Chapter Text
Your name is Jade Harley. Jade, for the color of your eyes, and Harley, inherited from a grandfather who you just met, again, a decade after his tragic death at sea. You are sixteen years old.
You had a good cry after he left with Aradia, then went through the teleporters to get your adventuring gear. Grandpa gave you the coordinates to a place where he’d hidden a box, probably some kind of heirloom or helpful device inside. You’re not going to disappoint him, and you don’t have much time to spare — you are going to ascend to godhood in just a few days after all — so you need to head out right away!
It’s a beautiful day in Libra. You pause a moment at the doorway to the grassy knoll on which your home stands to appreciate the sea breeze and the sunshine and the calls of birds. It’ll be up to you and your friends to recreate this once you’re all gods.
Heart beating fast and breath full of purpose, you check the straps of your pack, then set off to find your grandfather’s buried treasure.
There’s a small clearing in the jungle. You never would have looked at it twice, if you hadn’t known something was here. Yet as you stand at the spot, you can’t help but notice that the ground looks recently disturbed. You would have written it off as Bec burying a treat or toy for later — he does that a lot, the silly boy— but…this is the spot. Grandpa’s spot. Why does it look like someone dug here recently? Like, sometime in the past day, recently. The soil has been patted down, deliberately, in an attempt to hide the disturbance, but it’s — it’s such a sloppy job. You don’t know what to make of this.
Well, might as well see if there’s anything there. You take the collapsible shovel out of your pack and get to digging. The soil is soft and easy to spade out, until your shovel hits something hard.
Wow, it’s still here? You clear the soft soil away from the object with your hands, revealing a small wooden chest, a bit smaller than a breadbox. There’s no lock. Breathing hard, you open it.
Inside the box are two antique flintlock pistols, in perfect condition.
What? Guns? Why would Grandpa leave you these? It doesn’t make any sense.
You frown. Something here is wrong. You don’t understand. You sit down on a nearby tree root, considering. Your grandpa, in his last few remaining moments with you, made certain you would find these weapons. But he knew you had a rifle. He knew what a good shot you are, since you demonstrated for him on your shooting range, while he was here. But why would he be so desperate for you to have these guns in particular?
You inspect the guns. No bullets, no powder. Nothing in the barrel or the pan.
And, if your eyes are not lying to you, if someone went to the trouble of digging up this box before you got here, why didn’t they take the guns? Why did they put them back and fill in the hole and try to hide the evidence?
Who else would even know the box was here?
You feel cold. You don’t like it. There are only a few people in this universe who could know what your grandfather told you earlier today. They’re all gods.
You look at the pistols. You take a deep, shuddering breath. In. Out.
The pistols go into your pack. After a moment, you add the box, too.
The sun is low on the horizon by the time you return home. Fef is waiting. “Did you find what you were looking for?” she asks.
You smile for her. “Yep!” you reply. “Grandpa left me these old guns as heirlooms! I’ll put them in my room.”
You start to leave for the teleporter, but Fef calls to you. “Jade,” she says. “Before you go… I have a gift for you as well.”
“Oh?” you turn to face her.
The goddess nods, and smiles at you. The sharp points on her teeth have never bothered you, no more than Bec’s do. “Oh, Jade,” she says. “I’m so proud of how you behaved with J- with your grandfather, today. You’ll do amazing things in the Game, I just wish I could be there to see them.” She holds out her hand, and dangles a small, drawstring bag. “Someone else can, though.”
You take the bag, and open it. Inside are a set of small, yellowed human teeth.
“Uh, Fef? Are these my baby teeth?”
Fef’s smile doesn’t change, but her eyes turn sad. “Not yours. They’re for the kernelsprite, but try not to use them until the second prototyping, after you enter the Medium. You’ll see why.”
“Thank you.” You know she means well.
That night, your mind is spinning too fast for sleep to come. You don’t think it was Fef who dug up the box. And if it was Aradia, she would have done it ages ago, and not left any marks of her presence. Who else would have done it? And why? Just to make sure what your Grandpa left was safe? Did they not trust him?
“Wuf.” It’s Bec. He teleported silently into your room, maybe sensing your disquiet.
You reach over and tangle a hand in his fur. “Good boy,” you whisper. “Best friend.” He’s a good dog. You trust him completely.
But you’re starting to question, for the first time, who else you can trust.