The Pawn

Guidance

I'm frozen in the wooden tub. I can't even move, out of fear for Angel berating me. Or maybe Angel will do it anyway.

"I recommend you get out before you freeze to death, like you think you will."

And Angel did it anyway.

"No, I won't. I'm gonna wash myself. I can't let the water go to waste."

I wash myself with the bar of soap, wishing Father was here to protect me. I can feel Angel's eyes on me as I splash water on myself. It's unnerving.

"We have a long way to go," Angel says. "And whatever you do, don't go to the village school. It will get in the way of our plans. Unless you want to waste time."

"Our plans?"

"Yes. Remember the deal? You wished to explore the outside, and you wanted to experience the thrills of it. In exchange, you help me with my plans. I know the best way to do that. I will guide you."

"I don't want thrills, I want knowledge."

Angel's voice is sharp and I hate it. "Knowledge on what? Looking like a fool?"

"I want to be powerful. So I can prove to Father that I can live here, and defy all his expectations."

I have the feeling Angel's looking at me in disgust. "...You are a fool. There is nothing you can do to prove him that. He is a God of Greed. Or Generosity, as they called him in the old days. The other Gods laugh at him now, so he deserves his title of Greed, hiding in a room all by himself, controlling a half human spawn. That's proof that gods will always be more powerful than humans!"

I look at the ground, feeling uncomfortable.

"But of course, I mean that in a physical sense. However, I believe you can be powerful in a different way... Do you know what power really is?"

I arch my brow. "What?"

"It's the ability to control people," Angel explains. "To control anything. I will make you powerful, and I will guide you on the right path."

"How?"

Angel snaps their fingers. "I have connections. You will travel to this district's main church. Trust me when I tell you that this will bring you power. I can give you power, but you have to work for it. That's the plan."

I shiver from the cold, as well as fear. How can I do this? Travel all the way there? How far will it be? I don't even have plans for this! I'm so unprepared to carry this out, but I'm in debt to Angel.

I can hear the smile in Angel's voice. "You are filled with fear... I can taste it. And is that fear in your eyes? They're shaking back and forth, from side to side. It's more uncontrollable than usual. That's not normal for humans."

I have what? Ugh, something's up with my eyes again. I wonder how long Angel has kept this fact from me. "I-I have that? And what do you mean more uncontrollable than usual?"

"...As much as I'd like to believe that I can instill fear in someone, so much so that their eyes can't control themselves from moving, I have to admit that things don't work like that." Angel's voice is hard now, tinged with venom. "I believe that you were born with such an annoying trait."

I swallow my fear, and my voice quivers as I speak. "What-what can I do about it?"

"Nothing. You can't stop your eyes from shaking forever, can you? Dry yourself off. Here's a towel."

I carefully step out of the wooden tub and take the towel from Angel. I dry myself, shivering from head to toe in silence.

Angel disturbs the quiet. "I think we happened to be in a lucky place... Heh, being the Angel of Wrath comes with its blessings. Patience! The Angel of Patience! No... Wrath. The humans deserve my Wrath."