Autumn's Ravage

by Phil Armstrong

It wasn’t long before the Dream Cane took them back to the hotel room where they’d originally seen the crimson butterflies. The journey to another seemed easier this time, now that Dan knew what to expect. The adventurers were more than ready to resume their quest, despite the dangers that lay ahead. Dan decided not to share his thoughts with Raj, that it might be his destiny to kill this beast. He felt that his epiphany may be ridiculed, and it would probably be for the best if he left this insight unspoken for now.

  Dan was admiring his large muscular frame, before his attention was redirected; “It’s late, very late. Better get off to your room and try to get a good night’s sleep. I’ll meet you in the lobby at 7am, be sure to phone down to the front desk and arrange for a wakeup call at 6am. Get showered and ready early because we’ll go for breakfast at the diner, the one the Indian Chief was talking about. Seems like a good place to meet locals and strangers alike. Dan felt for his room key nestled in his pocket, it was still there; he was so excited about being back that he didn't want to sleep, but he reluctantly left, and settled in for the night.

  The following morning Dan paced nervously around the lobby trying not to draw attention to his actions. He was early, anxious to start the day and find any information that may lead to tracking this beast. Dan tried to understand how he could stay in this realm the entire night and most of the day, yet it only represented a few hours of his Mother’s working shift back in Earth’s realm. Raj had explained how this time anomaly works earlier, but he still couldn't believe it or understand it. He felt a light tap on his shoulder; “You hungry then?” inquired Raj. It was still very odd for Dan to see Raj in a completely different, stronger and considerably younger body. He marveled at Raj’s drastically altered voice, without a trace of his thick Indian accent. It was probably more of a shock for Raj to see Dan, temporarily freed from his adolescent body and occupying the large, hulking, frame of a grown man, with a deep, strong, masculine, voice.

  Dan’s eyes widened, “Yup, I’m very hungry.”

  “Let’s go to the diner then, and see what we can find out. I’ve already got directions, its not that far,” he said with a grin. “Lets go.”

  They proceeded through the lobby to the hotel’s front door where they exited onto Autumn’s Main Street. It was a crisp cool morning, as the men appreciated the warming sunlight bursting over the rooftops and flooding the street with welcoming light. There was still a chill that hung in the air but it felt clean, and pure, as they both filled their lungs. You don't get this feeling in a big, dirty, bustling city; the street was calm and quiet, with no traffic, and no pedestrians, it appeared that it way too early for this sleepy northern village. They walked for a few minutes before the diner’s large illuminated sign came into view. Cars and trucks glinted in the parking lot sunlight as they waited for their owners to return from finishing their breakfasts. The parking lot was half full, but it provided enough evidence that some villagers had sprung into life on this otherwise sleepy street. No words had been exchanged between the men until they approached the door to the diner. Raj stopped, and without looking at Dan, he grabbed the door handle and paused awkwardly, “Leave the talking to me. I still want you to be the strong and silent type, until you get the swing of things, okay?” He didn't wait for an answer; he pulled at the door’s handle and entered the diner. Stepping inside, they could see it was a busy place, with the smells of hot coffee and hashbrowns permeating the diner’s air.

  Raj immediately spotted the Indian Chief facing the door, and nursing a mug of steaming coffee in his cupped hands. The Chief wasn’t alone; he sat in a red leather cladded booth with a man sat with his back to the door. The Chief’s guest was dressed in black leathers with long unwashed black hair. As they approached, the Chief slid across the bench seat, to make room at his booth, “Please join us, I’d like you to meet someone.” The Chief looked happy, and excited, at the prospect of this meeting; the stranger looked decidedly uncomfortable, wanting to avoid such a public introduction. Raj slid across the leather bench and sat next to the Chief, leaving Dan to awkwardly look at the stranger, suggesting he should move over to make some room. With some considerable reluctance, he shuffled down the bench dragging his breakfast setting with him. Dan carefully took his position within the booth, trying not to bump shoulders with the unwelcoming stranger. Annie arrived just at the right time to break the uncomfortable silence.

  “Coffee to start with fellas?”

  Raj looked at the chirpy waitress and wondered how some people could have so much energy so early in the day, “Yes please, two coffees, that would be great, thanks.”

  The Chief waited for Annie to leave, he knew from her inquisitive nature that she would be curious. The Chief usually sat alone or with a couple of his boys from the tribe. It was highly unusual for him to be talking with a booth full of strangers. He frequented the diner often but most people would describe him as anti-social, rude, or an introvert. The Chief relaxed the tight grip he had on his steaming coffee mug to wave a hand at the men sat across from him, “You know Annie there owns this place, she’s been here for years, and she knows these parts well. It was one of her girls, working here at the diner that the beast killed. She was a beautiful girl named Kelly, a little slow upstairs, but full of life and a smile that would light up your morning. She was a good kid; she didn't deserve to die and the village will miss her cheerful soul,” the Chief shook his head slowly.

  Annie returned with two steaming cups of black coffee; she placed them gently upon the table and pointed to the packs of milk, cream, and sugar, “All of your fixings are there guys, do you boys want a refill?”

  In unison they both shook their heads, “No thanks, Annie,” mumbled the Chief.

  Annie left to attend her other customers. The Chief planted his right elbow upon the table and flipped his wrist to make small gestures to accompany his softly spoken words. “I need to facilitate introductions; we need to all get on the same page quickly here as we’re running out of time.” He leaned in so the other patrons wouldn’t hear him, “Let’s cut through all of this pretense, we’re all here for the same reason, and we’d all be better off if we cooperated and joined forces, this isn’t a race and if we pool our efforts then we’ll be stronger.” The stranger stiffened at the Chief’s words, he knew he was trapped within the booth, but he wanted to avoid this conversation and run, he shot a worried look across the table at the Chief. “In my tribe, our people pass down our history from generation to generation, it’s our oral tradition. Many people think that we’re a bunch of drunken babbling fools, caught up in our legends and our fanciful stories. What we are experiencing isn’t the first time this has happened to Autumn, and this isn’t the first time help has arrived from other worlds.” The stranger nervously surveyed the diner to see who was listening. It seemed everyone was busy eating, or distracted by there own private conversations. The Chief continued, “You three are different to other folk, you’re not from this world, some would call you imposters, but I’m glad you’re here, because you’ve been sent to help us kill this beast.”

  “I think you’ve got me all wrong, I’m …” started the stranger.

  “Shut it,” snapped the Chief abruptly, his demeanor changed in an instant, “I don't have time for this while real people are being killed. You’re as much a migrant worker passing through, as I’m a cowboy, and you two are not Barnes & Colder. Paul, Brian, and Kelly, are all dead - and we’re still sitting here pretending.” The Chief shook his head in disgust, “You pretend to be passing through, and heading to the mines up north for work, yet you couldn’t name three mines and their locations! No one in their right mind travels this far north, in dangerous terrain, without researching where they would be going first.” Dan smiled. “You two are just as bad - big hunters from Laran City, yet you can’t even describe the city’s famous clock tower or name it’s famous Irish Pub situated across the square. Only a fool desperate to believe would actually believe that you’re natives of Laran City.”
They were caught in the web of their deceit and they all knew it.

  “I’m an old Indian Chief, the wise Great Bear they call me, blessed with skills and knowledge passed down from countless generations within my tribe. I see things others don’t see, and I’m at one with our natural environment - not a simple fool, as many would say. I can see auras, the body’s energy and life-force. As I sit here today, you three have no colorful auras, you don't exude an aura of a normal person; you emit a pure white glow of energy. We know who you are and we’ve seen your kind before, you’re what we Indians call Tugnars.” The Chief lowered his voice, “You’re creatures from another plain, another dimension, another realm. You’ve been sent here to help us with our fight, and we’re eternally grateful for that. This creature that roams our forest, he’s been sent here to open an access point to our world so that evil can exploit us and access our realm. We can’t let that happen, and you have to help us, just like you’ve done in the past.”

  The stranger glared across the table at Raj, “I guess it’s time for us all to come clean, who are you and where are you from?”

  Raj took a slow deliberate sip of his strong black coffee; he paused for effect, enjoying the drama like it was a finely written play, “Who,” he emphasized the word, “we are, is not important. You’re a wise Chief indeed, we’re travellers from the Fifth Realm - Earth, and we were sent here to help you.” Dan glared at Raj in amazement, for he’d revealed their true identities so soon, “Who are you?” he asked bluntly, turning to the silent stranger.

  The stranger paused for a moment, not expecting the question, and still reluctant to offer his answer, “I’m Kaan, I’m a master monk of the highest order, from the mountains of Haitden, and the majestic Monastery of Light, deep within the Third Realm.” The pride in his voice did not disguise the sacrifice, discipline, and effort required, to obtain these credentials. “I know what this creature is, and I know why it’s here. I’ve been trained to stop it, kill it, and make sure it doesn’t succeed. That is my mission above all else, everything else, including my life, which is not important.”

  The Chief nodded his head to recognize the trust forming, “Good. Now we are being honest with each other. We have noticed that the local animals have long since fled north, even the stubborn wolf and the tenacious bear, that fight to acquire their territory, have left. The Spiritual Animals are now moving in and making their presence known. This is a serious sign that a great evil lurks and ominous events are about to unfold. It is my responsibility, as the Chief of my tribe, keeper of the legends, and guardian of the forest, to kill this beast. I am only too aware that many people around these parts think that I’m a rambling old fool, but little do they know. We’ll be much stronger if we combine forces and work together as one team, than if we compete. We’ll need all of our experience to kill this beast. Kaan, you said you know what this beast is; then tell us what we’re facing here.”

  The monk patiently stirred his coffee and sipped pensively. For a moment he collected his thoughts for he was uncertain where to begin. Annie broke the silence, “So, you boys know what you want to order?”

  Raj spoke trying to speed the ordering process along, “Yes, we’re both having the same; Pancakes with a side order of hashbrowns please.”

  Annie scribbled into her note pad, “Two Pancakes with hashbrowns coming up, thanks,” Annie wheeled away efficiently.

  “You were saying?” prompted the Chief.

  The stranger glanced from side to side, to see who could hear him, satisfied - he continued. “This is a dark creature from the first realm, where evil has gained a significant foot hold, and the battle between darkness and light is fierce. Occasionally, the dark leaders will stumble across portals, powerful ways to traverse across the realms. It requires the stars to align, the timing has to be right, and this limits their opportunities. When the time is right, they will send a messenger equipped with the knowledge to open a portal permanently, where evil and darkness can seep into a realm and ultimately consume it. This messenger has arrived, and the animals of the great forest can sense its presence. It’s a Karcon, a ferocious beast from the dark underworld. It’s twice the size of one of your largest Grizzly Bears; it’s covered in dense brown fur, and armed with large paws with sharp claws. It has a long pointed snout filled with large sharp teeth. Its senses are highly developed, with eyes that can see movement and a powerful nose that can pinpoint the scent of intruders. The Karcon is not like any animal that you’ve encountered before, it’s a dark spirit, capable of living without the sustenance we need; it does not eat or drink. It feeds on fear and creates an environment of death, anxiety, panic, and uncertainty. This energy allows the beast to feed and grow stronger. It’s intelligent and bred to search for a spiritual place where it can open a portal, a bridge to the first realm. If it succeeds, then a flood of evil spirits will invade this realm and turn it into a dark place.”

  “How do we kill it?” inquired Dan, changing the direction of the conversation.

  The monk fell silent, thinking deeply about his response, “The Karcon can be killed. The scriptures call for a person with a pure heart, who is not afraid of facing demons. The monks from my monastery have killed several of these beasts over the centuries with each one killed in a different way, from a golden spear owned by Euethanese wielded by an innocent boy. A monk living in my order has killed a Karcon using a sacred sword once owned by the Great King of the second realm. In all of these cases, the killing weapon used had a deep spiritual connection with prominence across the generations, and had been blessed by many. Today’s modern weapons are designed to kill but they only make the beast stronger. Killing a Karcon is not easy, I’ve brought with me the sacred knife of Princess Athena, leader of the ancient Elfen tribe of the great forests of Kedden, deep within the second realm.” The monk touched the knife, well concealed beneath his leather coat. “The Kedden Elfen’s are an extinct clan, but for centuries they fought the dark spirits keeping them at bay with their skill and bravery. This knife has killed four Karcon, making it a powerful and revered weapon. Its handle is made from human bone, inlaid with the purest of gold. The bone is a fragment from the shattered leg of a powerful Elfen King, who swore to protect the Kedden forests. The blade isn’t long, so it means that I’ll have to get close to the Karcon, and that is where the difficulty lies. It takes great skill, courage, and training, to achieve this. It may ultimately cost me my life.”

  The Chief looked at Raj and Dan, “Barnes & Colder, intrepid hunters from Laran City, what weapons have you brought to kill this dangerous spirit?”

  Dan felt the blood rush to his cheeks; Raj came to his rescue, “We’re not trained Karcon killers, we were simply sent here to help. We have traditional weapons like knives, guns, and rifles. We come with the belief that a higher power feels we need to be here, that’s all we know.” Raj felt inadequate but the Chief eased his anxiety.

  “Then we have to trust the higher power, we’re glad you’re both here and we feel blessed to have your support.”

  The door to the diner opened noisily, causing the occupants to look at the source of the commotion. Sheriff Kevin Jones staggered through the doorway and stumbled to a recently vacated booth. He accidently knocked a cup of cold coffee from the table, spilling the murky liquid and smashing the ceramic cup into pieces that scattered across the polished floor. He sank heavily into the booth’s padded bench; oblivious to the chaos he was creating. A young woman mopped away the spilt coffee and swept the tiny white ceramic shards of the cup with practiced efficiency allowing Annie to handle the incident, “Sheriff Jones, how nice to see you on this beautiful, windy, Autumn morning.” The Sheriff looked unkempt, with his ruffled hair, unshaven appearance, and crinkled uniform, exposing to the trained eye that he’d slept in the clothes he was wearing. The strong smell of whiskey could be recognized from two booths away, as Annie poured the Sheriff a large cup of strong black coffee. She leaned in offering loyal support to her good friend, and whispered, �
�Drink this, and smarten up for God’s sake.”

  She laughed loudly and responded to the Sheriff’s non-existent dialogue, continuing the pretense for the benefit of the other diners, “Sure thing Sheriff, eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, beans and toast coming right up,” she bluffed. Annie walked away briskly, having taken the Sheriff’s order a hundred times before; the Sheriff slumped over his coffee and tried to keep his head from spinning.

  The stranger turned his head back to the conversation, “That’s the local Sheriff, clearly he’s not in control of the situation.”

  “He was pretty drunk last night when we met him at the hotel,” offered Dan. Raj added to the commentary, “Yes, and it looks like he continued to drink well after we had called it a night.”

  The Indian Chief was more sympathetic, “The Sheriff’s a good decent man, we like him a lot around these parts. He’s had a tough life, and he’s slipped because of it. In time, he’ll come back to his normal self, hopefully. Tom Jantz runs this village, the arrogant man you met last night. He’s the Head of Security, up at Asquith’s mine, which means he has access to a pack of hounds, all dressed in black t-shirts, which seem to follow him around and do his bidding. He’s organized and a man of action, but he’s not open minded enough to accept what we are dealing with here is not a very large Bear on the loose.”

  Raj placed his empty cup carefully upon the table; “We’ll have to placate him if we’re going to play along that we’re Barnes & Colder.”

  The monk glanced at Raj, “You can’t tell him who we really are or any of the details of this conversation.”

  “No,” whispered the Chief in a concerned tone.

  “Don't worry, we’ll both have to act as if we’re hunting Bear. He wants to form a hunting party, but we’ll have to convince him to include you both. Including the Chief should be easy, you know the forest, and the terrain.” Raj turned to look at the monk, “You’ll be more of a challenge, but leave that one to me. Can you hunt with a bow?”

  “Better than anyone in this realm,” said the monk with a surety that belied a challenge.

  With a spark of an idea, Raj turned to look at the Chief, “Good. Get the monk a bow and some arrows, I can use that to win over Mr. Jantz, and we might just get you in the hunting party yet.” The Chief nodded, accepting Raj’s request.

  The monk turned his head to face Dan’s large muscular frame, “For such a big man, you don't say much do you?”

  Dan was caught in that moment, where his body screamed, his insecurities grew, and his mind, was clouded with a red fog that rendered him speechless. He could feel his cheeks flush, and a hundred voices whispered damaging thoughts into his mind as his heart pounded. He was a hulk of a man, with finely chiseled muscles, and deep, piercing eyes, yet inside, was trapped a small insecure fourteen-year-old boy, that would cross the street to avoid a fight. Then fate intervened; a thought flashed through his brain, he recalled a page from the library book he’d seen that day. Dan pushed his broad shoulder blades backwards flexing them wide; he turned his face to within inches of the monk, and fixed him with his steely stare, “Silence is a true friend who never betrays.”

  It was a quote from Confucius, which was the perfect response for an intellectual monk, who did not deserve to be trusted until that trust had been earned. It also sent a ‘back off’ message that was required, and deserved. Raj smiled, he was so proud that Dan had matched the monk’s petulant remark with wisdom and verve.

  “Come on boys,” scolded the Chief, aware of the testosterone flowing through these young warriors. “We’re stronger together.”

  The door to the diner swung open and both the Chief and Raj lifted their eyes at the same time to see Tom Jantz, accompanied by a large man in a black t-shirt, take an empty booth. Tom had spotted their conversation in progress. The Chief touched Raj’s forearm, “You must go and join them, try to figure out how to limit the size of the hunting party. You have to include the both of us, but remember to be firm, you’re in charge.” Raj was about to get up when Annie appeared and served Tom some coffee; the Chief held firmly onto Raj’s forearm. “One last thing. We convened a special meeting of the Waishee council of tribal elders last night, I shouldn’t even be telling you this, but we performed an ancient spiritual ritual, where we talk with our dead ancestors. You may think it strange, but we burn a type of fern that clears our minds,” the Chief waved his hand impatiently, “an elder received a message.” The beast is searching for a special place, a sacred place, with a strong connection to the spirit world. We believe we know where this place is. It’s a sacred Waishee burial cave, situated deep within the forest, where only a handful of my tribe knows of its location. We believe the beast will try to open the portal to our world from this cave. Don't mention this to Tom; all he needs to know is that I possess the skills needed to work with you to track the beast. I’m certain the beast is looking for this cave, and I’m told, a beast tried to find this location hundreds of years earlier. Now go and convince him of our inclusion into your hunting party.”

  The Chief retracted his hand and Raj rose to join Tom Jantz and his guest. Dan looked at the Chief for direction, “Go with him, your breakfast is on me, go, now.”

  Raj and Dan approached Tom’s booth. Tom gulped down a mouthful of hot coffee managing to blurt out a sarcastic greeting, “Misters Barnes & Colder, I trust you slept well? Please come and join us.” Tom waived at the empty seats beside both men, “This is my colleague, Mr. Kevin Waits he works with me up at the mine.” The last part of the introduction was totally redundant, as the logo on the mine t-shirt was the first give away. The men took their seats with Raj facing Tom Jantz, and Dan facing Kevin Waits. “I see you’ve met some of the colorful locals, what fanciful tales have they been filling your heads with?” Tom raised his cup to his mouth, as Annie approached the table holding two large plates of food.

  “Here you go,” said Annie, sliding the plates across the table, “its musical chairs around here this morning,” she’d noticed the new location of the two men; Annie smiled and scurried away.

  “So?” reiterated Tom.

  “Just getting some local reaction to what’s going on around here; any good hunter does his recon before he walks into a situation. We like to talk with the locals, get a feel for the terrain, and understand what we’re dealing with. We like to consider diverse views and approach a problem from different angles. You never know when you’ll need a plan B.” Raj kept a good firm lock on Tom’s eyes.

  Dan was screaming inside - ‘Yeah. That told him!’

  “A plan B you say, I can see that being useful from time to time.” Tom stuffed some steaming hashbrowns into his mouth. With his mouth still full of food he turned to Kevin, “See that’s why we hire professionals Kevin - plan B, who would’ve thought of that.” he mumbled. Once Tom had chewed and swallowed his food he focused his attention upon Raj. “I want to create a hunting party that you two will lead, I’ll be with you and I’ll bring some of my men. We leave this morning and we’ll hunt that damn Bear until we find it. I want you guys to get your gear together and meet me at the hotel at 10.45am. We need action not fairy tales and plan B’s - Got it?” said Tom, holding his food covered knife within his enormous clenched fist.

  Dan decided it was his time to talk. He turned his considerable frame in the direction of Tom Jantz reaching for his clenched fist. Dan squeezed Tom’s fist so tight that his fingers were starting to turn blue, “Perhaps you should let us talk, after all, we’re the professionals, and we were hired to do this job. Got it?”

  Raj was shocked, but the extreme act worked as Kevin remained glued to his seat and Tom nodded reluctantly, “We agree with parts of your crude assessment,” started Raj. “We need to assemble a very small hunting party. The more men we have, the less chance we’ll have of killing this beast. It will smell us a mile away; it will hear us, and it will sense us. I’m happy to include yourself and one of your colleagues to join our hunting party.”

  “Kevin
will come with me,” said Tom, giving Kevin a reassuring nod.

  “We’ll also include the Indian Chief, as he knows this terrain better than anyone, especially the deep forest. His tracking skills will be a useful compliment to our own.”

  “He’s an idiot full of stupid old stories from times gone by, full of mystical phantasms, spectres, and ghosts, who will apparently hunt us from the shadows.” Tom waved his finger in a circular motion near his temple to signify the Chief being mentally unstable. “He’s an old fool trying to convince you to take him along for his own self importance.” The two men from the mine both laughed dismissively.

  Raj held firm. “He may have some interesting stories, but he’s still a damn good tracker, and he knows these forests. He’s coming.” Raj glanced at Dan, as if to ready him for the next piece of news he was to deliver to Tom Jantz. “We’ve decided we want to bring the guy talking with the Indian Chief also.”

  Tom was shaking his head. “No way.”

  Kevin joined in with the disapproval, “No.”

  Dan evened up the score by staring at Kevin, “Yes, he’s coming.”

  Raj continued, “He’s coming. I understand he’s spent a lot of time in the woods, and he’s highly proficient with a bow. We may need a silent weapon when we get in there. He’s a big bloke and he can carry a lot of supplies. He looks like he can fight, and we need all the strength and brawn that we can get. Besides, if you think we’re walking into the woods with you two and an old Indian Chief then you’re nuts. We wouldn’t emerge alive, unfortunately killed by the beast, with no witnesses, and no payment due, how convenient.” Dan hadn’t thought of that, and suddenly felt better having the monk accompany them.

  “Gentlemen, is there no trust here?” exclaimed Tom.

  “Funny things happen in the forest, bringing some special skills to our hunting team will be welcomed and they will both be included. We’ll meet you tomorrow at 10.45am, come prepared and we’ll start our hunt.”

  Tom spoke with his mouth full of food, “Wait a minute, what’s this guy’s name, and why would he do this for nothing?”

  Raj bluffed his way through, “His name’s Kaan, we’re going to pay him, and he needs the cash. Eat now, then get your gear and meet us back at the hotel.” Both Raj and Dan left the company of Tom and Kevin to rejoin Kaan and the Chief. The conversation was replayed for their benefit before they all left the diner to gather belongings and supplies. Dan marveled at how persuasive Raj had acted and his ability to control and manipulate the situation so smoothly. Dan realized that he was learning valuable life lessons that can’t be taught at school. He realized that people never see a sharp, creative mind; they’re more superficial preferring to see a frail, old, man from India. In this realm people don't see a confused, scared, fourteen-year-old insecure boy, they see a confident, muscle bound man. A valuable life lesson that everyone comes to understand with age is when you take the time to get to know someone, and dig a little deeper, you’ll always be pleasantly surprised by what you find. People are essentially the same, motivated by similar dreams, and held back by similar fears and insecurities. There’s always a reason why people act the way that they do, and we never truly know what’s going on in people’s lives. It was a good lesson for Dan to learn.

  When Dan reached the entrance of the hotel, he started to break down with worry; he looked at Raj, unable to hold back his true feelings, “Raj, I’m sorry, I don't know if I can go through with this. You see me as this large muscular man, but you have to remember, I’m only fourteen years old. I’m pretty scared right now and I don't want to die. I was excited about this whole thing, until I realized we could be in real danger, and we could die! I didn't sign up to die; this is totally different to my video games. I’m only fourteen!”

  Raj looked into the eyes of the large frightened man and finally saw the fear of a little boy. “I understand. It’s totally up to you. We can hide out until its time to go back and we see the crimson butterflies. Just remember this, you are in the body of a trained killer and a supreme hunter. Any skills that this man has, you now have, and will always have. It never goes away. You will always know how to hunt, fight, and track your prey. Every time that you take on a persona you will inherit tremendous skills, which will always stay with you. I won’t let you come to any harm, I promise you. This is your decision, and it’s a big decision, and only you can decide what your fate will be, but I’ll respect it.”

  “I want to go home, but I don't want to let these people down, or you, and I feel that I am. What if it’s me that fate has chosen to kill the beast? I’m scared Raj, really scared.”

  Raj spoke softly, “Dan, I’m 74 years old, and I’m scared too, just like you. You’re a kid, there’s no expectation, and you’re not letting me down at all. I never thought I’d ever get to go on another adventure during my lifetime. I’ve missed this feeling of excitement so much that I was too eager to jump in, without considering your feelings, and I’m sorry for that. Please forgive me, I’m an old fool desperate to feel like a young man with a purpose again.”

  “You don't need to apologize, I understand. You want to feel young and needed again, and I guess I like feeling older, bigger, and less of a burden, less vulnerable. Let’s get on with this. I have to trust myself, and my new skills; above all else, I have to trust the Dream Cane, after all, it selected us both to do this mission. Promise me one thing though, you have to look out for me and remember that I’m only fourteen!” Raj smiled, and nodded his acceptance.

  * * * * *

  The Fourth Realm - Vianna

  Chapter 12: The Hunting Party

  The Village of Autumn, The Mine District.

  “You have to know who you are, if you don't you have nightmares.”