Blood splattered on the ground.

"What...what is this?" A broad and muscular man was on his hands and knees as he stared down at the ground.

He was bright, almost golden. He had short hair as yellow as corn. His face seemed like it was carved from marble, with eyes as bright and golden as the sun itself. His body was a tower of muscles and a clear example of hard work. Without a single mark on his skin, except for a welt on his love handle.

"It is only a little pain." Glowing in light, a graceful woman walked up next to him, and placed a single hand gently upon his back. Slowly she rubbed her hand up and down, as if to console him. "A necessary side effect of your condition."

"What condition," he groaned as he tried to stand up.

Her hand pressed a little firmer on his back and kept him from getting up.

"Calm yourself my knight. You must ride with this wave, not fight against it," she explained.

"What condition?" He almost snapped.

She pressed down harder, and he grunted as her strength forced him to lie down on his stomach.

"I understand, you're confused." She said in a sweet, melodic voice. "But you must trust me. You were on the verge of death."

"I...yes. I can almost...why is it so hard to remember?" he asked as he slightly relaxed under her firm grip.

"I'm not surprised. You were mostly dead. Kept alive by nothing more than sheer willpower," she praised. "But of course, even a life-threatening wound like that in such a cursed place. Why, you wouldn't leave your goddess all alone because of something so small as that."

"Goddess?" he asked.

"Oh dear, was it even so bad that you've forgotten me?" she asked with clear worry as she knelt down beside him and started to gently stroke his head. "My poor knight. You've been through so, so much."

The knight rolled over onto his back. She made no attempt to stop him, and he looked up towards her face.

His eyes squinted as it seemed like her visage was literally pure light. Almost like looking directly towards the sun. Within no time, he averted his gaze, although with a frustrated scowl on his face.

"Why can I not see you?" he asked.

"Another question? You sure are curious today," she giggled.

"Humor me." he replied. "At least answer that if you will not tell me about what my condition was."

"But I did tell you," she said. "You were dying. That was your condition."

The knight started to sit up, but when he looked over at the goddess, he seemed to think better of it and lied back down.

"There are many ways to die. A sword to the chest, poison, drowning, being thrown into a volcano." he said. "So, there should be more to it than just dying in general. Not many just die of being dead itself."

"You're really fixated on this, aren't you?"

He let out a frustrated sigh. "My mind is full of questions. Everything feels odd, different, but yes. I would say knowing more about what got me into this situation is high on my list of curiosity."

She put a hand over her mouth and smiled warmly. "Your curiosity was always amusing to me. Even as a child you seemed so hungry for knowledge."

She stared down at him a moment and finally relented with a sigh. "Very well then. I suppose a little tale wouldn't do too much harm."

He immediately perked up.

"But," she interjected, "this isn't always how things will go. Some things are better obscured for your sake. Just trust me, and know I want the best for you."

"I..." He paused a moment as he seemed to think something over in his head. "Very well, I want to know, but I shall try and understand your need for secrecy."

She smiled again, and almost seemed to grow brighter, which forced him to turn from her even more.

"You don't know how much that means to me." She said, "Now, about your injuries. I suppose it is best if I start at the beginning."

She took in a deep breath. "You had gone out on a mission. There was a disturbance, a rumor of a world ending threat. You demanded to be sent out. So, I relented and let you go to protect the human world."

He tried to turn towards her again, but she was still too bright to look at her face directly. So, he shifted his eyes down to look at her knees. They were bright as well, but nowhere near as bad as her face was.

"Things went smoothly at first, but you discovered something in the castle that disturbed even you. I sensed your apprehension and tried to rush to your side. But wherever you were I could not reach you. There was a strange barrier that isolated you. If I had not essentially raised you, I doubt our connection would have been strong enough to let me even sense you inside there." She continued.

"Had that happened before?" he asked. "Something being able to cut you off from somewhere?"

"Like that one? No, never. There are many barriers lesser beings try to set up, but nothing like that." She explained.

The knight frowned and nodded as his eyes moved to her hands.

"So, you were all but cut off from me. I summoned all my strength, and tried to shatter the barrier, but I could not." She said, "I struggled constantly, but never made any progress. Which I suppose isn't too surprising, as my focus is on creation, healing, and light, not destruction."

"And that is what I am here for?" He interrupted.

"I'm sorry?" she replied.

"I act as your spear. I destroy because you cannot?"

She was silent for a moment as she smiled bitterly. "Yes, I suppose that is what you wanted to be, wasn't it?"

He cocked his head, but she didn't give him a chance to ask any questions as she continued her story.

"Eventually the barrier just fell on its own." She explained. "When I found the evil man dead, I assumed you had prevailed, and his death had broken the barrier. Yet, I could not find you."

"The broken body of a cruel murderer was at my feet, but you were nowhere to be seen. Strangely, our connection still felt just as weak, but it was enough. I followed it, and soon enough I found you. Collapsed on the ground with ice growing over your body. You were practically dead. I..."

TSS

A tear fell from her eye and hissed as it landed against the ground and instantly evaporated. "You were...and...and...I couldn't...I thought you would..."

She broke down sobbing, and it sounded like someone was pouring flicks of water directly onto red hot stones.

The knight sat up. He grunted and scrunched up his face as he bent his stomach, but he pushed through the clear pain. He reached out a hand and put it on her shoulder.

"It is fine." he said. "I understand enough. You do not have to continue."

Without a word, the goddess leaned forward, and wrapped him in a tight hug. "Thank you," she whispered.

And as the knight returned her hug, a cunning smile spread across her lips as her tears had completely stopped.

He let go of the hug and started to pull away. As he did, her smile turned to a frown, and she started to sniffle as a few tears started to flow again.

"I'm sorry I wasn't more help." she said.

He sighed and shook his head. "It is okay. I understand it is hard for you. But I honestly am having trouble remembering most things. I see glimpses, like of islands suspended in the sky. Something about fighting demons and angels? And the craziest monsters. Ugh, this is so frustrating! Like a word just on the tip of your tongue that you cannot quite grad ahold of."

"Well, maybe I can share a happier story?" She suggested. "Perhaps that could help?"

"Alright. We may as well try while I finish healing." he replied.

She perked up and grew very animated as she said, "Okay, so when you were still in diapers, you used to do the cutest thing! You would grab your teddy bear and..."