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Anderson kept his head low as they walked regretting his decision immensely. Really, it hadn't been a smart one, especially now Franis seemed to have vanished and it was his idea to set off in the first place. And now Kat wasn't following them, he had expected that when they left she would come too. He was beginning to wonder what he had gotton himself into when Siri spoke.

"Ummm...." Anderson said confused at Siri's question. "What exactly am I supposed to be hearing, because unless your ears are better than mine I can't hear anything." He frowned thoughtfully to himself, if that's what Siri had pointed out then...
"And that's a bit strange."

Anderson was about to thank Doragon for pointing out the completely obvious definition of what 'not hearing anything was', when he suddenly felt very light headed and inevitably, fainted.

Waking up was far worse than normal, Anderson decided as he rolled over to turn off the alarm clock. For a while he had forgotten it was just a dream, because even if he had believed there that it was some continuous journey to another place during his dreams, someplace where he and a group of people who may have become his friends, would make a difference. Well it was rubbish. It was the stuff he always dreamed about. His 'friends' consisted of about two other people, and make a difference? He was barely noticed.

School was hell as usual. The usual comments, and snide remarks. Then the other usual-ness, of being about as a visible as a tick on a mouse. The only thing that kept him going was that when he got home, or any small chance he could go to sleep again.
"Hey, where's your boyfriend, Andy" someone sneered at him. He glowered, and for the first time in a while turned around and spoke back.
"Sorry, wrong person. Hate to burst your bubble - but I don't have a boyfriend. Not gay. Sorry." The person looked taken aback at the reply, but continued unperturbed.
"Could have fooled me, I bet you've never had a girlfriend in your life."
"As a matter of fact I have a girlfriend. She just doesn't come here."
The boy sneered at him.
"Yeah, right. What's her name then?"
Damn, damn, damn. Anderson thought to himself as he tried to remember a name... Any name from his dream.
"Aria, as in the syle of music. Not the cookie."
He smiled, turned his back on the boy and continued to the library where he planned to get some well deserved sleep.

Francis was released from the hospital that afternoon. The drive home was spent with his mother constantly glancing back at him as he sat with his legs stretched across the back seat. His father carried him inside once they were home, which Francis found ridiculous as he was perfectly capable of walking the twenty five feet to the door.

He was set down on the couch with a pile of pillows propping him up. Then his parents vanished for a while, Francis reclined his head and closed his eyes for a minute, only to be shaken awake by his mother who held a steaming green mug. "Drink this." She said softly handing it to him.

"Why?" He asked, staring at the liquid inside. It was coffee; Francis didn't drink coffee. It always tasted like sewage to him.

"You can't be falling unconscious." She reminded, turning to start dusting off the tables, shelves, and television built-in. Francis recognized that cleaning was his mother's way of coping with emotional distress and trauma. She'd done it when they'd had a financial crisis, when the family dog had died, and she was doing it now. The front door opened. His sister came in; she'd been following them home in her own car. She came into the living room. Although she was behind him, Francis saw her reflected in the television screen.

"Mom, this has caffeine in it." Francis spoke in a concerned tone, though it was completely fake, "Caffeine will increase my heart rate. The blood vessels in my skull haven't completely repaired; a higher blood pressure could rupture one." His mother stopped dusting around the pictures of family vacations; her back still faced him, but her attention was undeniably all on him. Francis smiled slightly, knowing he'd struck a chord on her, his voice became slightly more worried and higher in pitch as though he would cry. "I'd have a stroke. I could die." He whimpered a bit before going on, "But if that's what you really want." Francis lifted the mug to his lips.

It was swiped from his hands faster than the blink of an eye. His mother shuffled back to the kitchen, clutching the mug for dear life. Francis had a funny feeling that he'd scared her too much. He furrowed his brow and shrunk deeper into the pillows. "You alright, Frankie?" His sister asked, sitting in the large recliner near the end of the couch his feet were on.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Anna." Francis replied, trying not to look guilty. "I'm just really tired." She began digging in her purse while he spoke.

"You know, college is very stressful." Her tone didn't seem like she was going anywhere, "I usually don't sleep at all for extended periods of time." She took out a little prescription bottle. "That's why I have these." The pills inside rattled as Anna shook them. "But I was told one of the side effects of these was forgetfulness." She tossed them casually on the coffee table in front of her, then took on a fake confused look. "Now where did I put my darned pills." Anna stood up, "Must have left them upstairs." She winked, "'Scuse me for a minute."

Francis smiled as his sister left. She's always been good to him. His eyes turned to the bottle on the table. Glancing in the direction of the kitchen, his mother was speaking with his father in front of the sink just out of the doorway. His snatched the plastic orange bottle, fuddled with the cap for a minute, and tapped a little white pill out onto his palm. Another glance at the kitchen, Anna had walked in and was asking her parents about what she should make for dinner, buying him time. Popping the pill into his dry mouth, Francis made a little promise that he'd pay Anna back someday. Capping the bottle and stuffing it under his mountain of pillows, Francis stretched out and closed his eyes.

Blare walked through the halls of his highschool smiling to the odd person he knew and avoiding the odd bully that wanted his money. His school life was relatively good, but his home life was hell. His mother and him were always arguing and no matter how hard he tried to please her, he always did something wrong.

Walking up to his locker he grabbed all his stuff and skateboard, sighing as the final bell rang. As he left said his goodbyes to his friends and jumped onto his board, quickly picking up speed as he tried to get home before his mom did. When he reached his house he pulled out his keys and unlocked the door slowly. Opening the door he yelled into the house. "Mum? Ya home yet? Guess not..."

Quickly taking off his shoes and throwing his stuff by the wall he ran up to his room and took a running leap and landed on his bed, falling asleep easily.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blare opened his eyes, expecting to see his Mum going through his stuff, but when he saw the area he was now in he couldn't believe what he was seeing. His room wasn't in a forest, and last time he checked he didn't have a sword. Wait! That's it! Most times he dreamed he had a sword based on one he had drawn himself.

Sighing in relief Blare stood up and looked around. Now that he realized he hadn't been kidnapped, the forest was really beautiful. Blare was also a huge nature freak in the real world. Thinking of that made him think of something else. Would he have powers in this strange dream place?

Blare closed his eyes and placed his hand on the ground. Concentrating, he pictured the earth infront of him turn into a giant stalagmite, and when he opened his eyes, there is was. Drawing his sword he swung it once or twice for test he got into a stance he knew well from watching Anime, and preparred to slice at the stalagmite.

.:~Elsewhere~:.

Thayli leaned against a tree trunk, closing his eyes and relaxing for a momment, but then he heard the sound of metal on stone and shook his head.

"What sort of novice swordsman is about now?" He asked himself, walking towards the sound. When he found the person who was for certain ruining their sword he almost laughed. Definatly a new swordsman.

"Do you usually go about ruining your weaponry like that?" Thayli asked, walking up to the stalagmite.

"Who are you? There usually aren't others who talk to me in my dreams, and what do you mean ruin my weaponry?

Thayli sighed and shook his head."You'll figure it out."

"What do yo....."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blare woke up in his room and frantically looked around.
"Ok that was weird.... Meh, intresting dream anyway."

Thayli sighed as the boy disappeared, but had a feeling he would be back so Thayli continued to walk, heading out of the forest.
((Sorry short post))

((hopefully my obscene and prolonged absence won't drag down my "re-entry" too much. I apologize if it messed anything up.))

Monollius was left alone with his peace on the hilltop. He would join the children in time, but for now he wanted to gaze upon the open, rolling plains for a few minutes more. This was certainly one of his favorite places to be, and he was being reminded why:

The gentle breeze tugged at his long beard like a curious child with a question at heart. The long stalks of grass bent and swayed beneath the wind's will, compliant lovers of the fleeting polygamist. The sun was always high and bright, but did not weigh him down with unbearable heat. It was perhaps the epitome of serenity, and he knew that one day the children of the land would ruin it. Expansion, upheaval, and construction would tear apart such grandeur, and those that lived there would never know it.

The premonitions ended as quickly as they had begun, but they would never fade from his mind, and briefly he wondered whether or not he should help these children at all. Naturally, a part of him said yes. They were children, young and still full of life. They needed to be protected in one way or another. The logical, prudent, and judgmental part, however, said otherwise. They should be delayed or prevented entirely from moving forward. They could very well lead to that same destructive expansion he had foreseen. This matter would require much more thought. "Perhaps--

--Leo bolted upright on his gurney, breathing heavily. No one else was in the room. Slowly, he eased back down. Then he realized he must be loaded with morphine because he could barely even feel the pillow beneath his head. He laughed quietly to himself, smirked, and rolled onto his side.

Monollius found himself lying on the ground in the midst of a forest. With the groan only an elderly man uttered, he climbed back to his feet, lifted his staff, and slowly marched forward, trying to feel out the 'being' of this place. In the end, he finally resorted to speaking with the trees.

He placed a gnarled hand to the trunk of one oak, and closed his eyes. In rhythm with his breathing, he made a near-silent, 'swish-swish, swish-swish.' It was the sound of the trees whispering amongst one another, and a talent Monollius had long ago learned.

Might I make an inquiry from you? were his first words.

Even in these shadowy parts, you are of high regard, Archly one.

Archly one? Monollius could not help but crack a smile.

That is your title, is it not? Arch.

'Tis actually Arch-Sage, dear friend, but Archly one is well.

Very well then, Arch-Sage. What is it you ask of me?

I wonder of you: might you have seen several young humans traversing this area?

We have, Arch-Sage. Travel north and you shall quickly come upon them. I shall tell the brethren of your travels, and they shall lead you to intercept them.

Many thanks, dear friend.

Monollius continued upon his travels through the forest, listening ever so carefully to the guiding murmurs of the oaks and birches about him. It was not long either, before he came upon Lady Siri, young Doragon, and a new face he had not encountered earlier. Slowly and quietly he approached, awaiting the proper moment or introduction to raise his voice.

As the noise faded away Doragon calmed down. Then he heard footsteps. His head flew to the side to look where he heard the steps from and saw Monollius. Oh god, not him. . . Doragon thought.