A heavy rain was falling, surprising travelers that were on the road that night. Kaloch was riding on his horse, a black stallion, through the woodlands, being whipped by the raindrops and chilled by the merciless wind. He had urged his horse to gallop and swiftly this majestic animal was rushing across the woods. Its hooves were pounding the soaked ground, splashing the many puddles that had formed since the rain began. Kaloch knew that the next town wasn't far away and was eager to get there because of the bad weather, together the rain and the wind were a tormenting combination. Just a little bit further, he thought in his head, and let the horse gallop as fast as it could.
 
They reached the tree line and as the trees were stepping aside, a few lights could be spotted a little bit ahead. That's where the town was, although it would be almost impossible to tell in all this surrounding darkness without the lights. Kaloch was relieved and pushed his horse to one last spurt. The lights were quickly coming closer and closer until finally Kaloch and the horse bypassed the first buildings of the town. Kaloch commanded the animal to slow down and it trotted through the streets, the hooves clattering against the cobblestone. The lamps the townsfolk had hung around the town were somehow able to defy the horrible weather and offered illumination for all the night wanderers such as Kaloch. He was looking around for an inn where to stay the night; if his memory served right, it should be somewhere around the center of the town.
 
He was correct. He noticed a horribly squeaking sign being plagued by the wind, the text written on it had almost completely faded away throughout the years, but the word "inn" could be somewhat distinguished from it. Kaloch got off from his horse's back and started to lead it towards the stable. Lucky for him, he encountered a youngster who worked at the place, and currently had been bringing hay to all the horses staying there.
 
“Hey, you!” Kaloch said loudly in order to get the boy's attention. The stable worker did look at him and the man continued: “Take care of my horse.”
 
“Of course, sir”, the boy said and grabbed the bridle which Kaloch had offered him.
 
“You better treat it well”, Kaloch spoke with a stern tone and gave the boy a glance that told it all: harm or neglect my horse or I'll kill you.
 
“I promise I will, sir”, the youngster responded, looking a bit nervous now.
 
It seemed like his message had been received, so Kaloch marched away from the stable and headed to the inn. Finally, he could get away from the horrible weather. He opened the creaky door to the inn and the warmth of the place greeted him. He immediately came to a spacious hall filled with many tables and chairs, and at the far end lay a huge fireplace that was the source of the warmth. There were quite a few other visitors hanging around the hall, drinking and eating and chattering. Near the door was a counter and behind it stood a rather chubby man, presumably the owner of the place. Near this counter was a set of stairs that led to the upstairs where the rooms were located.
 
Kaloch made his way to the counter.
 
“Welcome, sir”, the man behind it greeted him with a warm smile. “How may I help you?”
 
“I want a room for the night and some food and beer”, Kaloch said firmly. “Also, my horse is staying at your stable.”
 
“Of course, sir”, the man replied and his smile didn't fade away in the slightest; he didn't let Kaloch's entitled attitude spoil his mood and had encountered similar customers before, for sure. “That would be fifteen silver pieces, please.”
 
Kaloch reached for the pouch that was hanging from his belt and dug into its contents. He gathered the amount of money the innkeeper had requested and slammed them against the counter before he left without saying a word. His cape was soaked and he still felt the coldness of the rain and wind, which made him seek the warmest place in the hall, a table that was located near the fireplace. It wasn't free, though, as there was an older man and a young man sitting there, drinking beer. They too had fled the chilliness of the rainy night. But Kaloch didn't care. He walked towards them and slammed his fist on the table.
 
“Move”, he commanded.
 
The two travelers were a little baffled by this, they hadn't expected this level of rudeness at all.
 
The young man was the first one to recover and he said: “Please, sir, let us sit here, my father is a little sick and needs warmth…”
 
“I don't care”, Kaloch said and he drew out a knife and struck its blade at the table. “Move before I start cutting fingers.”
 
The young man and his father exchanged desperate looks, but decided to bend to Kaloch's will and chose another table instead, wanting to avoid confrontation. Kaloch sat down and tapped the worn surface of the table with his fingers as he impatiently waited for his meal to arrive. The chubby innkeeper navigated his way through the hall to the table Kaloch had stolen from the other travelers and served him a pint of beer, roasted potatoes and a sliver of meat.
 
“Here you go, sir”, the innkeeper said.
 
Kaloch didn't show signs of gratitude. He said nothing, just began eating. The innkeeper just left it at that, no reason to get worked up because of one rude customer, he had seen plenty of them throughout the years.
 
Kaloch remained in his spot for a while, even after finishing his meal. He was sipping his beer leisurely; it wasn't the greatest kind he had tasted, but not the worst, either. While drinking, the fire behind him was drying his clothes and made him feel more comfortable. When the pint was empty, Kaloch still stayed by the fire as the warmth was just so incredibly pleasant after riding though the rain and wind. But he had been up by dawn and traveled the whole day, so at some point exhaustion was taking a toll on him. Kaloch stood up and headed to the stairs leading upstairs.
 
The innkeeper noticed him going to the rooms and said: “Your room is the first one on the third floor.”
 
Once again Kaloch didn't reply in any way. He climbed the little cramped stairs to the third floor and right in front of him was the room he had reserved for the night. He only needed to take a couple of steps to reach the door and he opened it and snuck inside. He noticed immediately that someone had left a lit candle in there, presumably for him to see around. Kaloch shut the door behind him and gave a judgmental glance around the little room. It was tiny, there was just one bed and a nightstand where the candle was standing. It also felt a little chilly. He huffed a bit, of course the quality of the place was low, he hadn't expected much. It wasn't worth the money, but this was the only inn in the town, so Kaloch had to settle.
 
The man took off his cape and belt, along with his money pouch and his knife and sword. He laid down on the bed and pulled the covers up, hoping it would keep him somewhat warm that night. At least it was better than being out in the cold. Kaloch snuffed out the candle by a quick blow and as the small flame died, the room was engulfed by darkness. He took a comfortable position and tried to drift to sleep. For a while he listened how the wind and rain together pounded against the window, it sounded almost soothing. It helped him to fall asleep and Kaloch slept surprisingly soundly that night.
 
A few rays of the sun infiltrated through the window and shone on Kaloch's face, eventually waking him up. He yawned a little and lifted his body from the bed, glancing outside from the window. The morning sun was rising in the cloudless sky. It appeared that the bad weather had subsided during the night. Pleased by this observation, Kaloch collected his things and put his cape back on, then headed out of the room. Other visitors of the inn were awake as well and it was a little tough to go down the cramped stairs while others were using it at the same time. But Kaloch managed to reach the ground floor and came to the great hall again where a few people were sitting, enjoying their first meal of the day. Kaloch wasn't interested in such activities, he just wanted to get back on the road. He bypassed the counter again where the innkeeper was standing, as cheerful as ever.
 
“I hope you enjoyed your stay”, the innkeeper said to him, although he was almost certain that Kaloch wouldn't acknowledge him.
 
Kaloch just muttered something incoherent while on his way out, opened the building's door and slipped outside. The morning air smelled fresh after last night's rain and there were puddles all around the ground as a reminder of the torrent. It was also muddy everywhere now, which Kaloch wasn't pleased about. He tried to avoid the worst muddy patches as he walked toward the stable. He spotted the same youngster from last night; it looked like he was just starting his work day.
 
“Hey, boy”, Kaloch said loudly, successfully catching the attention of the youngster. “Saddle my horse.”
 
“Of course, sir”, the boy responded politely and he immediately hurried to fulfill this task.
 
Kaloch waited outside the stable, his arms crossed and he tapped his foot impatiently. A little while later the youngster appeared with his horse and the boy offered the bridle to Kaloch.
 
“Here you go, sir”, the youngster said.
 
Kaloch climbed on the back of his horse and immediately urged it to go. Not a single thankful word left his mouth as he started riding away, soon leaving the inn behind. He let his horse trot as they moved through the town. The streets were getting crowded with people as opposed to last night since the horrible weather had kept the folks inside their homes. Eventually Kaloch and his horse managed to get to the border of the town and that was when Kaloch gave his horse a sign to quicken the pace and start galloping. He was happy to leave the small town behind.
 
His horse galloped through the bountiful fields of grain. More woodlands waited ahead and it didn't take long for Kaloch's horse to reach the tree line. Together they disappeared into the world of shadows, even though the sun tried its best to bring light even to the forest road. The man enjoyed the peace and quiet of the woods, no other people in sight. Riding through woodlands tended to be his favorite parts while traveling, there was just something about nature that touched his otherwise so bitter soul.
 
After riding a while, Kaloch noticed a blockage ahead. He couldn't tell at first what there was, but as he steered his horse closer, he was able to distinguish what was the problem. There was a rapid stream flowing through the forest, but a bridge made of stone was built so travelers could cross it safely. Right now, however, a carriage was sideways on the bridge, completely blocking it. It had a broken wheel so it would be a little difficult to move. That's probably why the owners of the carriage, two beggars whose bodies were veiled by raggedy cloaks, were just sitting there, which annoyed Kaloch.
 
Kaloch commanded his horse to slow down as they reached the bridge, the hooves clopping against the hard surface before Kaloch signed the stallion to stop.
 
“Out of my way”, Kaloch demanded harshly.
 
One of the two beggars came closer, acting humble and almost bowing to Kaloch. “Oh, we will, sir, we will! But first, would you spare us a silver piece so we can get our carriage repaired?” He glanced at his friend who was sitting hunched over in the broken carriage. “My friend is sick, so very sick, he has no strength to walk.”
 
“Filthy beggars like you don't deserve anything”, Kaloch said angrily since these two were wasting his time.
 
“Careful sir, even the tiniest acts of kindness can lead to huge changes”, the beggar responded. “Please, a silver piece or two is all we need. Would you find it in your heart to help out unfortunate people?”
 
“No. Get out of my way”, Kaloch ordered again.
 
It was the wrong answer. A green light flashed before his eyes and he had to shield them because it was too bright. When the mysterious light faded away, he saw a hideous thing in front of him. The two beggars were gone. Now there was a disgusting creature with two heads and a massive body that was just a blob of flesh, as if two different bodies had merged together. The ogre-like facial features, multiple eyes, horns on the heads and claws on three hands… It was a nightmarish being, Kaloch could only stare at it in horror.
 
“You have had many opportunities, Kaloch”, one of the monster's heads spoke with a dull voice. “You've had your chances at opening up your heart and showing compassion. Now I will do that for you.”
 
The creature raised one of its warty hands, holding it still for a brief moment before the being then clenched it into a fist.
 
Kaloch immediately felt horrible pain in his chest. He felt something squirming against his skin like something living wanted out. He didn't realize they were his own bones that thrusted out of his chest, piercing his flesh and skin. He screamed both from pain and shock as some mysterious force made his ribs grow out of their proportions. The contents of his chest were exposed, but especially his heart, which was beating rapidly. Blood was dripping from Kaloch's disfigured chest and he watched with wide eyes at this mutilated mess.
 
“W-what have you done?” Kaloch shouted in terror. “Turn it back! Turn it back!”
 
“When you have learned kindness, you can look for me”, the creature simply said, ignoring Kaloch's pleas completely.
 
With sluggish movements the monster hopped on the carriage and with a simple wave of its hand the broken wheel seemed to respond, fixing itself. The carriage began moving on its own and the creature drove away like a rumbling thunder, leaving behind the agonized and disturbed Kaloch. What had been done shouldn't be possible. This had to be some kind of nightmare. But Kaloch had no idea how to wake from it. And he was afraid that he would never learn how to.