????? ??? ????

S??????: Cavan Dolan


As Cavan walks through the woods, it strikes him that he hasn't heard a single sound other than the figure he'd briefly spoken too. No rustling of trees, no creaking of wood, no sounds of animals far off in the distance running by. He kicks at the ground and does hear the small stones he kicks skitter across the forest floor, but once they stop moving all goes silent again. Even in His presence Cavan had never experienced such complete sile-


Oh lost little thing...
She really is a delight.

Cavan whirls around to face the voice he had heard behind him. There's nothing there. The voice couldn't have been more than a few feet away from hi-


You worked so hard...


Once again directly behind him, and when he turns, once again, nothin-


And he just threw you away like a piece of trash.
FILTH

I WAS HIS FAVORED! HE WAS JUST ANGERED AT MY UTTER FAILURE! RIGHTFULLY SO! I-


Did everything ever asked of you, and even more. You've KILLED for him, without a second thought, and he can't give you the courtesy to give you a second god damned chance?


This time as he turns back around he sees a pair of light pink eyes staring back at him. A tall humanoid figure stands before him, though it's face is that of a ram, with large curled horns. The voice he had heard though was a woma-


You know I'm right. Really all I'm doing is stating facts you already know. Well guess what? I'm your second chance. Aren't you just a lucky little sprout?


She(?) leans forward and grins, reaching out with a hand and lightly touching Cavan's cheek. He's frozen in place, staring wide eyed at this thing before hi-


The one you talked to, the guy with the antlers? He's decided you're definitely worth saving, and not only that, he's decided that we need to make sure you know what's coming. So you and I are gonna take a little trip, and I'm going to show you a few things that you need to commit to memory. Got it?


Cavan realizes he's been literally gaping at this creature and shuts his mouth, nodding slowly. She takes his hand and pulls him back the direction he came.


W-wait I already came this wa-


Okay you're going to have to learn quickly, don't argue with me. I know what I'm doing, certainly more than you do.


Cavan grunts and looks to the side before gasping as between the trees he spies something, the hotel room where his targets had been staying when he attacked them! There was something strange though... something... under the bed...  a pair of eyes staring out at him. Two green piercing eyes. A book slides out from beneath the bed, pushed out by a furred, clawed hand. He turns to the creature leading him and starts to ask if she saw what he just saw but before he ca-
A gift.

No I didn't see it, because I didn't need to. You better remember whatever it was that you just saw. There's going to be a few more things before I hand you off to your next guide, so keep your eyes peeled.


He nods again, even though she's not looking back at him, and looks back over at the woods as he continues along at a brisk pace. Suddenly something else appears. He sees steel beams, a glass window in the roof, a loos pipe on the ground, an- suddenly a figure wearing a mask of deep purple and black appears before him, a flash of something silvery and thin and the whole scene disappears.
A weapon.

He looks forward once more before looking to the other side, a scene almost immediately appearing. A long hallway, longer than he'd ever seen. At the end was nothin- no, it was... Him. There was a terrible anger. A rushing of wind. Snapping of wood. Smashing of glass. More wind. Then silence. The scene was gon-
A final chance.

Alrighty Cavan, this is where you and I part ways.


He almost runs into her before stopping and looking around, trying to get his bearings. He stands at the entrance to a cave, or... no... a den? It was a hole in the side of a hill that only came up to about his hip.


Wait. That was it? I don't even know what your name i-


Fionùir, it was a pleasure to guide you this evening, Cavan. You need to go in there, you'll meet your next guide. Good luck, and don't screw up, okay? 


She walked past him and as he turned to watch her walk away, she was gone. He stood alone infront of the den for several moments before sighing and leaning down, before beginning to slowly crawl in.