The old man's smile faded as his eyes widened and then blinked in a slow, meticulous manner. Gray almost laughed at his stunned look, stopping just short with a low and rough chuckle. The old man quickly recovered himself and with a snort said, "I have brought many travelers to my Crucible, but you are the first to accept so quickly. But it matters not, you've made your choice. You'll not be permitted to change it now."

As the old man paused for a breath Gray interjects, "So, old man. Just who; no... what exactly are you?"

The condescending but playful smile returns to the old man's lips as he lazily replies, "By now you've an inkling what I am, but you are still as wrong as you are right. But more specifically, no; I am not this world's God, nor am I this world's Messenger. Now to answer your first question, we leave now."

With those words everything vanished and Gray felt as if he had fallen for a foot or two. There was no sensation of landing, it was more like he simply stopped. Not just stopped falling, stopped everything. He looked around in alarm, but there was nothing but blackness everywhere, even looking down at himself there was nothing but perfect, undisturbed darkness. Fear began to set into his mind and he pulled in a deep breath to yell, only to discover he could not breathe. His heart that should be hammering in terror was also nowhere to be found. It was then a voice came.

"Calm yourself, it is disconcerting no doubt to trade your body but it is already done. Once you regain yourself we will begin our negotiations."

Upon hearing the voice Gray began to force his mind to relax, breaking out from the spiral panic and fear had forced him into. Within the span of a few moments he had mostly recovered his faculties. It was still strange as hell to not breathe though.

"Excellent Gray, you continue to impress. The last traveler took nearly a full day to adjust to being dead, and he knew what he was getting into before hand." Even though Gray could not see the old man he had the distinct impression that he was definitely wearing that grin again.

This old bastard is actually getting even with me for laughing at him, not very forgiving for a damn god Gray thought to himself.

"Hah!" The old man chortled, obviously able to hear what Gray had just thought. "I may be more than you, but never did I claim to be God. Now quit your whining and let us barter. As you have likely figured, I can hear you just fine in this place even if you cannot speak. Here, you can not hide from me and you can not lie to me. You may think of this place as being an extension of both our wills."

Gray began to consider the implications of this, and the first thing that came to his mind was that while he may be unable to hide or lie the old man certainly could.

"Indeed." The old man was actually gloating to Gray. "Since of the two of us I am alive and you are not, in this place I have more control. For us to be on more equal terms you need to start the trade. Think for a moment; consider all you had before you came here. Consider honestly their worth and when you can feel their value we will begin in earnest."

Gray sighed inwardly, or well would have had he a body. "Focus." Gray prompted himself, consider his possessions the old man had said. Gray began to consider the things he had owned, his car, his home, furniture, clothing, a neat inventory of things began to coalesce in his mind. As he considered each item he felt a value was applied, though the value seemed strange to him. "Old man. This is wrong; the values I feel for my stuff don't make any sense at all. My TV cost nearly a thousand dollars and its value is far below the piece of junk chair I sat in to watch it."

"The cost of a thing in your old world's coin is irrelevant to me, or to you at this point. What matters is the value you have placed in it, your attachment to it, as it is this that you will trade. What use have I for this moving picture window or for that shiny mule-less cart." The old man said with clear contempt for the technological marvels that were the television and automobile. "Now stop complaining and finish your tally so we may begin."

A frown would have appeared on Grays face, had he one. He slowed his mental tally as something seemed wrong to him in what he had just heard. "If what he says is true than the value of all this stuff would vary based on how much he himself valued it? If that were the case he simply had to think very highly of his own things and they would be worth more. Hell if he valued them enough they would be nearly priceless." Quickly the values he had already tallied began to climb, though not to the degree he had expected.

"Thinking well of a thing isn't enough to substantially change an objects real value." The old man grunts, even though he says this his voice suggests he is still annoyed that Gray had noticed this. "Now hurry up and finish your tally so we can begin."

Gray refocused on the task at hand, but a thought plagued him. Nagging at his concentration. For now he ignored it and continued cataloging what had once been his possessions, everything from his home down to the two sticks of gum he had had in his work jeans. As he finished he felt as though he was surrounded by something warm and pleasant. It was a feeling comparable to being immersed in lukewarm water, pleasant and comforting.

"It seems you have finished. The value you have brought before me is significant, enough to garner fair potential for yourself in Crucible." The old man began, but Gray ignored him, instead recalling the thought that had bothered him. "If what the old man wants is the value I placed in my stuff, and not the stuff itself perhaps other things had value as well." He began to consider his co-workers, several had been decent acquaintances and were interesting enough to chat with away from the office. After a moment he felt a value applied. A large value, a lot larger than any of the stuff he had cataloged already. He hadn't even like his co-workers that much.

"What was that?" The old man barked, surprise clear in his voice. "Are you done now? Let us begin already!"

"Oh I finished all the stuff I had, but I'm not even close to done old man." Gray thought he even managed to inject some bitterness into the words in his own mind. "It was rather petty to try and cheat me. Ill be taking much more than a fair bit of potential from you when I leave." And then he began to tabulate every personal relationship he could recall, from his parents, siblings, friends, lovers, even right down to the value he placed on the old man himself.

As he did so, the perception of value he had felt as lukewarm water transformed into a perfect comfort. He felt an indescribable feeling from the space around himself, similar to being clad in pure sunshine. Warm but not hot, encompassing him gently but not oppressive in the least.

"Have you finished?" The old man rasped, not even bothering to hide his surprise and irritation.

"I have." Thought Gray.

"The value you have brought to trade is immense, more than a thousand fold what any other traveler to Crucible has ever produced. More than even I produced during my journey." The old man paused for a moment here, seemingly reluctant to continue. After a few seconds he begins again with weariness creeping into his voice. "As the Messenger of Crucible I have received the value of your life. You shall be awarded a body with potential equaling the value you have brought to this place in accordance with the laws of the higher realms. Now you shall depart for Crucible, but first; I, Jaze, will give you some advice."

The old man, Jaze, he had named himself paused a time. Time enough that Gray began to wonder if he was still present, when he suddenly continued in a low and serious tone, "You will undoubtedly have great potential Gray of Earth, but it is still only potential. What could be is not necessarily what will be. If you step foolishly in my world, if you can not live up to the potential you have bartered for, Crucible will crush you mercilessly and tear away your very soul."

A thought, cheerful and light was heard from Gray before his presence was sent rocketing away like a shooting star. "I'm looking forward to it."

Once Gray's presence had departed the darkness around Jaze lifted revealing a wiry and tanned old man sitting on an ancient tree stump with a dumbfounded look on his face, Surrounding him was lush woodland in all directions as far as the eye could see. The old man wore a simple pale green robe, with a hood hanging over his back. In the space that Gray's mind had occupied moments ago was a shining crystal, brimming with a golden light bright enough to cause even Jaze, a Messenger, to avert his eyes as he reached out to take possession of it.

A frown played across his face as he looked up into the sky. "That one will be beyond dangerous if he manages to survive long enough to tap into his own potential."

A second voice sounded out, deeply masculine and dripping with arrogance, "Then you had best kill him before that can happen then shan't you Jaze?"

Surprise flickered across his face as Jaze quickly bowed his head and responded, "You know the laws of the realms far better than I my Lord, such a thing is beyond me."

The second voice replied with a hint of amusement, "Perhaps so, but you are my Messenger and you will do my will, or you will wish that death was still possible for you." All traces of amusement vanished, replaced by venom as the second voice continued. "Speak with the other traveler's, that is within the purview or your power." The last word was filled with unmistakable disdain.

A cruel smile floated to his lips as Jaze, Messenger of Crucible, declared to his Lord, "I had intended to do so from the beginning, Crucible was made to be that kind of place after all."

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And thats it for chapter 1. Most of the over arching setup is done at this point and the next chapter will finally see Gray actually... well, do stuff.