The Deadman

Robert drove the car away from the reservation.

His eyes were on the road. Still trying to process what happened in the forest.

Simone was silently comprehending what he got from the Oldest Druid next to him.

They found a gas station to refuel. Robert slide the car into the gas pump and gestures to Simone for the cash. Simone handed him enough cash to fill up the tank.

“I’m going to take a break there.”

Robert pointed at the bus stop’s bench.

“Oh, okay.”

Robert went inside the gas station store.

He bought himself a pack of cigarettes.

He took a walk out of the gas station's area and sat on the bus stop’s bench. He snapped his fingers like it’s lighter. Producing candlelight flame on the tip of his finger.

He took a drag of his cigarette and blew the smoke.

He wiped his face and dropped the cigarette’s ash on the shoulder-paved road.

Simone walked up to him after parking his car not far from the bus stop’s bench.

“Uh, you okay?”

“Nope. I don’t know what happened back there. Still silently processing. That being. He lied. He took a price.”

“He did?”

“Yup. I think he shifted the scales of my abilities to sealing and binding. I can use elemental spells ten times, but after that, it’s just five times now.”

“You checked? I don’t get it.”

Robert nodded and takes another drag.

“He shifted it. I was so weak that he had to shift it. To allow me to use all my senses all at once like instinct. The sixth sense was useful, but being able to throw a ball of fire that explodes ten times was useful, you know?”

“Lesnik… used to stow souls away. If anything he’s rather gentle now. I guess it’s the years that he had lived. Human souls do not interest him.”

“Could have said that before taking me along the ride. Never felt so small in my life. If I had made any irrational move there. I’d doubt I’d be alive right now.”

“He won’t. Unless he wants to bring the Commissions Council. Lesnik is powerful, but you also need to understand that we have our ways of dealing with the powerful.”

“What? Some kind of Elite Agent?”

“Yes. We try to persuade them with the Elite Agents. A Warlock or Wizard should be able to stall him. But if the beings that are hostile to us are unable to be calm or persuaded by our Elite Agent. Then we go to the skies. We bombed them.”

“That makes sense.”

Simone folded his arms and looked  back.

“It was actually five years ago that a pack of Wendigo appeared in the Canadian Rockies. Ten Wendigos were rampaging. That pack took down forty-six Enforcers, two Agents, and sevenElite Agents. The casualties were getting higher as they climbed down from their habitat. So organizations within the Americas started creating a plan to stop their rampage. The existence of the Wendigo must not be discovered to the world.  So they tried setting up a plan, but before anyone could actually do anything. They made a move first."

"Who?

“The United States. They deployed two flights of Strike Eagles carrying thermobaric ammunition to deal with them. They dropped their payload on the monsters when they turn towards the borders of America. They might have thought they were going to make a rampage so they acted first. After that, the rest of the Agents who witnessed the massacre finished off the survivors.”

“So in the case that it couldn’t be done by Agents. They’d send fast-movers. It makes sense. But I can’t see it working with Lesnik. That living space of his. It’s magical.”

“It’s True Magic. Unlike what we use which honestly seems like a poor imitation. It’s ancient but it’ll only work if they are in places like that forest where there was no interference.”

“So missiles will work on him?”

“Yes. But to deal with Lesnik we might need more than one missile. And it would be hard to find him if he’s on his turf.”

“Do we usually fight them?”

“Thank God that we don’t. Besides, these creatures rarely appear to humans now. There are only a few who are willing to appear and that’s because CASE had somewhat made them trust us. Lesnik only appeared because I was carrying the Horn that he lent my ancestor a thousand years ago. Probably sensed the item and chose to interact with us to appease his curiosity.”

“At least you got a lot from him, right?”

“Enough to smoothen my progress. I was lacking guidance because of my circumstances. Now that I have a path to follow. I will be able to steadily progress my magical abilities.”

“Great then. Hmm, it’s bothering me how you are willingly answering my questions. I thought you’d be more tight-lipped about this.”

“Because I owe you at least that much for following me into this.”

“You are welcome. But this will not happen again.”

Simone nodded his head slowly. 

Robert had to make it clear to him.

“I know. It’s far too dangerous to bring someone like you to places like this. But you did well despite not having a mage’s bloodline, Oswald.”

“I’m just glad I’m alive. Though I have to admit that losing the ability to use my elemental spells ten times has made me bitter. That’s five extra uses of my spells gone.”

“Well, at least you got something out of it. The price that you need to pay for the ability to instinctively use all your senses at once seems like a good trade.”

Robert nodded his head.

He focused and used all of his senses at once. He could see the outline of the people inside the gas station’s store and the creatures that were around him. No matter how big or little. They seem to be highlighted. The world’s black and white except for a few colors that are glowing like moonlight on water. A glow that differentiates. He could see sounds and hear shapes. As if he’s able to detect how people and objects around them relate. 

Simone was glowing blue to him right now in this black and white world.

The other colors he could only see were Red, Blue, Green, Silver, and Gold which are glowing to him. Like an aura coating their entire being. Leaving a trace of their color on the path they are walking.

“It’s a useful sense to have.”

“Can you tell me what it was?”

“I don’t think so.”

“I see. Well, we have to keep secrets. Though unfair since I’ve been honest with you, Oswald.”

“Not honest enough. You didn’t give me enough details to prepare for Lesnik. I thought I was going to die there.”

Robert closed his sixth sense. The color of the world returned to him.

“I’ll have to report this to Lt. Clarke. I will tell you that right now. Sorry. But you have to understand why I need to.”

“I understand. Sooner or later he’ll know anyway.”

Robert finished his cigarette and threw the butt in the trash bin next to the bench

“Then let’s go. I still have a report to write.”

 

***

After being taken back to his apartment. Robert started writing his report on his computer's word processor:

On June 21, 1997, at 1100 hrs. SIMONE WYLLT came to my abode bearing a letter with orders from LT. RICHARDSON CLARKE, demanding that I accompany him on a personal mission to locate an ancient being known as LESNIK.

He presented me with footage of teenagers who are entering what seems to be a tree line. As they approach the tree line, it was clear that the more strained and in pain the one who was recording.

SIMONE WYLLT wanted to find the being called LESNIK to gain knowledge.

Robert stopped typing and paused.

He wondered if he should include in his report the horn that Simone carried.

"I should. The Lieutenant probably knows."

According to SIMONE WYLLT, the being called LESNIK will meet us because of the treasure called THE HORN OF BRAN GALED. I initially believed that the horn was going to be used to hold a drink as legends told.

But upon arrival at the area, the Tenth District’s Nature Reserves where the being called LESNIK was found by the footage. SIMONE WYLLT blew on the horn, producing a sound that no one other than the certain creatures could hear, gathering the attention of the powerful being LESNIK.

The appearance of the creature caused me to be unable to lift a finger. The pressure that the monster created alone made it impossible for me to act in a calm and composed manner.

I have not thought of anything other than preserving my life through the use of a seal. The power that LESNIK demonstrated was beyond my understanding as an Enforcer and as an Evoker of elemental spells and sealing and binding arts.

The power that LESNIK demonstrated was beyond my understanding. The disturbance in the environment, the rapid growth of the vegetation, and the living space that was being created made me lost for words.

Being in the presence of such a powerful being made me lose control of myself. His ability to shift his appearance was beyond me. I believe that if I have stayed in that living space for hours. I would have certainly broken my mind just by the presence of the being.

I have observed as well that I am unable to withstand the pressure and aura of a being like LESNIK and have shown such a disgraceful side to the being.

SIMONE WYLLT however, who was a Fledgling Mage, was able to withstand the pressure bearing down on us and was allowed to exchange the horn for knowledge. He drank from what seemed to be a bronze chalice and went into a state of trance.

Although the creature honored the deal with SIMONE. The creature that we faced also showed playfulness as well. And because of the creature’s 'gift', I was able to learn instinctively how to use all of my senses at once – at the cost of limiting my ability to cast spells to only five times in succession before I need to regain my charges again. But whatever process the being did to me. I felt a shift towards my abilities in sealing and binding instead, strengthening them.

I don’t know what ritual SIMONE went through. But from my observation after a discharge of waste from the stomach area. It seems that he had unlocked something within him that allows him to smoothen his progress as a practitioner of Magic.

The creature had asked for a price. And this price was to make sure that no human being should enter the area and disturb them. SIMONE WYLLT, who took the deal, had decided to work on accomplishing this task for the being.

After leaving the area where LESNIK was. I have confirmed our safety and was able to leave with our lives intact. Although, no harm came to SIMONE WYLLT and the escorting officer. I believe that tasks like this are much more fit for those who could withstand the presence of a powerful creature like LESNIK.

In summary, MR. SIMONE WYLLT asked for my cooperation in locating the being called LESNIK to exchange an item in his possession. So we went to the tenth district, met up with the being in exchange for the horn that SIMONE possessed, and traded it for knowledge and power with LESNIK’s permission in exchange for a favor that will be fulfilled by SIMON WYLTT. After exchanging, we were able to safely return home without harm done. For extra details, please refer to SIMONE WYLLT.

Reporting Officer, Robert Kastel Oswald.

Robert stopped typing. He printed out the paper he wrote and made two copies of it. He then entered his details, badge number, and rank on the reference page before piling them up together.

Putting his report aside. Robert kneaded his forehead and thought back to what happened in that place. Although it had been hours since then. The fear he felt in that living space was a feeling that he couldn’t easily get rid of.

He had seen devastating weapons

Gone through horrible places where human dignity doesn’t exist and was recently in a pit full of corpses.

And yet the fear that he felt in that living space was more than the fear he felt even in his past life. It was easier to process a giant hulking metal armed with turrets and cannons than a being who by being around makes him fear instinctively and paralyzes him just by sitting around.

He had severely underestimated what it means to face creatures like this. He was lucky that he only met two supernatural creatures that weren't able to kill him.

“I need to be more careful in the future.”

Just having a gun in your hand isn’t enough to survive in this kind of world. 

Robert wasn’t willing to bet on being lucky for the third time. 

He didn’t survive just by betting on chances.