Young Writers Society

Based on the manga by Reno Lemaire

What is Dreamland?
Imagine an unlikely enchanting world, where absolutely anything is possible, imagine a world as vast as the universe, imagine a world created by your most crazy dreams. This world is named...DreamLand.

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If you are interested in joining, please check in at the DT and then create your character. Please use the DT for coming up with plot ideas since this will be a very plot driven SB, but also don't be afraid to state concerns, or ideas concerning your character or someone else's but please don't be too nit-picky. Last of all HAVE FUN! This is a SB where literally anything can happen concerning the plot and it's up to you guys to make it.

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Etain| Uselessness in battle/Romans| Third zone

A man’s scream is heard above the roar of battle as he’s dragged from his horse’s back by the spear that was stabbed through his gut. The soldiers watching, waiting to run into the foray, shudder. A few wince, and one soldier, a mere boy, whimpers.
Etain snorts with disgust as she readies her steed. The white stallion dances to the side in anticipation, and Etain smiles at him. She is one of the many women fighting the Romans in this war, but she is the only female commander. She has worked hard for this position through blood and sweat, shedding not a tear, and showing no fear. She is a force to be reckoned with, and today she will be.
“Ready?” A man on the other flank of the Romans calls. His voice is barely audible above the shouts, screams and pounding of hooves in the field before them.
Etain raises her hand in answer, not using her voice to alert the Romans closest, waiting for their chance to catch any Pict soldiers unawares. Etain glares over her shoulder, and the soldiers behind her straighten, brandish their weapons, and ready either their mounts or their feet.
“Charge!” A man roars, and from the forest on the other side of the battle bursts forth a whole battalion of Pict warriors, spears, swords and shields held high as they charge the Romans.
Etain’s battalion is getting restless. They want to charge forth, into the crowd, and destroy the Roman pigs that are trying to take their land. But Etain keeps them steady. She knows war tactics, and she knows that the Romans will need to be exhausted before she launches her attack.
The plan seems to be unfolding well, and the mass of Romans is showing the first sign of strain. As the soldiers in red begin falling, Etain raises her arm, readying her battalion. The Romans before her are gone, replaced with tired men and horses, catching a break.
Etain raises her multiple headed spear into the air and screams a war cry, and her whole battalion charges forward. She cuts and slashes man and mount, blood splattering through the air and across her face. Her spear is wrenched from her grasp, so she pulls out her sword.
Suddenly her mount is cut from beneath her, and Etain falls. She hits the ground and rolls, leaping to her feet to find swords and spearheads pointed at her body from all around.
“Kneel before us, savage,” A man yells in another language Etain vaguely understands.
A man in gold and red stands before her, a slight smile on his face, as well as a look of contempt. She can see his intentions and what he’d like to do to her before he kills her, and this spurs on her anger.
“I’d rather die than kneel to you!” She sneers, spitting at his face. “You’re nothing but a bunch of ball-less boys!”
The Roman glares at her, wiping the spit from his face. He doesn’t understand what she yells, only that she’d insulted him. That much is obvious because of the smug smile she gives him.
“You watch your filthy mouth, wench,” he snaps.
“Watch your own mouth, filthy pig! I am a warrior! You are a grape-eating, man-loving –”
Etain never gets to finish her sentence. The Roman had understood at least a few of those words, and pieced the rest together. He’d stepped forward and punched her across the face. Etain spins away, and hands grab her, holding her in place. The Roman man pulls out a dagger and strides up to her.
“Last chance before I change my mind,” he leers in her face.
Etain smashes her forehead into his nose. Blood erupts and splashes across her face, chest and arms. She smiles as the Roman soldier backs up, crying out. He clutches at the dagger with his left hand, his right hand holding his nose. He staggers back to Etain and draws it to her neck.
“You’re going to regret that,” he says, followed by some very nasty words.
Etain only stares back at him angrily. If she’s to die, then she’ll die. Her skin crawls at the touch of the Roman hands on her bare skin, and she feels bile rising in her throat at the closeness of the other Roman soldier. But she holds it down, staring to the skies.
The Roman is about to cut Etain's neck, like in every other dream, but Etain suddenly finds the will to fight back. As the blade swings toward her, Etain ducks. She can feel blood splatter across her back, and a sword is in her hand.
"Kill the witch!" The Roman man yells before having his head severed from his shoulders by Etain's swirling blade.
Etain whistles, loud and shrill, her fingers in her mouth. Her white stallion charges through the masses of men, hooves striking soldiers down where they stand in his way. The white beauty stops beside Etain, and she mounts, holding the bloodied blade high above her head.
"From this day forwards, I will no longer fear anything! I am Etain, and I am a warrior!" She screams.
And something happens. Etain can feel power coursing through her veins as she charges forward, Retreating from the battlefield with terrified cries to power her horse's strides. Etain was free from her fear. Now she can fight another day.

Kanna Pelores was daddy's little girl, mommy's little helper. She loved her parents very much. They were her life. Until one day, Kanna's world was shattered by one mysterious man. Kanna's eyes was blinded, hearing the terrifying noises of her parents. All she could do was sit there and cry, considering the fact that she was only five years old at the time. As she took the blindfold off her face, she saw her parents lying on the floor in her bedroom, covered in blood. Her body shook, screaming in fear that echoed through the whole neighborhood.

Ten years later

Kanna was sitting in a corner of a white room, her body shaking and her ears covered by her hands. All she could hear are the moans of horrifying pain. Her breathing became shaky as tears fell down on her red cheeks.

"Stop it... stop it... stop it...!"

Kanna opened her eyes, panting heavily as she sat up in her bed, rubbing her forehead gently. "Ugh... nightmares again." Kanna lied back down on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She once again closed her eyes, falling straight back to sleep.

Kanna was once again in her nightmare, fearing the one thing she feared most than death: Phonophobia (which the fear of painful noises) due to her parents' death. She screamed loudly, wanting the sounds to go away from her, from her body, and from her mind. "Stop it...!" Suddenly, a force came out of her, pushing the noises away from her as she was hugging her body tightly.

Moments later

Kanna opened her eyes slowly, looking around her as she noticed she wasn't in her own bed. She stood up from the ground, confused about what just happened to her, and where she was.

"Wh-Where am I?"

Archer Thomas, Knives, Unknown area
He awoke somewhere cold, with something much colder shoved in his face and pushing down on his chest. Eyes blinking open, he saw metal looming over him, its edge jagged. A glance in either direction showed more torn metal, some with airplane windows, some without. There was carnage, lots of it, and he felt the need to vomit, though it didn’t feel like his gut had anything to offer. Luggage was strewn everywhere across the rocks and snow, spilling their contents. Most looked to have been slashed open with a knife.
Oh. Knives. He couldn’t remember why, but he didn’t want to think about knives. With what little strength he could muster, he pushed himself out from under the metal. There was another person underneath, so he dragged them out too before collapsing on the icy ground to calm down. Instinctively, he reached into his coat pocket while glancing over the man he had pulled out. The man looked pretty normal except for that… knife. In his right hand, a big, bloodied knife.
Archie glanced to his right, where another man lay unconscious with a gun in hand. To his left was the bloodiest area. He tried not to look and instead groped in his coat pocket for his Rubik’s cube. It wasn’t there. Panic. Definitely time to panic. Archie's breathing quickened uncontrollably, the way his most punctual friend’s did whenever she might be late. He felt lightheaded, like he was about to die.
He looked up again, his entire body pulsing from his rapid breathing. Of course, with all the metal floating around like it was now, he only hyper ventilated faster. Why were they rising in the air like that? Oh crap. Why was all the torn metal reforming itself into… into kn-kn-knives?
The area Archie was in was rocky and snow-covered, and besides, it seemed that every bit of torn metal lying around here was ready to cut him like a steak. There was nowhere to run, and no way to run.
Then he gulped, hard. This was all a dream, right? He had been riding a plane home, probably, he couldn’t actually remember, and then fell asleep after eating bad airplane food. This was nothing to be afraid of, nothing at all. Or if something really had gone wrong on the plane, he was dead, and the knives couldn’t hurt him.
Exactly. The knives could not hurt him. Trying to breathe with control, the way he did with marching band breathing exercises, he stood up. Already the knives were slowly turning to aim at Archie, each one a strange mix of white airplane wallpaper and shiny metal. His heart told him to be afraid, to let his flight response kick in, but that wouldn’t get him anywhere. Besides, he was probably dead already; what was there to be afraid of?
Finally, the last knife steadied itself. Archie counted forty-seven knives, and that was only the ones big enough for him to see before they blurred.
Everything was silent as he covered his head pathetically with his arms, bracing for impact. There was little he could do against the knives of this bad dream, or this afterlife, unless he turned out to be intangible when frightened. Eyes squeezed shut, he waited.
And waited.
Archie's nerves still thrummed in his skull, so he counted to ten before glancing around. Maybe the knives would only attack if he was watching them? If so, he could just walk away, eyes closed.
Ten. Open. He felt his heartbeat spring back to full throttle, expecting death, but instead crumpled sheet metal floated around him. It was like they were bending to the will of a mighty ruler, though Archie certainly didn’t feel mighty, nearly peeing his pants hoping the metal didn’t reform. He was okay with the knives, but he still feared the idea of supernatural floating metal that would try to kill him.
“Okay, Archie,” he muttered to himself, “You can wake up now, or leave and accept that you have died. Which is it?”
He did not see anything normal blurring into the mountain landscape, so he went with the latter.
“You’re officially a ghost, Archie,” he told himself, before turning his back on the blood and guts spilled everywhere and hugging his arms to keep warm as he walked away.

Peter Costa, Fire Kingdom, Drakonophobia.

The searing flames licked up the sides of my arms like serpent tongue's tasting for prey. I had no idea where I was or what I was doing, all there was, was darkness and the glowing flames slowly consuming me, wrapping up my body like vines. The pain was excruciating, I felt the burning, the feeling of searing pain pulsate across my body as the flames continued to consume my being.

"Help!" I screamed, the pathetic sound now echoing through the dark void. "Someone, help!" I tried, growing increasingly desperate. "... Please, I'm scared."

No sound came back to me, no glowing light, pinching didn't help, I was alone. All alone. Alone in the burning void. As the realization set in on me that I was going to die, I simply laid on the black floor and let the flames continue their way up my body. I watched as orange flames licked up my legs, traveled up my spine, wrapped my body in red and burned my skin. I have no words to express the pain I felt, except the feeling of burning; my burning skin and burning soul.

My eyes started flickering black, I could sense my time was growing close and I couldn't help but feel guilt. I was going to die, just like I did every time I had this dream and I would wake up and go puke in the toilet... just like every night. I smiled slowly as the last orange flame consumed my vision and I was left staring at the flickering fire.

But this was a dream, wasn't it? I blinked, this was the first time I realized that this was all just a dream, it wasn't real. I felt a new found sense of determination, I wasn't about to let a dream control my life, my soul. I was going to fight back.

Lifting up my arm, I swept away the flames in front of me and stood up. But now the flames were just coming towards me faster, like they were... angry. I stepped back, fear flickered through me but just as soon as it came, it solidified into hate. I hated being afraid, I hated letting a dream, a fear, control my life and make me miserable.

"Stop it!" I screamed, louder than I ever have before. The sound now bouncing through the darkness, blowing away all the flames until I was left standing in the darkness once more.

I thought it was over, that I would just wake up, I was wrong. I soon felt the ground beneath me shake and my knees buckled as I fell on all fours. The sound of heaving breathing soon enveloped the room and it felt like I was trapped in a sauna.

The dark soon flickered with what looked like a giant pair of thin, green eyes. I took a step back and gasped as a roar blared through the entire blackness. Suddenly the darkness melted into the background and revealed a gruesome scene.

I was standing in a thin pool of blood on red stained dirt. It looked like I was in a small village from the medieval ages that had been torn apart and the field strewn with dead bodies. A dark silhouette circled above my head like a giant vulture. I could feel the heat radiating off it's dark body as it slowly descended towards the ground.

The earth shook as it landed and caused me to fall back on the ground, my palms now stained red by the blood of it's victims. A dragon stood in front of me, it's scaly maw still soaked in red. Even the dragon itself was a dark red as the scales caught and reflected back almost no sunlight.

I looked up at the dragon with fear. My whole body told me to run, but I couldn't move my arms or legs, only sit there in shock. I thought I was going to die as the dragon neared me and reared it's giant head, it was going to eat me. I was going to die.

But just as the dragons warm open mouth neared my head, I felt a surge of hatred and energy pulse through my body. I could feel heat surge up my spine, it felt scry at first, I thought the dragon was burning me from the inside out. But it left as soon as it came and as the dragon wrapped it's teeth around me, I knew that I wasn't going to let myself die there.

Using all my strength, I held back the monster's jaw as it tried closing. I could feel my muscles strain as I used up a massive amount of strength I didn't even know I had. I knew I had to get out of there or I would die, so I sprung out from the Dragon's mouth and tumbled on to the hard, blood stained ground.

I needed to run, to get out of there, I knew I would be able to survive, but not kill the beast. So I ran, as fast and far as I possibly could. Until nothing was left in sight and I was just running through white space. I had escaped my biggest fear. For now.

Hope Kyler, Algophobia, unknown
Slap. My eyes widened in pain as a ring dug into my cheek. Slap. I winced as the ring cut into the other cheek. The man before me smirked and walked off to another dark corner of the room. It was then that I realized I couldn't move. Stupid!I screamed at herself. Chains bound my hands to the floor, making it sure that I couldn't move from my position.

A whimper of pain tore my eyes away from my bonds and towards the corner where my captor had vanished into. The sound of flesh hitting flesh made me flinch. At least it's not me. I thought. A yelp of pain softened my heart. I struggled with the metal, but to no avail. "Please..." A plea caught my ear. Someone was begging, pleading. "Please!" The same voice, stronger this time spoke, shaking. "Don't..." I stared into the corner. What was happening? "NOOOO-" The cry was cut off. Thud. Something heavy dropped to the floor. A cackle came from the corner. "Say goodnight." My captor laughed.

He dragged the body back over towards me. As it came into view, the identity of the person became clear. "Shiloh." I gasped. My best friend, my only true friend. "No." I whispered. "Looks like you can't save her. Just like you can't save yourself." The man taunted. I glared at him. "Get away from me." I spat out. "Aw, is somebody sad? Do you need a hug?" He laughed, walking over to me. He reached his arms out, in a mock hug, stopping just short of my arms. "Too bad. Little Hope-y isn't gonna get one." He slapped me across the face, making me wince, then turned and walked back to Shiloh. "Shi." I whispered. "Shi! Please...Don't leave me!" I screamed. I began sobbing, fat tears rolling down my face. I didn't want this to happen! I should've helped.

The man walked back over towards me. "Time to go join her." He said. He carried a club, with spikes around the edges. "No..." I whispered. "Please." I begged. "Aw, you sound just like her." He teased. My eyes flared with anger. "Shi..." I whispered as the club swung down, curving in an arc towards my stomach. Pain shot through my body, and I lost all will to fight. "Shi...I'm coming." I whispered. "I'll see you soon." The club beat into my body, tearing at my flesh, killing me. The man dropped the club, sneered and said, "Enjoy the rest of your short life." As he walked away, I stared at Shi's body. She was so pale, so cold. "Shi..." I whispered.

I could see her smile, hear her laugh. I could hear her voice telling me, Don't give up Hope. Never give up. Never. The word ran through me. "What do I have left Shi?" I asked her dead body. "What can I fight for?" I questioned. "Nothing." Nothing, nothing. "Shi...I'm coming." I cried. NO! "Shi?" I asked. "Shi!!" She's really gone. I couldn't help her, and I can't help me. More tears fell down my face. "I'm sorry." I cried. Never give up. You promised. I could hear her voice urging me on. Never. I stared at her dead body, willing her to come back to life. "Shi...." I whispered. "I'm so sorry." I sobbed.

I don't know how long I laid there crying. I don't care either. All I knew was Shiloh was dead. I would soon join her. Pain overtook me. This is it. This is how I die. I thought. I'm going to bleed out in a dungeon with my best friend's body next to me. It didn't feel right. But then again, death isn't right, is it? I looked around the dingy, dark space. If only I could've seen the sun one last time. That would be my only wish. To look at the birds, watch the sunrise and the sunset. Even to tell my family I loved them. This was the end. I reached over and grabbed Shiloh's hand. We were going together.

Or so I thought. But as I grasped her hand, a warm sensation flowed through me. I felt her pain as she was killed. I heard her thoughts. They were about me. Let Hope be okay. Don't give in Hope. It's not your time. I stared at her face. "I want it to be my time Shi. Please....." I trailed off. Not your time... "Not my time?" I asked. Her voice answered from the dead, answering my empty question. Not your time. I looked around. "What is there left to fight for?" I asked. Fight for your family. Fight for me. I imagined all her words, just as she would have said them. And I heard them. I followed them. "For you." I whispered. "For you!" I yelled.

My bonds broke and fell to the floor, clanging against the ground. "Shut up!" The voice of my captor drifted down the stairs. "Make me!" I called back. I heard him swear, then the sound of his heavy feet drew near to the room. The door flew open and a very angry man stormed in. When he saw that I was loose, he screamed and charged at me. "For Shiloh!" I cried, stumbling to meet him. Adrenaline coursed through my body, and I knew that when this ended, only one would remain standing. That one would be me.

Grace Maybrook | Darkness Kingdom | Asthenophobia| The 3rd Realm



Wind made the long grass stand straight up making I whip into my face. I stand looking around the field that appears to be my backyard. A piece of long dirt blond hair flies around as it escapes my braid that rests on my shoulder. I hear a bang from the small house and then a shatter. He's drunk again.

I run to a stack of logs by the edge of the fence and crouch down begging god not to be seen.

"Girl get your dirty ass over here!" A slurring man that could only be my father yells.

My breathing quickens as his footsteps sound louder and louder. A crooked smile sneaks over the logs along with two large hands. I am lifted off the ground and slung over my fathers shoulder as he takes his belt off.

I am thrown onto the ground as just as his belt meets my cheek. I cry out a red tear sinking out of my skin.

A fist meets my nose and then my stomach making me instantly cough and spit out a waterfall of red. I scream at his horrible laughing breath and raise a fist and connect with his eye.

"Grace Isabel you do not hit your father!" He yells smirking a bruise already forming on his sickly yellow skin.

I keep screaming punching him over and over again till he laid next to me moaning. I laughed at his weakness and stood a battle cry escaping my mouth.

~~~~~

I jerk up from my sleep with tear stained cheeks. I wait for my fathers call for beer but it never comes. That's when I realize I'm not in Kansas anymore.

Archer Thomas, Knives, Kingdom of Wealth
The moment he got off that dratted mountain, Archie found himself in a crazy, messed up city. All the architects must have been on drugs, because the buildings and skyscrapers stacked themselves surrealistically along the streets. Sky-bridges criss-crossed just about everywhere, joining colorful motels, casinos, and departments stores. Whatever part of the afterlife this was, Archie didn’t like it.
After spending thirty minutes politely stuttering ‘no thank you’s at a casino welcomer, he was exhausted, and not looking forward to diplomacy with any more of them. But he didn’t seem to have a choice. In addition to casinos, vendors pounced on him, some literally, and free samples flew at him from all directions. In one case, he’d actually been attacked by a talking tiger who sold stuffed pandas. He’d managed to not scream then, but only because the tiger got off him very quickly and was surprisingly polite.
He explained that he didn’t have anything with which to carry a stuffed panda before slipping away while the tiger solicited some tall guy.
Scratching his head, Archie wondered what he should do. He was not keen on staying in this city, but the moment he asked for directions, someone would try selling him something. Suddenly, a pair of uncomfortably warm hands grabbed his shoulder. Archie froze and loudly spluttered, “I’m sorry, I don’t have any money please let me go! Whatever I did, please forgive me, and no I’m not buying anything!”
“Shut up!” the person behind him said. It was a guy. “And did you have to dump that stuffed panda salesman on me? I don’t know who you are, but I sure don’t like it when other people dump their problems on me.” The guy spun Archie around to look him in the face.
Archie felt rather inclined to scream. Sure, he’d seem some not-so-human people here, but it was different when a scaly-skinned, very tall and intimidating person throttled him for escaping from a vendor. Not to mention the guy was sort of on fire. “Please don’t kill me,” Archie squeaked.
The flaming lizard man let go, much to Archie’s relief. “I wouldn’t kill you,” he said gruffly, “I just got mad that you forced me to deal with that freaky tiger.” His scales faded and he stopped being, well, on fire, and stomped away, snarling at anyone who tried to sell him anything.
“I wish I could be that brave,” Archie whimpered. Just as he calmed himself though, a second something grabbed his shoulder. This one was cold, and not doing much for whatever burns he could have gotten from the flaming lizard man.
“You want to be brave, hm?” a voice whispered in his ear.
“Oh my gosh what’s happening, stop, please don’t kill me!”
The cold hand let go, and a ghostly shadow drifted in front of him, appraising Archie thoughtfully. “Hm… A traveler. You seem a little wimpy for a traveler.”
Since it was true, Archie didn’t argue with that statement. “I know, and please don’t try to sell me anything.”
“Oh, but I will try to sell you something,” the ghost said, before drifting closer, a wispy hand covering its mouth, “How about you trade your soul for a touch of bravery, hm?”
Archie screamed again, a long, very high-pitched scream. It seemed that every noise on the busy, colorful, and crazy street silenced itself, and it seemed that everyone had to stop and stare.
When Archie had emptied about half of his air supply, his scream suddenly died. He knew his vocal chords were working; he could feel the vibrations. But what happened to the sound? The shadow in front of him was rolling on the floor, silently laughing its little wisps off and mouthing, “I can’t believe he fell for that!” over and over again.
Archie gave up on screaming and tried to mutter at himself, that being the only way to calm down without his rubik’s cube, but found that he still couldn’t make a sound. Panic. Yes, this was definitely the time to panic. Eyes squeezed shut, Archie crouched low on the ground and tried muttering at himself, to no avail. He covered his head with his hands and tried every method he’d been taught for calming down.
“Um, are you okay?” a girl’s voice asked him.
Archie shook his head violently, still in his panic position.
“Uh, I’m sorry I silenced you. It was an accident. I was getting really fed up with a vendor, and I sort of forced the entire block to go silent. Then I noticed a bunch of metal flying around and followed the crowd to you.”
Archie looked up to see a blonde girl with a frilly blue dress. Pretty, but the frills made him feel uncomfortable. “What does flying metal have to do with me?” Archie mouthed. Apparently he still couldn’t talk.
“Whoops. I forgot to undo it. I guess you’re from the real world, huh? I was kind of scared too when I got here, but it’s all good now! And not only that, but all the people from the real world get super awesome powers by overcoming their fears! It’s a dream come true!”
“Powers?” Archie asked, standing up. Unsurprisingly, the blonde girl was taller than him.
“Yeah, I used to be really scared of loud noises and the sounds of people in pain. I mean, I still don’t like them, but I know I can do something about them now.”
“O-okay.”
“But it looks like the situation is under control now. Did that shadowy thing play a trick on you?”
Archie nodded.
“That’s kind of funny. Oh, and before I forget, I’m Kanna Pelores.” She stuck out a hand.
Tentatively, Archie shook it. “Archer Thomas.”

Etain| Uselessness in battle/Romans| Second zone

Etain sat on a rock sharpening her Roman blade. A few metres away, her white stallion, Galzar, grazed peacefully. His white coat shone in the bright light as his dark lips nibbled at the green grass. Everything seemed utterly blissful.
“Urgh,” Etain muttered. “It’s too hot for this.”
“No, I think it’s warm enough,” Galzar countered, lifting his head momentarily to glance at Etain. “My coat is warm.”
“Ever the optimist, aren’t you?” Etain snapped, but smiled anyway.
Glazar merely snorted and kept eating, but Etain could see that he was smiling his horsey smile also. A silence stretched between them filled with only the faint stirring of a breeze in the treetops. The silence allowed Etain to ponder the events of the day.
She had been fighting in the greatest war the Scotia Picts had ever seen. She should have died, but she didn’t. She overcame her fear of the Romans and found the courage to fight. She killed her enemy, and rode away. She hated the fact that she had to retreat, but staying would have meant certain death.
“Etain?” Galzar suddenly whickered.
“Mm?” Etain looked up into his shining blue eyes.
“What are you going to do now?” He looked at her as an innocent child would look at his mother in a time of need: completely and utterly lost.
Etain smiled at him, slipping the blade into her belt. She’ll need to get a proper sheathe for it soon.
“Well, we can just ride out. I’m sure there’s something for us to do,” she told him, though to be honest, Etain didn’t really know where she was. She has the vaguest image of a sleeping girl in her mind, one that had a soft life, but not an easy one. A girl that fears her very wants: war.
“We could let the wind take us to our destiny,” Galzar mumbled dazedly, staring at the sky.
Etain let a growl rumble in her throat. “Galzar, you know I don’t like you speaking like that,” she said sternly.
But the white stallion didn’t hear her. He had a scent in his nose, and he wanted to explore this new world. Etain could see this easily, and sighed. She put her blade away and stood up. After tightening the girth of Galzar’s saddle, she mounted him and let him choose his own path and pace.
~*~
Etain arrived at a city bursting with life. Men and women, and nameless creatures unknown to Etain, walk around, some shouting and screaming at the top of their lungs, others skipping between people, hands darting to pockets. Etain snorted at the petty thieves, when suddenly, Galzar stopped.
“What is it?” She asked.
The white stallion lifted his head, and then snorted angrily. He continued walking, stepping high, his neck arced. Etain just shook her head, when two people seemed to stand out to her.
“Wait,” she said to Galzar.
The white stallion pulled up and turned to look at the people Etain noticed. He glanced over his shoulder at her, the equivalent of a raised eyebrow expression on his horsey face.
Before Etain could say anything next, a large, striped cat walked over to her, a wolfish grin on its face. Etain flexed her hands, ready to draw her sword. She didn’t like the looks of this creature one bit, but was prepared to fight just in case.
“Why hello there,” the stripped cat purrs. “Would you like a panda toy?”
Etain had no idea what the thing was saying. “No … I do not want a … whatever it is,” she growled.
The striped cat looked at her with an odd expression, and then seemed to smile more. “You’ll love one! I know you will,” it pressed.
Etain drew her sword from over her back. “If you speak again, demon, I’ll cut you where you stand,” she snarled.
The striped cat yelped and disappeared in the crowd. A voice below her made Etain look down.
“That’s one way to get rid of people,” a tall, blonde-haired girl said with a laugh. “But you weren’t really going to kill the tiger, were you?”
Etain snorted. “If the demon spoke again, I would have. I don’t bluff,” she told the girl.
“Who are you?” The girl asked, giving Etain a suspicious look. “You’re not from the real world, are you?”
Etain thought about it for a moment. “I’m not from here. I’ve never seen this place before. Am I in hell?” She asked.
The girl started to laugh. “No … well, I guess, but … you didn’t answer my first question,” she narrowed her eyes at Etain.
“I’m Etain, the woman that conquered the Roman scum fouling my land,” she said proudly.
“Etain … hey, you’re the woman from that movie, Centurion!” A boy cried beside the girl.
Etain lifted her lip in a snarl. “I am not! I … there’s a girl, sleeping,” Etain looked away for a second.
“She must be an alter-ego,” the girl said to the boy.
“Who are you then?” Etain demanded, pointing her blade at the girl and boy standing before her.
The boy paled at the sight of the blade, but the girl stares at her defiantly.
“I’m Kanna Palores,” she told Etain.
“Archie Thomas,” the boy said, sounding quite brave.
Etain’s blade suddenly started shaking, and seemed to want to go to the boy. She didn’t like that, so she pulled it back with great difficulty and sheathed it.
“What is this place?” Etain looked around with disdain.
Archie and Kanna shrugged, and Etain had a feeling she may not find out for a while. She was happy to just accept that she wasn’t in hell, and that maybe she could stay with these people for a while.

I stared at the two people I met while trying to figure out where I was, Archer and Etain.

"We could try finding someone and ask where we are. I mean, if that's okay." Archer looked at me and Etain, thinking where to look first on this unexpected journey of ours. I couldn't help but notice that this place seemed off, like something bad was going to happen. I wasn't sure why, but it was just a hunch.

"Well, I'll lead this group." Etain held onto the head of her blade, which was inside the sheathe. I looked at Etain as I nodded in agreement to her plan. "You seem like the leader type."

"Come on, Archer." I grabbed Archer's hand gently as we started to follow Etain. We looked around seeing a beautiful city, but something was off about it. I can't help but thinking that someone or something is playing a trick on me. Or anyone for that fact.

"Excuse, sir, do you know where we are?" Etain stopped in front of a general store building, staring down at an elderly man. The elderly man stared closely at us, smiling at us gently. "Heh, heh, heh." The elderly man then walked away, making us all confused to what just happened.

Suddenly someone grabbed my shoulders from behind and turned me in front of them, seeing two men running this way. "W-Whaa-?!"

"Save me, please!" I turned my head back, seeing a girl with the same hair and eye color as mine, crying and shaking in fear. Etain stood in front of me and the girl, drawing her blade, pointing it at the two men as they stopped, shocked. "I suggest you leave before you make me angry." Etain glared at the two men, making them shake in terror as they walked off.

I turned and stared down at the girl. "Are you okay? What happened? What's your name?"

The girl looked up at me, wiping her tears away, "Grace. Grace Maybrook." Grace explained how she got here in this strange world, and that she was confused to all that has happened to her up to now.

"Then travel with us. We are going to find a way out of here." Grace nodded and became part of the team.

Padma Menon/ Ice Kingdom/ Ophidiophobia

I stood lonely in crowd and heard the drum roll in the distant. Excitement spread like a plague among the people. They were all so excited about the thing which they were about to witness. Whispers grew louder and transformed into a wail. The little kids hid behind their elderly companions. Women closed their face with their saree’s pallu. I watched them gasp and puff. I didn’t know what was happening since I stood behind a majestic man who blocked my view. I tip-toed and stretched my femoral vein to take a glimpse at the scene that is making these people to react on. But, for every stretch I made the man seem to grow taller. I gave up and came out of the crowd. The sound of the drum roll became clearer by every passing minute. I stood there, wondering where the sound came from. The busy lane parted into two, with the people guarding its sides. Two shirtless men with the drum roll, hanging from there neck with a long belt, walked strangely calm without showing the tension they were building up on their upper arm. They were followed by another two shirtless men who were pulling out a heavy cart. An old man with a big belly sat on his newly decorated cart, while his servants pulled him like a disable man. Of course, he is disabled, I thought. No man with common sense will allow him to get pulled by men who were half of his weight. The old man sat proudly in his cart, he occasionally glanced at the crowd without any slightest shame of his act. The old man’s servants came running and cleared the crowd, where I was standing few minutes earlier. The people dispersed and gave the Old man a clear view of the act. I managed to get a place near the old building. That was the first time I ever realized of the place I was in. It was an old market that I saw in the history class. I was now standing on the deserted store’s roof. The market was a perfect circle and the Old man sat right in front of the act. The man who wore a turban looked nervous, he set all his instruments in one place and bowed to the Old man. With a slight wave from the Old man, the turban man started his act. He took out his instrument and that was the last thing ever I wanted to see in my life. I immediately knew what it’s going to be, I searched for an exist but all corners were filled by the eager audience. When the turban man started to play his instrument, it echoed in my ears more vibrantly. I let out a loud scream that was enough for everyone to turn their attention on me. The Old man who now seemed anger, signalled his servants. I knew they were walking towards me to catch me. After all the Old man was the King who ruled the little town. Before I could escape, his servants caught me. With his wave again, they took me closer to the ground and pressed my face against the box. I fought with those weak men, who weren’t weak at all, with all my will. But they won the struggle and pressed my face even closer. The turban man, a snake charmer blew his pungi. To the tapping sound of his leg, the slimy figure got up with the lid of the box dangling on its head. The servants pushed my face closer to it, and with fast movement the snake met my eyes.
I woke up drowning in precipitation. I lay on my bed, eyes widen and stared at the ceiling. I turned to look at table near my bed and saw the boldly written words “Mysteries unsolved” bookmarked.

Grace Maybrook | Darkness Kingdom | Asthenophobia| The 3rd Realm



I ran from the small alleyway I had woken up in and into the street. I looked around violently as blurs of color and people surrounded me. I kept running till I crashed into a man with a long black coat.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" The man asked a very stern look crossing his face.

I looked up at him my blue eyes widening as the man picked me up from under the shoulders. I screamed trying to wiggle from his strong grasp as he carried me over to another man with a black coat similar to his.

The other man smiled at me licking his lips as he picked me up and slung me over his shoulder. I screamed louder and pounded my fists against his back tears streaming down my face. I felt a tingling in my hands as I lifted my hand up and punched the man in the back of his head so hard he dropped me.

I landed on my butt staring up at the men I screamed and cried harder as they ran.

"Save me, please!" I said through choked tears.

A girl about 20 turned to face me. Another girl drew her blade pushing me behind her and threating the men before they ran off again smirks playing on their lips.

"Are you okay? What happened? What's your name?" The older girl asked.

I noticed our strange resemblance and decided to explain to her slowly what all happened. I kept my head down the entire time not daring to let her see my entire profile if something would go wrong. She invited me to her group and I accepted knowing that I had a better chance with her than alone.

Hope Kyler, Algophobia, The Third Realm

"Shiloh!" I screamed. "Shiloh!"
"Shut up, you rat." My heart lurched. That voice. It couldn't be. "You quit yer screamin' about that Shiloh gal before I make ya girl." I looked around for the source of the voice but didn't find the familiar, cruel face. I dragged myself up and looked around. "Where am I?" I asked. The man just looked at me and grinned before turning and vanishing down the road.

I wandered for a long time. Where am I? My foot caught on a large rock and I stumbled. "Ouch!" I yelped. "Are you okay?" I heard a girl's voice ask. I whirled around to face a girl holding a Roman fashioned blade in her hand. I slowly backed away. The blade shone in the light and reflected onto my face.

"What's your name? "The girl asked. I continued to stare at her and the people around her. There were two girls and one boy standing behind the strange girl, obviously the leader of the group. "Tell me yours first." I murmured softly. "I'm Etian." Said the girl with the blade in hand. "Kanna Palores."
"Archie Thomas."
"Grace Maybrook." The last girl whispered. "And your name?" Etian asked. "I'm Hope." I said. "Hope Kyler."

Etain| Uselessness in battle/Romans| Second zone

After the girl, Hope, had introduced herself, Etain had felt that her little group – she called it hers because she was the leader – had gotten bigger. She wanted to keep walking, but Hope kept staring at her sword, which she’d drawn again after hearing the girl yelp. Etain finally sheathed her blade and turned to face her group and Galzar.
“We’re going to find a place we can stay put and wait to see what happens,” she declared, casting an expectant look at the group. Only Archie seemed to want to say something, but refrained from the look in Etain’s eyes.
“Where are we going to go?” Grace whispered.
Etain was stumped. She didn’t know what to say. She saw a lopsided grin on Galzar’s face as he stared down at her. She felt anger rise in her chest as her white stallion mocked her.
“Somewhere … safe,” Etain snapped, and stalked away.
Her group followed, and she managed to find a small alley clear of any other … er, living creature. Etain was in a daze at the things they’d passed. Animals and people alike, things of such vibrant colours and objects being shouted about and sold that were the likes of which Etain had never seen before. She wondered what world could she have possibly been banished to? Or more like, what crime did she commit to have been placed here?
Finally, Etain allowed her mind to still, and she leaned against the wall of a building, sliding down to the ground with a defeated sigh. Grace sat down beside her hesitantly watching to see if Etain would rebuke her. Instead of growling, Etain smiled weakly at the girl.
“Are you ok?” Grace murmured, her voice quiet.
Etain shrugged. “I’m not sure … this place is so confusing,” she told the girl.
“You act as though you’ve never even see a computer before!” Archie exclaimed, sitting opposite Etain. “You don’t know what a movie is, do you?”
Etain wrinkled up her nose angrily. “No I …” something seemed to flood her mind: words, images, understanding. She licked her lips before continuing. “I’m from the Celtic age, when the Picts where alive. I fought the Romans when they were invading my homeland, Scotia,” she said, sure of herself that she’s correct.
Archie nods. “Yeah, and you won,” he told her. “Your people got rid of the Romans … but not many people believe that the Picts are a real race.”
Etain allowed anger to colour her voice. “My people exist!” She snarled.
“He said not many people believe they didn’t,” Kanna snapped, sitting down beside Archie.
Etain huffed and looked away. She spotted Hope standing beside Galzar, stroking the large, white stallion’s nose. He looked like he was thoroughly enjoying the attention, which was more than Etain would give him. Etain did love her horse, but it’s just improper for a warrior to show emotions, especially to an animal. Even though there had been times that Etain was close to ignoring such impracticalities and wanted to hug her horse, or cry into his mane. But Etain is a warrior, afraid of nothing, and she’d faced her biggest fear and escaped death’s fingers. She is beyond emotions … isn’t she?
“Hey, what’s that?” Kanna suddenly asked, looking down the alley.
Etain let her gaze travel passed her horse and Hope, and she spotted a boy running at full pelt toward them. She let out a cry of warning, and Galzar moved to shield Hope. The boy continued running, unaware that there were people in front of him. Etain then noticed a group of men chasing him, and she jumped to her feet, drawing her blade. The others leapt to their feet as well, looking to Etain for orders.
With the fire of an oncoming battle rushing through her blood, she stepped forward, giving her group a look of encouragement, and faced the men chasing the boy, who had just run passed Galzar. He stopped directly in front of Etain, narrowly missing her blade, and stared up at her in shock. With an almighty growl, Etain pushed the boy behind her and ran forward. The four men chasing the boy stopped and yelped to see the woman running at them with a blade.
Etain roared, and a flash of metal to her side showed that Archie had reacted. Silver knives rushed passed her and impaled one man with a beautiful dip and arc. The second man beside his companion yelped, but his small cry was suddenly cut off. Hope and Grace attacked him as he rushed forward to try to get at possibly Etain, or maybe Kanna.
With a twirl of her blade, Etain stepped up to the other man and severed him in half. The fourth man, having gotten over his shock of the sudden change of events, drew a large sword and ran at Etain. With a smile of pure joy, Etain dodged the man’s first couple of swings, and then let her Roman sword clang with his two handed blade. She fought him for a second before killing him by impaling him with her blade.
“Etain!” Galzar called, and she turned around to see everyone crowded around a figure that had fainted on the ground.
She sheathed her blade and strolled over to him. He was flat on his back, eyes closed, unconscious. His skin was pale from the fear, and Etain was curious as to what had brought it on.
“What shall we do with him?” Kanna asked, looking up at her.
“We’ll … keep him with us until he’s awake, and then he can leave if he chooses,” Etain decided, looking down at the boy.
This day continued to get stranger for the poor Pict warrior.

“What shall we do with him?” I asked Etain as I looked down at the man who became unconscious. “We’ll … keep him with us until he’s awake, and then he can leave if he chooses." Etain demanded, staring down at the man's body as he still lie there unconsciously.

I looked at Grace and Hope, who were standing next to each other after the random attack. "Are you guys alright?"

Grace nodded slowly as Hope gave me a thumbs up, indicating that she was okay. I then looked to where Archie was, where he stood far away from us. "Hmm."

"Well, let's take this man and see what information we can take out of him." Etain demanded as she lifted the unconscious man up from the ground, onto her shoulder. "I didn't realize you were that strong, Etain." I complimented on her strength as she smiled at me. "Well, I have been training for a long time."

Me and the rest of the group began walking to a place where it was safe. Archie grabbed my had gently, making me jump a little by surprise. I smiled gently at Archie as we kept walking behind Etain, who happens to be our group leader since she seemed like the leader type.

As we stopped walking after a couple of hours, we came to a cave that seemed vacant. "Let's camp here for the night." Etain walked inside the cave as they rest of us followed in. Etain placed the man on the ground as Archie started to collect wood for a fire to keep us warm. Me, Hope, and Grace sat on the ground as I looked around. I noticed a body figure outside the cave, wondering if it was a wild animal or a person lost. I shook my head then looked out again, noticing that the figure was gone.

What the...?

"Kanna? You alright?" Archer looked at me as he sat down next to me, looking like he was worried about my well-being. "Ah. Yes. I'm fine, Archie."

What was that? Was I imagining things?

"Hey! He's waking up!" Hope pointed at the man who was unconscious, who is now sitting up from the ground, rubbing his head. "Ugh..."

Etain cracked her knuckles, smirking evilly. "Well, let's get started."

Etain is an evil one at times, isn't she...?