Elfborn: The Quest

An Awakening

"Looks like a battle," Jase tautly observed as he and Alura crouched behind one of the many bookshelves that filled the basilica's giant library. A chamber now filled to near capacity with dark clad figures and the shifting forms of Mist men. Dark Companions and Mist men were everywhere, the humans' faces intent with various tasks and duties as they jogged in and out of sight. The Mist men merely phased from view when they wanted to go somewhere, so cloaked forms were popping in and out of thin air all around them. It was only by Alura's skill in moving in the dream world that they had so far remained undiscovered.

"Something is unsettled in the waking world," Alura replied, just as softly. "The magic which cloaks that world from my eyes has intensified several times in magnitude in the last few minutes alone. I fear some great event is taking place there, perhaps even this battle you speak of."

"But what would Astor gain by attacking the Vestican now?" Jase wondered out loud with a whisper. "From what I can tell, the Jebusin barely even know he's there and don't have a clue as to what he wants to do. He's better off building his forces in secret until he's ready to strike and then make his move."

"I wasn't aware you were an expert in military strategy, Jase," Alura said and Jase immediately blushed.

"I'm not. But all that blather, I guess, made me sound like I almost knew what I was talking about, didn't it? Sorry. I think I should keep my guesses to myself until we figure out what is going on for sure." Eyes narrowing, he looked across the churning activity around the door Alura indicated led to where the artifacts were being stored by the Jebusin.

"The question is now: how do we get into the storage area without being jumped by Dark Companions and Mist men?"

"In truth, you have nothing to truly fear from those humans that have stepped all the way into the sleeping world," Alura quickly pointed out. "To them you will be as insubstantial as a wraith. Unless they are able to use magic to make you solid enough to injure or kill. The Mist men, however, are a different story. Since they exist both as nightmare and waking, they innately have the power to harm you, perhaps even kill you. And if you die here ..."

"I die in the real world. Aye, I know," Jase finished grimly. "Which is the furthest thing from my mind." He let his eyes scan along the wall. "Do you think you can move us along the shadows there, along that wall, close enough to get into one of the storage chambers undetected?"

Following Jase's pointing finger with her eyes, Alura nodded.

"I believe so. But I must tell you: if the Dark Companions, as Naneen called them, capture me, I am subject to injury. For I too am here completely, as they are. So I am doubly at risk."

"So you don't want to go," Jase stated flatly. "No problem, I understand." He went on before Alura could deny it, or say anything contrary to him. "Just show me how I can get there and I'll do the rest."

It was a nervous Jase that found himself moments later carefully inching along the wall, concentrating hard to stay within the whisper-thin sliver of shadow that masked his movements. Eyes wide as he stared at the moving stream of Dark Companions in their characteristic black and the more menacing figures of Mist men, he eased along the cool stone. Any moment he expected one to turn and look in his direction, uncovering him for all to see.

But, amazingly enough, he felt his fingers curve around the door's edge with himself undiscovered. Taking slow and shallow breaths in order to make as little noise as possible, the slender Elfborn cautiously slid around the corner, hoping that there wasn't a second knot of Companions and Mist men standing just inside the portal, talking or doing something. And let a soft sigh of relief whistle out from between his tightly clenched teeth when he found the curving passage amazingly empty.