Late afternoon the mystic rode into the garrison. All those on duty at the time stared at him as if he was a ghost. The garrison commander rushed out to greet the mystic. “is it true, are you the only one to survive.”

“It is true,” the mystic said. getting down from his horse and bending a knee to the commander.

“How is it that you alone survived,” demanded the commander.

“Because I’m not a fool,” said the mystic. “Are you a fool commander?”

With that the commander turned and stormed up the commanders residence stairs. Once again the mystic had dominated the commander. His last time, he thought, as he saw the assassin taking aim at the mystics back. The assassin let the arrow fly. Just before the arrow reached it’s target, the mystic spun, drawing his sword, and then blocked the arrow, redirecting it into the center of the commanders back. The commander died instantaneously.

The mystic then got back on his horse and rode to the back of the garrison where his residence lied. No one would see any of him for several days.

They entered the cave all bunched together. Marching into the depths of the mountain, they came across a massive cavern. An iridescent stones in the walls of the cavern bathed the cavern with light. The light revealed many branches of the cave reaching out into the bowels of the mountain. It was decided to randomly pick one branch, and then all would explore the branch. Truth is, it wouldn’t of mattered which branch they took because each housed a different sub-clan of a clan of ferries… each one as deadly as the other.

But before they could enter a branch, a dressed to the hilt ferry appeared, and addressed the mystic, “Ye may not enter here. Begone before I annihilate the lot of you.”

“We need refuge in this cavern to weather out the storm. Surely you can allow us this small courtesy .” said the mystic.

“Only if you all promise, pledge on all your lives, to not enter a single branch,” said the ferry.

But it was too late. Two of the platoon had already started walking down a branch. The ferry facing the mystic emitted a screech to rival a banshee. One by one the heads of the soldiers began too explode. All perished in a matter of seconds, all except the mystic. He simply smiled at the ferry, and the walked back out of the cave.

This is the story of how the night time patrol vanished one storm drenched evening… all but The Mystic Of Cascadia, who was protected by the mountain… a mountain in the Cascade mountain range.

Suddenly the rain started coming down in buckets, drenching all in the party.

“We must find shelter, or we’ll all catch our deaths of cold,” said the lieutenant. “Get the mystic up here.”

A private peeled out of the column and ran to the back of the formation. When he returned he said, “He’s no where to be seen. The last in he column said a short while ago the mystic left saying he was going to do some scouting.

Just then the mystic came out of the forest a hundred yards or so in front of the column, carrying a giant torch in his left hand.

“This way,” the mystic yelled. “The cave is a quarter of a mile this way.” With that he disappeared back into the forest

Someone in the middle of the column mumbled under his breath, saying “Damn mystics, always a big mystery about everything.”

Thus began the journey of the lost column led by the mystic to their salvation out of the rain, and also to their complete annihilation in the cave. Of course, everyone in the column disappeared except for The Mystic Of Cascadia.

[ From this point on describe the destruction of the column caused by the many branches that lead into the mountain from the mouth of the cave. ]

The mystic represents the next level in human evolution. The purpose of being able to “See the Truth” is to allow the mystic to reach the next level of empathy toward it’s fellow human beings. It’s why mystics excel at the medical arts, be they western, eastern, or that which only a mystic, able to “See” they other, can.