The house of Healer Gula fronted a large circular space in the middle of the village. A large bonfire was lit in the middle of the space. Blue flames rose from golden colored logs. It has probably another quest or something connected to it so I didn’t approach it. When I used to play role playing games, I would get really annoyed when there were so many side quests that stopped me from doing the main story. So, for now, I’d rather avoid all things that could sidetrack me.

Let’s just get this introductory storyline over with so that I could try out fighting and other things inside the game.

I stowed my spear in my inventory and gingerly stepped into the house of Healer Gula. I looked back at Little Pony and it just smiled and motioned for me to move forward. Looks like I’m going in alone.

The house had a low ceiling, compared to the hut of the Elder. It was very clean inside but you could see that everything was old. To one side was a wooden rickety table with four dusty square mats around it. Then I realized that it was for sitting! Of course, we wouldn’t be able to sit on human chairs.

I went over the table and saw that it was set up for two people. At least, there were two plates with food so I assumed two people lived here. Nice deductive skills, I thought sarcastically.

“Hello?” I called out. “Promising youngling here looking for Healer Gula?”

“Ah, young one,” a wispy voice said, like the stereotypical voice of a witch that has a boiling pot of cauldron tucked away somewhere. “Welcome, welcome. I have been expecting you.”

From a small dark corridor leading further into the house, a frail Mardukryon walked out. I’m going to hazard a guess that this one was female—it’s not like this was the real world where I could get crucified for being politically incorrect assuming the gender of people. She looked like those creepy grannies in movies. Add to that the fact that her skin was like burnt out charcoal. Above her was displayed . She had the same number of horns as the Elder but had no tusks. She was also small, even smaller than me. Were the males predisposed to grow larger?

“Hello. The elder said that I should go here.”

“Yes, yes. To hear the story of our people? Yes, you are at that age aren’t you?”

“Apparently. I got this horn growth already.”

The Healer moved forward, with her hand in front of her. Then I noticed that her eyes were sort of glazed over, sort of a crystalline texture. Was she blind?

“It is always good to have more younglings around,” Healer Gula said. “But most of younglings simply choose to stay on this mountain than venture out.”

“Is it because they are weak?”

“Aha, a self-assured youngster, eh? Maybe you’re the one needed by our people. But best not to get cocky.”

“Cocky,” I said. I grinned as I recalled that I have been called cocky before, but only once. “Unreasonably or excessively confident. But I’m not that kind of person, Healer Gula. I’m just sure that I’m better than a lot of people.”

Healer Gula let out a croaky laugh and rubbed her hands together. “We’ll see about that then…not that I can see!” She let out another laugh that was creepy and endearing at the same time. “Let us have a seat before I tell you what have been passed on to me.” She gestured towards the table and the mats.

I walked over the soft square and lowered myself, folding my feet beneath me. So the food was set up for me? How thoughtful.

“Let’s see. Where do we begin,” Healer Gula said. “Marduk, that’s the name of our ancestor god. Yes! We are descended from a god!”

“Marduk…Why does that sound so familiar.”

“Gods used to roam these lands. No lesser beings existed. Each one of the gods was capable of overturning ocean and mountains.”

I remembered where I have read about Marduk. Hammurabi, the exalted prince, who feared Marduk, the patron god of Babylon –that was in the preface of the Code of Hammurabi. Back in law school, I took up a subject about ancient law systems since they fascinated me. I did a report on the Code of Hammurabi. Just reading the introduction of the law, you could see that this Hammurabi guy thought highly of himself, just like me.

“Marduk, our forefather, was a being of solar power.”

“Like he’s a solar panel?” I mumbled, but Healer Gula did not hear me. If I remembered correctly, Marduk was some ancient word for solar calf. I looked down on my lower half. Maybe, just maybe, since I’m not an animal expert, my lower half was a bull?

“The gods looked upon the empty lands and thought to themselves that they should create lesser beings to live on these lands. And they did.”

That doesn’t seem to be the creation story based on the viewpoint of the Dalkanus. Maybe they created those early gods? I continued listening to her story while examining my lower body. I’m not really sure how to know if I’m a reverse minotaur or a centaur-like being.

“Animals and plants proliferated. Beings that could think like the gods were also created.”

“So we were created at that time?”

“No, no, no. We were made much much later. I don’t even know if those early creations of the gods are still in existence. Perhaps they have all died out?” Healer Gula said. “There were several waves of creations, different reasons for each. Eventually, the gods fought among themselves. From the deceased divine bodies of the fallen gods, new creatures arose. However, many creatures also vanished from the land due to the incessant fighting of the gods.”

“Let’s see. Marduk rose up to save the lesser creatures?”

“How do you know that? Have I told you this story before?”

“I just had a feeling he was a good guy.”

Healer Gula nodded her head. “Indeed, our ancestor Marduk cared for lesser beings. The primordial dragon goddess, Tiamat, defeated Marduk and exiled him into the frozen lands where there is only darkness. Tiamat sealed the solar power of Marduk until only a flicker remained.”

“So that’s why we look like charcoal.” Wasn't Marduk's power in Babylonian mythology lightning or something connected to storms? Yet, I'm sure that his name meant "solar calf." Maybe we have hidden lighting powers.

"Yes. In our hearts, only a fragment of the burning flame of Marduk remained. In his exile, Marduk met a creature of cold beauty, a goddess of ice."

I smirked. And then they banged, I thought.

Healer Gula said, "And from their union came the first Mardukryons. With the last drop of power our father had, he made sure that the Mardukryons could escape from the frozen wasteland whence he was exiled.

"However, another problem arose. The Ice Titans, angry that one of their kind had consorted with a fallen god, threatened to eradicate us, the evidence of their union. Our Ice mother pleaded with them to spare us. And they did."

"So, what's the catch?" I asked.

"They spared us but we were hidden away in various corners of this world."

"Like on top of this mountain?"

"Like on top of this mountain," Healer Gula repeated with a mournful look on her face. "Powerful monsters guard the path down this mountain. They are your first obstacle if you do search for the other Mardukryon tribes."

"I still don't understand. Why do I need to look for the other tribes?"

Healer Gula smiled while her unseeing eyes twinkled with glee. "You see..."

I can see but I don't think you can, I mused.

"...our great father Marduk divided his soul and hid the fragments inside of us. He didn't die in exile but he was able to escape through all of us. Thousands and thousands of years passed. Tiamat is long gone. Her sons, the Dragon Lords, have fought among themselves and killed each other. The Ice Titans have weakened and they no longer care about us. The monster guardians they created to hide us were left unattended.

"Those monsters even bred and made weaker offsprings."

"Like the Mirdabons outside?"

"That is correct, youngling. However, the Mirdabons don't really attack us, but deep inside them, their instinct to herd us remain. That is the reason why many of them are outside the village. It isn't a bad thing, actually. We have domesticated some of them and even eat them; they helped us survive this frozen wilderness."

I looked at the food in front of me. There was a piece of meat and some fruit on the side. Was this Mirdabon meat? Anyway, I should finish this story line. I asked Healer Gula, "So now is the time to unite the tribes?"

"Unite the tribes and combine the fire in our hearts to bring back our great father Marduk!"

[Quest Completed]

You have heard of your divine Ancestry from Healer Gula.

Experience +50

50? That's fair enough for a quest of doing nothing but listen to this granny. I stared at the food once again. What would a Mirdabon taste like? The Healer still wasn't touching her food. Could I start to eat my food? I shrugged my shoulders and sliced off a piece and ate it. It was slightly rubbery but it wasn't all that bad.

[Tip]

Eat food to keep your satiety bar full and your body in full working capacity. Various kinds of food will have different effects and temporary bonus that can help you in your endeavors. In rare occasions, food can provide permanent bonuses.

[Reward]

For your first time eating food: Vitality +1

"Neat." I closed the Tip and Reward prompt box. Another box appeared asking me if I wanted to turn off tips. What kind of dumbass am I to turn tips off? I unchecked the option and then asked the old Mardukryon, “Healer Gula, where do you get your food? I’m already starting to grow horns but I still don’t know how to look for food. If I go out in the outside world looking for other Mardukryons, I might run out of food.”

“You should learn how to hunt and forage, youngling. You can ask around. I’m sure that you can find someone to teach you,” Healer Gula said. “I don’t go out anymore because I can’t see and I am very weak. People give me food in return for my services of healing them and giving them advice.”

“Oh, that’s nice then.” I was about to stand up because I have already finished eating when Healer Gula continued talking.

“When my husband was still around, he used to hunt in these mountains although he was very old.” Healer Gula wiped a tear off from her eye. "He was a strong and brave warrior. He also tried to look for the other tribes but was gravely injured, which was the reason he returned here. He hunted for me until a Lord Mirdabon found him outside the village.

"To remember his memory, I always set food on the table for the two of us. The Elder wisely chose not to pursue the Lord Mirdabon for many Mardukryons would die before we could kill it. My husband is still unavenged up to this day."

I quickly placed the knife back down on the table. I was about to get another slice of the Mirdabon meat to see if there were other benefits. Two things. One, there are Lord Mirdabons roaming around that can kill adult Mardukryons. Two, I'm a monster for eating the food she set for her husband. Although she probably wouldn't know if I sliced a bit off, I felt guilty.

I'm not this kind of asshole. I'm an honorable asshole. I should do right by this woman.

"I'm going to call you GranGran from now on," I said to Healer Gula. "And I will avenge your husband!"

[Quest Updated]

Slay the Lord Mirdabon that killed Healer Gula's husband.

I groaned.

Fucking sidequest.