Lykaon

Chapter 1: Dancing With The Devil

I only remember the vaguest fragments of that day. Voices, faces, but never enough to understand what they meant. Trying to put the pieces together was like trying to remember a dream after you've already awoken from it. The memories seemed so near; right in front of my face, but I could only just graze them with my fingertips.

"Your mission is to neutralize both him and his son..." They said to me. "No one has ever seen their faces..."

Sometimes I remember replying to them, "Then how will I know who the targets are?" But other times I could've sworn I had said, "The boy too? He's only a child." Maybe I had said both, or maybe my mind was just playing tricks on me, there was no way of knowing. It was all a blur, a piece missing from an otherwise complete timeline.

The first thing I remember vividly, was opening my eyes, face down, in the middle of a field. The grass was wet with the morning dew as a gripped it in my hands. My clothes were ragged and I was dirty, as if I had not had a decent place to stay in quite some time. My head ached, my stomach turned. I quickly sat up and threw up on the ground next to me. I coughed it all out, as the pain began to clear.

I observed the landscape for the first time. I was in a very large field, a sheep herd was nearby. A thick layer of fog covered the ground like an endless cloak but I could see the outline of what appeared to be a village in the distance. The air was frigid, I could see my breath when I would exhale.

How did I get here? I questioned myself. I struggled to remember but something was blocking me mentally. If only I could recall where exactly I was, I may have been able to figure out where I had been headed. One thing I knew for sure was that my mission was of critical importance, though the memory of why it was so important eluded me.

I looked down at my right hand. The cloth wrap that always covered it had nearly fallen off, almost revealing what was beneath.

"Are you lost?" Someone said behind me.

I immediately jumped up and turned to face him, re-tightening the wrap on my hand as I did. "Who are you?" As soon as the words left my mouth I realized that my tone may have come off as threatening. I spoke again but in a much calmer manner, "Could you tell me where exactly I am?"

The man had a concerned look on his aging face as he replied, "I'm a sheep herder, those are my sheep over there." He pointed toward the herd I had noticed earlier, "As to where you are, to be precise this is my land, in the kingdom of Sheol. Where are you from?"

I hesitated upon replying, suddenly remembering a crucial detail, "It is vital that no one knows your identity or where you are from."

"Here and there, but I seem to have lost my way. I apologize for being on your land," I motioned over to the village in the distance, "What is the name of that village? I'm looking for someone who I heard was in this region."

The man glanced over his shoulder and tentatively stroked his graying beard, as if he was suspicious of something, "That is the village of Genisios. Does this person you are looking for have a name, by chance?"

I was just about to open my mouth and respond when I abruptly stopped and thought deeply. Who am I looking for? I couldn't remember that ever important detail, "I- I can't remember.."

The man's suspicious glare faded from his stormy gray eyes, as he realized I was telling the truth, "My name is Adam. I live in Genisios. If you wish you can stay in my home for the night."

I raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Just like that? How do you know you can trust me?" I questioned him.

Adam smiled, "I don't but I find that kindness is always the best policy. And if you wanted to rob me you'd be wasting your time because I don't own much, save for my sheep."