It was midnight. His mentors were still sleeping in the tent. The one thing that avoided him that night. His thoughts, as usual, were racing all over the place.

No wonder; it was, after all, the anniversary of the start of his journey. He was thinking about all he had done. All he had achieved. All the changes he went through. All the things that were the same.

And he found himself lacking. He did not feel that he was successful at all in his goals. He knew that big changes took time; he knew that he needed to be patient with himself. Still, he did not feel that the direction he was going was right at all. Or that he would move closer to the treasure by any meaningful way.

But why? He asked himself. Was it because of it?

He got up from his bed and walked out of the tent with the Hollow following him. They walked out to a clearing atop of the hill, where the traveler looked up to the skies, watching the lights, which were still dancing.

No, he realized. It wasn't the phantom of his emptiness. He said it himself once. The creature can't make him feel anything; it just capitalizes on his inner sufferings. The problem (whatever it was) was from the inside of his mind not from the outside.

He took a deep, long breath to clear his head, emptied his mind, trying to go down to the source. That was when he noticed.

'Show yourself,' he said into the night. 'I know you're watching us; show yourself!'

At first he did not see anything weird. But he did notice an owl, sitting on the single tree of the clearing, looking down at him. He looked into its eyes.

'You know, you could have said hello.' He said with a smile. The bird twisted its head askingly. He heard the answer not with his ears but in his mind.

Since when can you see through my spell?*

He made a painful face. He despised telepathy. Found it too intrusive. Even when he knew someone foe as long as he knew her.

'Please stop that. It was one of the first things Lionel taught me.' He chuckled at the memory. 'He always said that in order to do battle properly, one has to avoid deception as best as one can. So he taught me how to see through yours. Now, may I ask why you are here? Sorry to say this, but the role for a mentor has been fulfilled. Twice.'

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This time, the answer came from the owl.

'Why? Can't I visit my old pupil's protégé just-'

'Then let me rephrase the question,' interrupted the man. 'What can I do for you, Lady Athena?'

The owl took flight, landing before him with such elegance that no natural bird would have possessed. But she was no regular bird. She started to glow in ethereal light, temporarily blinding the warrior. When he could see there was no owl to be found. Only a tall, beautiful woman, with dark hair, clad in armored robes, with a helmet on her head. Athena, daughter of Zeus, goddess of war and wisdom. An unmatched tactician. And guide for the man's former mentor, Sir Lionel.

'Not in the mood for games, huh? Shame. I have some great riddles for you.' She measured up the troubled traveler. Not quite what she remembered, but it would do. 'I'm here with a quest for you. A divine mission, one where you can prove your worth. It will be challenging, but should you succeed, your name shall be the stuff of legends! They will know you as the hero of all and—

'No.'

The goddess stopped. Slowly looked at the wanderer with a confused and annoyed look.

'No? What do you mean, No, you cannot say no!' She said, irritated.

'And yet, that is what I am saying. No.'

'You don't even know what it is about!' Said the daughter of the thunderer.

'You want me to go after Nazrem. You want me to defeat him, take the amulet, and return it to you.'

The Olympian wanted to answer, but then stopped. She took a closer look at the man. Looked behind the surface for a moment and realized that the promise of glory will not convince the young warrior, for that is not what he seeks. Not anymore. She also saw that something was troubling him. Something deeper. She made a deep sigh and started to speak, more gently this time.

'You are the only one left, who can stop him. We cannot interfere directly, and only you know about the amulet and its secrets. Therefore, only you can counteract it. As I heard, you two already fought again, yes?'

The man nodded.

'Yes, I ran into him in Paxfort. He beat me. So much for counteracting.'

'But you did fight him. That's more than most can say; you did good. You made him retreat.'

'Correction,' cut in the man. 'The Hollow did.' The wanderer told the godess about the entire encounter with the sorcerer. About what happened once he saw him. How Anger took over his mind. How the sorcerer beat him, chained him with his own thoughts. About how the Hollow saved them. How he felt broken after the fight. Athena looked over to the shadow. It's face so close to the man, yet unfamiliar entirely. She thought about offering the man to get rid of the monster for him as a reward, but she changed her mind. There was something different about this creature than most of its kind. Something, she thought, the man knew, and what could aid him.

'I see why you are hesitant. But still, you must understand: if you don't do this, hundreds will succumb to him, and untold thousands will suffer and die! Uncounted number of cities will suffer the fate of...' she stopped for a moment, rethinking if she should say it or not. 'Of Facultatem.'

This was a low blow. The warrior felt the grip on his heart after hearing that name. He clenched his fist and, with rage in his eyes, stared at the deity.