(wc: 4998)

“Oh, this thing? I got it about seven years ago now," I answered the inquisitive mage in a friendly tone. He hadn't done anything wrong, but I really didn't want to talk about such things with someone so new to the college. “But it's important to me all the same." The stone still held its deep red hues combined with blue streaks, swirling and undulating as if it pulsed with the force of life itself.

The youngster looked at it, he couldn't sense any power emanating from it, no one could. That was fine though, he'd be exposed to many more treasures in his time here, if he kept up with his studies anyway. What it contains is something that's probably beyond my reach to release, regardless of how long I search for a means to. How I came to possess it is a different matter altogether, a tale which hearkens back nearly fifteen years ago.

***

When I came of age, I was gifted two things, both of which I still use to this day. From my father, a blade which I trust as well as any partner. From my mother, a bronze gauntlet which can house up to five stones. This I modified some time ago, reshaping the housing in the middle to contain the blood red stone while in battle so I will never lose it. I had padded leather, sturdy boots, and an assortment of gear I acquired while in training. And so I set out, ready to face the world.

The Adventure's Guild is where many people turn to when they have problems. You could make a living wondering from place to place in search of work, and some do just fine with that. But many more, myself included, start off with the guild, at the very least to build a name for themselves. All who join begin with with the Stone rank. Those who both survive and perform well on their jobs move up quickly. Every journey starts with a step, and so it was as I worked my way through the guild ranks for eight years, garnering a reputation for being a somewhat unconventional loner.

The job was one of those requests that just linger on. What had started off as a simple investigation task quickly became one of exterminating whatever evils lurked within the ruins if the stories were to be believed. The request had remained open for decades and had garnered a reputation as a death warrant for the foolhardy. The team of eight missing adventurers had been pondering the job for months, ever since they earned the rank needed to take on the quest.

If the job were easy or sheer numbers were enough to complete it, the request would have been handled long ago. The fact it hadn't been completed should have given anyone pause, but every once in a while, you'd have someone just this side of stupid enough to march in anyway. It wasn't my first time going after a stranded party, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

The ruins are a good day's ride north out of the city and into the marsh lands. The place had once been a thriving city, but it was said that long ago an earthquake had shifted the flow of some underground spring which made the place unlivable. In the center stands a castle, the spires still proudly reaching upward to this day.

I paid for a wagon to take me to the edge of the ruins. It could take a few days, depending on what I ran into, and I didn't want to leave a horse alone for such a long period. A couple of tents and some basic supplies were hauled along with my person. If I did get someone out, I'd send word back but I'd need a shelter for them at the least.

I made camp a fair distance from any of the marsh, setting up both tents and taking the time to set a few protective wards that would keep the local animals out. A determined human or worse would break through them easily enough, but I didn't have the time for anything intricate. As I stood at the edge of the ruins, all manner of apprehensions flooded my mind once I prepared to take that first step in. Someone had bothered to set up far more complex protections than my simple workings back at the tents. After a few steps back, I rummaged through my belt pouch, eventually producing a necklace with a charm in the shape of a lion's head. The magic embedded within it granted an immunity to all fears. Donning this, I strode through the wards, the fears and doubts brought on by them pushed far back.

Honestly I didn't know what to expect as I pushed further into the ruins, but I suspect that even if someone had told me I still would have been ill prepared. From the outside, the former city lay in ruins, once past the wards though, the place took on an entirely different air. There were no screams, no creatures jumping out, just a massive silence which was far more oppressive. Even the insects were still, as if any honest living thing retreated from the place eons ago. In spite of the desolate atmosphere, the city was in tact, the buildings whole and new looking.

I glanced back, the marshlands beyond the wards remained the same, even as the city changed. I wondered which image of the structures was accurate, a strong enough illusion would fool all senses so I had no way of knowing the truth of the matter. I saw the tracks left by the adventurers in the dust which lay upon the cobblestone streets. After entering, they moved onward towards the massive spires in the distance. Occasionally a set of boot tracks detoured to one of the side streets, as if their owner were curious, but each time these turned back to rejoin with their troop. It didn't take long for me to realize why. The place was full of apparitions, beings which had neither form nor breath. Echoes of their intent whispered across the air and inviting thoughts flowed freely. “Come," they called as they played with the light and shadow to cast vague forms in the alleyways. Any who answered that call would never set foot out of this place. The group had done well in keeping their members from straying.

No more than a handful of streets passed by before I smelled the acrid stench of blood and decay. There were monsters that originated from the marshes, many of my more recent jobs were concerned with removing the horrors from the face of the earth, and I was beginning to suspect that they were spawned within these very streets or the castle beyond. The road ended at “T" intersection, you could go left or right, but further progress ahead was blocked without scaling a massive wall. Many cities were built this way, an invading force would be turned in either direction before making it further into the city. Good for defensive measures, but bad for someone exploring unaware.

With sword unsheathed, I ventured carefully to the edge of the large building on the left corner. I summoned the air which would funnel my scent straight up and away from sensitive noses. Fresh scars traced along the stonework of the wall, a sword's edge would make such strikes if the fighting were close enough. As I peered around the corner, I first saw the red splatters against the stones of the street, the essence of life spilled from the corpses which lay strung across the ground. Four were relatively whole, the rest scarified to whatever thing had killed them, their only remnants being pieces too small to identify scattered throughout the carnage. I couldn't do anything for the fallen except burn what remained and take their tags back to the guild. The tags would be proof of their demise, I'd have to search for four of them, the rest should still be on their owner's bodies.

As I approached, the right hand of what might have been a fighter in life twitched. It jerked sporadically, followed by inhuman movements which spread across it and to the rest of the bodies. Skinwalkers. Creatures which took the dead or dying and through some curse kept their mortal forms preserved. They stood, or at least raised themselves off the ground, their eyes unfocused and joints moving in impossible ways as they made for me.

What made a skinwalker dangerous was its age. Many accounts existed of an entire town being decimated by a single one. Strength and inhuman speed were their gifts at the time of creation. Once they inhabited a body, they began to learn and were driven by a single goal of killing. More often than not, they were burned or the bodies mangled beyond that ability of the skinwalker to manage. Those that didn't die quick enough would learn to mimic the humans they targeted. It was said that one even learned to speak, luring it's victims with cries for help though I find that a bit hard to believe.

These were new, only days old at most, and they moved without reason or thought. I released my hold of the air and focused on my blade. I could set them alight if I could prepare, but I lacked the time, and these were new enough to not know to fear the sharpened steel. The best option was a counter charge. They would try to rend me limb from limb, blindly reaching for whatever part of me was closest, but that made them easy to manipulate. At the end of twenty minutes I was winded and donned a few scratches, but the corpses were being burnt and I had four tags.

I proceeded onward, cautious because whatever had killed them wasn't a skinwalker and there were a number of monstrosities that could kill a group of that size and devour several of them on the spot. I regained my hold of the air and moved quickly. The smell and noise may attract other creatures, plus there was a chance that one of the other four still lived.

Along this street, there was no dust, the roadway must have been traveled enough to stir the air, though by what I couldn't tell. Some could exert their will over the elements for days on end, but I had a few hours of use at most, and my continued use of the wind was taxing. The silence of the city persisted, though every once in a while I thought I heard the sounds of things moving beyond the wall.

I chanced one of the buildings, it was as silent as the rest and picked at random. It turned out to be a house, sparsely furnished, and undisturbed for ages. After I made my way inside, I slid the bolt across the door. Without leaving scent or any other trace of my arrival, I figured I would be safe. I made my way further into the house, selecting what might've been a store room to hold up in while I rested. With a few wards set to prevent me from being taken unaware, I drifted off to sleep.

When I opened my eyes, I was still in the storeroom, though it was well lit rather than the darkness I had fallen asleep in. There was a table with two chairs, though I didn't remember one being in the room, and seated there was a person unlike any other I had seen before.

It was a she, covered in brindle fur, that faded to sandy blonde across her chest and belly. White paw-like feet sat at the end of her legs, and a fluffy brindle tail lay stretched over her lap. Her face appeared like that of a fox, a dark black muzzle faded to the lighter blonde fur of her face, this giving way to long brindle head fur and a set of large black triangular ears.

Her golden eyes regarded me for a moment before she finally spoke, “Go back. Leave this place, there is nothing for you here." She wasn't being hostile, nor was it really a warning, just an observation of truth.

I stood up from where I had rested, “That I can't do." I didn't sense any of my wards, just what had happened? “Miss?" I let the word hang a bit, hoping for an introduction at least.

The fox-woman's ears went back briefly, “Oh, you mean to ask me my name. I'm afraid I don't have one. But take what I say as true, nothing remains of the eight which entered here, and there is nothing of value that you could make use of. Go back and away from this place."

“Huh," I shrugged, “I still can't do that, I need to get the others' tags. Besides that, I'm a bit curious as to why you're here and how you got in without me knowing."

Her ears went forward, “Oh, I am not here, not physically anyway. I am, however, in the castle." Her ears turned down a bit and she looked at the paw like hands which rested against her tail, “I do apologize for invading your mind though."

“Somehow, I don't get the feeling you mean any harm by this conversation, so don't worry about it." I walked over the to table and pulled the second chair out, “My name's Mattis by the way." I extended my hand across the table. “But I'm still curious as to what you're doing here."

She looked at it for a moment, before reaching out and taking my hand in hers. The fur was impossibly soft, the pads of her hand warm and smooth to the touch as she shook my hand in greeting, “Well, Mr Mattis, I am telling you to leave. Too many enter this place only to perish. It is a place of death and creatures bent towards that end, nothing more."

“You don't seem to be."

She took a breath but seemed to reconsider it, “No, I suppose not. Mr Mattis, I would ask something of you, if you are determined to press onward. I will warn you now, you will not remember this agreement, but you will find yourself drawn to entering the castle and exploring its depths. Find me. As you get closer, I can be of more assistance, but at this distance, it is taxing enough just to enter your dream."

I regarded her for a moment, “And if I say no?"

She nodded in the general direction of where I entered the city, “Then I will implant the opposite desire. A wish to leave and give warning to others to not venture here. If you are intent on exploring further, in spite of my advice, then perhaps some good can come of it. If you reach me, then it should be possible to cease the functions of this place, the creation of the monsters as you call them."

While she sat there calmly watching me, I was far from composed though I did my best to hide it. There was no deception or trickery, what she said was just a simple statement of fact. A possibility to put a stop to the endless hellspawn was dangled before me and it happened to coincide with what I was planning to do anyway. I couldn't pass the chance up, “Fine, I'll get there. We put an end to the monsters, and I get you out. That's a promise." I held my hand out once again.

Her eyes widened briefly, “Mr Mattis, if you do reach me, it only counts if you are both alive and untainted. As for me," she paused for a moment, “yes, I'll even let you carry me."

The moment she took my hand I awoke in the darkness of the storeroom. My wards were in tact, the place was undisturbed, and I had no recollection of the agreement I'd made. What I did have was a feeling of refreshment from a long rest and a strong desire to make it into the castle.

What could have been walked in a half a day took the span of four. The city was designed to make people lost. Each time I took shelter in one of the abandoned buildings, I'd awake with a renewed sense of purpose and often direction, lucky guesses leading me onward to the castle or stumbling across a clean water source. I encountered far too many monsters for a timely journey, some of which I'd only read about in books and a few that I had no clue as to what they were yet somehow managed to scrape by. When I reached the castle it was midday. I was nearly out of supplies, my rations were all but gone, and I was down to my last elixir.

I stared and the impossibly large doors which sealed the entrance, trying not to be defeated by their scale alone. I took my sword and tapped on the door using it's hilt. The metallic clang seemed to reverberate through my skull, but there'd be no answer coming from this desolate place. I took a deep breath and looked around a bit more. The castle was huge and the towers did reach impossibly high, but dammit, someone had built this place so there had to be a way in.

By chance I glanced to the right of the doors, the sunlight shone off a surface much smoother than the surrounding blocks. Was that it? I walked over and carefully removed my gauntlet. I wasn't sure why, but I pressed my hand against the glass-like stone. It shined a brilliant blue hue, only for a second, but it was enough. I heard several clicks and felt vibrations as locking bolts slid away. The doors opened with an unknown force, silent and foreboding.

It was faint, but I heard a familiar voice beckoning me, “Mattis, my champion, your journey is almost done, just a bit more." The sound didn't seem to come from anywhere, but rather from inside my own head. I'd heard of creatures with such abilities before, I had one try to take control of my mind once, but this seemed different. “Beware, there is but one sentry here, and it is beyond any you have faced."

I headed into the unknown, on guard partly because of the voice, and partly because I couldn't make sense of what I saw. The place glowed with energy, whatever source of lighting was employed here, I'd never seen the likes of. What I did know was that this was filled with machines. Not the simple things average people used, nor the elaborate clockwork masterpieces made by and for the nobility, but something altogether different and advanced beyond my comprehension.

I continued onward, past room after room of wonders. I knew I had to head to the center of the castle, there was something constantly urging me in that direction. I couldn't concentrate though, the lights and sounds occupied more and more of my thoughts as I gazed at the impossibly large structures. What had been relegated to the background suddenly cut through the haze enveloping my mind as the voice screamed, “Mattis!"

Jolted from the trance, I immediately raised my sword and gauntlet to shield my face and neck. Years of training paid off in that single moment as muscle memory kicked in. My attacker looked vaguely human-ish as it attempted to separate my head and neck. Rather than ending my life, it's grotesquely shaped maw bit into my elbow, crushing the joint. Only the gauntlet spared my arm from being completely severed as it prevented the mouth from closing completely.

It shook me by the arm, nearly pulling my shoulder loose at the socket before it flung me across the room in frustration. I landed hard, but managed to get a good look at the… thing. It had four limbs, impossibly long and thin as if someone were stretched out and reshaped several times. It's body lacked any defining features, like the skin had been haphazardly draped over its elongated skeleton as an afterthought. It reached for me, but I managed to swing my sword which barely deflected its aim. It may have been thin, but it moved exceptionally quickly. Even worse, rather than slicing through the beast, my sword sparked as it grated against the thing's skin.

I ran.

The thing followed, bellowing its rage while the voice guided me, telling me to turn left or right or to dodge at just the right time. My right arm was a bleeding ragged mess, and without at least stemming the blood flow, I wouldn't be able to run much longer.

“The room just ahead. On the table is a knife. Use it!" The voice boomed in my head, much stronger than ever before. I dashed unsteadily forward, grabbing the knife and turning to face the monster for one final struggle. The blade shown in a dazzling yellow light as I lunged forward. I felt its hand pierce my chest as the blade sank into it's own. With one last surge, I pushed upward sending the shining knife coursing up through the thing's chest, then neck, and finally bisecting its head.

I sank down to my knees, the blade still held in my left hand. I pulled myself across the floor, knowing there was one last thing I had to do. I managed to get the gauntlet off, nearly screaming at the pain from my wounds, and using both hands reached out to another of the smooth glass like surfaces before the world faded completely.

***

“Mattis?" A familiar voice called to me.

I felt her furred hand on my shoulder, and opened my eyes to see her in the room, kneeling in front of me. My wounds were gone, as were my aches and the general soreness that comes with working yourself too hard, “Ah, see, I promised, didn't I?"

Her expression of concern softened, “Yes, you did. I take it you remember now?" There was a bit of sadness in her voice, the set of her ears and tail posture reaffirming the note in her words that I'd heard.

As I thought on it, yes, I did remember. Each time I'd rest for a bit, she was there. A partner giving me guidance, making sure I knew what was ahead and how to defeat it. While each conversation could have easily taken hours in my dreams, very little time had passed in the waking world and I had lost the memories of her, but retained the knowledge needed to proceed. Over time she had stated calling me her champion, as if I was some knight of old and we both shared a laugh over it. “Funny thing is I do… I'm not dead am I?"

That at least brought a smile to her face, the canines showing just for a moment from under her black muzzle, “No, Mattis, just resting a bit. But please, if you do wake, I ask you not to open your eyes..."

And I did wake, and I did open my eyes. What I saw just about made me jump, but I caught myself. My wounds were healed, my gauntlet set beside me and back in its original shape though the metal seemed different. The room was no longer the well lit version of my dream, but the one cast in odd shades by the strange lights along the walls. The creature that had attacked me was dead and sprawled across the floor in a pool of its own gore, it's arm no longer embedded in my chest.

What knelt before me was her, somehow I knew it even though she didn't look the same. The black nose and muzzle were there, but gone were the golden eyes, in their place was something that looked like bands of string woven and shoved through where her eyes should have been. The same odd ropes stretched from her ears as well, running across the floor and leading back to a case set against the wall.

It was soft, as if it hadn't been used for an eternity, but it was her voice when the furless creature spoke, “I didn't want to frighten you. This is quite unlike what you've seen in your dreams." The pad of her hand held the same smooth feel as in my dreams when she traced it over my face. As she pulled her hand back, I noticed warmth left behind from her touch, “A gift, I have no need for it anymore, but you do." She held one finger up, the tip had been punctured by her own tooth, the blood still flowed freely. “What has kept this form alive for countless generations is now yours and bound to you."

“What..."

She cut me off, “No, now is not the time. I have two things which you must take. The first is a storage device, it carries the knowledge of the ones which turned my people into… this." She motioned toward herself and the case. In her other hand was a red and blue stone which she placed into my palm, “The second is this. I said you can carry me, and so you shall. This body can not leave this place, but that contains a replica of me, a copy which can. The storage device will eject from under this case once I return to it. Take both."

My mind finally caught up with her words, “Like hell I'm leaving you..."

She leaned forward, gathering me in a hug, her muzzle resting against my shoulder, “No, Mattis. I thank you, truly, for I can finally be free of this place. Others have entered only to parish, deaf to my voice and cries of warning." She pushed me back to her arm's length, “So long as I remained captive, the most I could do was watch, forced to play a role in this madness, this revenge, set against human kind. But my freedom, and death, was assured the moment you activated that panel."

Was there truly no way to save her? Over the course of four days, I had received her aid in countless ways, the only reason I lived now was because of her. Was there nothing I could do?

“No, Mattis, what is set in motion is already done."

I looked up at her, taken aback by her knowledge of my thoughts.

She smiled again, “And yes, even now I am connected to you, though not quite as strongly as when you sleep." She took a deep breath, exhaling slowly, “But know that you have already saved me, and never doubt the truth of that fact." She took my right hand and closed it around the stone. “If you choose, search for other places such as this, places created in the previous age. There may be others still active, and though I do not expect it, you may find the means to make use of this."

She stood and started to walk back towards her case, “Now, this place will not remain as it is for much longer, you must go and I have one final task myself. Do not forget the stone or the storage cube."

I scrambled up after her, “Wait!" As she turned back I pulled her into my arms, “Listen, you told me you had no name when we met for the first time. Well, now you do, so long as you agree to it. It's Vision."

I felt her stiffen up for a moment, as if surprised, before she returned my embrace, “Now that, Mr Mattis, is unexpected. You honor me with that name, though you wouldn't know why." She pressed her cheek against mine, “If you do see me again, then please, let me know this."

She pushed me back gently, “Now, we must part ways. Take both the stone and cube. Do not stop, do not slow. I beg you, be outside of the area warded. You must not be lost in the purge." Without another word, she carefully placed the ropes back into the case and stepped backwards into it. It slid shut, sealing with a hiss. Within seconds, a cube measuring about a foot on each side slid out from the wall directly under the case. I stored the stone in my pouch and slid the gauntlet back over my hand. When I pulled the cube free, it was surprisingly light weight.

I traced my fingers across the lid of the case, saying a silent farewell, and sprinted towards the door. The lighting in the castle changed as I ran. Gone were the steady glows and silence, replaced by rapid blinking and several humming noises which emanated from far below the structure. I took her advice and ran, not slowing, not giving in to fatigue, keeping my pace clear to the edge of the marshes.

As I sprinted across where the wards were placed, I heard her voice one final time, “Goodbye, my champion," and the world erupted in a flash of white.

I woke sometime later, half sprawled across the damp earth, but alive and well if a bit exhausted. The cube lay just a few feet beyond me, thrown by whatever caused that searing light just as I had been.

***

That was seven years ago, and in that span of time, I found myself unchanging. Acquaintances aged, some sporting a bit of gray here and there, but I remained the same. I placed some coins on the table, enough to cover both my and the young mage's drinks and leave a tip for the serving girl. I had another lead on some possible ruins and would be off by morning.