Puppetmaster
"This world..." Icelus explains, "Is called Somnium. It is a world full of wonders, trickery, and illusions. Nothing is always as it appears, every shadow, every bead of dew or blade of grass has its own story to tell, and its own masked identity. Everything in this world contains one main current of power. A power, if found, can be used to do almost anything the owner desires."
"Anything?" you inquire curiously.
"The Power could control this world instantaneously," the large man frowns, "The discoverer could become almost like a god."
"Do you know how to tap into that power?" you ask.
"Even if I knew, I would not. The Power would corrupt me so thoroughly, there would be no turning back and no hope for life in Somnium." Icelus leaned back in his chair and furrowed his brow in thought. "However," the tall man pauses and stares at you, "There is a legend, a rumour, that only an Eternal from the Otherworld can tap into the magical stream of the Power."
"Eternal?" you raise your eyebrows, "Meaning...me?"
Icelus only stares back at you and does not speak a word.
You lay back in the bed in thought. A power that could control everything here? Just like a snap of the finger?
"And only me..." you whisper.
"There are people, Eternal..." Icelus leans forward as his face goes dark, "That would do almost everything to get that power. And if they are strong enough, they could force you to give them the powers, powers that only you just may be able to grab. That could only result in total annihilation of this world...and possibly further beyond."
You gulp at the thought. This "dream" has turned out to be more than you have first realized.
"Icelus," you say, "What can you tell me of the Puppetmaster?"
Immediately the tall man's eyes widen, and then turns to a worried glare. "How do you know about him?"
"When I first came here, he snuck up behind me and attempted to kill me," you shudder at the thought, "Before he could reach me, I fled into the woods. That's when I was attacked by those wolves, and when you scared them off."
Icelus seems to grow calmer and shows a faint smile. "The Puppetmaster tried to kill you, eh? Good." he chuckles, "That means he doesn't know about the Power."
Icelus gets up from the chair and walks over to the cauldron boiling on the fire. "Just a few more minutes..." he says to himself.
"Do you know about the Puppetmaster?" you ask again.
"Know him? Do I know him!" the large man appears to find the idea amusing, "He's infamous! I've been hunting him for years now with my wolves. Haven't even gotten close to catching that trickster!"
"Those were YOUR wolves?" you start up angrily, "They almost KILLED me!"
"Yes, I know." Icelus chuckles, "I apologize. I had told those beasts to hunt and kill any being from the Otherworld. I didn't expect another Eternal to be here."
"Hold on a second." you say as you raise your hand, "You say that the Puppetmaster is from MY world? That can't be right."
"Well, he's not from our world, I can tell you that." Icelus grumbles.
"And how could you have been hunting him for years? I only pai--" you stop yourself. Who knows what this man will do to you if you tell him that YOU painted the Puppetmaster.
You created him...
You begin to feel sick at the thought. But how is that possible? How could you create such a powerful creature? Such a twisted and monstrous being?
Icelus doesn't seem to notice your fumble in words, his attention preoccupied with the contents in the cauldron.
"There!" he says aloud, "It is complete!"
"What's in there, anyways?" you inquire.
"A potion." Icelus responds without saying more.
"A potion? For what?" you call to him, but he ignores you.
As you watch him, Icelus strides over to a large cabinet and removes a small vial from one of the inner shelves. He then opens one of the containers on the shelf and dumps its contents into the vial. The powder is a bright blue, vaguely resembling the colour of the steam coming from the black cauldron.
"Now tell me friend," Icelus say over his shoulder, "Where you come from... what is it like there?"
"Different." you say simply.
"Explain, please."
"Well," you sigh, "It is a place with a lot of buildings, taller than trees and made from stone. There are a lot of cars...um, I mean, carriages without the need of horses to move."
You have caught Icelus' total attention now, his eyes glinting curiously.
"Interesting...," he whispers to himself.
"There are machines that enable us to fly," you continue, "And hundreds of stores in which to buy food, clothes, and..well...everything." You pause and wonder if you should tell him about some of the bad things that happen in your world.
Nah.
"Go on." Icelus prods.
"There's just so much to tell," you yawn, "I've just kind of given you a basic idea of what it's like."
"Fair enough." Icelus turns back to the cauldron. The tall man is hunched over the pot, wisps of blue smoke curling around him and hiding whatever he's doing. When he turns around, he holds in his hand a vial filled with a glowing green liquid.
"Who's that for?" you ask.
"My brother." he answers, "Phantasos. One of the four rulers of this world."
"What exactly does that liquid do?" you ask.
"I'll tell you what," Icelus says, "you can ask Phantasos that when you get there. What do you say?"
"WHAT!" you shout, "Why do I have to go!?"
Icelus' face turns angry, "Stop your whining, boy!" he snaps, "The weak don't survive in this world!"
Silence envelopes the small cabin as the giant of a man stares you down.
"Listen, boy." Icelus calms down, "I am very busy, always busy. Bad things happen in this land all the time, and I need to be around to fix it. Like SAVING YOU for example." He glares at you in annoyance. "That's why none of the rulers can ever leave their area, not unless there is something extremely important at stake."
Icelus shakes his head and turns to look out the window...
"Anything?" you inquire curiously.
"The Power could control this world instantaneously," the large man frowns, "The discoverer could become almost like a god."
"Do you know how to tap into that power?" you ask.
"Even if I knew, I would not. The Power would corrupt me so thoroughly, there would be no turning back and no hope for life in Somnium." Icelus leaned back in his chair and furrowed his brow in thought. "However," the tall man pauses and stares at you, "There is a legend, a rumour, that only an Eternal from the Otherworld can tap into the magical stream of the Power."
"Eternal?" you raise your eyebrows, "Meaning...me?"
Icelus only stares back at you and does not speak a word.
You lay back in the bed in thought. A power that could control everything here? Just like a snap of the finger?
"And only me..." you whisper.
"There are people, Eternal..." Icelus leans forward as his face goes dark, "That would do almost everything to get that power. And if they are strong enough, they could force you to give them the powers, powers that only you just may be able to grab. That could only result in total annihilation of this world...and possibly further beyond."
You gulp at the thought. This "dream" has turned out to be more than you have first realized.
"Icelus," you say, "What can you tell me of the Puppetmaster?"
Immediately the tall man's eyes widen, and then turns to a worried glare. "How do you know about him?"
"When I first came here, he snuck up behind me and attempted to kill me," you shudder at the thought, "Before he could reach me, I fled into the woods. That's when I was attacked by those wolves, and when you scared them off."
Icelus seems to grow calmer and shows a faint smile. "The Puppetmaster tried to kill you, eh? Good." he chuckles, "That means he doesn't know about the Power."
Icelus gets up from the chair and walks over to the cauldron boiling on the fire. "Just a few more minutes..." he says to himself.
"Do you know about the Puppetmaster?" you ask again.
"Know him? Do I know him!" the large man appears to find the idea amusing, "He's infamous! I've been hunting him for years now with my wolves. Haven't even gotten close to catching that trickster!"
"Those were YOUR wolves?" you start up angrily, "They almost KILLED me!"
"Yes, I know." Icelus chuckles, "I apologize. I had told those beasts to hunt and kill any being from the Otherworld. I didn't expect another Eternal to be here."
"Hold on a second." you say as you raise your hand, "You say that the Puppetmaster is from MY world? That can't be right."
"Well, he's not from our world, I can tell you that." Icelus grumbles.
"And how could you have been hunting him for years? I only pai--" you stop yourself. Who knows what this man will do to you if you tell him that YOU painted the Puppetmaster.
You created him...
You begin to feel sick at the thought. But how is that possible? How could you create such a powerful creature? Such a twisted and monstrous being?
Icelus doesn't seem to notice your fumble in words, his attention preoccupied with the contents in the cauldron.
"There!" he says aloud, "It is complete!"
"What's in there, anyways?" you inquire.
"A potion." Icelus responds without saying more.
"A potion? For what?" you call to him, but he ignores you.
As you watch him, Icelus strides over to a large cabinet and removes a small vial from one of the inner shelves. He then opens one of the containers on the shelf and dumps its contents into the vial. The powder is a bright blue, vaguely resembling the colour of the steam coming from the black cauldron.
"Now tell me friend," Icelus say over his shoulder, "Where you come from... what is it like there?"
"Different." you say simply.
"Explain, please."
"Well," you sigh, "It is a place with a lot of buildings, taller than trees and made from stone. There are a lot of cars...um, I mean, carriages without the need of horses to move."
You have caught Icelus' total attention now, his eyes glinting curiously.
"Interesting...," he whispers to himself.
"There are machines that enable us to fly," you continue, "And hundreds of stores in which to buy food, clothes, and..well...everything." You pause and wonder if you should tell him about some of the bad things that happen in your world.
Nah.
"Go on." Icelus prods.
"There's just so much to tell," you yawn, "I've just kind of given you a basic idea of what it's like."
"Fair enough." Icelus turns back to the cauldron. The tall man is hunched over the pot, wisps of blue smoke curling around him and hiding whatever he's doing. When he turns around, he holds in his hand a vial filled with a glowing green liquid.
"Who's that for?" you ask.
"My brother." he answers, "Phantasos. One of the four rulers of this world."
"What exactly does that liquid do?" you ask.
"I'll tell you what," Icelus says, "you can ask Phantasos that when you get there. What do you say?"
"WHAT!" you shout, "Why do I have to go!?"
Icelus' face turns angry, "Stop your whining, boy!" he snaps, "The weak don't survive in this world!"
Silence envelopes the small cabin as the giant of a man stares you down.
"Listen, boy." Icelus calms down, "I am very busy, always busy. Bad things happen in this land all the time, and I need to be around to fix it. Like SAVING YOU for example." He glares at you in annoyance. "That's why none of the rulers can ever leave their area, not unless there is something extremely important at stake."
Icelus shakes his head and turns to look out the window...