VI

The dark man appeared, from the mist covered street, stern, calm, quiet. The first thing that appeared from the mist was a large red overcoat decorated with metal plates, gold chain, extension hang at his side on a large decorated belt held by a large skull-like beat buckle. He moved through the street like a phantom. Silent. Calm. Otherworldly. People passed him by. A strange aura was around him. Strangely, people were calm around him, around a complete stranger. He knew that. Everything was calm. Everything was silent. Everything was like in a painting, a moving painting. The cold winter night was pleasant, the night sky clean with the starts visible. The children full of life, the adults, around them, cheerful. It was an idea scene for a painter whose subjects were winter scenes. John didn't like winter that much, especially in a place like this, he was still at the village. He heard rumors of a magical gate that could lead him to the other side of the mountain.

He continued onward, still calm and colder than the wither night. He was always like that, since he started knowing time, and yet, here he was among them doing his own business. From the corner a red-nose man appeared, bumped into him and fell. Before the man knew what happened to him, he was already gone. The street continued onward, up a steep slope, until it stopped mid-point into a strange swamp-like corner. Were the cobblestone ends a wooden sculpture stands, he moved forward. A large wooden face was covered moss; it had a menacing look to it. Fell down trees blocked his passage forward. He didn't care. He said the words, softly, a beam of light appeared. They were nothing more than whisper. It was all it took. A whisper.

John was in a portal-like places filled with every kind of vision. Deep down he knew that the visions are to be seen in order to pass to the other side of the portal. His gut hurt. He felt fatigued. It was a sign that the portal has opened. He prepared himself for the visions.

The first vision was about to start.

The large river flows like a serpent, making its way through the narrow countryside, something red moved on the projector screen, small rivers moved, continued in their already decided path. Some of them made small patches in the land. The man in front of the project screen was pleased. His experiment was a success. He was sure of that. Now, nobody can say otherwise, this was a thing that he always wanted to achieve. Months of hard work have finally paid off. His triumph could be felt in the air. This was the greatest thing that has happened to him, since the science union took away his degree in the field live imagery. To keep it simple and for the sake of time, a shorter version will be used here, this man wanted to transfer live images to an acrylic cell. The news declared him an idiot, lunatic and every other possible adjective that they could find. The worse thing of all happened when the science union found out. They were ruthless in their action. To protect their own interests his degree was removed, all records of him were secretly destroyed and every document that mentions his name was transcribed. He was never there.

It didn't seem strange for John. One thing was on his mind:

Who knows how many people have shared the same fate?

That was a thing that he will never know.

The second vision is about to start.

Light by a dim light, the room, that surrounded the two figures, looked horrifying. Small portraits moved in the darkness, searching for a small patch of light. The first figure knelt in front of the second that sat in an old chair.

"Is there any chance," the second figure said, " for it to heal?"

"No," replied the first, "there are things that even magic can't cure."

"I knew all of that, but still I hoped that there is a way." the second knew all this too well, the cost of the choice that he made.

"I wish that there was," the first knew the same. "There isn't a thing that can heal the wounds created by dark magic. Not in this life time. Nothing can heal a bite from the Uthar."

"Strange creatures those Uthar are, their skull-like heads, that black moist fur, those jaws with dagger-like teeth, jaws like spears." the second one remembered.

"There is no use."

"I know. You have tried everything."

John never saw an Uthar before, after this vision he never wanted to see one.

The third vision was about to begin.

The tall youth, Hayato, placed his left leg forward, rested on a tree stomp. The red painted armor plates of his samurai armor shinned under the rays of the afternoon sun. The forest was lonely. Not even a bird could be heard that day. It was nothing new to him. The wind was hot, he was on duty. A duty he wanted to do more than anything. It was common for youth to do that, for him more than any one. That was a sure fact. The sword lay across his back, strapped by a large belt, it was a common thing to use a belt in this parts. On the lover part of the belt a small knife hang freely. He always carried that knife. His eyes are focused, his mind clear, his sword loose, his reflexes sharp.

Strange shapes appeared from the bushes; they were translucent and thin as paper, but none the less deadly. His sword is drawn, he reacts like a snake. The first figure, nearest to him, was the first to fall. There was nothing, no thud, no weight, nothing, just a pile of leaves that the wind easily scattered. The second figure was faster than the first. He saw that. He moved backward. The creature missed. His sword slashed, again the result. The third creature did the same, the also did the same, again the same result. This was starting to get tricky, if these things are leaves that are moving, then where is the man that is moving then. He must be nearby. There is no other option. Here isn't a way to move leaves from a long distance. No magic can do this, this illusion is something else. That is for sure. Where is he hiding? He wanted to know that more than anything.

Small rays of light appeared through the shadows of the trees, he saw him then the man hidden in shadow. With one swift moment of his left arm, the knife is drawn, aimed and let loose. With a loud thud the man on the other side fell.

Shadow, shadows everywhere danced around the man, who stood frozen, trying to chase then away with his mind. He didn't have luck. They were terrible; they appeared in all shapes and sizes, that was the worst part of it all. Their shapes visible seen, if the shadows were stronger they had a face, a face that mocked him with every step they made.

"There is no use boy," one of them said. "There is no use; you don't have the power to do it. A long time will pass until you acquire that power. There is use fighting us. Give yourself in."

A face of a man appeared. A dog shadow walked nearby.

Was this a part of the Underworld, John could hardly say. He only knew that there are more visions to be seen. He prepared again.

The high staircase was half-hidden in darkness. The statue shinned with a strange eerie glow. The figure on the other side was the same as first, a large humanoid creature with reptilian skin, a strong face, a large square jaw, two deep set eyes. It moved to its left. Why was it so? How could it move? How is that possible? Is that even possible? The answer is more than simple. We are in a wizard`s tower, so, everything is magic, even the statues. The first wizard appeared from one of the dark arches that decorated the entrance to one of the many rooms on the second floor. Who was that wizard, the science team that is searching through memory sequences isn't completely sure. How could they be?

Memories are known to change every time, 14.000 years have passed since that day happened in real time.

Why are the wizards active? What did they searching for? The answers to all of these question, lucky, we have. All will be revealed.

Darkness. A room filled with every known chemical substance and equipment. A bright green light appears from one at the many tubes. Chemical reactions take place. Fizzling sounds escape the long-necked bottles. From the darkness a hand appeared; the rest of the body followed, until at last the face of the alchemist appeared. Unwashed ropes of white hair moved with the wind.

From the center slab, something gray orb-like ascend to his chest level. He knew what it was. It was a type of seeing stone-but done in a chemical way. This seeing stone worked differently that the rest of the ordinary one. He could transfer what ever image he wanted.

He searched for a man grown, born in the woods, hidden from the world.

After a long search he found one. In the forest of Shai, he found the man he searched for. That man was important in someway unknown to us. That part is clear, a few other pieces are known too.

The man needed to go somewhere, far away is sanctuary in the forest. Above him a skeletal face appeared, what that face said is unknown.

The known part is that the man traveled south to the great city of Urmat. The crowed streets of the majestic city welcomed him with open arms. That day was a bazaar day, in other words a shopping day. He walked through the crowd, he didn't stand out even if he was born in the forest. Every one important was that day on the streets, shops. All of them looked the same to him.

The bank appeared on the other side of the street.

He needs to enter that bank, there is something waiting for him there. He entered. On high tables a group of goblins set, working, writing in the register books. One of them lifted his head. The man stood silent. The goblins hand moved, making a sign to come closer. The man moved.

"I know why you are here," the goblin said. "Wait a moment." He stood up from the table, went towards him, he wasn't much shorter than the man in front of him.

"Follow me."

They went to the vaults.

"In here you will find what you seek."

With that said the vault doors opened. The vault was filled with letters. The man searched through the first three group, until he found the one he searched for. Why is that letter important, we want to know. We don`t have that part of the memory.

That man traveled across the swamp region and then turned west and continued in that direction, until he turned again and continued north. He went north and for some time the countryside is the same.

On top of single hill a large, old house stood. The centuries of the house resembled a wolf, behind house a full moon made his way across the night sky. He entered the house and delivered the letter and left with the same speed as he entered.