Meet Gray

Cole spins around as quickly as his injured state allows. A four-foot tall wretchedly ugly humanoid wields a crystalline knife that glows faintly green in its knobby fingers. Its stark-white body is thin, sickly. Its bald head sported long, pointed ears. Its bone structure is visible under the skin, the only apparent fat on this creature is in its distended pot belly. The creature's lipless maw hangs open, drooling a black saliva that is thick like oil. It slashes the dagger in front of it deftly; no creature that looks like that should be able to move as quickly as it has. This thing has been feasting on the mana well. From the look of things, it didn't want to share.

The wound slowly oozes dark blood and Cole silently prays that his new healing abilities will keep him from bleeding out. If I live that long, he thinks.

He puts his hands up in a boxer's stance and tries his best to circle around the ghoulish creature. His bad luck has placed a monster between him and the only exit once again. Cole keeps his eyes on the knife – the scrawny creature would be an easier opponent than the warg if it wasn't for the magical blade. The ghoul, as Cole comes to think of it, seems to know that the dagger is its only hope as well. It holds tight to the handle with both hands.

Cole moves to close the distance between the two, and the ghoul swipes madly with the dagger, keeping him at bay. Wish I had my revolver right about now. It might be able to knock this thing over. Oh right, it's still on the floor upstairs! I'm absolute garbage at this Hero thing.

The ghoul cuts off every attempt to get closer to the stairs. Its body shakes with apparent rage; there will be no escape here. It would be hard to say which creature is angrier. Cole's throbbing stomach is helping to fuel his fury with every move he makes. Something instinctively tells him that he will need to finish this fight quickly – another injury like that could be his last. He grits his teeth and dashes forward suddenly. The blade grazes his shoulder when the ghoul swings to defend his space, but this time Cole does not relent. His forward momentum causes him to crash into the ghoul, tackling it to the ground.

The impact loosens the grip of the ghoul's left hand on the blade, but its grip holds like glue with the right. The ghoul shrieks and flails relentlessly, the knife landing deep scratches on Cole's arms and torso as he does so. After a bit of a struggle, Cole grips the creature's right wrist, finally in control of the knife. The ghoul kicks uselessly under the added body weight, and uses its free claw to strike at Cole's face, eyes, and neck.

Cole's mind is clouded with fury. For the second time today, his life is at stake against a supernatural beast. In a blind rage, he twists the Ghoul's thin grey arm against its will. The bones in its feeble wrist break with an unsettlingly loud crack. The ghoul howls an dark, high noise of pain and alarm. The knife clatters to the floor, and its blue shine illuminates the pitch-black eyes of the ghoul as it writhes and rages. The creature strains to reach the knife with its empty claw, but is too far and too slow. It is Cole who makes it to the weapon first, and he wastes no time putting it to use. He plunges the blade into the ghoul between its collarbones. Moving from a sprawled position to kneeling on the beast, he rips the knife further down through the creature's chest cavity. 

Suddenly, the only noise in the basement is Cole's own ragged breathing. He pulls the knife back out of the stinking ghoul and stumbles back to the mana well nearby. The ghoul didn't kill him, but it was close. The wounds he sustained were shedding blood rapidly, and he didn't have much faith in his own healing abilities to save his life. He would have to take the chance that he could absorb enough energy to save himself. He thrusts his left hand into the pool of liquid. Immediately the sensation overwhelms him, spreading through his body like bubbles of carbonation through soda. His awareness of his wounds immediately began to lower and lower as the mana absorbed. Cole leans backwards, resting against the wall behind him. His eyes shut slowly, his breath returning to a normal pace. He slips into a near-comatose slumber.

Cole's dream is as vivid and realistic as any moment of his waking hours. He is standing on a hiking path in the deep woods. The sun is barely able to send dim light through the dense canopy. 

"Best get a move on, youngster. We do not have long." A raspy voice from behind startled him. 

He whips his head back to see who is there. It is a man who looked to be in his seventies, but the kind of fit and hearty elder that everyone hopes to become. The elder has a close-cropped grey beard, shoulder-length grey hair combed back smoothly, and blue eyes that shimmer like sapphires. His clothing fit the scenery: a light jacket, cargo pants, and sturdy hiking boots. Cole somehow knew that this man is a benevolent force – the sort of dream logic instinct that you can't refute in the moment. The man gives him a patient nod and gestures for him to keep walking.

Cole takes the hint and starts walking, making room for the stranger to walk beside him on the hiking path. "Where are we?" He asked.

"We are on the path, my boy. I know this is a new journey for you, that is why I have come. You have much to learn and more to do. Come along." The man said gently. He walks ahead with surprisingly vigorous pace, leaving Cole behind him on the trail.

Cole steps quickly to catch up and keep pace. "What new journey? And what do I have to learn? How do you know?" He shoots out his questions rapid-fire, as fast as they come to mind. "Who are you? Where'd you come from?"

"If you wish your question to be answered, it would be best to allow time between them for me to respond."

"Fair. Let's start with the basics: who are you?"

The elder laughs softly at that. "That one might not be as basic as you'd think. Lately I have been called Gray, on account of the hair."

"Nice to meet you Gray, I'm Co-"

"Cole Bridges, yes. I know. You have very recently become infused with mana. As a result, you have been bestowed immense power. The ways that power manifests depend entirely on you – partially because of your biology, partially because of your personality, and to a greater degree, training." Gray spoke matter-of-factly, as though he knew exactly what Cole had been through.

Cole scratches the back of his head in thought. "Is this path taking me to my training? Did you find me in the branch office? I don't remember anything after fighting the ghoul." He is silent for a moment, and then exclaims "Oh hell, I'm dead, aren't I? That little bastard finished the job? Or had a friend waiting in the darkness?"

Gray puts a hand on Cole's shoulder to comfort him. "Calm, calm. You're doing it again. You are alive, just asleep. We are in the dreamspace."

It is then that Cole remembers walking over to the pool of mana before passing out. He breathes a sigh of relief. "That's a relief, thank you." He walks quietly beside Gray for a few moments and the path turns a corner in the woods, revealing an entirely new view. The lush green forest quickly gives way to a section of forest that appears charred and burned from wildfire. Looking longer at the scene, Cole can see wisps of smoke still rising in the distance. The charred brush crunches apart beneath their feet as they walk into this new landscape.

"I hate to keep asking you all these questions, but… where are we going?" Cole asks. He is unsure if he is nervous or excited. Maybe it was a bit of both?

Gray stops in the path abruptly. He says, "It is impossible to say where the path may take you, child. For now, we are where we need to be. Hellhounds prowl this area. They are monsters well known for their ability to stalk and track prey – their vision and sense of smell are unparalleled in the monster world. Demons enslave hellhounds specifically to use them as trackers. If they find you, they will tear you apart with flaming claws." Then, he traces a simple shape in front of himself with a finger and begins to slowly fade. His body becomes more and more transparent until Cole could not see any indication that Gray was there. The man was simply invisible.