text: You've decided to stick to the Morava river. You've always liked playing near it as a kid, you can catch fish for food, and it's overall just a nice scenery. It's very wide and deep, and its strong current even dies down for a bit in the area next to your village. But the river is, of course, a very attractive spot to not just you, but to basically anybody. Food AND water, what more do you need?
  
  You follow the river as it goes, with spotting the occasional animal here or there, but nothing really important happening for the most part. You see people from another tribe occasionally, and you know their village must also be near, because of course people would like living near water. But you know that not only the Slavic people have the big brain required to understand how advantageous access to water is, and as the sun starts setting, you soon confirm your fears:
  
  You spot a small temporary camp of people just a bit off to the side of the river, all wearing Byzantine arms and armor. These must be the forward scouts of the Byzantine empire, here to scope out the area, and tell the incoming force where to attack. The camp is not very well fortified, seeing as they must be breaking it up every day, and moving to a different location. It's less a camp and more just a collection of sleeping bags and a tent. There are also only a few men there, you think you count six or maybe seven. Makes sense, shouldn't have too many people scouting, that kind of defeats the purpose.
  
  Now you're left wondering what to do. Surely they will not just let you pass, will they? You could try awaiting nightfall and attacking them, you're somewhat confident that empowered by the artifact, you could defeat them all. Or you could not risk it, and just take a detour, avoiding them altogether.
  
  > await nightfall, then attack.
  It's too risky to just walk by, and taking a detour you might get lost. It's not like you have a map of the area, nor do you know it as well as the woods around your village. You know following Morava will take you where you need to go, and you have an obstacle in the way. So you should see about removing it.
  
  You hide in the bushes until the moon rises, and you see most of them heading to sleep. One guard is left to keep watch. Enhanced with the artifact, this will be easy pickings.
  
  You start sneaking around, getting closer and closer to the camp, like a predator to a prey. You get close, and await your chance. A perfect opportunity soon arises, when the guard goes off into the bushes, seemingly to take a piss.
  
  As he's fiddling with his trousers, you get behind him, and clobber him over the head with a small mace you brought. His skull cracks like a melon, and he falls into his own puddle of piss. You smack him one more time just to be safe, and take a look around. The others must be heavy sleepers, or perhaps you were just too quiet. You prefer to think it's the latter.
  
  You sneak back towards the camp, and it should now be easy pickings. You approach the first sleeping bag, and before he can understand anything that happened to him, you slit his throat quietly. You do the same thing with the second one, but apparently at some point you must have made some noise, because one dude is waking up.
  
  He takes a look at you, and his companions, and before you can stop him he screams, waking the other three men up. You throw a dagger into his head with great force and enhanced precision, but it is too late, the others are getting up and reaching for their weapons.
  
  You rush the one closest to you, that also appears to be the weakest among them. He barely puts up a fight and you cut his head off quickly with the broadsword. His companion screams and charges towards you, putting up much more of a fight. You trade blows, but he is no match for your artifact enhanced skills, and soon ends up just like his friend.
  
  You turn to see what the third one is doing, but see him about 200 meters away from you, clearly out to save his life. And while usually he would probably escape, as you weren't the fastest runner, you catch up to him easily this time, for he does not posses a power enhancing item. You stab him in the back, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down, and you let him bleed out to death. He deserves much worse for abandoning his friends.
  
  Satisfied the plan got carried out smoothly, you take one of the non-bloodied sleeping bags, and find a safe spot to rest for the night, far away from the camp, as you assume some kind of monster will smell the death, and come for its share of corpses.
  
  You awaken early, having slept like a baby, and continue on your way.
  
  You see some mountains in the distance and recognize them to be Kosmay, one of the mountains close to Singidunum, an ancient roman fortress that has changed ownership more times than you've celebrated your birthday. It is currently abandoned, but some of the village leaders have been talking about taking control of it sometime soon.
  
  This is good news, as you know that Singidunum is close to the Deliblato sands.
  
  > Approaching your destination.
  You go as far along the river as it will take you, and eventually you find its origin point - Yet another river, this one somehow even bigger, called Danube. It splits off into Morava, but nonetheless continues in its own path as well. This is good news, as you know that soon after you cross it, you will arrive at your destination.
  
  This is the part where you would usually have to find a boat, a bridge, or some way to cross the river unimpeded. Luckily, you know you are an excellent swimmer thanks to the assistance from the artifact, and so hop into the river.
  
  Despite your newfound powers, the current is strong. VERY strong. You almost get swept up by it, but save yourself at the last second by hanging onto some rocks. You're a bit more careful now and after a short rest on them, you swim the rest of the way without too much trouble.
  
  You know that you are close, and head just a bit further to the northeast. Nothing important happens along the way, and you are soon at the edge of your goal.
  
  > The deliblato sands.
  Finally, you've arrived at your destination, after an eventful trip. The Deliblato sands spread everywhere in front of you. A landscape of sand, flat, harsh sunlight, cracked land, dead grasses, and a heavy silence. Nothing lives here, for why should it? What is there to be found in this place?
  
  You start racking your brain about how you are going to find a tiny little artifact in this vast expanse of sand. As if reading your mind, the artifact you possess starts releasing some kind of a hum. You guess it must be leading you to the location of its sibling. Following the hum as it gets louder and quiter, like a game of hot and cold, you spend the day walking.
  
  The hum eventually gets really loud, and you guess it must be here somewhere. You start digging up the sand like a madman with your bare hands (if only you had brought a shovel) and it seems to be a futile effort. The more sand you dig up the more new sand just falls into place. But you're nothing if not stubborn, and you continue the endeavor.
  
  Your effort, eventually, pays off, and your hand soon hits something hard. Realizing it's the thing you're searching for, you firmly grasp it, and lift it out of the sand.
  
  It is similar to the one you currently possess, and the moment you lift it up, you feel another surge of strength. You're now far beyond human limits and you know it.
  
  That's all well and good, but what are you going to do with the two artifacts now?
  
  > summon the creature you saw in the vision.
  That's what you came here for isn't it? But you decide to wait until the Byzantine army gets here. No use summoning the creature ahead of time. You leave the Deliblato sands behind, and return to the rivers.
  
  Based off the lay of the land you saw in the old maps, the army must pass close to here, to get around the Homolye mountains. You luckily happen to remember that there is a Slavic village nearby, and set out to find them. It doesn't take too long and they accept you under the condition that you contribute to the village. You earn your keep by hunting, it being incredibly easy to do due to the two artifacts you're carrying.
  
  Eventually, some of their scouts report that the army is expected to come in a day or two, and that it is time for all of you to run and hide. Hopefully the army will pass through without noticing them, thinking the village abandoned. These cowards didn't even consider fighting back, but then again, can you blame them, considering they are first in the line of the attack, and will be hit by all the 20000 men before they split into smaller groups?
  
  You decide it is time, and say goodbye to them. You find a spot where the army is certain to pass, and wait. And wait. And wait.
  
  Tomorrow in the morning you spot them in the distance, moving slowly but surely. You prepare to summon the creature and it is only then you realize...you don't know how.
  
  As if reading your mind, you hear a voice inside your head.
  
  "To release me, put the two artifacts side by side, then repeat after me."
  
  You do as you are instructed. Placing them both down you start chanting a weird incantation. The temperature in the air drops with every verse you finish, and by the time you are done, you are shivering. The incantation took a long time, and the Byzantine army has seen you and is approaching you. They didn't seem to be in a hurry, after all, why rush towards a lone man, it could be a trap. They continue slowly but surely, though you see discomfort in their ranks at the rapidly decreasing temperature and the implications it brings.
  
  Suddenly a massive thunderbolt hits the ground in front of you. You are knocked to your feet, yet oddly unharmed. When you get up, and the smoke clears, that is when you see it - The creature from your vision.
  
  It is every bit as impressive as you remember. The antlers are impossibly large, and it itself is pretty tall. The Byzantine army has at this point stopped, and are probably wondering what to do.
  
  The creature breaks the stalemate by releasing a horrific scream, and wastes no time. Before you can even see it moving, it charges towards the army, throwing 5 men in the air with one hit. What follows is utter chaos and decimation.
  
  The Byzantine soldiers look like little babies compared to the creature. Even if some of them manage to hit it with anything, be it an arrow or a greathammer, the creature just shrugs it off and continues the massacre. It seems clearly determined to kill them all, focusing first on any that appear to be running away.
  
  You are left staring at the happenings in front of you, and that's when you notice the two artifacts...are no longer where you put them down. The creature must have taken them. No more super powers for you, you guess. Which would come in handy right now, as some of the warriors charged forward, past the creature, and towards you. They must think that if they take care of you, the creature will disappear.
  
  Now, you are a skilled warrior, but there's nothing you can do about being outnumbered 20 to 1. You prepare for a glorious battle and death...and then all 20 of them are left without their heads.
  
  Trying to figure out what happened, you see the creature's arm has been impossibly extended, and has cut them all up in one slice. It is protecting you from all harm it would seem, prioritizing your safety over its own, as it is currently being pelted with arrows, fireballs and thunderbolts, from the archers and a couple of wizards that were going along with the army. It seems unaffected, and begins its murder spree again.
  
  The battle doesn't take that long actually, and a few of the enemies perhaps even escape. There were a lot of them after all. Works in your favor anyway, if they spread word of the horrible invincible monster that decimated them and is protecting the Slavic people.
  
  All that remains in the end is you, the creature, and the almost 20000 corpses. You feel that it is finally over and sigh a breath of relief...
  
  The creature approaches you quietly, and stands in front of you. It says in a gruff voice:
  
  "I am Leshy. Human, you have released me from my prison. I have been inside for about 5000 years, give or take a few centuries.
  For that, I will not harm you, and will be bound by a contract to destroy anybody that attempts to do you harm.
  Everyone else though...they will not be so lucky. I've hungered for blood for so long, and my hunger will be sated."
  
  You're not certain what to say to that, but you don't have to respond anything at all. The creature has moved past you, and is heading towards the hiding places of the villagers that let you stay. It's almost as if it can sense them somehow, and it is out for blood. You feel a lump in your throat, like you are unable to swallow, unable to breathe. You feel that your actions have doomed this land...
  
  > Epilogue: A sole survivor in the cursed land
  636 AD
  
  Epilogue: A sole survivor in the cursed land
  
  It's been 10 years since you've doomed this land. Nobody lives in Rashka, the so called "Cursed land" anymore, for nobody will risk the wrath of Leshy. And it is all thanks to you.
  
  The first village was doomed for sure, there was no way you were ever going to make it before Leshy. In fact, despite you running at full speed, by the time you reached the closest hiding spot, Leshy was far gone, and everybody was dead.
  
  You ran back towards your own village, stopping by any others along the way, warning them of the impending doom. You were smart enough to hide the fact that it is your actions that have caused the doom in question, and just told them to run. Some did. Some didn't. Most argued with each other over what to do. You didn't wait to see what they all decided, you were running too fast to get back to your village.
  
  You managed to get to it after a day, completely exhausted and out of breath. Everyone was staring at you, as you looked extremely not well. You told them all to gather around, and after they did, you told them about Leshy. They started at you in disbelief, how could such a monster appear all of a sudden?
  
  You made up a story on the spot over it just suddenly appearing and slaughtering the enemy. Some people look as if they're not satisfied with the explanation, and especially Zlatko is looking at you with a weird look in his eyes. Nobody says anything though.
  
  The people of the village were divided. Some did not want to leave the village. Some realized the threat was far greater than some Byzantium soldiers, and immediately picked up and left.
  
  You spend your days hidden away with your family. Until one day Leshy comes to make good on his promise. While you are out hunting, he massacres your entire family, having already massacred the people that remained in the village. You come back to your sister's decapitated body, and your parents' bodies aren't even recognizable as being human anymore. You've brought this on yourself, you know?
  
  You've defeated the Byzantine threat, sure. But at what cost? Was it worth it? That's for you to decide as you spend your life totally alone.