The Anachret
Nevask River - February 1
Locations
Jaya, the Anachret
My name is Jaya, the anchorite. I am not from this place. But I cannot remember where I am from. It was different there. The air. The sky. Everything.
I can move things with my mind. This is called telekinesis.
I am running from someone, or something. I feel it. I am also carrying this chain and broken shackles. I do not know why.
More strangely, I can transfer wounds with my touch. I have done this many times before. I know because of the strange scars I carry on my body.
Besides my knife and the chain, and the clothes I am wearing, I carry three strange objects: a mnemonic disruptor, a memetic conductor and a cybernetic transmitter. I know their names because they are written on metal plates attached to them. I do not really know how they work.
I am near a lake. It is cold. My clothes are not enough for this weather. I keep moving so I do not freeze. I decide to run uphill and try to figure out which land I am in.
Luckily, the freezing rain stops for a few moments. From the top of the hill, I see an estate. And a lodge. I need to reach it before I freeze to death.
Signs of the Crimson Cloud
As I walk downhill, the temperature becomes a little warmer. The sky is covered in a thick, earthly mist. As I keep walking toward the lodge, the mist slowly turns into a deep crimson.
Soon, I am completely soaked by the humidity. But it is not sweet. It feels like I am crossing a mist of blood. I walk slowly, careful not to get lost, and then the mist disappears. My clothes are now stained red, as if I had been stabbed.
About one hour later, I am close to the manor. I see someone else approaching it from the north. The person is also faintly painted crimson and is carrying an axe. If it were not for the crimson cloud, I would think this person had slaughtered an entire village. So much blood.
The man looks at me and speaks. We do not speak the same language. Through gestures, we understand that we both want to enter the manor. The cold is cutting through us. We walk side by side. Curious. Not friendly.
The Overgrown Gardens
We enter silently through the rusted iron gates. They were closed, but not locked. For a moment, I think I see something moving, as if a creature were watching us. But maybe it is just my tiredness playing tricks.
I look carefully into the bushes and see a clump of fur caught on a branch. It is coarse and grey.
We find what remains of a greenhouse. Only skeletons of bricks and shattered glass. I still feel cold, but maybe there is something valuable somewhere in the greenhouse or in the rest of the garden.
The man signals with his finger. He wants to explore more. I nod.
He walks toward what used to be a well-kept garden. Between thorns and branches, he finds a magnificent pair of shed antlers. Probably worth a fortune back where I come from. We gather our things and head toward the entrance of the manor.
The large double doors are very worn. But inside, everything looks well-maintained. The thick carpet shows no signs of footsteps.
From here, there are four possible paths: a stone archway, a darker corridor to the west, a hall to the north, and arched entrances leading to the north and south wings of the manor. We look at each other and decide to follow the stone archway.
The Labyrinth
Soon, we understand the function of this part of the manor. It is a labyrinth. What once were perfectly trimmed green walls are now thick trunks and overgrown hedges. But the labyrinth is still passable.
Inside, it feels almost warm. It is the plants. It is not warm enough yet. I point to myself and say, “Jaya.” The man understands and points to his chest. “Panda.” It seems our communication will be easier than I thought.
Maybe our voices attracted the beast. Soon, we hear a growl. A grey wolf, larger than normal, watches us with yellow eyes and sharp yellow teeth. There is something almost human in its gaze. In a fraction of a second, it is on top of us, biting with violence.
The wolf is fast. But my telekinesis and Panda’s skill with his axe are enough to drive it away, wounded.
We continue deeper into the labyrinth. Afraid of getting lost, I decide to use my mnemonic conductor to help us navigate. This has to be its use.
When I turn it on, it heats up immediately. I try to throw it away, but I am not fast enough. It explodes in the air near me. I am thrown backwards. Everything goes dark.
When I wake up, Panda is shouting in my face. He speaks, but I cannot understand him. My head hurts badly, and my ears are bleeding. It was not a good idea.
We continue walking. About half an hour later, in one of the bends of the labyrinth, we find a broken statue of a deer. It is beautiful. Its eyes are emeralds, slightly damaged but still shining. Before I can react, Panda removes the emeralds with his crowbar. He keeps one and gives the other to me.
The corridor slowly becomes a tunnel. Large. Humid. Water drips from branches above us like thin rain.
The wolf returns. This time, wounded but even more furious.
Parda
My name is Parda. I’ve met a strangely dressed man outside this manor, and we entered its labyrinth. He was named Jaya.
The second encounter with the wolf was brutal.
In a fatal attack, Jaya was killed. It also left me with a mutilated left arm.
In the confusion, I manage to escape and hide. When the wolf leaves Jaya’s body after feeding on parts of it, I take what seems valuable. I return to the entrance of the manor and sleep for hours, my arm bleeding.
I wake up because someone is standing near me. The person wears a light cloak. They ask who I am and what I am doing there.
Then, they pull out a shining knife and pieces by the chest.