"Ah, hello there friend. I'm sorry, I have slept for so long that I did not see you there when you arrived. . . Or was it I who arrived here? This place is quite different from what I remember, though there are some similarities, now that I take a closer look."
"But please, disregard all of that for now. Come, please sit, and let me tell you a story while I adjust to my new surroundings. The story of the Warrior and the Oracle"
"Once upon a time, there was a Warrior. They were a great combatant, so skilled that they could find no one who could best them in battle. For a time, the Warrior was happy, content to simply battle those who would call themselves "fighters without peer." The Warrior would always quickly dissuade them of this notion."
"However, over time, the Warrior became bored, tired of the constant battles against foes whose words could not back up their skills. So, they sought out someone who could guide them, someone who could lead them to a worthy opponent. So the Warrior went and gained the services of an Oracle."
"Hmm, why did the Oracle help the Warrior? Why, it was their very purpose, to be bound to the service of another, and they didn't exactly have much of a say in the matter. Though why that was their purpose is a story for another time."
"With the help of the Oracle, the Warrior found their worthy opponents, and through the Oracle's power the Warrior's might grew to new heights. For a time, all was well between the two."
"However, one day, knowledge of the pair reached a fearsome Warlord. The Warlord was clever, and knew that it could not defeat the pair in combat, so he began to scheme. While the Oracle was away, they approached the Warrior and whispered to them with honeyed words. They told of the Oracle's planned betrayal, that the Oracle craved their power, and that the Oracle would abandon the Warrior in their hour of greatest need."
"And the Warrior, despite their countless years of fighting with the Oracle, slowly began to listen to the Warlord. For the Warrior had grown to fear the power that the Oracle possessed. Finally, the Warlord whispered secrets into the Warrior's ears, secrets of how to hide from the Oracle's sight, and of how to force them into an endless, quiet slumber."
"And so the Warrior did. They lured the Oracle away, deep into a cave where they would be forgotten, and lulled them to sleep, never to reawaken in the Warrior's lifetime."
"Hmm, what happened to the Warrior? Well, they died, of course. Without the Oracle's help, they stood no chance of standing against the Warlord. Though in a way, what the warlord said was true. For in the Warrior's final moments, just before the killing blow, they cried out for the Oracle's help. And in their final moments, before the Oracle was well and truly asleep, they heard the cry. They heard the cry of their companion, and let themself gently fall into the land of Morpheus, the realm of sand and slumber-"
"Ah, I am sorry, it would seem that I have spoken for so long, yet I have not yet asked for your name. Hmm, my name? Well, that is an old thing, something best left forgotten. For now, you may call me Verlassen, O' maker mine. Did you enjoy my story? I will admit, it holds a special place in my heart. Now, as thanks for awakening me, I will offer my services to you, on one condition."
"Remember the story, that is all. If you don't, well, I suppose we'll b̵u̸r̴n̴ ̵t̴h̴a̸t̸ ̸b̶r̸i̴d̸g̶e̷ ̴when we get to it, ha ha."