Fantasy Lucid

[Lioness075]

Name: Sam	Rank: Journeyman
Mood: Determined	Weapon: Floof

Watching Collin join Al's antics, Sam rolled her eyes before letting out a groan. This was getting them no where. Hearing Collin mention 'fiend-battering' like it was just a game only further accentuated her frustration with him and Al. Those two were quite literally acting like children. She'd forever be questioning just how Al earned his rank.

Listening to Atlan's suggestion, Sam considered it before promptly replying, "No, we should create a stronger light source for ourselves. The lighters aren't enough and there's still no sign of the dreamer. The stronger light will help us find our way and, hopefully, the dreamer."

Hearing Nyx's comment to Collin, Sam quietly chuckled to herself. Unpredictable is one way to describe the pair.

Once the chest was cleared of fiends, Happenstance took the lead in opening it, as Sam began trotting up to soon join Happenstance's side. Sadly, her current height restricted her view and she huffed at this before moving back a few paces and sitting on her rump. It wasn't like she could do anything for now.

Hearing a young boy's voice, Sam's ears immediately flickered forward as she perked up. His fear was all-too apparent and a sympathetic expression appeared on Sam's face. Poor kid. No dreamer deserves to be practically drowning in this many fear fiends.

Noting Nyx's advice, Sam began mulling over their options for addressing this without giving the kid more to fear. Hearing Happenstance quietly musing to herself about killing rats, Sam's eyes lit up. Duh, Sam was their personal rat-killer in her current form! Well, she was a kitten and less likely to actually kill a rat, but she could perhaps convince the kid otherwise.

Before she got the chance to mention this, the boy suddenly exclaimed that Al and Collin had found his play swords. Knowing that the kid likely imagined the brooms as swords and they weren't literal swords, Sam wondered if someone should play swords with the kid. That would cheer him up. Plus, a sword could easily kill a rat, though that was a bit of a violent approach.

Before she could think of another idea, the kid's memories soon filled her head and Sam closed her eyes to drink it all in. While they couldn't necessarily relive the sunlit sword fights, they could still attack the fear fiends with the swords and pretend they're imaginary monsters.

Try as she may, though, it was impossible to latch onto the kid's fear of his brother becoming ill. Flashes of her own memories danced in and out of her mind, distracting her from the problem at hand. Her heart began racing and she pinned her ears against her head with a slight whimper.

Luckily, Al's hasty reaction brought Sam back to the dream, though she had to quickly wipe a small tear away with one of her paws. Dreamers in need of help always meant she'd feel some of their pain. The empathy was difficult to overcome sometimes, not just in understanding others' pain, but also in the fact that she knew how some of it felt.

As Al tried to redirect towards camp fire songs, Sam took a deep breath before standing up on all fours and changing her form as well. Time to get serious.

Well, as serious as one looks as a fluffy puppy with a red scarf around its neck. Close enough, she thought, as she bounced over to the chest and stood up on her hind legs with her forepaws pressed against the edge of the chest. While she didn't want to ruin Al's attempt, she had a strong feeling that sword fighting was the way to go with this kid. He had a much stronger emotional connection to that, as opposed to camp fire stories.
Practically barking at the kid, Sam wagged her tail for extra effect and grinned at him.
"Hey! You should show us how a true sword-fighter handles his own in a fight. You should race our friend, Collin, to see which of you can defeat the most imaginary monsters in here! I bet you'll win!"

Bouncing away from the chest in an attempt to encourage the kid to leave it, Sam began spinning in a circle while chasing her tail.

Her only concern at this point was that one sword was on fire, but now it was in Atlan's hands. She could only hope that he'd put it out before the kid noticed that.

 

[Collinbu98]

Name: Collin	Rank: Journeyman
Mood: Ready to massacre	Weapon: Broom of Doom

After Collin had decided to temporarily suspend his fiend bashing, Atlan spoke up, trying to convince everyone to try riding the brooms like some fiendish witch from the cartoons. Collin gave an apologetic smile as he pointed out the flaw in this plan: "Well that's very creative, my sea-faring friend, but if that were the way out of the dream, wouldn't we have more space to fly around in?" Collin may have put quite a bit of his attention on the Fiends, but he was still pretty observant. He had to be, or else he likely wouldn't have his Journeyman status thanks to his reckless hatred for Fiends.
Then Nyx moved with the light towards Collin's broom, and Collin held it out for him to ignite. At the last minute, though, he moved away to instead light Al's. Collin gave another embarrassed grin, and when Nyx explained himself Collin laughed lightheartedly. "That's all right; it's always good to know I still hold the title for 'Most Likely to Play With Fire'. Sometimes I worry Al's giving me a run for my money."
Then they found the chest and got it opened, and there inside was the dreamer. Collin frowned, of course knowing the kid was going to be afraid, but Collin was unsure how to handle that fear; Collin didn't deal with that particular emotion much himself, as anyone knows. But then the boy mentioned swords Collin knew exactly what he needed to do before the memory even entered his head. Before Collin had a chance to act, though, Al spoke up with his musical flute and campfire stories. Collin thought that might work, but it was so obvious that the brooms were were to start, and we already knew what we needed to use them as: swords. Before Collin got a chance to share these words, Sam said them for him. Collin did wince, though, when Sam spoke while staying in an animal form. He respected her whole animal thing, but this Dreamer clearly wanted normal and talking animals weren't that. The Dreamer probably wouldn't notice, though, so Collin moved to do his part before it got any more attention than it needed.
Collin stepped up into the boy's line of sight, the influence not affecting him much besides toning down the colorful physics-defying bottom half of Collin's jacket."What do you say, kid, wanna tear through these things?" An excited smile crept along the edges of Collin's lips. He would've exaggerated it to encourage the boy, but he didn't need to. This was the fun part, after all. Collin looked down at his broom and gave a cursory blow at the Fiends, hopefully showing the boy how easily they could fall to the broom-sword, if he allowed them to.

 

[DawnAntalios]

Karliah	Rookie
Mood: Mixed emotions	Weapon: Her words

Karliah was a little bit surprised when her idea was not actually discarded but used to some extent. Watching the now burning broomstick chasing the fiends away gave the girl hope and she felt something swell within her chest. Thinking it to be pride at first the girl was a bit ashamed for the moment but then she recalled the exact feeling's origin - it was familiarity. Something she did not understand nor did she remember but was still lingering within her mind and her heart. As the warmth of fire surged and the darkness receded Karliah could not help but feel hope surging through her frame, enjoying the spectacle of the strong Anima as they were pushing the shadows back.

It was then when Hap opened the strange box they cleansed from the demonic incursion and Karliah turned her attention to it. To her surprise the contents of the chest were none other than the boy and the origins of the nightmare: his thoughts. She stared at the little figure as his dark dream manifested with such intensity that she could never have imagined. She had seen scarred people in the past but none possessed so much despair as he did currently - not even she herself.

Hearing the little boy speaking up and the others changing she glanced around with curiosity. Everyone aimed to be in the graces of the boy, to somehow comfort and soothe him in this dark hour. Many, of course, chose the course of violence as it was due: their skill in battle and wielding the makeshift swords made it to be the obvious choice. She was a little bit surprised when even Sam suggested fighting the darkness back but, again, she understood her motives. She also knew that in her current state - and in general - fighting was ill advised for her... but for now she struggled to find a solution. That is until she felt the deepest of the boy's feelings.

"Fear."

The sole word was uttered by Karliah as she subconsciously digested everything she had seen in but a flicker of a second. Her emerald eyes lit up as she finally understood what her purpose should be - she was a bad fighter... but not only the brooms or swords could have been used as tools to get to the soul of someone: words were also apt weapons for that.
She closed her eyes and seemingly the world began to shrink with her... but in reality she was the only one changing. Her tomboyish short hair turned into a long blonde one, cascading down on her pure white jacket, the latter enveloping almost her entire body, leaving only her legs free. Her gloved hands corrected the stance of her tilted cap on her head and when the next time she opened her eyes they were no longer the burning emeralds of the past: they were of beautiful, reflective sapphire.
The transformations she could make made Karliah always surprised... but made her hopeful as well. If there was one way to better understand and vanquish the Dreamer's fear was to descend into an age where she too had felt fear untarnished... and learnt how to control it. Though this guise was not her own past's she hoped to still get close to the boy - if only in spirit.

The little Karliah now walked up to the frightened boy, mustering her most radiant and happy smile she could muster in this perpetual darkness.
"H-hi." she managed to say, her voice being even more timid than before "I... I heard you love camping... I too love it... campfires and... songs... all the happy stuffs..."
Referring to the Masters' word was one thing... but she knew she had to push through. Shaking her head she dared to get closer to the boy.
"W-when I was out in the woods with my daddy... he used to tell me stories about dark clouds... dark clouds which chased away the pretty light I loved so much. I... I did not like them... not at all. They were nasty... bad and... scary... But daddy told me something... a way to make them go away..."
Her tiny eyes fixated on the boy, her body rocking back and forth in embarrassment.
"T-the others are right... only you can face the bad clouds. Only you can make them vanish. But... you would not be alone... you are never alone..."
She gulped. She felt blush creeping over her face once again.
"You know..." she began, trying to keep her smile "When I chased my clouds away I did so... by laughing at them. By... singing my favorite songs... The clouds know not how to handle happiness... how to handle laughter..."
She managed to let out a cute chuckle to express perhaps some lighthearted, naive child like hope in her voice... which sounded relaxing.
"I...we can help sing with you! Sing and race with us! Sounds... sounds fun... right?"

 

[Bolts]

Name: Atlan	Rank: Journeyman
Mood: Protective	Weapon: Whatever the dreamer wants

Atlan watched as his suggestion went up in flames. He shrugged off the embarrassment though. He figured he was being a little too jolly in this dark dream and should probably get down to some serious note. With a quick huff to himself he turned back to the others as they set the brooms on fire. It was an effective tactic for sure. The rats ran away fairly quick from the chest that he could hardly see before. With a curious look, he watched and waited to see what was inside. He stood back as Hap took the liberty of opening said chest, only to reveal it was the Dreamer all along. Just like the others, he could feel the wishes of the dreamer and began changing his form to match the setting. He had to admit, it was sad seeing the kid build up this much fear without them noticing sooner. It was always harder to eradicate the fiends on a larger scale. Especially fear. They may be small but fear carries a lot of weight behind it. Before he stepped up, he felt one of the flaming brooms in his hand, placed there by a oddly looking Al. He nodded to the master and held it at his side as the others tried to give some pep talks to the kid.

Hearing these brooms were his brothers and his swords, he felt a little bad setting them on fire. Although, it was probably what helped them the most at this point. If he wanted to, the dreamer could always dream up some more. Hearing the sword fighting come up, he got a little excited himself. Those fiends wouldn't stand a chance! The only sad part was there were only two. He gave a defeated smile to himself as he sauntered up to the kid. He took on the appearance of an older brother like figure. Not the dreamers brother but something to give of the feeling of security. Placing a hand on Karliah's shoulder, he smiled wide. Well hey there! Sounds like there is a fun night to be had. Singing, story telling, racing and sword fighting. Sounds pretty fun to me. Heck, if you're up for it, we could even do a little hike up the trail! Nothing like a little moonlit scenery with friends to calm the nerves. He calmly placed a hand out for the kid to take, holding the broom in the other. I got a little security for you here if you want. So far it's been pretty effective, though, in your hands it will be even better. So what do ya say champ? Wanna play for a little bit? What is it that you want to do?

 

[SilverFlight]

Happenstance	Rank: Rookie

Hap put a slow, comforting hand on Sam's head, letting her know that she wasn't alone in the flood of feelings.
The boy still gave uneasy glances at the flowing mass of fiends shying from the light but Al brought his attention round again and he slowly climbed out of the box. He eyed the guitar with a hint of envy. "Sweet man. You get it at Mac's? My brother and me were always in the music store when we were kids. Just messing, we never bought anything, but we were gonna start a band when he were older."
The boy thought about Al's mention of the old story. "That's like the guy who could play a flute and get rid of rats right?"
Hap grinned as the understanding bloomed on her face. "You sir, are a genius."
Just then the boy noticed Sam as a small puppy bouncing about his heels.
"Aw hey! Cool dog!" He reached out to scratch Sam behind the ears, not seeming all that phased that she spoke. "I guess I could...try...Want me to show you some moves my brother taught me?"
As he said this, the broom in Collin's hand shimmered and changed, becoming a real sword that cut into the fiends like butter when Collin swung it. There were several dismayed squeaks as a few fell to the floor and dissolved into mist.
Nyx gave a hint of a smile. "Sam, Collin, good work you two."
The boy looked down at Karliah, listening to her story. When she chuckled some of the fiends spontaneously popped. Hap whistled appreciatively, then stepped closer to one of the walls and leaned in: "HAHAHAHA!" She yelled and a vast chunk of the wall exploded in black mist, leaving clean wood underneath. Hap grinned broadly and gave a thumbs up to Karliah. "Its working!"
The boy nodded, "my brother was the better singer, he was gonna be lead in our band when we got it together. Hey, do you know 'Sound of Silence'?"
Hap seemed pleased. "The Disturbed cover right?" The boy nodded, already they could feel the dreamer begin to relax.
"Classic. Hey! If they pop when we laugh, what'll happen to 'em when we sing?" Hap seemed excited to try.
When Atlan mentioned hiking outside the boy froze again.
"There was one story. Our dad used to tell it to us." The boy spoke to Al's second question now, but looked at Atlan as he said it. "About a monster, that lived in the woods around here...He always used to tell us, you never saw it coming, only heard the rustle of leaves under its claws, and the sound of its laugh, like, a human laugh...just before it got you." The sheer terror in the boy's eyes was apparent. As he spoke a window appeared in the space of bare wall cleared when Hap had laughed at it. A misty trail could be seen leading off into the night. Hap suddenly felt a chill come over her as she looked, and she could have sworn something was watching them from outside.

Nyx	Rank: Master

Nyx put a hand on Atlan's shoulder. "Well done lad, you've found out what the dreamer needs to do. Its precisely what he is most afraid of doing. I'm sure you've all noticed the lack of doors in this cabin."
Nyx twisted his hand at the wall as if he were opening a door and sure enough, one materialized before him, the handle in his hand.
"Where are you trying to get to?" Nyx asked the dreamer gently.
The boy didn't even pause. "The hospital. I gotta go visit my brother...it might be...you know, the last time..." Tears began to fill the kid's eyes as the thought threatened to overwhelm him. He tried to hold them back, blinking up at the ceiling and turning away.
Suddenly lights began to glimmer in the distance. A tall square building appeared. One could just make out an ambulance pulling into the emergency entrance. The sound of a siren wailed faintly in the distance.
"I-I can't go out there. The monster will tear me apart. I w-won't even get half way."
The boy at this point seemed caught by the sheer terror of the monster and the despair of not seeing his brother. Hap felt a catch in her throat as his emotions flooded through them all.
Nyx did not seem overly affected, which Hap felt was a bit heartless. He didn't even hesitate as he twisted the handle...and opened the door.
"Firstly, we need to deal with these fiends, having less of them will help him gain a little more control over his fear." He announced to the animi coolly. "Then we need to get him to that hospital, and when we meet this monster, he needs to kill it."

- The fear fiends still must be dispatched, there are now several ways to do this. - The dreamer's objective has become clear, he must brave the darkness to get to the hospital where his brother is being kept. - The way to the hospital is patrolled by a mysterious monster that makes little noise except for footsteps and a laugh before it attacks - The dreamer is clearly terrified to go outside but must be convinced he can brave the trials. Goals: 1. Get rid of the fiends 2. Help the dreamer gather the courage to go outside 3. Find a way to help the dreamer face his fears, embodied in the monster that lurks in the darkness

 

[Bolts]

Name: Atlan	Rank: Journeyman
Mood: Chilled to the bone.	Weapon: Broom o' Fire

Atlan retracted his hand as the boy seemed to exit the chest on his own. Though he felt glanced over in the moment it was still nice to see the kid up and moving now. He even gave out a small chuckle as the dreamer slowly became more talkative to them all. If only it were this easy all the time, then nightmares would be a thing of the past. He watched as the kid gawked over Al's instrument. Crossing his arms now, he allowed himself to take in the relaxing atmosphere. With the help of the new feelings rushing in, as well as Collin's attacks at nearby fear fiends, things soon became leisurely and calm. Atlan knew deep in his heart that things would soon become bad again. The kid's real problem was yet to be dealt with but for now things could stay as is. Things seemed to be making progress. Hearing the laughter and exploding wall, Atlan gave a satisfied glance to everyone. What was once a pitch black area was now shaping into a real dream.

It wasn't till Atlan's comments registered did he feel the sudden change in pace. Things became cold and fearful once again. Even after being in various dreams, the raw emotions of a dreamer still took him by surprise. He watched as the previously exploded wall took the form of a window into the outside. There, he could sense something watching and waiting. Most likely a terrifying predator of imagination laying patiently for it's victims to come out. The only thing to snap him out of his worried state was the sudden appearance of Nyx's hand on his shoulder. He quickly formed a shy smile from his words. In all honesty, he hand't noticed the lack of doors. He was much to caught up in the feelings of the dreamer to take in the scenery he usually loves so much. Thank you sir. He managed to press out before the next set of objectives were laid out for them. Hearing that the kid would have to take on the fear wasn't the best thing to say aloud at the moment considering he my be a little unstable at the moment.

Atlan came before the kid and knelled down a little. Hey there matey. Sounds like some crazy stuff is out there from what you're telling me. Now, I'm not one to brag, but we got an awesome set of fighters here. See that guy there? He said as he pointed to Nyx. That guy can kick some serious butt. No way he will let anything tear you apart. None of us will let it do that, you have my word. I bet that story is a complete hoax anyway. Even if there is some weird thing out there, those "claws" are probably just used Freez-e-pop wrappers. Wouldn't want to nic my mouth but pretty harmless. In his mind, Atlan knew the kid was thinking of claws for the monster. Having it that way was sure to be a dangerous enemy waiting for them. His hope, give the kid something to think about. Something that could change the appearance of the monster to make it less powerful. I'll tell you what though. We will clean up the rest of these vermin. Make it nice and clean for you. Then, as a group, we will get you to your brother. I will make sure of it!... But one last thing before we start. What's your name? Mine is Atlan. He spoke with a confident grin.

 

[zCrookedz]

Al

♩♫♪

• Rank: Master
• Armor: Leather Attire
• Weapon: Flute/ Clev-tar
• Mood: Confident

Al watched as the idea of the story seemed spark some recognition in the boy. He had it right on the money, and when Hap praised Al's idea, Al simply gave the girl a wink and lifted the flute back up to his lips. He played a few more soft notes in the background as the boy climbed out of the chest and began to start to feel better. He could feel the gloom beginning to lift ever so slowly as the boy talked about his brother and there sword fighting. As he played, he had to admit to himself in his head, the others weren't doing half bad at this. When Hap and Karliah seemed to figure out a really good way to "pop" the vermin covering the place, Al saw where Hap's mind was going within a few seconds. He lifted himself from beside the chest, flute still in hand.

When Al was once again standing at full height, his flute had once again shifted like a mirage. This time he was holding a strange looking instrument. It looked like a Keytar, a guitar styled instruments that was replaced by a electric key board on the body, and a series of button where the strings would stretch along the neck. But the edge of the Keytar shown like polished silver as Al moved. Upon closer inspection anyone would notice that the edge was as sharp as a large knife, or, a cleaver. Al slung the strap across his shoulder and gripped the neck as Atlan was kneeling before the boy. He stepped a bit closer to Hap and nudged her arm with end of his Cle-tar.
"Oy, wanna give me a hand with this?"
Al did not normally like to share the spot light when it came to music. But Hap had inspired the boy with the thought of the song, and a bit more selfishly, he wanted to see just how good Hap was.

Once Atlan had finished his encouragement to the boy, Al focused on Nyx's instruction on removing the fiends in the room. Is he could get Hap and the boy singing, this room would be cleared out in no time. Al shifted the instrument once before he looked down at the boy.
"Before we go take care of the boogie man, how about we get rid of this mess, huh? Sing along if you know the words kiddies."
He nodded to Hap and began to play on the Cle-tar. Pressing the keys on the body, along with the keys on the neck, the instrument began to sound like a real piano was being played within the room. A real piano would have been better, but changing the guitar into a piano at this point would make things, crowded.
The tone was soft and slow, and even though it sounded of a sad and lonely moment, to Al it was song that inspired strength. Strength to rise up against darkness and the world. Hopefully, it inspired the same in the boy.

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Sam	Rank: Journeyman

Sam was pleased when Collin went along with her idea, playing on the idea of turning this scene into a sword-fighting one. Surely this would cheer the kid up, right? This could work!

When Karliah added her idea to the pileup, Sam wondered how the boy would react to someone being more of his age. A girl at that, too. It'd actually be kind of cute if he got flustered, but perhaps the kid was too young to even worry about such things anyways. Hearing the constant hesitations in Karliah's speech, Sam had to wonder if someone should offer to help her with her confidence after this mission.

At the mention of dark clouds, Sam perked up and was ready to bark a warning at the anima, but hesitated. Maybe she's onto something here?

Sure enough, Sam's hesitation was better than interrupting the anima, as she went on to suggest laughter and singing as more weapons against the fiends. While Sam found these to be quite the opposite idea of the sword-fighting, it never hurt to have more options here. Luckily, she was in a puppy form and could just pretend to be excited like any puppy would, which meant she wouldn't have to join any kumbaya circles that may form.

Atlan joined in welcoming the kid, while also inviting him to join the swordplay. Maybe this is all we have to do...maybe we've resolved this peacefully and, well, easy-peasy! At these thoughts, Sam let out another excited bark and proceeded to chase her tail before stumbling sideways with dizziness.

While she'd more than welcomed Happenstance's comforting pat, she was blissfully amused when the anima proceeded to laugh at the fiends and started defeating them. Such an odd method of doing it, but Sam knew they all had their own way of handling dreamers and their problems.

Enjoying all the pets she was receiving, Sam barked back at the boy when he suggested showing off his moves.
"Yeah! Show me your moves!"
Her tail was wagging like crazy now, her excitement difficult to contain anymore.

Her excitement continued to grow when Nyx complimented her and Collin. Grinning at this, Sam yipped in response.

Just as things seemed to continue going in their favor, the kid grew quiet again with the talk of hiking. Crap. Listening to him explain the monster lurking outside, Sam took a mental note of the window that had now appeared on one of the walls. Now that Nyx mentioned it, she had yet to notice the lack of an exit in here. The monster sounded downright creepy to Sam, especially given that it had a human laugh. What's wrong with this kid's dad?

Her excitement began ebbing away with all of this dark chatter, completely dissolving when a hospital was mentioned. Her ears folded against her head while her tail tucked between her legs, as the kid went on to say that today may be his brother's last day. Sam still couldn't remember her last day, nor any friends or family if they ever visited her before.

While Nyx went on to calmly discuss their next move, Sam plopped herself down on her rump and let out a soft sigh. This sucks on so many levels. Alas, she had a dreamer to protect and now was not the time for self-pity. Despite the continued struggle with her own emotions, Sam watched as both Atlan and Al went on to encourage the kid. If the kid could believe that they could defeat the fiends, then they could. It was as simple as that.

Letting out a breath, Sam stood back up, though it was much more difficult for her to maintain a happy facade now. Trotting over to the boy's side, Sam perked her ears back up and wagged her tail a bit, though she was still clearly disturbed by all of this.
"H-hey, if you'll allow us to be your guards, we can help you get to the h-hospital. Maybe I can stick by your side the whole way. I'll keep any monsters from getting near you, I promise!"

 

[DawnAntalios]

Karliah	Rookie
Mood: Mixed emotions	Weapon: Her voice

Karliah was a bit careful with her approach as she did not really know how to properly and carefully handle situations like these. Being a rookie it was not a surprise, the fact that everyone else here were like veterans in her eyes made her really respect all of them... and also be a bit afraid. She could not explain where this erratic, sometimes illogical anxiety came from, especially since she was some sort of a spirit now... yet despite all of this, being here with everyone made the girl anxious for unknown reasons still. Inhibitions like these kept her in check... and in shackles, to an extent.

When some actually tried out and vanished the fiends with her method she blushed heavily - both from joy and from relief. She could, then, fight these monsters after all... she only thought of handling them in close quarters combat like her allies did but seeing how the fiends were vulnerable to happy laughter gave her hope as well. Joyfully chuckling at few more fiends she made them pop before falling silent to listen to the others as the scenery and the mood shifted once again.

Nyx's instructions were clear as day, as always... though that did not mean that Karliah was so eager - or brave enough - to carry them out. It made her a bit afraid listening to the boy and his woes, his memories of a fearsome monster lurking out in the wilds and his ultimate goal of reaching his brother eventually. She was curious why the boy had to deal the killing blow to the monster eventually but it became clear soon enough for her: the boy had to break his own cycle of misery and nobody else could assist him in this task. A daunting thing to do for sure but assist him she would until the end.

She listened to the others, Atlan trying to get close to the boy by assisting him in every shape and form he could, Al offering the young teenager to sing along with him in order to get rid of the vermin around them. Hap was all about the singing idea which made her think that they together with everyone could surely triumph. She caught Sam's glances left and right and the little feline in dog body now offered the boy protection and help, everything she could.
It seemed everyone knew what they had to do. It felt... truly strange for Karliah to even be here among these seasoned fighters. If anything she felt very... fragile in this situation. Surely enough the lesser creatures were vulnerable to her smile and giggles but she was not a fool - stronger adversaries were out there waiting for a battle, including the boogie monster of the teenager's... and she doubt a mere laughter would be enough to defeat it.

Karliah took a deep breath. No, she was not good at fighting. But she was also bad at giving up things early. She could not do it... not when a dreamer's life was at stake.

The girl tentatively looked around. She did not think that she would be any good of devising a strategy how to proceed, much less to join in the fighting. Instead she decided to lend her aid in clearing up the little vermin all around them and join in the singing. She closed her eyes for a moment as she listened to the tone Al was playing. It was strangely familiar but completely alien at the same time as well. She did not understand this strange doubled feeling at first but it inspired her nonetheless. Feeling the urge to follow the sound her body slowly began to move seemingly on its own towards the dark creatures still lingering in the room. Karliah's movements now resembled an elegant series of dance moves, akin to ballet and she actually began to waltz between the vermin of shadows, unafraid of the shadows. The music and her resolve somehow granted her enough solace to try and face the nightmares of the boy. She dared not to sing aloud just yet, a gentle, melodic humming was all that left her mouth, her voice caressing the ears of those who would hear it... and probably inflicting pain to the shadowy creatures around them.

 

[Collinbu98]

Name: Collin	Rank: Journeyman
Mood: Confident	Weapon: A Sword and a Dreamer

As the newly-reformed blade tore through the dark rats, a wicked grin spread its way across Collin's lips. "That's what I'm talking about!" he exclaimed, more about his own excitement at being able to kill the Fiends rather than encouraging the boy. It served both purposes well enough, though. Collin took a few more giddy swishes in demonstration as the others threw out more ideas. The rookie girl even shrank herself down to look less intimidating. Overall, Collin disapproved of the tactic, even if it did have some merit. But the only way to conquer fear that Collin knew was to make yourself strong and fight it. Comforting the boy wouldn't accomplish that.
The boy seemed to be just as happy with any answer, though, whether that be corny joyful reminiscing, musical comfort, or Collin's own suggestion of violent redemption. Admittedly, with how many Fiends were hiding about in every corner, sword fighting was probably the slowest removal method compared to simply singing them away, but there didn't seem to be any rush. Nonetheless, Collin was also familiar with the song, and he hummed silently along as he made his own moves to tear through the room, killing every Fiend he could get his hands on with a graceful finesse one could only find in a dream.
Once Collin felt he had cleared enough away that the music would handle the rest, he willed himself to stop his perfect slaughter in front of the Dreamer, breathing lightly as he gazed directly at the boy with a confident grin. Addressing the others and their comforting words and assured togetherness they supplied the boy with, Collin said, "Come on now, guys. This guy's the reason we managed to kill all these ugly shadow rats; he doesn't need us for protection. One look at him and the monster might just drop dead with fright. We're just hear to make sure he gets where he needs to go." To punctuate his words, Collin casually flipped about his blade so that the hilt faced the boy as Collin held it out in offering. It pained Collin to hand over his weapon and relinquish his right to take down the monster out there, but Collin agreed with Nyx's words and knew that that was what the Dreamer needed to do, so Collin needed to be willing to show that he trusted the boy enough to give up his weapon.

 

[SilverFlight]

The young boy looked at Atlan seriously. He shook his head at the notion of the beast being a myth. "I've heard it...its out there." He eyed the other people in the cabin, Nyx and Al and the others.
"Honestly, you just look like regular people to me...but...maybe if we take it on all at once?" A small ember of hope flickered in his voice. He was beginning to believe it was possible.
"My name's Raph. Raphael."

Happenstance	Rank: Rookie

Hap smiled as Al prepared to play. She began, lifting her voice to the quiet melody. As the words drifted about the small room a light began to manifest from an unknown source. It poured out over the assembled people, trickling onto the floor and erasing the fiends as it spread. As Karliah began to dance the fiends scattered, any caught in her wake vanished like shadows at noon.
Raphael listened quietly for the first verse, the unknowing source of the light that tore through the fiends. When Hap lead the way into the second he began to sing too, softly at first, barely above a whisper, then louder. Hap looked on in awe as the light burst apart, forming little glowing motes. The fiends melted from the room, the last vanishing with one final angry squeak. She stayed quiet for the final part of the song, listening to the young boy's voice wander over the words like they were as familiar as home.
The song finished and Raphael looked around at the clean, simple, wood-paneled room.
Raphael watched Collin move, the awe in his eyes evident. Hap could imagine that the boy looked at his older brother that way, once, when he wasn't ill in the hospital.
"Gotta say Col, I think you're right. We'll tag along but I'm pretty sure Raph here can handle it." She gave the boy a wink.
Raph looked down at Sam, smiling at her antics and nodding to her before looking up admiringly at Collin. "I think I'm ready to try it now."
He walked over to Atlan, touching the broom in his hand and that too became a sword.
"May I?" He asked, holding his hand out for the weapon.

Nyx	Rank: Master

"Well," Nyx said quietly. "Now that we're all set." He turned to the door, which stood open, trailing mist along the floor. Nyx stepped over the threshold and into the night.
Raphael followed him, the soft crunch of leaves sounding under his worn sneakers.
The forest was old. The underbrush nearly gone, choked out for centuries by the shadows of the taller trees. A thin coating of dried leaves covered every inch of the spongy forest floor and the scent of earth and pine was thick in the air.
Hap swallowed hard as she came out into the forest. "I'll give the kid credit, when he dreams...he sure does it in hi def..."

In the distance through the trees the light from the hospital could still be seen. Hap turned toward it before looking back at the others and the dreamer. "It doesn't look too far."
Just then she heard something that made her blood freeze. Footsteps. But they weren't coming from anyone behind her. These footsteps came from the darkness of the forest just in front of her. First two steps, slow and methodical, then more, faster, closer...
Raphael started to panic. "Shit! Its coming for us!" He stumbled back and a soft low chuckle echoed through the night.
"Come on, don't freak on me now man! You're making me freak out!" Hap said...right before something grabbed her by the leg. She screamed as she was pulled off her feet and dragged bodily into the darkness.
"HAP!" Nyx yelled turning to run after her when he was slammed backwards by an unseen force. He hit the ground in a spray of leaves just as a blood-curdling cackle split the air.
"Oh my god!" Raph yelped, stumbling back. "It got her! We gotta help her! We need to do something!"

Nyx recovered fast and began barking orders. "Stay together now! Be on your guard! This is the Shadow we're dealing with!" His mind was racing. There was no way to know what had happened to happenstance yet. The Shadow was a powerful force in the dream, and it did have the power to kill animi, but Nyx's obligation was to the animi as a whole, and most of them were still here. He couldn't risk going after Hap.
"Get the dreamer back on his feet! We need him to beat this thing!"

The leaves moved on their own again, making a beeline trail for Atlan, with every intention of dealing out the same courtesy it did to Nyx. Out of nowhere teeth flashed, making a solid attempt to grab Atlan by the leg to drag him off as well.

- You've now gotten the dreamer outside of the cabin - Just as you do however the mysterious creature attacks, dragging Hap off! - Nyx has ordered the party to stay, despite Hap being in danger - Raphael is panicking and in no state to control the dream, the Shadow is in full control now. Goals: 1. Find a way to help the dreamer master his fear and confront the monster 2. Help the dreamer defeat the monster by giving him memes to bend the reality of the dream 3. Find a way to the hospital through the trees and help Hap if you can.

 

[zCrookedz]

Al

♩♫♪

• Rank: Master
• Armor: Leather Attire
• Weapon: Clev-tar
• Mood: Hero Time!!!

As Al played he let his eyes close to focus on the music. Listening to Hap sing, he had to admit he was impressed with the girl, she could sing and it wasn't half bad. As the song continued he could almost feel the lifting of the fiends on in the dream. Like a heavy blanket being lifted, the fiends slowly began to disappear as the light washed over the room slowly. Still Al played on, and still Hap sang. At the second verse however, Al heard what he was hoping to hear. Raph, who had mentioned his name before the song, joined in and the light grew even more. Al smiled, no matter what dream he had been in, he had always been able to find music that could lift the dreamer and the fight back the darkness of the Fiends.

As the Song finally ended, Al opened his eyes and let the echo of the song disappear with the last of the rat fiends. Al's confident smile began to grow as he watched the young dreamer leave the cabin. Al gave the Clev-tar a flick and it swung back around to his back on the guitar strap. He stuffed his empty hand into his jacket and produced his smokes, sticking one that was already lit in between his lips.
As he followed the dreamer and the group out into the forest, Al had to agree with Nyx with the scenery. The kid had quite the recollection of the forest and how it looked. With the Hospital in sight, Al casually strolled along until everything froze and the dreamer began to freak out about the foot steps.
"Come on kid, I'm sure its just a deer or some..."

Before he could finish the sentence, Hap screamed and vanished into the forest. As Nyx darted after her, and subsequently was thrown backwards, Al had reached for his Clev-tar, and was now wielding it ready for the next attack. In true Nyx fashion, focused on the business at hand, keeping the dreamer safe and getting him on his feet was the first and foremost objective. But someone needed to go after Hap and get her back. A shadow was dangerous, sometimes even more so than the fiends themselves. Nyx could rally the others better than Al could, he was their leader after all. Of course Nyx had just told them not to as well, so as soon as Al saw the leaves heading for Atlan, he darted towards the spot in the woods where Hap had disappeared.
"I'll get Hap, you guys got the dreamer."

 

[Bolts]

Name: Atlan	Rank: Journeyman
Mood: Shocked and desperate	Weapon: Rapier

Atlan smiled when the name was mentioned. If he had the chance, he always asked for a name. It made everything feel more personal that way. He felt that sometimes, even in the darkest of moments, a simple calling of their name could reassure them. He stood back up, placing his hands on his hips as he watched the others sing and dance. It wasn't much of a pirate's chantey so he sat this one out. Even in modern clothing, he still enjoyed acting like a pirate. All around, the fiends were scattering and fading like they weren't here to begin with. To think that everyone back in the Bastion was scarred to come here. Throughout the song, he tapped his toes and fingers to the tune, still enjoying the music. The harmony between Al and Hap was something else. That was to be expected since they seemed pretty invested in music. Once the song came to a lull, he noticed Raph coming up to him. Aye, Bucko. I'll be watching ye collect those creatures bounties. He said as he handed the broom to Raph. Just before, he felt the sudden weight change of the item as it turned into a sword. With a small chuckle, he relinquished it. Now that everything was said and done, they made their way out into the woods.

Atlan readied his rapier for rouge fiends as well as the creepy stalking one. He really hoped he got a less dangerous idea of it into Raph's head before they left. The light from the cabin got dimmer and dimmer as they walked on the trail. The soft smell of pine, earth, and lake water energized him. It was just the mood he was looking. All was good for a few minutes... As the pale moon shone down through the cracks in the tall tree branches, he couldn't help but feel something was watching them. Waiting for prey to make a bad move. Once the hospital was pointed out, he let off a small sigh of relief. It wasn't too far now! They could make it there in no time. That hope dropped like his body temperature when he heard the cackling. He spun around, trying to find the source. It was too late. He heard the shriek of Hap as she got dragged into the darkness. Cold beads of nervous sweat trickled down his head as he readied his blade. Stay grouped up everyone! Keep a lookout!
He listened for the quick movement. He was only able to catch glimpses of leaves get kicked up before the darting came from another direction. It wasn't till the trail was coming for him did he see the creatures maw. Before he could even call out an insult, he felt the piercing pain in his leg as he got dragged to the ground. In a desperate attempt to keep from getting dragged off like Hap, he kicked the face of the creature with his other foot while jabbing at a the shoulder/ face area with his rapier. Oh no you don't!

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Sam	Rank: Journeyman

Hearing the boy refer to her as a normal person, Sam pouted with her ears flopping down against the side of her face. She wasn't just your average person here!

Alas, this was not the time to complain or act like a child. The dreamer needed their aid and she would supply as much as she could.

Noting the boy's name, Raphael, Sam smiled as her ears perked up again. She even wagged her tail a bit, as she liked the sound of such a name. It reminded her of angels and made her think of bravery as a result. Kindness, too. Perhaps she could speak of this?

Before she got the chance, the team had gathered and was heading outside. Her tail slowed, as she gingerly padded after the group and into the imagined night. As she cast her gaze about the surreal forest setting, Sam found her heart skipping a beat. This was really realistic for a dream!

Just as Sam was readying to respond to Happenstance's comment with agreement, she froze and the laughter echoed in the air. As if she weren't small enough already, Sam felt herself shrink even smaller, her fur flattening against her body with her ears flat against her head and her tail between her legs. Witnessing the kid's panic, Sam let out a faint whimper in response, feeling his fear echo inside of her. It didn't help when Happenstance was suddenly nabbed and dragged into the darkness, screaming the whole way. This was not good, not at all!

Watching Nyx attempt and fail to go after her, Sam's head swiveled about, taking in everything happening so quickly. When the monster returned to attack again, Sam didn't think twice before she bounded over to the dreamer and took a defensive stance in front of him. She even let out an adorable growl, which was totally intimidating, too. Problem was, she'd never really dealt with the Shadow before. She had minimal experience in this field outside of what she'd heard about it. Plus, she was renown for her way of helping dreamers solve their own problems, not so much for her fighting capabilities...which frankly, were rather nonexistent.

While Atlan went to work defending himself and Al proudly proclaimed his intent to charge after Happenstance, Sam turned to face the dreamer with as confident of a face as she could muster while she looked like a puppy.
"Raphael, you have to stand up and help us. We can't do this without you."
Pausing to think of something a bit more encouraging, Sam remembered her angel references from before.
"There is an angel named Raphael. He's the bravest, strongest, kindest angel that was ever created by God."
Meeting Raphael's gaze, Sam continued, "You can be Raphael. Your sword is blessed by holy fire, just like Raphael's, the angel. Not only can it defeat the little Fiends, it can defeat the big ones, too! You just have to believe it, like you believed in us when we were in the cabin."

 

[Collinbu98]

Name: Collin	Rank: Journeyman
Mood: Loyal to the Dreamer	Weapon: A really cool sword

Collin grinned when Raph revealed his name. And then Collin grinned wider when the boy took Atlan's sword, not Collin's. If there was one thing you could rely on Collin for, it was for help in a fight, and Collin couldn't wait to help this Dreamer fight whatever demon laid ahead. He nodded over appreciatively at Hap for joining in on his encouragement of the boy before bringing back his toothy smile as the boy said he was ready. "That's what I'm talking about. Let's do this!" Collin exclaimed in reply, holding out his sword enthusiastically before proudly following at the boy's side.
Collin took a deep breath to absorb all of the rich smell of the forest as leaves crunched underfoot. Collin took it all in appreciatively until suddenly a sound made him tense up. First Raph, then Hap and the others all began to panic, but since the thing was coming too fast for Collin to have any time to call out reassurances, so instead he poised his blade for an attack on whatever this beast had to offer.
Then the monster popped out of the shadows, and Collin had his blade gliding through the air gracefully right at the thing, but then it had Hap, and Collin had to move his blade out of the way at the last second to avoid the risk of hitting the Anima. Collin muttered a curse under his breath before recovering in time to see Nyx chase after the thing only to be knocked back by an invisible force while Hap got dragged away out of sight.
Nyx, as always, was the first to take initiative and command everyone to stay together and protect the Dreamer, which Collin had figured was already the obvious thing to do. Though it seemed that wasn't quite as apparent to everyone else, as Al ran off after Hap in his most impulsive fashion. That was one of the major differences between Collin's recklessness and Al's: Collin at least knew how to prioritize, and the Dreamer always takes priority before everything else.
When Collin spotted the Shadow making a beeline for Atlan, Collin moved to take the opportunity to try and help Raph regain his courage. Sam seemed to gain the opportunity first, speaking of angels and apparently trying to insert some sort of buffer meme on Raph's sword, but Collin didn't see the point in that; the Dreamer would need to take back control of the dream before he would really be willing to accept a meme, and by then, what's the point? A sword's just as good as a holy sword in Collin's book, as long as it can kill the beast. So instead Collin decided to impart a few of his own words, in a much less grandiose fashion then Sam's angels: "Come on, Raph. I don't know anything a sword can't kill, and we've got the swords, so let's protect the others. I've got your back," Collin said, holding out his hand reassuringly to help Raph to his feet, with Collin's sword at his side in the other hand. "We can beat this thing. Together."

 

[DawnAntalios]

Karliah	Rookie
Mood: Strange feeling	Weapon: Her faith

The music ebbed, the song finally vanishing into the ether, leaving perpetual silence behind for just few moments. Karliah did not know just how long were they actually purifying this small portion of the dream but it seemed like they were ultimately successful. As she opened her eyes she saw that the darkness did not only recede but scurried back to the darkness entirely, leaving this small room finally intact. Allowing herself a small smile she turned to the others to congratulate everyone on their efforts... until she realized that their struggles merely began. They may have driven back the nightmare temporarily but the root of the problem was still out there.

She walked up to the group as she listened to Raphael opening up a bit. She smiled happily at knowing that the boy was perhaps more willing to face his fears now but hearing that they needed to traverse through the forest to reach their goals woke a foreboding feeling within her. The dark, vast landscape ahead of them was anything but welcoming, the shadowy trees induced nightmarish emotions into Karliah even as she looked at them. She needed to muster all her strength to persevere and keep her head high: she was here to help not to be helped, after all.

As Nyx and Al finally set the plan in motion she followed the others closely. Her arch enemy, the darkness, now surrounded all of them and made the already nightmarish dream deeper and darker. She was walking close to Collin and Atlan, the two skilled warriors giving her hope for survival and actual defense. Perhaps observing them she could learn a trick or-
Suddenly the footsteps came and they came to a halt as well. Karliah looked around with worry in her eyes but could not pinpoint the exact location of their adversary. To her horror the shadow lashed out against them and actually began to drag Hap away. A silent scream froze in her throat as Karliah tried to help, held back by Nyx's orders at first - then by the reinvigorated attack of the fiend towards Atlan.

Jumping out of the was of the dark tendrils she watched in fear the pirate's struggle with the monstrous shade. She had read and heard about monstrosities of this power but never before did she see one herself personally. The only reason why she did not run away was because her feet and legs disobeyed her. Someway, somehow she knew she had to do something but she could have given nothing to the others other than moral support. She listened in and took hear from what Sam and Collin trying to encourage the boy to fight: their words were not only wise but also cleverly inspiring to the boy for sure. Watching them Karliah wondered what difference could she make, what possible advantage could she provide to everyone...

She felt her heartbeat... she felt it even though she was long past mortality. She heard it call out for her, giving her some strange fount of unknown courage. She felt as if she was given new hope and purpose, confidence radiating from her. It was... as if it was natural to her. Something that lingered within her soul, a fraction of something that perhaps she once was. Regardless of the strange sensation she now knew one thing: she had to speak up.
"They are right, Raphael." she spoke up, confidence somehow surging within her. Her face turned stern "The power... even if we do not realize it immediately is within us. It slumbers, rests until the time comes when we can unleash it. And the time for that has come."
She took a deep breath, looking around to the others.
"I am no warrior. I can not wield weapons like you can. But I need not to be a warrior to know that your heart and soul burns brighter with courage than you may realize." she put her gloved hand on her own chest "I am afraid... you are afraid... and probably we all are. But this does not mean that we will back away for fear is not our enemy: feeling it makes us strong for without fear courage can not exist either. Facing our fears is perhaps the hardest thing we can do and... well, there are times when the confrontation is inevitable. This is a moment like this."
She gulped, looking at Raphael again.
"Believe in yourself, Raphael. Do that... and no monster or demon shall stand in your way. Trust in yourself... and in your allies."

When she concluded her speech even she was surprised. The moment the last words left her mouth she felt to shrink in courage and posture, as if something left her at that very moment. The surging courage was now taken over by the battle of Atlan and the demon close to them. Glancing around with an anxious look she only hoped that her and her allies' encouragement was enough to help the dreamer out.

 

[Tedronai]

The crowd that had gathered around the Window hummed with dozens of nervous mutters. Teoh grew impatient after just a few seconds at the back of the throng waiting to be noticed. He cleared his throat loudly, and heads turned to see what the fuss was about. Annoyance quickly vanished from faces and those that had eyebrows rose sharply. People started shuffling and those they jostled turned with similar annoyance and startlement in succession, and slowly a path was cleared for him.

Teoh strolled towards the Window, taking care to hide his own surprise behind a mask of stony stoicism. There were Rookies and Journeyman in attendance and it would do no good for them to see a Master perplexed even if they were; perhaps then most of all. His mind had searched frantically for answers to why the Window was an orb of purest black. When it had changed to something more recognisable as a Dream the crowd had begun to thin, but Teoh’s interest only intensified.

He watched with a critical eye as the Dream unfolded, fighting the instinct to shake his head. The Animus within the Dream were a team in name only. There was no cohesion, no unity. Ideas were shouted and acted upon without agreement or direction; direction that ought to have come from a Master. This Dream had two and neither were living up to the standard he expected.

Even if he made the right choice in choosing to go after Hapenstance, that did not change the fact that he and Al saw eye to eye on very little. The reptilian Master had no respect. Worse still, the impressionable Collin was beginning to follow his bad example. As Hapenstance was snatched by the Shadow Teoh had snatched the glasses from his snout with a snort; the first outward sign he showed. As he polished to the lenses of the delicate portal key, he realised he was considering joining them in the Dream. Placing the glasses back he restrained himself. As much as he wanted to he could not take the risk, and that was the fault of the other Master.

Teoh clicked his forked tongue in frustration. The man was the Head Master, what if the Shadow had seized him instead of young Hapenstance? The man was a fool; a well-intentioned fool, but a fool nonetheless. Teoh sighed as he instructed the others to continue on with the Dreamer. It did not surprise him but he did not agree. The Dreamers numbered in Billions and the Animus a scant fraction of that. Though he would not wish ill on one of them he would not trade one for one of the Animus, even Hapenstance. Because Nyx had taken that foolish risk he was forced to watch from the side-lines but he would use the opportunity to study these Animus, to learn the weaknesses so as to better teach them…if they survived.

 

[SilverFlight]

The creature reeled back from Atlan's kick with a pained bark, the only sign of it was the leaves it churned up under its feet as it moved away.
Raphael was pale as a sheet as he staggered back. By some miracle he had kept hold of the sword. He tried to say something as Sam leaped in front of him. She was so small! And yet fear didn't prevent her from putting herself between him and danger. His eyes were locked onto hers as she spoke of the angel Raphael. It stirred a memory in his mind. His mother had named him after that angel...Suddenly the sword in his grip began to glow and in a instant of blinding light it burst into flame, the tongues of fire lashing out, leaning toward the beast as if ready for a fight. Raphael held the blade up in wonder.
Collin's voice made him look up and suddenly he felt much less alone. What the animus had said made him look around. He wasn't alone. He had friends here and they were all willing to fight for him, no, with him. He took a trembling breath and then took Collin's hand.
Karliah was the next to reach him. She sounded so sure and the words gave him strength. He looked at the burning blade in his hand, then at the mild-tempered anima and almost smiled. "You're right." The beast thrashed in the darkness and gave another hideous laugh as it prepared to attack again. He felt a wave of fear rise up but this time he fought against it. "And also, that thing's standing between me and my brother...nothing does that."
His voice set into a determined growl. The animi had galvanized him and he turned his weapon, blazing in the darkness, in the direction of the creature. He was ready.

Happenstance	Rank: Rookie

Happenstance felt the sharp pain of fangs in her leg. In an instant she had changed her clothes into thick Kevlar armour so when the creature attacked a second time she only felt the pressure of the bite on her shoulder. Her hand hit the earth and was dragged over a stick as the creature attempted to pull her further away from her friends. She grabbed it and swung it up and behind her, hearing a satisfying yelp as the pressure on her shoulder vanished. The thing had retreated and was back to the others now and Hap struggled onto her good leg, lifting the bitten one gingerly as she braced herself against a tree.
A sudden snarl behind her made her freeze, but the creature was feet in front of her with the others! How?..She didn't have time to think further before a blow sent her flying. She hit the ground in a spray of leaves and with a growl of her own turned to face the invisible beast again. Things didn't look good.

Nyx	Rank: Master

Nyx couldn't help but smile proudly at the way his students were handling themselves. The dreamer was up, he had a weapon and now the will to fight. But still, it was impossible to fight what they couldn't see. Carefully Nyx scraped up a handful of dirt.
"Raphael! As soon as it appears! Attack!" The dreamer turned to him, watching the dust in his hand. Nyx blew on it dramatically, spreading the powder up and over in a wide-reaching arc to cover the churning leaves where the beast was moving. Raphael looked on as the dust began to settle on something solid and slowly began to reveal the form the Shadow had taken.
It was mostly canine in the shape of its body, but long, snaking necks protruded from every angle across its shoulders and back, six in total and each neck ended in a gaping maw filled with sharp teeth. It screeched indignantly, a chorus of voices splitting the night.
Hap suddenly could see her attacker behind her, one of the most-rear heads, gnashing its repulsive teeth at her.
"Oh that is nasty!" She spat, putting her stick between herself and the head.

"Now!" Nyx called. "Attack it!" It was a call for everyone. Raphael needed an opening. The master surged forward, leaping bodily onto one of the heads and dragging it to the dirt.

-The dreamer, armed with flaming sword is now ready to stand against his Shadow - Hap is still facing off a beast head on her own and she is injured - Nyx has ordered one final attack on the beast to give Raphael the opening he needs to defeat it Goals: 1. Attack the monster 2. Protect the dreamer

zCrookedz Lioness075 DawnAntalios Bolts Collinbu98 Tedronai

 

[zCrookedz]

Al

♩♫♪

• Rank: Master
• Armor: Leather Attire
• Weapon: Clev-tar/B.A.S.S
• Mood: Hero Time!!!

Al followed after Hap scream I,to the woods a little ways. She didn't go,to,far, which was good in case there was a problem with the dreamer.
By the time Al made it to her side, she had found herself a stick and had made whatever had pulled her away retreat a ways. He came up beside her, eyeing the number that had been done to her leg.
"Heh, you might have a real shot at my favorite Pirate if we don't get ya out of here."

Al's attention was a bit torn as he looked back towards the group. There was a flash of flames now, had to be from the dreamer. But when the snarling came back from in front of him and Hap, Al frowned.
"what the he'll?"
Al readied his Clev-tar, watching for leaves to move. As he did, he reached over to the stick that Hap had found and grasped it. As he did, the stick shimmered like his guitar would and changed into a crutch with a very large spiked ball where the rubber bottom would be. It was light enough for Hap to move with, but it would hurt like hell if it hit the shadow. Al loved being able to use his abilities to effect the dreamscape, even if it wasn't the most practical weapon made out of branch.

As he finished, he finally began to notice the creature that the shadow had taken. It was pretty sick looking, even if all they could see was the long neck and a snapping ugly maw.
Al gripped the Clev-tar as a smile stretched across his face. He didn't even wait for Nyx's go ahead. He dashed forward with his Clev-tar dragging beside. The creatures long neck shot forward with it gnashing teeth. Al ducked down low, sliding through leaves and dirt as the neck and head flew over him. It didn't take but a moment for the head to double back, but Al had already reached his goal. He stood, poised beside a large sturdy looking tree, with his weapon changed to his B.A.S.S. guitar. The head lunged forward again at him, but Al had already swung the ax, ripping through the tree with easy. Al followed through by jumping on the tree as it fell aiming for the shadows neck. As much as he liked killing fiends, shadows were different. They were part of the dreamer, and just needed to be changed. But there where no rules about pinning the thing with a big ass tree.

 

[Collinbu98]

Name: Collin	Rank: Journeyman
Mood: Determined and Battle Ready	Weapon: A really cool sword

After Collin, the little rookie spoke her piece, and while she spoke Collin realized he hadn't really paid all that much attention to her through the dream. Her style seemed to generally clash with Collin's, but her words were always encouraging. And she was the only really inexperienced Animi here, so all in all she was doing a pretty good job. But the congratulations could wait until after they all saved the Dreamer.
When Raph took Collin's hand, the Animus grinned. "That's the spirit! Let's go get to your brother." With the boy back on his feet, Collin readied his sword to back Raph up as soon as the opportunity arose. Then Master Nyx proved his title once again by blowing out the dust to catch the monster in a visible field of dust. Collin grinned as he called over to the Dreamer, "Raph, get ready to kill this thing!"
Then Collin was moving towards the beast, quickly picking up his pace until he was in a full on dash, coming at the thing at an angle so that when he finally gave his great leap at the hideous monster, he was able to spin with enough torque to dive onto the creature's back, sword-first. He aimed right between the shoulders and the nearest neck, hoping he'd be able to get the thing to rear up onto its hind legs and allowing for a perfect shot for the Dreamer.
Collin was skilled enough with the maneuver that he knew he could land it. It was a dream, after all, and Collin was Collin. But now was the pivotal point of the dream, and no matter how much skill Collin could put up in a fight, all that mattered now was whether or not Raphael could conquer his shadow, or if he would merely feed its power. Collin had faith in the Dreamer.

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Sam	Rank: Journeyman

Grinning at Collin's added input, Sam' tail wagged so quickly that leaves were beginning to fly up and dance a little behind her. She leaned forward and yipped at Raphael, excited to see what would happen next. There was no way the young boy wouldn't believe in their motivation and advice. Even the rookie piped in!

Sure enough, Raphael's sword came to life, holy fire enveloping it. While Sam had no desire to join the fight, she always loved to watch the Dreamers overcome their personal fears and problems. It was always the most exciting part of the Dream.

Yet, she felt an ounce of fear when Nyx blew the dust onto the Shadow, revealing its bulky and monstrous appearance. It reminded her of a hydra, but it was distinctly canine, too. All in all, it was terrifying and Sam felt herself shrink closer to the ground in a crouch. While the others charged at the Shadow, Sam remained where she was with no intent of attacking.

As she seemingly cowered during this moment, Sam noticed that she wasn't the only one not charging just yet. The rookie, some older Animus whom she recognized but couldn't recall a name for, and Atlan, though he was likely to join soon.

 

[Bolts]

Name: Atlan	Rank: Journeyman
Mood: gonna earn my peg leg soon	Weapon: Rapier

Atlan kicked as hard as he could with his open leg as the burning sensation of teeth dug deeper into him. The only thing keeping him from yelling out in pain was the spike in adrenaline. With a final thrust of his sole, the creature reeled back in pain before dissapearing back into the shadows. Crawling back a little ways, he shakily got back up from the ground. As he rose, he flinched and fell slightly as weight was placed on his bitten leg. Now that he was in the clear for a moment, he could see the gashes from the teeth had sunk deep into his lower leg. Quickly, he fixed the torn pants with a wave of his hand. He would rather not have the others loose focus on the fight over his wound. He gritted his teeth as he stood tall once more, shrugging off the pain that shot through him.

As he stood, bracing with rapier, he had to cover his eyes from a new light source. He let his eyes adjust as he saw Raphael donning a glowing sword. His mouth opened as an awe filled smile formed. Seems like they are reaching out well! He thought to himself in glee. It nearly made him forget about his leg for the moment. However, things picked up once again. The shifting of leaves behind him alerted him that another attack was incoming! He readied his rapier even though he knew he wasn't in the condition to get pounced again. Keeping Raphael safe was top priority. As he was following the leaves, he noticed a dust getting blown out to it. No doubt by a master. Shortly after, the beast was revealed. If it weren't for the lack of water, I'd say we have a baby Leviathan on our hands. He stated with a slight disgusted tone. Now that he could see it, he was glad he didn't get dragged off.

With his rapier readied, he dragged his body into position. With his movements sluggish from his bad leg, he couldn't take on the prominent heads. He would have to leave those to the more experienced close ranged fighters. Once Nyx called out for an attack, Atlan trudged towards the side of the monster. Doing his best to keep the better side forward he lunged and prodded to the swaying necks and heads. Alright you bilge sucking fiend! Come at me! He bellowed out to keep some of the heads focused on him as he prepped Raphael for his attack.

 

[DawnAntalios]

Karliah	Rookie
Mood: Strange courage	Weapon: Voice

Karliah was frankly startled at the choice of her own words when everything faded back to normal. Her sudden surge of courage and certainty vanished back to oblivion whence they came from and left her wondering about their origin. She found comfort in the fact that not only Raphael but the others were also encouraged by everything that was said and they were ready to rumble against the unknown foe. The obscurity and the identity of the creature, however, was soon unveiled when Nyx blew the powder-looking thing on it... leaving Karliah mortified.

The the multi-headed monstrosity instilled fear within her was an understatement, though the shock was not as great after all the dreadful revelations. Karliah knew that this was yet another obstacle that they had to vanquish if they were to save the dreamer from its ever returning... but the problem was the 'how'. Sure, people like Atlan and Collin were ready to fight, jumping into the fray with all their might... but she had no such strength. Others like Al and Nyx used their veteran skills, instincts and their fighting prowess to their advantage... she had none of them. All in all she felt frustrated as she watched the others struggle, feeling unable to contribute to the cause. That was until...

Her eyes darted to the one journeyman who she saw remaining still in the whole ordeal: Sam. She understood that the tiny frame of the 'girl' inhibited her to join in to the fight just as hers did... but now she gathered her courage to step near her.
"M-miss Sam..." she managed, blushing immediately at her insecure state. Shaking her head and gathering the determination to talk normally she eyed her. "Neither of us seem to possess the strength to assault the creature physically... but I am certain we could aid our allies with inspiration instead!"
Her hand curled into fist as she let a daring sit on her expression.
"I... have not heard you sing yet... if you like to sing at all... but I heard that a good song of battle, an invigorating ballad for war can be inspiring! We could lift their spirits easily! So..." she gulped and smiled "I-if you wish to join in... please feel free to do so!"

She now stared at the battlefield, closing her eyes not only to focus but to ignore the beast as well to reduce her fear. She inhaled, took a deep breath then remembered a song that was stuck in her head: it was a rhythmic, fast paced and energetic song, one that spoke about heroes banishing the darkness, overcoming fears, heralding the coming of the dawn. Ignoring her shyness, she let her voice boom and fly free... reverberating among the trees as she did so.

 

[deer]

rank: journeyman | scenario: "don't lose hope" | mood: nervous | tags: Tedronai​

Gliding across the halls of the Bastion, moving fluidly in a rhythmic pace, Eirene made her way smoothly towards where the Window would be located. She heard murmurs around the corridor of something being amidst with the glass globe. Once she found the room, filled with other Journeyman and rookies, her eyes navigated her surroundings, observing the reaction of her fellow Animis. Eirene felt an air of uneasiness as she glanced around the room only for her eyes to land on the Master Teoh. The sea of Animus seperated, allowing a pathway for Master Teoh to walk through the room without any obstacles and interruption. However, from back where Eirene was floating about, she couldn't see very much, so, instead of wanting to whisper questions of what was going on, she glided her way towards the front as well, approaching behind Master Teoh.

As Eirene made her way towards the front going near Master Teohe, Eirene looked towards the globe and saw what the commotion was about. The glass orb was blackened all around and she felt fear and animosity surface inside her. Her eyes flicked up towards the Journeyman whom seemed to be scribbling down what was seen before them. However, what Eirene worried the most was exactly why the globe had been encompassed with so much . . darkness. Who was the dreamer? How did this happen? Which of her colleagues decided to go inside the dream? Glancing towards Master Teoh, Eirene observed his facial expression and the way he held himself. Even if she had him as a her Teacher and a fellow colleague, he was still of high status than her and definitely knew more than she ever had, however, it would have been nice if he could perhaps. . open up a bit. Even through this, he was still guarded and remained neutral about the whole situation.

However, Eirene slowly felt herself growing more worried by the second, not being able to see what was going on inside the Dream. But, as the darkness began to fade away, Eirene's eyes widened in relief as a small smile appeared on her face. But as Eirene continued to look on at her companions and seeing the actions of the team that had gone inside the dream, Eirene bit her nails nervously as she watched. She hated sitting on the sidelines, watching for things to unfold, especially since she was literally watching things from "above" and she could see at another perspective.

Her breathing hitched as she jumped, unconsciously reaching over to grab Master Teoh's arm, gripping it tightly as she watched The Shadow appear in front of her colleagues and the Dreamer. She yelped lowly, watching Happenstance getting snatched from under her as well as Atlan. However, a surge of pride surfaced in her as she watched the team slowly get into the groove of working together, even if all of them were new. Soon, her eyes were glued to the globe, but she felt the need and the want to just inside the dream to help those injured. But, she knew she couldn't especially since she would bring more trouble than help at this point. Biting her lips, Eirene moved to slightly, still keeping her grip tightly on Master Teoh as she spoke softly, "Master Teoh, what do you think of this situation? This Dream . . or rather what's going on . . it's different than usual. Why?" However, her attention was drawn to someone singing. . .the blonde-haired female, perhaps a rookie, starting singing. A small smile appeared on her face, as Eirene slowly hummed as well, watching as the team found hope, a rhythm, and courage to fight on. "The Dreamer was able to find his strength with their help." She chided in as she continued, however, she took a deep breathe, stating, "They must survive and they will survive. Won't they?" Eirene asked, finally looking towards Master Teoh, her eyes searching for answers of what he thought and what he was feeling.

 

[SilverFlight]

Happenstance	Rank: Rookie

Hap winced at the pain but managed a grin in Al's direction. "Well don't tell Atlan!"
She half-stumbled half-fell out of the way as the tree was brought full on down over the neck of the head they fought. There was a surprised, then choked yelp as the branch trapped it. The creature thrashed, but this head was well and truly stuck. Hap looked at her new aid/weapon. "Combat crutch, cool."
Hap didn't waste a moment. "Let's get back to help the others." She said seriously, using her new combat crutch to limp her way away from the still snapping head.
The next head bared its teeth at Collin, an enraged scream breaking the air as it danced a step to the side while Collin rushed in, but not fast enough. The blow hit the creature's shoulder blade and raked it badly. The creature balked and reared, its head arcing around to try and catch Collin between its razor-sharp teeth.
One of the heads whipped round at the sound of Atlan's taunt, hissing angrily before rising up above its prey to strike. Just before it lunged however a small but solid mass struck it on the temple, making it flinch and roar in annoyance. Hap was limping at full speed toward Atlan, another rock poised to be thrown.
"Damn you're ugly!" She called, tossing the second rock, which the head dodged, it didn't deter it for long however before it struck for Atlan again. Hap called out to him in shock, unable to reach him before the attack.

Raphael gripped the sword more tightly as he looked for an opening, he tried once, twice to get near the creature but startled at the beast's remaining, savage, snapping heads. When Collin dove upon the creature Raphael dashed in behind him, raising the sword before him but a flash of teeth our of the corner of his eye made him flinch and he staggered back as fang locked with blade. Now he was in a tug-of-war match with the creature, trying desperately to pry his weapon free.
"H-help!" He called hoping that someone, anyone would be able to help him!
He felt his grip on the sword slip when suddenly a voice lit up the night. Literally. Light poured out from the area where the song originated, sound made visible in the interpretation of his dreaming mind, but more miraculous than that, it made the beast turn from him.
With one hard tug the sword slipped free. Raphael drew back and plunged the blade into the creature's exposed chest. The clearing erupted in gold light that burst from the creature, knocking the unsteady back. Hap went tumbling, her combat crutch leaping from her grasp. Nyx hit the forest floor as the creature turned to vapour and drifted into the night, its angry screams echoing into nothingness.

Raphael was the first person to open his eyes and look around at the aftermath of the fight: The clearing was much as it was before, though a fallen tree lay sprawled a little ways away. His sword was not just a broom, and the sterile lights from the hospital parking lot pried at his eyes until he rose.
"I...gotta get to my brother." He said before taking off at a jog for the building, the broom still in one hand.

Nyx	Rank: Master

"We should...follow him." Nyx said as he rose slowly. The hospital appeared somewhat closer now. Suddenly the forest faded and they were standing in a room. The floor was tiled and both it and the walls were painted white, now a subtle blue in the night. A breeze played idly with the curtains of a window set into the far wall. Adjacent to that was a small hospital bed, an IV drip and heart monitor beeping steadily beside it. The figure in the bed was motionless but Raphael gripped the hand that lay exposed over the covered tightly.

Nyx took in the scene, but felt he couldn't be the one to offer anything to the boy, so he watched in silence.
"H-hey," Raphael began speaking to the still figure in the bed. "Its me...look, I know I haven't been here as often as I should...I-I wanted to its...its, its just hard you know?"
Hap heard his voice break and she looked away, fighting back her own tears. "I hate these kinds of dreams." She said under her breath.

zCrookedz Lioness075 Bolts Collinbu98 DawnAntalios deer Tedronai