HoloJourneys

by vanderblast

A fateful encounter with a fluffy sheep inside a castle dungeon, begins a journey that will change the world. In a world of magic, swords, magical spirits and endless possibilities, Anon, sets forth on a journey with his friend Watame to see everything this world has to offer and to find their origins. The journey won't always be easy, but together, they can always make it through.

1. A sheep who has done nothing wrong

With a small heave, you hoist the last beam of lumber into the wagon and begin to make one last check of the inventory. Beams of wood, cobblestones, swords, daggers, chairs, stools, and shields filled the wooden wagon's storage to its capacity.

"That's the last of it Dad!" You call out to your father who stands at the front end to secure the horse in its reins.

Almost nineteen years ago you were found floating out in the nearby ocean by a soldier trying to enjoy his retirement fishing. With nothing but the basket you floated in which held a tag that read "Anon", there were no clues as to what your origins were. With no wife or family of his own, the man first tried to find who might have lost you first. After exhausting his sizable list of connections only to turn up no leads of your rightful place, he took you in as his own, much to the dismay of the nearby villagers.

In this particular part of the kingdom, there are legends about babies abandoned by the sea being bad omens. Your dad was actually urged to get rid of you on more than one occasion. Even though he never thought you could be such a thing, that did not make growing up much easier for you. Living a good hour's walk from the closest village meant having no kids your age nearby, and when you were at the village and near other kids and people, you felt nothing but unwelcome.

Despite all that, you always tried to replicate your dad's optimism. He always said they couldn't believe in that superstition forever. That's why after this next delivery to one of the kingdom's trading posts, you are going to gather the villagers, look them right in the eye, and ask them to start treating you like an actual person. You are going to tell them that you are not going to magically bring some sort of calamity upon them just by existing. You will show them you're just as much of a person as anyone else, and you can be a big help if given the chance.

"Everything's packed then Anon?" Your dad's light hearted, but experienced voice comes to break you out of your self-reflective stupor.

"Sure is Dad." You answer as you pull to tighten the ropes that hold everything in place just a little more.

"Perfect, then we'll be off. The sooner we leave, the sooner we get back to work on the next order, and whatever else the villagers decide they need while I'm not here to make it for 'em. And who knows? This time might be the time." He then says, as you hear the sound of his slinged pack hitting the wooden seat of the wagon.

"You say that every time. It's really okay though Dad. I kinda accepted that we won't run into anyone who knows where I came from." You say, as you walk down to the front and climb onto the wagon seat.

"That doesn't mean you should give up hope though. You never know who you might run into in this world. Take it from someone who's been to more than his fair share of it. Besides, I know you're still curious." Your dad says, now taking his turn to climb up to the wagon seat as he readies the reigns of the horse.

You turn to look at your dad with a slightly exasperated expression as he gets himself comfortable in his seat. This conversation almost happens word for word each delivery for the last six years. The only thing that's changed is that you both keep getting older. While you are just reaching your youthful prime, your dad is very much going in the opposite direction.

Fineas Glansbourogh is his name. Lieutenant Fineas Glansbourogh, if you are aware and being formal. A stalwart example of the physical personification of a soldier. Broad shouldered, tall, and strong arms do well to contradict the showing of age in the graying hairs that sprout next to one's of a deep brown. Despite having seen more than his share of battles, that expression of his never seems to sour, like he has all that he wants out of this life…you wish you could say the same for yourself.

"Sure, it would be nice to know, but I have other things I'm focusing on doing soon anyway." You sigh.

"Oh ho~ Anything you feel like sharing with your old man?" Your dad's face lights up in a sly grin. "You have been making more trips down to the water when you can. Ohhh is it a girl?"

"What?!" You blurt out, caught off guard by the question. "No it's not a girl, Dad! No girl from the village would even give me the time of day anyway. I'm still Mr. Bad Omen for now."

"There are plenty of girls OUTSIDE that village you know. Maybe you met a cute one on one of our other delivery trips, she managed to get a boat and meet you here. Are you planning to sail away together? You'd have my blessing if you are."

"Would you stop?! There is no secret girlfriend. Look, I'll tell you when we get back." You huff, wanting to end the conversation entirely.

"Alright Anon if you say so. We'll be gone for two weeks though. Does your seaside girlfriend know that?" Your dad says after laughing a little more at your discomfort, while snapping the reins of the wagon to urge the horse to begin moving.

"One more joke like that and maybe I'll just sail out to sea on my own. You'll never get to make jokes at my expense again." You pout as you cross your arms, which only earns harder laughter from your dad.

"Okay okay, Anon, I know when I'm beat. Although, you know you could do that too with my blessing."

"Geez it's almost like you're trying to tell me something. Fine, let's you and I make a boat I can just sail away on." You scoff, calling your dad's bluff.

"Alright alright, you made your point. No more teasing for today." Your dad chuckles, finally conceding.

The trip turned out as you've come to expect it to; various people were happy to see your dad again for either his company or his goods. Not to mention the lack of any at all clues to your birthplace was also something you came to expect.

The only thing that seems to have changed about these trips over the years is the diversity of the people, or lack thereof. You recall humans from all corners of the kingdom, as well as even a few from across the seas, being present and eager to trade and show off their special commodities. Elves would also participate sometimes, and their variety of magical goods were always your favorite to browse. The past few years however, it was more or less the same faces every delivery now. The same, usual faces that did not hail from any place very far away at all. This made your chances of finding new information about your origins very slim, if not zero.

"Have you ever thought of going out into the world and finding where you came from Anon? I mean outside the kingdom." Your dad suddenly asks you while the horse tugs your wagon along the smooth dirt pathway that leads to home.

The way he phrased that question surprises you. The man always asked if you were going to pack up and leave one day as one of his jokes, but this time he sounded absolutely genuine.

"Sometimes." You answer plainly. "I would like to see more of the world someday, but not yet. I don't think I'm ready."

"Not ready!?" Your dad gasps, almost losing his grips on the horse's reins, which causes the equine to shuffle side to side slightly. "Anon, I've done nothing but teach ya how to fend for yourself since you could walk. You can cook, make simple tools, camp, and even defend yourself. You're quite good at that last one if I'm being honest. How could you not think you're ready to take on whatever's out there?"

"That's not what I meant." You groan as you lean your head back. "There's just something I wanna do first."

The face of your adoptive father looks at you tentatively for a second, as if trying to pry the identity of just what you wanted to do before setting out into the world. Then, his expression lightens again as his lips curl to a smile.

"Alright Anon, just give your old man some warning first. I'll need to emotionally prepare myself for my boy setting off on his own. Your Uncle Gunther will be right heartbroken too, but he will recover."

Your uncle was literally the only person who lived in the village who liked you. He was your dad's mentor in the army, so he would often come by to help with the sword training your dad used to give you.

"Sure sure." You brush off his teasing and try to resolve the uncertainty you now have in your own plans for the rest of the ride.

I could just leave couldn't I? I could ask Dad for a sword of my own, some supplies, and just go in whatever direction I wanted. I could see just how much is out there. But then, how would I prove myself to the village? Can I really leave things as they are now with them?

You arrive back in the late afternoon to your small home near the eastern coast of the kingdom. With your inner conflict still at the forefront of your mind, you head to your room and throw your sling bag on top of your bed, leaving its unpacking for later.

"Anon. Did you happen to see the new request list yet?" Your dad asks from the other room.

"Nope, I didn't see one anywhere." You respond, from your seat on your bed.

That is rather unusual now that you think about it. Someone from the village usually left a pretty sizable list of things they needed your dad to make for them after you both left on a trade delivery. Two weeks with no one to make them new nails, fix their fence posts, or even make new furniture was always viewed as torture by the older folks. For a fresh list of their demands to not be here already, is almost concerning.

"Maybe we had some bad weather and it got blown away or something." Your dad muses. "Not to worry, I can just go ask tomorrow."

"I can go check." You say, springing out of bed as you decide to take the opportunity to do what you promised yourself. "We need to take the horse back anyway, so I'll just drop him off and get the list of things they need."

"Well okay. But stay with Uncle Gunther tonight, it'll be almost nightfall by the time you get there. Plus, you can give him the things he asked for from the trading post." Your dad says from the other room as you hear him immediately begin to rummage through things.

You rush out of your room to be met with your dad holding a small stack of objects. He passes you a large sheathed sword first, large enough that you have to let the covered blade rest on your shoulder while you grip its handle tightly to keep it steady. After giving you and the sword a once over for a second, he holds his thumb and forefinger to his chin in thought. He then takes the sword back from you and turns you so your back is facing him. With a quick adjustment, and the aid of a leather buckled strap he just so happened to have laying around, the large blade now rests snugly against your back.

Next, a small dagger, much more manageable, and lastly, a leather strap meant to hold the smaller blade securely against one's leg.

"Here, why don't we make sure the knife strap works. Take off one of your boots." Your dad instructs as he bends down to one knee while you remove one of your pieces of footwear.

He then fastens the strap above your ankle and pulls it tight. You take the newly smithed dagger and place it into its sheath before placing your boot back on over it.

"How's it fit?" Your dad asks.

You give your foot a few rolls clockwise before taking a few steps in place; it's almost barely noticeable that you have a sharp stabbing implement around your leg.

"Not bad. Why does Uncle Gunther want one of these anyway?" You ask curiously.

"You know him, he never wants to be caught with his pants down. This way if the boots come down first, he's got a little surprise for 'em." Your dad chuckles.

"I'm not sure who would try to pick a fight with Uncle Gunther all the way out here, but whatever makes him happy I guess." You shrug.

After taking the horse by the reins and saying goodbye to your dad, you begin to head down the simple dirt path that will take you to the village further down the coast.

Am I really ready for this? Can I really stand in front of all those eyes and tell them they need to stop treating me like some kind of unwanted monster? What choice do I have? It's either do this now, or leave forever…would that really be so bad though?

Your thoughts of wanderlust vanish instantly when the village comes into view.

Something is wrong, very wrong. While the simple coastal village looks more or less the same with its rows of small wooden houses, there is one new addition that sticks out terribly. In the distance, at the edge of the cliff which overlooks the ocean, looms what looks to be a castle. You come to a full stop as you urge the horse next to you to do the same with a slight tug of the straps around your hand.

"Castles don't just appear out of nowhere do they? It would take months to build something that big. And what the hell is it doing here for that matter?" You say aloud to yourself, your own uncertainty beginning to change to distress.

Should you go back and tell your Dad? The sun was already starting to go down, by the time you went there and back again it would be pitch black. What if all the villagers are in danger? You don't see any of them out at all across the village landscape. What about Uncle Gunther?

That is the last question you need to ask yourself as you start to put one foot in front of the other. The rest of the village may not have liked you, but Uncle Gunther always treated you well, he was worth the risk.

You tie the horse up at the closest fencepost you can find and begin to walk through the village. It was like it had been abandoned. There were no lights lit in any of the houses, no lanterns, no people. The doors of all the homes looked to be ripped right out of their frames. You notice varying degrees of damage to all the different houses you passed; scratch marks big enough for a lion to have made, and holes in walls that look like a cannonball flew through them. Your imagination runs wild with the possibilities and what to the residents of those homes, but you shake them off for now, no sense in assuming the worst yet. You decide the only way to get answers is to go to the source.

The foreboding building only grows more intimidating as you get closer, the pitch black stone that makes up its structure gives off an almost evil presence. The castle itself looks to stretch to maybe eight or nine stories tall, the pointed cones that top its spires seem to reach for the heavens themselves. Your own anxiety mounts as the eireness of the complete silence in the air begins to eat away at your nerves. You eventually reach the castle's wooden doorway that stands more than twice your height, and put a tentative hand against it. It's solid alright, you guess this is real after all…

A small push, creaks the door open enough for you to squeeze inside. Hoping to stay unnoticed, you tiptoe further into the castle. Unfortunately the inside is just as creepy and unsettling as the outside, perhaps even more, thanks to the dim yellow-green lights that glow atop candlesticks that hang along the walls.

Where is everyone? Where is anyone? Doesn't a castle normally have guards? Why do you want there to be guards? Just find Uncle Gunther and get out of here!

Your pace quickens as you spot the shape of an open doorway further ahead. Within lies a staircase leading upward, barely illuminated by those off-putting lights that seem to be the only decoration this castle has. Hoping some answers will lie above, you begin to climb the staircase. At the top, you poke your head out into the hallway and see something that no amount of training from your dad in this small part of the kingdom could have prepared you for.

Two dark figures that look to reach only half your height, move slowly up the hallway. Their limbs don't appear to have hands or feet, and heads resemble that of a jagged triangle. Your uncertainty in what you see causes you to trip forward into the hallway. The shapes jerk themselves around at the sound of your boots pressing against the stone floor.

"Intruder!" One of them screeches in a raspy voice that sends chills through your entire body. How can it talk without a mouth!?

Panic begins to set in as the pitch black bodies begin to vibrate and shift their shapes. The ends of their arms mold to become even more narrow and pointed like a freshly smithed dagger. Their legs, whose ends seem to create a small pool of shadow with every step they take towards you, sprout a set of clawed toes that have the sharpness to pierce into the stone floor itself. What probably unsettles you the most though; is when the lights along the walls pass their faces, there is nothing to be seen whatsoever. No eyes, no mouth, not even a nose. It was as if these creatures were made from pure shadow itself.

You unsheathe the sword from your back and grip its handle tightly with both hands. The length of the blade is a tad unwieldy for you, as it was meant for your uncle who stands over half a foot taller than you, but it will have to do. Maybe if these creatures know you're armed they will back off. You hope so.

"I-I'm warning you!" You stammer as your hands start to quiver. "I've been t-t-trained on how to use a s-s-sword! D-Don't come any closer!"

This does not seem to halt the pair's quickening advance…you guess it was wishful thinking to think things without a face could be threatened like that.

Should I run away? WIth how short they are, I could probably sprint down the stairs and leave the castle before they can catch me…but then what would happen to Uncle Gunther? What if things like this took him? No! I can't run away. If my uncle is here, I'm going to find him and set him free. He and dad taught me everything I know about using a sword. They are some of the best there is, I can take two squatty shadows…hopefully.

"This is it." Gathering your courage and taking a deep breath. You bring your sword to a guarding stance in front of you. "The first real fight for your life and you don't even know what you're up against."

Before you can hope to formulate some sort of battle plan, one of the shadow creatures lunges forward toward you, its one arm poised to pierce your throat. You jerk the top side of your body so that instead of your neck, the creature's weaponized limb meets with the flat of your sword. The sound of clanging metal echoes through the hallway.

Your mind races to make sense of how an arm of shadow can be this sharp and solid as it scrapes against the steel of your blade, but instinct to survive soon takes over. Pushing your arms forward, you deflect the first creature away as it skids back a few feet after landing back onto the floor.

You forget that you are actually fighting two enemies, as the second being of shadow takes advantage of your split focus to deliver a swift slash that just grazes your arm; drawing blood. Taking a panicked jump backward, you try to distance yourself from your opponents. You grip the part of your arm that stings with pain, while shakily keeping the sword pointed in front of you with the other hand. Blood is smeared across your palm when you bring it back before firmly gripping your sword's handle with it. The two shadows hiss and raise their arms to ready themselves to come at you once more.

Without a shield or something easier to swing around, I can't stay on the defensive. I need to remember everything I was taught. I barely have any time to think though! I wish I could keep these stupid things away from me!

Uttering a silent prayer, you take a large step forward in tandem with swinging your sword across your body. The arcing blade glides through the air in front of you, almost the entire width of the hallway. Both shadows stop their advance as to not catch the tip of your blade; it was your turn to go on the offensive.

Now with some momentum, you continue to make wide slashes at both creatures in front of you. They continue to jump backward and duck under your blade, before taking away your short lived control of the situation. One of the shadows catches your sword between its two pointed arms, which begin to change their shape right before your very eyes. The pointed tips start to flatten against your steel as the shadows begin to slowly creep forward. The thing was actually trying to take your sword from you!

You try to yank your sword from its encroaching grip, before the second creature can take its chance to make another swipe at you. In a desperate attempt to dodge the oncoming sharpened point, you throw yourself back into the wall behind you. The mistake of moving backwards instead of to the side earned you a sharp graze across your chest, but it was better than being stabbed.

The other shadow still holds your blade in between its slowly spreading hands, but buckles from your sudden movement. Your temper heated by the pain of your wounds, you grip your sword tighter, and with a hard pull, you lodge the blade from the shadow creature's grip slightly. You angle your weapon towards its chest and push, running the body of shadow through. It screeches in pain as it quickly dissipates into nothing.

The second shadow does not grant you the time to properly process what just happened, as it lunges for you again, pointed arms set to pierce. Your arms move before your mind, swinging your sword to your side to clash against the daggers of shadow. With your strength and momentum staggering the monster backwards, you see your opening. A strong step forward as you slash your blade through its midsection. Its body now cut in half, it screeches as it disappears just like the first.

Breathing heavily, you don't let yourself relax just yet. Your eyes dart down both ends of the hallway to look for any signs of movement. The dead silence of the corridor leads you to believe you are all alone again. You let the heavy blade in your hands lean against the castle floor as you shakily walk yourself to the wall, so that you may rest your back against it. Slumping down to the floor, you place your sword gently on the ground beside you. You bring your quivering hands up to your face, the one that gripped your cut arm earlier now sports a stain of dried blood.

What the hell were those things? I was ready to maybe have to deal with evil knights or wizards, but I had no idea things like what just tried to kill me actually existed. They seemed almost…lifeless. This place just got even creepier…Get a hold of yourself Anon! If things like that are crawling around, you need to find Uncle Gunther!

Before you can force yourself to keep moving forward, you need to assess the damage done to you. The cut on your arm is still bleeding. Ripping off a small scrap of fabric from your sleeve, you make a makeshift bandage for yourself and tie it around the wound and pull the end tightly with your teeth. The last attack that tore through your clothes managed to give you a light scrape, but thankfully it did not create a cut like the last one. It still stings like hell though.

With your person checked over, and your body shaking considerably less, you pick up your sword and force yourself to stand. There's no telling how many more creatures like the ones you just fought are lurking in this castle, or if there's anything even more scary. The thought takes away some of the strength in your legs, but you know there's no turning back now.

Shakily, you continue to make your way through the hallway more slowly and cautiously. You want to find a familiar face, but you are also dreading what you could end up finding instead. Soon, the open doorway to another staircase comes into view at the end of the corridor. Taking it as a sign of hopeful progress, you begin to race up the stairs with your sword's blade resting flat on your shoulder. Your ascent comes to an abrupt stop when the sound of your hurried footsteps alert another pair of shadow-like creatures who are in the middle of climbing to the next floor themselves.

"Intruder!" They both yell in a terrifying harmony.

Your chest jumps as their voices fill your ears. You try your best to steady your nerves. Now that you know what you're up against, and how it's no holds barred, you won't waste time trying to argue or reason with these…things. With a hard flex from your shoulder to bounce your blade up, you pull forward hard with the hand that holds its hilt to aim the sword's point right at the chest of one of the creatures. The narrow staircase gives the living shadow no room to dodge your attack; your blade finds its way through its body before it could even arm itself for battle.

As the first disappears into the air, the second has already changed its arms into pointed blades. Its position on the higher steps make it easy to jump toward you, as it thrusts its bladed arms toward your face.

With a quick duck, you manage to dodge far enough so that it only grazes your cheek. Now you and the shadow creature up close and personal with one another. You move your one leg to side step the monster, so that you are the one with the higher ground now. The faceless mass responds in kind by slashing for your legs, cutting through the fabric of your pant leg and drawing blood.

With you on the higher step and your opponent so short, you will not let that go unanswered. You swing your leg, catching its head by the toe of your boot, to then launch it against the wall. While it reels from the impact, you aim your sword and step downward to bury your blade in its head. Another terrifying screech leaves its being, as it evaporates into nothing.

Not wanting to linger, you quickly climb to the top of the stairs and make sure nothing else is coming. It takes a moment for your racing heart to slow down. You grip your sword arm with your free hand in an attempt to ground yourself and focus on scouting the new floor you find yourself on.

With the coast clear, you set out into the darkened hallway. You are surprised to find that this floor has a long rug of sorts covering most of the ground underneath you. Lit candles shimmering with dark orange flames are evenly spaced out along the walls.

Following the trail of lights, you quickly find a set of large double doors. With no better options, you carefully push one side open just enough to peer through. A small set of stone stairs lead downward to what might be a large dining room. At the rectangular table that could easily seat twenty, a singular hooded figure can be seen at the far end, thanks to the candles that illuminate the eating space.

An actual person?! Maybe…it's still so dark in there I can't really tell if they have a face from here. I think whoever it is, their nose is buried into some book. Maybe I can sneak around whoever this is.

With your sword secured on your shoulder, you slip into the room as quietly and slowly as you can. You make your way forward, one careful step at a time. Your heart feels like it will jump from your throat each time one of your feet makes contact with the ground. Your eyes stay glued to the mystery figure. They don't seem to either notice or care about your presence yet. Anxiety building, you just know you are going to be found soon, so you decide it is time to make your move. You've conquered beings of horror so far, you can do this!

With a big step forward, you emerge from the shadows and dash as fast as your legs will carry you. Your loud footsteps catch the figure's attention, but between the sudden interruption and a stroke of luck, you are already within striking range as the hood turns to face you. With a hand that shakes with adrenaline and a little nervousness, you place the blade of your sword against what you hoped was the figure's neck.

"Don't move." You manage to say after catching your breath, trying to sound intimidating. The figure's head turns toward you, its face completely obscured.

"What is this place?" You ask firmly. You can hear the figure sigh as it begins to speak.

"You barge into my home, threaten me, and then start demanding I answer your questions?" An eerie, deep voice came from within the hood.

"Your home?" You say back, growing angry that your threat is not being taken seriously. "Your HOME should not even be here. Who or what are you, and what have you done with the people that lived here?" You ask, before nudging your blade to show that you are still in control of the situation.

"My home is wherever I will it to be, boy. This is my castle, and intruders do not last very long here." The voice answers, irritation clear in his voice.

"If those weird shadow things belong to you, I took care of a few of them already." You retort.

"Hmmm" The figure looks down in thought. "I was starting to wonder where some of them got off too. That is quite annoying. Do you have any idea how much mana it takes to conjure beings such as them?"

"I don't, and I don't think I care. Now tell me where the villagers are."

"You are very pushy aren't you? Well, while I am bothered by the fact I will need to create replacements for the ones you destroyed, you at least promise to be entertaining. It's been a while since anyone tried to surprise me."

"I'm not playing around here." You push your blade even closer now. "If you don't start answering my questions directly I'll-"

"You'll what, boy? Kill me?" The figure interrupts you."I bet it was easy to rationalize destroying my creations since they don't share a familiar form, or that they don't even seem alive by your standards, but to kill another human being. Do you have what it takes?"

"And who says you're human?" You ask, dodging his question.

"Pull back my hood and see for yourself. I can't since I'm not allowed to move, remember?"

Frustrated with his taunting, as well as your own curiosity, you do as he suggests and pull the hood from over his head with your free hand. A middle aged man's face looks back at you, black, stringy unkempt hair that falls just above his shoulder accompanied by a full beard, he is definitely human.

"Alright so you're human. So what? I could still cut you open if you don't want to be helpful, or better yet I can just do that now and find the villagers myself, and be done with this whole mess." You spit.

"Can you now? Let's say you can make peace with the fact you might be killing a man in cold blood. Even if you do, what if things don't go how you plan? What if the villagers you are so desperate to find can only be freed by my hand? What if I bound their lives to mine? What if the second I were to die, this whole castle came crashing down around you. If you ask me, you simply don't know enough to do the deed. Also for all you know, the ones you are looking for could be very safe and sound as we speak." The man's voice does not tremble in the slightest.

Dammit. He's right. I don't think I'm ready to just take a man's life…not without knowing for sure that they deserve it anyway. With all the strange things I've encountered so far, a castle just appearing out of nowhere, faceless shadow monsters, and now this guy. I can't be sure if whatever I do won't make things even worse or not. I gotta find out more first.

"Fine then enlighten me. Who the hell are you? What are you and this castle doing here?"

"My name is Hector Darkcrest, and I'm afraid that is the last answer you have earned from me."

Before you could remind him who had a sword to their throat, Hector's body molds into pure darkness as his physical form vanishes into a thin black mist. You stumble to steady yourself as your sword's blade hits the back of the chair Hector was sitting in. He then materializes a couple feet away from you, things are about to get even more complicated.

"As you can hopefully tell by now, I am well versed in magical arts, especially those of a darker variety." Hector chuckles deviously. "You'll also be able to tell what exactly it is I do here, very soon. Now normally I give my soon to be prisoners a chance to surrender, but I think I would rather have a little fun with you. Do you think you could make it mildly entertaining for me at least?"

"Like I would have surrendered anyway. I'm gonna beat your ass, and then you're gonna tell me where you took everyone, and then let them go!" You say as you ready your sword between your two hands. This guy is pissing you off. If he's behind all this, you're going to put a stop to it all right here.

"That's the spirit. Oh I barely ever get to use this one anymore." Hector says as he holds up his hand towards you, the air around it begins to swirl as a dim black light appears. A ball of dark energy flies toward you.

That's actual magic! You think to yourself as you jump out of the way of the soaring dark pulse of energy. It then collides with the table behind you, a loud crash echoes through the room.

You look behind you to see the long table cut down to almost half its size, chunks of wood litter the floor where it once stood.

"First time fighting against magic boy? Oh how unlucky for you." Hector chuckles again, as he notices your panicked expression.

Ignoring his taunting, you do your best to shake off the sense of dread that has crept in. It was really do or die now. You're going to beat this madman and save the villagers, earning their respect for good. You force your legs to move and run towards Hector. Another ball of dark energy comes from his hand towards you, this time you swing your sword at it, hitting it strongly from your right side. For a brief instant you can feel the force of magic push against your blade. Gritting your teeth, you complete your motion to hurl the ball of dark energy into the wall. The sound of stone crumbling fills the room. You resist the urge to check for the damage and continue to focus on Hector, you keep pushing forward.

The dark wizard looks back at you with bemused eyes. He snaps his fingers and you suddenly feel something wrap itself around your ankles, pulling you down to a stop. You look down and see a pool of dark energy surrounding your feet. It feels like having your feet submerged in sand as each wave from the tide tightens its hold around you. You are powerless to escape this magical trap that you ran headfirst into.

Hector wears a sinister grin and holds his hand up again, another spell is coming. With no other option, you guard yourself with your sword as the ball of energy collides with you. You can feel yourself being lifted up, as the dark magic begins to push you backwards. You try to move your arms to deflect it like you did before, but it was no good, it was too strong.

You feel your feet leave the ground, as the force of the spell rips you from the trap Hector had set for you. Unable to hold onto it any longer, your sword is thrown out of your grip as a hot pain begins to swell from your chest, as the ball of magic still presses against you. The feeling of wood snapping and crumbling from behind you comes next, as your breath leaves your body while the taste of blood reaches your tongue. Aching, burning, and just hurting all over, you roll onto your hands and knees. Clutching your stomach, you look forward through blurry vision. Hector still stands in the same spot.

"Still alive I see?" He taunts. "As fun as that was for breaking the boredom, I think that's as much time as I am willing to spend on you today. You should be proud of yourself though, not a lot of pretend heroes would be able to take on three spells and live to tell the tale."

Even with your fading vision, you can see that madman smiling as he waves his hand to create a ball of shadow above it. The blackened shape begins to writhe and shake as it becomes one of those shadow creatures, except this one is more than three times the size of the ones from earlier.

"You also did me a favor in showing me how poor my castle security was lately. It costs a fair amount of mana, but this one should help rectify that." He nods to his creation as it walks over to you, you struggle to stand, but your legs just can't do the job.

Was this really it? The shadow creature approaches you and one of its arms begins to mold to resemble that of a human's that grabs you by the collar, and after a swift punch to the gut, throws you over its shoulder as you start to lose consciousness.

A pounding pain in your head stirs you back to consciousness. You groan and roll onto your back and slowly open your eyes. The roof of an iron cage comes into view.

Well, I'm not dead I guess. That's good I suppose. Everything still feels like it works. If you can really call moving your toes and feeling a jolt of pain through your body "working". Nothing feels broken anyway, but I bet I'll be feeling this pain in my chest for a bit. Let's see what I got myself into.

You slowly sit up and look forward, just a cell door that is probably locked, but you pick yourself up and hobble over to it and give it a firm shake. It didn't budge as you expected, but it didn't hurt to try.

"Hey you're awake!" A cheery girl's voice comes from your left. You look over to see another cage next to yours, through the dimly lit room, you can just make out the bright sheen from blond hair and the shape of clothes that have likely seen better days. "Are you okay? I saw the evil wizard and one of his monsters bring you down here. It was a lot bigger than the ones he usually makes. What's your name?"

The voice doesn't sound like anyone familiar to you, and your brain still feels fuzzy as you try to recall the last couple hours. "I'm Anon, and I've certainly felt better. I feel like I just got kicked by a horse. Maybe five horses."

"What happened? Are you from the village here? Did you try to escape?" The girl continues to ask.

"I'm still trying to make sense of it honestly." You begin as you turn your back to the cell door to lean against it. "My dad and I live further north from this village, he helps make a lot of stuff for them. We had left for a few weeks to make a delivery to one of the kingdom's trading posts. After we got back, I came to return the horse this village lends us, and that's when I saw this huge black castle here."

"That's what the wizard does. He can move this castle across the sky with his magic. He takes it to small villages and puts all the people in his dungeon." The voice replies downcast.

"Well at least my uncle probably isn't dead then. That's good news at least. He's the whole reason I set foot in this spooky place to begin with. What's your name by the way?"

"Watame Tsunomaki" The girl says with a bit more cheer in her voice. "It's nice to hear a friendly voice again. It's been a while since I got to talk to someone."

"How long have you been here? This isn't your home is it?"

"Has it been two or three years now?" Watame asks herself, her voice becoming more downtrodden with the question. "Maybe four, I've kinda lost track."

That response shocks you back to your full senses as you stop inspecting each individual bar for some hope of an easy exit. This poor girl had been locked up for years? She sounded so innocent and fluffy, what the hell was the wizard keeping her for?

"And I guess I live here now, but it's not my home." She continues. "I don't actually know where my real home is. I've been around humans since I was a little sheep."

That last part throws you off. Did she just say she was a sheep? She clearly has the silhouette of a human.

You make your way to the side of your cell that was closest to hers and try to get a closer look at her. It was certainly blond hair that flowed past her back, unkept, dirty and disheveled, about what you might expect from a couple years of dungeon life. You blink more than a few times, when your eyes catch what appear to be horns coming out the side of her head. Large curled horns protruded from her head above what you now are forced to recognize as sheep ears.

"That's so cool." You say without thinking, as your own excitement starts to take hold of you. "I mean that you're a sheep uhh person? I've never met a sheep like you, that's for sure. Sorry, I know nothing about this situation is very cool, I just got a little excited, I've never seen someone like you before."

"Some humans say I'm what's called a demi-human. I know I'm a bit different than the type of sheep humans are used to, but that just makes me a special sheep!" Watame says proudly.

Demi-human, you thought to yourself. If you recall they are people that share the traits of animals or other creatures, but look human for the most part. You had always wanted to meet one in person, too bad it had to be in a dungeon.

"So you don't know where you're from Watame? What about your family?"

Watame shakes her head. "I don't really remember much from when I was really small. The earliest thing I can remember is finding a farm owned by some humans. They didn't really like me at first, but let me stay with the animals since I was good at leading the sheep where they needed to go."

"I guess we're a little alike that way then." You sigh. "I don't know where my family or home is either. I just washed up on the beach nearby when I was a baby. I'm not really liked by the locals either. They always said I was some bad omen, and just when I thought I could finally prove them wrong, look what happened. They're being held prisoner or worse by an evil wizard, and I couldn't even save them. Maybe they were right after all."

"Don't say that!" Watame scolds you. "You can't be responsible for what that big bully does. All that noise I heard earlier was you then wasn't it? A couple hours ago, shortly before you were brought here, I heard loud noises. You were trying to fight the wizard weren't you!?"

"'Fight' might be a very generous word for it. To be honest, today was my first time in actual combat. My dad and uncle had given me sword and weapon training when I was growing up. It was kinda the only thing that came easy to me. But I was not prepared for what's in this castle. You said you remembered seeing a big shadow creature carry me down here? I had to fight four other ones that were a third of the size of that one earlier. I didn't even know things like that even existed."

"They are pretty scary huh? They can change their shape to be whatever they want, and something about not having a face would always give me chills."

"I was probably just lucky I beat the ones I did. I was no match for that wizard when I found him. I've seen magic before when the elves used to come to the trading posts. They were always selling things like magic scrolls and magical trinkets, some could even make things just appear, like plants and stuff. But the magic Hector used was just plain scary. It was so dark and destructive. Just like those shadow monsters. I was no match at all for him." You lament, starting to regret ever thinking you could make a difference, that you were actually someone who could do something worthwhile for anyone else.

"But you still tried! This castle has been to a lot of different villages, and every time no one tries to stand up to him because he picks on people who can't defend themselves. I bet he's afraid that someone like you will finally stand up to him and stop him for good."

You can't help but smile, this sheep's optimism was contagious. Maybe you really can make a difference if you get another chance.

"I couldn't just let him have his way. What does he want with you and a bunch of humans anyway?" You chuckle, surprised at how quickly this girl has made your mood shift.

"He uses some strange magic to slowly take mana from all of us. He keeps it all for himself to use later on his spells and this castle."

"And he just keeps them here forever? Just to get something he should be working for himself?"

"He used to let them go once it was time to move the castle. Something about not wanting to feed more people. But I haven't seen where they go in a while, he moved me to my own dungeon so I would stop talking to all the prisoners. I would always do my best to keep them happy and hopeful." Watame says to you with pride at the end.

That makes sense…it's disgusting, but it makes sense. Can't have someone giving hope to your prisoners, they might actually find a way to escape. But to isolate this innocent girl for so long. It's unforgivable.

"What would you do Watame? If you could leave this place forever?" You ask, trying to change the subject to something maybe more positive for her.

"What would I do? I haven't thought about that in a while, I might have forgotten." Watame answers with a lower voice again.

"It can be anything, imagine if nothing could stop you, you were free to go and do whatever. What would it be?" You then add, trying to give this girl some optimism of your own.

"If nothing could stop Watame." She thought about it for a moment. "I would go find where I came from, I bet it's a wonderful place with soft beds, good food, and nice people. I would want to sing for people every night and make them happy with my songs. That's what I would want to do."

Again you are brought back to your own desire to travel, to possibly find your origins. You loved when you got to make deliveries with your dad and see new people and places. It was something that has lived in the back of your head for your whole life. You can only imagine how often Watame must have longed for her real home. First a barn, then a dungeon cell. This girl who had done nothing wrong, was forced to bear such loneliness. You can feel yourself come to a realization, you are going to help this girl; not only to get out of here, but to find her home too. Yes, that feels right; to finally leave and find what this world truly had to offer. There is just one small obstacle to overcome first.

"I think that's a great idea Watame, that's why I'm gonna help you." You say, giving voice to your desires.

"Eh?"

"I'm gonna escape, and break you and everyone else free. I know I probably can't beat that wizard all by myself, but with my Uncle Gunther and my dad's help, I bet we can! After that, I'm gonna help you find your home and I bet I'll find my own home out there somewhere too."

"Really Anon!? You really want to help me leave?" The sheep in the next cell asks, as if unable to believe her own ears.

"You bet Watame! I think you've been here long enough. You don't deserve to be trapped like this. All because someone is too lazy to work for their own strength. I just need to figure out a way to bust out of this cage first."

You pace around your cell as you try to think of your options, you can hear giddy footsteps from the cell next to you. Now that you got this fluffy girl's hopes up, you better man up and deliver. Maybe there is something in one of the old stories your uncle would tell you about his and your dad's time in the army that would help.

That's right! You didn't just bring a sword to deliver to your uncle, you also have a knife! You kneel down and feel around inside your boot and find the dagger's handle.

"Guess I won't be caught with my pants down. Thanks Uncle Gunther." You say as you pull the new dagger out of its hidden sheathe.

"What was that about your pants being down, Anon? Do you need to pee?" Watame's voice comes from behind you.

"What? No it's nothing!" You quickly respond. "Anyways, I have something I can probably use to get us out of here."

Getting back up, you grab the padlock to your cell and try to cut through its shackle. The brand new blade cuts into the aging iron, but you are unable to push it further. You take a deep breath and begin to force the sharpened steel again, putting all the muscle you can spare behind it.

"Go Anon!" Watame cheers as she watches you wrestle with the cell lock. "You can do it! One more time! One more time! One more time!"

Hearing Watame's encouragement seems to give you vigor, the daggers blade begins to slide slowly through the iron. The thrusts of your arm begin to match Watame's rhythm, as you continue to slice through the shackle. With one final push, you slice through, freeing the lock from the door. The dagger falls from your shaking arm as you try to catch your breath.

That did not feel normal. It felt like my arm was being commanded by Watame's voice. I might just be imagining things. Let's worry about how we have a castle to escape from instead.

You push the cell door open and step out after collecting your dagger; the blade is considerably battered by what you just put it through, but it's still better than nothing.

"Great job Anon!" Watame says with excitement. "I think the keys should be hanging on the wall over there"

You walk over to where she points and find a large keyring hanging on a hook. It feels incredibly short sighted to just leave the jail cell keys out there in the open, but what can you expect from an evil nutcase? You walk over to Watame's cell and unlock it. She steps out tentatively, almost as if she's unsure if this is really happening.

Now in the low light of the dungeon, you can better see the girl you promised to help. The sheep horns that stand proudly at the sides of her are still very much real. That messy, golden hair of hers looks like it has split ends almost everywhere, and the brown tattered cloth that covers her chest, down to her knees, was more than likely just a sack at some point.

Still, despite her appearance and what she has endured, those purple eyes of hers have not lost their spark.

"Alright Watame, do you happen to know where everyone else might be?"

"Maybe, it's been a long time and the castle itself changes. The wizard might not keep them all where he used to anymore."

"That's alright we'll wing it then, at the very least I'm gonna make sure you get out of here. This is your last day in this castle I promise you." You could only see so much in this dim light, but you could have sworn Watame was trying to hold back tears.

While it is nice to be appreciated for once, this was not the time to be lingering. You take her gently by the hand and begin to lead her out of the dungeon. Dagger gripped tightly in your other hand, you stop at the staircase and mentally prepare yourself for anything that might come your way. Sure, you're hoping you won't have to run into Hector or his newest monstrosity, but you also don't feel as nervous as you did earlier when you had to brave this dark castle alone.

It's almost strange, the drive to make sure this fluffy sheep girl gets to see the light of the sun again erases most of the fear and apprehension you had earlier.

At the top of the stairs you take a quick peek into the hallway, the coast is clear for now. You nod to Watame and you both hastily move onward. It was hard to tell what floor you are actually on now, you did go up, but who knows where in the castle Hector dropped you off in. As you run through the barren hallways, Watame suddenly tries to get your attention by tugging the sleeve of your shirt with her free hand.

"Anon, I think I recognize where we are. There might be another dungeon nearby." She exclaims points at an approaching open doorway.

A staircase leading downward lies before you now, you nod to Watame and lead her down the stairs with care. The stone stairs seem to scale quite a few floors as you continue to descend. You eventually reach the bottom, and after another quick check for any shadow creatures, or Hector, you and Watame enter what very well could be the castle basement.

This room was easily four times the size of the one you found yourself in earlier. You can make out the shapes of several cages lined up along all the walls, and shadows within them. Your heartbeat quickens as you let go of Watame's hand and approach the closest cage. Many surprised heads now turn toward you, you start to recognize familiar faces from the village.

"Anon? Anon my boy is that you?" A gruff worn voice asked from behind the huddled together people. A tall older man approaches the cell bars.

Through the iron cage and the dim lighting of the dungeon, you see the defining features of your self proclaimed uncle. A man even taller than your dad, that and still just as physically able despite being a good number of years his senior. His short white hair which is normally quite well kept and healthy, was now greasy, dirty, and out of place. His facial hair was not faring much better. He normally keeps that full white beard trimmed so neatly to his face. To see it actually reach past his jawline, is a little jarring.

"Uncle Gunther!" You say with joy. "It's really you and you're okay! You have no idea what I've been through to find you. What the heck happened?"

"I'll tell you what happened." A raspy disgruntled voice comes from further into the jail cell before your uncle could speak.

Bodies shuffled to give the speaker a full view of you, and you of them, but you knew just who was about to speak their mind. Your fists clenched when you see the face of one of the village elders, staring daggers at you, even from the dark. Those old, judgemental eyes have made you feel small your entire life. Why should tonight be any different?

"Exactly what I told you would happen. We are paying the price for your curse. I knew you would bring nothing but misfortune to us." The old man mouths off at you, while other voices chime in with their agreement.

Just like that, it all comes rushing back to you. The years of feeling unwanted and despised just for existing. You almost would rather face Hector for a round two all by yourself…

"Quiet all of you." Your uncle hissed. "This is not the time for your ridiculous superstitions. You all know as well as I do that Anon had absolutely nothing to do with this. He was not even here when this all started for goodness sake! And here he is risking his neck for us and you have the gall to accuse him?!"

"That's right!" Watame bursts from behind you, stepping forward. "How could all be so mean to Anon? Doesn't he live with you all? He's human just like all of you. How could you say such awful things about him when he just wants to be nice?"

"What would some sheep….thing, know about this? You are as much of an outsider as he is. What even are you anyway? You are probably in league with the madman who destroyed our homes and locked us in here." The village elder spits venomously.

Something within you just snaps. It was one thing when they assumed the worst of you, but to say such harsh things to Watame was just uncalled for. Watame, who had no reason to trust humans at all, put her trust in you, she believed in you when you weren't even sure if you could believe in yourself. She did not deserve to be talked down to this way.

"Shut up!" You snap, the rage you feel starts to swell like a storm upon the ocean. "That sheep's name is Watame, and she's my friend. She is more of a victim of this than any of you here. She's kept here to be that lunatic's mana supply, and you have the nerve to use that tone with her?!"

Your fist slams against the iron bars, echoing through the whole dungeon. You are so livid that you don't even care about the pain. More things you need to say start to come to the surface.

"You can hate me all you want, say I'm the cause for everything bad that's ever happened in your life just because I came floating in from the sea. But if you EVER, talk to my friend like that again, after I get you out of here, I'm going to mess up your face so bad even kittens won't look at you. Got it!?"

A dead silence fills the air, and somehow a lifetime's worth of angst rolls off your shoulders. It feels liberating to finally stand up to the people who never gave you a chance. However, in doing so, you botched all possibilities of making them accept you and finding your place among them. But who cares about all that now? Your promise to your new friend sounded much more fun anyway. If you manage to all make it out of this alive that is.

"Good." You state as you take everyone's silence as a sign that you more than got your point across.

Although you are still fuming mad, you fiddle with the keyring and try to find the match to the cell's lock until one finally clicks. Your uncle steps out and places his hand on your shoulder. Despite being dirty, tired and everything else that your uncle usually was, he was absolutely beaming at you.

"I knew you and your dad would spring us out, Anon my boy. Where is he anyway? In another part of the castle I assume?" He says as he tries his past to look around and past you, hoping to find his old report.

"He's probably asleep at home." You shrug.

"What do you mean? You both must have come here right!?" Your uncle's voice becomes a little more rasp and worried.

"Nope, just me. When we didn't see a request sheet at home, I told him I'd come get it. I also had to drop off the horse and your new blades. I may have lost the sword though, sorry. I still have the dagger though, and the boot sheathe works perfectly. They had no idea I had it on me." You say with a small grin.

"Let's get out of here then. Let me see those keys and I'll unlock all the others. There's people from villages on the other side of the kingdom here! If I didn't see the castle just fly here myself I wouldn't have believed it."

You hand your uncle the keyring as he begins to go to work. The rest of the villagers from the cell you opened begin to walk past you, most of which don't make eye contact. Your resentment was reaching new heights until some actually thanked you, and it seemed genuine. Today was surely a day of firsts for you.

"Anon?" Watame asks, coming up to you. "Did you really mean all that? Did you mean it when you said we were friends?"

"Of course I did." You smile at the sheep. "I can tell you have a really big heart, Watame. I was also really happy to meet someone that was a little like me, someone who was displaced from their home. It's nice to know someone who understands. So yeah, you're definitely my friend Watame."

Looking like she's holding back tears again, Watame wraps her arms around you in a big hug. It comforts you, like hugging a big fluffy cloud. You couldn't hold back your smile. Your bliss is cut short by your uncle approaching you, to let you know everyone else had been freed, which meant it was time to leave. With the help of your uncle, you lead the droves of people out of the dungeon and through the castle hallways.

"Judging by where we are now, I would say we are almost to the front of the castle." Your uncle remarks as you race through the dim hallway. "Luckily they didn't think to blindfold us or anything. They just herded us all down into those cages."

You nod to your uncle as you recognize another passing staircase going down, that must have been the dungeon you were brought to. You are now internally kicking yourself for going up instead of down when you first arrived here.

Up ahead, patrolling the halls are two shadow creatures. You must have gotten Hector worried if he finally decided to put some guards on the first floor. You nod to your uncle who seems to understand your intent and nods back at you.

Picking up your speed, you sprint toward the pair of shadows. They turn at the sound of your approach and begin to change to arm themselves for battle. One is too slow to avoid the reach of your arm, as you plunge the dagger into its head. It dissipates with a screech and you quickly prepare to combat the second.

Before it could make its move on you, your uncle catches up to you both and delivers a swift kick to its midsection, knocking it forward. You follow up with a quick stab into its stunned form, another successfully downed. Things were much easier now that you had help.

"I see I taught you well Anon my boy, that was perfectly executed." Your uncle says pridefully.

"Turns out real life or death practice is also a good teacher." You say half jokingly.

"That it is, that it is. I always knew you were a fighter!"

Soon enough, the front entryway of the castle comes back into view, but this time there is a doorman. A massive one. It's that newest monster Hector made earlier that knocked you out cold.

"I don't think we can risk fighting that one with everyone else here, so I'm gonna ask for a big favor Uncle Gunther." You say, hardening your resolve.

"Anon?"

"Just don't stop running okay! Promise me." You look to your uncle pleadingly.

Your uncle's aged face studies you for a second, he is apprehensive to your request, but soon looks to concede.

"You better have a damn good plan my boy."

"Not even close, but I'm ready to give it a go."

"Alright, but if you're not out by the time everyone else is safely away, I'm coming back for you."

"You got it, see ya later uncle."

You sprint ahead of the group, as you grab a candle holder off a passing side table and chuck it towards the shadow creature. The metal decoration bounces right off the monster's back, causing it to turn to face you.

It was even more unsettling than the smaller ones. With a frame probably meant to resemble a humanoid; two legs, a torso, two arms, and a rounded head with no defining features whatsoever.

"Guess what? I escaped!" You shout at it, grinning as you cut to your right down the next hallway. "Better come get me if you don't want your master to find out first and punish you!"

With a blood chilling howl, the shadow creature darts toward you, seemingly paying no mind to the group of approaching humans, as it gives chase.

"Wait! Anon! Where are you going?" Watame asks in surprise, but she is urged along by your uncle toward the front doors.

With the first part of your plan complete, which has earned a seven foot tall being of pure shadow pursuing you through the castle hallways and gaining distance quickly. You just had to keep its attention long enough for everyone to escape. With any luck, you could find a way to escape yourself. You continue to run for your life, but you know in your head and in your feet that you won't be able to keep this up long enough to get away.

With the monster quickly closing the distance between you both, the half baked plan to just run until you came back to the front entrance is feeling worse by the second. Acting on instinct, you dig your foot into the floor to push yourself to a full stop. When faced with the shadow monster barreling toward you, fear puts flight in your legs as you begin to sprint toward it. Just like how you used your own height to gain the advantage over the smaller creatures in your previous battles, you are going to do that again, even though this time, you are the smaller one.

The shadow creature is too slow to react, as you slide between its long legs and get behind it. You rocket upward with all your strength and give its back two quick stabs with your dagger. It shakes and stumbles from your attacks, but turns back to face you. You suppose it would have been too easy if he just evaporated after a few small stabs.

Changing back to flight from fight, you start to run away at full speed. The monster is not about to let your transgression go unpunished. It swipes at you, just barely missing, with what you saw now to be sharpened claws. Now within just a hand's reach away, it continues to take swipes at your back, sometimes connecting to tear the fabric of your clothes. You yelp as you try to focus on what is directly in front of you, to keep yourself running as fast as you can. Something moving down the hallway starts to come into view, and it seems to be running toward you frantically.

"Anon!" Watame shouts while waving her arms.

Watame!? What the hell is she doing back here?! Uncle Gunther… you were supposed to lead her to safety. He better not be back yet too. I didn't decide to risk my butt just so he could run back into danger.

"Go left at the next hallway Anon!" Watame shouts again.

You try to look ahead to see the hallway she mentioned, but there was no such opening. You then see her take a sharp turn and disappear to the right.

"Your left, got it…" You say to yourself, as you do what she instructed.

The shadow creature was slow to react to your change in direction again, but appeared to now double its efforts in anger, now advancing on all fours. You spot Watame just a bit further down the hallway. She looks back and waves at you.

"What the hell are you doing here Watame?!" You shout down the hall.

"I wasn't going to leave you! We're friends now, and this sheep always sticks by her friends! I can help us both escape!" She yells back with her hands cupped around her mouth.

It can't be any worse than your plan right? She put her trust in you earlier, it's only fair you do the same for her.

"Okay what do we do?" You ask as you finally catch up to her, with the shadow creature closing in fast.

"Just run with me! We'll be there soon!"

"Alright but how soon? My legs can't do this much longer."

"Yes you can! Just keep running, One! Two! One! Two!"

Hearing Watame's simple marching chant was causing you to feel something strange like you did back at your cell. You feel your legs pump up and down with more vigor than before, seemingly without your instruction as well.

As her chanting continues, the distance between the two of you and the shadow creature increases. Watame leads you both down another hallway, and then another. Before you know it you are led barreling down a staircase. You both jump off at the end to find yourself back in the larger dungeon where all the villagers were being held. The shadow creature's immense size prevented it from pursuing you right away, but you suspect it won't be long until it squeezes down here.

"Watame! We're back in the dungeon." You whine.

"I know, but come over here," Watame says as she skips over to the far end of the dungeon and beckons you to follow. Your legs now start to obey your orders again, but oh boy do they burn. The sheep stands over a circular shaft that sticks out of the floor.

"When the wizard would get rid of some of his prisoners, he would throw them in this, and they would fall out of the castle. We can use this to escape!" She explains.

"Why didn't we try to use this before then?"

"I wasn't sure where it might lead to before. But when we got outside I saw the ocean in the distance and that's when I knew this would have to drop us into the water! We'll be safe."

The distance between the village cliff top and the ocean was not exactly a safe one. You don't think you will die from it, but it will definitely hurt like hell.

"I saw the ocean Anon! I never thought I would get to. And after we leave we can go see so much more!" Watame smiles, those purple eyes of hers might have even twinkled a little.

It was risky, but so was everything else you did today, might as well keep the streak going. You think you'd try just about anything if it meant getting to see more of this sheep's radiant smile.

"Alright Watame, I trust you, let's get out of here."

Watame nods happily and goes to open the hatch. The sound of the shadow creature's hiss fills the room, as it finally makes its way down the stairs and comes into view, except now it wasn't alone. Hector appears from a veil of shadow in front of his creation, the look of bemusement in eyes you saw when you fought earlier was long gone, traded for pure disdain. You can see the fear in Watame's eyes as she freezes, you step in front of her, dagger in front of you.

"Choose your next words carefully boy, and you choose your next move very carefully sheep." Hector spits. "I promise you, if the sheep goes down that shaft, I will make sure you experience an agony like no other."

"Threaten me all you want Hector, but I'm not letting Watame stay another day in this awful place!" You yell. Even with every nerve in your body wanting to quake in fear due to what the wizard put you through in your last encounter, you will NOT falter for the sake of your friend.

"If you wanna be some powerful wizard that's fine, but have the guts to earn that for yourself. You can't just go keeping people prisoner to take their mana for yourself." You continue.

"Despite how much I would love to put you in your place again, I am a man who values my time, and I am already going to be spending too much of it cleaning up the mess you made. So here's my deal. The boy goes down that shaft, and the sheep stays here." The dark wizard says.

"What a garbage deal. As if I would ever trade her freedom for mine." You retort, swinging your dagger in front of you.

"I wasn't asking you." Hector spits as he directs his gaze at Watame. "I'd rather not waste the mana snuffing the life out of your pretend hero, so I'll tell you again. The boy goes down the shaft and out of my life, and you stay here as you are meant to. As was the original arrangement."

"And what the hell does that mean?" You snap. "What arrangement? Who the hell would agree to stay here with a nutcase like you?!"

"Why the one from the little village where I found this demi-human. It was a normal month for me, imprison another group of villagers out in the middle of nowhere, get a good amount of mana and then be on my way again. Imagine my surprise when I caught sight of an actual demi-human in this backwater kingdom. I was beside myself, I could have just had both, but I decided to be generous. The girl was all the village would need to trade for their freedom, and they happily accepted. Now I had a source of mana that was far better than some farmers and peasants. My goals would be realized even sooner now. So that's the story. Humans sold away this girl's freedom. Whatever freedom you think you would have out there, it would be a lie, humans would never accept you among them. At least with me you can serve a purpose, in time you will be the fuel for a new order under my rule. So the choice is simple, sheep. Discard the boy and get back in your cell."

You look back to Watame, to try and reassure her you won't let Hector lock her up again, that you were going to keep your promise and help her find her home, but that cheery bright girl was not there right now, only despair covered her expression. You look back to Hector with a blaze in your eyes.

"Yeah some people are really huge jerks. They can be selfish, mean, and just downright hurtful when you've done nothing wrong. But there are also good people out there, kind people who don't care what you look like or where you're from. Watame gave me the courage to finally stand up to the people who made me feel small and unwanted. She's my friend and as long as I'm around she will never be alone again. We're gonna travel the world and find her home, her family. She will finally be free after today Hector and there's nothing you can do to stop that!" You shout, confidence in your convictions rising with every word. It's time to defeat an evil wizard.

You charge forward, determined to end this. Hector raises his right hand toward you, but you aren't going to let this be a repeat of your last fight. With all your might you leap forward toward him, and with your free hand, you grab a hold of his held up wrist and twist it to point away from you as the burst of dark energy leaves his hand. You bring your dagger down into his left shoulder, and hold on for dear life.

"Not as tough at close range are you? And you can't zap me with that trap circle thing if we're both in the same spot too I bet." You say cocksure.

A mix of irritation and pain flashes in Hector's eyes. You feel something wrap itself around your midsection and yank you off of the dark mage. The next thing you see is Hector getting further away before your back hits the stone wall of the dungeon. You scramble to get up, and as you come to a kneel, the sword you lost after your first battle with the wizard comes flying toward you. The sharp blade just misses your head as it is lodged into the wall just above you. The wizard already has his hand raised to conjure another spell.

"I was planning to keep that little sword as a souvenir of the entertainment you gave me, but now I think I would rather everything to do with you be sent to oblivion." He snarls with a maddening look gleaming in his eyes.

"You won't mind if I take it back then." You retort as you pull the sword from the stone wall. It feels a little heavy in your hands, the physical exhaustion of this entire ordeal is catching up with you. It's really do or die now. You'll have to clinch things with your next strike.

Another ball of dark energy leaves Hector's hand and starts flying toward you. You plant your feet and with a mighty swing from overhead, you bring your blade over the darkness before it reaches you. It splits into two halves and flies right past you. You charge forward, sword raised overhead again. Hector's hand holds steady, already gathering power for the next spell, you have a surprise for him this time.

Bringing your arms downward, you throw your sword at him. It spins forward in the air and makes a clean slice into Hector's open hand as the blade then clangs against the stone floor behind him. Closing the distance once again, you leap at Hector and throw your fist into his cheek.

Before you could follow up, you are constrained again by the shadow creature, which has not left his master's side. It holds you up in the air as both of its hands begin to coil around you, squeezing harder with each second. Hector reels from the pain, but quickly recomposes himself and fixes his gaze on you. As he stares, the grip around your body grows tighter.

Shit! This might be it. I can't budge an inch under this thing's grip. It's getting a little hard to breathe. Visions starting to blur too…great. Hopefully Watame took the chance to escape when it's clear I wasn't going to win. She deserves to be free, even if I can't be around to see that happen.

As you are about to slip away into unconsciousness, you feel the pressure around you loosen. You open your eyes and fill your lungs with air. Below you was Hector, falling forward several feet away, and where he once stood was Watame with her head lowered. The girl had actually headbutted Hector while his back was turned. You fall to the ground with a thud, you cough up a little blood as you try to raise yourself up. You then feel Watame's gentle hands lift you up by your arm.

"Come on Anon." She urges as she pulls you back toward the escape shaft. "You need to go first."

You don't even feel like you have enough energy to argue or form real thoughts. You can only watch as Watame opens the hatch to the shaft and helps you position yourself to fall down it.

"Goodbye Anon." She then says with a bittersweet smile and a small wave.

"What do you mean?" You manage to get out between breaths. "We're both leaving Watame."

Watame shakes her head. "I need to take the deal the wizard offered, Anon. If I don't he will just hunt us down, and you'll be killed. I can't let that happen. I can't let that happen to my friend. You need to keep living Anon, you need to be free. Go find your home. If Watame can be the reason you get to do that, it will be worth it."

"Wait a sec! I don't want to leave yo-" You are stopped by a firm push from the sheep. which sends you falling down the shaft. Her smiling face quickly disappears from your vision as you continue to slide.

You cannot not stop yourself no matter how hard you try. If only there was some way to climb back up and take Watame with you, but all you can do is keep sliding downward. The light of the moon creeps through the end of the tunnel and after just another second, there is nothing underneath you. You look below and see the ocean swaying back and forth in the moonlight. You had just been dropped from the highest part of the village overlooking the ocean. You brace yourself as you crash into the dark waters, pain pulses through your body from the impact. As you sink, the only thing you could do is turn your body over to look at the water's surface slowly getting further and further away.

Damn…I'm really done this time aren't I? I gave it everything I had, and some I didn't even know I had…and it still wasn't enough. I guess it's kinda fitting that my life ends with me sinking into the ocean. These waters are where I started from anyway. If only I could have actually traded my life for Watame's freedom. That girl has nothing but good in her heart. She doesn't deserve to be a prisoner for the rest of her life.

You close your eyes as your mind starts to drift away with the tide.

Please just help her. Dad, Uncle Gunther.

"Undine"

The name you don't recognize invading your thoughts brings you back to alert, as you feel your feet land on the soft ocean floor. Your mind races to register what you were sensing, you are no longer floating, but you still feel as though you are weightless, you can breathe again but that shouldn't be possible. You look around and see only darkness, except for a small circular area around you that is lit up and clear. Did you die? Could this be the entryway to the afterlife?

"He who has called my name. Do you wish to form a pact?" A calm, soothing voice seems to come from all around you.

"Your name?" You ask back, still unsure what is happening. "Are you…Undine?"

"I am, but it is curious. Your soul seems to know of me but it also appears to be uncertain. Who might you be?"

"I'm Anon. I don't really get what's going on here. One second I'm sinking into the ocean, and the next I'm wherever this is, did I die?" You ask as you experiment more with the sensations around you, noting that your body that should be on the verge of breaking, is just as easy to move as ever.

"Perhaps we may find the answers you seek using answers to other questions. Tell me Anon, have you ever felt a connection to the ocean? Or water in general?"

"I guess I've always liked the ocean if that's what you're asking. It's kinda hard not to when you live so close to it." You start, taking another step forward into the illuminated area and watching the sand cloud around your foot.

"I always liked watching it, swimming in it, and listening to it. It was nice to go to whenever I was feeling extra alone, since I always knew the ocean was alive in its own way. It might sound a bit silly, but it was decent company. I was also found as a baby floating in the ocean, so I guess that would be a connection too if there was any."

"You do possess an admiration for the waters, I can also see they provide some comfort for you. It may help if I tell you my full title. I am Undine, the elemental spirit of water. It was by my hand that the waters of your world came to be and sprang forth life."

"So do you like, make the tides and all the other bodies of water work?" You try to confirm, the entire thing is sounding more like a dream with every passing second.

"I merely created them and watched over them. That is until my connection to your world had been severed. Since then I have been asleep. Your call from within the ocean had reached me, so I brought you here."

"And where is here exactly?"

"You may think of it as a world in between. A place where I can live and watch over your world from, but as you can see, due to my slumber it is lacking the splendor it once had."

"Okay, so I woke up an ancient elemental spirit of water, and my body is just kinda in your realm. So what happens now? Can I ever go back to my body and my world?"

"Of course. Your body is still in your world, safe under my protection while we talk here. Do you feel you have enough answers now?"

"Sorta, I guess? What was that pact thing you asked me about?" You ask, still unsure what any of this has to do with anything.

"A pact between mortal and elemental spirit. It will bind us to one another, you will be able to call upon me to help you as you see fit." The voice answers with a hint of eagerness.

"And you're strong right? Wait, don't answer that. You made the oceans, of course you would be strong. If you can really help me Undine, please make a pact with me then." You begin to say, getting excited for a potential answer to your prayers.

A shimmer of blue light appears before you, and the form of a pale blue skinned woman takes shape. Thick wavy hair of a deep blue, cascades down her back past her knees. A sleeveless blue dress whose threads are woven to resemble scales, covers her from the chest down. Her calm eyes were a bright teal and amphibian ears protruded from her head.

"Very well. Please state the conditions of our pact. That is, what do you wish for?" The woman asks curiously.

"What do I wish for? Right now there's only one thing I want. I want the strength to save a friend. She just gave up everything to save me, and I promised her I wouldn't let her be caged for one more day. I'm not strong enough to beat the guy holding her prisoner on my own. So please, help me Undine."

"I can sense pure intent from your request, but I must warn you. Even with our pact, that may not be enough to overcome the dark power you faced. To use my power you would need an understanding of mana and magic. As you are now, you may not be able to complete the summoning, I cannot be brought physically to your world just yet." Undine answers regretfully.

"Is there anything else we can do though? I'll do whatever it takes. If you can help me save Watame, you have to help me please!" You plead.

"There is one technique that could create a force powerful enough to do what you desire. It is called a spirit possession. I would use the connection of our pact to overpower your spirit with my own. I would control your body, but from that I would be able to use my full strength as it is now. This power would come at a major risk to yourself. Since you lack the mana necessary to maintain the possession for very long, I will need to use your own life force to do so. I am guessing you are aware of what might happen if we use too much of it."

"I understand." You answer immediately. "You take whatever you need from me, Undine, I'm willing to give it all up so Watame can be free. So please Undine, help me protect the people I care about."

You extend your hand to Undine, you are not sure how a pact actually gets formed, but offering a handshake to someone who can help you was always the polite thing to do.

"So be it. I, Undine, the ruler of the waters accept this pact. You are now my summoner, and I shall lend you my powers so that you may realize your wishes." The water spirit's voice echoes throughout the space around you both.

Undine takes your hand and you suddenly feel a surge of energy flow into you, as a blinding blue light shines before your eyes.

The next moment, you feel yourself floating on your back, the stars are beginning to fade as twilight settles into the sky.

Did that all just happen? Or did I just dream it? Nearly dying three times in one day will probably have that effect on someone.

"Summoner, if you are ready I will begin the possession." A familiar voice calls from inside your head. You spaz in surprise in the water, as you try to pinpoint where the voice came from.

"I guess that was real after all." You say aloud to yourself, or maybe to Undine, you still aren't sure what the rules of this pact are. Whatever the rules, there is still a job to finish. You can figure everything else out later, after Watame is free.

"Okay Undine, you're on, you see that castle up there? That's where we need to go." You say, pointing up to the castle on the cliff's edge.

"I feel that I must ask you once more, summoner. Are you prepared to lay down your life should the need arise? I will very likely need to use much of your life force to power and maintain the possession." Undine's voice resounds in your mind.

"Yeah. Just make sure you kick that guy's ass with everything you got. I don't want anyone to suffer because of him ever again. Make sure Watame gets out alive too. I should probably explain to you what everyone looks though huh?" You say as you stop from getting too ahead of yourself. If this was some ancient spirit who just woke up, she won't have any idea who anyone is.

"There will be no need for that summoner, once the possession is complete I will be able to peer into your memories for any details I may need to help me complete my task." The water spirit answers with an air of confidence.

"That's pretty convenient then. Alright Undine I'm ready. Possess me!" You say as you close your eyes, thinking you might be prepared for however this will feel.

The second the words leave your lips, you feel a shock through your whole body. It was as if something was pushing its way under your skin. Your first instinct was to fight it, but you force yourself to just let go and let it happen. Another few seconds of discomfort pass before you lose all feeling entirely. You can still see through your own eyes, but you almost feel like you are…secondary. Your view is brought down to your hands which now emitted a light blue glow. It looks like your entire body was enveloped in this strange light now.

"The possession is now complete summoner." Undine's voice calls to you. "I am unsure how much of my voice you can hear or what you can see, but rest assured, I will fulfill your wish by whatever means necessary as you requested."

You try to respond but are not met with an answer, it seems you are just along for the ride now. Undine looks up at the castle as she begins to move what are essentially her hands now, in a circular motion at her sides. The ocean water begins to quicken and spin below her, and after another moment it erupts like a geyser. You watch as the castle gets closer and closer as you are shot through the air like a cannonball. Undine lands on the ground in front of the castle with a powerful splash of water beneath your feet.

"Anon?" You hear your uncle's voice come from behind you. Undine turns your head toward him and studies him for a moment.

"You are the one he calls Uncle, correct?" Your voice comes out of your mouth, but with Undine's own voice echoing within it.

"Is that really you in there? How did you fly up here? Why are you glowing? What the blazes is happening?!" Your uncle exclaims as he continues to approach your body slowly.

"I'm afraid I do not have time to properly explain, you must head to safety. You must take the villagers and get as far away as you can from this place. I will deal with the wizard."

"Anon stop! I don't know what is happening, but you don't have to do this alone. Some of the villagers want to help you too! I'm sorry I let the sheep girl go, but she was so blasted insistent I couldn't stop her."

That was a nice thought, to think some of the villagers actually gave a damn if you lived or died. Hector was far too dangerous though, even for your uncle, you had to let Undine end this on her own. Though your uncle did deserve to know you were in good hands at this point, even if you might not make it back.

"I intend to stop the wizard's evil deeds here and now. I cannot allow the risk of him attempting to use you against me. You and everyone else must stay away, and that is final." The command in your voice no doubt surprising your uncle.

With a gesture of your hand, a wave of water erupts from beneath your feet, and carries your Uncle and a few of the villagers behind him further away from the castle. Undine turns toward the castle doors and walks you toward them, a lot of feelings start to make their way to the surface. You hated Hector, you hated what he's done to Watame, your uncle, countless other innocents, all so he wouldn't have to work for his own power.

Is what I'm doing now that much different though? No way! Hector was just taking what he wanted from others without giving anything back. Whatever this is with Undine, it feels more like a partnership. If by some miracle I make it out of this alive, I'm gonna make it up to her too. I'll be the best damn summoner ever! Whatever she wants, I'll give her too!

You watch Undine tear down the front doors with another wave of water. It was awe inspiring to watch the water surge and recede at her command. It's even more bewildering to think that these acts are being performed by your very two hands.

A pair of smaller shadow creatures ran to the doorway where you now stand, their arms ready for battle. You see your arm make a swiping motion in front of you, as two discs of water fly forth, cutting both creatures in two. Undine quickens the pace of your steps as you go through the castle.

You watch the scenery of the castle pass by as you run through familiar hallways and staircases. Another pair of sentry shadows attempts to stop Undine, but are dispatched as quickly as the first with another flurry of sharpened water. Is this what real magic could do?

"I am pleased to say all my powers appear to be working as I hoped." Undine's voice comes. "I am sensing a dark magical presence close above. Soon the real battle will begin."

While you greatly looked forward to giving Hector a taste of his own medicine, it was still strange to have to watch the fight from your own body, unable to actually do anything. The water spirit controlling your body hikes up another staircase, the one you remember having your second battle in. Soon, your eyes take in the scenery where you first met the mad wizard.

The floor is still littered with the shattered remains of the long dining table that once stood here. You want to wince at the thought of how it felt to be hit dead on by Hector's dark magic, the feeling still fresh in your mind. The sound of soft footsteps against stone brings Undine's attention to the far side of the room, where two figures move within the dim light. The wizard and his largest creation make their way to the room's opposite exit. The hulking being of shadow looks to be carrying a bird cage big enough to fit a person over its shoulder, as well as your sword in its other hand.

Undine marches you forward, and the sound of the broken table crunching beneath your feet alerts the castle's master of your presence as he turns to you. Something within the cage also stirs at your arrival.

"Anon?!" Watame gasps from her newest prison. Hector looks to her, and then back at you with disbelief, he snaps his fingers as the lights that teem the room roared to their full strength, illuminating the entire area.

"How did you get back here boy!?" The wizard spits. "There's no way you should have been able to survive that fall to the ocean."

"He had some help" Undine answers confidently, with your voice mixed with her own again. "He has asked me to put a stop to your dark deeds once and for all. So no one else will have to suffer again by your hand. You may surrender, and I will make your end painless."

"And who are you to make demands of me, boy? You may have somehow figured out how to use a little magic, but you are no match for the likes of me. No match for the powers I command." Hector argues, his rage building as one of his eyes begins to twitch at sight of you.

"If you will not surrender I will come at you with all that I have. For I am the ruler of the waters. I am Undine. Now you shall feel the wrath of the ocean!" You hear both yours and the water spirit's voices utter, as the blue glow around your body begins to build and brighten.

"I think the fall you took has made you finally go insane." Hector forces a laugh. His confidence is short-lived as a disc of water whizzes past his head, and cuts off the arm of the shadow creature behind him. A deluge of water then follows and rises up to catch the falling cage. With a pulling gesture from your hands, and what you can only assume to be Undine's own will, the water recedes back toward you before gently setting the cage down and lowering back down to a simple puddle.

"Still think I'm insane, wizard?!" Undine spits. She then brings your gaze to Watame and smiles. "It will all be okay little sheep. Anon and I will bring an end to all of this. Please leave and find safety."

Watame can hardly believe what she is seeing. She had given up all hope earlier and only cared about Anon's safety and his dreams, but here he was again, coming to her rescue, stronger than ever, and glowing. It was a very cool glow, as he simply swipes his hand over the cage's lock, and a thin slice of water cuts it in two. She wants to just keep staring, but suddenly remembers that she is being talked to, and that she has many questions.

"I'm not sure who you are, but you said Anon is in there with you?" Watame asks, as she steps out of the cage with help from your gentle hand.

"That is correct. I am not sure how much he can see or hear after I possessed him, but his soul is very much still here. He asked me to help free you and to stop this wizard once and for all. So please, go find safety, that way no matter how this ends, part of his wish will be fulfilled."

"Wait, what's gonna happen to Anon?" The sheep asks worriedly, she did not like the sound of that last part.

Before Undine can answer, Hector takes advantage of the split focus to enact his own plan. The shadow creature recedes into Hector's own shadow as dark mana begins to radiate from his body. He holds up his uninjured hand and a giant ball of dark energy comes hurling towards you.

You see both your hands stretch out front of you, as a wall of water erupts from the ground to block the dark magic. You can almost feel like you yourself are pushing the waters forward, urging the water to slowly gain ground against the ball of darkness. The struggle then becomes too much for both sides, as the spells dissipate into the air. Another swipe across your body from both your arms sends edges of aqua to fly toward Hector. The wizard then commands his creature to emerge from his shadow again to shield him. After taking the assault in the place of his master, the creature becomes a mangled mess of its original form, and struggles to reshape itself.

"There's no escape for you!" Undine cries, as she commands the water from beneath the monster to rise and envelop it in a sphere of blue purity. A clench of your fist directs the water to crush the creature within it. Its screech echoes in the room as the water drips back onto the floor. "You stand no chance against me wizard. The magic you wield may be dark, but without your own mana and passion to give it strength, it will fail you every time."

"Fine. You want to experience the might of my own mana. Well you've earned it, boy. You have tried my patience for the last time. I may have to push my plans back another few years, but killing you will be worth it!" Hector snarls as his body begins to emit an unsettling dark purple aura.

Even without being in control of your own body, you can feel how sinister the air is around the wizard. He raises his hand and slashes it downward in front of him, while a claw of shadow erupts from his arm to mimic his movements aimed right at you. You see yourself dive forward and roll on the ground, then you turn and hold up a hand at the claw coming to get you from behind, and create a jet of water to push it back. Undine then uses your other hand to fire another jet at Hector, who can only block it with his injured hand. As you continue to watch the battle unfold in front of you, you begin to notice a heavy feeling around you.

"I am sorry summoner, I will need to start tapping into your very life essence to continue to use my waters. What mana I had from the ocean itself is almost spent, so you may start to feel the effects of that very soon." Undine's voice echoes in your mind.

So that's what that feeling is. It's somehow exhausting even though I can't actually feel my body. Oh well. This is fine, as long as she wins and Watame is safe.

Hector stumbles backward from the force of the azure stream, the shadow claw receding with him. Another pulse of water fires forth from your hands, meant to further pressure the wizard, but he responds with a pulse of magic of his own, as a burst of blue and black hues erupts halfway between you both.

"I have had all I can stand of you, boy!" Hector screams, his eyes flickering with rage and insanity. "I don't care if I have to reduce this entire castle to ash to be rid of you! I'll build a new one! Your precious villagers can be the ones to build it for me! Even the sheep can face oblivion for all I care."

The ball of dark magic between his hands grows larger and larger. The swirling mass of dark energy gives you a sense of dread that strikes at your very core.

That lunatic could actually do it! He can turn this whole place to rubble if that thing keeps growing. Undine! I don't know if you can hear me, but you have to save Watame! I don't care what it takes! Use everything I have to keep her safe, my body, my life, or even my soul. Do SOMETHING that will keep my friend alive.

As if answering your prayers, Undine begins to move your body and dash towards Watame. The fluffy sheep looks on in fear as the building mass of magic above all your heads continues to grow and light the room in a dark purple glow. You can hear the orb of dark energy begin to move, tearing through the air and anything solid that stands in its path. Your body leaps forward, the sound of water rising fills your ears, as your arms pull Watame close to you.

Although you could not see it, you could feel the weight of Hector's spell clashing against the water's Undine had created to shield you. Again, the same strange draining sensation courses through you. Each passing second demands more and more from you. It feels as though your very soul is being strained. You aren't sure how magic truly works, but you will with all you have that the azure wall of protection holds off long enough for Undine and Watame to get to safety.

A loud explosion is all you hear next, as your vision becomes submerged in water. You are able to see Watame's golden hair flow into view in front you, indicating Undine still clutched her in your arms. The world spins as you watch the castle crumble and break apart from beyond the waters.

When your body appears to have stopped moving and the waters around you recede, you see a massive hole in the ceiling above you. You hear Watame cough on top of you. Your eyes are brought down to her as your arms begin to help set her upright.

"Are you alright little sheep?" Undine asks.

"I think so." Watame answers between coughs, trying to clear the water from her throat.

"He is truly mad." Undine remarks. "To think he would risk destroying all of us like that."

"What about you?! And Anon?" Watame asks.

"I am fine for now. I'm afraid keeping us safe from that last attack took almost all we had left." Undine says as she observes the blue glow fading from one of your hands. "I have to end this before there is not enough left to maintain the possession."

After your body raises to a stand, one of your hands reaches out and grasps for something. Your fingers flick forward, sparking a very small burst of blue mana, but still nothing appears. Once more Undine tries to force whatever it is she is trying to do, but only a dribble of water appears from your hear your voice grunt in frustration.

"T-Then let me fight! While you rest." Watame suddenly says. "You need a little time to get more mana right? I can distract him while you do that, I don't want to lose my friend again."

What a brave little sheep. Undine's thoughts come to your mind. I am beginning to understand why you would risk anything to help her. I understand your conviction now. If both of you as mortals can be willing to give everything you have for that which is important to you, I can surely do the same.

"That will not be necessary, my summoner asked that I keep you safe and defeat this wizard, I will not disappoint him. Come, we cannot fight here, back to the exit." Undine says as she pats Watame's head gently.

Ushering Watame along, you both begin to hurry toward the front of the castle, but something shines in the corner of your eye. On the ground in the hallway, amidst rubble, is your sword! It must have fallen through the floors along with you.

Get the sword Undine! It can help you finish this…I hope.

Whether by your call or through her own instinct, you see your hand reach down and grab the sword as you keep moving. The wide entryway comes back into view, you can hear the sound of stone crashing and crumbling above you. Hector has gone fully unhinged and is blasting through the floors hoping to crush you.

Along with the sounds of magic crashing against the ceilings above, the rush of rising water begins to resound as you are lifted higher off the ground along with Watame. The two of you ride the surging wave until you are both brought out of the castle before the blackened stones from above can fall on you.

The water carries you safely until shrinking down into the earth at the bottom of the front steps just outside of the castle. Undine steadies Watame to her feet and checks her over. "You need to stand back now little sheep. I need to complete my task."

"But Anon, I mean Undine. You don't have enough mana left do you?" Watame protests.

Your eyes are brought to your free hand as the blue glow around has practically faded away.

"I have a way to make more." She says reassuringly.

You know what this could mean. The strain on your life force has been increasing with every new spell the water spirit cast through your body. This last push might take all you have left. You're ready though. This is something you'll see through to the end. For Watame. For your friend.

The castle doors and the stone frame around them is blown apart from a blast of magic from the inside. Hector marches out angrily, his face contorted with rage.

"You're finished boy!" He shouts. "I can see your little display is just about over. You don't have the power to defeat me now."

"He may not have the power alone." Undine says back. "But together, we both will lay down our lives to defeat you. Now you will fall to the splendor of water!"

You see your sword point towards Hector, and the aura of blue around your body and now your sword, brightens and intensifies. You expect the draining feeling to come again, but it never does.

Hector has already unleashed another massive ball of dark energy toward you. The light around your blade turns into a spiral of water which springs forth, coming together to form a giant whirlpool in midair. The dark energy can only be sucked into its spiraling torrent. The raging cycle wears the ball of anger and hate down, and soon both disappear into nothing. With another stab from your sword, two streams of water fly forward, their shape changing to the heads of dragons that hone in on their prey. Hector raises a hand to defend himself but the waters are already upon him. Each head bites down hard into his hands, causing him to scream in agony.

"You're finished." Undine says smugly. "You are no master of magic. You can only conjure your spells through your hands, correct? A mage who can only use stolen mana is no mage at all. True magic requires passion, drive, and understanding of the elements you wish to command. You were destined to lose when someone with a real reason to fight challenged you. Your selflessness and disrespect for magic is why you will lose here today."

"You dare to lecture me again!?" Hector barks as he desperately tries to shake the water dragons from his hands. "I will show you what true magic is! I do not need to understand what is mine to command. I may need my hands to cast most of my spells, but there is one trick I have that doesn't!"

Hector yells, as the darkness under him begins to expand and rise behind him. The shadow creature from earlier emerges from his shadow, its appearance now even more twisted and almost demonic. Sharp menacing horns shoot outward from the sides of its head, its arms now look covered in pitch black spikes, and four taloned claws now replace the more human-like hands it had earlier. What was probably the worst part, is the creature now stared at you with white slitted eyes, as the makings of a mouth begin to stretch and tear the shadow, like a poorly made doll.

It looms over Hector by the tail of its shadow. It lunges toward you as it stretches its tether to its master, arms raised to rend and maim you.

Your free hand rises up to produce another whirlpool of water to be your shield. The shadow creature struggles against the raging current of the water, but it slowly wades through. Undine turns your eyes back towards Hector, the water that is biting into his hands is still tethered to your sword. Your arm jerks to the side, the water moving with it, as Hector is forced to stumble in the same direction.

All three of you struggle against one another's magic, Undine swings your arm again to move Hector further along, again and again, until his back is to the edge overlooking the ocean. The stage is set, and it is time for the final strike.

Undine begins to channel even more mana into your body, the waters growing larger and faster. With a mighty thrust of your sword the water dragons are freed from their tie to you, and surge against Hector's entire body. The dark wizard loses his balance and begins to fall off the edge, but in a final last ditch effort, the shadow creature finally claws through the whirlpool above you, and snatches your body in its huge grip. You are carried along with the dark monstrosity as the ocean comes into view, the sun just now starting to peak over the horizon. Hector screams from the pain of Undine's waters piercing his body, despair covering his face as he realizes he was falling.

The shadow creature also screeches in pain as the life of his creator falters. It reluctantly lets you go as it begins to recede into its host against its will. Your vision is brought down to him as he plummets downward by pressure of the waters that still gnaw at him. If Undine's own fierce creations did not end him, the fall to the hard rocks below certainly would. That means it is finally over.

I may not survive this fall either…so why do I feel like smiling? It's so strange, but I'm just so happy that I beat Hector and saved everyone! Well…Undine, did it. She saved Watame, saved uncle, and even all the villagers. Even if this means I won't get to see any of them again, I don't regret any of it. This was an experience unlike any other.

I just wish I could thank Undine properly for everything she's done. Maybe I'll get a chance after all. What happens to a person who gives all their life energy to an elemental spirit? I guess I'll find out soon huh?

The blue aura around your hands begins to shrink and flicker as Undine positions you to dive into the ocean. You only watch as the blue waters shining with the yellow of the rising sun grow closer. Then, you see nothing.

Light suddenly fills your vision again, but you still cannot control the blinking of your eyes. As focus returns to you, you are greeted by the sight of a very worry stricken, and very wet Watame.

"Anon!" She says, shaking you. "Undine! Are you both okay?!"

"Little sheep?" Undine says weakly through you. The water spirit turns your head around to see that you are on the nearby shore below the cliffs. "How did I get here? I remember diving into the ocean and using the last of my mana to prepare Anon and myself for the impact, but I lost consciousness. The possession continues to hold as well…curious."

"When you and the wizard fell off the cliff I was so scared." Watame starts, tears welling in her eyes. "I ran and ran to get down here so I could try to find you. I saw you being carried by the waves, so I swam out to get you. I was so worried, I thought I lost you again!"

"I see. I suppose I would not be able to call myself the ruler of the waters if I could not survive falling into them. Thank you, little sheep, thank you for rescuing my summoner." Undine says warmly.

"I'm still not sure I really understand what's going on, but you did it! You beat the wizard look!" Watame points up at where the castle once stood, the entire structure was now in shambles. "Since he controls the castle with his magic, if he's gone, the castle will go too!"

Damn. I guess the lunatic wasn't bluffing about that part. If I actually gutted him when we first fought, the whole thing would have crushed everyone, including me. What a messed up power…

"So my task is finished. Thank you Watame. If I could ask one more thing of you. Would you please listen?" Watame nods as you hear Undine begin to speak again. "Seeing the resolve of yourself and my summoner to protect what is dear to you, even at the cost of your own lives inspired me. I had been away from mortals for so long, I forgot what that passion felt like. It was only right to lay down my own life as well. During that final exchange with the wizard I used some of the mana that makes up my own spiritual form. This allowed me to not take the last of my summoner's life force. He will continue to live after the possession is over."

Tears start to flow freely from Watame's eyes at the news. "But wait, what about you?! Are you going to be okay!?"

"Do not worry little sheep, for this reason I ask you to give this message to my summoner when he reawakens. I am not sure what he can hear or see as I possess him, so please tell him what I am about to tell you." Undine waits for a brief moment before continuing. "Since my summoner, Anon, did not have the mana to summon me physically to this world, he chose to allow me to possess him for this task. Since I chose to use my own spiritual energy in the end to power my spells, I will be dormant again, but please tell him to not worry. We will still share a small connection due to our pact. I would ask him to make his own mana stronger. With stronger mana and more understanding of the spirits I am confident he can summon me back to this world again."

Watame repeats most of what Undine tells her, though the uncertainty in her voice is apparent.

"Good, thank you Watame. I have to go now, but I hope to see you again one day. My little sheep."

With that, the blue light around your body disappears completely as you feel like you are falling upward. You are surprised by all the sensations flooding into you. Not only the feeling of muscle control coming back to you, but everything else that entailed came pouring into you all at once.

Your body is sore beyond measure and throbbing with pain, but as you moved your head on your own for the first time in what felt like an eternity, you looked to the rising sun and then back at Watame. It hurts to move, but you can't help but smile.

"Hey again Watame." Is all you could think to say.

"Anon!? Is it really you now?" The sheep gasps, as she wipes from the tears from her eyes.

"Yup it's me. I'm so glad you're safe."

Watame sniffles and wraps you in a big hug, while you welcome the fluffy warm embrace you also feel a sharp pain shoot through your body.

"Oh Anon! Before I forget, I need to tell you something that Undine wants you to know. She, she was so brave and nice, and she needs you to know." Watame begins to frantically say, not wanting to forget any of the details before she can relay them to you.

You pull back from the hug so you can hold up a hand to stop her. "It's okay Watame, I already know. I could see and hear everything that was going on the whole time. And don't worry, I already promised myself I would do whatever it takes to see Undine again and thank her properly. If I need to become whatever a real summoner has to be to make that happen, then that's what I'll do."

Watame looks at you with a relieved smile. Her tattered rags are soaked from the ocean along with her hair that lays completely flat against her body. Still, she looks like she couldn't be happier.

"So it's really all over now huh?" You ask rhetorically as you fall back on the cool sand. "How's the view from here by the way, Watame? Tell me how freedom looks."

"It's beautiful. I never knew the sunrise from the ocean was so breathtaking." She answers, awestruck from the rising light on the horizon.

"Yeah the ocean is pretty great. I might just be a tiny bit biased now, even more so than before." You chuckle. "And this is just the start Watame, you're going to get to see so many more beautiful things now."

"Anon!" Your dad's voice comes as he and your uncle sprint over to you from the hill leading to the shore. You manage to push yourself upright only to be pulled up into a bear hug by your dad.

"Anon are you alright!? Your uncle and I ran back here as fast as we could once he got word to me, and then what do I see as I'm running as fast as these old legs will carry me? You flying off the cliffs with some monster below you. Your uncle might have had his head hit a little too hard though, he was saying something about some spirit controlling you!?"

"I can explain." You manage to get out. Not really sure how to handle so many questions at once, especially when you're not even sure how well you even understand it all. "But you need to stop squeezing me first"

"Let the boy down Fineas." Your uncle says between haggard breaths. "There can be time for all that later. Anon just had the fight of his life today. You're going to break him in two if you keep that up!"

It was rare that your uncle scolded your dad, but he was probably the only person in this world that could make your dad feel smaller than he was.

"You're right you're right." Your dad says as he lets go of you. "Sorry Anon. We should get you home to rest."

"Rest. Yeah I'd think I'd very much like that right now." Your vision blurs again as you close your eyes. You can only feel yourself free fall back onto the soft sand before consciousness leaves you.