The Search For Kathea, A Leap Into Searching the Dreamlands

 The Search For Kathea, A Leap Into Searching the Dreamlands

      Iriisii follows the Great Sage as he examines the tower first hand, literally running his hands over every surface, longingly, lovingly, as one would with their lover. And that describes him now perfectly, totally absorbed in gathering new knowledge about something he had only read about before and never seen or personally felt.

     "There are no words to describe what I am seeing, feeling. The thoughts entering my mind, are being created as I add to the sum total of what I have within me. Questions I have had since I came here to live are being answered, even as new questions take their place. The role this tower is to take, no, not take, make for itself. I sense pieces of it, glimpses into what could be, nothing can prepare oneself for what I see."

     "What do you see? Tell me how you see, with your inner eyes, your perspective."

     "First, all of the infinite realms of the Dreamlands connected together. No gulfs separating them, no lack of understanding between them, harmony on an order that exceeds everything else known. But still, they retain their own...what is the word, flavor, yes, flavor. None of them lose what makes them unique, what the peoples and cultures that created them, shared to make them what they are.

     And then that sharedness filters back into the waking world. Uncountable amounts of time it will take. Disputes, fights, battles, and wars will be won and lost, but eventually, they will settle their differences and peace will reign. A peace that means different things to different people, but peace nonetheless. I see the great powers that you call, 'Hope', and 'Belief', are now nigh supreme across the vastness that is existence itself. And above them, sits...I cannot say, I am commanded not to say."

     "Why, can you tell me why you cannot say?"

     "The path to that place is still too precarious, too easily thwarted. It does not have enough anchors to strengthen it to withstand what would come against it. And so you must continue your journey, complete your tasks, deal with those who would tear down what you stand for. Much more pain, suffering, despair lies ahead, but so too does joy, pleasure, happiness, all must be endured. You must continue to grow, learn your capabilities, use them to protect the Balance and the lives of those who give themselves into your care.

     You will venture into places yet unknown, find enemies and allies alike, friends and new companions. For power begets power, hope springs eternal in the minds of the hopeful, belief forges new roads into the wilderness of unbelief, protect the Dreamlands, for they are the key to all of existence. Those who seek to conquer, cannot do so without conquering the Dreamlands. And you are its defender, look for its threat in its antithesis. You have met him already, you will meet him again. Yet even he has his role to play, much as he would deny it. There are things he must do, and things you must do to deny him, such is how the Balance is maintained.

     The question that burns most greatly in you is this if peace is to reign supreme across existence, then what of the Balance? There is an answer for you to find as many others have sought for and failed. But you are not them, you can succeed where they failed, follow the 'Truth' within you when the time comes and it will lead you to where you must go."

     "Great Sage, please, come sit, rest, you have done me a great service, one I will never forget or take lightly."

     "I have? I know I was learning so much from this place, it overwhelmed me, I am sorry."

     "You have no reason to be sorry, my friend. You have helped me far more than either of us could know that you would."

     "Then I am content."

     "When you return, and please stay as long as you like, inform King Kuranes that I will speak with him about many things that he will need to be aware of. Most will not affect the Dreamlands, but he will need to be aware of what could happen, and how it may affect the Dreamlands as a whole."

     "Then I will speak to him on my return. The Captain said you were expecting dragon visitors? Might I be present when you receive them?"

     Iriisii smiles, "Of course, I will introduce them to you, and you to them. For they to know you are esteemed in my eyes and thus to be protected as one of mine."

     Eventually, the dragons start to arrive, they perch themselves around the edge of the tower even as the tower acts to extend an energy platform outward for all of them to land on and listen to the words of its Mistress. Once they are all assembled, Iriisii with the Great Sage walks out among them. None take offense of the Great Sage being there, they know of the friendship between them, of the assistance he has been to their 'Mother' numerous times. Indeed, because of him working with their 'Mother', they have been welcomed in the Dreamlands, and thus spared a hideous fate that still tries to chase them even here. But the Dreamlands have denied their pursuers entrance, and so they have been safe. Now events of the greatest importance to all, dragon and not-dragon have made their beginnings known. And they will be the ones to carry word of it to all who will listen, for the 'Dovahne Hahnu' has been born, and her fate now set into motion.

     She is now living proof that the Draconic Divines exist, that they have reached out to their 'Mother' and anointed her. Thus asking her to one day ascend once more and join with them as one of them, together to rule and guide all to exist in harmony with each other as she has shown the way.

     "My children, I stand here before you, atop this place built by the power of the Quantum Lords, the Lords of the Shadowlands, and the Draconic Divines. This will be one of many that will be built to anchor the Dreamlands for what will come. And not only the Dreamlands will have these, but all other places within time and space in which dragons dwell. They too shall be anchored, and the purpose of these anchors is to ensure their survival for when the Jihad of Truth begins its journey. For as each Realm of the waking world makes its choice which side it will follow, those that follow the Balance will find these towers first being built in their Dreamland, and then in their Realm. Each anchoring and empowering the other, each pair reaching out to the others, strengthening its neighbors until we show a united front to the enemies that will attempt to assail us.

     They will dash themselves against our bulwarks and will not be able to enter in. And at a time of our choosing, we will go out and do battle. When the 'Fog of War' has cleared, we will be left victorious on the battlefield. We will be united in peace and harmony, as it was intended for us in the very beginning. And when I ascend to be with my brothers and sisters, my gift to all my children will be bestowed. The Gift of Dreams will then be yours. You will be able to come here in your dreams as the mortals do. And when your body passes into bone and dust in the waking lands, your soul will come here to live once more, you will not be trapped within 'Limbo', not knowing if ever your body be resurrected and your soul returned. You will know life once again, and all will be your brothers and sisters, as all will be my children.

     Go now, unto all of your brothers and sisters wherever they are, give my words to all that will hear, mortal and immortal alike. Bear my blessing and let it protect you on your journey, let the weapons of our enemies be turned from your bodies. If they will not hear, leave them in their ignorance and find those that will hear. Their fate will catch them when the Great War of Truth marches over their cold, bloody corpses."

     Iriisii opens her arms to her draconic children and the power of her blessing manifests on each one, telling them where or when they needed to go. They jump and the power of the tower lifts them up into the air, their wings catching the updrafts and sending them on to the portals opening to take them onward. When the last has passed on, the energy platform morphs, forming the shape of a blossom of the Dovahne Hahnu surrounding the top of the tower.

     The Great Sage is speechless at what he has heard, but he knows Iriisii Dovahkiin. Knows what she has done for the Dreamlands, knows those who have accepted her as one of them. And he accepts what she has said at its face, that she wants peace and harmony for all her children, no one excluded by race, species, mortal, immortal, light, or dark. "How will this square with the Balance, if there is complete peace and harmony here?"

     "Good. You did listen to what I said. The Balance will remain intact, because of where our influence with this effort will not extend into. I know you have thought about the possibility of an antithetical opposite to the waking lands and even the Dreamlands."

     "Yes, I have, even though I could never find proof. That is it is it not, you found the proof of its existence!"

     "I did, and it is that opposite that is the source of our current problems. And I know where a gate to that place exists. No, not here, for which I am and you should be thankful. No, it exists in the deepest parts of the Great Abyss. It is where the Wamphyrie came from to plague us all. Where a kind of zombie never before known, I have tracked to have come from there. I do not know the why or how it was managed, really I am not sure I wish to know. What I want is to close it for all time, let it exist to keep the balance intact. Yet we do not have to allow it to poison our homes, our Realms, our lives, and souls."

     "I bow to your wisdom, and the strength to persevere in the face of the 'Unspeakable."

     "As do I, my friends, as do I."

     "Your Majesty, I did not hear you come up!"

     "I am quite sure she did though, nothing gets by her!"

     "Your Majesty, it is an honor to welcome you to this, the first of the Towers of Anchoring. That will anchor and strengthen each of the Dreamlands with its Waking World counterpart.  And together anchoring and strengthening their neighbors, providing an even stronger bulwark of defense when the 'Jihad of Truth' begins. And once the Great War is over, the beginning of the Epoch of Peace and Harmony, between all Realms, Dream and Waking, Light and Dark. Ragnarok will take me on his back and together we will ascend once more, where I will join with the Draconic Divines and accept the Mantle of the Mother of the Cosmos. And for as long as I hold that Mantle, the Gate at the bottom of the Great Abyss will remain closed."

     "I never thought to see the time come when such a feat would be possible and I would meet and know the one destined to do it. But I have but one burning question in my mind."

     "We know of a force that exists in the void surrounding the Creations, we call it the Aurbis. Exactly what it is has been the debate of Sages and Philosophers for as long as we have existed. If there is that kind of force in our little corner of existence, surely there could be one that oversees all of existence? And if so, then its power and influence would have to surely be commensurate with the increased scope of what it looks after?"

     "I will take it on trust that you understand what you just said."

     "I believe that I understand what she said, and yes, indeed, Your Majesty, I do also agree with your statement. And somehow I think the debate on that subject will be one that never ends."

     Iriisii informs both the Great Sage and King Kuranes of what has been happening within the Waking World and likely has affected parts of the Dreamlands not directly tied to this main part.

     "So you wish to visit the Dreamlands for this 'Second Creation' to see how they weathered the Rebirth. I commend you for your attention to all that could be affected by that event. Although I do know of it, I have never had speech or visitation with anyone from it. Perhaps now is the time for that to be mended. Here, I will amend your map to show its location, there is a gulf between the Lands, what lies at the bottom, none know, for it is shrouded in shadow, mist, and darkness."

     "Has anyone ever attempted to build a bridge across the gulf?"

     "I do not know, not in my memory, but that does not mean it has not been attempted, why do you ask?"

     "I wonder if any were attempted but destroyed or never completed because something came up from the gulf. I have been told that the Shadowlands have always existed, have always been and always will be. I wonder if they have small parts of themselves that reach out into all the different realms of existence. The Twelve Lords answered my call to help build this tower. Somehow they heard me and sent their reply."

     "And you think that reply came here from somewhere within that gulf? Possible, nothing has been recorded of anyone going down there, but that does not mean it was never attempted."

     "Great Sage, are there any hermits who make their home near that gulf? If so, I would like to visit and speak with them if they would entertain my presence. It might be they have knowledge of what if anything that has gone on there that others does not have, and never recorded because no one asked about it."

     "I can mark a few places on your map. I do not know if they still live, you will have to go and see."

     "Why do you not accompany her, Sage. They might be more inclined not to deny her if you are with her."

     "I would be honored to do so, Your Majesty."

     "Please keep him safe for me, he is a true and much-valued friend."

     "I will, Your Majesty. No harm will come to him while I am with him, this I promise."

     "Your word is good with me, I know you go to great lengths to keep it. Sage, it should go without saying but I say anyway, do as she says, I know you sometimes get involved in things and forget where you are. Now I must get back to the city."

     While looking about at the flowering vines, "do you think these may grow and blossom away from the tower? I think they would mix well with the white flowers that are already spread across the city?."

     "I think we can expect that to happen, it would make both city and tower a showplace for gardeners to come and see."

     Later, after King Kuranes returned to Illek Vad, the Great Sage and Iriisii start out to visit the closest of the hermits who make their homes near the gulf between Dreamland realms. It takes about a week to travel there by carriage, and Iriisii gets a chance to see more of the more open areas, the people that live there, the sites of ruins that still dot the landscape from dreams that died as their dreamers died. A few she feels, still seem to have power in them, whether it be from artifacts or lingering believers, she does not know, but makes notes to find out.

     The area they come to is a combination of steep hills and deep gorges opening out into the gulf. They carefully make their way through the bewildering road of twists, turns, switchbacks, and inclines, until they make their way to the base of a plateau overlooking the expanse of the gulf. The far side is shrouded in clouds that stretch as far along the edge as can be seen. They see a cave entrance into the plateau with lit torches on either side.

     "I guess we are expected if the torches are lit. It is a sign the hermit will see us."

     "Is there any custom of bringing a 'gift' or such?"

     "No, they have their own means of providing for food and such. Come, let us get inside, I feel eyes upon us."

     Iriisii extends her senses and locates some domesticated animals on top of the plateau, she is pulling them back when she senses what the Great Sage felt. Over on a rocky outcrop, behind them, as they approach the cave entrance, she reads someone intensely interested in the two of them walking to speak with the hermit. She also feels a songbird near to him and asks that she watch the male. If he moves elsewhere to follow and when Iriisii speaks to her again, let her see through the songbird's eyes. She promises a nice reward and the songbird graciously accepts the proposition.

     "We now have eyes of our own watching the watcher. If he goes anywhere after we enter, I will know where he goes and who he sees."

     "My, you have definitely grown quickly in the spycraft business."

     "Not because I wanted to, but had to so as to protect my children. Sometimes the most unobtrusive, unexpected eyes see the most. And that can save many lives if acted upon quickly enough."

     "True words. I see the flickering of torchlight ahead."

     As they enter the carved-out room, lit by torches spaced around the walls. Iriisii notes the stone seats arranged in a circle with thick furs covering the seats. There are ten seats in total with six of them already occupied. The Great Sage and Iriisii walk to the center and face the hermit that the Great Sage indicates this cave is home to.

     Iriisii bows deep to the hermit, quietly waiting for his response as custom dictated it being his home and they being his guests.

     "I greet thee, long has it been since such august visitors graced my humble abode. How may this humble hermit be of assistance."

     "I greet thee humble hermit in the spirit of a seeker of knowledge. Knowledge few remain who may know the secrets of."

     "Of what knowledge do you speak of, seeker."

     "The Dreamland that lies across the gulf."

     "Many over long years uncounted have sought knowledge of that place. All have been disappointed in their search, why should you be any different?"

     The Great Sage opens his mouth to speak when Iriisii gently lays a hand on his arm. He closes it and waits to allow her to direct the conversation.

     "I am the one along with one other, responsible for the Rebirth of that land within the Waking World. I would see with my own eyes, hear with my own ears, and speak with my own lips, as to how they who live there fared through the event. If there be help needed for any purpose that aids them in recovering. Also to find the place that calls to me, that will be the site of the next 'Tower of Anchoring'."

     "As the closest to those within the other Dreamland, I witnessed some of what occurred before the clouds came and hid all from sight. Tell me please what happened within the Waking World that caused such things as I witnessed."

     Iriisii answers him truthfully, telling what happened, her own part in its destruction as well as its rebirth with the aid of the 'Child of the Infinite', and its relocation to another Dimension, so as to prevent cataclysmic paradoxes from being formed that would likely have destroyed the entire timeline.

     The hermit bows his head to allow another question.

     "We have heard a name being spoken on the 'Winds of Dream', the name of 'Dovahne Hahnu'. Do you know who this is?"

     "I do, I have been given this name by the Draconic Divines when I called to them with the Quantum Lords, and the Lords of the Shadowlands, to create the first 'Tower of Anchoring'."

     The words she has spoken have an electric effect among the hermits. They rise as one to face her, ease themselves down to the stone floor, then prostrate themselves before her. As one voice they speak, "long ago in the history of dreamlands now faded into obscurity and memory, words of this were spoken, written, and sealed away. Then through the hermits, by word of mouth from one to another, were the instructions given of what to do once the sacred name was uttered upon the Dream Winds and one came to claim the inheritance.

     We honor you, Dovahne Hahnu, for with your coming will dawn a new epoch in the history of 'Dream'. Word reached us of the coming of dragons into the Dreamlands, where none have ever come before. Thus we watched and waited, patiently for your arrival, and now we are blessed above all others to be the first of your prophets in the Dreamlands. Your messengers are even now spreading your words across time and space within the Waking World, and now we shall do the same within the Dreamlands.

     In the instructions we were given when we took up this path, we were told to tell you, that if you take the form of your children, then travel across the gulf, the clouds will part and allow you entrance. The guardian below will not interfere with you, nay, for he is to be the staunchest of your defenders. When he is needed, he will come to you, to lay waste to your enemies and the enemies of the Balance you serve. Please follow us to the top above and begin the Path of Dream.

     The hermits rise and walk to another cave hidden behind a blanket of furs. Iriisii and the Great Sage follow. As they ascend to twisting inclined cave floor, torches igniting themselves as they approach, they finally step out into the dusk and see across the gulf at the cloud-shrouded land that is the Dreamland of the Second Creation.

     She begins the process of morphing into her full dragon form as the hermits wait, then their attention is drawn to some distant specks in the darkening sky. Specks coming from another direction than the one she must travel. She stops the morph and returns to her human form, as she waits with the hermits to see who and what approaches.

     As they grow closer, her senses tell her an almost impossible tale, as she recognizes what comes. But how, they are not known to be travelers of the planes, even on the backs of Byakhee Birds. This is indeed a great mystery, one she almost looks eagerly on solving, except for the memories that come unbidden with their arrival. It is exceedingly strange to see these wearing armor and bearing weapons. Of what make she cannot tell from this distance. What she does know and can be sure of is that her senses tell her they are not enemies, not friends either, but not enemies. And that old saying she had said to Rigmor seemingly long ago comes back to her, 'the enemy of my enemy can be my friend'. And so she waits to see why they have come, for that will determine if they can be her friend.

     As their visitors land their bird mounts on the plateau top, the hermits stand firm in the face of the horror that is a Byakhee Bird. Not to mention what dismounts from those birds, for these armored and armed figures are Nightgaunts. From where she is not certain but a few possibilities come to mind. She motions for the Great Sage to stay where he is, and asks of the hermits that they do the same.

     "I will speak to our visitors, they are not enemies and so I will be safe enough." The hermits nod their heads as she walks out to greet the Nightgaunts. Once she reaches the prescribed distance for friendly discourse, she utters the proper greetings in a low hissing voice punctuated by the correct references to specific Great Old Ones.

     The leader takes one step forward to indicate he will speak for the group.

     "I come to inquire of the meanings seen in the Signs of Kish, displayed in the stars of our night skies. Of the name cried forth in the Winds of Pandemonium that blow unceasingly from the Vale of Pnoth. In the vaporous mists that flow to our homeland from the dark bowels of the mountain called Hotash Slay. Are you she who is now called by the holiest name, Dovahne Hahnu?"

     "I am she."

     "Then show us your true form, the shape that the night's predators fear above all others."

     Then she begins again her transformative morph, she reaches her dragon form with eyes of deepest violet, then calls the shadows to wrap her within them, shielding her even from the moonlight, as she blends within the darkness of night, and vanishes as if she had never been.

     The leader of the Nightgaunts kneels, "you are indeed she called Dovahne Hahnu. The one to bring final judgment unto the Wamphyrie."

     Using the telepathic power of her mind, she asks of the leader, "tell me of your encounters with that utter foulness that is the Wamphyrie."

     He places all of the memories that bear to them on display for her to see. And she sees indeed they will be allies in her search for them and her effort to bring Draconic justice on them. Further, she sees they will become friends in the fight against those who resurrected this foulness that has not only plagued her and her people, but the Nightgaunts and others they speak for as well.

     "We have a common enemy between us, for they are spread across the Abyssal Realms, even now they worm their way into the High Heavens. And as much as I want them destroyed beyond recall. I want those who brought them back out of the 'hell' that spawned them. I want them to know my rage, my fury, my pain, my suffering before I send them to Oblivion!"

     "What kind of place can they be sent to that they cannot return from? It has been tried before and yet they return time and again."

     "I know how to construct a prison that cannot be escaped from. Not from within or from without, it is with such a prison I will defeat and trap within, 'It', known as the Ravenous Darkness! And I have no qualms about using one for the Wamphyrie and those who brought them back to plague us with their foulness."

     "Then we and all who follow us are yours to command."

     Iriisii still wrapped in shadow, morphs back into human form, steps from the shadows with her hands glowing violet, "take my blessing with you, as you return to your forces as proof of what I say. From this day forward you are a part of my Celestial Army, as they who were once called the 'Lost Legion' are now the 'Dragon Legion', I now bestow unto you and yours the name of the 'Shadow Legion'. Prove yourselves worthy and I will gift you the ability to gather the shadows around you as you have seen me do. You will vanish from the sight of your enemies, travel the shadows to wherever other shadows are, whether it be at your enemies' back or many leagues away. And grow powerful enough to use the shadows as a weapon of your choice, thus you will always be armed, be there a shadow to grasp."

     "We will be worthy, this I swear by..."

     "Careful whose name you use, names have power and can attract their attention. Do not use the name of one unless you wish them to know your voice. For I am of the Lineage of Kthanid, half brother to Cthulhu himself. Harbinger to the Gods of Eld, and Elder Goddess, Daughter, and Heir to the Mother of the Cosmos."

     At this declaration of lineage, the relationship between the new Shadow Legion and Iriisii is sealed. They are her children, and she is now their 'Mother'.

     "I go across the gulf, to see for myself who now stands there. And to build the second 'Tower of Anchoring' that the 'Second Creation' has protection through its Dreamland Tower. Go to your forces and ready yourselves. When I begin massing my forces, I will go forth with my daughter, the 'Dragon of Spirit' and we will declare the 'Jihad of Truth, and you, the Legion of Shadow will go with us, across all the Realms of Space, and all the reaches of Time. To draw the battle lines as all choose who they will follow."