Sydnee walked quietly through the dark streets. This town was small, so similar... He shook the thought off. It was useless to pine about the past. There was nothing he could have done. With a small sigh he looked up at the stars, which were, in his opinion, the greatest thing about living. It was a small fishing town that had just begun to rebuild after the attacks. Not many people lived here, and those who did were left no other choice. In a way, Sydnee pitied them. He had all the freedom in the world, to travel to anywhere, anytime. Although with times being so tough it was hard to find others who were willing to go out of their way to travel.

Sydnee stopped, and looped his way around some small shacks to an open area in the back of the village, where there were some logs strewn about the remnants of a fire. He sat down on one, and closed his eyes to better appreciate the late-night silence, and the draft of the wind on his shoulders.

"Dear friend, may I pull a log up. This chill is dreadful." A stranger appeared to the left of Sydnee. He was a plump man wearing a burlap robe. His hair was shaggy and dirty. The most unusual thing about him was his great smile which seemed to become lost in his great bushy eyebrows.

"Certainly," Sydnee murmured as his eyes flickered open. "The fire seems to have died quite some time ago, but it wouldn't take much to rekindle it." Sydnee stretched, and stood to see if he could tend to the fire.

"Very good," said the stranger who placed his walking stick on the ground. "I believe we can use this small pile of brush. The evening dew hasn't set in too much." He pull a few small branches out of the brush and stacked them on the embers which seemed to catch instantly.

Although Sydnee wasn't an expert fire-maker, he did the best he could and soon there was a cozy fire to sit by. He settled back onto his log and rubbed his hands together. "What brings you to this place traveler?" He asked, cocking his head to the side and looking at the man intently.

The stranger leaned into the fire to get warm. "I'm on a quest from my lord," He said holding his hands to the flames.

Sydnee snorted. "Your lord must be rather cruel to send you about in times like these." He sighed, and brushed some stray strands of hair from his face. "There's a better life out there, one without restraints or lords or gods. There's a life of solitude and freedom."

The stranger laughed heartily. "Ohho friend is that a fact? A life of solitude in exchange for ones faith?" He was being coy and outright taunting his campfire companion.

Sydnee smirked. "I have no faith." He looked to the stars, and then back to the stranger. "As far as I can see the gods only cause pain and seem to be rather careless about the people. Therefore, I'd rather take care of myself than wait around from some deity who doesn't give a damn to save me."

The stranger continued to smile. "Man has the right to choose his beliefs indeed, but is your heart cold enough to turn a blind to the events around you?"

Sydnee shrugged, attempting to look nonchalant. "I just happen to think we'd all be better off without them." He spoke softly, and then looked to the stars once more. He wasn't sure why, but this conversation made him think of their faces, of the look they had had... Sydnee absent-mindedly began to rub his right wrist.

"Perhaps you are right. Perhaps they simply sit upon their clouds and watch us lower forms in misery." He turned his eyes aways from the fire and on to Sydnee. "Or perhaps they have plans that they themselves can not fulfill."

With a chuckle, Sydnee said, "Now, wouldn't that defeat the purpose of being a god?" He stood, and stretched, going up on his toes. "Well good sir, I believe it is time I go on my way. Your company has been pleasant."

"Does it not strike you as odd how one god has unleashed hell upon Cusadrehk while the 8 patrons who have given us a centuries worth of peace seemed to have vanished? Friend you will stay and hear me out, will you not? I have information for you of the utmost importance." The stranger became very frank and his tone sounded more urgent.

Sydnee raised an eyebrow, but sank back down onto his log. "I suppose," he answered, resting his elbow on his knee and his chin in his hand.

The stranger pulled from his rope belt a parchment, unraveled it, and began to read. "My name is Escrat, herald to the divine Zenenicel patron god of the people and protector of humanity. My lord has chosen you to serve in his ranks in a glorious crusade against Ysusthab's followers and his horrible creatures the Clynactims. Should you answer his call you will be outfitted, trained, and rewarded most handsomely." He paused for a moment trying to gauge Sydnee's reaction. "Rewards however are only given to the victorious. You will face great trials in your campaign, suffer many hardships, and could even face death if you accept. My friend this is a great task, but the Zenenicel wills it...however it is only up to you to accept."

Sydnee was silent for a long time. After a while, however, a smile broke out on his face, and then he laughed. He tossed his head back and laughed loud and hard before quieting down. He looked intently at the man, and said in a dark voice, "What stupid god would choose a god-hater like me to serve him? Your 'lord' (said with sarcastic emphasis) must be getting rather desperate and tied-up for heroes."

"My lord's intentions on choosing champions is not my priority, nor is questions his decision. Zenenicel chose you for a reason, and even though it troubles me to think a god hater such as yourself has been chosen, it is his choice to make." Escrat stared at Sydnee hard before continuing. "I was also told to tell you one more piece of information. Should you answer Zenenicel's call and complete his crusade, your reward will be not of material value, but the right to choose a pair of souls who were wrongly brought to an end and Zenenicel himself will breath life back into them."

Sydnee gulped. Could it be? Could that even be... Possible? More importantly, could he trust this messenger or the god who sent him? "What must I do?" He whispered hoarsely.

Escrat smiled again. "This letter serves as a contract between you and Zenenicel. One single drop of your blood is all it takes my friend to bind you and the divine." He handed Sydnee a needle and sat back, waiting for his answer.

Sydnee flicked the needle into the fire and instead drew from his inner vest pocket a small, shimmering dagger. The light from the fire glinted off it, and cast almost a strange grow to the hand holding it. "I plan to hold your god to his word," he said darkly, and the drew the blade of the dagger across his palm. Blood sprang from the wound, and he enclosed his hand into a fist. Opening his hand again, Sydnee placed his bloody palm on the contract.

The winds whirled around the campfire and created a vortex around the pair. In a split second they were gone as Sydnee became the 5th person to answer Zenenicel's call.