Three gifts
"Mr. Belling, wait!" Josh snapped out of his thoughts and turned to look back. A beautiful young woman was running towards him, her hands holding her dress as she ran. The dress, a rich shade of deep blue, had lace along its high collar and cuffs. Her bodice was snug, accentuating her waist, with tiny pearl buttons running down the front. A shawl was draped over her shoulders, slipping slightly as she ran, revealing the puffed sleeves that marked her attire. Beneath her skirts, petticoats rustled, and her heeled boots crunched against the gravel path. Her bonnet, tied with a satin ribbon under her chin, framed her flushed face, while a few rebellious curls escaped, bouncing around her face. Josh immediately recognized her; it was Judith, his friendly neighbor.
"Oh, hey, is something the matter?" Josh asked Judith, who had reached him and was panting heavily, her face flushed. Judith nodded and raised a hand at Josh. After she had somewhat regained her composure, she looked up at him and answered, "You did not respond when I greeted you just now, and also I heard you coming in late last night, but the manner in which you opened your door was strange, so I thought I should ask if you have lost your key?" Judith spoke, her voice soft, but there was also worry in her tone. Josh face-palmed and grinned like an idiot.
"Oh, about that, I'm so sorry. My mind was plagued by stress. Oh, and about last night, yeah, I think I was just super drunk, so I must have used force against the door instead of using my keys. I apologize deeply if I made you lose sleep." Josh lied, and he too could see that Judith was somewhat not buying into his story, but so what? Shaking her head, Judith assured him that she was okay, albeit worried about him.
Judith left him and headed for Brookside. Brookside is a middle-class neighborhood with townhouses and small parks. That is where Judith worked as a cook for the Dotmon family, a middle-class family desperately trying to move to the upper class. Her boss, Davin Dotmon, was a power-hungry maniac who would do anything for wealth. Josh stared as the young woman left, and he resumed walking towards the Dockside. The Dockside, being located by the river, was one of the busiest places around, all because of the fish markets and the shipping yards. But Josh's destination was the fish market. Fish there was way cheaper because of the high competition, so he would get many fish for half the actual price.
Josh walked quietly, his thoughts still on the words spoken by the old man. The streets were busy, and most people were engaged in their daily activities. On certain corners, law officials could be seen scouting. Seeing them always reminded him of where he had started back then, before he was recruited into the royal task force. He too was a low-ranking official trying to climb up the ranks. Funny how his dream became his worst nightmare. If only he had stayed a low-ranking official, maybe things would have been better. Suppressing those thoughts, he shook his head with a smile and started to appreciate the beauty of the land.
As soon as he stepped into the fish market by the Dockside, he was assaulted by the stench of fish. The stench was so bad he could almost taste it. The loud voices of the sellers trying to get customers to buy their products could be heard all over. Fish of different sizes and colors could be seen everywhere, but Josh had his own supplier: a former friend who failed to become a law official, Simon.
After minutes of navigating his way through the swarm of people, Josh found himself standing in front of a familiar stand. A handsome young man with a receding hairline was also shouting to attract customers, and he did not notice Josh standing in front of him. Josh stood there in silence, waiting for the young man to finally notice him. It wasn't long before that happened. Simon was now exhausted from the yelling, so he bent down to drink some water. But then his eyes met Josh's. Josh had a small smile as he stared at Simon. Rolling his eyes, Simon clicked his tongue.
"How long have you been standing there, you drunk idiot?" Simon asked with a smile of his own. Josh chuckled and shook his head before answering, "An hour or two. I really enjoy the sight of a drop-out screaming." Josh's answer seemed to hit a spot. Simon shook his head and started taking out the fish he usually reserved for this friend of his.
"Here you go, no need to pay, pal." Simon smiled. Josh, who was about to take out three silver coins to pay, momentarily stopped. Simon always told him not to pay, but he insisted on paying; his friend was running a business, so he had to show him support. Taking out the three silver coins, he paid and took his fish. Bidding farewell to his friend, Josh left. Simon stared at his back as he left and smiled, shaking his head softly.
...
A few days passed with Josh taking care of the old man. In the past few days, the old man's condition seemed to deteriorate. He would only wake up to eat and drink water; after that, he would be fast asleep without saying a word. Josh patiently took care of him, and he had also reduced his drinking habits, having found something to do. But today, the old man was awake much earlier than usual, and also his skin was paler than usual and cold. Josh dipped a cloth in warm water and pressed it gently on the old man's forehead. These past few days, he had unknowingly grown attached to this injured old man. Taking care of him helped him calm his thoughts, and a part of him wanted to see him become healthy again, but it seemed like things would not go the way he wished they would.
A cold, trembling hand touched his hand, stopping him. The old man looked at him with a warm smile and opened his mouth to speak, but then he started coughing. Josh immediately brought him a cup of water and helped him drink. After he was done, the old man spoke, "You have shown me kindness. You took care of me despite me being a total stranger. Yet you bathed me, fed me, and for that, I thank you." There was a short pause; the old man was still catching his breath. "And as a reward for your kindness, I will be leaving you with three gifts: Vision of the Past, the ability to see and experience past events as if they were happening in the present. Secondly, Whisper of Life, the power to communicate with and briefly animate inanimate objects."
As the old man spoke, two bright wisps of light came out of his mouth and right eye respectively, catching Josh by surprise. The two wisps floated in front of him for a short while, and then one shot into his eye and the other into his mouth. A warm sensation spread throughout his body, and Josh felt free. Unknown to him, his right eye was of a different color compared to his normal black eyes, and just below his eye, there was a short inscription. The same inscription was on his bottom lip. After a few minutes, Josh returned to his senses, and the inscriptions faded, his eye returning to normal. Staring at the old man, who had a calm look on his face, Josh frowned deeply and asked, "What have you done to me?" His voice sounded calm but was just hiding the fury he was feeling.
"I gave you tools to help you before you can acquire true power. Use these tools wisely, for they will be with you until you uncover the truth. I have gifted you gifts worthy of a god." The old man explained, but Josh did not understand what he was saying.
"Old man, what truth do you speak of? What true power do you speak of? Explain!" Josh snapped, raising his voice at the old man. But the old man seemed unbothered as he continued, "I'm almost out of time. You need to uncover the truth yourself. You have seen and fought The Blighted; you know that there is something coming. And because you had seen a glimpse of the truth, you were beginning to question the authorities, and they stripped you of your rank and blamed the deaths of your comrades on you. The blight is coming, and it's up to you to uncover the truth of its origin. Because you were kind, I'm trusting you with the key of life. Protect it at all costs. Return to the alley, and your gifts will help you discover where I left the key. Goodbye. After my death, they will come for you. You must now leave and embark on your journey. Let the light be with you." The old man spoke slowly, and with each word, it was as if he was aging rapidly. By the time he finished speaking, his body turned to golden dust, leaving Josh amazed, confused, shocked, and most importantly, worried.
Josh stood staring at the armchair where the old man had been seated. Eventually, he sighed.
[I'm never playing hero again, and you gave me two, not three, gifts, old man], Josh thought with a shake of his head.