| Chapter 9:

| The day was cloudy… even a little cool. Trees of many varieties dotted the landscape, filling it with a vibrant green. Eric walked slowly along, watching, feeling that something was amiss. Rothar walked beside him, pale eyes darting back and forth in an attempt to spot what they both felt to be wrong. It was the dream realm again, Eric knew it, but he also knew that it should be taken no less seriously than his everyday life. In the dream realm, Rothar seemed to have his strength back, something Eric felt more relieved to know. Eric was the first to say anything “They’re here, somewhere, aren’t they?”

| Rothar nodded “Yes Eric. I have walked this place before - the Hethren have a giant settlement close to here. We must be careful… I fear more of the beasts may know how to be in this realm with us.” Rothar drew his sword and held it at the ready.

| Eric agreed and did the same. The landscape was beginning to change. The more they walked, the fewer the trees became, and the green began to turn to brown. It was as if the land itself was being rotted away by the Hethren’s presence. The feeling of uneasiness worsened, but still Eric saw nothing. “There’s something very wrong about this place… evil. Can you sense it?”

| “Yes, and it is much stronger than the last time I walked here.” The landscape before the two friends was becoming increasingly steep, and the vegetation (what there was of it now) was becoming rotten and diseased. Walking soon turned to climbing, and swords were holstered in the effort. “The settlement can be seen over the top of this hill. Be ready!”

| Eric was surprised that the difficult climb was not tiring him out; in real life, he would have been aching! The dream realm seemed to detach one from some of the limiting traits of reality. They crested the steep hill, and both drew their swords as they did. Eric’s eyes blinked in amazement at what he saw before him.

| It was a city - a city of Hethren that formed around a giant black rock. Eric stared at the rock in the middle of the city… it wasn’t quite a rock, more like a crystal that had a strange red pulse at its centre. There was something else… something frightening - Hethren. They were there by the dozens! Here, it seemed, not just one or two, but dozens of Hethren had gained access to the dream realm. Eric shivered. Quick and tireless as they might be in this realm, they were no match for so many. Luckily, the beasts were far off, and did not see the two friends watching from atop the hill.

| Rothar pointed to the giant black rock “The OblaKan. This is the source of the Hethren’s evil. This is what we must one day destroy if we are to win.” His pale eye held the rock with a look of determination, but sadness.

| “Has it been tried?” Eric’s eyes shifted to Rothar a moment before returning to dart about uneasily.

| “Never. Tribe chiefs have all been told, but all fight battles with the Hethren settlements they encounter. All those who had come before the Hethren had been defeated in such ways, and so the chiefs believe with the Hethren.” Rothar’s eyes held the city in mistrustful suspicion.

| Eric sighed “So they think they can win that way. They’re wrong. I feel it too.” An ear splitting screech from beside Rothar made them wheel around. A Hethren had appeared from around a rocky bend, and came straight for Rothar. The Zagoran’s reaction was extraordinary; he leaped into the air and spun as the beast came past, landing his sword deep into the twisted form’s back. It screamed in pain and staggered two steps forward, where it met Eric’s blade. The Hethren’s head fell to the rocky ground with a dull clap. “Oh man… that was close. Nice moves Rothar.”

| The Seeker was about to smile when the chilling sound of screeching could be heard from the city below. The Hethren that moved about had all turned to face the hilltop, and the two friends. Rothar looked quickly to Eric “We must leave the realm, quickly!”

| Eric looked with desperation at his friend “I don’t know how… you woke me last time, I can’t leave!” Rothar gestured toward Eric, and in a blink, the realm was no more.

***

| Eric bolted up to a sitting position in his bedding pelts, looking quickly over at Rothar. The Zagoran’s eyes slowly opened, and gazed at him, catching the faint moonlight and reflecting it back in a glow. “They will come for us soon.”

| The unsettling statement didn’t help the nervous shaking that racked Eric’s body. “Wh… What do you mean soon? Tonight?”

| “No Eric, but they know now of us, and they will hunt us. The fight becomes desperate now. If we cannot find a way to destroy the OblaKan, we will be no more.” The Seeker seemed oddly calm considering the severity of the news. He pulled back his covers and sat up, swinging his legs around in front of him, feet facing Eric.

| Eric smiled at him as he did, looking down momentarily at the Seeker’s feet before returning a serious look. “But how can we do that? The chiefs don’t seem to think it worth the effort, and even if they did, what could we do when we get there? That thing is huge!”

| Rothar rose, and went to his many shelves, searching for a book. He found it, old and tattered, and carefully brought it back with him. “The Sabvre, one of the oldest of the writings of the Right.” He carefully opened it, using the tips of his finger claws to sift through its ancient pages. Finding the one he needed, he began to read to Eric “…and thus you will all converge on a ring of stone where your strength shall lend to the Realm Walker. From your strengths, he shall split the heart of the Hethren and summon their demise.” He closed the book, and looked up at Eric.

| The prophecy seemed vague to Eric, but then, weren’t all prophecies? “Okay… umm… that didn’t make a lot of sense. I guess the ring of stone would be the hills surrounding the Hethren city and the OblaKan, but I don’t get the rest.”

| Rothar nodded “the rest, I think, tells of someone who can wield Jantra against our enemies - something that we cannot do. Furthermore, it calls this being the Realm Walker.” Rothar rose again to return the old book to its shelving.

| “That doesn’t tell us much though. Is there more written about this person?” Eric rose to his feet as well, deciding to pour some water for their dry night-time throats.

| Rothar turned from the shelf and went to the main table, seating himself. “There are fragments of him here and there. Hints at who and what he might be. Only now do I understand them though.” Eric brought over two of the silver mugs and set one before Rothar. “If I may be so audacious as to suggest it, I think it is talking about you Eric.”

| Eric’s mug dropped hard to the table “What!? Me? I almost got killed by ONE Hethren, what the hell would I be able to do against a damn city of them!? Besides, I don’t have Jantra Rothar… what could I do?”

| The cyan eyes didn’t blink, but kept their unsettling hold on Eric. “I fear I should have given an explanation first.” Eric steadied himself, and poured Rothar some water, then some for himself. He sat down, and waited anxiously to hear the Zagoran’s logic. “As Skeekers, and wielders of the power of Jantra, we cannot use it to attack, even when for the good of something. You are not bound by that restriction, Eric. You could bring its might down on the evil of the OblaKan, and destroy it.”

| Eric sipped some water and groaned “Well that’s great Rothar, but I think I’m missing some Jantra to be any real part of this plan!”

| Rothar sat a moment, thinking, then half rose from his chair. “There is a way to know. Will you trust me, Eric?”

| Eric swallowed and nodded “Ah…of course… wh…what exactly are you planning to do?.”

| Rothar rose all the way and stood before Eric. He reached down and held one of Eric’s hands beside an unlit candle. “A test. Hold forth your hand like this, and concentrate upon the blackened wick.” The Seeker moved behind him, and gently placed his clawed hands on each side of Eric’s head. He closed his eyes, and reached for his Jantra: he only needed a tiny spark of it; just enough to guild what he hoped Eric had within him. A faint glow enveloped his hands.

| Eric felt his head began to tingle. The feeling began to turn into a mild nausea, and concentrating on the darkened candle wick was becoming difficult. Eric heard Rothar’s voice as if in the distance “Concentrate on the candle Eric. The wick is cold and dark, but you will warm it - burn it with your concentration until it bursts into flame!” Eric fought the nausea back, and stared hard at the flame. Rothar whispered again into Eric’s ear “Picture a fire upon it… see the flame that you wish to be there, feel its heat…”

| That strange sense of things that he had in the dream realm was there… Eric could sense the candle before him just as much as he could see it. He stared harder at it, at the black wick. He thought about warmth, hotter and hotter. He though about smoke, about fire, white hot metal, explosions, flares, and about all that he knew was hot. Hotter… I can feel it, but it needs to be hotter! His nausea was forgotten. He stared at the candle with determination, gritting his teeth. Hotter! His muscles tightened, and his hands formed white-knuckled fists. Hotter! The candle was beginning to warp as its wax became soft. Bon fires, flame throwers, nuclear explosions… HOTTER!! Eric let out a yell and a flame erupted on the wick of the bent candle.

| Rothar released his hands and took a deep breath, and Eric slumped weakly to the table top for support. The human’s determination was fierce, and inspiring. The Seeker was right - the human could channel Jantra, and rather well for a first try.

| The taste of blood was on Eric’s lips. He reached up and felt his face to find his nose bleeding. He held his nose and weakly tilted back his head. “I… I felt it… I felt the candle. I knew I could make it hotter if… I… oh man. My head is pounding.” Eric winced his eyes closed.

| “As I thought Eric, you have the gift of channelling.” Rothar fetched a cloth from a nearby shelf and brought it for Eric. “The strain of your efforts can take a heavy toll on your body. It will get easier in time, and with Dar Souljeth’s help.” He wet the cloth with some water from the waterskin already at the table, and carefully wiped away the blood from Eric’s nose and mouth.

| “Wha… what do you mean it will get easier? I’m not a Seeker… I’m not even one of you, I mean, how could this be?” Eric raised his hand to his aching head and held it.

| Pointing a clawed finger to the ancient copy of the Sabvre, Rothar explained. “I’m quite sure that you are the Realm Walker the Sabvre speaks of. If that is true, I must begin to teach you the use of Jantra.” Rothar seated himself at the table beside Eric. Outside, the first hint of morning was beginning to brighten the sky.

| “Whoa whoa whoa… Rothar, you don’t know for sure that I am, and… and … what if I’m not? I don’t want any of you to get hurt because of me! Because of something you think I am!” He winced as last words left his lips, sending a painful reverberation through his pounding head.

| Rothar sat back, his look half lost in thought. “We will know when we make the next offering. Dar Souljeth will entrust Jantra to you, if you are the Realm Walker… he must.”

| Eric sat, shaking his head in partial disbelief. This is nuts…why the hell did this happen to me!? In a rush, thoughts of home came back to Eric. There, he had family and friends, but never felt he completely fit in - there were too many things about the world that just made him feel as if he shouldn’t be part of it. Here, at first, he feared losing his life for not being part of things, then longed to find a place amongst those who had found him. Now his unplanned presence might find him as a pivotal figure in their very existence! How could things swing from one extreme to another so quickly? And why did he have to be the one fate chose for the job? He felt a comforting squeeze on his hand.

| Rothar held the human’s hand supportively. It was cold, and white, and Eric seemed to have an ill appearance about him again. He gave the hand another little squeeze. “Eric, I cannot even begin to understand the changes you have seen in coming here. I also cannot change the way of Dar Souljeth. You will be what you are destined to, in the end.”

| Motionless, Eric sat and weighed the words in his mind for a while. He finally nodded, and gave Rothar’s hand a little squeeze back. “Well… who am I to argue with destiny?”

| Rothar smiled, and rose. “Let us forget this for now, and prepare our daybreak meal.” He patted Eric’s back, and went to the storage dugout in his floor to look for supplies. Eric rose and went to the clay stove, placing more wood inside to fire it, trying to forget how much his head was pounding.

***

| Breakfast had been filled with a new variety of treats. Surrlic eggs were served along with a strange lumpy bread Rother called Havetch buns, and a number of vegetables that all looked very foreign. - all served with the usual cups of Jie. Again, the meal was excellent. So far, Eric enjoyed the food of Sioleth, and found himself looking forward to seeing Rothar’s next creation.

| Rather than conversation about Eric’s potential new destiny, Eric instead asked about the Offering that was to be made, how it involved them, Jantra, and the Hethren.

| “It is a tradition that dates back to our beginning. When we slay evil from Sioleth, we burn the bodies of the evil, and take with us the ashes. I must take them to a place of offering, and open a gate to Dar Souljeth’s realm, the Thira Realm, and pass through the ashes of our enemies. In return for our efforts, he fortifies Jantra and provides a clear mind with sense of direction.” Rothar sipped up the last of his Jie, and neatly wiped his mouth.

| Eric collected the dishes, having already finished, and brought them to the washbasin. He spoke to Rothar as he prepared them to be cleaned. “So, when is this going to happen? I mean, you have to be stronger to open the gate, right?”

| Coming to his side to lend a claw, Rothar shook his head “No, actually. Opening the gate requires only a small amount of Jantra - it is more of a draw on faith than anything else.”

| When the dishes were finished, Rothar went back to his bedding pelts and reclined, moving slightly to shift his tail to a more comfortable position between his legs. “I should rest still, Massic may wish to make the offering today, and I will at least need strength enough to make the journey.” Rothar hesitated a moment, looking down at his feet, then back to Eric. The rubbing that Eric called a massage was wonderfully relaxing, and Rothar enjoyed the gentle touching sensations from the human - it was quite sensual. Though he usually wasn’t, the seeker felt awkward in asking the human about it. “If I may ask, would you mind giving another of those massages… they are very relaxing… if you wish to, that is.”

| The Zagoran flayed his toes for Eric, who was already quite transfixed on them. Eric grinned back at him, his eyes devouring the delightful site. “Umm… well, sure, I mean, I’d love to!” Eric sat at the end of the bedding pelts again and Rothar placed a big foot in his lap. Eric stared at it a moment, admiring, then began the slow and rhythmic motions of massage on the Zagoran’s heal.

| Rothar closed his pale eyes and reclined his head. He let out a relaxed sigh, almost whispering his words. “By Sioleth, that feels so wonderful.” The Seeker smiled, feeling the unfamiliar sense of awkwardness subside as well. Strange, in a sense, that the human found something he enjoyed here. It was especially flattering, if not confusing, that Eric had found it in him.

| Eric worked away, watching the Zagoran’s feet closely as he did, finding every scale enticing to behold and touch. His excitement was growing again; he couldn’t help it. Rothar’s toes flexed slightly, beautifully, making the aching excitement momentarily worse. He continued his massage, working each of the toes to their claws before finishing and moving on to the next foot.

| Rothar had become relaxed enough that he was groggy. His eyes opened slightly - a pale cyan slit that beheld Eric. “Whilst I rest, you should see to Geff… his dressings likely need changing.” The eyes slowly fluttered closed again, and it was the last comment Eric heard from the Seeker as sleep took him.

| Eric finished the second foot, and very gently placed it on the pelts from his lap. For a moment, he sat there, unable to take his eyes from them. Why are they so arousing??? His eyes trailed slowly up along Rothar’s form, admiring the Seeker as a whole. He looked agile and powerful even in his sleep - almost like a cat that could come awake at any moment and pounce upon its prey. Yet at the same time, it was such a delicately perfect shape too. Wow… he’s so…I don’t know…striking. The human’s eyes watched a moment longer, then he rose from the bedding pelts to gather some of the herbs that would be needed in case Geff required more Pulralin. He took some extra clothes as well, knowing a change of bandages would be in order.

| Eric quietly left Rothar’s cover, and walked across the cool morning sand to Waverek’s. The charred remains of the Hethren had already been gathered and readied by Graven, sometime in the night before. All that remained now was a blackened patch where they had been burned atop a large clay fire pit. As he crossed the village, a few Zagorans who were up and about smiled and waved in the new day to him. He smiled back, and felt glad that they had come to accept him as quickly as they did. He wondered, though, what they would think when they were told what he might be. Would they think it impossible? The thought passed as he arrived at the door to Waverek’s cover.

| A moment after he knock, Eric heard Waverek’s voice beckoning him to enter. As he did, he found the two sitting up to their daybreak meal. Geff was half leaning on the table for support, but at least he was conscious and eating. Waverek smiled “He was up before I this dawn - trying to get away, I think” he chuckled.

| Geff lifted his head to his partner “Humph. Who wouldn’t run from cooking like yours.” Waverek sneered back but Geff only grinned and looked to Eric. “I don’t remember much of yesterday. Waverek tells me it was Rothar and yourself that helped ease the pain and heal me.”

| Eric returned a sad smile “We did, though I wish Rothar would have been able to use his Jantra on you. We did what we could without it, I’m sorry.”

| Geff held up his clawed hand “We knew what we were facing when we accepted this mission.” He pointed to this bandages “This was my own fault for being too arrogant to stay close to the others. Thank you Eric for what you did do - you are always welcome in our covers.”

| Feeling a warming sense of purpose, Eric smiled back, bowing his head from a lack of words. “I… I came to see if you were okay this morning. I have more Pulralin and bandages that I should put on” he said while patting the supply bag.

| “I suppose I don’t have a choice?” Geff turned to Waverek, who was shaking his head.

| “No… I think I Eric’s right, it needs to be tended often.” Waverek’s momentary serious look turned into a wry grin. “Besides, how am I ever to improve my cooking if I can’t keep you around a little longer to tell me how each new dish turns out?”

| Geff frowned “Ha… and Eric worries that my injury will get harm me when it should be the meals I’m protected from!”

| Eric rolled his eyes. Oh brother, they’re just like an old married couple. He set down the bag on the table and looked to Waverek. “I’ll need a couple bowls - one for the salve and one with some clean water. Oh, and a cloth too - I should clean it before putting more Pulralin on.” Waverek agreed and went to a nearby shelf to fetch what Eric required. Geff suddenly had a look of uneasiness. Two bowls, a water skin, and a mixing spoon were placed in front of Eric.

| Adding each of the ingredients as Rothar had shown him, he mixed more Pulralin in one of the bowls, and filled the other with water. “Hmm… do you have any Dailnish root?” Again, Waverek brought what was requested. Eric mixed in a tiny bit with the water, just to help it clean better. He sat down in front of Geff, and reached up to carefully begin removing the bandages.

| Geff was noticeably still in pain as the bandages came off. On of the drawbacks of Pulralin seemed to be that it could only numb the pain for a while. As the last of the bandaging came off, Eric tried not to cringe at the site of the damaged eye, but the uneasy feeling in his stomach was trying hard to get the better of him. He dipped a cloth into the water, and began to clean the wound as gently as he could. Geff’s lips curled back in a hiss that turned to an agonized yelp. He closed his only eye in pain, and snarled.

| Eric shot his hands back quickly. Whoa! That explains why they held him! “Yikes… I’m sorry… I don’t want to hurt you Geff, but this has to be done.”

| Waverek moved to stand behind Geff. “I will hold him Eric.” He reached down and braced Geff’s arms behind his back with one of his own, and used the other the cradle Geff’s head. “Eric must tend it as he says.” Geff winced and nodded.

| Reaching up a little more gingerly this time, Eric continued cleaning the wound. Geff let out another yell and bared his sharp teeth. His powerful body twisted with pain as Eric hurried delicately about his task while Waverek held his injured partner with great strain. The ill feeling in Eric’s stomach worsened as Geff’s cries of pain between snarling told of how serious the wound was. It seemed like a lifetime of horrible torture for all of them, but it was over in moments, and Eric quickly began applying the Pulralin. As its numbing effect took hold, Geff’s body relaxed, and Waverek’s restraining hold became a concerned embrace.

| It was a heart-warming scene, for a moment. Geff’s eye was closed, and chest still heaving from the effort of enduring the cleaning while Waverek held him in a gentle embrace; their heads gently pressed together. Eric smiled, and began preparing the fresh bandages. Waverek stood upright again as Geff opened his eye, and backed away a little to give Eric room to finish. Taking the new bandages, Eric started dressing the wound again. “There… just about done- how does it feel now?”

| The end of the bandage was tucked neatly underneath one of the layers of bandage beneath it. Geff reached up and gently rested a hand on the bandage. “It barely aches now… thank you Eric… and…I’m sorry to have startled you, I shouldn’t have…”

| Eric help up his hand. “Geff, you were in pain - it’s okay, I understand. I hope Rothar can soon have enough Jantra to help heal it better for you.” Placing supplies back in his bag, Eric prepared to leave.

| As the human packed his things, Waverek pointed at the stove “Have you eaten yet this daybreak? You are welcome to with us.” Eric looked over at Geff who suddenly bore a horrified look on his face, then subtly shook his head in disagreement to Eric.

| Eric tried not to grin. “Umm… that’s okay, I’ve already eaten this morning. Thank you though. Ah… I should get out of your hair now - head back to Rothars.”

| The two Zagoran’s looked at him oddly, and Geff replied “Out of what hair do you mean?”

| Whoops… guess that didn’t quite sound right. “I mean, I should let you two alone. Take care.”

| Waverek and Geff both thanked him, and he left their cover, returning to Rothar’s. Before making it there, he was met by Massic - who was already about the village seeing to things.

| “Human, come here.” He stood near the clay fire pit, Graven at his side. Massic’s battle wounds still looked fierce, though he remained oblivious to them. Eric wondered if he should offer to clean and bandage them, though he figured the request would be jeered by the stubborn leader.

| “Yes sir?” Eric stood before him, realizing again just how tall the Zagoran leader was by comparison.

| “Graven has readied the ashes of the Hethren for the offering. Tell Rothar that we will leave when the cover matches its shadow.” He leaned down to bring his eyes level to Eric’s. “You’re proving to be quite the useful little creature - I suppose he wants you to come with us, yes?” Eric timidly nodded. “Very well, go tell him.” Massic rose back to full height and motioned Eric off.

| Wonder why he likes being so damn intimidating, Eric wondered as he neared Rothar’s cover. I wonder what happens with Massic if I really am the Realm Walker…ah… he’ll probably still dislike me. Oh well. Eric reached the cover, and quietly entered. Time to wake the Seeker, and ready for a journey.

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