“Don’t be afraid.”

I hear in the darkness, I can feel movement. And the words, they have meaning.

“it started”

“He is no longer with us? Dali?”

These words have meaning, I can understand it… who am I? this is the first time I experience this, the first time I experience anything…

“It’s coming, he opens his eyes.”

The blackness fades all at once, and is flushed with red light, torches… my eyes are open now. I am lying down I raise my upper body lethargically.

“Dali… are you with us? or did it work?” I hear from my right… side. I look and see a man, he is very close. “Of course it worked, that is no longer Dali, his sacrifice will be remembered.” A voice from the right sounds and I look to find a man in weird cloths, and a hood on his head… indoors… in a hut of some kind with torches and… I fall back, this is too much and my body is not moving quite right.

My… body… since when did I have such a thing?

“Is he...”

“He is probably confused. Get up Outsider! you have to save us, there is only so much time and you’ve so much to do.” The voice of the Shaman irritates me as I try to rest. The… Shaman? why do I call him this?

“Master, the Outsider have only just entered, he must rest.”

“Nonsense… or maybe…”

“Master, don’t tell me that you have no knowledge of what you’ve done by summoning him.”

I decide to get up, the body responds well now. I am up on my feet and the apprentice, looks shocked. “Barn, Take him outside and explain everything to him. I must rest after this. Just like we practiced.” I am taken by the hand to the door of the hut. the outside is not too bright… Dawn.

“My name is barn, you are an Outsider… right?” I look at the houses, straw and wood, and stone and clay… a village. “Master Lathrop has summoned you from… perhaps I should begin from the start.”

I look straight at him “I can understand you, Barn. Your words… I know you are the Shamans apprentice.”

“Interesting, you remember my position as the apprentice, as Dali used to think. Master Lathrop is much more than a shaman, he is actually a brilliant Maverick! … I think I’ll have other time to rant about the villagers views toward the elder.”

He stops and thinks, the sun peeking through from the mountains. He takes a step back and begins explaining again.

“This will be new to you but bear with me. This village was built upon an ancient labyrinth and within is a magic seal that holds a powerful being called Dain and the elder of th- wait that’s actually a secret, I am supposed to tell you it’s a secret, tell nobody! also don’t tell anyone you’re an outsider, that’s an even bigger secret!”

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His speech is erratic and I can hardly follow, too many details at once. I may be new to this world but even I can see he is in excitement and can hardly control himself. “Barn! Let’s do this the other way, I’m going to ask you questions and you will answer!” He nods in agreement.

“Who am I?”

“You… came from the outside, I think, If the ritual worked that is. But that’s doesn’t matter what you need to do i-“

“What do I need to do? Why am I here?”

“I… um… You need to kill Dain.”

“Who is that?”

“Dain is an evil being deep beneath the village, he is locked with a magical seal but he will soon break free and destroy everything.”

I start to understand I have been tasked with a big job. But beyond that, magical beings and seals, monsters and demons? Do they exist? A few moments ago I was… where was I? where did I come from? All I remember is that this is a fantasy, but what was my reality before?

“Um… are you… digesting this information? there is more for me to tell you.”

“Yess…” I say still thinking about my origin. “Umm… what is… how come its… no.” I think for a few moments before asking the next question. “Who is Dali?”

“You are, or at least you possess his body, he gave his body to this to allow you to enter, the biggest and strongest man in the village. To give us the best odds, if you don’t succeed we will all die.”

That's a lot of pressure, and why would such a problem ever arise anywhere?

“Just move the village, or maybe don’t make one on top of dangerous magical beings.”

“The village was placed for this purpose. We have sacrificed many things over a thousand years to keep it sealed until the kingdom can clean it themselves… to be honest, there are dozens of villages just like this all over Uesteroza, built to keep evils at bay and probably forgotten.”

“And you call on me because you can no longer power the seal, correct? how long do we have?”

“Umm, the elder said three years, more or less. The exact day is not known but the destruction has been foreseen, nothing can stop it. That’s why Master Lathrop decided to call from beyond, nothing on Mythos can help us, perhaps beyond Mythos…”

“Mythos… that’s the world, right? I remember, he is… The world or a god?

“Both… or rather, depending on who you ask. He is revered as the creator of mankind, if people knew you were from the adversary you will be hunted, never tell a soul. We cannot lose you.”

We both stay silent for a while… this is… too much for me, I was pretty much just born, or re-born or whatever, and I need to take on such a big task…

“Why me? am I some prophetic hero? I was just born pretty much.” Barn looks scared, and takes a step back. I hadn’t noticed, I have been yelling… no wonder he’s scared, a big strong man yelling at him for answers…

“I’m sorry…” he says under his breath “I’m sorry, Outsider, there is no prophecy, all answers were the same, anyone who asked, there is nothing to do but wait. You…” he starts tearing “You are our best chance for hope, please, help us, I don’t know what you can do that the savor of man’nd and destoyer of evil cannot.” his words are hard to make out and he swallows some vowels. “I just see you as hope… just try to help us… please.”

An outsider helping… I think I… want to do that, but I don’t even know where to start.

“Barn, calm down.” I take a step closer, this time with a kinder tone. I hold his hand and squeeze it. I think… I think I heard it helps with stress… I can’t remember where. “I want to help, I don’t know how, but I will try.” he calms down, I can feel it in his hand.

“Thank you Dali… I mean, outsider.”

“The village is that way, a blacksmith? anything that can help?”

“Yes, Your house… Dali’s house is there, it’s yours now, I guess.”

I remember this thing from… a game I used to play… outside? I don’t know but I have some intuition.

As I walk people look at me and say hello, I don’t know them… I know who they are. The barber, the kindhearted lady, the cattle farmer. I approach a familiar house, my house... or Dali’s to be precise.

“Dad!” I hear, “Dali!” A small girl and a woman sit at a table.

Dali was married.