Right, more chapter of, really, nothing happening. I think this chapter was born out of a pet peeve when reading stories, or fanfics, where it says something happened that could have been explained upon. Like, MC talked to Person A and a situation happened that's explained in a single sentence. So, instead of me saying 'At the end of Thane's training, I talked to Alya and she had even agreed to train me after, of course, Thane said I was good enough'. I didn't want to write that, so there I sort of expanded on it. Next chapter will probably be a time skip, and a lot better writing-wise so, yeah.

Also, got Darksiders Genesis for Christmas so attention is gonna be on that, not this for a little bit.

Eideard hummed, stroking his beard before he sighed mournfully.

"I hoped to try and stop you, maybe talk you down, to try and live amongst us." He bent down and stared straight into me. "However, I know the fire of vengeance, I have lost many friends and family. It will consume you, turn you into something that you'll hate in the end, but I also know it is a leash, one that will not be broken by simply living."

"Then you know that I plan to go back to Earth. Even if I cannot find survivors like me, then at least I can make the demons and angels pay." My words were firm, strong and angry. "They burned my world, my people."

"I will say the majority of the angelic host did not go to Earth. Only the Hellguard went to fight." Eideard explained.

"That did not excuse their war." I retorted. "My race didn't deserve it, we didn't even know about it until the war came to us."

"It was your war."

"What do you mean?" I frowned at the elder's words.

The Maker was silent, closed as if remembering an old story. "When the Kingdoms of both Heaven and Hell were born, they have fought in an endless war. When the Kingdom of Man was born, the Charred Council, a governing body charged by the Creator to keep balance in the war between Heaven and Hell. The Council proclaimed that Humanity will be integral to the balance, so Heaven and Hell were forced into a ceasefire until Humanity was able to stand on equal footing between the two. When the ceasefire was made, seven seals were forged, and when all seven were broken. The Endwar would begin, one final war - and if one side tried anything to gain an advantage before Humanity was ready. Then their enforcers, the Four Horsemen, would come down with justice in their heads and the Charred Council's wrath in their weapons."

I was quiet, words flashed through my head, trying to escape through my mouth but were rendered silent when they found the exit that was my mouth. Eyes widened at the story, searching Eideard for any indication of a lie.

"B-But we weren't ready, hell, why weren't we told?"

"From what I understand." Eideard said. "And from your knowledge of Angels and Demons, you must've had some indication of the Endwar."

I paused as his words connected something in my mind. "Judgement Day, damn it."

"We cannot stop you if you want to go down this road." Eideard said, his hand resting against my shoulder, pointing just how much he dwarfed me. "All I can say is, do not let vengeance and hate lead you to become the thing you despise."

Eideard's speech was cemented in my mind and I agreed with a nod. Though I couldn't help but feel my journey would be intertwined with that statement.

'Maybe I will become what I despise in the end. A monster, but if I avenge my people and kill all those who insult their memory. Then I would gladly become one.' My words weren't given to Eideard, I didn't want to worry him or make the elder want to be concerned about me more than he was.

"The Charred Council didn't do a good job then. If my people are driven to extinction, then this 'balance' is destroyed."

"It's complicated." The Maker said. "The Charred Council, alongside those that saw the Apocalypse of your world, deem the Horseman, War to be responsible for starting the battle preemptively."

Hearing Eideard, the question sprung from my mouth. "And did he?"

Silent for a moment, the Maker said. "I do not know, it is a strange situation. Only when the seventh seal was broken did the Four Horsemen ride. And yet none of the seals were broken, Angel and Demon fought, and in the middle, was War himself."

"So either War did not cause my race's death and was framed, or he did cause my people to die. A fifty-fifty chance?"

Eideard must have felt my annoyance brew as he spoke quickly after me. "I know, human. Personally, in my heart and mind. I do not think he did. Out of the four, War is the most duty-bound and honourable of the four. To think he would cause the Endwar, I find it difficult to believe, but the Charred Council now have him locked away. To the rest of creation, this is damning evidence."

Locking War's name in a mental list, we walked back towards the garden, the path was filled with stone slabs and a gorge on either side, nature combined with morphed stone gave it a feeling of timelessness.

"I have a question if it's alright to ask." I turned to face Eideard.

"It is alright, human, ask."

"Why are you called Makers?"

"What do you think?" I was met with a small smile. His own question wasn't with condensation, but with earnest tone as if a teacher to a student.

My browser furrowed and my quick response was another inquiry. "But what do you make?"

Eideard continued to face forward when he answered. "When we were at our highest, Makers travelled the realms and built cities, weapons, armour. Even laid the foundations for worlds, a few could even create life from specks of essence, thought and discipline."

I stopped, though Eideard didn't, his words stumped me.

"We are an old race, before Heaven and Hell, even I am older than the Charred Council." Eideard started. "And I have helped craft many worlds, though now my hands have not felt the touch of the forge for...a long time."

"Can you teach me to...make?" I didn't know how to phrase it but it got the point across.

This time, Eideard did stop. His hand waved through the white, long beard and the elder's eyes narrowed at nothing.

"Let Thane get a grip on your capabilities tomorrow first. Then, maybe and that is a 'maybe', I will allow you to be a student of the Makers." Eideard then looked up at the garden." For the time being, the garden will be your bed. Please be careful of the plants and greenery when you're there. Rest for the remainder of the day and Thane shall start your training."

With that said, Eideard walked away and I found myself looking up at the stairs to the garden. Silently walking up, I couldn't help but wonder why Eideard wanted to help me without much complaint or argument. He said that he knew what vengeance was like, how it consumed you and how it was a 'leash'. So, why wouldn't the Maker try to stop me? Maybe out of solidarity, I did see only a handful of Makers left after all, or maybe obligation as the literal oldest person in sight towards, maybe, the last human in existence.

Reaching the top, I spotted Muria tending to the garden, a glow of green and blue shining from her hand, pointing towards a section of plants. The same combination of colour erupted underneath the flora, the light show ended with a small flash and Muria collapsed against her branch with a painful, breathless groan.

Without thinking I rushed over. "Muria! You alright?"

Muria took a breath and turned to face me. Now that I stood two feet from her, and with no shame clouding my thoughts, my mind was just overwhelmed at the height of the Makers. They all easily stood well past the ten-foot mark: Eideard, Ulthane, Alya, Thane, Karn, and Muria all made me feel like a child just by existing.

I mean, I was the same height as Muria's legs.

Looking up was hard as the ache in my neck was forming and even getting the opportunity to stare at Muria's chest was becoming less and less worth it.

"I am alright, human. Just tired from trying to help the plants grow." Muria said, a hand indicating towards the greenery as she stood more steadily.

Giving the plants a side-eye, I said. "Don't you just need sunlight and water?"

Muria shook her head. "Not these ones. These are special herbs that can help with healing and other properties. Simply applying water and letting them stand in the sun will not do anything."

With the small lesson in botany now over, it became a bit awkward for me. After all, being alone with someone, that is effectively a stranger, was hard for me to start a conversation with.

"S-So...what are these plants called?" I asked, walking over to them, even holding a massive leaf gently over my palm.

"I do not believe there is a word that means anything, but these specific ones are called 'Myrbelle'," Muria said, now stepping towards the plant, she reached out to caress a leaf of her own. The Maker's hand easily made the leaf look normal in contrast to my own.

As I scanned the leaf, I found it ethereal. The ends of the plant seemed to glitter in the sunlight as if made from faint green crystals that matched diamonds in quality. "They are beautiful." I breathed out.

"Indeed. Once crushed down into a liquid, they are an effective treatment for nullifying pain."

"Oh, like Aspirin," I concluded easily.

"Aspirin?" Muria asked. A turn of her head showed that I grabbed her attention.

"Yeah, a painkiller on Earth, it relieves pain but doesn't actually take away the cause of it. That would be what Antibiotics are for, those are used to help fight viruses and infections." I told the Maker, somehow, enjoying it when I spoke to her.

"Intriguing," Muria said, her voice constructing a tone of eagerness. "Tell me more."

And I did.

The talk wasn't long, I didn't know all that much about what went into making pills and healing, only what they were called - but as I talked with her, retelling all the methods I knew, and felt my heart beat quicken. It was not like before when talking to Him, a feeling of fear and determination, my heart felt light, as if fluttering through the sky.

The next day was quiet, like yesterday. Sun shining, the green grass waving and grey mountains standing, the blue sky gleaming and white clouds floating overhead.

You wouldn't have been able to tell it was a different day unless you saw its beautiful night and sunrise.

"You ready, lad?" Thane's voice boomed.

I answered. "Yes." And immediately flung myself backwards as his axe swung towards my head. Immediately I failed as I landed on my back with an axehead resting not even an inch from my neck.

"Dead." Was Thane's response. Hard and straight to the point.

I nodded, knowing why he attacked with no provocation. I've watched films and read books that had a protagonist going through the same situation.

Though I couldn't help but quip. "What? Can't warn a guy?"

Thane's silent stare was a clear enough order. He pulled the axe away and let me stand. Once I did, the Maker started again, attacking me with swings and grabs - his weapon singing like a whistling bird when it passed me by. Maybe, because of video games and movies, I felt fighting was different before, but after the literal end of the world and the sensations of my training with Thane, let's just say my thoughts on fighting were changed.

Thane was relentless, my moves were sloppy and I nearly got nicked more often than not. I imagine Thane looked slow and lumbering, like an enemy in a video game but to me, a guy who hadn't trained, who hadn't even been in a fight, Thane moved like lightning.

Of course, my first minute of training ended with me on the ground, a sweating, wheezing wreck.

"That really all you got?" Thane asked, now acting like an Earth drill instructor. "The Pup could last longer when he was child!"

Looking to the right, I saw said 'Pup' sitting against the wall. The youngest Maker nearly popped with pride as he puffed his chest outwards.

"Look at me boy!" Thane continued and another swing ended up forcing me to roll with desperation. Of course, that only led to Thane pushing his massive boot on my chest - covering my whole torso. "This piece of utter failure you call a body is your biggest weakness! In fact, I'm surprised you survived a month on Earth! I would've believed it if you begged the demons for some food, and you would have given them your soul in a heartbeat, you look pathetic!"

When he lifted his limb off of me, I coughed harshly just to try and balloon my organs back into their proper shape.

"Take a break, human! Karn! Come here! Human, pay attention to our movements, maybe you'll learn something!"

His order was one I followed without complaint. I knew Thane didn't mean those words, after all like I said, he's a drill instructor - and I did ask for training.

Watching Thane spar with Karn was night and day compared to me. With me, Thane was slow and gentler but with Karn, Thane was fast and devastating. His battleaxe met Karn's hammer with thundering clanging and grunts of exertion from both Makers.

Checking myself for any cuts, I found myself surprised to find none. My skin didn't feel sensitive to the wind or my exploring fingers. The tears in my shirt and trousers were still open, with a few new ones thanks to Thane.

"Maybe I need new clothes." I muttered.

"Oh, I apologise, human." Thane's voice was like a sledgehammer to my body, as I froze with adrenaline shooting through me a second time. "Are we boring you?"

I snapped to face Thane, replying instinctively. "No, sir!"

"Then pay attention!"

Once his demand was done, he walked back and continued sparring with Karn. Now completely focussed, after the dressing down from Thane, I studied their movements. Yeah, I probably won't face an opponent that's the same size and weight as me, but actually seeing two warriors clash, even in a sparring fashion, was enough to let me get a handle in how they moved.

Watching the two fight, you could tell Thane was the better fighter. Even if you didn't know them and both wore helmets, freshly made armour and weapons. It was the way they moved, Thane struck when needed too, parried more than he swung, and even moved out of the young Maker's range. Karn was indeed the more inexperienced. His moves grew more and more tired and desperate, waving his hammer wildly practically in no time at all and sweat formed on him.

Thane moved quickly, with a single flash of his axe, Karn's weapon flew from his grip and clanged against the ground with a thundering howl.

"Enough, take a break, Karn. Grab your weapon for any marks and get them repaired at Alya's forge." Thane commanded. Karn did so at a pace close to a snail's before Thane turned to me once again. "Human! Let's go again, and this time, I expect you to last five minutes!"

I gulped and thought that maybe, just maybe, asking to be taught by the Makers was a bad idea in hindsight.

I groaned as I rolled my shoulder lightly, having landed on it during the day's training. Thane was a workhorse, driving both Karn and I into the ground. Yet, I was happy, even if I limped back to Muria's garden.

"Uh," Karn moaned, using his hammer as a walking stick though a bright smile was on his lips. "Thane's a slave driver, true, but he does care, human."

"I know, Karn. I know." I said with a nod. "Just...I've never been in a fight, not even trained for one."

"What?" Karn turned his head like a puppy. "Then what did you humans do?"

"Well, loads of things." I said. "Working on a variety of jobs pertaining to what we wanted to do, or what our families did, or we had no choice but to do that job. Some people focused on cooking, the military, being a musician, and bringing the latest gossip and news to people." I informed him, still hobbling towards the garden.

"'News'?" Karn asked, a frown of confusion on his face.

"Oh, uh. Reporting the latest information to the rest of the area."

Karn was silent for a moment. "Sounds boring."

Shaking my head at the answer, the clanging of metal on metal caught my ears, and the sparks of embers tore my eyes from Muria's garden.

"Ah, I see even humans find the music of the forge beautiful."

Raising an eyebrow at Karn's words, my feet moved before I realised even what happened. Karn followed, as I could see a few scraps and pieces missing from his hammer, which told me he had to go to the forge anyway.

The forge area looked no different than Muria's garden, just no greenery and the sense of calmness replaced with the passion of fire and the smell of metal wafting through the air.

Alya and Valus were there. The brother hammered away at a piece of molten metal held by a sword hilt, and the sister drank from a bota bag while sweeping her forehead with an arm. When she finished drinking, she caught us walking towards the forge and smiled. "Ah, Pup, and I see you've brought the human with you as well."

"Aye, Alya." Karn greeted. "Thought I would say the little one came of his own accord. Humans can't resist the forge either."

Alya chuckled and moved to face me. "You looking for any work done, human? Can't say me or Valus have worked on something as small as you."

"Oh no." I said, waving the assumption away. "I was just wondering about something."

Alya nodded and leaned against the wall. "Well, I can try and answer." The Maker then spoke to Karn. "I'm sure Valus can help repair that hammer of yours, Pup."

"Thanks, Alya." Karn then stepped into the direction of the working Valus.

Once Karn was out of ear shot, I asked Alya something. "Why do you call him 'Pup'?"

This got another chuckle from her. "Oh, it's just a name in jest. He is the youngest of us after all. Now, what did you want to know?"

I breathed for a moment. "Uh, Eideard said something about how 'Makers' can, well, make anything. Is that true?"

"Oh indeed." Alya nodded with a smile. "Eideard isn't some old man lying for attention. Many of the eldest Makers created Heaven's and Hell's cities, fortresses and the many weapons and armour throughout creation."

Seeing an opportunity, I immediately asked a question. "Can you teach me?" A feeling of trepidation clawed its way into my sternum, as if I knew that she would say no.

Alya paused but for only a second. "I would wait until your training is good enough for Thane first, then ask Eideard if you can apprentice under me."

No more words were spoken, and I left with a skip in my limp.