Do you remember life as an adolescent? Do you remember dreaming? Do you remember how well you can remember so many of them, those dreams that would leave nostalgic feelings wash over you? These dreams would leave a taste in your mouth that would never abandon you, and these tastes were still so sweet to the tongue. I bet you can remember waking up one morning and not wanting to get out of bed because the dream from the night before was so compelling; so full of colour and life that it felt real. The feeling left you satisfied throughout the day, making you very optimistic and yearning to slide beneath those covers once more just to enter that trance again -- to enter into that world where fantasy becomes reality. To dream a dream of reality. To create something that none other could create. Do you remember?

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Sebastian wished only to sleep once more, his eyes so heavy it felt like someone was squeezing them shut with Klines pliers. He was sick. Very sick. And he lay in the hospital bed coughing and spitting phlegm of all sorts of colours and tastes. This was no good. He wanted to sleep and to escape. His master called him. And if you ask him who his master was he would simply smile and only reply with one word. "Odin."

This may seem inarticulate to you, but to Sebastian -- only he knew. Only he understood what it was like to dream life into existence. And his master, Odin, being of the German mythology was suppose to not be real. To Sebastian, he was as real as it could get. Asgard, Valhalla, the Valkyries; all of it real and waiting for him behind closed eyes, yet only if he could fall asleep.

It had been at least three or four days since his last visit. He craved to escape the horrible feeling of whatever the doctor's diagnosed him with. He just wanted to go back. Back. Back. Back. Everything in his body pushing into sleep. He HAD to go back, it was destiny. Sickness was not going to stop him; his weak and frail body.

What they don't tell you is that you are able to control your dreams. What they do tell you is that they are able to predict these dreams. Give me a damn break. Within this control you are able to tap deep within the mind. So deep there is a gateway between the dream world and reality. So great a time-span it's like crossing worlds; in fact crossing planets; crossing galaxies. You could cross galaxies from within your mind. You unconsciously do this, thank God. Who knows where you'd end up if you were doing this on your own and fully aware of the happenings.

Upon the other side of this gateway is another world. A world transverse a path of stars and worm-holes leading to beauty and magnificence. Yet as some sleep there is sometimes a locked door. You must have the key to enter, for without it, you are stuck. And to be stuck between worlds; that would not be really fun, now would it?

Finally Sebastian's eyes sealed shut; the heart monitor going haywire. And before his epic -- yes epic -- tale, I must explain that his sleep is more than just a sleep. With what we know this child is now induced within a coma. A possibility of never waking again. The outcome depends now on what transpires within the unnamed world. This is what he's always wanted, right?

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As you fall asleep, you embrace the other world. You hold it to your chest and let its richness flood over you. The world you now stand in, is yet to be named; is yet to be explored. You are given the choice from right and wrong; to venture off within the horizon or deep within jungles, or maybe to the bottom of the ocean. Mermaids maybe? So many choices and so many questions, of course, with answers. The answers in which you have to find out on your own. Befriend and conquer. The decisions lie in your hands.

He walked inside his home, living by himself. Just moving out away from his parents, still attending school. Going on his last year, his senior year. After that he was off to College, and ready to take his life on. Though what was life? Was it truly what he found here, or was their another? He always had too different lives, one more extravagant then the other. When you shut your eyes, are dreams not of reality? For he found that one thing to be so wrong, but maybe so right.

Prince Iris is what he found himself to be when he shut his eyes. A Prince of a Castle that touches the Heavens. Two sets of Parents, two different people. Sadly in this so called Made-up world, the King and Queen were long dead. He had always been a kind person, a loving person. Very caring, and trying to make the best of what is in front of him. And to this day he still does.

After his bag set against the ground, he found himself laying on his bed, drawing the blinds before he did so. His house was quiet, and he had all day and night to rest, and live his life a whole. Usually the realms coexisted, when it was dark in the real world, it was day in his dreams. And when it was day in the real word, it was night in his dreams. Somewhat confusing to most.Though it kept things in check, very well for that matter.

Finally his eyes began to shut, smiling before he opened them again. He was in a large marvelous room, expensive paintings hanging on the wall. Furniture made of Cedar, and sheets made of Egyptian Cotton. Even more his bed posts were crafted of pure gold bar. His room was the most thought out room anyone could ask for. Including the light teal painted walls. One of his favorite colors, though the items inside offset everything else, and it all flowed together in a wonderful tune.

Sitting up from his bed, stretching a bit, as he stared out the window. The Bright light shined itself inside as he opened the curtains. Glaring off the gold that pressed itself on his bed. It was a beautiful day, turning to the door, opening it. Outside were two guards, bowing a bit as he walked out. "Good morning." He said softly, turning as he headed down the long hall.

Devon had just got home from work and a date with a rather interesting girl, who, in the middle of dinner barfed all over the table. He had paid the check after watching her get carried off by an ambulance after she had passed out.
He washed himself up, changed and walked into his room. He fell asleep as soon as he hit the bed
Sage appaeared at the spot where he last woke up... which was inconveniently the side of a cliff. Sage wasn't looking and took a step forward.. and off the cliff. As he fell he thought sadly to himself "not again......" Sage quickly drew his sword and stabbed it into the side of the cliff. the sword stopped his fall right before he hit the ground. He pulled the sword from the canyon wall and wiped the sweat from his brow. Sage sighs and thinks aloud to himself "why does that keep happening?"

Deix sprinted home from school. There was rain pelting on him and thunder crackling loudly as if it were mocking him. He knocked on the door. No answer came, no welcome home, no one to hand him a towel. 5 years ago his parents and left leaving a HUGE amount of cash to live on, probably more than he needed. Deix took off his shoes and damp socks and sighed.

He entered the vacant house, the living room was just a plasma screen TV, a couch, and a lamp. Deix noticed the floor was wet and he swore under his breath. He had forgotten to close the window. He rushed over and slammed down the window screen. He hurried up the stairs to his room stripped off his wet clothes and put on a cotton, white T-shirt and gray sweatpants.

Deix hadn't slept for days, he wasn't sure why, but somehow when he slept he would imagine himself in a suit of black armor wielding a dark, taunting sword. At the moment his eyelids felt heavy. He felt as if something was luring him out of the waters of reality and into the world of dreams. Deix didn't want to fall asleep yet, but his muscles would not move and the spell was drowsiness was cast upon him. Deix was scared. Very, very scared. All he wanted was to scream out loud for the nightmare to end, but it did not, instead he found himself wearing black armor, with a sword in his left hand.

Deix found himself in an incredible forest that stretched far and wide. The lush green grass grew up to his waist and the trees were very, very tall. Each tree measured up to maybe 600 or 700 feet tall with a 50 feet diameter. But, one tree stood above the rest, the one he couldn't help glaring at. The tallest one of course. It stretched up to the clouds and that was all he could see, about 10 regular trees in the forest combined. He remembered that his mother called "The Fenrir". It had a wide, crystal-clear lake around it, on the floor of the lake you could see rippling roots and fish swimming. It was something to be awed by, but Deix didn't care, his anger polluted the tree's radiance and to him it looked like an old overgrown stump.

"Auuuuughhh!!!" Deix screamed clutching his sword. He tried to throw the blade with all his might, but his hand gripped it even more tightly. Once this was a haven, a place where he had parents, and a master to follow, but now it was himself, and the cold relentless world he was living in, but was it really a dream? Or maybe his other life was? Maybe this was reality and that was that. Deix pondered the thought, then shrugged it off his mind and gave a demented laugh, if this was it he'd might have some fun with it.

Anthony Garmond took the headphones from his ears and slammed them on the keyboard. He was tired. Very tired. He had been writing the code for his latest job for thirteen hours straight. His eyes burned, and a headache threatened to explode on him. It was time for a rest. A long rest.

In fact, he was really looking forward to losing himself in unconsciousness, because it was then that he felt really alive. Why? He couldn't explain it, himself. All he knew was that somehow, when he slept, his mind was transported into a strange world. A fascinating world, full of excitement and adventure. A world where he was no longer just Tony, Computer Geek. No, in that world he was Anthony Garmond, Warrior Mage, and a force to be reckoned with.

Tony flopped onto his bed, not even taking the time to set his alarm clock. Yet another reason why his chosen profession wasn't too bad. But life still seemed empty to him, devoid of excitement. All day and long into the night he listened to the sound of typing keys. But in the land of his unconscious, life was good.

He turned onto his side, and closed his eyes. Sleep came quickly, and a cool, deep darkness enveloped him...giving way to a vibrant eruption of color, which formed a landscape. And then, abruptly, the scene sharpened, gaining sudden focus, and there he stood, standing tall in wizard's robes, his sword on his hip and the oak staff in his hand both comfortable weights. He breathed in the familiar scent of Cerebralia, and, gazing around to get his bearings, set off at an easy pace.

Cerebralia was a lush, hilly forest, dotted with lakes and ponds, and sporting a varied elevation, as the ground sloped up and down with the hills. A mountain range ran along one side of the forest, the peaks high enough that the taller ones boasted snow caps. All in all, it was a beautiful place.

The sheen of the rain on the pavement was blinding to Allister as the ambulance's headlights appeared at the scene outside the car. He was practically unconscious. He had a severe concussion, and could hardly move at all. His vision blurred as he looked about. Sirens sounded as the ambulance got closer. Allister began to black out as he heard voices.

"No! Please honey, wake up!"

It sounded like a familiar voice, but it was so distant. Blood ran down his face as his vision crossed and he closed his eyes. It was too late for him now.

The drunk driver that hit their car had T-boned them in an intersection. Allister's parents were okay, but he was in a serious life-threatening condition because of where the driver hit. He was sitting in the back seat, and he had received the biggest blow due to where he was in the van.

He was rushed to the hospital and got there just in time thanks to the Paramedic's efforts, but the damage was done. Allister was in a coma....

It wasn't long before his slumber felt like a black void. He was falling, but to where? When he opened his eyes, the blackness that surounded him gave way to a stone room. He was locked inside, and somehow, he was sure about who he was and why he was here.

He stood up from the floor and inspected the door. It was locked. Allister pointed at the door and flicked his wrist, intending to open the door with the mystical forces of magic.

In a puff of smoke, the door was gone. In it's place, a glass container of raspberry jam. Allister blinked.

"Well...um.....At least the door is a jar."

Allister felt stupid, but at least the intention of the spell had suceeded. He poked his head out the doorway, checking for any guards that were coming.

The young woman stared at the back of her father's head as he silently jotted down notes on his score sheet, a new symphony no doubt, music running through his head like blood does through veins. Her amber eyes were dark today, dark circles beginning to become visible beneath them on her normally snow-coloured skin, a testimony to her hunger. It was eight in the morning, the time she was usually getting ready for school, however, there would be no classes today. The sun was shining brilliantly, casting golden rays along the damp ground, not a single cloud visible in the sky. They'd purposely chosen this town because of it's high levels of rain and fog, the sky overcast the majority of the year. However, there were those days sometimes when the sun got brave and made an appearance, and this was one of those days. Normally, Renée and her family would go hunting today. However, apparently, a group of human hunters would had been out in that area for a week now. They couldn't risk having humans anywhere nearby, so they had to wait. It was making everyone a little tense.

Her adoptive father, Richard, had just informed Renée that they would be staying home again today, and she was sluggishly trying to coem up with some alternative. It was times like this that she almost wished she wasn't a 'vegetarian'. Almost...not quite.

Anyways, there was nothing to be done. She stood and left the music room, Richard glancing up at her, his face unbelievably handsome and youthful like all of the members of her adoptive family. He flashed her a bright, perfect smile, then went back to the piano, graceful white fingers leaving notes in elegant script across his page. Renée smiled back feebly, and then walked out, down a long hallway which turned to the right, and had a flight of stairs directly in front. These stairs led to her room, and since she wasn't going out anywhere, she decided to sleep. It wasn't necessary. She didn't need to sleep anymore. However, with practice, she'd learned to lull herself into it voluntarily, and it was a good way to pass the time when she needed to.

She walked up the flight of steps and opened the door at the end, heading into a large bedroom. The walls were painted in alternating colours of black and white, the carpet itself being black (white was far too difficult to keep clean). She had a huge window against which her bed, which was actually a long futon, was rested; at the moment, she had the curtains pulled tight, so that the only way the sun could get in was through the little cracks at the sides. There was an electric guitar resting next to an acoustic against one wall, both in their stands, a sleek laptop on a desk, sharing the surface with a jumble of several CDs, random pieces of paper with sketches on them, and a few books. A large shelf ran across the opposite wall, with several instrument cases, including a flute and a picollo, resting on it, along with several books and lots of CDs. A keyboard was placed against the wall beneath it, with a black cushioned stool as the seat. A full-length mirror was hung on the back of her door.

Shutting the door, the girl faced the mirror, dark amber eyes scrutinizing. Her hair was a slight mess, but as usual, it looked good, falling in straight, crimson-red layers down to her slender shoulders, bare because of the tank-top she was wearing, grey with a red rose across the front. It fit her well, accenting the fact that her body was small, slender, lovely if not somewhat short. Something she'd never worked for. It came with the diet and lifestyle, she guessed. It didn't give much room for weight gain. Her face, like the face of all of her kind, was incredibly lovely, and she knew that; to be honest, it bothered her a little bit. She didn't look much like how she used to. Well.. she supposed she could see it. It was like.. a much, much prettier version of her original self. However, no matter how pictureque her appearance was, it was always thrown off. Today, her eyes were dark, and tired dark circles were beginning to appear beneath them. A sign of her hunger. And her skin, though she spent plenty of time outdoors, was white, though not a sickly kind of white. It looked more like the colour of snow.

All in all, she stood out. She didn't fit in well with the humans at school, and she knew why it was. Frowning and sticking her tongue out at her reflection, the girl turned and headed to her futon, flopping down and resting her head on the pillow, not bothering to open it up into a bed this time. She grabbed her covers and pulled them over herself, wiggling down inside to warm up, then closed her eyes and sighed. She let her mind, her body relax, and within moments she was asleep.



******

As her eyes opened, she was no longer in her room, lying asleep in the upper floor of the mansion. No, now, dark eyes stared out at rain, just a misty drizzle, barely even registering as what it was. But it was enough. The sky above was overcast, the only sunlight being filtered through a film of clouds before it touched the earth, unable to work it's magic on the girl like this. She sighed and stretched bare arms up above her head, glancing down at herself. Her clothes were different? She wore the same shirt, but her pajama pants were gone, leaving her favourite pair of torn-up old jeans and her runners. What was fine. Pajamas weren't very good for running around in anyways.

Sticking her tongue out slightly, Renée took the opportunity to take in her surroundings. She was in some sort of forest, surrounded by trees on all sides, small pools of water littering the ground here and there where she could see. The dim light what filtering through a high canopy of leaves, reflecting off of the lush ferny undergrowth, and the thick moss on the trees, giving the general area a greenish hue. It was lovely, truly, a place she wished she could find outside. After a moment, she realized she was sitting down, and she stood idly and began to walk. Normally, she was able to move much quicker, but she held a human pace today, simply because she didn't have anywhere in particular she needed to be. She was still hungry, still thirsty, of course, but the only thing she could smell was the dampness and the forest, so it was alright. She was safer here.

Gray eyes; eyes full of sorrow yet hope, opened into an enthrallment once again. Faith, this little Valkyrie, her white hair fixated in the wind, could but only smile at the sight of Valhalla, her home; her love. Her body gently swayed with the wind, no more fighting against disease. And of course, Lord Odin would be quite delighted with the return of one of his favorite children.

As she passed through the arch, Valhalla's interior walls were golden, towering monstrosities that cast shadows over innocents. They illustrated hieroglyphic patterns of her Lord, wars and battles; demons and humans -- from beginning to end these were a sight to see. Others would walk the confinements of this room for inspiration and uplifting -- vigor always being needed.

Faith entered the garden. A secret Eden Odin had placed outside the walls on a terrace, which overlooked a world she could hardly remember. Thrae, the world itself. It's landscapes jutting out with beauty and elegance. Her forests and mountains contemplating the lakes, rivers, and seas. The Valley of Dedecus.

Faith vehemently knocked a pot to the ground, its innards scattered across the marble tile. The vessel lay perverted and shattered, creating a visage of something; anything -- of death. Death. She could remember it all. All of it taking place within the Valley of Dedecus, which was inhabited by the demon Chimera. The beast took her life. Revenge is what she sought. To destroy the foul creature was her intent, yet she hadn't been to Thrae in a number of years. A distinct number she could not remember.

Faith swept the pot and its contents off the terrace, straight into the abyss of space and time. She left the garden and headed for Odin's throne room. And she was charmed to be in the presence of her lord once again. Oh, how she had missed speaking with him. His words were so sweet to the ear.

Entering into the throne room, she was greeted by both ravens that perched Odin's shoulders, Hugin and Munin -- thought and memory -- and the twin wolves that sat at his feet, Geri and Freki. And since her adoption to Valkyrie she was adorned by all four creatures. She loved them dearly, holding a place for all four of them close to her heart.

Odin sat in his throne, his head rested on a clenched fist. He was smiling at her; at Faith. How long it had been since her presence he did not know. His face was firm with a long, white beard, thick and full that rested on his naked chest. Odin wrapped his robe around his feet and picked his head off his fist to turn more in Faith's direction. He eyed her with discretion.

"My Valkyrie," he speaks, the words booming in the great halls. "Dear child. It has been hours upon days since thy presence."

Faith held attention to Odin. She did not reply out of shame.

"My child, fret thou not for thy presence is quite fulfilling. How I missed you so." Odin took a drink of wine, which sat at his side.

"I have also missed you, my lord."

"Splendid," he says, throwing a piece of meat to the wolves. He says, "Now, a legation I shall give unto you. Felix, enter."

Faith turned her head to the opening door. The creak echoed deep into the mouth of the other rooms.

As Allister looked down the hallway to his left, he noted that there were no guards coming. Feeling safe and wanting to take this opportunity, Allister snuck out of the room, taking the jam with him. After all, maybe the guards wouldn't notice the lack of a door and being minus one prisoner.

Unfortunately for Allister, he failed to check the hallway to his left side.

As he snuck out of the room, it wasn't more than a few seconds before he heard the words, "KILL THE MAGE!"

Allister's head swiveled to see the guard. He was a large brutish fellow, carrying a large battle axe at his side. It only took a few seconds before the axe went from the guard's side to his hands. He charged Allister.

Letting out a a small shriek, Allister waved his hands clumsily in a panic, releasing a large fireball, striking the guard in the chest. He was sent flying down the hallway.

The guard screamed, and several more came down the hallway a few seconds later. They all seemed to have strange ceremonial tattoos and a battle axe as terrifying as the first guards. Allister only had one hope of escaping this. He prayed that this spell didn't malfunction again.

He thought of a different place. Anywhere would do. He thought of a large city, and disappeared from the corridor.

Upon opening his eyes, Allister found himself thousands of feet in the air, plummeting towards the ground at terminal velocity.

"Damn it..."

For some reason, Allister's teleportation spell always backfired. Usually, it sent him falling into a body of water. This time, however, the spell was less reliable than that. Beneath him was only solid ground. It looked like a desert. Allister again was blessed by the luck that could only have been bestowed by the gods themselves.

It was unfortunate for Allister, however, that the luck wasn't good.

Walking silently into a large room in the Main-Hall. It was empty, besides the Guards at the exits, and two next to the throne. Normal enough entirely. Walking up, gliding up a few steps that led to the throne. He turned around and sat down. Something he did every day in the start of the morning, taking on commoners who had dealings with him, or requests. Turning to one of his guards, making a small whisper in his ear. Smiling back as he turned.

A few minutes, he got what he wanted. His one true friend Nial. A small white wolf pup. Nuzzling it a bit as he set him in his lap and pet him. Always a good pup, one of his best friends. As well as his only friend, everyone else just wished to use him; and love is something he never had time for. Yawning as he awaited anything to come speak to him. Always being so nice, everyone was intimidated by him. Growling a bit to himself as Nial nibbled at his hand.

One of the guards returned once more with a large glass of Red Wine, some of the finest in the world. Taking a large sip, it was so delicious. Guzzling it down as he set it on a table next to him. Staring out as he grew very bored as the tides shifted. Standing up as he walked to an open window. Nial jumping down to his side, unable to see because how low he was.

Smiling as he lifted him to the Window Seal, setting him there as he stared at the sun coming up. The beautiful birds floating in the sky, free of harm. The trees glistening below, and the water offshore gently pushed itself up. It was a beautiful day, he would have to take advantage of it later.

Deix took one last look at the tree, a part of him wanted redemption, but somehow he guessed it wasn't the right time. Deix realized he had been holding another item in his right hand. He sheathed his blade and turned his attention to what he was holding. A black skull with devilish horns erecting from the temples. Instead of human teeth there was a row of jagged fangs. Maybe it was what symbolized him somehow. He didn't care all he could think about was the pouring rain, he equipped the helmet and carried on.

For some unusual reason the woods seemed new to him, yet he could tell where he was going like it were the back of his hand. As he stomped through the forest he saw silhouettes of wolves running by. He was sure they were no match, but why would he want to waste energy getting into a fight with animals. Suddenly he saw a shape of something, no someone or was it? Were his eyes playing tricks on him?

Deix crouched down low hiding under the tall grass. He slowly advanced onwards and couldn't believe his eyes. Another human? And a girl too! She had dark crimson red hair, and very pale skin. He pondered through his mind and finally came up with the word. She wasn't a human girl, she was a Vampire. Deix had no business with a Vampire, or even any human in fact. But, then why did he come over? Curiosity probably. Deix tried to creep away slowly, but he felt the wet nose and the bare fangs of an animal brushing on him. He turned around and swung his fist at the world and it ran away whining.

Renée froze where she stood, her body going tense as she heard a high-pitched whining somewhere nearby, and spun around to see a wolf retreating off into the forest. She blinked, and a bright grin flashed across her features as she realized that there were large animals about. She was starving. She hadn't been hunting in almost two and a half weeks now, and she was going insane. Wolf.. she'd had it before. It wasn't her favourite (she much preferred mountain lion), but she supposed beggars couldn't be choosers.

The young woman took a few eager steps, getting ready to run, but then a sudden breeze brushed her cheek, tussling her hair slightly, and bringing a new scent to her as she inhaled. This one, however, was much more enticing, much more intoxicating, and much more unwelcome. There was a human nearby, a young man. He had to be close, because she could smell his blood, and in her current state the scent was so wonderful it was driving her near the point of delerium.

She took a few steps back, immediately ceasing her breathing, and covering her nose and mouth with a hand for good measure. She couldn't smell it anymore, but the scent was lingering, and now that she knew it didn't make enough of a difference. She hadn't broken, not once since that awful day, that poor little kid... she wasn't about to break now, either. But... how could she resist?

She took a couple more steps in the direction of the smell, then stopped and shook her head violently, turning around the other way and forcibly making herself move away from it. She couldn't let herself get drawn in, she'd regret it forever. She opened her eyes and cast around hurriedly, praying that another animal would go by soon, or that the human would run away.

No one was coming, he longed figured that after about an hour swept him off his feet. Picking up Nial, kissing the top of his head before he headed out the door. Two Guards followed close behind him before he stopped. "I won't need you today, stay here." Scowling as he kept walking, the Guards opened their mouths. "But sir, we have orders. You must be protected at all times. What if.." Being cut off. "I say if someone wanted to kill me. As bad as your security is, I would of been dead already. Remember the incident last year?" He mused. During a ball, they couldn't even stop some nerd just wanting to drop in. Remembering as he ran around snorting the whole time. A kid with glasses and pimples all over his face. Shivering at the thought of his face. One ugly little bugger.

Smiling he kept walking, the Guards sighed and went back to their posts. They had to listen to him, even though at first they did have orders. He could admit that. Walking outside the Palace to the large gates protecting him, several beautiful woman found themselves outside. Staring as the Gates opened, guards keeping them back as he kept walking, waving and sending them kisses. One of them fainted. Shaking his head; girls were so weird. As they say, guys are from Mars, and girls from Venus. Well something like that.

Musing over the thought as he walked. He was heading out of the Kingdom to the large Bridge. Looking back to the Castle. It surely was huge, said to pierce the Heavens with its towers. Smiling at its beauty as he kept walking. He was heading to an open field, a valley of such. So beautiful and lush with its shiny green grass and groves. Walking taller as he pet Nial. Things seem peaceful out here, no one to bother him.

Finally he stopped, the Valley was right over a hill. Stepping over, he gazed over at it. Beautiful trees standing up tall, and creatures stirring about. Off the skirts of it a Forest, though usually nothing emerged from it but a few birds, and maybe a few mammals. Otherwise it was a very safe place to be.

He had planned this all day, just him, Nial, and the wind. Moving more, he stopped at the large Willow in the center of the Field. sitting under it for shade. Stretching back, Nial found himself resting between his legs. Putting his hands behind his head he layed against the tree and fell asleep.

Flashes of her ran thru my head like screens on a TV move around me. Watching men and women, no heroes battling. A woman always there. Blue armor, black armor... always white wings. A fierce complexion on her face. Fighting demons, mans, gods... collecting souls. Swords, spears, shields, armors, plants, animals, humans, villages, castles, houses, farms... monsters... Her voice, I cannot understand. Their bodies, the heroes, too far away but always in my reach. Why can't I?

Slashing, ... flashes..., stabbing, ... it just keeps flashing..., cutting, Why...?, crushing, Why must I..., dodging, Why must she...? ... I stand there, myself ... he is a stranger to me. Different clothing... battle worn... determined. ...

"WHY MUST WE SUFFER?!" I scream to the top of my lungs. I fall to my knees. The pictures dart in every direction and fade from sight. I am alone... darkness all around. I cry and hit the ground with my fist. A figure comes into sight and walks to me.

A girl... a girl stands before me shining in white iron clad armor, like a dress of the gods. Silver hair dances to the breeze of this void. Jeweled sword at her hilt. Eyes... her eyes that pierce my soul, staring right thru me. I was awe-struck, I couldn't do anything, there was nothing to do. I just meet her gaze. Her mouth opens, words flow like lyrics out of her mouth, "Come... my Einherjar."

A battle maiden...

*****

Beep beep beep beep beep beep, FWOMP! Felix smacks the top of the alarm clock in disgust. A red light flashes constantly, blinking every half a second at him. The clock is trying to tell him, eighteen twenty three, like it was the most important thing in the world. He pushes it off the night stand with annoyance. He waits there for a second before yawning sleepily and stretching. I'm going to be late...

I grab my necklace. The room is dark with the curtains pulled down, outside the pattering of rain touches my window. A ceiling fan spins carelessly to the room... a messy room with clothing, books, and school supplies scattered about. A laptop sits in idle on my deck, emitting a dull glow to the room. I stare blankly at the necklace I wear, a chain attached to a pure black agate. I roll the stone in my palm.

Why do I have these dreams? They won't stop... is it... this place? I look around my apartment, a place I rented to attend college at the local university. The place was dry and plain, just white bare walls. Who was she? That woman... that white armored girl? She... she was new...

Felix shake off my waking grogginess. He gets out of bed and grabs blue jean pants off the floor. Long and loose, the way he liked his clothing. He wore them this morning, they still had school supplies in the pockets. Including his wallet and knife. The school was stationed in a city, he was cautious. Though others would call him paranoid. Brown belt, white under shirt, black and green striped collared shirt, buttoned it up. Necklace under the shirts, keep it touching his skin. White socks, black army boots he picked up at a military ware house down the street. Where he got his knife. He pads himself down, making sure he has everything. Pops a piece of cinnamon gum into his mouth and picks up his notebook for the class. On the cover branded the name Physiology 101... today's topic was "The Power of the Brain and the Mysteries it Held!" "..." He had an odd professor. The only class going this late in the day. A golly man who walked awkward to his hefty weight.

He opened the door to his room. Plucking a hair off his head, he licked it and placed it across the door. The kitchen was open and attached to the living room. Littered around the room was dishes and silverware... some with remnants of food. The only furniture stood a couch and a table that held the TV. He grabbed a brush that was laying on the couch and combed his hair, wrapping and banding it into a ponytail on the back of his head. His hair waved down to his back, curling at the tips. He plucks a hair off the brush and drops it on the couch. He peers out the door peak hole. No one there. He takes off the five bolted locks and opens the door. From a plain white apartment to a more plain white hallway. Stairs leading down and up from his position. He was on the top floor. He closed the door and locks it, placing the hair across the door. He jogs down the flights of stairs, only six floors to the complex. Not a bad place, just nothing special. He reaches the complexes door and opens it to a happy sight.

The gray rainy sky paved above the cities buildings. A slight breeze roamed the streets giving a wet asphalt smell. Drizzle was slowly descending the sky just barely lit sky, just before dark during a rainstorm. He loved these kind of days. He stood there briefly, standing there observing the sky. "Einherjar, huh?"


*****

Felix was jogging down the wet sidewalks, school was an hour walk and he was already late. He tried sleeping to get a bit of rest... I should of knew better. I don't sleep soundly anymore. Not after those dreams started.

He attempted to analyze those dreams he got. All that information hitting him and such an instant. Didn't even feel like a dream, more like visions. The more he thought, the more he became confused. It was all foreign to him. He knew what magics and sword fighting were... but this was too real. It was like trying to explain how a plane flies to a dog or cat.

He was jogging for some time now, making good time. CRUNCH! A loud noise breaks his concentration to the left. Time slows. A semi truck plowed into the side of a white mini-van. A man driving, woman in the passenger seat, kid in the back... on the left side. He is rag dolled about the van. The semi smashes by and heads behind Felix... but the van. It is spinning from the impact. I can see the kids eyes... scared, bleeding, and staring. The van coming right for me. Why have I been given this moment? This slow motion that someone has granted me. A sick joke. I close my eyes and feel the impact of the van.

Sirens... and I think I can hear crying. I envy this... there is no one to cry for me.

*****

A woman stands before a man. Blue armor... one of those battle maidens... those 'Valkyries'. The man stands hovering above her, laughing and leering. The woman pulls her sword and points it at him, wings flap from her back and she yells... "Come to me my Einherjar. Battle awaits us!"

Three spirits drop from her wings... a flash of light and there stands three warriors. One of them glances back at me. It has my face.

Felix awakes startled. His breathing heavy. He cannot move his body... only his neck. A hospital room is now where he was located. His body was torn and ached in pain. He felt like he was on death's bed. Only him and another bed stood in the room. A kid, also gasping there. The kid's body and soul looked pretty much spent, just like Felix's. He kept mumbling words... hard to understand.

"... my master... he... he calls..." Words being forced out with his breathe.

Mustering my last strength, I ask him... "Who... is your... master?"

He simply smiled and only reply with one word. "Odin."

And with that, Felix and the kid was lost from existence. A twisted hand of fate for them to leave the world at the same time. How... funny...

*****

A silvered hair woman. White armor. Her back pointed towards me. A sword by her side. Again with her, huh? Felix wakes to a scream.

Felix finds himself in a odd room. It is a shack like house held together with logs and thatching. The room it littered and messy with medieval looking items. He lays in a straw bed. Kinda like my room... just medieval. Ironic. Where's the hospital... His thoughts broken to commotion and screaming outside. He quickly gather some clothing and a dagger by the bed. With the dagger out and ready, he heads outside.

The night is dark and shines with red. Some of buildings are in flames, other medieval like buildings. He sees people running for their lives and other... things chasing after them. It is a slaughter. The creatures are faster and stronger. People are being thrown around and mauled. Death was all around Felix.

"What is this? A stupid human...? He does not run."

Oh crap! Felix turns to see a man standing there... no floating! He is floating! Felix is scared out of his mind. What matter of being is this?!

"Oh... even seeing me you still don't run? I am... still hungry." The man muses happily, showing fangs and claws. His face pale white with blood dripping from his mouth. He charged Felix and Felix reacting stabbed at him. Easily dodged and Felix is ripped open by claws. The force sends him flying back with a blood trailing as he descended. He tumbles motionlessly across the ground. Pain shoots thru his body. The man... no vampire, cackles. This... can't be possible... I can't die... again... Felix is unsure if he was just dreaming or if he died before... but the feeling still was there. Death knocking at his door.

Flashes of memories... blue armor... white armor... black. Why? The sounds of screaming. Why?? A truck hitting a car. Why?! A kid being torn up in the van. Why?!? Two kids fading out in a hospital bed. Why?!?!

The vampire still laughing comes before Felix, quite pleased with itself. Felix stands. The vampire stops laughing and smirks. "Oh you can still stand? Don't worry not..." Felix doesn't let him finish. "WHY?!?!?!!?" Sprinting at him with amazing speed. It is unable to react. Felix's radiates energy and slams into the vampires gut. A flash, a loud bang, and a burst of energy and heat. The vampire is impaled by pure energy. Blood rips and splatters.

Felix is unable to control himself. He is lost in chaos and anger. He screams as he smashes thru vampires. "WHY MUST YOU KILL?! WHY MUST THEY DIE?! WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY?!?!" He slams energy into vampires, killing them with his blows. A flash of the Valkyrie. "WHY MUST WE SUFFER?!" Felix's hand slams into a much bigger, powerful hand. A vampire, no... a beast of some sort. The energy from the hit causes the defender to slide back a bit. He looks at his hand and is quite surprised, it is slightly torn.

A low voice bellows out, "My my... you actually hurt me human..." His moves are much faster. A rush of dark energy bursts from him and Felix is shredded and launched. It was very similar to his attack... just no light came from it. Just pitch black.

Felix is caught by someone, a blond haired woman wearing green clothing. She says, "To actually hurt Brahms, a god of demons..." and the words fade from Fenix's ears. He cannot hear, feel, or see anything. Expect one thing, a silvered hair woman. Who is she? Am I gonna die... again?

*****

A flash of light blinds Fenix's eyes. He opens them slightly to adjust to the light. A woman is floating there, the one from before, the one who caught him. Felix finds himself in a beautiful castle with very nice garbs on, he is awe. She says "Lord Odin wants to speak with you." "What?" I question back. Lord Odin? Wait that boy... master Odin? Silence is broken by a voice yelling for Fenix's name. She simply pushes him out into a huge chamber where a man on a thrown sits and a girl with silver hair and white armor stands.

A battle maiden, Valkyrie.

After about 20 seconds of screaming, Allister got bored. He was so high up that he still had a good two minutes in the air. He looked about his person for anything that'd help him.

Odds were, if he used his magic to save himself, it would only ruin the situatuion that he was in now, somehow and in some way making this a horrifically worse scenario. He thought about things for a few seconds, and had a potentially brilliant idea.

Allister grabbed the edges of his cloak, and used it as a parachute, hoping that it would slow him down.

For a fraction of a second, it worked. Then, the cloak flew off as Allister seemed to fall out of it.

"NO!!!"

Allister he looked up as the cloak wafted in the air. He was still falling at an amazing speed, but his cloak was drifting away above him. Allister reached out to the cloak. He was seriously considering crying. That was propbably the most precious thing in the world to him. Now it was flying away while Allister plummeted to the earth. He dared not use any magic on his cloak. With his luck, it'd end up in a different dimension or deep at the bottom of the ocean, somehow lit ablaze by his chaotic magic. It was an indestructable cape, but Allister was sure that he would do something to utterly ruin it.

Allister turned his back to the ground, watching his cloak higher up in the sky. He couldn't believe that this was it. His whole life boiled down to being a splatter on a sand dune, and that his most prized possession would probably end up half a world away in the hands of somebody that he hated or didn't even know.

Allister did the only thing he possibly could.

He prayed.

He prated for somebody to save him. He prayed for somebody to save his cloak.

He simply closed his eyes and pressed his hands together. Hope would have to be better than magic in this case.

Anthony arrived in a small clearing, where a simple hut sat exactly in the center. This was one of his many residences that he had occupied over the time that he had "lived" in the realm. With a contented sigh, he walked up to the front door and entered. The door was unlocked, but there were several rather powerful enchantments on the place, to deter anybody except himself and the people he allowed, from entering. So it was safe enough while he wasn't around.

And even if someone did manage to get past the magical protections, there was nothing of particularly great value stored there, anyway.

The hut's interior was simply furnished, with a wooden table, a couple chairs, and a fireplace. Shelves lined the walls, boasting a widely varying assortment of vials, flasks, and bottles. The containers were of all shapes and sizes, and filled with liquids and gas of all sorts of colors. Some of them were quite dangerous, but all were useful for one thing or another. He'd spent months concocting them, and was quite proud of his work. He had a potion for nearly everything.

He took several containers off of the shelves and placed them in the many pockets in his robe. Once he was satisfied that he was prepared for anything the day could throw at him, he turned, and let himself out via the back door, grabbing a strange contraption of leather and metal from beside the door as he went. Behind the hut was small garden, where he cultivated the more rare ingredients for his potions. It was a lot easier to gather Wolderoot from his backyard, rather than travel all the way to the Karkorva forest to get it.

There was a large elm tree next to the garden, and tethered to it was his most faithful friend in this world, Devensela, a (mostly) tame Colger Bird. A ratite, this species of fowl were flightless, instead relying on their running speed for survival. The fact that they were as big as horses didn't hurt, either.

Colgers were tall, sturdy birds, a bit like ostriches, but with a shorter, thicker neck. Their legs are tough and powerful, allowing the them to run at speeds up to and exceeding 60 mph, which often made them preferable to horses when speed was needed.

They have small wings, short, thick bodies, and wide, short tail feathers. They possess a thick, stubby beak, useful for crushing the plants and hard fruits that make up their diet. A swept-back crest rises from the top of their head. They come in a variety of colors, and this particular specimen was blue, with purple streaks scattered throughout the plumage.

The biggest problem with colgers was taming them, which was notoriously difficult to do. Anthony had been lucky, having found Devensela as a chick, the parents nowhere to be found. He had raised her, and received her trust in return. She was extremely helpful for travel, though she could be temperamental at times.

Anthony heaved himself into the colger saddle, for that was what the thing was, and cinched up the many belts and straps. Devensela gurgled at the sight of him, and nudged him with her beak. He patted her neck with a smile. Then after untying the tether from the trunk of the tree, he climbed up into the saddle. With a click of his tongue, the colger took off, trotting at a brisk pace through the forest.


His cloak flapping, hair flying, and mouth set in a gleeful grin, Anthony sped across the sand of Heliandum Inculta, The Amber Desert. This was what Colger Birds were for: exhilarating speed. He gave a wild woop of delight, and urged the animal on. They crested a tall dune, and the ratite's muscular legs bunched under her, before sending them catapulting into the air. Anthony yelled delightedly. Who needs to fly when you can soar?

Then with a suddenness that nearly threw Anthony to the scorching sand, Devensela halted. "What in the name of the gods did you do that fo-" he stopped, in mid complaint. The bird was looking up at the sky, and Anthony had just seen what she was looking at. A smudge in the sky. Then as it seemed to grow in size, he noticed it had limbs. His eyes widened. A person was up there, and from the looks of it, was rapidly coming down here. He dismounted, and rolled up his sleeves.

Time to put his abilities to work.

He was a bit rusty, having not stopped a falling body in midair in a long while. He hoped that he could prevent an unfortunate mess being made on the sand. After all, the sand looked so clean, and then the corpse would start to smell...

The smudge had changed into a person, and from the looks of it, the person was...praying. A small smile played at the corners of Anthony's mouth, despite the gravity of the situation. Ha ha. Gravity. Sometimes he cracked himself up.

He raised his bare arms, and exerted his will. Telekinesis really was a useful ability. But it was difficult, and he could feel his strength slowly seeping away. He gritted his teeth, and tried harder, staring at the falling figure with renewed intensity. Slowly, steadily, the man, for that was what he was, decelerated. After a few more moments, he had slowed to a softly descending float. A satisfied smile appeared on Anthony's face, which suddenly turned to a look of horror. He had relaxed his hold, and the man was still a good twenty feet up.

He dropped like a stone, and plopped into the sand. Anthony winced. Then he felt a nudge from behind. He turned, to see Devensela standing there, holding a cloak proudly in her beak. Anthony took it, and turned back to the man.

"Ah, sorry. For dropping you, I mean. I lost concentration. But you gotta admit, twenty feet is a lot better than a thousand, eh?" he chuckled and held out the cloak, "Hey, my Colger found this nearby, is it yours?"

Allister opened his eyes as he landed gently in the sand. He looked around and blinked. He was alive.

He looked at the man holding his cloak and ignored everything he said. All he cared about was that his cloak was okay. He jumped up out of the sand and snatched it, holding it close to his body like a child with a security blanket.

"Uh...thank you." Allister said as he put on his cloak. "I guess that you're the guy that saved me from being a splat in the desert. I'm trying to get somewhere specific. You wouldn't happen to know which way the woods are do you..um...Mr..."

Allister struggled for a name, and remembered he didn't introduce himself.

"Let's start over again. I'm Allister, and you are?" He held out a hand, expecting to give and recieve something of a handshake.

The girl stood stock still for several long, excruciatingly difficult moments, not daring to breathe for fear that she may once again catch hold of that intoxicating smell, knowing that the human hadn't yet left. Did he not know what she was? Perhaps he wasn't afraid. Idiocy... was the only thing she could think to that, a scowl marring her features as she bit her tongue in an attempt to distract herself from the situation. How long she was stuck standing there, not daring to go back, but somehow unable to muster up the willpower to simply leave, she was unsure. But it felt like hours, though it was probably only minutes.

Just then, she heard the sound of her salvation: the bounding of hooves, a light, agile step. A group of deer was nearby. At this realization, she couldn't help but laugh outright, an elated sound that echoed through the silent forest. She hated the taste of deer. But regardless of taste, it was better than going after a human, and once she'd fed resistance would be so much easier.

She turned, dark eyes shining with anticipation as she rushed off in the direction of the deer, no longer taking a human speed but instead flashing through with all the speed she could muster, easily as quick as a human car, but not even losing her breath. Before she could reach the animals, she noticed the trees beginning to thin out, a path being formed. A human town would be nearby. No matter. She couldn't hear any humans walking around in the forest at the moment, she was sure. However, she could no longer hear the deer, either. They must have stopped to feed. With a little frown, she stopped running, and inhaled to try and catch the animals' scent. That was a big mistake.

She caught the smell of the deer, earthy and somewhat watery, but horribly overpowering came also the intoxicating scent of shed blood. Human blood. A lot of it. She gasped and clapped both hands over her mouth and nose immediately, but it was already too late. There was just too much, the smell was too strong. Without thinking, she turned and rushed as quickly as she could in a different direction, towards the smell of blood, growing stronger every moment and only serving to make her hunger more pronounced.

She was already close when she'd caught the scent, so within minutes Renée found herself on the outskirts of a human town. She inhaled deeply, the dizzying aroma making her elated, and began to make her way into the village; however, she stopped short, the sight she found making her forget even her hunger for a moment.

There was blood indeed, however, it didn't seem to be in the bodies of the humans anymore. In fact, it was on the ground, spilled in dark pools, spattered along the walls of the buildings. She passed a corpse and frowned as she examined it; the neck was torn open. Vampires had been here. She gazed around, amber eyes catching sight of what was probably the rest of the town's population, strewn across the ground in heaps. They'd never stood a chance. There'd probably been a group.

If there had been, they were long gone now. Probably had their fill and moved on... she thought, feeling resentment and disgust rising up in her chest. She was thankful she'd shown up late. If she'd walked in as the feasting was going on... she wasn't sure she'd have been able to control herself. It was then as she let her thoughts wander that she caught something unusual. It was a corpse, like the others, but instead of a torn spot of contact, there was a gaping hole where the chest should have been. Furthermore, even in death, this body was shatteringly beautiful, the skin white as snow. Another vampire.

If she'd had a heartbeat, it would have stopped right then. She'd seen the results of vampire attacks. It was tragic, but nothing new. This... this was new. She never found vampire corpses mingled with the human ones. Regular humans simply couldn't fight large groups like this... what had happened here?

Immediately, Renée stood up and sniffed at the air. She couldn't smell anything unusual. Blood, bodies, the smell of ashes. She couldn't tell if anything alive, or not quite, was left around here. Either way... there was something killing vampires. She felt an edge of anxiousness beginning to tug at her mind, and she glanced back at the forest. Not wanting to risk running into the human again now that she'd been exposed to so much blood, she began making her way through the town, trying to find an alternate exit.

He woke up a little later, finding himself yawning. Startling up, Nial was gone. He was gone! Looking around, nowhere to be found. Nial was his only friend, where could he of run off too? Why would he run off? Was their something here that wasn't seen? That had to be it. Wolves had great senses for danger, but where was this danger? Picking up his bow, slinging it over his back he started off walking, looking around for tracks or anything.

Finally he stopped to find something, a dog print, and a little off something from a Human? Asking himself something over and over he started running, having to be careful. There was a small town not too far from here. Most likely he believed that is where Nial ran off to. The place would be interesting to him, so much life and new smells and sounds. He almost smiled as he thought about it, maybe he was just curious.

Walking swiftly, he ran into a tree, and actually ran into. Mending there he jumped trees, forcing himself to be unseen. Jumping back and forth until he stopped, coming onto something in his nose. A faint smell of blood. His smell wasn't as good as a Vampires might of been when it came to blood, but this was unusually strong. Gasping as he kept moving. "Nial..." He sighed. What trouble did he get into this time?

Stopping at the edge of the town. Their was blood shed everywhere. Not seeing anyone in particular. They all seemed dead. Emphasis on that word greatly as he thought of it. Jumping down onto the ground, becoming visible, he walked around the corpses. Humans it seemed, having to get a better look he moved closer to one of them, it was very pale, and its nails longer than what a Human would have. Having to be sure he opened its mouth.

It was a Vampire for sure. Careful not to mess with it, not sure if it was dead or alive he stepped back, afraid. What were all these doing here? It seemed most of these were Vampires, and a handful of deceased Humans. Thraeins no doubt, all of them. How could someone, Vampires more said kill his own people?

Shaking his head as he found his back to a building nearby. Something, or someone was the slayer of this place. But who in the hell could of done it? It couldn't be Human, could it? Thinking it over closely as he stood there. Finally he crouched down, almost forgetting Nial before he heard a quiet growl. Walking over he was shocked what he found. The small dog was bleeding from its stomach, on the ground whimpering. Breaking in tears as he ran and lifted him up, getting blood on his clothes.

"Nial!" He roared, hugging the poor dying beast. "I'm sorry, why did you run away?" He said, practically talking to himself in tears. "You shouldn't of done that! I love you so much, you're my friend and now you're going to die!" He cried aloud, tears swelling in his eyes. "No, you won't die. You'll be okay buddy. I promise." He nuzzled the dog before he felt him go limp in his bare hands. Setting him down as he began to shiver and grow pale. Staring at the deceased. The Vampires his main concern. Just let one come out. Finally he noticed a Female Vampire. Or so he presumed. Pulling out his bow, he aimed, lighting the arrow on fire, he let it free, aimed at her head.

Anthony was bit taken aback at the way Allister hugged the cloak. It must be very valuable, either monetarily or sentimentally. He shrugged inwardly, and then grinned and clasped hands with him, "Allister? It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I'm Anthony," he said, "And this is Devensela, my faithful Colger Bird." he patted the colger, and she gurgled happily, before gazing at Allister with keen curiosity.

Anthony then stepped back and rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "As for these woods you speak of, I can't really say. There are many wooded areas scattered around. The closest one is that way," he pointed in the relevant direction. Then he smiled at Allister, "It's a pretty long way on foot, but if you like, I can give you a lift."

He patted the colgan's neck affectionately, "Devensela can carry two riders, as long as you don't weigh too much, and don't mind a bit of...wind." Anthony chuckled.