Chapter 11: The Valley Of Dreams

"Where are we?" asks Tork.

"No clue." replies Lynx.

"What a strange place this is. It is some kind of valley," continues Tork.

"How did we get here?" wonders Kyle.

"Do not know. Got lost in fog. I never was here before. Your fog went long ways," says Maddox in his broken common.

"I thought so at first myself, but now I am not so sure this is of my doing. This is just a mist. It is different. See how it hugs the land formations and trees. It is like rings of smoke through the trees, and it is layered to give it a mystical look."

"Oh! I never been here, but I hear legends when I was young of a mysterious valley where bizarre happenings come to all who enter the Valley of Dreams." "The Valley of Dreams, you say? Is there danger in this strangely quiet place?" "Never heard of death caused by this place, but others say they never go back for the fear of meeting their real selves again."

"Yes, I have also heard stories of this place." Lynx is excited, so he is talking in his speed mixture common again.

"Lynx, please talk slower, we cannot understand you." smiles Tork.

Lynx takes a deep breath, "The Elders used to travel here because it is said that the true soul will become known. For some it is known as holy ground, for others it is a living hell, but if the heart is true then that person will be one step closer to his or her destiny."

"Well, let us go into it and hope it comes out somewhere near where we want to be." Kyle says, with his hands resting on the pommel of his saddle as he stares into the mist.

"Yeah, let us go forward, because I think it would be unwise to backtrack at this time. Most assuredly the Masters have Clan Soldiers coming after us." Tork has truly grown.

There is no greater enemy, which takes more courage to confront, than yourself.

The Companions ride forward. They have no way of knowing what direction they are heading in because they cannot see the sun through the mist. Everything seems to glow of its own accord. And they have no idea where they will come out at, if they come out at all.

They ride through the trees and mist with only one direction to go, because the walls of the valley allow them to go only two directions, forward or backwards, and they are not about to go backwards, because they do not want another confrontation with the Masters and Clan Soldiers at this time.

They ride for what they calculate to be the daylight hours, because they can see the land formations around them, though barely, through the mist. They stop only long enough for Lynx to pick some branches to make arrows out of as he used them all at the cross over. He whittles them into perfect arrows as they ride, and it is not long before he has several quivers full again.

The mist is now getting darker, even though it continues its saffron glow, so they figure, "Night must be on its way." says Tork.

Kyle says with a big yawn, "Look, I am tired and it is getting dark, so let us make camp and get some rest."

"Yes, I think we could all use some food and sleep. I remember from the stories the Elders of my tribe used to tell around the fire, that the only thing to fear in the Valley of Dreams is what you bring with you, and therefore fear itself. So put your trust into the divine powers and all will be well, and we will get out of here safely and be the stronger for it."

"That good to know, my little friend, that good to know." There is not much in this world that unnerves Maddox, but he does seem a little unsettled.

They sit up a while longer talking strategy and possibly where they will come out at, if they make it out, and how they should resume their journey to the evil fortress in the Rye Mountains when they do so. Little do they know that the Valley of Dreams is magical, and just because you go into it in one area doesn't mean you are going to come out of it in the same region.

Maddox volunteers, "I take first watch. Kyle, I wake you when Maddox get sleepy."

"Alright, my big friend, take care and beware." It is an old saying amongst brothers and sisters of arms.

They sit there a while longer in silence, then one by one they fall asleep. Kyle is the first to fall into the deep sleep of dream state.

It is such a deep sleep that just before he loses all consciousness he thinks to himself, "I hope nothing happens that Maddox cannot handle alone." Then he reflects about what he just said and he laughs, and then he is soon deep in slumber.

The dreams come almost immediately. His dreams take him back to his kingdom of Parrethia and his hometown of Centuria. He is a young boy again playing out in the flower-covered fields, running and laughing with the other children with not a care in the world. The fields are covered with a golden or green grass, depending on the season, and all throughout it there are the most beautiful flowers with the most spectacular colors and designs he has ever seen. They seem to go on forever, over gently rolling hills and into the Realm of Grassy Knolls, as far as the eyes can see. And with a carefree breeze making everything sway peacefully in the wind. With the mountains making a perfect backdrop it brings a contented smile to his face.

Then his dream goes to his days as a young apprentice to become a Centurion Wizard, as his father was, and his father before him. He embraces the feelings that he is experiencing as he walks into the Wizards Castle Hall for the very first time. He feels nervous because his life long training and dream to be a battle mage is about to go beyond the theoretical. At the same time, he is awe inspired by the beauty of the Wizards Hall and the power he feels running through it.

He prepares for the long days and nights of reading and mind enhancing classes that he has to do before he can start the forces of power classes. The dangers of getting bored with it at times, and thinking of tricks and games he can play on the full Centurion Wizard teachers.

The fear and intensity of the reprimand from the trouble he gets into when he sneaks into the sacred and off limits library of the guild, and sets off a spell of weather that causes a storm to come over the city. Then his confidence begins to grow when he overhears the teachers saying that he should not have been able to do that spell at this stage of his training.

But that goes quickly away when they turn around and tell him, "If it was not for the respect of your father and grandfathers, we would throw you out and never let you back into the Wizards Guild!"

After that he keeps his mind on the teachings and training he is learning.

Then the day comes for him to make or break, the test to allow him into the Centurion Wizards Guild of camaraderie and love.

The one teacher that is the hardest on him is to be the one to test him. "You ready, apprentice?"

"Yes, teacher."

On the practice field they prepare for their showdown of capable powers. They channel the forces of the Heavenly Gods through their beings, and the elder teacher lets loose with a bolt of power that knocks Kyle off his feet. The teacher smiles at him. As he sits there more embarrassed and angered than hurt, he prepares his attack.

He stands back up and gets knocked down several more times. Finally Kyle lets loose with one of his own power bolts, and it deflects off the teacher and then the teacher knocks him back down.

He can feel the anger inside of him rising. He stands back up and lets go of another bolt of power, and the teacher deflects this one also, but this time the teacher is not smiling as much. The teacher lets go of the most powerful bolt he has used yet, and it makes Kyle take a step backwards, but this time he does not fall. Now the teacher is not smiling at all. Kyle knows that impact will leave a scar, but he will be damned if he will show any effect to the teacher and give him the satisfaction.

Kyle grunts to himself and surges a massive power bolt to throw at the teacher. Though he does not know it, he is surrounded by an intense red glow, and then Kyle lets the power bolt fly. It impacts the teacher with a sound of thunder, and sparks fly everywhere and the teacher goes flying back five paces, spinning head over heels until he strikes the ground hard.

The other wizards gasp, as does Kyle, and then he lets down his powers and runs over to the teacher to check on him. Kyle's father and grandfather are standing there with a grin of satisfaction on their faces. From that time on he is known as Sir Kyle Whiteknight, Centurion Wizard and defender of all that is pure and good.

Then his dream moves forward to him as a young man walking with Kyra, the girl he is going to marry some day. She is beautiful, with her long red hair and mysterious green eyes, and she is powerful in her own right. He feels the love as another surge through his soul.

Then suddenly his dream jumps to the time in the Wizards Hall when he is asking for permission for a contingent of wizards to sail over to the kingdom of Owen, and fight the evil sorcerers and their evil god who have ruled the land for nearly two centuries. He becomes angry when they turn his idea down, and the warning that comes with it, "If you are to do it, you will do it alone."

Then he calms down as he is talking with his grand father just before he leaves, "My son, do what you must do, follow your destiny. I am too old to make the long travel, but I respect your love for the innocent people of our world. Perhaps if I were a young man again I would go. When I was your age I also came up with the same idea, but like you, I was told no, and I followed the orders of the wiser and more experienced wizards. I guess I have regretted it ever since. My child, follow your destiny, and I will talk with the other older and more stubborn wizards and perhaps they will see that we are not as safe as we think we are here across the Great Sea. That it will be in our best interest to fight the evil forces in the land of Owen before we have to fight them in our own kingdom."