In the Dream Realms

"I know, I know," he said. "It's just... I had a dream just like this the other day. Where Sir Toby and I were called to see the Princess, but I was completely naked."

"I had a dream much like that too," said Rowena. "I think everyone has."

"It's strange," said Astra. "There is something dream-like about this whole situation. None of us knows quite how we got here, and we all fell asleep before coming here. And do any of you feel hungry or thirsty?"

"No," said Fred. "Even though I hadn't had anything to eat or drink in no man knows how long. It could have been a healing spell..."

"She's right," said Exotica. "This is a dream." Fred instantly knew that she was right. Even though the dark cavern prison with its iron chains felt more vivid than any dream Fred had ever known, he somehow knew, as one sometimes knows in dreams, that this was what it was.

"But..." said Sir Toby. "Sometimes when you're asleep you realize you're in a dream. But the people you're dreaming don't realize they're in a dream. If I'm dreaming, then where did all of you come from?"

Before anyone could answer Sir Toby's question, the iron gate creaked open of its own accord and the three sorcerers came through. They each held lanterns in their hands that glowed with a pale blue light, and the silver-skinned one was carrying a sack. "It looks as if they understand something of their situation," said the man. "You seem to have underestimated them."

"So they may actually be of use to us," said the woman. Her accent marked her as a lady of the Three Kingdoms. "It looks as if your little plan may work after all, Alexander." The third man, the one with the silver skin, said nothing.

The one called Alexander turned toward the captives and removed his hood. His hair was dark, his eyes were deep blue, his face was remarkably handsome. There was something damnably familiar about him to Fred. "Your Royal Highnesses, Lady Rowena, I apologize for this humiliation. I did not mean to strip you of your clothing, nor do we mean you any evil. That is the logic of the Dream Realm, which even we can not fully control."

"Are you going to apologize to me?" said Sir Josh. "I mean, I'm pretty embarrassed too. I look pretty inadequate by comparison to Lord Fred here." Rowena laughed slightly at this.

"Yes, to you as well. I am Alexander Lestrange. My compatriots are Lysande and Anak. We are, as you know, mages of the Red Hand." The lady removed her hood. She seemed quite young and quite lovely but her gaze was piercing and sharp and seemed to belong to someone far older than her. The silver-skinned man did not remove his hood.

"What is the Red Hand," said Astra, her voice carefully even, "and what do you want with us?"

"I apologize for not explaining earlier," said the Alexander. "We are not necromancers, as you described us, Lord Frederigo, but astral mages. Our magic allows us to seek beyond mortal flesh and mortal vision and penetrate the outer planes. We can communicate and make pacts with the powers who dwell in those planes. The ancient Empire of Telluria dealt with them, and these powers helped them to build their strange engines with which they worked great wonders. We hope someday those engines can be rebuilt."

"Of course, some of us find knowledge worth seeking for its own sake and care not for worldly power or the hungers of mortal flesh," said Lysande, looking rather sternly at Alexander. "As to what we need of you, we have a common enemy. The dragon of these caves has long had a quarrel with the Preceptors of our order. You know what a great threat she poses to each of your lands. She is a powerful beast indeed, the most powerful dragon living upon the earth. Mortal weapons cannot wound her, as each of you knights and Astra now know from experience, nor can our magic. She herself made a pact with the King of Shades so that only one thing could kill her and her brood, the juice of a humble plant, which we came to know as dragonbane. It is long dead in our world. Yet it still lives somewhere in the depths of the Dream Realm."

"And you need our help to find them?" said Exotica. "You were able to snatch us into this realm. That seems to take great power."

"Not as great as the Dragon's," said Alexander. "We cannot even divine her name. Her mind is great and powerful and she may be aware on some level of our actions here. We needed allies. Allies of great courage and willpower, who have the potential to shape the Dream Realms and face the many dangers that lay within. To find dragonbane we must venture into the deepest and most ancient parts of the Dream Realms that humans can fathom. Even our Preceptors would think twice to venture there, and they, alas, are... occupied."

"I think the woman is right," said Anak. His voice was melodic but very deep. "What aid could their kind bring to us, when the danger we face is so great? I fear your mortal flesh begins to influence you."

"Perhaps," said Alexander. "But I know that each of these men and women are heroes, or have the potential to be. Thus they will have great power in the Dream Realms."

"Wait," said Lord Fred, "did you say your name is Lestrange? Are you any kin of the Archmage Lestrange?"

"Indeed. I am her son. My mother and I have had our differences, but I still respect her greatly. And I well remember the love she bears your father. That is why I came to your aid, Frederigo."

Now that Fred was told, he could see the resemblance. The Archmage Lestrange often came to visit his father when he was young. He himself spoke to her little, as did most everyone else. Alexander had the same eyes, the same shining dark hair, the same aquline nose. Much unlike his mother, Alexander seemed not only polite but warm and almost kind, but he gave the impression that his gestures were carefully studied, like an actor. And there was some other resemblance in him that troubled Fred Fred knew that of the three that held them here Alexander was the one he liked the least. "Why do you think we would help you?" he said.

"I don't think they're lying, at least about killing the Dragon," said Exotica. "And we need all the help to kill it we can get."

"Very well then," said Alexander. He spake some word in a melodious tongue, and the chains dissolved into the mists that had seeped into the room. Alexander let go of his lamp, which floated in the air beside him. He then took the sack that Anak was carrying and opened it, revealing six lamps like those the mages held. "These are the Lanthorns of Anodos. They enable one to shape the Dream Realms and navigate through them." Each of them took one up and they began to flicker with their blue light. None of them glowed as brightly as those of the mages, except Exotica, whose flame burned far brighter. The other mages started and stared at her for a moment but said nothing.

The gate dissolved as well, and the six heroes and three mages walked out of the chamber. They found themselves on the bank of an island, with a mountain looming behind them, overlooking a great sea of mist. Above them and below them they could see the outlines of other islands looming in the distance. The three mages raised their lamps and sent out beams of light, and where the light traveled the mists congealed into a bridge of sorts. "The three paths shall split and then join together," said Anak. "That is the Way."

"Lord Frederigo, Princess Astra, you will go with me," said Alexander. "Sir Josh, Rowena, you will go with Lysande. Sir Toby, Exotica, you will go with Anak." Fred walked through the mist and stood behind Alexander. He felt as if his will were not wholly his own, as if he were in a dream. Which he was.

1. Follow Fred, Astra and Alexander.
2. Follow Josh, Rowena and Lysande.
3. Follow Toby, Exotica and Anak.

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