1982 - Part II Dream--05/25/82
We stand in semi-circle about Jedric - quickly, Danielle creates a limbo around all of us, stopping time. A "freeze" in which she begins to pulse with healing energies. Jedric motions to Roderick and myself. Roderick intensifies Danielle's timefreeze spell. "It is fitting that you should know, now," are his first words. "I destroyed your demons - you must grant me succor from mine." Roderick asks of all of this - and a burst of mental power from Jedric gives us his past, his purpose, in one gestalten blow. There had been three alterations in the fabric of All when Kraft's seminal energies had forced the splitting off of negative from positive forces. One was that very split in which the embryonic entity had split to fraternal twins, albeit in opposite universes. The second was Jedric's existence - he was the crossover point between positive and negative, at the fulcrum of powers; he was also the matured essences of all his future incarnations, including Roderick, Jarane, my sons and daughters and myself. The third aspect of this action was that a matured fraternal twin of Kraft came into being in the same universe Kraft inhabited - and this bearded being from the Amakan ceremony was Solomon Kraft - epitomizing all the darkside forces Ketain was part of and the forces which Kraft himself was part of. In the moment of psychic birth, all involved - Ketain, Hellmann, Magdalen, Corolis, Jedric and both Solomon Krafts - shared one experience, a vision that was the existence of the untracked universe of the Abyss. There arose then the great decision of plot - to gain access and control within that universe. Jedric learned that he himself had access to the universe because he was the sum of his matured essences, and he foresaw all struggle to be futile - until Hellmann sought thru Danielle the Keys to Alberan Kenet's mastery of Time. This would grant Hellmann (Berella) access to his myriad selves. Ketain, in the Netherverse, sought the same thing through the Middlemasters. What neither knew was that Kraft's new double included their plans in his - and Jedric knew all of it, could see Kraft's double was by far the most dangerous - and so sought to limit his success by limiting Berella-Ketain's success. To this end, he had contacted the Earth phase of one of Berella and Danielle's sons with strange visions. He sought higher planes with Berella's oldest son and lady - all along, Jedric had subtly affected Danielle, who was unaware, to aid Shardow and Roderick. When she showed Shardow his mirrored selves, Kraft (the original) had entered the scene to distract us, even unto his sacrifice - but he said that even defeated, he would win. By the time that Shardow had opened his souls further by ingesting the essence of his quadratwins and his own twin, Ketain marked that entrance by noting Lei Keirus' sudden appearance. When Alberan Kenet died, with the timeessence flowing into Shardow, Kraft (the younger) had come aware of the first genuine threat to his plans. Kraft (the younger/original) had confided his plans to Adrionna Keep in Amaka, but Breane had overheard. Using a spectacular spell, Kraft and Keep had erased only that portion of memory pertaining to the new Kraft and had sent Breane as a guide to us, further muddling matters. Jedric continued affecting Danielle, but was forced into physical existence as Llewes' and Ceri's son. This was bad because while Jedric was aware of the true state of things, Kraft, Ketain, Berella, Corolis and Magdalen were not aware of his existence. (Incidently, Breane and Bartholomew are brother and sister, memory of that struck from each other's mind.) When Ketain had finally egged us to final confrontation, Jedric's true self (the prismic man) asserted itself - and brought the bearded Solomon Kraft's wrath. All of this has happened in a sprinkling of seconds. Roderick: "But of Anatana?" "Look to your heart - she brought you to awareness of your selves through an emotional, more chaotic, route than Shardow's." Much shattered, memories tumbling like blasted oaks, we turn to each other in shock - the true enemy yet remains. "The Mage at the end of the Maze" murmurs Roderick. Danielle motions to us to leave Jedric's side. She encases his form in a similar energy as when she'd been xenoranced - and she sends it to a far corner uncharted. "He may live, t'will be for naught if we are defeated." Her words cut ice thru us as we return to inform the others as the the dream ends.
Dream--06/13/82
We have come to Amaka in secret and in night - Danielle and Roderick powering us thru limbo, and the rest of us continuing to rapidly heal Jedric. There is Anatana-Ceycirie, Breane, Corolis and myself. Breane's energies are jangled - I shift to 'path mode. "You fear this resolution?" "No, I feel anticipation - an ending?" We are poised just before entry into Amaka's frame. Roderick says, "Now - we'll learn the answer and put things aright." Jedric says, "Existence has no morals - Kraft's twin is a natural force; you may as well believe him to be a concept." "But all existence conforms to a will, a pattern of order." "You err - there is pattern, but not conscious choice of it." I fail to follow. Breane has materialized a coating of silvery armour on her form - we blink into Amaka's palace area. Breane's eyes have grown darker. Jedric looks at me. "So it is you will face a choice soon. You are more like me than them - your facets rim an infinite arc nearly meeting its beginning. I wish you control of that." Roderick is gaping. "What's this? What's this?" I shake with anger, my eyes brimming at Jedric's exposure of me - I am fury. "Then beware that arc and protect your own." He laughs. "Your's will be a necessary Crossing - meet your desire midway, Shardow, and no longer deny which is yours." I am aware - on this level - of a type of pow'r beyond the norm, to be one of infinite senses. "The Seven Eyes of Sarinth," an old legend, I speak inside. He - Jedric - had given me a psychic burst of expanded, multi-awareness. "You see?" and his faceted form glitters with that same experience. "There are necessary death's of existences." Breane, beside me, has felt it all. Danielle, across the chamber, looks at me and the image of the Abyss' universe plays on my mind. There is a clatter and the sixty-foot doors swing wide. A figure is there; it is - and isn't - Kraft. He is silent. We are on guard, but in scattered areas - and the being takes advantage of that. He sends a series of octagonal devices at Corolis; she is ensnared, cartwheeling away. Breane, in flight, blips spheres of hyperspace, "hardpsacing," at the being. He creates a warp, drawing them in and then, re-releases them as he opens the warp next to Breane; she is knocked unconscious. I blaze at the being: "Do you step away from directness?" He turns to me - his eyes are cloudy, soulless - he holds his mace at the ready, then aims it at me. I swirl Time, and the mace swings off into eternity. Roderick is aflight, his form of green and black shimmering; he sweeps light toward the figure and thru him. The being glows silently, intaking the energy. Anatana-Ceycirie has blipped to Breane's side and it is there that an odd effect occurs. The lighting and sounds seem to reverse themselves, like a taped playback, but only in the area where the two women are. Jedric is in our minds: "No! You must stop him!" A twinning effect seems to occur. Jedric: "He is releasing Ceycirie to control." Roderick shifts to action; he gauges, and at the exact moment of equalization, sends a scythe of light between Anatana's warring soul's. A dark shadow with white eyes detaches, Ceycirie, screams in terror and madness - and turns upon us with her power. "I am the countersoul," she screams - darkforce welters the space, and Anatana, as she was in the beginning, draws upon shimmering control, beautiful innate matured power, and cages Ceycirie. She contracts and shrinks the cage. Roderick 'paths: "Send her from this conflict," and Antana sweeps her arm back and sends Ceycirie away. The Kraft twin, during this blur of action, has come directly opposite Jedric. His voice is hollow, measured: "Your presence irritates," and he blasts Jedric. The prismatic man shifts the blow away, looping around the being - but he senses (or is made aware of, is a secondary impression) it and blinks away. I am kneeling beside Breane, and we once more regroup as the dream ends.
Dream--08/31/82
There is a dark tower looming before me - it is all of black stones and has ivy and moss along one face. I am dressed as Shardow, and am holding the ONON Lens before me. I know I have come here out of Time, alone, for grim purpose having to do with Kantley's death. There is a briefly glimpsed familiarity to this place, due to scent more than any other sense. The sky is iron grey and there are pink and white clouds that move through it swiftly. Dark birds caw and sit perched on dead tree limbs. As far as the eye can see is barrenness. "Circle of Darkness, cycle of Time, grip this device now here revealed, bring forth a door or gateway hence, to grant me access to that which is within concealed." The ONON Lens begins to glow and grow. Its form dissipates, but a halo effect engulfs me and transports me within that doorless tower. The inside has a muffled tomb-like quality to it. There are halls that lead to dead ends, stairwells with no stairs. On the wall are runic markings not decipherable. In its sheath, Moodoom begins to give off a luminous vibrating sound. An unused candle holder on the wall bursts into pieces; one grazes my left arm - blood drawn. I whirl and before me stands a huge bald-headed man. He has extraordinarily high cheekbones, and smiles softly. "You gained entry to this Tower of Gods without being one?" It is difficult to restrain an urge to draw Moodoom from its sheath - still I do not speak. The giant walks to an unlit hearth, and passing hand over it, causes light and heat to emerge. His coloration is Nordic, but his wrists each have a shaded area, as though bands had once been worn. He motions to two highbacked wooden chairs; we each seat ourselves. "Why are you here?" His voice is tremendously soft. "I seek the past of Abel Kantley." The giant is amused. "What good does his past bode for his future - he has passed beyond..." I nod. "His death took in a place that should no more exist." The giant nods. "So, the paradox still holds - come." We walk toward a lit warm room - in it are framed wood carvings of faces: Kantley's is there, as are Kraft's, Kerlan's and Kenet's. There are others I do not know. "You do not fear these answers, Shardow." The voice is feminine, familiar - the form behind lace curtains emerges - it is Adrionna Keep. "You!" - my surprise is genuine. "Yes." She limps slightly, motions to us to sit. "Shardow, this is Osana Daoume." The giant nods; Adrionna Keep smiles. "He is the brother of the entity you know as Naome Kazijilian." With that piece of knowledge, a mournful chanting fills this tower as the dream ends.