A small hut sat by a quiet lake, an old man with a crooked hat was fishing, every catch he drew was thrown to a tabby cat beside him, and he smiled with contentment every time the cat rapidly ate the fish, the cat was a messy eater, as blood and offal were smeared on her face.

It was a sunny day, and every colour pop with startling alarcrity, the yellow of the sunflower against the green of the grass, the grey clothes of the old man mixing with the white of his full beard, the black coat of the cat against the red blood on her tiny face. Every colours were bright and in a calm balance.

The breeze blew gently, and the red warlock emerged from it.

“I have something you crave. Gatekeeper...”

The old man was silent for a while, and a gallant voice like thick syrup for the ears came from his mouth. “ There is only one thing I crave little red”.

A golden slitted eye turned to the warlock, while the other concentrated on the lake. The air of serenity was subtly changed to one of dread, the cat meowed sorrowfully lying on het back, belly exposed. This action made the old man start, he breathe in and held it for several moments. Then Picked the cat up and held her.

several minutes passed in silence as he pet the cat, she silently purred.

The red warlock frowned “ I can see you are now much more charming in your exile gatekeeper.”

The old man sniffed" I want for nothing little red. You have always bored me... Your little tricks and machinations to get my hoard will lead you no where.”

“ your hoard” the red warlock smiled in amusement “will not be enough for this exchange I fear”

“hah.... You jest little red. Tell me how’s your mana rash?.... belinyn worms are hard to get rid off. I should know, I created them after all”

The red warlock grimaced, lines of irritation crawling deeply in his face“ you should keep up with the times gatekeeper, my seat is now affixed on the plain of blood two centuries ago, and I have purged myself of mortal flesh".

“ congratulations little red, you are now a bigger flea. Tell me what you want, and leave me to my solitude.”

The Red Warlock hesitated “ it’s about Marina”

The breeze suddenly went still, and the world turned into a painting, a high pitch whine was heard and it got louder, the Red Warlock groaned in pain, the lake let up its contents as fishes floated bellies up. A loud rumbling started beneath the ground like massive gears forced to turn backwards against their mesh.

Held by invisible hands the warlock was pressed to the ground, his leg bent, tendons snapping like old firecracker and he knelt!

The old man spoke through gritted teeth" don’t you dare mention her name”

The red warlock sighed “pain is good. But you and I both know it’s pride that drives your torture... Gatekeeper I am going to enjoy this transaction...very much.”

The old man rested his head on his chest, hands folded as he regarded the red warlock in a disinterested manner.

The warlock coughed as the pressure increase “Zarathul, I have an absolute soul!” He called out, apparently even he could not bare this pressure for long.

Zarathul paused “ and is that suppose to impress me?”

“it has been tainted by Heralds flames, it consumes everything.”

The invisible hands released the warlock he fell to the floor, then lifted himself up, without pushing against the ground “ this soul is one of a kind, depending on the user it can be either priceless or worthless, and we both know you will take my price.... Gatekeeper.”

“ What is your price little red?”

“ your bones!”

The old man thought for a while. “Give me the soul”

************************

Zarathul turned away from the lake, he gestured towards the cat, who had strolled away during the conversation, after patting it for a while, he drew the cat to his mouth and whispered unintelligible words to it, the cat jumped away from him and began to gag.

The gaging got worse as she wheezed like an asthmatic octogenarian who had ran a marathon, blood poured from her mouth and it seemed she was in pain, the mouth of the cat opened and continued to widen, even though its frame was small, the maws were open so wide it could chomp down an entire cow.

A glint of silver shined in the depth of its throat and slowly a crystal coffin that glowed with moonlight was regurgitated from its maws.

Zarathul features softened as he slowly ran his hands over the coffin brushing of imaginary dust. Inside lay a teenage girl, who looked peacefully asleep her hair was blue like the colours of the clear blue skies, her features were perfect only spoiled by a gaping wound in her forehead...so vicious it tore her skull apart, but she still had a gentle smile.

Peering below her neck showed savage wounds, her heart was missing, with both arms gone, and a part of her leg looked chewed on, a major part of her torso was deformed.. it was clear she perished with grievance.....yet she still smiled.

With a touch from Zarathul the crystal coffin melted into dust and she floated on air, black miasma suddenly burst from her wounds, that took the shape of abominations and fallen gods, the grass wilted and a circle of death spread from her, the cat cried in dismay and with a shocking speed ran into the arms of the old man, in a short while the clear lake had turned into a swamp of disease and rot. As the air started to bleed pus.

Zarathul gestured and the red warlock summarily placed the green burning soul in the outstretched arm, and he looked deeply into it. Unlike the Red Warlock Zarathul directly held the soul, squeezing and poking it... The Red Warlock eyes twitched.

“The spindle of necessity turns, who comes up from the deep ends of the voids I leave to your wills.... you have slept for too long my marina. Return to your father.... Please”.

Zarathul pushed the green burning soul into the chest of the girl, but the miasma shrieked and pushed the soul away, zarathul frowned golden scales sprouting on his arms as he pushed the soul inside the wound harder.

A brown burning corona gathered around his hand, as the hand inched closer and closer to the open chest, the wail of the miasma increasing in volume, and it spoke:

“why dost thou pain cause me pain Dragon... I only seek to keep balance."

A flood of miasma so thick it could well be black ink gushed out the broken head of the girl and circled in the air forming strange shapes finally it settled on one. A body similar in appearance to the girl rose up, and looked at zarathul with pure hate and fury.. “Thou art disappoint me, Dragon.”

She gestured and the opposing force was lifted allowing the flaming soul to penetrate the wound. “ The bridge is open Dragon, thou seek to destroy me, but thou hast given me the keys to salvation.” With a loud shriek it followed the flaming soul and entered the chest.

In a flurry of painful pops and groan the body started to reshape but far slower than before, inside the wounds a mimicry of a heart was beginning to grow.

The miasma damaged the flesh as soon it was reconstituted, but even that terrible miasma was slowly consumed, but at the rate of consumption, even centuries will go by without a deciding victor.

“ let’s isolate the battlefield”Zarathul muttered and conjured a bronze gate, it was rusty and six grey diamonds were attached to it. He brought it to her chest and set the gate upon the budding heart.

Inside the gaping chest the nascent growing heart that was being continually destroyed, the gate melted and covered the heart in a sheath of bronze, the six diamonds resting on all sides of the bronze heart, the miasma on the rest of the body rapidly diminished the source of their replenishment cut off.

Healthy limbs and organs began to form, slowly a youth was revealed, he was perfect except for the open wound in his chest where a bronze heart beat and thunderous rumbling echoed within like distant dreams, he slowly morphed into a beautiful girl and in a while changed back.

The circle continued in a disturbing dance.

“ this would take a while”. zarathul summoned the crystal coffin and place him or her inside... The Red Warlock glanced at him “ you trust Marina to win this battle?”

“does it matter?” Zarathul said “ she is a Dragon”.

He summarily drew a green seed and pushed it into the ground, vines suddenly sprung up and pushed into the soil slowly draining the corruption in the earth that the miasma inflicted.

The red warlock chuckled “I hope your bloodline can rise again"

He turned and vanished, zarathul made no replies just quietly stared at the shifting flesh inside the crystal coffin, and the fading cries of the miasma, a little worried frown crossed his face before it vanished like it was never there.