The girl recognized him.


    Ax walked over to her table. "Hey, I''m sorry to bother you, but... every other seat is taken. Can I sit here?".


    Her eyes showed that she was suspicious, but she didn''t want to be rude. She looked around, glancing at every table in the tavern.


    "Sure... I guess, have a seat. Also, do I know you?" She asked him as she looked him up and down, visually inspecting him and his sword.


    Ax noticed this and set his sword on the seat next to him and sat down across from her. "I may or may not have bumped into you, literally," he says as he gets comfortable.


    "Oh right, we bumped heads before. Literally." She says as her shoulders loosened and she sighed, she was relieved.


    "Did... I do something?" Ax asked, confused.


    "Oh, no. The first bunch of fellow humans I ran into were... let''s say... intolerant," she explained.


    "Speaking of which... you''re ALSO from Earth, right...? Like 2034 Earth without monsters, right?" he asked, genuinely hoping to find another normal person here who isn''t trying to kill someone at the moment.


    She almost laughed, but she covered her mouth; after gaining composure, she replied with


    "Yes, you should''ve seen the look on your face. But I get why you''d ask that. Most people here aren''t... your average... well," she said as she looked around at the fellow customers.


    "Oh my go- You have no idea how relieving that is. The last guy I saw who was a human, he wore a hockey mask and tried to beat someone to death with a baseball bat." He stated as his shoulders also loosened and he slightly hunched his back.


    "Oh, you met Baron then, my deepest condolences... but how? Heard he went missing trying to chase a guy who was after Medus". She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes widening in realization.


    "You were the one... weren''t you? Who cleared that section in Floor-0?" she asked, seeking confirmation.


    "Yeah, but... before we get into that..." Ax stopped the conversation halfway and looked at Valve, giving him a thumbs up. He nodded and sent over a waiter.


    A deep, dark-skinned woman wearing a tavern maid''s uniform walked up to them.


    "What would you guys like to have? Want me to list the menu?" she asked as she was ready to write onto a piece of paper.


    "A large griffin egg sandwich and some non-alcoholic Apple Ale," the girl answered.


    "And what will this gentleman have?" she asked as she looked at Ax.


    "I... whatever you recommend, I''m so hungry I could die," he answered.


    A smirk formed across her face, "Alright then... A drink as well?" she asked him again.


    "Uh, same as her."


    As she walked away, he looked back at the girl.


    "...that was Lyxian; she... never mind. You''ll figure it out. Where were we?" They went back to their conversation.


    ***


    Ax and she had a long conversation; Ax initially just wanted to talk about Medusa''s encounter, but the conversation kept shifting topics, from the doors to Ace and his other friends to even the band he was in and the way both of them dressed. Turns out they had much more in common. Which included music taste.


    Lyxian came back holding a round tray of their food.


    "Here is both of your... Ale and... here is your sandwich!" The girl immediately grabbed the sandwich with both of her hands, as she was about to bite into it.


    "And here... is your basilisk steak!" Lyxian said with a wide smile revealing sharp canines.


    "Final—what in the world am I looking at?" Ax''s joy turned into bafflement.


    "Have fun now! Bye~," Lyxian said as she walked away.


    The girl hunched over, her hands still holding her food.


    "Is... IS THAT A TONGUE!?" Ax screamed out, bringing more attention to him.


    Her shoulders started shaking.


    "...I don''t like you," Ax said as he looked up from his food.


    She couldn''t contain herself; a hearty laugh escaped her voice. As she calmed down, she wiped a tear off the corner of her eye.


    "Just try it, it''s good," she uttered while she went back to eating her sandwich.


    Ax looked back down at his plate, seeing a round chop of meat, almost as big as his head, with a lean piece of meat wrapping around the side of it... it had a forked end. It was a tongue.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Ax grabbed a fork and knife, cut a piece of the steak, and tried it, closing his eyes as he put it in his mouth.


    "This is... actually pretty good..." he uttered as he cut another piece off.


    "I know, right?" she replied with a mouthful.


    "By the way... what did you mean by ''intolerant'' when you mentioned other humans?" Ax asked casually.


    She coughed, almost spitting her food.


    "Oh... you don''t know, do you? Well... there''s an order of people who basically hate all non-humans and attack", Her words got cut off by a small explosion that blew off the door of the tavern. A strong gust of wind blew both of their hair.


    "Oh, would you look at that... just like clockwork," she says as she absolutely devours her sandwich.


    "GET OUT OF HERE, YOU FREAKS! AND DROP ALL OF YOUR TOTAS!" the men started screaming; they were holding guns, which Ax recognized; the men were wearing clunky iron armor. They looked slow, and their stance holding the guns showed that—


    "They look... inexperienced," Ax muttered to himself as he reached for one of his guns and his sword next to him.


    She noticed it. "Nah, don''t. Not worth the trouble." She said as egg yolk was stuck on her cheek.


    "Are they too strong?" he asked.


    "No, too pathetic actually..." she replied, not paying any mind.


    "WELL?! GET TO—" The man in the front got interrupted.


    A black-haired boy with green pupils and an orange t-shirt swiftly held his blade against the neck of the loud man.


    "You''re not exactly... the brightest human in Nexus, are you?" he asked him, his voice showing annoyance and sass. Behind him, an elven man with long blonde hair was aiming at the men with three arrows on his bow.


    "You guys just have your food; I''ll clean up this mess." The both of them looked at Valve, acknowledging his request. Both of them went back to their seats.


    "So... you must be Valve, then? Quite the pushover," said the man, taunting him.


    "Just go back. We don''t want any trouble here," Valve continued.


    "Oh? Why is that? I heard no one''s ever seen your face... have they? Are you also a filthy freak too? Like the rest of them?" the man said as more and more men in armor walked into the tavern with weapons.


    "I think... I should..." Ax said as he was getting up.


    "Hush, just watch," she commanded him, drinking her ale.


    Valve went silent.


    "Take it off for us; let''s see for ourselves..." the evil man said with a shit-eating grin across his face. They had Valve outnumbered.


    Valve slammed the table with both of his fists, which for some reason switched the music, changing the chorus of the bar.


    Valve raised his hands once more, his black gloves grabbing the sides of his pressure gauge helmet.


    "Attaboy," the man stopped mid-sentence, distracted by small amounts of steam that started to escape his helmet.


    As Valve took off his helmet, a cloud of steam escaped it. Surrounding his head and obstructing his head''s silhouette. Which immediately surrounded the men in armor.


    "Boss!? What the hell—HE''S AN ODDITY!" one of the men screamed out in fear. The vocals of the song started playing.


    Now he''s thinkin'' ''bout me every night, oh, is it that sweet? I guess so.


    "Is that... fucking Sabrina Carpenter?" Ax asked himself in disbelief.


    Valve stepped back and vanished into the steam behind him. The men raised their guns and shot in his direction; however, the bullets simply dropped on the floor as if they had no momentum.


    Say you can''t sleep, baby, I know That''s that me espresso


    "Oh my god, it is." Ax recognized the lyrics, the girl dying in laughter.


    Valve appeared behind the man in armor, his hand covering his mouth, and pulled him deeper into the fog. He then threw him out the window, breaking it.


    "Get him!" one of the men screamed out.


    Move it up, down, left, right, oh Switch it up like Nintendo.


    All the men drew their swords immediately, swinging them vigorously in random directions. Valve kicked one of their legs and disarmed them and then immediately threw him out the same window, "HEY WATCH—" the man hitting their boss, who was still on the ground.


    Say you can''t sleep, baby, I know That''s that me espresso.


    Valve grabbed the sword in the ground and swiftly snuck into the crowd, starting a fight in the middle of the humans invading the tavern, his head still concealed in thick steam.


    "OW! That''s me, you bumbling fool! His strategic strikes against the men caused them to start swinging against each other.


    ***


    Say you can''t sleep, baby, I know That''s that me espresso


    "THIS ISN''T THE LAST OF US! WE WILL COMEBACK!" the boss screamed out as all the men were singlehandedly kicked out of the tavern within 5 minutes of entering it, a thick cloud of fog still in the center. They were all bruised and walked away, their wills broken and humiliated.


    Valve walked back behind the bar stand, picking up his helmet. The cloud followed him. As he put it back on, the cloud of steam got sucked back in his head as if it was a vacuum.


    Everyone immediately applauded Valve''s performance as he walked back to wipe some glasses.


    "Badass, right?" she asked.


    "Yeah..." Ax was still focused on the music that had just played. Valve looked at the both of them, and he stopped what he was doing and was walking up to them to take their bill.


    "Oh, we don''t know each other''s names yet. I''m Ela Perez," Ela asked.


    "Ela, the bill. Together or separate?" asked Valve.


    "Hmm? Oh, sorry, separate," Ela answered as she started finishing her drink.


    "Oh okay, Ela Perez and...?" Valve switched his gaze to Ax.


    "Right, my name is Axton, Axton Abanish," Ax replied nonchalantly.


    Ela immediately spat out her drink and choked on it. "Sorry, what?" she asked in disbelief.


    Valve merely stared at him, looking into Ax''s eyes; a small portion of the tavern went silent and stared at his table. Most of them dismissed it, thinking that they heard something wrong.


    "...Valve? The bill," Ax reminded him, dismissing the people staring at him. He was used to being stared at, especially since coming to Nexus.


    Valve snapped out. "Oh right... Ela, 4 silver and 3 bronze Totas. Axton, it''s on the house."


    "Oh? May I also get—" Ela insinuated.


    "No, pay up. Cheapskate." Valve shot her down.


    "No fun," Ela said as she slightly pouted.


    "Axton, after you''re done, follow me. Lyxian! My shift is over. Your turn now!" Valve yelled out as he walked back to the stand to grab his top hat and coat.


    "I''m coming with you," said Ela, as if she knew where Valve was going to take him.


    ***


    Ax and Ela were waiting for Valve outside the tavern.


    "Let''s go," Valve said as he walked past them.


    "Axton, you''re new here, I assume?" asked Valve.


    "Mhm," Ax answered.


    An audible deep breath could be heard from within his helmet.


    "Nexus is a hotpot of different cultures, pantheons, and worlds," Valve stated, Ax and Ela immediately paying attention to him.


    "Gods from these pantheons exist here, however. Nexus itself has had its own standalone culture and pantheon," Valve mentioned as they walked towards a beautiful garden. Pass a metal gate near the tavern.


    "Which includes gods. However, gods in Nexus are merely titles given to the men and women who deserve it. Who changed the world or inspired others? They themselves are mortal, unlike the Greek and Egyptian gods and titans," he explained as they walked through a stone path to the center of the garden.


    The floral scent reminded Ax of home; it was the same scent as his favorite perfume. But he was getting distracted; he focused back on Valve.


    "A few years ago, we lost a goddess. A beautiful woman known for her gorgeous eyes. She was the Goddess of Justice and Oaths," he said.


    "She saved the lives of several men, women, and children from oppressive gods, including me. Loki, Zeus, Poseidon, Chronos, Surtr, and Apep... they were all defeated by her and her husband''s Order. This is her eternal resting place," he finished.


    Axton, Ela, and Valve were standing in front of a beautiful tree, with a statue of the Goddess erected in front of it.


    Ax recognized the statue, his eyes widening in shock. He walked up to the writing on the pedestal and read the engravings on it. Falling to his knees, his eyes streaming with tears, which ran as deep as the river Nile itself.


    Valve''s voice wavered, "Her name... her name was... Mithra... Mithra Abanish."