I

Flames were everywhere, and it was the only thing I could remember from that time. Just the flames. Not faces, nor other person, just flames. I was 3 years old, when I was rescued from burning house by a random man, who was a stranger to me. My parents died there. I can’t even remember their faces, or names. Maybe I was to young to keep them in my memories. After it, all I had was just my clothes and comrade- or should I say- my guardian. It is strange, because I can’t remember my house, or family, but I can say all about how that man was looking. He was a white haired and same carnation, tall, skinny man with two daggers, hide clothes, and horse. I wanted to known his name, but he just answered: “You can't know my name. You're to young. Maybe later when I will be sure to trust you”. We haven't talk too often. Sometimes weeks were passing without us talking. We were travelling on horse named Hope. For me that name was in some way ironic, but the horse was great. She carried two men and huge amount of food, all days and sometimes even all nights without anything to eat, or drink. I was wondering why that horse doesn't need any of that things. I asked my guardian about it, but his answer was not straight, as usual: “Someday you will know it, but now it isn’t time for that, just trust me”. Trusting him was the only thing I could do at that time.

Our travelling was routine- just sitting on horse, eating on it, drinking on it... we were making breaks just to have some sleep. The only thing that was changing was the view. From vast deserts to huge mountains seen on the right side of horizon, behind right horizon showed us enormous city, that I had bad feeling about. The last view was tropical forest, which started to surround us. As I was told, we travelled to the South. And that's how I got into Kurast Docks, the small city placed on the swamps.

The wooden palisade circle all around the city, with just two holes in it: one for the gate and the other for the river which is flowing to the other side of the city. I was curious how this city looked on the inside, so I entered it. Bamboo paths are crunching under my feet, making funny noise, but it can be scary if the path will break under someone, then swamp could be deadly. I need to live with that fact. The last thing I could seen were buildings. All made from bamboo. None of them looks like a perfect place to live in. I hope we will find safe place to stay, because there are a lot of wild and dangerous animals lurking in the bushes. All buildings that seems to be houses are placed near the palisade. The only building not similar to others is the first on the right. It has a sign: “Alkor’s shop” hanging above the doors. It is the only weaponry and armoury shop around here. Next thing that draw my attention is stable made from an old building which is slowly breaking into pieces. There two horses living there. The last thing which I think I should describe is a big, new, round building in the centre of the city. Inside some people are discussing loudly. I can’t understand what are they talking about, but depending on the building’s placement I can say, that this is a place to meet and decide about more or less important things.

The view of the city absorbed me so much that I suddenly stopped walking. It took me a while before I realised that. It is surprising to see, that my guardian didn’t go away and he waited for me. It is nice feeling, to have someone who cares about me. I started jumping on paths to test their durability. But suddenly I felt that I got hit and landed in the swamp. That wasn’t pleasant, as a punishment for my defender, who pushed me into this mess, I filled my mouth with filthy water and spat on him. He smiled and gave me a helping hand. And that’s how I learned not to push my luck around those paths I was watching the trees here. They were kind of weird, because I could feel… death around them… it felt like looking at the murderer. That place was dangerous for sure. But it didn’t stopped people from living here.

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We visited Alkor's shop because my guardian needed to talk to him. The shop looked old and mysterious. Vis-à-vis door was a table with person behind and some jars with strange filling on it. One of them had a little monster inside. It had a tribal hat, blow pipe in hand and some little, poisoned darts in bag which had been made from leaves and was hanging from the belt. If that kind of monsters live here, I needed to be careful. On the left side of the room there was recess with stairs. Swords, gloves, backpacks, hatchets, spears, and many other items were hanging on the walls. One of them drew all of my attention and it could be seen easily. It was a golden bird figure. That bird had something that pulled me in, so I touched it. My mind was blowing. Like I had been here and touched that item before. Memories about that place and people. Alkor… he was in those memories, but younger. Places outside Kurast Docks, not only places… I could see monsters. Thoughts of that person, for a while, could be mine. Fights, speeches. Travels through those lands. I could see all of it.

One memory was from a fight on swamp nearby. The trees around looked like they were covered in blood. Noises of ravens could be heard from everywhere. It was raining, so damp dirt was trying to devour men’s legs to help monsters hunt. Fight between a group of humans and monsters, which looked like the one in the jar. Unfortunately their trap ended in vain. The group was still fighting, without any unnecessary words. The last lightings struck out from hands, pure fury was constantly emanating from weapons. To kill last monster humans were making many more unbelievable acts, like it would be normal thing for them.

Next memory was about some ruined city in the jungle forest. The ruins were all around, lousy just left to nature’s mercy. Grass was growing everywhere. Some torches were still lightning and were giving enough light to see where they were hanged, and what was bellow them. It didn’t stopped the group from going where they wanted. They were travelling back to the place they have been before. They weren’t fighting because all of the enemies were already dead. A trail of their previous march was marked by the corpses of monsters all around.

Another vision was about some kind of speech. The weather was stormy, and almost all of the group members were standing outside in the rain, only three women were standing inside. It could be seen that group counted seven people. Person who had shared memories with me, stayed as the last one. Man who was in the house, that was in centre of the city, started whispering to one woman. Bamboo roof, walls, and fireplace inside building had to give a lot of warmth. It slowly stopped raining. The man inside, named Ormus, an old man, stranger, wearing yellow robe with staff ended with sun motive, told:

“Diablo and Baal have surely found the Temple City by now. They seek to free their Brother, Mephisto, who was imprisoned by the Horadrim in the Temple's Guardian Tower. You must reach him before his Brothers do and prevent them from releasing Hatred upon the world." They left him.

It seemed that memories of the person were inside my head, but not all of them wanted to be seen by me. I thought that I got memories from one of the group member, who made that city liveable. If it was true I had to inform my protector about this. I decided to do it, when I will find all of memories in my head. It took me a while to concentrate on those memories and recall them. Magic… was one of the things out there, so maybe I could learn something about it. Other group members from my memory-sharer were using spells too. I left that figurine, and went back to Alkor.

Those were just memories, not the present…