At the last minute, Mika wavered indecisively. Should he really become a warrior? How about a satyr instead – that sounded much more fun. Or how about a… unicorn?
“You don’t really know what you want, do you?” Mika whirled around, startled. But there was no sign of anyone about.
“Look in your hands.” Mika noticed a faint glow pulsing from the Stone. Could it be…?
“I can reveal to you what you were always meant to be. Just look deep inside of me…”
Mika peered curiously into the glowing Stone. It shimmered in a kaleidoscope of colors, and then seemed to draw him in. He felt light headed, as if plummeting through a bottomless void. But when he tried to move again, he found himself frozen in place. “Wha.. what?! No! Let me go…”
“Let go of your memory. Let go of all thoughts. Let go of all worries.” the Stone’s calm, soothing voice echoed in his head.
“Let go of…worries?” Now that sounded right. It would be so relaxing, so serene. “…let go… let go…” the voice continued chanting as he slid dreamily down the abyss.
“Let go of your will….”
“WHAT?” Mika jerked abruptly in alarm. “No, No! I am…”
“NOTHING. You are nothing. Your mind is empty. Don’t speak. Don’t think. Don’t choose.”
Mika struggled mightily, summoning all his mental strength, but his resistance was no match for the Stone’s relentless assault.
“You have no name. You have no mind. You have no thoughts. You have no will. You can only obey. You can’t move on your own. You can’t think on your own. You need orders.” the Stone droned on inexorably in a commanding tone.
Defeated and exhausted, Mika’s body went limp, and he dropped helplessly to his knees.
“Tell me who you are.” the Stone intoned.
“I am your slave, Master.”
“What do you love?”
“I love to obey.”
“What do you want?”
“I want to please you, Master. It makes me so happy to please you.”
“Very good…” The Stone smirked. Now for the others...