel was no exception. Holiday breaks and school were no longer things that concerned his fifteen-year old mind. Although, he'd technically be sixteen in just under a week's time. Normally, that would mean he'd be learning how to drive and getting his first official job soon, but things had changed drastically. The home he'd grown up in was no more than rubble now, and he was living in the community shelter that had been built shortly after what many people called 'The Descent'. He and his mom had a small corner of the shelter to call their own, at least until the new homes were finished being built.

All in all, things were going as good as possible, given the circumstances, besides the fact that he was technically dead. Dead, but still around and kicking. He had died during the defense of the community while saving his mom, he'd seen her fall to the ground and he had dropped everything he was doing to get her to safety. Some of the other kids had helped him drag her, and they had almost made it to the healer's area when blackness overtook him. The next thing he knew, the man with long white hair was standing over him. The man, Drew, had brought him back from death. Now, Daniel existed somewhere between life and death, and the side effects were... noticeable.

Temperature was no longer a thing, not in a way that he could explain to anyone else. He either felt cold, or absolutely nothing at all. There was no sensation of warmth, even when hugging his mom. He could tell that she was warm, but he couldn't actually feel any of it. His sense of taste and smell were also shot. Just like the temperature issue, he couldn't taste, or smell anything. If there was some smell in the air, it was like his body just wouldn't pick up on it. It was a good thing he didn't need to eat anymore, being dead, because everything that he'd tried was like eating cardboard. He could recognize textures, but no actual flavor.

There was one more very noticeable side effect to his condition, his emotions were dulled. Oh sure, he'd still feel angry or sad, and sometimes happy, but not to the same level that he used to. It was like his emotions only came in black and white rather than full color. He'd spoken to the others like him, and they all reported the same side effects, so he knew he wasn't alone, but it still sucked. From a purely combat-oriented mindset, there were many pros though.

For one, he wouldn't 'die' unless his body was blown to pieces, which was both a blessing and a curse. If his legs were chopped off, he'd live, but be crippled until Drew found and healed him. If his head was chopped off, he'd be stuck in the same manner. None of which were happy thoughts. But, on the other hand, he could survive grievous wounds that would be fatal to other people. He also didn't need to breath anymore. If someone dropped something in the lake, he could dive and go get it without needing to worry about drowning. He couldn't be poisoned, forced to sleep, charmed, or anything else. He didn't need to sleep anymore either. He was simply immune to many of the more dangerous and horrifying things that others would have to deal with. But, was Daniel really happy?

He was glad to be with his mom still. People treated him like a hero for saving her and dying in the process, people made a big deal about him fighting to defend the community against the monsters outside the walls. But a big part of him still wanted to be a normal kid. He wanted to learn how to drive, he wanted to know what having a girlfriend was like, so he felt slightly depressed knowing those things wouldn't happen. Not with the way the world was, and not with him being a soul attached to a dead body.

Daniel threw on some clothes and left the community shelter. People were beginning to leave for the day for work, and he didn't want to be stuck inside all day. He kissed his mom goodbye and went to the training ground to get some light exercise in. Not that he needed it, it just made him feel better. He started with some light jogging, before moving into combat exercises with his sword and shield. The local Soulsmith had recently given him a set of armor and Daniel needed to practice in it to become more accustomed to movement, seeing as it was so heavy.

Life in the community was strange. At first, many people had been without hope, just dragging their feet along and going through the necessary motions required to survive. But, over time, that had gradually changed. Every day had felt like a struggle, especially with the aggressive monsters and beasts, but now everyone went about their day with smiles on their faces. It felt surreal to him. Much of the new hope had come from Drew. That man always seemed to be performing some miracle. Daniel had spent a fair amount of time with the man, and really enjoyed his company. He was down to Earth, he treated Daniel like an adult, and he always managed to find time in his busy schedule to check in with him, even though Daniel was still technically a kid.

Drew was very nice. Even with muted emotions, Drew was one of the few things that managed to bring a smile to Daniel's face. But, Drew was also why life in the community was so strange. Daniel had grown up going to church every Sunday, he'd spent a lot of time with the bible, and praying to God, as had most of the people in the community. But now everyone venerated Drew the same way they did Jesus. Daniel knew it made Drew very uncomfortable, and he'd heard him ask people to stop bowing their heads to him, which only had the opposite reaction as people believed he was worthy of even more respect since Drew didn't want it.

Even the old men and women who were crazy stubborn would bow their heads when Drew passed nearby. They whispered about his good deeds, about the miracles he performed. From a certain perspective, Daniel could understand how the people felt. Drew had raised the dead, he'd brought peoples' loved ones back to them. The ones he couldn't save, he made sure were sent off to the afterlife. The ceremony to send the dead to the afterlife was intense, it was like a rock concert, but without the pyrotechnics. It always drew the people in, and they watched as their neighbors were ushered into the heavens while waving down to the ones they left behind.

Drew led from the front, he was always the first into battle, the first person to defend the peoples' lives. He never commanded anyone, nor forced them to do anything. He'd ask for help, and people would flock to his cause, even if the chance of death was high. He had also led the rescue mission to save all the people that were kidnapped and abused in town. So yeah, Daniel could totally see why the people around him viewed Drew in a similar manner to Jesus, or a saint of some kind.

But, Daniel had actually spent time with the man. Outside of the miracles, and his angel friend, he seemed pretty normal. Ahh, who was Daniel even kidding, Drew had an angel as a friend. There had to be something going on with the man for that to happen.

Daniel finished up his combat exercises and went to report to Jonathan the Soulsmith. He approached the blacksmith's workshop and heard the clanging of the smith's hammer against an anvil. It was early morning and the specter was already hard at work.

"Excuse me, sir" Daniel said as he entered.

*CLANG*

*CLANG*

*CLANG*

He walked over to the short ghost-like being and stood in front of the anvil to get the man's attention.

"Ah, I didn't hear you come in lad, what can I do for ya?" The ghostly man asked, pausing in his work.

"You asked me to come back and report on the armor you made for me. I've worn it during training for the last three mornings."

"Aye, I remember. How does it fit ya? Do I need to make any adjustments?"

"Well, my left arm feels a little constrained when moving with my shield during my drills, and the top of my right foot feels a bit tight against the metal boot. Other than that, everything seems fine, pretty heavy though."

The ghostly man laughed heartily.

"Of course it's heavy, it's not a beach towel or a toga like spellcasters wear!" He continued chuckling.

Daniel's face would have went red with embarrassment if he still had a working circulatory system. The ghost walked around him and took several measurements of his left side, arm, and the right foot.

"Right then, unequip it and hand it over. I'll have the adjustments done by tonight, swing back by after dinner to pick it up."

Daniel nodded. Dinner, another thing he missed. He handed over the armor to the smith and got out of his hair.

He wasn't scheduled to go out today on patrol, so he decided to waste some time walking around the community. Many of the people who were focusing on crafting had set up temporary tent-like areas. Permanent housing was still under construction, but a new house was being finished every couple of days, so the crafters had been working with what they had available. They'd thrown together little workshop areas that were kept covered by crude wooden shelters and tanned leathers.

With the sudden influx of immigrants from the town, building resources were stretched thin and many craftsmen were hard at work turning logs into planks and beams of various sizes. There were people making bricks, mortar, and even some strange type of shingle for the roofs. Many of the new immigrants were older, and held little to no interest in combat, so they joined the existing workforce in producing the needed materials to turn the community into something more than a shantytown. Or, that's what they claimed anyways. He wasn't sure what a shanty was, but it seemed like an apt word for the current 'buildings' scattered throughout the community.

There were several people who'd chosen more fantasy-like professions however. Several people were hard at work mixing ingredients used to make potions, others rushed off into the nearby woods and pastures to search for herbs, and there were a couple people that had begun enchanting things. Nothing fancy had been made so far, but one old man had managed to make a rocking chair that rocked by itself, and a folding table that collapsed with the push of a button. Considering the world had crashed and burned not that long ago, even those odd pieces of furniture could be considered technological advances.

There were tailors who were busy weaving cotton and other plants into clothing and blankets, a couple of folks were hard at work making basic furniture for the new homes, like tables, chairs, and bed frames, and there was even a street stall that offered hot and fresh food to the people working to snack on, in-between the morning and evening meals. Not that he was able to enjoy that luxury. The strangest workshop was the taxidermist however, and Daniel enjoyed going there to waste time on his days off. The man who ran it asked that everyone refer to him as 'Uncle Jack', and man was he a strange duck.

Uncle Jack wasn't exactly old yet, but he wasn't young either. His hair was almost always unkept and wild, and he had a lot of scruff on his face from not shaving. Drew had once told Daniel that Uncle Jack was a few fries short of a happy meal, and it was easy to see why. Daniel walked into Uncle's workshop area and found the man's newest 'creation'. A diorama depicting a large cliff surrounded by lava, with two stuffed squirrels in battle with laser swords. One near the lava, and the other on the high ground. It was clearly modeled after a famous movie, and Daniel felt bad knowing the lower standing squirrel's fate.

The taxidermist wasn't around today it seemed, he most likely was out bargaining for corpses of mutated animals. Even the squirrels in the scene had vampire style fangs and long pointed claws. Everything had been mutated, well everything not domesticated. Dogs, cows, and horses seemed to be fine, as did some bunnies. Cats... well cats were already assholes before The System, so nothing had really changed for them. Cute and cuddly one moment, vicious death by claws the next. Daniel wasn't the biggest cat person. He didn't hate them, he'd just pick a rock as a pet over a cat. All throughout Uncle Jack's shop were strange stuffed animals in various poses. To be honest, he wasn't even sure how Jack managed to stay in business... his products weren't exactly high in demand.

Daniel left the taxidermist's workshop and made his way to the newest addition to the community. People were calling it the medical tent, and it was by far the nicest temporary building in the community. Drew had commissioned it after returning from the rescue mission in town. The man had petitioned his benefactor, who he called 'The Baleful Lady' for aid, asking for temporary therapists to come help out. Daniel hadn't been part of the rescue mission, as his job, along with several other people's, had been to keep the community safe during that time. But he'd heard the rumors and whispers of the people that had come back. Horrible things had happened to the people in town, and many were staying in the medical tent to receive the help they needed.

The therapists had arrived five days ago. According to Drew, they were highly qualified individuals, despite their appearances. They were dead, or undead, much like Daniel, and he'd found it easy to connect with them, even Tilly. Two of the therapists were straight out of every fantasy novel and movie, a dwarf that looked similar to Jonathan and had a thick accent, and a female elf who was very kind. The last therapist, Tilly, had proven... unpopular, with most of the people, but Daniel liked her. Tilly was easy to talk to, and since so many people preferred to not be in her company, she often made time to speak with Daniel, which he was very grateful for.

He walked through the giant tent, which was similar in size to a circus tent, and found Tilly's area.

"Excuse me, Miss Tilly, are you available? It's me, Daniel."

"Yes, please come in young Daniel." The voice called out.

Daniel walked into the darkened room, and laid down on the plush lounger that was present. It was likely the most luxurious part of the community, and he'd come just to sit on it even if Tilly wasn't working. Daniel closed his eyes and let out a sigh. This was paradise. It was dark, he felt safe and enveloped in the lounger, and almost all the noise from outside was drowned out. A little piece of heaven.

"It's good to see you again Daniel, how are you feeling today?" Tilly asked.

Daniel cracked open his eyes to see Tilly standing comfortable from the ceiling in all her majesty. She stood on all six of her bent legs, as her two hands rubbed each other slightly. He'd once asked her about her race, but he couldn't pronounce the name she'd given him for it. But she was, in short, a giant spider with the upper torso of a young lady. But Daniel had learned very early in life to never judge a book by its cover, and so he gave her the same chance he'd give anyone. It turned out that she was incredibly sweet and kind.

"Eh, honestly I'm feeling a bit down today." Daniel answered.

"I see, due to your condition?"

"Yeahhhh... that and the planet itself. I find myself longing for a normal life, or, what a normal life would have been before The System came and screwed everything up."

"Ahhh, why don't we talk about that? What would your life have been like if The System hadn't come?"

"I'm almost sixteen years old. Around this time I'd be learning how to drive, I'd be getting my paying job, and I'd have more freedom."

"I see, and by drive, do you mean operate those large machines with four wheels?"

"Yeah. It's kinda a thing. Like, you turn sixteen and you're legally allowed to drive. So you take a driving course where they teach you how to do it safely. It's pretty normal for people my age. Well that, or someone's dad would teach them. Once you have a car, you can go anywhere, do anything, with anyone. I just... I still want that, ya know?"

"So, it's a rite of passage of sorts, similar to becoming an adult in your culture?" Tilly asked.

"Yeah, kinda. We're not adults until we're eighteen, but things start opening up when we are sixteen. We can start earning money legally, and we save that money for things like a car, or taking a girlfriend out to see a movie or out to eat." Daniel sighed as he finished.

"I see. What's preventing you from doing those things now, there are several of these, cars, nearby correct?"

"Well, yeah. But they're not mine. They belong to Drew, or his friend Mark. Plus, who would teach me?"

"Hmmm. From my understanding, The Lady's Champion is a good man. If you asked him, perhaps he would teach you, or at least allow you to use one of his cars to learn, yes?"

"I mean... maybe. Drew is really nice, but the cars are for emergencies and fuel is limited. He might let me if I asked, but I'd feel bad since they're here for emergencies ya know?"

"Yes, I see. But, if you could operate the metal wagon, wouldn't that mean that you could use them to help people when emergencies came up?"

Daniel thought about it for a moment. Tilly was right, he could be another person who could drive in case the community needed him to, and that wasn't entirely selfish, was it?

"That's... not a bad idea. I suppose I'll ask Drew next time I see him."

"Do you like Drew?" Tilly asked.

"Like him? Well yeah, he saved my life... or, ya know, brought me back. He was really nice to mom too, and he does a lot for the people here. Why do you ask?"

"Hmmm. Maybe if you spent some time with him, you'd feel more at ease. I've met with him several times, I think you'd benefit from more interactions with him."

"Huh. Well, he is pretty cool. Wait, you said you've met him several times, does that mean he comes to see you too?!" Daniel asked.

"Yes. He has come to speak with me."

"Wow. But he's... ya know? Everyone here... I guess they see him a bit like Jesus, and yet he comes to see you like a normal person."

"Who's Jesus? Is he a member of the community?"

Daniel laughed.

"No, no. It's a long story, but Jesus is a big part of the religion around here. Son of God, raised the dead, walked on water, turned water into wine, fed the poor, helped the helpless. Died for our sins. That sort of thing."

Tilly tilted her head slightly while she tapped her fingers together.

"I see. So the people here view him in a similar manner, that's interesting."

"Well no, not everyone. But the majority of people do."

"Belief is a powerful thing Daniel, this belief likely brings many people great hope despite the circumstance. But I assure you, he's not the son of anyone Divine, although he is The Champion of The Baleful Lady. Which, I suppose, in a certain way is similar."

"Yeah, what's up with that? He doesn't really talk about it too much."

"I cannot speak for him, so it would likely be better to ask him yourself. But, as for his official position, he could be seen as the most important mortal being under The Lady."

"Mortal?"

"Ah, I forget, you're recently integrated to The System. There are gods and goddesses, and while yours sounds vaguely familiar, I cannot say for certain that I have knowledge of them. That said, above the gods are Primordials. Beings so powerful, and so ancient, that they encompass the aspects of nature itself. The Baleful Lady is the Primordial of Death, she holds Domain over Death, Life, Renewal, and Shadow. To put it simply, she's one of the most powerful beings in all of the multiverse, and Drew is her living tie to the mortal realm."

"Wait...so Drew is like...The Lady he talks about on occasion is his boss and is more powerful than an actual god?!" Daniel gasped.

"She is more powerful than all the gods and goddesses. Combined."

"Hoooolllyyy shit."

"Yes. It's truly hard to imagine, is it not?" Tilly nodded her head.

"And he comes here, to see you, about ya know... stuff bothering him?"

"Yes."

"Damn. Here I am feeling sorry for myself for not being to taste food, sleep, or drive a car, and he has all that on his shoulders..."

"You misunderstand, Daniel. Being strong doesn't mean you don't have problems, strength is reflecting on your issues and actively seeking to better yourself. Everyone benefits from having someone to talk to, even My Lady."

Daniel had been leaning forward in the lounger as he spoke to Tilly about Drew and the Divine, but he slumped back into his resting spot as he absorbed what Tilly had told him. Strength is reflecting on your issues and actively seeking to better yourself. That thought resonated with him. Even Drew came here to talk with Tilly. Even his all-powerful goddess talked to people about her problems. Maybe he was looking at his own problems the wrong way, instead of a curse, maybe they were something to overcome with time and effort.

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Daniel left Tilly's office feeling much better. It felt good to talk with someone, even if that someone wasn't human, or had any concept of human culture. Sure, maybe he couldn't taste anything, and he'd never go to prom, but life wasn't too bad. He had his mom, and he was meeting new people like Drew and Tilly. Maybe things would get better over time and he'd learn to live with his issues. He was walking out of the medical tent when he ran into a familiar face.

"Hey Daniel, how are you doing?"

Daniel looked up to see Drew smiling and waving to him.

"Oh, hey Drew! I'm good, how about you?"

"Doing good man, I came by to check in with the therapists here. Wanted to see how our patients are doing. Are you coming back from seeing Tilly?" Drew asked.

"Uh...Yeah. How'd you know?"

"A little spider told me." Drew chuckled.

"Ugh, that was... just... so bad." Daniel face-palmed.

"Yeah, yeah. Everyone loves dad jokes."

"Oh, hey I wanted to ask you something." Daniel remembered his conversation with Tilly.

"Yeah? What's up?"

"Well, I...uh... I'll be turning sixteen soon so I was kinda wondering... if uh...you'd teach me how to drive."

Drew's smile brightened when he heard Daniel's request. Drew straightened his back and patted down his shirt.

"Now, driving is a big responsibility you know, and it's very dangerous with all the crazy people out in the.... sure man! Of course, I'd love to help ya out." Drew chuckled as the façade broke.

"Wait...really!?"

"Yeah. We can afford to spend a tank of gas in teaching you to drive down county roads for your big sixteen, man!"

"Seriously? Like, you're not pulling my chain?" Daniel questioned.

"Seriously, I'd be happy to teach ya. It's not hard, especially with no other cars on the road. Why don't you hang out with me for the afternoon, I can take you out after this meeting?" Drew asked.

"You want...to hang out, even though you're like, super busy and everything?"

"Yeah man! You're almost sixteen, you should see what adult stuff looks like. I can't promise it'll be happy, or fun, but it'll be good for ya."

"...Well... alright. If you're sure I won't be in the way or anything..." Daniel said.

"Nahhh, you'll be fine. Come on, let's go talk to the doctors."

Drew waved Daniel back into the medical tent.

He was going to spend the day with Drew. Doing adult stuff. Then he was going to learn how to drive! Drew actually wanted to hang out with him. Today was going to be awesome!