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Dreams. 30th of Granite, 1091.
Xotes awoke.
At least, that was her first assumption. The chamber around her looked and felt real. As she lay on her back she surveyed the cavernous roof above. She quickly became aware that she was laying in some kind of warm liquid.
Turning her head she found herself suspended in a thick sulphuric haze, drifting above the lava below.
Sitting up in a panic she clutched at the statues that rose from the haze, grotesque abominations rendered in stone, but nevertheless too far away to save her from falling.
But fall she did not. Instead she became aware of another presence in the chamber. Turning her gaze towards the far end of the room, she spotted him.
Stepping down from his adamantine throne, the mighty god-being walked across the haze as though he weighed nothing, igniting it with his holiness, and leaving a glowing trail where he had passed.
The injury he'd survived was plain to see, the god still bled from several wounds, and others had been sealed with what appeared to be body parts from other creatures - creatures likely from the underworld, the place her master had been sealed.
"Xotes, my dear Acolyte." he said, as he approached.
Xotes scrambled to her feet in response. "My God and Master!"
The Soulsmith smiled, something of an unpleasant sight. "Xotes, you have done well. With your rituals, you have allowed me and my forces to all but breach the surface of the world. We, however, cannot commit this final act."
Xotes looked at him, failing to hide her surprise. "May I ask why?"
Her god growled. "There are rules. And even I am bound by them. My forces are poised, ready to strike, and this one thing holds us back!"
Xotes kneeled before him. "Tell me how to help!"
"It is but a minor task. You, or another, must strike the earth in this place..."
An image branded itself into Xotes' mind.
She gasped a little. "Why, what is there?"
The Soulsmith chuckled. "My Army of course."
Xotes thought about it for a short while. "That area is often guarded by some of the elite soldiers, my master."
The Soulsmith exhaled through his nostrils, a very disapproving sound. "Xotes, you are truly a master of deception, to have survived this long undetected. You must surely be able to figure out a way to perform this final act without them suspecting?"
Xotes nodded. "Yes, but when they realise my deceit they will immediately fall upon me."
The Soulsmith grunted. "Then use a lackey, and hide yourself away. I shall reward you as I once again take my rightful place upon this world."
Xotes looked up at him. "My reward?!"
The Soulsmith nodded kindly to her. "Eternal life, and power greater than you could imagine, in service at my side."
Xotes blinked. "I could sure use some of that now..."
Her god laughed. "Yes, I'm sure you could. Consider it a final test. In any case, it is prevented by the rules."
Xotes mentally cursed these rules as the chamber faded from view, and she awoke with a start in her own bed.
She felt electrified. Finally real orders. Real progress on her task! It was nearly over, soon she'd be able to leave this horrible wasteland. Soon she, over all others, would stand beside her god in glorious victory. Soon she'd never have to bake another crumpet ever again.
Ecstasy!
Dreams. 30th of Granite, 1091.
The swamp stank like iron.
The metallicity of the blood at their feet stung even /their/ hardened nostrils. The Captain and Kodor were not pleased. They were also not clothed. This only served to deepen their displeasure.
"So, this is clearly a dream." said Kodor.
"Yes. Yes you are. Although why you're naked is beyond me." agreed the Captain.
"I was going to say the same about you..."
"That's because this is all in my head."
Kodor hesitated. That made more sense than Olon usually made. Maybe it was the smell of the blood getting to him.
"I think this is a vision." he finally said.
"My vision? Yes, I do seem like the sort to get those, I suppose."
Kodor glared at him. "A shared vision. We're both having it. I'm me, you're you. Unless you're a really annoying and pointless vision guide."
The Captain didn't answer. He just looked around at the bloody swamp and the black trees growing from it. "Pretty rubbish vision..."
Kodor sighed and looked around. There had to be a point to being here.
He couldn't see it though. "There must be a point to this place..."
The Captain looked at him. "You're the spirit guide... shouldn't you know?"
Kodor scowled at him, and was about to make a nasty comment when they heard a sploshing sound.
Peering into the black haze, they looked for the source.
To their surprise, a kobold came sploshing into view.
"It's a kobold!" noted Kodor, uncertainly.
"Kill it before it steals our stuff!" shouted the Captain, sploshing towards it, hands grasping at the suddenly terrified kobold.
Kodor looked at his naked brother sloshing past him. "Olon. We're naked. We have no stuff."
"I mean no harrrm!" shrieked the kobold, entering the foetal position.
The Captain stopped his advance and looked at the cowering kobold. "Yeah... well, just you remember. I once punched a Hydra to death while naked."
The kobold gave him a perturbed look. "I know that! Is why you here!"
The Captain regarded the kobold curiously. "So, you're the vision spirit guide thingy?"
The kobold stood up, and gave him a determined look. "Something like that."
Kodor sighed. "Out with it then."
The kobold hissed something under its breath, and sighed. "Fine. You here because you fail. Now you have big fight."
"You want me to punch Kodor to death?" asked the Captain uncertainly.
The kobold gave him a look as though her were a simpleton. "No... that stupid. You stupid! Big fight is with Soulsmith. You let him get out. Now he break free, and you first to taste wrath."
The Captain glared at him. "That a threat?"
"Is warning! Dire warning!"
Kodor interjected. "It's not a threat. But it's not good news. When does this happen?"
The Kobold looked at Kodor, glad to have somebody reasonable to talk to. "Soon, very soon."
"Can we stop it?"
"Not unless you find Acolyte. You not find so far, so... we not have high hopes."
"You can't just tell us who it is, then?"
"No, we not know! They use things to stop that. They not stupid."
"I see." said Kodor, unhappily.
"So..." figured the Captain, "it's a big fight?"
The kobold rolled its eyes. "Is what I said, yes. Now go, you give me headache!"
The Captain faded from view, leaving Kodor to remain with the kobold.
"I'm still here?" he asked.
"Yesssss." replied the Kobold, taking on a whole new, very deep voice and a much more sullen demeanour.
"Ah. Not a kobold then."
"Not exsssactly, no." admitted Armok.
"Not at all I'd think."
"Indeed. If he failssssss..."
"We're doomed?"
"Yesss, but if he failsss... at firsssst."
"I know what to do, yes."
"Good. You do well, Kodor. I am mosssst pleasssed."
"Thank you. But you're very creepy, so may I please go?"
Armok chuckled. "Of coursssse."
And for Kodor, too, the swamp faded into non-being.