Vars opened the door slowly so as not to wake William from his nap. "What story should I tell?" he thought, closing the door. "I should probably find someone to even tell stories to first... It doesn't have to be a crowd. It's mainly to pass time and get to know the people better."
Vars walked the street until he found a store with some long benches arranged side-by-side. He took up a seat and waved at the shopkeeper.
"Hello. What do you sell here, friend?"
Guso, who had his back turned to the front of the shop, abruptly spun around and, just as he was about to speak, paused as if the words had melted in his mouth. He gave Vars a curious gaze, even raising an eyebrow.
"Do I have something on my face?" Vars asked, shaking his head a little and ruffling his hair.
Guso suddenly spoke after some deliberation. "You're the guy that dictated that awesome—what did you call it? A tale, I think!" He came out of his shop.
Vars smiled warmly. "Thank you. I'm really happy you liked the tale so much."
"Liked?! No—I loved it! It was so good to listen to! I couldn't even tell how time passed. It was like I was with Cinderella, seeing all the events of her life unfold. I haven't felt that excited since I was a kid!" he said, sitting opposite Vars.
"Jackpot," Vars thought.
"Do you want to hear another one?" Vars asked, smiling smugly.
Guso, who was about to say something, stopped in his tracks again and looked wide-eyed. "Really?! But it's just me here..."
"So? Tales don't need a crowd. They can be enjoyed by any number of people."
"Then... absolutely! Please tell me. I could probably boast about it to Joe and the other villagers—bet they'll be jealous!" Guso said happily.
But just as Vars was about to begin, a booming voice cut through the momentary silence. "Guso! Give me some milk! Preferably a cold glass!"
Vars turned his head and saw a tall man with a bulky build walking up. He was completely bald but had a mighty orange mustache. He wore a simple shirt and full trousers. His toned body was clearly visible even beneath the cloth.
"Old man Bosto, as lively as ever! Just a second," Guso said, walking back into his store. He returned with a big glass filled with milk, handed it to Bosto, and sat down at the table again.
Bosto drank the milk in record time, set the glass down with a satisfied expression, wiped his milk-whitened mustache, and took a seat next to Guso.
"Who's this? I haven't seen you in the village... You an outsider?" he asked.
Every time Vars was asked that question, he was impressed by the villagers' memory. They could identify a person not from the village with a single glance. He wasn't sure whether it was their exceptional memory or the monotonous nature of their lives that gave them this ability.
"Yes, I am. Were you at the event held yesterday?"
"No. I'm getting pretty old, so I have to sleep early. Gosh, I miss my younger days. I could stay awake for nights on end and my body wouldn't budge!"
"You even forced me to stay up late with you. My parents used to scold me all the time and warn me to stay away from you! You knew that?" Guso said.
"Hah! Most people say that, but don't tell me you didn't have fun hunting the animals!"
"Well, I can't deny that. But I've found something much more fun that doesn't require anyone to put their life in danger!" Guso said, giving a smug smile.
"And what could that be? Tell me fast—you've got me interested now!"
Guso looked at Vars knowingly, and Vars took the cue and started.
"It's turning night... Maybe I'll tell a kind of spooky story," he thought.
"The title of this tale is 'Little Red Riding Hood'. In a small village far away, with big forests and dark nights, a small girl was walking through the imposing greenery. Her name was Riding Hood; she was wearing a red dress and carried a basket full of food for her sick grandmother, who lived deep in the forest. She was happily walking, pleasantly humming to herself to fend off the unusual quiet of the forest."
"Why is a kid allowed to go into a forest alone? How careless are the parents?! What if anything happens to her?" Bosto asked, worriedly.
"Well, her mother is very sick, and the father is out on important work. They have walked the trail many times and trust Riding Hood to be safe on her own," Vars improvised.
"Still... it's very careless of them. You can never be too safe," Bosto said, calming down.
"Bringing food for her sick grandmother—Riding Hood seems like such a sweet young girl," Guso thought, forming a very warm impression of her.
"A wolf was also lurking in the forest at that time. He saw the girl and smelled the delicious food. Then he heard her murmur about her sick grandmother and how she would take care of and feed her. The wolf, sensing an opportunity, started searching for the house before the girl..."
"A wolf shouldn't be this intelligent... wait a second... Is he an Embodiment? Oh shit..." Bosto asked with a grave expression.
An Embodiment was something Vars would have had no idea about, but since he had talked to Venie about a lot of topics, he knew a little.
"You mentioned that Big Man Bosto takes care of any danger that may arise—could you tell me what animals or threats may be present?" Vars had asked Venie.
"Well, our town is on the plains and not many animals live here. There was a pack of wolves, but they were taken care of. Half were killed by the villagers and the rest moved out of the area since they couldn't find adequate prey. It's not really a good environment for predators. Animals like sheep or cows are immediately taken in by the villagers and added to their livestock. But... I don't know if I should tell you this, but there may be an Embodiment lurking somewhere," Venie said, shivering a little.
"What's an Embodiment?"
"I don't have much information on them, but Big Man Bosto told me they are highly intelligent animals. Animals can't become Full-Hearts; their hearts are not able to absorb or utilize energy in any meaningful way. Embodiments are thought to be something in between. I'm sorry—we don't really have concrete information on them," she said, looking down.
"It's okay, Venie. This information is already really useful," Vars said, reassuring her.
"But don't be worried. Although Embodiments are dangerous, they are very, very rare and haven't been seen in the village for thirty years," she added.
"Yes—the wolf was an Embodiment; however, it was also severely injured. It had gotten into a fight with a soldier who was chasing it. The wolf could have eaten the girl, but it knew her screaming could alert the guard who was searching for it. That's why it decided to go to the grandmother's house," Vars said, altering the story a bit.
First, he replaced the woodcutter with a soldier, as it fit better. Then he made the wolf an Embodiment. He had had the same questions and doubts as Bosto when he was a kid. "Why didn't the wolf just eat Riding Hood and the food? Why did he trick her by swallowing her grandmother and impersonating her?" he often asked people at the orphanage.
"I don't get paid enough to dissect children stories! And why does this 6 year old know words like 'impersonating'? Shouldn't you be inhaling crayons? " The staff would think shedding an few imaginary tears.
Once he got older, though, he deduced why. It would end the story with no meaningful conclusion. Telling the kids that Riding Hood got eaten would be too mundane and would stray from the fantastical nature of fairy tales like these in the first place... Wait why are we breaking down children stories here? Let's get back to the plot!
"This is turning more into a true-crime tale, but I like the improvisation I have to do. It's sharpening my skills. Improve is my strongest suit afterall." Vars thought as he continued to the now invested Bosto and Guso.