Black pillar

Uli opened his eyes.

He felt dizzy. He tried to get up, but he fell clumsily to the ground.

He could feel his broken ribs trying to pierce his lungs. Ignoring the pain, he looked around, searching for his enemy. He saw a black metal pillar protruding from the ground. It was slowly melting into the earth.

He reconstructed the scene in his mind. That pillar had probably smashed him against the tree. But who? He couldn't feel anyone around.

With a groan, he managed to get up, and properly look around him. Suddenly, his hand rose, and his blade unseathed and shot right above him, drawing an ample arc that cut the air in its path. A loud metallic bang spread among the trees when the blade hit something harder than steel.

Two fingers appeared. Then a long robe floating in the air. Then a matured human face.

The man grabbed the blade, and started to swing it in a playful manner.

Uli looked at him. At this point, he knew he couldn't do anything to an existence like that. He chose to stay still.

From a young age, he had seen people in their last moments. He had seen their faces as they understood that death was approaching. He had seen all composure, all decency, slip away with cries and begs and clothes falling to the ground and all kinds of offerings had reached his ears before the end arrived.

If he had to die, he would not flinch.

The man chuckled "You are an interesting guy".

The man made a slight gesture with his hand, and the 30 or so adventurers that were approaching to their location instantly turned into ashes. Metal spikes rising where their bodies had been.

Uli had bern so focused in the man, he couldn't even sense them coming.

"What do you want?" Uli asked him. His hope of surviving rekindled.

The man stopped grinning, and slowly floated back to the ground. His brown robe lacked any details or ornaments. His grey hair and beard ran wild around his head. His brown deep eyes surrounded by soft wrinkles seemed to absorb every little detail of Uli's soul.

"You wouldn't be able to understand my desires" he said. His right arm rose upwards, and his sleeve rolled to his elbow. He signaled Uli to look at his bare skin. Then, in a quick motion, his left hand appeared and, with his nails, made a clean cut, from his wrist to his elbow. "Yet", he added, as blood poured to the ground.

Uli stood there, dumbfounded.

"As you see, i am really here" the man smiled "I've seen your talent, and I have an interest in nurturing it. I have also seen the books you read, and a certain attitude towards the world around you" his eyes turned to the severed hand lying on the ground. "It is that hand in the ground, what you truly owe your life to" with another gesture, something broke, high above them. Then, the arm disappeared.

"Come with me" he said, and turned his back.

Uli carefully followed him. The man walked slowly, inspecting the ground "Here, he said" apparently finding what he was looking for "Come beside me, boy".

Uli approached him. He felt a strong hand grabbing the upper part of his robe, behind his back.

After a few uncomfortable seconds, the ground beneath shook violently. Then, it rose upwards. This unexpected outcome almost broke Uli's balance, but the hand on his robe helped him preserve it. They were quickly reaching the treetops. The robed man raised his hand again, and the leaves opened a path for them. Uli had suspected from the beginning that he had something in common with that man. He could move things just like him!

When they surpassed the verdant ceiling, rain started falling on them. Uli was about to put his hat on, but the man stopped him. Then, strange green symbols appeared in the air. They combed and vibrated, and strange mystical sparks opened a hole in the air. Uli sensed a different space, like a room somewhere behind that hole. Suddenly, a black stick with some strange kind of material attached to it came out of the hole.

"This is an umbrella", the man said. "A human crafted artifact".

"I know what an umbrella is" Uli said.

"Well, you live in a rainy place. I guess it was to be expected" then, he smirked. "Anyway. What do you see?" He made a gesture towards the jungle.

Under the dense, grey sky, the seemingly endless jungle spread as far as the eye could see. "I see the jungle", Uli answered. He approached the limit of the black surface. Looking down, he saw they were standing on a giant black pillar that disappeared between the foliage. He turned his head to look at the strange man.

"This jungle. Do you know who made it?" The man said, looking in his eyes.

Uli didn't know what to say. He didn't really understand where was he trying to go with that question. He was surprised by the implications of those words. Was he talking about god? Was he kidnapped by a fanatical alien trying to lure him into some weird cult?

"Even in this place, every slug dwelling in the mud holds a tiny speck of the only true miracle that exists" The man said "I've seen your curious gaze trying to uncover the secrets in front of you. I've seen your will. You don't belong in a playground, boy. This place is not for you"

Uli stood still. He didn't really get the guy. But at this point, he knew he wouldn't do him any harm. He knew the man understood everything. So he just listened to his every word. Even if meaning escaped him, he hoped to find it soon enough. This man was his best bet.

"I will put you in an object that can fly across the sky and across the universe. It's called 'space ship'. There, I will teach you how the universe works, and give you the chance to live. I am not doing this for free. But I don't exactly expect a payment either. I've lived enough to read the feelings and desires of beings without effort. I already know that you will naturally become a good ally of mine. Talent like yours can't be found easily" The man stopped his monologue and extended his hand forward in the sky.

A black void appeared before them, metal growing around it. An immense vehicle of complex design suddenly came to be. Uli gasped.

"Hell" the man sighed "the only reason I know it can be found at all, it's because i've found it now".