Chosen One

Tricky

"I said it once, and I'll repeat it. You. Are not. Going!" Dug sternly announced.

"But."

"Patrick. Lives are at stake, and we don't need petty newbies being all righteousness and getting in the way."

I watch as Patrick's eyes reveal a shattered heart, searching for the right words to say to convince Dug to let him go. After last nights incident, we all looked outside to see everything was set in stone, every store, every strand of grass, everything... except the guild... but why?...

The night turned to day as the guild banded together to figure out how to go about stopping whatever did this. Folklores have been told before about this kind of thing happening, but centuries ago, so words have turned to rumour and suspicion. Aricin has a lead and plans on taking most of the guild to the dungeon. As always, it's not for the faint-hearted, more feral and infected Mages than anywhere else are said to roam those parts, and he wants a backup team to standby just in case... just for support... but Patrick doesn't want anything to do with support, he wants to fight... with his own bare hands.

"You may not think I'm ready, but just you wait, I'll clear that whole dungeon, all by myself, you'll see!"

I wince at the pain and determination in Patrick's voice, no thought behind his speech, just action. There are two kinds of people in times like these, those who think, and those who do. And as I watch his every stride, I know I won't catch up in time to convince him. So all I can do is wait... and hope.

---

I'm part of the support team, so I have to wait until further instruction from the assault team, and although I know deep in my heart I'd rather be fighting, I know this it's for the best.

I head back to Patrick's cabin, the door set in stone. Stone is like a rock, right? I take a deep breath in and close my eyes, tracing my hands in a circular shape in front of me before I pull my hands into my side as if holding a ball. I hastily open my eyes and thrust my arms forward. Green Vines rush forward, grabbing the door where it should swing open. I then force my arms to my sides, and the vines pull the door from its hinges.

"I'll fix that later."

I walk inside, and nothing is set in stone as if only the outskirts of the house are frozen. I search throughout the house for a sign... a clue, I finally get to my room and sat on my bed is a little girl looking out the window, she wears a very skimpy black mid-drift, and a black to red skirt, her jet black hair fades to red as it reaches her lower back.

"How'd you get in here?"

"Tricky." The girl immediately answers.

Somewhat caught off guard, I question without thought, "Sorry?"

"Tricky." Again the girl answers immediately

"Was it tricky to get in?" I lean over, trying to catch her sight. Then she looks my way, her eyes... the palest of blue.

"Mind Tricky is here, Tricky hopes you don't."

I look at the little girl who doesn't look me straight in the eye, her voice high and sweet. "I don't mind, it's fine. My name is Eevee."

She suddenly flinches, and her voice tremors slightly, "The Legend you are not, name, why you have it?"

I look at her, somewhat confused. "What do you mean?"

"Things Tricky shouldn't, Tricky knows. About you, Tricky is unsure if they are?"

"If I told you I wasn't originally a human, does that change what you know."

The little girl gets up from my bed, her bare feet tensing as they bear her weight on the wooden panelling. "Tricky, you come with. The future to Tricky, Xannon riddled. Certain of the answer Tricky isn't. Have a hunch, Tricky does."

"Where did you find Xannon?"

"Toxic Meadow. Distracted, Maiden was. Ask questions, Tricky could."

The little girl takes my hand and drags me outside the house. Once outside, she chants in a tiny voice and a dark ring starts to form beneath us. I swear to Arceus, if this is a trap and I die like this, I'm gonna be pissed. The vortex grows larger and larger as her voice gets deeper and louder with every word.

Black magic...

---

I hastily open my eyes and rush to my feet, looking left and right for...

"It, Tricky did. It, Tricky did."

The little girl jumps up and down, her long hair tangling with each movement. "Where are we?"

The little girl suddenly wraps her hands around her stomach and bends, "Where you need to be, Tricky took you to. Good, Tricky did." She looks so happy, although tearful, as if she'd never done anything good in her life. That's when her expression changes, and suddenly I feel in danger. "NO! NO! NO! STOP! GET OUT OF TRICKY'S HEAD!!!!"

"Tricky?!" I scream as she drops and run to her aid. Her nails gouge deep into her hair and skull as she screams in pain. I try embracing her tightly, rocking her back and forth, "Shhhh... shhhhh... It's okay. Nothing is happening to you. You're safe. I'm right here with you." She continues to cry, wail, and inflict pain onto herself to try and stop whatever is corrupting her. She then relaxes with a deep breath and leans into my embrace.

"Thankful, Tricky is." Her little eyes look up to mine, "Tricky feels pain, when Tricky does good. Tricky feels rush, when Tricky does bad... But, to do Bad, Tricky doesn't like. Worth it, the pain is." Through her sniffles, She happily gets up and stumbles forward, "What's going to happen, Tricky thinks Tricky knows. To stop the future from happening, Mage needs to follow alongside Tricky." She then strides forward, and I slowly follow her.

---

There's a rush in using a sword to get rid of the evil that lurks within each and every one of these feral Mages, one by one, like flies they drop from my skill. What have I become? The last Mage in the monster house faints, and I fall to my knees in exhaustion. My fingers throb from holding the swords so tightly. The bandages on my wrists somehow stay tightened, my brown dress coat somehow transformed into a tight navy blue singlet and brown shorts. Dueleon...

I hang my head low, panting, trying to catch an ounce of humanity left in the air. Then, finally, I get up from my knees and place my swords back in their holsters. "It's okay Tricky, you can come out now."

The small figure happily gets out from her hiding place and hugs my side, "Scared, Tricky was. That Adaptation Mage is okay, so happy, Tricky is."

"Adaptation Mage?"

Before Tricky can answer, an echo is heard throughout the cave, a howl, to be precise. I spread my legs and grab one of my swords, ready for another fight. I focus forward listening for...

---

My head aches as the world around me begins to focus on a blur. A crazed voice echoes songs throughout the room, "I've got a lovely bunch of magy girls - doo de le do. There they are tied up by my ropes - Two. Three. Four. There are tall ones, small ones - I can't wait to rip off their heads!"

"Hey!" I yell, trying to grab the attention of the happily singing rabid dog, "Who do you think you are, and what did you do with Tricky?!"

The Mage kinks his head, letting his tongue hang to the side as his ruby eyes illuminate his demonic nature. "I'd be more worried about yourself if I were you." He walks up to me, his untamed pitch-black hair covering half his demented face. He softly touches my face before bringing a few strands of my brown hair towards his nose, to which he takes a huge waft of, "What a rush." He chuckles. "Master said I could do anything as long as I kept you and your party from him." He lets my hair fall to the front of my chest. "Shall I show you my collection?"

Fires fly high as they reveal the assault team and Tricky, and as quick as they are revealed, they are gone again...