"Very interesting, but usually something nasty lives in ruins," I whispered and cautiously approached the tower. "Especially in territories like these forests."

I didn't see or feel any danger. I had little faith in my senses and ability to detect danger, but I needed to spend the night somewhere. And here, there are strong walls. Block the entrance and I can sleep. There's a good chance of surviving the night. Who knows what comes out to hunt at night in this world?

I tried not to make any noise. I listened carefully to the sounds around me. It was a typical evening in the forest. Birds were singing, insects were going about their business, and spirits were quietly doing their mysterious things. Someone was rustling softly in the nearest bushes. Looking closely at the greenery, I saw a prickly hedgehog. Sometimes lizards darted between the rocks. I noticed two snakes. It was just the usual forest and its inhabitants. Nothing foreshadowed trouble, but I see ancient ruins. It was dark inside. I'm not sure if it's safe for me to peek inside. There might be someone dangerous lurking there.

Somewhere nearby, there was a brook. I could hear the sound of running water, and it brought me joy. It gave me hope that I wouldn't die of thirst. Night was rapidly approaching, and it was already getting dark. I needed to explore the ruins quickly. Perhaps I would find something in the tower where I could collect a water supply. I had to come up with a way to block the entrance. During the night, some predator might be attracted by the scent. I couldn't start a fire with my bare hands, so I was destined to endure a terrifyingly dark night in the old ruins. The to-do list wasn't long, but I had little time.

I stepped confidently into the passage leading inside the tower, clutching my father's knife tightly in my left hand. I was ready to charge my right hand with energy or quickly raise a barrier around myself. I was prepared to face any danger in the tower. I felt something familiar, a fear that originated in the lower back. Why was it there? I have encountered this kind of fear more than once, and it is recognizable.

As soon as I found myself inside the tower, I was surrounded by sounds. I heard rustling, shuffling, and light footsteps. Dust and small stones rained down from above. Fear intensified with each passing moment. "Another spirit?! It can't be Leshy again? It doesn't look like him. And why would he want to?" - thoughts flickered in my head. I looked at an indistinct tangle of shadows at the far wall, panic clouding my mind. The shadows grew rapidly, changed, and took on ominous shapes. My legs turned to jelly and refused to move. I held on with all my might not to faint. Just a moment before the appearance of the huge monster, I saw a fleeting glimpse of a little old man. Elbow-high, wearing a bright shirt and a strange hairstyle made of straw. Immediately, a huge monster appeared in his place. It was covered in black fur. Paws with enormous claws reached for me. The monster let out a thunderous roar. Moving from the spot was completely impossible. Even a scream got stuck in my throat, but I recognized fear. I had already experienced it, and not just once.

***

The first time I experienced this fear was when I was ten years old. A house spirit attacked me in my parents' apartment. I will never forget how scary it was. The house spirit had been bothering our family before this. But who could deal with it? Who knew how to act to calm down the restless spirit? At first, it was harmless. Things would disappear and reappear. Everyone heard creaking and footsteps at night. The lights would flicker. Everyone was scared and tried not to be alone. My parents didn't admit to anything, tried to joke about it, but they were nervous.

I didn't like my childhood room. I thought that someone lived in the far corner and I was terrified of that place. It was a calm winter evening. I was sitting, playing with toys. My parents were watching TV. I was building a tower from blocks when suddenly I was overcome by this horror. The door slammed shut with a crash. I was covered with the blanket and got tangled up in it. Someone started pressing down on me from above, but I was alone in the room. A scream stuck in my throat. It seemed like my parents were trying to open the door, I don't remember well, but they couldn't. I don't know how long it lasted, but not long, since I stayed alive. Suddenly, everything disappeared. My parents managed to open the door. They ran up to me and pulled me out of the blanket. They calmed me down and pretended that nothing had happened, but I could see uncertainty and fear in their eyes. This was my first close encounter with the house spirit of our apartment. Then there were others.

***

So, familiar fear is easier to overcome. I let out a squeak. I was able to think and move somewhat better. I had practiced a lot at home, so it was easy for me to imagine a sphere around me and add energy to it. It was a common energy practice in my world. Nothing too complicated. In this world, all my practices were very easy and instant. I felt the energy cords attached to my aura. I immediately imagined my sphere as smooth and slippery. The cords slid off and fell away. It immediately became easier. The fear vanished. The shadows and rustling disappeared. Instead of the monster, the little old man was coming towards me. He comically rotated his eyes, twisted his face, and growled softly. His little hands were raised above his head, as if he was about to tear me apart with them. His straw hair stuck out to the sides. His efforts looked ridiculous. I couldn't help but giggle.

"Excuse me, are you the house spirit?" I asked, unable to hide my smile. "The owner of this wonderful tower?"

He froze, stopped rotating his eyes and lowered his hands.

"Let's say, it's me. What do you want?" the old man asked. He focused his gaze on me and froze again.

"I can ask for some water, I'm very hungry and have nowhere to spend the night." I decided not to beat around the bush and give him the full list right away.

I realized that there would be no fight and absorbed all the energy back into myself. The energy sphere disappeared instantly. The old man chewed his lips in a funny way and smiled broadly.

"May I ask you a question?" he asked, and I nodded politely, acknowledging the spirit's courtesy. "And who are you?"

I didn't like the sudden change in the spirit's demeanor. His cunning face did not inspire trust, and my smile disappeared.

"Why do you ask?" I squinted, studying the old man.

"Young sir, I haven't had the simple pleasure of talking to an intelligent person in a very long time. I don't even remember the times when shamans could speak to spirits. I am sure that you are a human! " his finger pointed at my chest. " That means you are a shaman. "

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"Mages? " I couldn't contain my curiosity.

"Mages never could. " the old man waved his hand.

"Why? "

"It's just wonderful! " Exclaimed the old man, ignoring my question. "Come in, make yourself at home. You see? I live here alone and for a very long time. "

"Tell me, how can I address you? " I asked, looking around the room.

"I have many names and nicknames. You know one of them - a house spirit. My name is Atzhas." he nodded his head.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Evan. "

"Nice to meet you too, Evan." The spirit smiled slyly and rubbed his hands together. "Welcome to the Archmage's Tower. "

"Is there any food and water? " I reminded him of my pressing needs.

"Yes, of course! Right now." The house spirit quickly moved to the far corner and began to rummage through a pile of junk. "It was here somewhere."

I looked around. How do I imagine the ruins lost in a wild and dangerous forest? Everything was not at all as expected. Of course, the Domovoy takes care of his house, but... The tower looks inhabited. Like a temporary dwelling for hunters or something similar. People definitely visit the place.

On the ground floor, there was a fireplace. It seemed intact and functional. I didn't see any damage. Inside, there were traces of soot and ashes. Does the house spirit use it? A poker was lying next to the fireplace. Inside, there was a swiveling mechanism for hanging a pot. I was also surprised by the presence of a supply of firewood. Why would the spirit need them? Some furniture was well-preserved amidst the ruins. Here was a table that had seen better days but was still sturdy. I saw several rough, massive stools. There were shelves on the walls. Piles of debris were scattered on the floor. Under the staircase leading to the next floor, I discovered a large chest. I also found the front door. It was standing against the wall near the entrance. It was solid, sturdy, and seemed almost new. Unexpectedly richly lives Domovoy.

I made my way to the stone staircase. The Domovoy didn't pay any attention to me, and I calmly ascended to the next floor. If desired, the passage could be closed with a heavy lid, which was lying nearby. On the second floor, there were several wooden beds. A large wardrobe took up a lot of space. There was a fireplace similar to the one on the first floor. The fireplaces were connected by a single straight chimney. Perhaps in this world, they hadn't invented stoves. Or maybe this old tower had outdated heating. Dusty household clutter accumulated on the shelves: empty pots, rags, a few murky bottles. There were several small windows, two on each wall. Tall and narrow, they resembled loophole. It was impossible for a person to squeeze through them.

The third floor was disappointing because it didn't exist. The entire space was cluttered with stones, gravel, pieces of wood, old leaves, and needles. The lonely chimney pipe stuck out from the mess. Many small spirits were scurrying around on top of it. The spirits looked like tiny cubes on long legs. There were some dots floating inside of them. With their legs, the spirits wriggled around on the soot of the pipe. Were they eating it? I see something new in their behavior. Usually, the spirits aimlessly wandered through space.

I looked around and the view was fantastic. A regular forest rustled around the tower to the horizon. Tree tops swayed in the gusts of wind. Giant sequoias rose above the forest here and there, one by one or in small clusters, up to ten in one place. The tower was not very tall, so it was difficult to get a good look around. The setting sun also made it hard to see. Mountains towered in the distance. The tower stood on the slope of a hill, so the view was much better in one direction. I will take a closer look tomorrow in the daylight. It seemed to me that smoke was rising somewhere nearby into the sky. Perhaps people are not so rare in the forest. I looked down. A wide stream murmured among the stones, very close by. It was a wonderful find. Perhaps fish are found there. In the gray sky, I also saw someone huge. He soared high and far, among the clouds, not allowing himself to be seen clearly. It seemed to be a spirit.

I need to move, night is about to fall. I need to go down to the stream to get a drink. I need to cut some fir branches for a bed. I need to drag some dry tree to block the entrance to the tower. At night, such a blockade will prevent anyone from entering quietly without being noticed. I'm afraid I won't be able to move the door from its place. I could lock myself on the second floor, but it's better to worry about the alarm.

I descended to the first floor and went outside. I was not afraid of the Domovoy. I could sense him. Not always precisely, but enough to prevent him from approaching me unexpectedly. My ability to sense and see spirits increased after I came to this world. I could also sense the Leshy, but couldn't pinpoint his exact location, only his general direction and distance. He was walking near the tower but for some reason wasn't approaching. Perhaps he wasn't hiding, which is why I could sense him.

As soon as I stepped over the threshold of the tower, Atzhas appeared before me. He probably wanted to scare me. Was he trying to test me? Or evoke emotions? In my world, it is believed that strong human emotions are what sustains spirits. I needed to find out from him what he had been eating all these decades here.

The house spirit was disappointed by my lack of reaction. He frowned and handed me a small pot.

"Here, take this. Found it in the old supplies. It'll come in handy. Remember my kindness!"

I can see that he is lying. People regularly visit the ruined tower. It's clean. You can tell by the atmosphere and the things inside. The fireplace is also regularly used. It looks very much like a hunting camp. In my world, hunters and fishermen build such camps in the wilderness. Here, they just use an abandoned tower, but they keep it tidy. The house spirit gave me something that I could have taken anyway.

"Is it free? I don't owe you anything? " I asked the spirit, smiling sweetly. The Domovoy shook his head negatively. "Thank you, Atzhas, I will remember your generosity."

The gift was a small camping pot. It was heavily used and dented in places, but still capable of fulfilling its functions. I placed it near the entrance. Later, I'll wash it and fill it with water for the night. It's reckless to leave water unattended now. I didn't trust the spirit. I went to the nearest pine, cut some fragrant branches, and brought them to the tower. Now, sleeping would be soft and comfortable. There were a few dry firs nearby - they will were my protection for the night. I chopped them with a knife at ground level and dragged them to the entrance. I took the pot and went to the stream. I found a small bay lined with rocks for convenience. I'm sure Atzhas wouldn't have done that. My confidence that people regularly stay in this tower only grew stronger.

Why doesn't the house spirit bother them? Is this where powerful magicians stop? Travelers in dangerous places must be strong.

I washed the pot, filled it with clean water, and went to the tower. Near the river, I found a stone that reminded me of flint. On the way, I peeled off the bark from a dry tree. I blocked the entrance with dry fir trees. Now it will be difficult to get inside without making noise. I was satisfied with the result.

The house spirit walked outside of the tower, but not far. Perhaps his domain didn't end with the walls. If you believe the folklore from my world, the house and yard belonged to the house spirit. Anything beyond the gate was outside of his responsibility, and he lost his power there. It's probably the same here. He has access to a small area around the tower.

I carefully struck the stone with a knife, and a few small sparks flew out. It's good to be able to make fire. I chopped up small twigs and stacked them with thin branches. I arranged everything on a dry bark and covered it with sawdust. After a few minutes, a small flame was already burning. In ten minutes, the small fire was crackling merrily in the fireplace. The chimney was working properly. I prepared a sleeping place on the second floor. I hung a pot over the fire and threw some pine branches into it. Things weren't so bad after all.