Pete fell to his knees and broke into tears.
"Waaaaaa! Waaaaaa!" The sixteen-year-old wailed like a child.
"Shh. It's okay, my friend," Morrigan consoled him. "I am here now. It's going to be alright."
"It was horrible! Horrible!" Pete yelped. Tears rolled down the boy's dirt-covered face.
"I know..."
"I kept dying and dying and dying again."
"I know..."
Pete wiped his tears and got to his feet. "Please tell me how I can become Robin Hood. How I can become strong," he urged, making a fist. "I want to squish the monsters and the cannibals with my bare hands."
Morrigan cackled humorlessly. "All in good time, dear friend. Be assured that I will help you achieve your goals. Before we get to that, do you know what will happen if you use up your last remaining life?"
Pete shrugged. "I assumed I'd be sent back to Aisling for another reincarnation?"
"Tch tch," the man said. "No. You will go back to the source."
"The source? What is that?"
"I'm afraid I cannot tell you more on this subject. All I can say is that you'd be gone forever."
The boy felt a shiver run up his spine. "That… doesn't sound good. But why can't you tell me?"
"Because of my... uh... let's call it, my confidentiality clause. I can't tell you more than you should know at this point."
"Jeez. I guess, thanks to you for not letting me jump."
"You're welcome. What else are friends for?" Morrigan winked at Pete to appear friendly, but it came across as scary.
"Alright. I want to get serious about this hero thing. What can I do to survive? How do I go about it? Right now, I am probably the weakest living being in this world. My last death was from an insect bite!" Pete sighed, pulling the cloak around him tighter.
Morrigan nodded his head slowly. "Of course. I am here to help."
The boy took a step closer. "You've been nice to me, Mr. Morrigan. So, forgive me for asking this. What do you want in return?" Pete was not an expert on games, but the little fantasy stories he had read told him that mysterious characters always had vested interests.
The entity raised a bony finger to his lips. "If you really feel indebted, you could give me your name!"
"My name? Robin Hood?"
Morrigan shook his tiny head. "Oh, no. That is the character you will play as a hero. I asked for your real name, given by your parents. A word that you'd respond to even in your sleep."
"Okay…" Pete replied with a raised eyebrow. "But what will you do with my name?"
"I collect given names," Morrigan said with a creepy smile. "You can call it a hobby." The boy shrugged. How could the mention of a name hurt? "Okay, I have no issue with that. My name is pretty lame, anyway. It's… it's… err… umm…"
Morrigan shifted and leaned closer to Pete. "Yes, yes? What is it?"
The boy made an apologetic face. "I don't remember!"
Morrigan's eyes seemed to become even more prominent. He glared at the boy pensively. "Oh, I see…"
"Please, it is the truth. I really don't remember. I don't know how I forgot my stupid name! This is so embarrassing!"
The entity shook his head. "It is not your fault, my young friend. I see old magic hovering around you. I take it you signed the roster of legendary heroes with a key?"
"I did!"
Morrigan seemed deep in thought. "The question is… why didn't she enter your name on the Robin Hood page as usual?" he said, more to himself than to Pete.
"I don't understand what you mean..."
The entity grinned. "Never mind my stray thoughts, dear friend. What happened to you is highly unusual, and I shall investigate it for you."
"Alright," Pete said, beginning to get bored. "Okay, what next? Are you going to grant me powers?"
***
Morrigan shook his head. "I'm afraid it doesn't work that way. This world has rules. I can send you in the right direction so you may find the main storyline."
"The main storyline?"
"Yes. The beginning of your story is in complete disarray. You must get back on track soon, or everything will fall apart."
Pete scratched his head. "I don't get what you are saying. Just tell me what to do."
"Very well, my young friend. Let us entwine our destinies. When you are in need, I will come to your aid in my own ways." Morrigan opened his arms again, spreading the bony limbs wide.
Pete thought Morrigan was being unnecessarily ominous. But then, that is expected behavior from a high-level NPC.
"What do you want to do as a hero? As Robin Hood?"
The boy shrugged. "I want to become the strongest, the most good-looking, the smartest. I want to sleep with a lot of pretty women. A harem! And yes! I want to kill that bitch Aisling!"
Morrigan cackled. This time his laughter seemed genuine. "Oof, I am with you all along, my friend."
"You wish to kill Aisling, too?"
"I hope it was that simple. We have a more complicated relationship. We might make a dent if you and I play our cards right."
"Awesome," Pete exclaimed with enthusiasm. "Can you tell me why you dislike her?"
"Let's say it's a very ancient and deep-rooted conflict. It's in my nature to balance her out."
"Hmm. Did she break up with you or something?"
Morrigan laughed. It sounded like an eerie rattle. "Something like that."
"I understand. Girls hate me too. Anyway, how do we… uh, what did you call it? Entwine our destinies?"
"Hmm. There are several ways. You can simply spit into your hand and shake mine. The deal will be done."
Pete raised an eyebrow. It was a weird ritual, but the boy remembered contracts were signed that way in the late medieval era, even up to the industrial age. He spat on his hand and extended it towards his benefactor.
Morrigan's bony arm, ending with long, skeletal fingers, emerged from his cloak. Pete wondered why the man did not spit into his hand as well. His concern was addressed after touching him. Morrigan's hand was cold and moist.
The bony fingers were strong; they grabbed Pete, almost hurting him. The boy felt something slither between their grips and wanted to let go. However, Morrigan held onto him.
In the distance somewhere, a raincloud rumbled. The wind picked up around them ominously. For a second, the sunlight dimmed. And then, everything went back to normal.
"The deal is done," Morrigan said, beaming like a ghoul.
"Phew, that was weird," Pete said, looking around suspiciously and wiping his hand on the cloak. "What next?"
"Well, you must go to the checkpoint."
"What checkpoint?"
"It is the location at which your adventure begins, my friend. You will find your identity as Robin Hood."
Pete nodded obediently. "Oh. Understood. But how do I know where the checkpoint is?"
"I can show you the way." Morrigan waved his hand, and the forest behind him parted. It looked as if trees and bushes jumped out of the way to form a clear path downhill.
"Go straight down for a hundred feet. At the foot of the hill, you will find a signboard. One of the arms will point towards Nottingham. Take that path. It will lead you to the checkpoint."
Pete fidgeted and tried to slip in a word. "But-"
"Tch tch," Morrigan cut him off. "Don't worry about monsters. They will not approach you as long as you have my makeshift cloak. However, the protection will disappear once you reach the checkpoint."
Pete's savior walked up to him and turned him towards the path.
"That, my friend, is Robin Hood's destiny," Morrigan whispered into his ear from behind. "Remember to stay true to the storyline. Everything depends on it." Then he gave the boy a push forward.
Pete walked a few steps and turned back to thank his mentor. However, Morrigan was gone. He had vanished into thin air.