One appalling afternoon in Ward City, the acclaimed Stephen Silworth was having lunch in the park close to his office. Why eat at the park, one would ask. Well, the reason was to evade the debt collector. Nobody could take one’s possessions without asking or informing them legally, so it was the most reasonable thing to do. Not having enough contracts, he waited till times change.

When he entered his office way after the working hours ended, he saw his secretary reading comics, which displayed adult content. She really enjoyed it, especially when there was nothing to do. Submerging into the prohibited pictures and outrageous arts, she developed tunnel vision and ignored Stephen. The only thing he murmured to her when this happened was ‘Enjoy your cliterature, darling.’

In the evening, after he got back, Stephen heard someone coming from the door, and without consulting the secretary, he rushed into his room. The visitor saw Stephen ready his battle axe, he kept to defend himself from monsters, like debt collectors. He, the visitor, stepped back, and was scared to death.

“Who are you?” Asked Stephen distorting his voice to provide his visitor an eerie feeling.

“Are… Are you the detective?”

“Depends on who asks…”

“I would like to hire him.”

“Welcome on board.” Stephen shifted back to his original voice. “How can I help you?” He put back his axe to the bottom of the desk.

“My friend…”

“What about him?” Stephen suddenly became aware of his heavy accent.

“He trapped in shrine. It ran off.”

“Out of what?” Stephen knew he would have a hard time understanding this fellow.

“No. How… Triggered?”

“Okay… So, who are you first of all?”

“Second son of the Aieri family…” It was an affluent and wealthy family from the South.

“You have money then?”

“Yes, a lots of…”

“Tell me about the shrine…”

“We prayed. A stone cat was watching us from the shelf. Its eyes became purple and something dragged him in.”

“Okay. A golem then. What did you say during your pray?”

“The Regulated Speech.”

“The regular?”

“Yes.”

“Was there anything suspicious around?”

“Suspicious?”

“Yes. Not fitting…”

“It was very cloudy, the weather reporter said it clear.”

“Okay. I do not understand that stonecat part, though. So let’s get down to business…”

“We have to walk to somewhere else?”

Stephen ignored his comment. “How much are you willing to pay me?”

“Don’t know…”

“What?”

“The value of Wardling…”

“What is your currency?”

“Diire.”

“Times one point five.”

“Okay. How much is Times?”

“Eh. I’ll give you a fix amount, and pay me. What about that?”

“Okay.”

“By the way, I cannot bring your friend back.”

“What?”

“If a mist guardian got him, then it’s over. His soul is lost.”

“I promised…”

“Here is the contract.”

“What can I do with a contract? You can’t bring him back…”

“I can ensure nobody else would get into a situation like this.”

“Eeeeee.”

“Damn this language barrier…” he thought.

“Help me get him back…”

“Sign the contract.”

“No.” he exclaimed.

“You can just pay me.”

“No.” he repeated.

“If I get your friend, will you pay me?”

“Yes.”

“The golem is a bigger problem.” He thought. “What is your name?”

“Alle.”

Stephen stood up, draw a small synthesizer from the bottom of the shelf, and started to hit down keys. There was an orb on Stephen’s desk, which he needed to initialize with different melodies.

“Don’t just pay the piano like that, go for Tissimo.” Exclaimed his employer.

Stephen started to hit the keys harder.

“What are you doing?”

“You told me to hit them stronger.” He smirked. “Fortissimo.”

“No, Tissimo is my friend. We should go for him…”

The orb activated and started to shine blue. Stephen hit some other keys as well, and it turned purple. Then he put it into his satchel.

“Let’s go shall we?”

“Yes.”

“Where is the shrine exactly?”

“On the mountains.”

“Great.” He called a taxi. They went out and had the foreigner navigate to the place. It was a rough 30 minutes from his office, he spent his time reciting an old manuscript the orb told him to learn before engaging the golem.

On arrival, they got out of the car and entered the site. There was nothing but mist, lots of urns were scattered around the altar, which held a strange symbol. It was familiar to Stephen, but he did not remember whose sign that was. Then, from the mist, a stone lion emerged valiantly with amethyst eyes and strong, defiant structure.

The lion was not aggressive. Stephen had a feeling something was not right, yet he started the ritual.

This is how it looked from Alle’s viewpoint.

*Recites in ancient ritual* said Stephen.

*Speaks in ancient ritual.* replied the Guardian.

*Recites in ancient ritual, but with a doubting voice.*

*Speaks in ancient ritual, but more valiantly.* Then Stephen’s orb changed into black.

“So you are The Guardian of the Mist?” Stephen kneeled down. “I dare to ask for forgiveness.”

“You have serious issues dude. Stop chanting like you know what you say. Deeming the old, who farteth, beaming the bold, who barketh? Now, now. I am not offended. You came to visit me, right?”

“Actually, I was asked to help retrieving a fellow soul.”

“Oh, the other follower of Oriara returned?”

“That Oriara? The goddess of Death?”

“I protect this shrine.” Boasted the Guardian. “They tried to summon one of her commanders.”

“So you eliminated one of them?”

“I eliminated the sacrifice.”

“Thank you.” Stephen turned around. “We do not have a contract.”

Alle was standing there blankly, not realizing that his plans were revealed.

“Now that I think about it, he meant Regulated Sermon.”

“He told you? Why didn’t you stop him?” Asked the Guardian.

“I did not understand a word he said. You can do whatever you want with him.”

“Don’t, please.” Begged the foreigner. “I have a family.”

“Who cares.” Replied Stephen.

“You will bear the consequences of your actions against Oriara! You will be…”

The guardian inserted the man into its soulstone. “Damn, he was annoying. So what now?”

“I do not have enough money for taxi.”

“You can stay…” smiled the lion.

“Do you have anything to eat?”

“The followers of Oriara tend to leave lots of food around here, so I can make you some…”

“That would be great, thank you.”

“By the way, I have taken a glimpse at your memory.”

“What did you find? I have lots of stories to tell…”

“The one about your older brother.”

Stephen did not say anything. He looked at the Guardian with cold eyes ready to destroy this ancient being. Meanwhile, the Guardian transformed the offering into roasted steak with potato. It even enhanced the flavour of the food, so that Stephen would approve. The Guardian loved being thanked.

“You know, the most important thing I learnt about during my three hundred thousand years old lifespan is that family is sacred, and that you cannot run from your debt collector.” He smiled, and gave him the food, which Stephen devoured in a moment. Then it brought some wine from the offerings. Doing some magic, it purified the liquid from the filth those followers put inside.

“What do you know about me?” He had no malicious intentions when he asked that.

“I’ve been watching you, Absolver.”

“That must have been something I will only understand in the future.” He drank his glass of wine

“True.”

“You, Guardians. Do you have any genitalia?”

“Yes. Though our male genitalia ought to be strong, since it has to penetrate the stone skin part of the female. We are organic inside. And let’s say my penis is stronger than a Jack hammer. We do reproduce, but parenting is very different.” He poured to Stephen’s glass.

“Really?” Stephen drank everything his glass again. His face became red, and started to lose control.

“You should relax a bit. Consider changing your specialty into something more realistic. Do not suffer for us”

“You think I should do so? I was a cast out everywhere.”

“Do not afraid to change.”

Stephen lost control, and leaned towards the wall. “I would fuck a deer if you get me one…”

The Guardian put his paw on Stephen’s forehead and chanted ‘Sleep’, which rendered him unconscious.

When Stephen got up, he was at his office, and a piece of paper was on his desk with ‘Find Ealion’ on it.