Dreamweavers Among Us: Book Two - Blue

By Ross Peacock

Will Green enters, as we do, into the nearly-magic world of Draumrs. He is one: a Draumr, but until this day, when his grandfather finally lets him remember, he has had no sense of his true abilities or of his destiny. He knows only that he has the most enticing and, let's call it: horny, dreams of anyone he knows. Dreams he mostly forgets in the morning.

Now on a bewildering guided journey into and out of the revealed dreamscape, he learns that he has the ability to control what he dreams and what others dream. Fantasy seduction, far from being imaginary, is an actual contact sport played by sensual women and men, who understand that in dreams there are few rules and never any regrets. Will has long been one of their favorite dream lovers. Now, slightly embarrassed, he is meeting them again and realizing that his lurid dreams have all been real.

Unfortunately, Will has no time to revel in his new understanding. He must quickly learn how to survive in physical combat on the dreamscape from the brilliant Snow White and deadly Lulu Black, both of whom have skills he can't even 'dream-of'. They will be young lovers of course, but for now, the trio is the only hope for stopping a nightmare-driven scenario that could once again plunge the world into all-out war.

An ancient evil plagues the Draumr Clans. Forbidden artifacts have resurfaced and a failing Elder sees one last chance for glory in their power. His stunning and devoted daughter, Xana Chernoyiv, is his chosen weapon. Her mastery of the dreamscape makes her the most dangerous sensual being on earth. No man and possibly, no woman, no matter their ability, can stand alone against her as she perfects deadly ancient skills on innocent dreamers. Only her father knows who the eventual target of those devastating skills will be. Only by acting in unison against Xana, do Snow, Lulu and Will have any hope of derailing the scheme.

The Draumr Clans of the Colors have existed for millennia, but they remain hidden in plain sight. The extended family members most often choose to just be an occasional peaceful and loving dream partner for those in need. A few ascend to the Circles and take on loftier responsibilities. For the primary six of the First Circle, world peace is actually their responsibility. Their forbearers have failed at the task many times. It's almost predictable; they are, after all, only human. But, this time failure could mean destruction of humankind in nuclear annihilation. The stakes are high.

In book one: Red, we are taken from the wilds of northern Canada, to the peaks of the Andes,and back to small town America on a fantasy game board that exists in the dreamscape and in the real world all at once. Who is enemy and who is friend? How many innocents will be casualties in the battle between the standard bearers for what is good and for what is evil? Then, there is the dream sex. Whether as a tactic or simply giving in to desire; the fiercest of Draumr combatants have been known to drop armor for a few hours of intense carnal armistice.

In book two: Blue, as the fight moves to New York's lower east side, to the Black Sea coast and then off to Asia, as we learn that all is not as it seems and that a greater evil than any had conceived before is emergent in the East. Will sworn enemies fight together or continue to fight each other when a dark cloud threatens to blot out all light for both of them? Is there really a boundary between dreaming and waking? If you die in your dream, have you died for real? With powerful ancient practices full engaged, death is only a misstep away. Just when it appeared that the stakes could go no higher, a new round is dealt and all must decide whether the price of playing is just too dear.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ross Peacock
• Release date: Mar 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9780995975910

Ross Peacock

Ross has been authoring fiction in both short stories and novels since 2016. He is a graduate of the Seneca Collge post-grad program in applied communications as well as a graduate of the Shulich School of Business, He taught applied communications and technology courses at Laurentian University, Toronto Metropolitan University and Georgian College. Prior to teaching, he led marketing research for leading companies in the technology sector.Ross lives in Haliburton Ontario Canada. He is the principal of Repzac Publishing, which is a private publishing house specializing in new Canadian urban fantasy fiction.

Book preview

Dreamweavers Among Us

BLUE

Book Two of the Draumrs Series

by

Ross Peacock

All Rights Reserved

This book is published for your personal enjoyment only and may not be copied or excerpted without the permission of the author. If you would like to share this book with others, please consider purchasing an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author

©2018 Ross Peacock - All Rights Reserved

ebook ISBN: 978-0-9959759-1-0

Print ISBN: 978-1-9804765-5-9

Cover Art Credit: Best Designs, iStock, Getty Images 2015, licensed for publication.

Introduction to Book Two

Book One: RED, introduced readers to Draumrs. These everyday folks among us are the descendants of ancient mystics and prophets, who actually knew what was coming through heightened senses and foreshadowing vision. Most importantly, Draumrs can influence the waking actions of people by joining them in their dreams. Committed as a species to the welfare of humankind, Draumrs, or Dreamweavers, have been part of sentient dreams for recorded history, subtly creating and acting in dreams that help troubled beings make better sense of the world. Sexy and fun-loving, Draumrs also create the most memorable of human fantasy dream adventures just on a lark.

But, the Dreamweavers aren’t perfect. The Clans, which are organized under the seven colors, also have a long history of conflict amongst themselves and among the humans that they guide. Draumrs aren’t immune to the temptations of power and influence. In the past, this fallibility has resulted in highly destructive interference into the dreams of rulers: kings, popes, imams and despots. Believing in their dreams and in the glory to be gained, maniac leaders have followed fantasy paths that led to the destruction of peoples and countries in brutal world wars. When the Draumr making the dreams was also deeply disturbed, a nearly unstoppable force threatened all of mankind. Only the most desperate and equally brutal response from the combined Clans stopped the slide into total destruction.

The troubling past should have been behind them since the last global war caused mostly by a wayward Draumr more than 75 years ago. The new heroes of the Clans are young, energetic and hugely talented, but they are woefully naïve in both the destructive potential of Draumr influence and in the force of ancient practices coming back into play. History has unfortunately not been fully recorded or told, as successive generations lost touch with the madness of the past.

Banned and hidden by the Elders, ancient practices make use of other-world artefacts to multiply the power of the Dreamweaver. The colored ‘stones’ also allow Draumrs to reach across the dreaming-waking boundary to inflict real damage, and death, in dreams that actually become reality. The stones’ power also has a corrupting and potentially destabilizing impact on the mental well-being of their holder. At the end of Book 1, an off-side Draumr, possessing the artefacts, appears well on his way to creating another global catastrophe.

The unlikely trio of called-up Leutnant heroes: Will, Sacha and Lulu, respectively from the Green, White and Black Clans, has its work cut out. Unsure of support from their only ally: Thomas, the Brown Clan master warrior, they now face a Red Clan foe who has shown that she will use brutal force, cunning deception and irresistible sex appeal to achieve the goals her, possibly insane, father has assigned her. Having already lost in combat to Xana twice, the last-hope trio must now pursue their foe to the other side of the world, where a gathering of world leaders presents a tempting and nearly indefensible target for a brilliant enemy already many steps ahead of them.

Unfortunately, because this novel is set in our world and includes occasional cameos by political leaders, there is a downside to the extended period needed to document the story. Presidential elections, can, for example, require a re-write of more than one character. And, when the gender of a newly elected leader is different from the predecessor, bedroom scenes also need updating to avoid confusion. Apologies, if some of these ‘entirely fictitious’ characters end up just one election or one uprising out-of-context; we tried our best.

Acknowledgements

Contributors

Many thanks to everyone who contributed thoughts and comments on the drafts of the Draumrs books. Particular thanks to Grace Peacock, whose original manuscript provided the concepts for the fascinating world of Dreamweavers.

Dream Weaver

Entertainers Gene Adkinson and Wade Buff were given a twice-weekly, half-hour program slot on Miami radio station WRUF in 1955. With the program ending at 10:30 p.m., they felt it appropriate to sign off with a song they had composed while in high school in 1953: It's Almost Tomorrow (words by Buff, music by Adkinson). Buff served as the lead singer, and the harmony part was sung by various female singers (Sally Sanborn, Mary Carr, Mary Rude, and others).

The announcer of the show, Chuck Murdock, couldn't figure out how to introduce the unnamed group and the song, so came up with the idea of running a contest on the show to name them. The contest winner stated that because the song they wrote was dreamy, they were weavers of dreams, thus ‘The Dream Weavers.’ Atkinson and Buff played together under that name only until the end of 1956.

John Lennon picked up the idea in his song ‘God’ in 1970 and Gary Wright made the term ubiquitous with his hit, so named, in 1975. As far as we are aware, Lennon was the only Draumr among these.

Cast of Characters

As introduced in Book One: Red....

Green Clan

Water Green – Elder of the Clan and aging former fighter

Jack Green – son of Water, an emerging leader as Water steps back

Will Green – nickname Duck, young fighter now emerging under Water’s and Jack’s guidance

Joe Green – northern cousin, Guardian of the river who died in an early confrontation

White Clan

Emma White – new Elder of the Clan, following the death of her father

Sacha White – nickname Snow, young fighter leading the good guys, already very capable

Red Clan

Mikilo Chernoyiv – nickname Cherry (translated last name) aging Elder of the Clan

Oksana Chernoyiv – nickname Xana, highly skilled and deadly agent of her father, leading the bad guys

Alexander Chernoyiv – nickname Lex, nephew of Cherry, nasty, but with uncertain skills

Bohdan Chernoyiv – nickname Bobby, killed by someone in an encounter with the good guys

Black Clan

Gloria Black – Elder of the Clan, having succeeded her father a few years back

Luise Black – nickname Lulu, youngest of the good guys team, highly skilled in martial arts but a lover first

Brown Clan

Jacques Brun – nickname Jake, Elder of the Clan, military expert and long-ago fighting ally of Water and Cherry

Thomas Brown – nickname Tom, son of Jake, current military liaison, deadly (possible double) agent

Grey Clan

Armand Grau – Elder of the Clan, head of the First Circle and most senior Draumr

Philip Grey – younger cousin in the Clan, intelligence expert for the good guys

Plus, of course, the many dreamers…

Lapis Means Blue

On waking, the young Leutnants made their way to the dining hall to get food and hot drinks. Water and Emma knew that they were busting with questions about the next steps and about the revelation of a previously unknown Blue Clan based in Asia, referred to as the ‘Lapis’ in English. An explanation was needed and the task of explaining fell to Jack Green.

I could tell you that this is someone pulling your chain and that there is no Blue Clan. If we had the time or the luxury of a lark, I'd be the first to do it. Unfortunately, we don't have either, so I'll be brief and as forthcoming as I can. If the explanation sounds a little sketchy, it's because I don't know the whole story either.

He looked around at the assembled crew. As they were wide-awake and in-person, they now wore the workout gear of trainees, actively building both knowledge and skills. Tees, sweats or yoga pants were standard apparel around the clock. They were moving in and out of dreamscapes to practice skills, so clothes were mostly for comfort. Still, the women looked hot enough to cook a duck and Will looked half-cooked.

Jack started with a preamble. The Blue Clan, or family last name of Lapis, are part of our lineage going back to the recorded origins of Draumrs in Europe. Until the late 1600's, there was quite a bit of movement between Clans on the continent and in Asia. America was still a wilderness. In the 1700's, a Lapis child assumed the 'reincarnated' role of Dalai Lama for all Tibetan Buddhists. This was Kelzang Gyatso Lapis. Whether or not he was a reincarnation of an earlier leader is inconsequential for Draumrs. His actual blood line was pure Draumr. What is relevant, is that by the time he consolidated his role leading the Buddhist sect around 1750, he had also taken the Elder's chair in the First Circle for the Blue Clan.

With the spread of Tibetan Buddhism, the Draumr Blue Clan also spread its influence. The role of the monk was a great cover, but it also set the widespread beliefs of the primarily faithful Buddhist Blue Clan at odds with the non-religious European Clans of the times. Harsh words and minor skirmishes ensued. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the influence of Western culture—mostly our Black and Grey Clans, rubbed up hard against Asian culture—the Lapis, until conflicts threatened to break apart Draumr unity of purpose entirely.

Seeing nothing but blank looks, Jack continued, The Lapis leadership declared it had no further use for the hierarchy of the Circles and pulled out of all functional and oversight roles. In the 20th century, as global politics and wars broke up Western-led Asian empires, the First Circle agreed that Asian lands would come fully under Lapis control. The 'treaty' with the Lapis effectively established exclusion terms. In short, we didn’t muck around on their turf and they didn't fart around on ours. But, we acknowledge each other’s existence and maintain some connections.

Jack took a breath and looked around to see if the truncated story was making sense to all. No-one said anything as it was clear that he hadn't gotten to his point yet. He was still warming up the jury before asking them to do something with the information.

So, let me get to the meat of the issue. Jack held his hands together and upward as if holding a five-kilo rump roast.

Global boundaries are breaking down everywhere. There are no longer any clear-cut lines of demarcation, particularly as various regions move in and out of western or eastern influence. It is damn difficult not to walk on each other's toes. Of course, dreamers don't hold still either. Asians immigrate here. Westerners work there. We interact at a diplomatic level to seek permissions, and sometimes, to ask forgiveness, with a First Circle Elder designated as the primary contact for the most senior Lapis Elder.

He paused again. Here's the kicker; for the last thirty years, the role of Lapis emissary from our Clans has been Mikilo Chervoniy.

This information finally caused a hubbub in the room. The realization that their number one enemy was also the First Circle's pathway to a whole other Clan, that could be vitally important, was a lot to accept casually.

Why hasn't he been replaced?

Isn't someone doing something about this?

Are we fighting two Clans?

Did Xana get her new skills from the Blue's?

They all had questions as it appeared that the entire strategy of surrounding and neutralizing one rogue Clan now appeared misdirected. All Cherry had to do was to ensure that the battle was dragged east and the Red Clan might well have the protection of another territorial Clan, probably with cousins everywhere.

I can't tell you what the current situation is, so let's not jump to conclusions. Jack needed to restore their confidence.

There may be nothing to Xana's trip east. It did have a legitimate purpose, apparently. She was a speaker at a conference. She may not be planning to do anything there, but saw the other-side-of-the-world junket as a useful way to disappear right back onto her home turf. Certainly, nothing that we have seen to-date would suggest any interest in Lapis affairs whatsoever. We now have to use channels and make appropriate inquiries. The last Blue Clan Elder: Lapis Lazuli, was a wise and pragmatic centenarian who was a Buddhist temple master by day. He would not have counselled, nor tolerated any Draumr action that would harm sleepers. But, he is gone now some 30 years. Any Blue Clan representation in the Halls disappeared entirely about then; we took it as a clear indication that he had died.

He wanted to get off the topic. You can be confident that Armand is on the blower already seeking assistance and assurances from whomever he can find in charge over there. I would put my faith in him to resolve any issues with the Lapis in short order. Until this is done, we are somewhat limited in what we can do. We certainly cannot drop an assault team into Asia unannounced, so whether or not you want to jump in, you can't. Tom Brown has his resources already engaged quietly and out of sight. This is all we can do for now.

He also wanted to leave them feeling engaged. Our primary challenge is to figure out what the Red Clan agenda is and where they want to take this. Whatever you can add to this picture is valuable. Detached speculation is a waste of energy. We'll have Xana back on the radar soon enough—then your work starts again. For now, clear your heads and stick with your training.

The Leutnant team was on its own as Jack left to consult with the Elders. Water and Emma were still in the camp, but both had indicated that they would soon need to move on to other business if there was no new activity. Jack rarely stayed in one place for long, so they expected him to just disappear as well. If they were to act as a team, they would soon need to ensure that they could do this from wherever they were, on short notice.

Snow was dissatisfied with the explanations and let it show by dropping the temperature in the room about five degrees. She shouldn't be able to do that, but both Will and Lulu felt the chill emanating from her. She wisely moved off to the big kitchen out back to spend time boiling water and fixing a green tea. The room warmed noticeably as she exited through the swinging door.

Will locked eyes with Lulu and gave a small shrug, indicating that Snow's frosty mindset was beyond him. Lulu winked and stuck her tongue out a few millimetres, leaving it there provocatively. Then she came over, kneeled in front of him and took his hands, focusing intently on the lines on his palms.

Still got that stone? she asked. She knew that Will kept it in a pocket at all times.

Put it in your palm and close your hand.

Will wasn't sure where this was going, but didn't mind being petted a little by Lulu. She was a dark pool of exotic possibilities next to Snow's sparkling airborne aura. The two of them in the room together left a man wishing for a great big bed with him lying in the unbelievable space between them. It hadn't happened, but it was such a frequent fantasy that Will hoped that it was only a matter of time before the women fulfilled his wish.

Will had fished out the leather covered stone and found the alignment needed to make it seemingly sink into his palm. He closed his hand and could feel nothing of the stone, but his hand gained weight again as if it held three or four times the mass of the stone.

Now, make it smell like fresh cut grass in here. Lulu's face and lips were just centimetres from Will's. She seemed to be offering a greater reward if he would follow her instructions. Will had no idea where this was going, but willingly went along. He closed his eyes and imagined being face down in a lush lawn just after the mower had passed.

That's pretty good. Lulu was smiling from ear-to-ear when he opened his eyes.

Will sniffed the air and picked up the distinctive smell of fresh-cut green grass.

How did that happen? Will was pleased to have controlled the stone, even if it was just for a demonstration.

"Not sure, but I'm guessing that stone is older than anything else in the place by many thousands of years. I've heard about ancient practices that could control the waking world just like we now control the dreamscape. A Grey Novice I know in London is studying the ancient lore. Over drinks and you-know-what one night, he told me that he believes that there was once no boundary between sleeping and waking for Draumrs.

She let this sink in a bit, while running the tips of her fingers down the side of Will's neck and back up under his chin.

I think that Cherry and Xana have figured out how to invoke these old powers. It's how they break your arm in a dream and you wake up with a fractured humerus. Or you can make sleep walkers do things among wide awake companions. It all makes more sense when it's connected through the ancient artefacts. My talkative little Grey told me that any still around were buried deep during a reform period, but if you can follow a set of coded instructions, you can locate them in crypts under cathedrals in old Europe. It's supposed to be a big secret.

She tapped his hand holding the stone. Guess Water had this one hidden here somewhere? Funny that it seems to have been made for you long before there was a you. Or were you made for it?

She smiled, I guess either case makes you pretty special.

She lifted his head and brushed his lips with hers while she talked. Will was turning into a puddle under her caresses. Her dark eyes were all he could see.

Lulu continued, now whispering. Funny how the weird little bishop Stefan shows up just about the same time we start seeing these reach-through effects. So, they apparently hid these stones under churches. Guess who spent a lot of time bopping about between old churches. I'm betting that Cousin Stephan pilfered some rocks like yours and Xana has one stuffed right up her ass.

She stopped talking and stuck her tongue deep into Will's mouth. She locked lips with him and drew him deep into a dark soft cubby of their minds, where Will could feel the heat of her body pressed completely against his. He wanted nothing more than to tumble together with her into a long deep embrace.

Then, she pulled her lips away and it all faded in a millisecond. She was grinning again. Nothing had been touching other than their mouths.

See, She giggled. Nothing to it among Draumrs; particularly horny ones like us. It's no stretch to imagine that the delusions can cause wide-awake people to do strange things. Particularly, if it's already in their nature.

Will was having a little trouble coming back to reality. His cock was hoisting a very distinctive tent in his sweats. He shuffled a bit to re-holster his junk. Lulu grinned and flicked her eyes down, just for a second. She whispered later in his ear, and then gave him some space by walking around his chair.

Will was intrigued with the theory and now considered his talisman more carefully. The ancient powers would explain the strange feeling he got when holding the stone. Having no developed skills, he wasn't sure that he could direct it or hope to control it, but the fact that he had it and that it appeared to be specifically made for him was intriguing. Had Water retrieved the stone as a weapon of last resort, knowing where this fight was going? Maybe he had been well-trained in its use and the knowledge was still stored away in his head somewhere. Some sort of preparation might also explain why a relative Novice like him was being dropped into this battle among master Leutnants.

Have you told Snow what you suspect? Will hoped that this wasn't a secret he was supposed to keep.

Of course, Lulu was now climbing back into the sofa chair with him and was actually wrapping herself around his torso. She whispered again, so close that her lips were touching his ear. And in just the same way, Her tongue was exploring his ear lobe. when we were discussing your black, white and green fantasy movie.

Damn, they could read his mind. Just as Will was trying to figure out whether he should apologize or just be happy, Snow came back in the room. He had a moment of concern for Snow's reaction, given that Lulu was clearly claiming some private attention from him.

Snow laughed at his discomfort.

I see that you two needed to huddle for warmth. Sorry about that.

She plunked herself on the rug against their legs and sipped her tea. They made room for her to snuggle back against the big sofa chair. Clearly, she had calmed down considerably. Whatever distance there had been between all of them before their training, there now was none needed. They each saw the others as intimates in a union of both minds and bodies. It was a wonderful new feeling for Will, who had been put off more than once by a possessive and jealous woman.

I've just told Duck our theory of the artefacts.

Our theory? Will had the impression that this had been a flyer by Lulu. Now, he was wondering where and when these two had constructed this theory, apparently without involving him. It wasn't a stretch to imagine them in the sack together. As soon as the image crystallized in his head, he wiped the thought away. It seemed that he couldn't get his mind off sexual fantasies. He was now certain that he was broadcasting almost everything he imagined. Snow though, seemed to be quite content and was even absently playing her fingers down their calves. Concentration was going to be a challenge if they kept this up.

Snow stopped caressing and turned around to look up at them.

She opened her eyes wide and spoke with a cooling breath that seemed to make everything brighter and more detailed. It was impossible not to focus on every word.

I think that we are supposed to figure it out and be ready to counter their next moves. She tapped his hand, holding the stone. How did she know it was there?

Tonight, Will, you sleep with the stone in your hand and we'll see where it takes us. It will probably feel like the first time on a snowboard or taking the controls of a different plane, but we are experts at those hard things. We are here and together for a reason. Maybe the Elders can't admit that they are letting it out of the box. Maybe, we have to move beyond what they let us do.

For Will, Snow's assessment fell in place like fresh tracks in morning dew. He could see the connection to things that Water had said days before, but which now seemed to have been in a previous lifetime. He saw the impatient college kid questioning a ridiculous drive north in Jack's truck. He tried to relive the unplanned stop where Water had left them and returned with the stone. He had shaken off the possibility of an invisible man and a winking in and out Water, but it was starting to make more sense. Water knew about the artefacts and was probably highly skilled at using them. But, this wasn't his fight. He was too old. All the long-time Elders were. They needed new champions, but could not break ancient rules by laying it all out for them.

I have to go see Water first. There is something else I need to get from him.

The women obliged by gracefully parting contact with him and letting him up, although they stayed together in the chair.

Will was now excited and a little nervous about where this revelation might be going. He also missed the contact with the women immediately, feeling alone even though they were just a few feet away.

Where are we sleeping? he asked. In the loungers or in our beds? Neither appealed to him right now.

Hmmm, that's a toughie. Lulu grinned again, and leaned forward to run her hands over Snow's shoulders and down over her breasts.

I think that very close together would be best. She feigned serious consideration of possibilities.

It turns out that I have a king size bed that you have never visited, naughty boy. They both laughed and Snow now nuzzled Lulu's arms.

Why don't you make your way back there when you're done with Water? Lulu now feigned complete innocence. We can work on our theory a bit before we dash off to sleep.

The theory about the artefacts? Will was a little confused.

"No, silly, our theory about what color Green, White and Black make when mixed together. I hope that it's not Brown, because we've already been down that road.

Both women laughed again, rose as one and headed off arm-in-arm.

Will shook his head and headed towards Water's room.

Concentrate. Concentrate.

The Talisman

Water Green had many notebooks. He observed and documented the world as a scientist might observe and document a bug colony under glass. Unlike most other humans, Water could see the invisible stimuli of the mind as clearly as the scientist might see the drip of whatever pheromone he was applying to get the bugs to fuck. Water rarely mistook the answer to a question of 'why' something happened. Through decades of practice and learned concentration, he could see the why in the environment, in the motivation of humans and in the failures of both things and people.

In construction, knowing ‘why’ had made him the very best at building infrastructure that precisely fit the physical world around it. Other roads pot-holed and heaved. Green Water Construction built roads didn't buckle under years of heavy use. People lied to others or committed actions they had no intention of doing. Others wondered about things; Water knew the answers. He could pick out reliable people and form committed teams that could tackle the seemingly impossible with great success.

Now though, he was doubting his abilities for the first time. He knew that age was a factor. A younger Water would just breeze over any gaps. Old Water was hesitating. Younger Water would have anticipated and moved decisively early on. Old Water wasn't sure; it was a failing that he hadn’t experienced before and couldn’t accept now. He had already made the decisions needed to hand over the reins to Jack and to Will. His last task, which he must complete to perfection, was to ensure that they were ready to take them.

Over the last few weeks, Water had filled in the final pages in a notebook that wasn't his. It had been handed to him half-filled decades ago when another Elder, his grandfather, had sent him into a war zone with little apparent hope of success. He had been a skilled Leutnant, not yet 20, and feared no hostile engagement. He had been in battle and had seen men die all around him with no concern for his own safety. He brought what rest and refreshment he could to the chosen side, while the enemy got no peace. They persevered against all odds, but only at the pace that humans can sustain. It was grinding on the soul, costly in lives and merciless in its cruelty. Draumrs did whatever they could, but were only guides and attendants. Men had to finish the war that they had started.

Near the end, his grandfather had drawn him to the Cathedral of Trees and laid out a challenge. One man on the other side: a scientist, could make a difference for the enemy that would reverse all of the Allied gains and change the outcome of the war. He had to be eliminated. The challenge was that no ordinary soldier could get to him. If he persisted in his work, the enemies of freedom would achieve a weapon so destructive that the entire balance of the world power would change. The individual was hidden away behind impenetrable walls in a fortress that could not be broken either from land or from the air. The deadly strike had to come through the dreamscape.

Water had expressed his incredulity at the possibility of doing this. As he knew his craft, horrid and frightening dreams could be created. In some dreamers, bad enough dreams over a long time might result in madness, so this was never allowed. The Draumr presence was normally only a wispy image in the dream. Fleeting and changing, it vanished when the dreamer woke. No matter how horrendous the dream, including dying in it, it was always only a dream. And most dreamers could just wake and shake it off.

Now, he learned from his grandfather that this wasn't always true. He learned of the ancient artefacts. Draumrs had employed them for many hundreds of years in Europe and Asia. But, they were now considered to be part of a long ago dark era and were banished from both practice and teaching. Except, when they were the last chance to save a civilization.

Water came home and was given such an artefact. It was the single Green Clan stone that had been passed hand-to-hand through each generation. It had a leather covering which adapted to his hand from the minute he touched it. Grandfather had also handed him the notebook, half-filled in his own fine hand with information that covered all that was known of the power of the artefacts. With his grandfather's help, he learned how to use the talisman on the dreamscape and studied how to kill the dreamer. Enemy soldiers, likely destined to die the next day, were sacrificed in their sleep for practice. It was brutal, but effective, and in a few weeks Water was ready to attack the single most important enemy.

It was all simple in the end. A pistol was conveniently at hand as the scientist was entirely paranoid when awake. He kept it for fear of assassins breaking down his door. In his final dream, no assassins came. He simply went to the drawer in a deep sleep walk, picked up and cocked the loaded weapon and blew his brains out. Water's hand had guided the entire dreamscape. He had invoked a feeling of depression so perverse that the man couldn't wait to die. Water he had witnessed the man's conscious being fade out in the moments after the shot. In the dream, the man had turned to him and seen him at the end. In death, he knew that he was not alone and that it was the right thing to do. He had smiled.

Grandfather had retrieved the talisman from Water and passed it back to the shaman charged with its protection. Water was told to forget what he had learned and to never speak of it again. He had sworn to do this. But, grandfather had not taken the notebook back.

Grandfather knew that young Water wrote all that he learned in the notebook. He knew that Water had faithfully logged each detail of obtaining the talisman and of how to use it. He knew that the shaman also had a grandson who would become the next keeper. The Elder died peacefully knowing that this was as it should be. The First Circle had closed and sealed any evidence of the use of an artefact to compel the death of a dreamer. For two generations, it was not spoken of again. But at least one Draumr in each Clan knew how to retrieve and use the artefacts of the Clan. One must always know.

Water now understood that it was his responsibility to pass on that knowledge and with it the life-long burden of its protection to his grandson. He had re-read the entire notebook, making sure that both his and his grandfather's fine pen work was legible to one with good eyes. He knew that Duck had the marvelous eyes of a hawk. He filled in a few last pages of directions on how to survive the expansion of the mind that was sure to follow use of the talisman. He also speculated on how to win against another similarly equipped, but this was all new, so these pages asked more questions than they answered.

It had never been anticipated that Draumr would confront Draumr in a dreamscape with lasting-effect consequences. Water could not see the possible outcomes, but the death of one at the hands of the other seemed most certain. Soldiers knew this gut-wrenching fear in hand-to-hand combat. One of them would die right there. There was no tapping out or surrender. For much of the struggle it was uncertain who that would be. Terror would grip both minds and both bodies. Mere strength or cunning wasn't usually the determinant. Most often, luck was. How to write about luck? It was the dilemma that Water considered each night with his pen poised. As yet, the page remained blank.

Water was up and completing some business paperwork when Will knocked on his door. He welcomed him into the suite of rooms that served as both his office and his bedroom. He observed Will's every movement. After several days of dreamscape practice and many hours in the gym at the camp, the 'Duck' was clearly moving like a capable Novice. Water thought of him as Duck for the last time.

There was no need for pleasantries. Water simply spoke: So, Will, your hand carries the weight of the talisman. I can see it in the muscles from your shoulder to your fingers. I hate to tell you, but it gets heavier. You'd best keep up your workouts.

This was as light as the conversation would