Rebrey's body starts up a snow collection, his hair, leather armor, boots, and weapons becoming cold enough from inactivity to allow the snow to settle and stay. The mild toxin running through his veins has kept him unconscious long enough for his blood to chill. His slumbering body was unable to keep hypothermia from permeating his muscles. His fingers and toes have become frozen, the shakes have quieted, numbness has set in. His heart betrayed, was the first thing to break under the weight of winter's chill. His mind send vivid dreams of alternate realities, and alternate outcomes. His soul, forsaken by his body, waits for his lungs to stop trying and his broken heart to stop beating. Yet, he is not alone.
"Hey, time to wake up," comes a high pitched voice, and a finger pokes at Rebrey's chest.
Rebrey opens his eyes, and awakens in a meadow. Only the grass is gray colored, and the sky has the color of dawn or maybe dusk, Rebrey isn't quite sure. He is no longer cold, and he can move his hands and feet. There are no stars in the sky, no clouds either, no trees as far as Rebrey can see, and no snow.
"Ah you're awake, another second or two and I'd have left you here. I forget how much mortal humans can test my patience." the voice says
Rebrey looks around to find the source of the voice, spotting a white haired gnome floating cross-legged behind him. Rebrey quickly rises to his feet and faces the gnome.
"Who are you?" Rebrey asks
"Ah, a very good question. Maybe you have some usefulness still left in you. Call me Koli." comes the reply
"What is this place Koli?" Rebrey asks
"This place, isn't a place per se. It's more like a moment, a stop on your way to other things. An afterthought maybe." Koli responds
"What? Where am I?" Rebrey asks again
"Not where, when." Koli replies
"When what? If this isn't a place, how can I be here?" Rebrey asks
"You are here, because you are not here. There is no here, there is only now." Koli responds
"You're making my head hurt. Let's try a different approach. Why......... why?" Rebrey asks, deciding not to include <am I here> in that question.
"Ah, because I let you. Why indeed." Koli replies
Rebrey looks across at the horizon, and sees nothing. Nothing has changed, The grass is gray, there's no stars. Actually now that Rebrey thinks about it, there's not really a sky, it's more like nothing is there as opposed to not being able to see anything.
"You brought me here?" Rebrey asks trying to see if shifting the focus of his questions on to Koli brought about more information
"That I did." Koli asks
"Why are you here?" Rebrey asks
"I'm here to offer you the chance of a lifetime Rebrey." Koli states
"How is it you know my name?" Rebrey asks
"I know all." Koli replies
"A little full of yourself are we?" Rebrey asks
"Heh, at least I know why you're here." Koli replied. Rebrey noticed the tone of Koli's voice changed a little, like Rebrey had hit a tiny nerve with that last remark.
"Well, I have no clue, so if you don't mind." Rebrey said as he laid back down on the ground "I'm going to find a different dream, you bore me."
"Oh, but this is no dream Rebrey. This is your existence, until I decide what to do with you." Koli answered
Well, Rebrey thought at least Koli was giving up some more info, even if it was nonsensical.
"You made this place?" Rebrey asked
"There is no place, I made now, and I will make next." Koli asked
"OK, fine. I'm done playing your guessing game, what do you want?" Rebrey demanded a little agitated
"I want you to become a king among men." Koli answered
"What? I think you were making more sense before. What are you talking about?" Rebrey asked
"I'm offering you a second chance, a chance to redeem your name, a chance to be that powerful ruler that's just aching to be freed from your scared little heart." Koli answers
"Second chance? What do you mean?" Rebrey asks
"Good god man, you are really slow on the uptake here. Let me spell it out for you. D-E-A-D" Koli answers
"Dead, I'm not dead. I remember feeling tired and taking a little nap on the back of Xanoniel's bear. I'm just dreaming now." Rebrey says
"Take a look." Koli says waving his hand, and a pool of silver liquid forms vertically in the air next to Rebrey. The scene begins to clear, and shows a snowy forest, and a dark patch on the ground in the middle of the scene. The scene focuses on the dark patch, and Rebrey sees himself. Blue and lifeless, frozen in the snow, alone.
"No, you lie. This is all just a dream." Rebrey states
"Really, well if it's a dream, then you won't be too perturbed with this." Koli says, as the ground beneath Rebrey gives way to a ghastly scene. Hundreds of people walk chained neck to neck, along a landscape that's blasted with vivid red rock. Black rivulets scour the ground all around the human chain, as huge winged demons stand next to the line of people, occasionally bending down to pluck one of the people from the line and drop them into their gaping mouths still screaming.
"Another dream." Rebrey says dismissively
Almost before he could finish the statement Rebrey's surroundings change. He finds himself part of the human chain. Naked he feet are instantly fried to a crisp yet he is compelled to walk on. His screams of pain are drowned out by the screams of those around him. A huge clawed hand grabs Rebrey from around his waist, and flick off his neck collar. Rebrey is lifted into the air and hung by his feet above the stench filled oblivion of the demon's maw. Rebrey's reality snaps as he screams, kicks, punches, tries to claw his way free of the demon's hand.
"Fear only sweetens the aftertaste." The demon's voice rings out across Rebrey's body, as he is dropped into the demon's mouth.
Rebrey falls and lands shoulder first onto a gray colored meadow, not unlike the previous one, but the sky is darker than before. Crying and shaking Rebrey pulls himself to a sitting position, and waits for Koli to show up.
"Think it's a dream now?" Koli asks
Rebrey doesn't as he attempts to pull himself together.
"I have a proposition for you. If you don't like it, I can return you from whence I took you, and since you now have been to hell and left. You will be hunted, for demons always know who escapes." Koli says
"What's your offer?" Rebrey asks
"A small favor, one that will set in motion a collapse worthy of my interest." Koli says
"What favor?" Rebrey asks
"I need you to kill a man, simple, and well within your abilities." Koli responds
"Why can't you do it?" Rebrey asks
"Because some things are better left up to those who won't draw attention with their involvement." Koli replies
"Are you a god?" Rebrey asks hoping for a "no".
"God is such a boring description, I prefer Gamemaster. Because really it's all about who holds the most cards when the dealing stops." Koli says
Rebrey feels a compulsion push at the back of his knees, forcing him into a sitting position. Another compulsion forces his head to bow.
"I'm a being of little patience, therefore I'm only going to run through this once. So pay attention." Koli says