The laughter of children echoed through the colourful and brightly lit rooms which contrasted with the outside of the building that were grey and falling down. If you continued to look around you would see other buildings that were wrecks and shadows of their former selves. The most interesting part of all is if you looked through the windows into the daycare centre that echoed with laughter you could see no light or colour just grime and dirt. None of this however was of any interest to the garbed figure that walked through the ruins. His footsteps were quiet and soft barely disturbing the dust that coated the ground. He reached the daycare and pushed open the rickety door which broke at his touch. He did not care that what met him was beyond extraordinary, to him it was just another day. He ignored the brightly coloured rooms and laughter of children and continued through the house of tricks. He walked down a set of stairs and up to a closet. He slowly opened the door and reached out to take a small object. It looked like a broken doll. He then put it in a small wooden box and left. As he walked back though the building there was no longer the echo of laughter and colourful rooms just the smell of mould and ruin.
This was just another job. He didn’t care how it worked or why. He didn’t care what people used it for. It was job nothing more nothing less.
He rode his horse slowly down the snow covered hill to avoid slipping. He reached the bottom of the hill and dismounted. He slowly scanned his surroundings and located a small wooden cabin on the opposite side of a large lake. Without hesitation he walked onto the ice. Not of confidence for he believed confidence was a false friend that caused you to stumble. He believed in knowledge as the ultimate power and the only truth. If you had knowledge you could hold all the cards including the ones your opponent had. Of course he knew that knowledge was not the only power. He knew without strength knowledge could not be brought to bear. As a result you had not only a man of intellect but a man of strength as well. He crossed the river of ice quickly knowing that it had not melted for many years. He opened the cabin door walked to the fire place mantel and took the snow globe placing it in the same small wooden box. He left faster than before walking quickly over the ice. He glanced behind him to see cracks in the ice reaching out to him. Cool and collected he crossed reaching the bank just as the ice gave a large cry and collapsed into cold water. As he left he could hear the sound of water dripping and birds singing.
This was just another job. He didn’t care how it worked or why. He didn’t care what people used it for. It was job nothing more nothing less.
Total darkness. Mind numbing, terrifying darkness… for most people. Fear was an illusions of the mind and a human weakness that weakened and killed. Fear held no power to this cloaked, masked man. Treading slowly and carefully without the use of light for when he had lit his torch he had an unpleasant surprise when the darkness literally attacked the light extinguishing it almost immediately. Use his senses he searched the cave looking for the object. After hours of looking when most men would have given up in despair and anger he continued on patiently. He located the cloak of silk, folded it and placed in the small wooden box. As he closed the lid the room lightened as torches that he knew where not there before appeared. Unfazed he left.
This was just another job. He didn’t care how it worked or why. He didn’t care what people used it for. It was job nothing more nothing less.
The old house shook with the screams of the damned. The man walked on foot as his horse had fled in panic before he reached anywhere near this place. For once he was not so sure, his calm demeanour was as solid as ever but he was unsure. Without hesitation he opened the door. Instantly the screams and cries assailed his ears but to no avail. The spirits pulled back confused. Usually people would flee in terror at the first sound of their tortured wails but this man did not even blink. They cast their illusions of disembowel women and headless men, tortured illusions that would drive lesser men insane but this was no weak man to quail at illusions. He continued along seemingly oblivious to the images around him. He once again reached for the small wooden box and placed an ancient leather book in it. There was a sigh around him and all was quite.
