The House in the Lake

The Death of an Immortal

I follow him up the stairs and into the porch. There is a chair there and a two-seater couch and a coffee table between them. He stands in front of the chair and turns to me.

"Take a seat," he says, while he smiles happily and stretches his hand, just a little, towards the couch.

I go there and sit. Nervously. My hands, tied, in between my legs. And I look up, fearfully, to face him. But is it fear, really, what I feel? Can it be awe, instead? Maybe. For, from the moment I look at his eyes, I can't turn mine away from his.

"Relax, Kane," he calmingly says. "Relax and sit back. All is good. Let your hands open and simply let them go to your sides. You are safe, Kane. All is good."

Without even realising what I do, I obey every one of his commands. And I'm sitting now as relaxed as if I were with a friend. And, maybe, I feel happy I'm there. He smiles even more happily than before.

And once again, before I realise what is happening, he comes next to me and jumps on the couch and lies down. His head in my lap, his legs on the armrest. And he takes my hand, and places it on his chest, over his heart. And holds it there. And smiles.

And then reality hits me. What's happening? I try to draw back my hand. Forcefully I think, but he holds it, gently, in place. "Relax! Do you hate touching me?"

"No..."

"Then leave it there, Kane." He releases my hand, and closes his eyes, and with a soft voice says, "Please."

I can't but leave my hand there, but it's not like before. I don't obey him without a thought. I choose to keep touching his soft skin. Oh, dear Gods!

After a few moments of silence, he smiles again and opens his eyes.

"Thank you! Thank you, my Fair Warrior."

"Fair Warrior?"

"That's the meaning of your name. You must know!"

"Actually, I did not!"

He chuckles.

"Well, that's what it means and it's so suitable for you. You are both, after all. Fair, and a warrior. And don't worry, Kane, I won't use the same trick again. I promise. I won't compel you to do anything. I promise. And I cannot lie."

I should have noticed before, but it just occurred to me. "Wait! How do you know my name? Of course you do. What am I asking? You are a God!"

"No, I'm not."

"You aren't the God of the Lake?"

"Well, I am the one you folks call 'the God of the Lake', but just because you call me a God, it doesn't mean I really am one."

"But... But you've been living here for five thousand years, or more. Isn't that so? And you are the one who drove the demon away, are you not?"

"Yes, I am. I have divine blood in my veins, Kane, but I'm not a God."

"A semi-God, then?"

"No. My grandfather is the Sun God. He gave birth to my father, with a mortal, so my father is a semi-God. Then my father, with an undine, gave birth to me. So, I'm lower in hierarchy than even a semi-God, but still a true immortal, bound by their laws."

"Oh... I see. Or I think I do."

"And that's why, my dear Kane, you cannot kill me. This is why you came here. Isn't it?"

He asks this so softly and smiles at me so innocently, that I can't feel any threat. If anything, a little shame.

"Yes," I admit. "So, you can read my thoughts?"