Joryn - 6

## Dreaming

I once heard my mother say that dreams are a reflection of what occupies our thoughts and feelings. She was trying to convince my older brother that his dreams about fighting in the war were not sufficient justification for joining it. I agree with her. Nonetheless, I find myself pondering the meaning of the dream that I had the other night. It was so vivid that I can't help but feel impressed by it. It was as if I truly lived in that moment. Even after several exciting events just a day or so following, I still feel as if it were a memory and not just a conjuration of my mind. It was unlike any other dream that I can recall.

*I found myself in a palace deep in a desert of rolling sands. It had smooth walls and occasional openings where large columns were arranged with nothing more than sheets of silk for privacy. I was in a bedroom standing over a large and finely made canopy bed.*

*I held a knife; both it and my hands were coated in blood. The body of a fat man lied at my feet and two dead women at his side. I heard shouts of alarm.*

*The bedroom door crashed open and several black-clad men rushed into the room. I turned to meet them. A large ball of fire then flew past me and exploded in the doorway, sending them screaming and rolling.*

*I turned around to see a familiar young man. He guided me to the balcony and we leapt over the side, safely floating to the ground. The sergeant from Moira's Victory, aged several more years, was waiting outside and holding horses nearby. The dream faded...*

Much of the dream can be easily set aside using my mother's reasoning. For example, assassinating the obese man, apparent nobility, can be tied to the frequent talk of killing Leopold. The soldiers in black garb could be associated with the gypsies. The mage might just be a representation of my recent exposure to and need for magical accomplices. Those aspects and many others are so easily explained. Yet, there are some that seem... unwarranted.

The ball of fire from the dream wasn't especially meaningful until just recently seeing Lagreth throw one. They were identical in appearance. Absolutely identical. They weren't just fire. The way they held their shape as they rolled through the air was peculiar and unnatural. They were the same all the way up until they burst. In the dream, the fire erupted and consumed a large group of men. In reality, I saw no significant explosion from Lagreth's fire. However, the immediate burning effects from the two impacts matched in their intensity and destructive power.

I've also never seen a desert before nor have I quite known how to visualize one in my mind. If I had tried, I certainly wouldn't have pictured rolling sands as I did in this dream. Open palaces with silk in place of walls? The concept never even occurred to me.

The sergeant's appearance in my dream was a little bizarre but certainly nothing meaningful; that is, unless it had just followed the other inexplicable events in my dream. I don't know what to think. Maybe I should consult Lagreth to see if his studies at the academy ever addressed dreaming.

## Another Mage of Sorts

We encountered another mage from the academy. He claims far less capability in magic than Lagreth presumably possesses but he's a mage nonetheless. I've already witnessed him create magical light and erratically blur himself to evade his opponents' blows in combat. He also managed to open doors to the obelisks that were previously only accessible to Lagreth.

Now that I think about it, I just assumed that only Lagreth was able to open them. No one without magical ability has even tried. As far as I can tell, the doors only require you to "speak, friend, and enter."

The mage, Darius, is a victim of yet another shipwreck. I briefly described the situation to him and suggested that he come along with us on our expedition rather than being alone and risking an encounter with the Maar. He accepted the offer and proved to be an invaluable asset.

## Obelisks

Our plan was initially just to visit the south-east obelisk. However, when we so quickly obtained what Lagreth felt was necessary, a short translation of magical writings, I became eager to extend our journey to include the other two unvisited obelisks.

The next closest obelisk was on a tiny island separated from the main island by about a mile of sea. The People of the Ash have tried to reach it but never managed to make the journey. The current would inevitably force them back to the main island. Instead of repeating their failed attempts, I proposed that we start further up the beach to get ahead of the current as if overshooting the obelisk. This way we could use the waves to our advantages and allow them to carry us into the smaller island.

The others seemed to accept the idea, especially when we decided that Lagreth could fire bursts of air into a sail for course correction as necessary. The plan was to affix our two canoes alongside each other with a makeshift sail in the middle.

## Reaching the Third Obelisk

The next morning, after we had successfully modified our canoes, Vera pointed out that none of us had any sailing experience and that the move would be very risky. She was right, unfortunately. We had been very hasty in moving forward with a plan that was theoretical and unproven.

Still determined to reach the island and not waste our efforts, I suggested that we at least practice our idea in a small bay that was less turbulent. Our practice proved sufficient and we managed to get to the tiny island precisely as planned. I'll admit that my paddling was of little help. It was the precise control of Jake's strokes and Lagreth's bursts of air that saw us their safely.

Reaching the island was only part of the challenge. It turned out that it was inhabited by black lizards easily the size of men. They weren't initially aggressive but they were territorial and determined to protect their nests. The obelisk happened to be one of those nests.

We cleared the obelisk of six lizards and several eggs. The creatures had powerful jaws and strong scales. I wouldn't want to face one by myself but alongside my accomplices we were able to eliminate them quickly. Of course, that might not have been case if their packs intermingled. There were several other lizards that had followed us to the obelisk, but they scattered when the conflict began. We only had to deal with those in the nest.

## Discoveries Beneath the Obelisk

In addition to the mysterious writings that Lagreth translated, the island obelisk had a mural of what may be the map of the world. I was able to identify Kalia and see several lands beyond the mountain range Scar surrounding it. In the middle of the sea were two large islands. Assuming the map was to scale, they'd be far larger than Asher's Island, which I couldn't locate.

We also found tunnels beneath the obelisk that appear to connect to the others. One went north, another east, and the last north-east. We followed the north tunnel and confirmed that it led us to the final obelisk.

Most of the group stayed with Lagreth while he studied the last magical writings. Darius and I took a tunnel from there to head back to the village obelisk. I needed him to tag along in case I can't get the magical doors to open. He'll probably be interested in meeting Skaihl, too. I'm sure he has lots of questions.

I hope to reach the People of the Ash quickly so that we can unlock and fully explore all of the tunnels. They may be our key to reaching the pyramid in the Keepers' city and getting off this island with minimal direct confrontation.

After informing Skaihl of the obelisk tunnels, I'll also need to get back to the island obelisk to collect and finish the leather we obtained from the lizards. Lagreth requested that I make some armor for him and I intend to at least make boots for myself; maybe even a hat.