Thud, thud, slam!

The shake of wood on its hinges drew me out of sleep before a rasping voice shouted, “Lo’Kryn! Wake and face me. I demand it!”

I groaned at the hammering fist on my door which refused to cease. I ran a hand through the mess of my hair as I sat up in bed. My eyes were still bleary from sleep, but my guest wasn’t giving up. I stumbled over to turn the handle of my door. On the other side, Hayvik glared at me. He was dressed as I’d seen him before, in the cobalt and silver robes of the Palladium Rise. He looked me head to toe and sighed.

Hayvik, a silver Dragonborn monk. [http://www.rebeccalaffarsmith.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Hayvik.png]

“You are late. Again.”

“Late?” I asked, rubbing my eyes. “For what?”

“Lo’Kryn, for near six years we’ve had Rising Sun Spar together. You missed the past two days entirely and today I find you still in bed,” he frowned, the scales around his lips caught the light of the sun coming through my window.

“Oh,” I said, then continued to stand there stupidly until he lifted one white fluffy brow and fixed me with his yellow-eyed stare.

“Well? Dress, now. I will not let you lax in your training.”

I nodded, still half asleep and shut the door to dress quickly. After I’d slipped my feet into my shoes, I strapped my haversack over my back then gripped my staff and opened the door again. Hayvik was pacing impatiently in the hall. He glanced at me, nodded curtly, then marched away. I clicked my door closed and rushed to fall into step behind him. He lead the way down to the arena where he and I had met just days ago.

“Do you at least remember the steps, traveller?” he asked, not looking at me as he crossed to stand in the centre of the room. I went to unclip my haversack but he tapped the end of his staff on the floor, shaking his head. “No, leave it on.”

My gaze narrowed because he hadn’t even looked back so I had no idea how he knew I’d been about to shuck the pack. Still, I locked the clip back into place and flexed my shoulders beneath it to settle it comfortably into the groove of my back.

“Last we trained, prior to your,” he paused, fixing me with a look that made me squirm, “transition, we had practiced the staff techniques from the Dance of Stars. Do you remember?”

I couldn’t resist the yawn that overtook me as I settled across from him on the wooden floorboards. I paused to try and remember. My thoughts were muddy, still half in whatever I’d been dreaming when I woke. I couldn’t remember the dream, but I couldn’t remember this dance thing either.

“Think, Lo’Kryn, the memories are there.”

“I don’t remember,” I told him. He snarled, his tongue hissing from his lips. His knee lifted and his staff came up over his head and then slammed out toward my right in a move so quick I gasped (Quarterstaff: 6+7=13) but instinctively my body moved to block the blow. My hands gripped my own staff firm as our weapons cracked into each other.

Hayvik tilted his head, dipping an acknowledgement. “Good.”

I felt my brow furrow. I hadn’t even known to do that. This body had just, reacted.

Perhaps sensing my confusion, Hayvik rose from the crouch he’d taken after the strike. “Traveller, Lo’Kryn is within you. You are him. Everything he has learned all this time is in you now. You know these moves, but you must get out of your own head and let his knowledge rise.”

I swallowed, because although I’d toyed with the idea of reaching out to see if I could connect with Lo’Kryn, my host, I still wasn’t sure I wanted to do that. If I wasn’t careful, he might take over, and I’d be the one lost within his body, captive. My jaw clenched just thinking that because I was being kind of a dick. Wasn’t I doing exactly that to him?

I mean it wasn’t my fault. Some prick of a God had done this to us. They’d dragged me from my own damn bed to bring me here. They weren’t saying a thing about what they wanted from me. And to boot they’d just given me this guy’s body. I mean what did he ever do to piss them off?

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Sensing my mood Hayvik struck out again, this time bringing the staff down across his body to punch out at me (Quarterstaff: 9+7=16; damage: 1+3=4). Again, instinctively I brought my quarterstaff up to block the move but was seconds too slow and with a swift motion his staff thwacked into my arm, hooked under my staff, and wrenched it from my fingers. It clattered across the room.

“You must pay attention. You are getting distracted.”

My breath hissed, feeling the bruise already building on my bicep. “I don’t know what you want from me. I didn’t ask for any of this. If someone would just send me home, Lo’Kryn could have his damn body and this whole damn quest thing.”

Hayvik’s eyes sparked and he snarled, baring sharp fangs. “You forsake this great honor?”

He stamped the end of his staff on the floorboards and I flinched but shouted back at him, “It’s not my honor. This isn’t even my world!”

“You were the chosen one.”

“Why?”

His shoulders dropped and his fingers, which had grown tight around his staff, relaxed. He brought the staff in front of himself. I stepped back, out of reach, but he simply gripped the staff with both hands and in a fluid, well-balanced motion, dropped to sit on the floor, his legs crossed. He lifted a hand, gesturing across from himself as he rested the staff across his lap.

“Sit with me, Lo’Kryn.”

My jaw was tight but I forced out the words, “That’s not my name.”

He sighed again. “Please, sit with me. I wish to show you something.”

I stalked over and snatched my staff off the floor, turning my back on him to march away.

“Nik,” Hayvik said, raising his voice, “sit with me.”

I froze. I hadn’t realised Hayvik had even remembered my name. He’d never called me anything but Lo’Kryn. Still, I remembered shouting my name at him when we first fought here. I turned, fixing him with a look. I drew a heavy breath, trying to calm the frustration that was flooding every inch of me. Hayvik simply dipped his head again, gesturing for me to take my place.

I swallowed, not really sure what else I could do. He continued to wait patiently so eventually I crossed, dropped down to match his position, and placed my staff across my lap. I kept a hand on it, not trusting that he would not take advantage and strike out at me again.

Instead, he drew a deep breath and let it hiss, loudly from between his teeth. Then he opened his eyes and looked at me. The yellow orbs of his eyes were flecked with compassion. I wriggled slightly, suddenly uncomfortable. This old soul was patient, and despite the fact that he seemed to quite enjoy swinging a big stick at my head, he’d been kind and considerate, mostly.

“There is a disconnection within you, Nik,” he said, again using my given name rather than the name of my host. “You are Lo’Kryn, and yet you refuse to embrace the synergy of your symbiosis.”

“I-“ I went to interrupt but Hayvik glared and I fell silent.

“Let me speak,” he said. “I do not know the Nik you have always been. What I do know is that when travellers are called it is because the Pantheon of Balance know we need that which we do not have. Lo’Kryn, and the others, they could attempt this quest, but they would fail.” I wanted to argue again but Hayvik simply lifted his hand, sensing my resistance. He leaned forward, placing the claws of his hand on the wood of my staff. “There is a power you bring with you that Lo’Kryn needs for success.”

“Then why not just bring me here? Me, the real me?” I asked. I mean I didn’t have the buff or agility that Lo’Kryn did but I was pretty fit, mostly.

Hayvik just shook his head. “Just as you bring a gift, those who are chosen as hosts are gifted. I’ve known Lo’Kryn most of his life. He is talented, intelligent, and has a fledgling of great wisdom, patience, and compassion. If you could embrace him, his strengths would temper and harden your own. Apart, you are fragments of the divine, together you are the heroes this world needs.”

I didn’t want to believe him. It still wasn’t fair that I’d been called to this bullshit. I had no idea what I could possibly bring to Lo’Kryn. I didn’t know this world. I didn’t know the dangers it faced or the evil it battled. I didn’t even know the gods who had deigned to choose us. What did they know of me, or Lo’Kryn, that they would bring us together? None of it made any sense.

“I don’t think I’m the right choice for this,” I admitted, my voice small.

The silver scales of Hayvik’s lips curved slightly. “It is a rare wisdom that would allow one to see the all of their true potential. You do not see yourself clearly, Nik. Not yet. But I do not think the Pantheon of Balance chose poorly.”

Silence settled between us. I could feel my heart thunder. The anger was ebbing away but fear and uncertainty replaced it.

We spent so long just sitting there, opposite each other, that the sun on the windows inched higher. Eventually, I lifted my gaze to meet his. “I don’t want to lose myself.”

He dipped his head in an understanding nod. “You will not. You are strong, Nik. Your essence imbues Lo’Kryn with an incredible light. He will be honored to know you. Trust me.”

I bit my lip. I didn’t want to trust him. I wanted to blow all this off. Parts of it had been fun, but right now all I felt was the burden of expectation. This was all too big. Bigger than me. When it had just been a game I’d thought nothing of my character, Jax, facing off against the God Slayer. The risks didn’t have true stakes. I’d have been heartbroken if he’d died before the end but I’d roll up a new character and continue. Here, well, I didn’t know what would happen if I got Lo’Kryn killed. Not what would happen to me anyway. But Lo’Kryn. He’d definitely be dead. Hundreds of travellers had died in the past. But if he died, it would be my fault.

As I thought about it I realised how reckless we’d been already. We faced a giant alligator. It had been three times my size. I’d fit in its mouth. Hell, I’d almost died in its mouth. Facing it had been a stupid risk. We weren’t ready. Not for that, and definitely not for dealing with whatever great evil was rising that these gods of balance thought was danger enough to require heroes.

I felt cool, clawed fingers on my knee and blinked, realising I was still sitting across from Hayvik. He’d leaned forward to bring me out of my thoughts.

“There is much worry in you, traveller. Put that aside. There is nothing you need do right now, but take a breath, relax, and give yourself an opportunity to find oneness.” Hayvik’s voice had dropped to a soft, lulling tone. “Let me lead you, to my friend, Lo’Kryn.”

I swallowed, still not sure I wanted to do this. But Hayvik had been right about at least one thing. There was a disconnect. I couldn’t remember the steps of the dance. Instinct, muscle memory, those things served me, but so much of what Lo’Kryn knew was blurry and uncertain. I didn’t want this. I’d much rather go home and get back to playing a game where the most dangerous aspect was how spicy the chips were that week. I didn’t seem to have a choice, however, so the best thing I could do was everything in my power to make sure we were prepared. I didn’t want to cause Lo’Kryn’s death. And I couldn’t be sure his survival wasn’t intimately linked with my own. So I needed to do this. I needed to talk to my host.