Rodent was cast into another world, another place, another dimension, a bunch of other anothers he didn't care about. He was made aware he was cold as he stood on a bridge spanning infinitely behind and ahead.
It was a cold winter's night, and nothing of the world could be seen—only implied. Winds howled loudly as the man shivered and tried to warm himself. Looking forward and back revealed no further clues about what he was supposed to do next.
ONE WAY WILL TAKE YOUR FORWARD; ONE WAY WILL TAKE YOU BACKWARD.
HOW WILL YOU CHOOSE WHICH WAY YOU WILL GO?
Rodent blinked and glanced forward and back again, seeing no differences between the directions he could take. Humming to himself and tilting his head, he thought about it, tapping his foot for not even a few seconds.
After that, he turned around and started to walk, feeling the bridge sway as its planks depressed slightly beneath his foot. He hummed as he went along, braving the cold and the unknown, continuing forward. After a few seconds, the voice spoke again.
WHY DID YOU GO WITH THIS DIRECTION?
Rodent spoke to the winds with a shrug. "Went with my gut."
YOU DECIDED ON A WHIM?
"What other clues did I have?" Rodent asked as winds rocked the bridge and pushed it to the side. He held on tighter but did not lose his heart to fear. "I'll keep going in this direction and see how well that does me."
AND IF IT GOES ON INFINITELY?
"Try the other direction."
AND IF THAT FAILS?
"Dunno." Rodent stopped for a moment, tilting his head into thought. His impression came up with little. "Hop off the bridge and see what that does—did it in a game, once."
The voice seemed pissed as more violent winds struck the bridge and the man and forced him to guard against it. Rodent held, still not losing himself despite being in the middle of darkness with a bridge that could only be so far seen into the night.
But once the storm was over and he was allowed to look forward again, he did so to a cliff to which the bridge was posted. Snow covered the ground, indicating more land to come.
Rodent openly smiled as he headed toward it… when a dragon dropped upon it.
Rodent blinked as he stumbled and stepped back, seeing the scaled beast and how its clawed feet latched onto the sides of the cliff. Its talons pierced into it as the rest of the monster hulked and recovered from its landing.
Its wings unfurled from around it—revealing a sleek, black beast with brilliant sapphire eyes.
Rodent was actually stunned as he stood there, feeling his heart racing and his breath shortening. He checked from side to side to see if there was no escape. Behind him, there was a long way he could run away if the beast were to blow flames upon him.
Just then, the man realized what he was doing, and started to stop himself.
No.
Rodent breathed, head shaking, smiling.
I won't give into fear.
The dragon opened itself and enlarged, too large for the man's eyes to capture, forcing him to grip the sides of the swaying bridge. He planted himself in place and stared at the beast as it came to stare at him. The dragon's muzzle had a scowl, while the man's had a smirk.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING, FOOL? YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO RUN!
"I don't even follow my doctors' instructions." Rodent stared at the dragon even though his heart was pumping in a way he could not control. His breathing nearly went out of whack, but controlled breathing also helped calm him down. "I don't listen to things I dislike."
The dragon's head held itself high as it gazed at the lowly man standing tall and proud before it. The creature almost seemed amused with the unafraid prey, causing its muzzle to lower and turn so one giant eye could look at Rodent.
Rodent did not flinch or move during this, the winds of winter still casually blowing around them, enduring the dragon's silent stare. After a while, the muzzle pulled back into the air upward to point at the sky. Opening its maw, its chest burned and glowed blue, and seconds later, a beam of concentrated fire blew into the sky—revealing close, glowing stars and what appeared to be a round glass surface around them.
The hell?
Rodent looked around while the dragon expelled flames, seeing that he was inside a snow globe, on a bridge between two cliffs, an impression of land beneath. Rodent smiled more as things started to click. "Is that how you play your game? Play with your prey? See how they'll react—knowing there's no escape for them?"
The voice, this time, was silent.
"You use people's dreams and desires and fears against them! You pit them with the best and worst they can imagine and make them suffer from either." Rodent tapped a fist against his chest and shouted from the heart. "When I read stories about heroes searching for a legendary sword, their pursuit wasn't supposed to kill them! It was supposed to make them better, stronger, and even if they weren't worthy of the sword—at least they came away knowing that and willing to guide the next person to it!"
WHO ARE YOU TO SPEAK OF OUR PROCESS?
"One who doesn't care if he passes it or not! One who can see the foolishness you've been about for who knows how many years!" Rodent stared at the dragon and nodded, ready for his time. "You think death will make me cower? Bring it! Only thing I fear is doing nothing!"
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The dragon pulled back and lowered its muzzle to the bridge, its chest burning and glowing blue again, preparing fire as its muzzle opened. Rodent choked but composed himself, feeling racing in his system but flowing with it instead of being drowned by it.
"I'll pass your trials and grab the sword!" Rodent said. "And when I do… I'll change this whole system!"
Just then, the dragon expelled the flame, and the blue fire passed over the man, the smoke that was now his existence flowing upward… coming to the top of the globe.
Below, the dragon flew up beside the smoke and, bashing its side into the glass ceiling—cracked it.
Not enough to break it.
But enough for the smoke to slip through the cracks.
Y-YOU AS WELL? BUT… WHY?
The dragon, falling and then catching itself in the air with a flap of its wings, coasted down onto the cliff, landing with a quake to the place. It looked up at the crack and watched as the smoke escaped.
Then, it lowered its head, holding a pose, as its body turned to stone.
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A waft of smoke appeared at the bottom of the valley, and from that veil of smoke, a person walked out, one who took a couple of steps before stopping.
He blinked and found himself back in the valley. Watchers surrounded him, and as they stepped closer, he felt no fear, raising his arms and awaiting them.
And they came, setting invisible hands upon his form, which could do nothing more than touch him. Rodent smirked as he glanced down at them with a knowing face. "I already know your trick. I won't be an easy death."
The Watchers stepped back and glanced at the other, and suddenly ahead, where the curve of the valley seemed so far away… now zoomed in and became close.
Rodent smiled more while looking at those no taller than his hips. "This… is a Valley of Belief. You become what I imagine. You use the contents of my existence to test if my soul is worthy."
How… h-how did you succeed? You're not the first. Not even close.
But none have passed like you.
Rodent looked above to where it felt like the voice was coming from.
"Because all you can do is reflect what is inside me—nothing more," Rodent said simply. "I fear nothing. I desire nothing grand. And I'm on this mission only to assist."
Yet... you don't hesitate... even when you know your strength is not worthy of the Sword.
"Yeah," Rodent responded. "But I know I am worthy of an audience with it."
An... audience?
"That's right." Rodent looked back at the Watchers, the countless numbers that filled the bottom of the valley. "And you guys! You're supposed to reflect whatever is going on inside of me, right?"
The creatures blindly stared at him.
"Then do me a favour: point me to Kularlro Forest."
The creatures stood there for a second, seeing into the man who had spoken to them. Seconds later, they started to break apart and form into rows that curved across the length of the landscape.
They positioned themselves precisely and left a lane between the two sides.
When they were done, they started to point, holding out an arm and showing the way, at which Rodent nodded and smiled. [Stick] was back in his hands, as was the bag upon its end, with his satchel and such returned by the smoke.
You will not survive that forest.
Rodent walked through the lane of the pointing creatures, curving with it and walking exactly how they opened the path, trusting in them.
However, at the voice's words, he shrugged and waved. "That's not for you to decide."
How… can you have such faith in yourself?
"Just how I am." Rodent dropped his shoulders, watching as the valley passed around him faster than it was supposed to be. There was a special feeling to the Watchers—one that he couldn't knock as he walked. "Wouldn't feel right being any other way. Just how it is."
I… have yet to encounter one such as yourself.
"Don't knock us simple folks." Rodent was nearly at the end of the channel as that voice became softer and more distant. "We can be amazing, sometimes."
What do you desire to acquire?
"To help others," Rodent responded. "And have a good time."
You should leave while you still can.
"You've already seen my soul." Rodent smirked. "That's not happening."
Rodent came to the end of the lane where the Watchers guided him to a large, vast open land, with giant shaven rocks scattered across the landscape with great pools of water that became waterfalls that fell into massive holes in the ground.
Mist obscured the area, making it seem ascended, while a great deal in the distance, a forest loomed, one larger than any back on Earth—a forest that could have been meant for giants alone. Its trees were taller than skyscrapers with silhouettes thicker than towering office buildings.
It was a great, grand, mythical place that seemed directly out of a book of legends.
It was the first time on Rodent's adventure that he had seen something that looked like adventure, that seemed extraordinarily fantastical, and that caused his heart to beat in a way that made him aware of it.
Placing his hand on his chest, he felt his own pulse, excitement, and desire for life and fun.
Turning back to thank those who had guided him, he found all the Watchers standing with their hands clasped over their heads, jumping and leaning with one leg in the air—just like the skeletons were doing their happy dance.
Rodent smiled and did the dance as well, the whole valley dancing with one man, the venture lasting for a couple of moments. Once they were done, Rodent grinned and nodded, giving a thumbs up to the many. "Don't worry. I'll make us look good."
He turned around and started forward at once.
"When I return… it'll be with that sword!"
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The walk across the great, mysterious plateau turned out to be the better part of the adventure. The man was able to seat himself on the flat surface of a cloven stone and set up a bit of a camp.
Next to a rock was a pond that poured a great unknown.
How it always kept the same amount of water confused Rodent.
But he didn't overthink about it.
Instead, he set [Stick] down and opened up his bag of goods, doing the same with his satchel, drinking from the water—sips turning into gulps as he did not know the extent of his thirst.
After that came bits of bread and other snacks—crunchy, juicy, curved treats that tasted better than they looked.
Huh.
Rodent found he could pop those snacks easily into his mouth and have no problem sending their jam taste down his throat. He looked across the area and how large it was—imagining dinosaurs and such romping around here freely.
He leaned back a little as he ate, coming then to wipe his hands on his clothes and crack out the [Notebook]. Flipping to a blank page and seeing the landscape before him, he sketched the great forest as a backdrop—the next stop on the adventure.
Rodent became sad at that moment.
Finally here. He looked around him at the people who weren't gathered at his sides. Finally, I get to go on my fantasy adventure… but nobody from that time is here to experience it with me. His head lowered and hung. A tear dropped onto the page. And if I'm the only person to experience all of this… to experience it alone… then what's to say that any of this is real?
Rodent stole a deep breath, a hand lowering to his other hand, rubbing the ring upon it.
If I'm the only one to perceive all this… then why… does all this fantastical stuff have less weight because of it?
After that, Rodent ended up sighing and lying back, uncomfortable but not caring. He let his eyes drift close momentarily, allowing slumber to catch up to his exhaustion.