"Wake up."

Will woke with a start. He didn't know whether the voice had been real or not. Will

slowly reached out with his Old One senses, but felt nothing.

Wait! No… There it was again!

Will leapt out of his bed, hands up, ready for an attack.

"Be at peace, Old One," the same strange voice called again. Will looked to the far side of his room near the doorway.

A tall, hulking figure stood there. Will switched on his lamp so he could see the stranger properly.

The light revealed that the owner of the soft voice was a man, supposedly in his mid twenties.

But what Will noticed the most was the man's face. The majority of his facial features were marred, like a painting leaned

against while it was still wet. He was tall, yet somehow delicate in frame, and he radiated

power which felt that it might rival even Merriman.

This man was not human.

"Oh, that's not very nice." the man's voice was two-toned. Will also realized that he had said the last sentence out loud.

"Well, you're not," he said in his defense. The tall man nodded.

"Yes… But neither are you, Will Stanton." Will grew suspicious at this, watching this man for any sign that he

may attempt to harm him. The man chuckled at this.

"Do not trouble your heart so," he chided. "I am only here to give a precious item to a well spoken-of protector." Will was

still suspicious of this man, but as for confirmation, he pointed to himself. The man nodded slowly, and Will relaxed slightly, then asked;

"What is this, "precious item" that you speak of?"

The man nodded once more, then reached into a bag that Will had not seen before. The

man pulled out a small, squareish-thing that was wrapped up in a tattered gray cloth.

The man stroked the item gently, reluctantly holding it out to Will. Will watched the man's body language when he hesitantly reached out for the item. The man pulled the thing back ever so slightly, saying,

"This book, is far more precious then any other thing in all the plaines of existence." The Tall Man (as Will had come to think of him as) held the item, now identified as a book, out at full length to him.

Will slowly reached for it, then, as he was only a short distance away, snatched it from the Tall Man's hands.

The Tall Man shuddered, his entire form shaking. Will immediatly wondered if he had done

something horribly wrong, was about to call for help, when the man suddenly stilled. The Tall Man stood up straighter, as though he had just been ridden of a terrible

burden. But he also felt sad; Will knew this because walking alongside someone else's

emotions was one of his many abilities.

This sorrow… was immense, threatening to overwhelm him. Will snapped out of his trance as he felt the Tall Man's presence begin to fade.

He blinked when he heard a strange 'SWOOSH', a tunnel of light opening

behind the Tall Man.

"But what's it for?" Will called over the din, referring to the book.

The Tall Man turned to look at himwith what could have passed for a sad smile.

"It's meant to be passed on, Watcher. Guard it until you find whom it belongs to." Will took a step forward, the

sudden weight of responsibility of this task setting in.

"Wait! How will I know who-"

But he was gone. The tunnel of light had disappeared, along with the tall man.

All that remained was the book.