Believe it or not, yes.

Ren is a mostly plain man. He’s human, wearing logical leathers, a sword and dagger about his waist, a battered cloak around his shoulders. He’s got a strong grip and thick gloves that almost hide thick rings when I shake his hand. Despite the nature of his work, his demeanour was light, like he’s in his element, or playing it up for us. But looking into his eyes, an odd bright yellow, past the smile, the hand gestures, and the relaxing stance, was a flicker of something else that I’m not sure if I could trust.

I return Ren’s smile and look back at Eekaa, checking on her while they too shake hands. She’s also returning his smile, surprising him no doubt with a strong grip for her size, even despite the obvious muscles and tusks on display. She doesn’t show any sign of hesitation, grunting merrily at Ren’s attitude and greeting.

“You’re damn strong for even an Orc, no doubt protection for the cute one here!” He says, turning his attention back towards me. Blushing, I only grow redder as Eekaa goes back to holding me, nodding and waiting for me to respond.

“Yeah…” I get out.

Chuckling with the innkeeper a bit, Ren waves a hand, “I don’t mean it seriously, mind if I sit with you? I wouldn’t want to go without introductions, even this late.”

“Oh, uh, sure, right. I’m, Ituku Okami, this is Eekaa, I’m just staying to wait a few days for a few errands. What are you in town for Mister Aranthyu?” I ask, curious but not

“Nice to meet you both. Please, don’t hesitate to just call me Ren. It’s much easier. I’m actually a traveller of sorts. My business means I can work wherever I really want so I thought I’d pop in to stay for awhile, since of course, I have many friends around here.” He says, slipping a golden coin to the innkeeper, to which he nods and departs. A valediction muttered from all of us later, he disappears into the bar’s backroom, likely to retire for the night.

“Anyway,” Ren continues, “You’re an interesting lady, and your partner doesn’t talk much, sounds to me like a prime crowd to tell some tall tales to, wouldn’t you agree?” His eyebrows raised, we barely had much of a choice, lest we go to bed already.

Looking to Eekaa, and then back to Ren, I answered for the pair of us. “Well, we aren’t a pair of squeamish ladies, we’ll hear it, what’ve you got Ren?” I ask, the curiosity sparked in me.

“Well I have a great number of tales from some very distant lands, why don’t we start off with my favourite? The time I met a man who claimed to be nothing less than a devil.” Ren returned, the implicit question already answered, his fingers wriggling in the air as if bewitching us to listen, and so listen we did.

“There was once a man I met, his name foreign, a mister ‘Dar Frey-shutz’ I think he mentioned. He, along with myself, were hired to protect a herd of cattle at night, for at the end of each day it would be assailed by a new enemy. The owner had seen to protecting it himself after the first night. At first it was his own company, driven mad somehow. the next night, the winds themselves had taken another cow. The night after, a pair of northern wolves tried to swipe a beast. Each night the owner brought himself out and dealt with the issue, killing the wolves, locating the cattle in a river an hour’s ride away, consoling the men who were mad. And it happened again, a fourth night, but the owner, for whatever reason, had fled for his life. He came barging into the tavern we were in. And with all his money, he requested that anyone willing should go. To quote him, he said,” Ren paused, getting up slightly to act out the owner in the story. He cried out, “THERE BE A BEASTY. ONE OF IMPOSSIBLE STRENGTH. I HAVE ESCAPED WITH MY LIFE BUT,” Ren leaned in towards us, whispering, “do not dare to think it was anything but luck! My cattle have been slaughtered, my life sundered. Oh please I beg, end this misery.” Ren leaned back out.

“And so we did! The two of us stood up, one another on each end of the bar. I told him not to worry, for I would lend my skilled hand to him. It would be over tonight is what I had said. Mister Frey-shutz, whispers from across the room,” Ren’s voice drops to a creeping whisper on the quiet night. ‘I too, can guarantee that much.’ That’s all he said! And the man? Well he took us up on the spot, handing us an even amount of gold each immediately, his hands were quivering while he sorted the coins!”

“So, the two of us set out, and we find this herd of cattle in the dead of night, and with a lantern each, we saw only one thing. Each beast had been torn apart, as if from the swipe of a might bear, or the largest wolf. These were large cows no less, strewn about like sticks on a forest floor. I was shocked. I have seen very little like it in my life, and definitely nothing like this, but Mister Frey-shutz? He just urged us on. He took the weapon from his back, and he told me, in that creepy wisper, and I quote ‘this is a beast worthy of my hunt. Mister Renfos Aranthyu, it would do you best to stay near me. For with the weapon on my hands, nothing stands in my way, and no beast survives the hunt. This will end tonight.’ I was amazed. Awestricken really.”

“Here was a man who just claimed to be able to stop, dead in every sense, the monster that had done this. For it could only be a monster. Safe to stay, I did not leave that man’s side. He also said this, once I had regained my sense and we started tracking the beast. ‘Mister Aranthyu, you are a brave man for not running, tonight you will witness my power, the power of a devil. Do not allow yourself to become like me, for it ends only one way. In ****. Do you understand?’ He was something of myth that man, and to be asked a question like that, well, I do not believe I could ever have an answer.”

“Regardless, we carried on, two men marching toward a beast. We trekked for around two hours, before finding distant signs of what we were after. Snuffing our lanterns, we advanced and found it. In a shaded tree, stricken by a lack of moonlight and within a depression on the ground, a beast larger than this tavern. It was decorated with ritual talismans and feasting on no less than three cattle, with half a pack of wolves at its side. Among the monster were faces, as if it were made of people, the horn of an orc here, the scales of a kobold there and the face of a human stretched across it’s back. Truly, I could never have imagined a more fearsome creature. The oddest thing though? A single horned man was standing to the side, a staff in his hand, and robes across his body, fire lighting him up in a red glow.”

“Where was the fire coming from you must be wondering? None other than from between his horns. It was a true daemon, something I had thought was long extinct. Mister Dar Frey-shutz just stood there, gazing at them for the longest time. I of course, thought we should retreat, find a **** of those capable, and try to cut down the daemon. I was terrified, for no one has dealt with daemons in many years as far as I knew. They were meant to be extinct.”

“You are mad I had told him. I thought he was mad at least. He ignored me, raising his odd weapon to his shoulder and pointing it at the demon. There was a loud crack, something that could have been the sky itself tearing open. Beside me, Mister Dar Frey-shutz, exactly as he said, burned with the power of a devil. His weapon cracked again and again, and every time it did, one of the beasts went down. Like clockwork, the thing would crack and the daemon went down, then next the giant monstrosity, then next a wolf, and another, and another. It happened seven times, each time they would drop dead. It was something otherworldly. Truly, the power of the devil. I asked him if he would now turn to me, presumably to collect my soul or whatever it is devils do. He disagreed. He said he would do no such thing, for I was a brave man.” Ren said, shaking his head. The story, despite being insane, rung true to him it seemed.

“Wow.” I said. “You think a power like that really exists?” I questioned, absolutely amazed and yet terrified at the prospect. Even Eekaa was shocked.

Ren nodded. “He does. And what’s even more insane is what happens next!” He says quickly, sitting back down across from us, now that he had finished acting the tale.

He elaborated, “you see, I inspected the bodies. I counted them. I had heard seven cracks. Seven wicked blows. And yet only six bodies happened to be there. There were only four wolves, the giant, and the daemon, each with a large hole, punched as if by a large spear through them. Each only had one hole. With six bodies laid out, I started collecting proof.” Ren said, pulling out a necklace from under his shirt. On it was four wolf teeth, a piece of tusk, and a piece of dark horn.

“This is what I collected. Mister Frey-shutz talked to me as I collected it. He said it would not be necessary. I asked him then, what he meant, and the man, no the devil? Well he just smiled. He turned with that smile and walked back toward the town. I, of course, followed.”

“You see, I thought not much of it at the time, that he had handled the enemies each with the ease of the devil. I walked with him in silence then though, because I swear, if he had decided so, he could have killed me on the spot. A terrifying man he is. And when we got back to town? I found the most sickening thing of the night.” Ren said quietly.

“What, what?!” I exclaimed, eager to hear the story.

“The corpse of the man who hired us, dead at the town entrance.” Ren said, sending a dreadful chill down our spines. “A large spear like hole was in the middle of his chest. Noone, not a single soul in that town knew who he was either after that night, despite owning the land for his entire life. They had seen him barge into the tavern, I was sure of that much, and yet when I met Mister Frey-shutz to question him, he just put his hand up to quiet me, shushing me like a babe. He said, ‘I have ended the man’s misery, just as he asked, I have ended it in it’s entirety and with the grace of a god. Will you be a brave man? Or an alive one.’ That was enough for me to leave. I left that town that very same night, and I never wish to see that devil of a man ever again.” Ren finished.

Eekaa and I stare in shock. That was an amazing story. “No, that can’t be true. That’s terrible!” I say, looking at Eekaa. She just stares, looking between Ren and I.

“It’s true, I swear!” Ren says, holding up the necklace a little higher. “These are the collection of proof I have for those animals and monsters. And that town was a long way north, but it’s real! I wouldn’t be able to stay standing if I met him again, and I hope to the gods that no one ever requests his services again!” he exclaimed, a fearful tremor showing in both his voice and face.

Eekaa, finally breaking from her stunned reaction so far, clapped her hands a couple times, nodding toward Ren. “Wow…” She says, clearly amazed at both the story, and the way Ren told it. “…You, good… Very good...” She says, a sentiment I completely agree with.

“Wow,” I say, “and you have more stories like that?!” I ask, my perception of the world shifted irreversibly.

“Not many, but yes! The fantastical is both terrible and amazing, and I have had too many encounters for a lifetime!” Ren responds, leaning back in the chair and finding something to do with his hands, readjusting some straps now his exciting tale is over.

Eekaa gets up abruptly to shuffle out. “Wow. I sleep now. Amazing story.” She mutters, her eyes flicking from Ren to me. “Join?” she askes me.

Declining, I shake my head and give her a smile, “shortly, I want to hear more from Ren first. Won’t be long though, I’m sure.” Ren nods to her as she retreats back out and up to the rooms.

With Eekaa headed upstairs, I readdress Ren, “that’s some story you’ve got, I still can’t believe it actually. It’s definitely fantastical. Magical even. I’ll have to listen to your other stories another night. I have something to ask.” I say, apprehensive, but mildly determined to ask him about my situation.

Ren perks up, surprised. “Oh?” He says, shifting forward to lay his hands on the table.

I leaned in then, serious in the aftermath of that barely believable tale. “I have an issue. It should have affected you, but I don’t know why it didn’t. I’m thinking it’s a curse. I'm hoping you know something about curses?”