Young Writers Society

I made a new topic because I posted the first one too much at once. Moderators can delete the old one (Boundless) if they want.

Prologue

It happened so long ago, I had almost forgotten all about it. Over the years, what was once a clear, branded impression left on my mind had become a dull scar of the past, a memory that, when thought of, was brushed aside and ignored. Just like every other dream, this dream, which had seemed almost real at the time, became discounted as another effect of an overactive imagination and an overworked mind. Ultimately, I had dismissed it as an interesting nighttime reverie, another story invented by my resting mind.

But slowly, almost imperceptibly, that dream I had had as a child began to return to me, creeping up like a wolf or an owl would creep up on its prey, silently stalking the small, unsuspecting creature until, suddenly, it pounced. So it was with this dream. One night, the summer before my junior year, a faint sliver of the dream returned to me as another dream, or, perhaps, the same dream returned. It was a small memory by the morning, but it reminded me of the first dream, and the wonders of the dream’s detail came back in an ecstatic rush through my soul. It remained, however, only a dream to me. I had no suspicions that it might have been something more than just a dream. A vision, perhaps? Or maybe a calling? Yes, a calling would probably be the best way to describe this amazing dream.

Over the next few days, the dream reverted back to its state of insignificance. But as soon as it had seemed gone once again, the dream came back, this time stronger, clearer, and leaving a longer impression in my mind. And so the dream proceeded, each time more intense, and soon these dreams became more and more frequent. Finally, the night before school began for the year, the fullness of the dream returned for the first time, and I doubt it will ever become such a distant memory again. For, this time, the dream held so much more for me than ever before.

Experiencing this dream was like traveling to a whole other world. So detailed was its imagery, so real, that I could smell and touch and taste this world. It was a world of amazing nature, the giant forests and open fields long lost to the world I had seemingly left behind, a world of such great technology and power that nature took a back seat and Man took the wheel. But here, there was an immediate sense that Man and Nature worked together, harnessing the power of both to create an even higher state of existence in which there was no need for contention between the land and its inhabitants. This, indeed, was a land of magic.

As I traveled this amazing world, I began to notice that I was being carried towards a specific point, a large village in the midst of a thick forest of colossal pines and other evergreens that seemed to touch the sky that I descended from. As I drew closer to this point, I remembered the first dream, and exhilaration filled my heart as I landed softly amidst a small clearing and I looked at the creatures around me.

As soon as I saw these creatures, I knew I was in no dream, but in a vision of their world. These creatures were a mix of man and wolf, with sleek, hairless, copper bodies mounted by a noble lupine head with shining coats of fur. Their fur gave way to flowing manes of hair that reached down to their shoulders or beyond. Each one wore jewelry of feathers, bones, and precious stones, and wore tunics made of finely cured and tailored animal furs and skins, and sandals made of tough leather. The most amazing feature of these lupine creatures, however, was not lupine at all. Their eyes were strangely human, some seemingly more human than people I had associated with every day of my life from birth. There was a nobility and honor in those eyes that exceeded the selfishness of Man. The name of these wondrous creatures played on the tip of my tongue as I tried to recall it. Kwu-ghai, the word came to me at once, whispered as if by an ethereal observer that stood beside me.

And then I was whisked away from these creatures to another place. Gone were the luscious evergreens, now replaced by the rich reds, yellows, and browns of autumn. Deep, blue rivulets of water flowed through finely cut cobblestone, creating a strange but peaceful sense of serenity from the unique mixture of architecture and nature. Trees grew everywhere, well cared for and untouched by any blade. As I looked around me, I gasped in delight at the amazing buildings I saw. Rounded and flowing, these houses were created out of the earth, built of fine jewels and stones, and some even with gold and silver. Many buildings seemed to be giant shells from the sea, and I realized that the ocean was not far away. In fact, the city was built right on the edge of the water, and boats formed in the same fashion as the houses filled up the docks down the shoreline. As I continued to walk slowly down the streets, I looked up and saw that a thin, bubble-like dome covered the city. I mused at first that it must have been made of fine glass, but was amazed to see a seagull fly straight through it, leaving no mark but a shimmer in the surface. I wondered at this phenomenon, and found my answer in front of me, in the faces of the inhabitants of this amazing port-town. Soft, delicate features and thin physiques met me, and I immediately recognized the creatures in front of me. The pointed ears gave me final witness that I stood in the presence of elves, and I knew then that the bubble was not made of glass or any earthly material, but of magic. I imagined that much of the wonder of the city was a result of elven magic. I smiled, and was suddenly taken up again, moved to another land.

This time the journey was longer than the last. I traveled over the ocean, the vastness of the blue threatening to lose me in its endlessness. But end it did, and soon I was in a much less fantastic world. In fact, after the kwu-ghai village and the elven seaport, I was disappointed to see no more than a small hovel of shacks and cottages that, while nothing run-down or shoddy, was much less wondrous than the places I had just visited. I wondered who, in this world of such magic, would create such an isolated village of dirt pathways, medieval shops and businesses, and absolutely no sign of magic. It seemed that I had actually left the world of my dream and entered my own world, but centuries earlier than my time. This middle-age-style town was unimpressive, and I wondered whether its inhabitants were jealous of its neighbors.

But as the people of this tiny village came out of their houses and went about their lives, they all seemed content with their small existence. It was a community of humans, as similar to Earth’s middle ages as I could imagine. They wore simple clothing; obviously these were the peasant folk. I wondered whether there was a king or a manor lord over these people, or whether this world held a more democratic type of government for Man. In any case, the people of this small town appeared happy, and that made it worth leaving the majestic forests of the kwu-ghai and the magical shore city of the elves. I smiled, and was transported, once again, to a new area of this magical world.

This time, what I saw disturbed and haunted me. I stood in front of a huge door made of stone and steel. Statues and carvings spoke of the evil inside, their twisted and devilish faces a mockery of life and nature. Everything I had witnessed until this point seemed to find its counterpart on the walls of the huge castle that loomed in front of me. The sky, although blue and cloudless, seemed to take on a dark, grayish tone. Something inside me whispered that this was the last place in this world that I wanted to be. But it was a dream, and I had no control.

The doors opened in front of me, and I was soon enveloped by a darkness so powerful I could feel it.

What happened after that chilled me through, and made me feel as if I would never escape this dream. Shrieks and howls echoed through the invisible walls as I passed through the dark corridors. The horror continued, fear gripping at me with an iron grasp that would not let me breathe. It seemed like I was walking for hours, days, before I reached light once more. But the light was of little aid to my outlook. The dim fire lit on a pair of twin stone brackets carved into the shape of disfigured bat creatures was worse than the dark. Then, I could see nothing. Now, I could see a great door, more terrifying than the entrance of the castle, and could hear the screams and growls right beyond my vision, threatening, telling me that I could not escape. Above the door, I saw runes, ancient symbols I could not read. But something- or someone- seemed to be whispering, and I understood them.

“Only the one who is Called from a world devoid of magic can destroy the one born of magic. With the Sword that was lost, the Called will rise from his shackles and face the darkness of all worlds. He will save us, but destroy himself. No other can take his place.”

With all my heart, I hoped I was not this Called person, but somehow I knew that I was the one. Despair filled me, and the words repeated themselves in my head. A sense of hopelessness filled my soul, and then I knew I could not escape the castle. The door began to open, and the whole castle collapsed, crushing me.

I was destroyed. No other could take my place.

I knew I would never forget the dream, for this, the darkest of both worlds, had stolen my future, and I knew I could never get it back. This was my destiny. I could not forget it.

woah! I normally don't go into the fantasy section because I don't care for the genre, but I'm sorry I didn't come in here earlier. This was great! You start by describing the reacurring dreams, and then you actually take the reader inside one...it's sort of like a car salesman, you make the car sound great and then you let the customer take a test drive? This story was exactly like that. Your main character was cool; he let you get inside his head and mess around in there so you could feel and see and hear and...(do I have to list them all?) everything he encountered. Like the wolf people, they were awesome. You described them so well you feel like you're in a zoo and this is the new exhibit so you're looking at the animal for the first time. Usually when authors try to make up new creatures, they end up going on and on about this and that and you don't really get to the point. That makes us, as the readers, go 'Oh, OK' instead of 'Wow! I want one ane I want to name it Squishy and I want...' Yeah, you get the picture. And the thing about the medival village and stuff, and the castle...like you don't really just tell us at the beginning 'Strange things were about to happen' like in a preface or something. You make us guess, and so you think, oh, since this is a dream he'll wake up before something bad happens. Not happening here! That's what makes it so unexpected. He goes into this creepy castle and...darn, he hasn't woken up yet! The thing about the called or the chosen or whatever was great, and like somehow he knows he's doomed...

glad you like both Bobo's and my stuff...they intertwine, our two tales...

Yay! Someone besides Hunter commented on my story!
LOL Thanks for the comments. I was like super-inspired when I wrote that part, so it may just turn out to be the best part. So, yeah, I'll post more soon if people will keep commenting.

please do! By the way, Hunter, where's your stuff?

isle two--action/adventure and housewares.

Chronicles of the Dhampir: emergence. (now with vampire fighting action!)


psst...sam! you already read it!

there's just not enough there to have a link yet!

Wow-this is greaty written. The description is perfect-not to much but enough to give me a vivid picture. I could see everything you described in my head, and it made me want to read on. I love how your transitions from describing the dreams to going right into them was not even noticeable. I'm anxious for the story to progress further. I'll be waiting.

Wait no longer!

Chapter 1

With a sharp cry, I jumped out of my bed, fully awake. Sweat covered my body and saturated my thick, blonde, curly hair. Heading to the bathroom, I thought about the dream. Stumbling, zombie-like, I was hardly aware of the world around me. When I entered the bathroom and turned on the light, the brightness burned my eyes and brought me back into reality. Blinking quickly, I headed towards the sink. As I washed my face, I groggily thought about the dream that had woken me up at 3:00 in the morning, this same dream that had been waking me up so early every morning for the last two weeks. It was clear to my family that something wasn’t right, but how could I tell them what the problem was? How could I tell them what even I myself was so unsure of? Why would they even believe me if I did tell them what was happening to me? They wouldn’t. I had to deal with this problem myself, and I could tell no one about it. And even if I could, no one would have been able to help me, for the help had to come from inside myself.

The last revival of the dream had been so real, and my mind was still so groggy, I felt as if I was living a dream, and that sleep was my escape to reality. But I knew, even if my emotions denied it, that I was living in a real world, and that dreams were only dreams. I also know, however, that this was not a dream. It was more than a dream; it was real. It was not my reality, but it was a reality nonetheless. I had only to discover who was calling me, and what they wanted me to do. It was apparent that one of those three races I had witnessed had need of me- perhaps all of them- and that the darkness of that unnamed castle was their enemy, but that left me with little knowledge. Beyond that, I had no way of getting to this alternate reality of my dreams. I didn’t even know where that world was! There was nothing I could do, yet I knew there was something I had to do. Heading back to my bed, I met the darkness once again, and the dream seemed to press fiercely at my mind. As I laid down again, and before sleep called me away from reality once again, I hoped that everything would become clear to me soon, and that I could solve this problem that stood before me.


____________________________________________________________


When I awoke, it was nearly noon. I leapt out of bed, wide awake again, and rushed into the shower. I was expected at Allistaire Wolff’s house in less than five minutes so he, Mike Reynolds, and I, could visit DragonCon, a convention for RPG fans that was visiting nearby for a short time. This being a rare opportunity, I knew my friends would be slow to forgive me for wasting time; after all, I would expect them to be on time for the occasion.

I barely had my shirt on when the phone rang. Rushing to grab a quick breakfast I could take with me, I let the phone ring until the answering machine turned on. The voice on the line was irritated and impatient.

“Bob,” Mike’s voice filled the kitchen, “where the Hell are you? Get over here now!” Sighing, I picked up the phone.

“I’ll be right there, Mike,” I said apologetically, “I just need to grab my stuff.” Hanging up the phone without waiting for his angry retort, I rushed to grab my backpack, prepared- thankfully- the previous night with everything I would need for the convention- RPG books, dice, a water bottle, and my various books and pencils for drawing or writing, in case I had an impulse of creativity during the day. Running into my shoes, I burst out the door and sprinted to Mike’s house down the block.

We left soon after I arrived. The drive was short and uneventful, and soon we were standing in front of a huge auditorium- DragonCon was inside. We walked briskly toward the huge double doors of the main entrance, which was decorated with banners and flags announcing the convention held inside.

Opening the door, we were immediately met with a rush of commotion and noise. Thousands of voices echoed throughout the huge, dome-shaped building, amplified by the place’s excellent acoustics. Thousands of bodies mulled around, the resulting scene reminding me of television static. I could hardly tell one guest from another; they just seemed one flowing mass of colors. I did notice that many of the guests were dressed up as famous characters for role-playing gamers: Bilbo Baggins, Legolas, Gandalf, and even Gollum could be seen among the Lord of the Rings fans. Many other people from these fantastical lands showed up, many of which I didn’t recognize. When I tried to point one out to Hunter, I realized that the noise was so loud I could barely hear myself unless I practically shouted.

A woman came up to us and gave each of us a name tag. Writing “Robert Fische” in my best cartoonist’s handwriting, I placed it proudly on my chest. Allistaire wrote “Hunter Wolff,” favoring his nickname, and Mike simply wrote “Mike.” We were ready for the day.

Walking from booth to booth, I looked for displays that interested me. I saw display after display about authors I hadn’t read, and a few I had: Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, and, of course, J. R. R. Tolkien. I saw signs and banners advertising everything from book signing to tabletop games, from contests to food. But somehow, there was only one booth that I really noticed. I tried ignoring it, following my friends and trying to be interested in things I knew I should have found intriguing. It was all in vain, however; something was drawing me over to that one table, that one display. Finally, I couldn’t resist the urge any longer.

“C’mon!” I motioned to Mike and Hunter, “let’s check this one out!” We headed over to the display, which I noticed looked very ancient. It was made out of what appeared to be stone slabs, although it was probably Styrofoam or a similar material, and the whole display was draped with fine medieval cloths. A woman stood at the booth, probably in her twenties but seemingly ageless, with a perfect complexion and soft, angular features. She was dressed in fine clothing, almost elven in its make. She wore deep reds and purples, with gold brocade and hemming all over her robes. She wore a peculiar red and purple turban-like hat with an odd silver feather sticking out the top. I noted that the hat and her flowing golden hair fully covered her ears. She wore a silver sash, matching the feather, which hung loosely around her slender waist. Her matching silver shoes had a curled, pointed toe.

“Oh, my first customers,” the woman said, looking straight into my soul, “I’m glad you made it.” Suddenly, I realized that all other sound had stopped. I looked around, embarrassed, wondering if I had done something to make them grow silent. But my embarrassment quickly changed to astonishment when I saw that everyone was just as active and talkative as ever; I just couldn’t hear them. Turning back to the woman, I shivered from the peculiarity of the situation.

“Come! Come,” the woman motioned to us, “enter the Portal of the Boundless.” She motioned to a huge stone door, chiseled with finely detailed dragons, unicorns, griffins, werewolves, and a plethora of other mystical beasts. Strangely unfazed, I walked briskly toward the door.

“What are you doing?” Hunter whispered, pulling me back, “Aren’t you gonna find out what’s up before you run right through this weird doorway?” Dumbstruck at the absurdity of my mindless actions, I turned back to the woman.

“What, exactly, is this ‘Door of the Boundless’?” I asked politely.

“You’ll just have to find out,” the woman smiled reassuringly. “Go on! It’s not going to eat you!” She giggled slightly. I headed toward the door.

“Are you sure about this?” Mike censured, halting me.

“I’m sure!” I replied impatiently, “now let’s go!” I turned away from Mike and stepped in front of the Portal. Grasping the handle, which was shaped like a wolf’s head, I opened the door. I gasped as blue-white light enveloped me, blinding me. I heard a rushing of sound from the door, sounds of nature, sounds of war, sounds of technology, sounds of tranquility. The jumbled cacophony faded, and I heard nothing, saw nothing, felt nothing. Then the light receded as well, and I found myself face to trunk with a huge oak.

In my opinion, I think you should do a little expanding and describing of characters, that was the reader has a mental pic of them before you send them on a plot...if you waiut too long, they'll already have their own idea and probably picture them wrong...

oh yeah, still waiting for new stuff by the way

Well, I think it's about time to post some more. Anyways, people, please read this now, or else later you'll probably end up overwhelmed by how much there is. I know that's how I usually am. Now, to the story:

“Well,” Mike began, “look at the mess Bob got us in this time!”

“I knew there was something weird going on!” Hunter cursed silently. “If only we had thought a little more. I mean, where were all the pamphlets and banners and stuff that the other booths had? There was definitely something wrong!”

“Well,” I replied, “it’s too late to change that now.” I sat down on a nearby tree stump, and rested my chin on my palm. “So, what are we gonna do?”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Mike shrugged. We looked around, and Hunter started pacing around the small clearing we had appeared in. Taking a look at my surroundings, I observed that we were in a damp, thick, green forest, made up mostly of oaks and elms. We stood in a small clearing- only about 15 feet in diameter- surrounded by tall, lush trees. Water dripped from leaves and branches, landing softly on the wet, mossy earth. Fungus grew all over, thriving in the warm, wet environment. The stump I sat on was soft, padded with thick, green moss. I was sweating from the humidity, even though the air was only slightly warm.

“Well,” I said, “we might as well start walking somewhere. We may not know where we are, but I’m sure this isn’t where we need to be.” I stood up, and Mike opened his mouth to reply but was cut off when Hunter called us from outside the clearing.

“Com’ere!” he called excitedly, “I found something!”

We walked quickly towards his voice, and found him standing over an especially wet spot- with footprints in it.

“Well,” Mike said, glancing down, “they look human to me. We might as well follow ‘em. Any more?” Hunter nodded, and we began down the trail he had discovered.

We walked for hours; we lost our way frequently and were forced to double back many times. Fortunately, the path was clear- whoever had made it wasn’t trying to hide their passing. We followed the markings out of the damp forest and into a wide, grassy plain will small, rolling hills. During this stretch of the journey, the sun beat down hard on us, and soon I found myself unbearably thirsty. Our strength began to ebb as the harsh sun drummed out a rapid beat on our aching backs. We were relieved to pass the fields and finally reach another forest- this one an evergreen forest. As we neared it, I felt a relieving blast of cool air, an oddly sudden change in temperature that reminded me of entering an air-conditioned building after being in the heat for a long time. Heading into the forest, the trail became harder to follow, with less footprints or other signs of anyone passing by. It didn’t take us long to lose the trail entirely.

“Now what’re we gonna do?” Mike complained.

“Complain, maybe?” I retorted, agitated from the strain of the long hike.

“Shut up, you two!” Hunter said, exasperated. I smiled; usually it was Mike and Hunter at odds, and I the peacemaker- okay, okay, I never really stopped their arguing, but at least I wasn’t part of the problem.

“It’s getting dark,” Hunter continued, “We should probably find a place to spend the night.” Mike nodded. None of us spoke.

“I think I saw a cave a little ways back,” I replied at length, “we could see if that works.” Hunter nodded, and I showed my friends the way. We walked back the way we came until we reached a small clearing in the thick, evergreen woods. The clearing was just big enough to reveal a small opening in a giant rock, a small pool of fresh water, and a young peach tree. We quickly settled down and fell asleep.

My sleep that night was short and troubled. I couldn’t stop thinking about that dream I’d had so long ago. I wondered whether we would meet those dog-like beings I had seen, or if we would run into elves. Or if we would run into something terrible first. I tossed and turned in discomfort, both physical, from the harsh, rocky ground and the chill night air, and mental, all my fears and thoughts playing through my head at a restless rate. I jumped at ordinary sounds, the twitter and tweet of nocturnal birds, the small clicks and cracks of bugs skittering across branches and rocks, and the scuffle and scurry of smaller forest creatures scavenging for food. My eyes were wide, held open as if by an invisible hand that refused to let me rest. When exhaustion finally overtook me, I continued to spin and stir.

[center]* * *[/center]

I awoke suddenly to Hunter’s hushed but urgent whisper. I turned to ask what the problem was, but he hushed me with a finger to his lips and pointed out past the clearing into the thick forest. I quickly sat up, rubbing the drowsy haze out of my eyes as I tried to spot the trouble. Mike squatted in the deep, early-morning shadows near the entrance of the cave, and Hunter half-stood opposite him. Taking up a spot near the back, I focused on the spot Hunter had pointed out to me.

I quickly recognized the intruders as the beings in my dream. They spoke in unguarded tones, apparently relaxed with their environment. Their bold, deep voices seemed to fit quite well with their dog-like snouts, their heads covered with dark fur- brown and black- that swept back into long manes of hair. Their upper bodies, which were mostly bare despite the chill, were virtually hairless and a rich bronze in color. They wore simple animal skins across their chests and over their lower bodies, and wore jewelry made of teeth, claws, feathers, and stones, both precious and ordinary. Each held a halberd made of strong wood with obsidian blades, held together with thick cord and decorated with feathers. I was soon able to count three, and noted that two wore white feathers, while the third, evidently the leader, wore blood red feathers and had two thick lines painted on each cheek. I noticed Mike and Hunter taking all this in, on edge and not knowing what to expect. When Hunter glanced at me to see my reaction, I smirked and headed out into the clearing.

“Are you crazy?!” Mike whispered after me, “Do you want to get killed?!” I just continued smiling and strode boldly towards the creatures without looking back. One of the white-feathered creatures pointed to me, and all three turned my direction, their discussion abruptly ended.

“Et-ch ka!” the leader called out in surprise. Raising their weapons, all three rushed towards me.

I LOVE IT!!!! when will there be more???

i especialy loved ...... "Over the years, what was once a clear, branded impression left on my mind had become a dull scar of the past"

just one thing, there seemed to be a lot of run on sentances.

Meh, darn run-ons... that's a big fault of mine. I'm going to try "swooping" this time (write the whole thing before revising), so I'll catch those run-ons the next time around. I want to post more, but people don't read anything if you have too much. So if you want more besides nanc, post and and tell me. I think maybe people just don't wanna pick it apart or whatever, so they don't post. I need to know that people are reading. I'll be sure to post the next part soon, though nanc. But I have to go in a little but, so I can't so it now. Thanks for reading!

There really aren't that many...if any.

However, I did notice that Robert saw a CAVE, and they came across a CLEARING. Not important, but still inconsistent.

oh yeah, write more. (I mean more than I've read)

Yeah yeah yeah I'll get around to it sometime. Well, for now:

Chapter 2

The three kwu-ghai stopped in front of me, hardly a foot away, their halberds inches from my head. The leader looked straight into my eyes, his own narrowing and staring hard, almost forcefully, as expecting mine to disappear so he could see past them into my soul. I stared back just as hard, looking confident and brave despite my uneasiness of the situation. He continued to stare into my eyes- into my soul- for what seemed like hours, but could hardly have been five minutes. Then he nodded.

All three of them knelt and bowed. The leader spoke.

“The Called has come to us,” he began, his face still watching the rich soil of the evergreen forest around us. “Welcome, arrudshan.” Looking up, he smiled, dipped his head, and stood. With two fingers, he touched his forehead, then his lips, and finally his chest, over his heart. Recognizing it as a salute, and a reverent one at that, I returned the gesture. The other kwu followed suit.

“I’m glad to meet you,” I said, relieved to have passed the leader’s test. “My name is Robert Fische. Most people call me Bob.” I held out a hand, which the leader took and shook firmly.

“We are glad you came, Bob,” he grinned, a bit of a frightening look on his lupine face. His voice was slightly gravelly, giving it the effect of a constant growl. His fur was black, contrasting with the red lines on his face. The other two had dark brown fur.

“You can call me Zyke,” he continued, “now, you need to come with us to visit the village Elder.” He turned around and motioned for me to follow.

“Wait!” I called, running back to the cave where Mike and Hunter squatted, their faces the embodiment of amazement. “It’s okay, guys. They’re friends.”

“How did you know?” Hunter asked incredulously, stepping out of the cave. Mike followed, shaking his head solemnly. I shrugged noncommittally. We headed towards the three creatures, who had turned to see what I had gone back for. Zyke’s eyes opened wide with unabated fear and anger, and three halberds pointed at Hunter, stopping him dead in his tracks.

“Wow, Bob,” Hunter muttered, “some friends ya got there.”

“Silence, vekshira!” Zyke barked, “what is the meaning of this?!” he looked to me.

“What?” I replied, glancing from Zyke to Hunter in fear and surprise, “what is a vekshira? And why is Hunter so dangerous?”

“Vekshira means ‘noble dead,’” Zyke replied impatiently, “you know, vampire? Surely you knew what he was when you came here!”

“A vampire?!” I gasped, “How could he be a vampire? I’ve known him all my life, and he’s never acted like a vampire!” Hunter was dumbstruck.

“I’m not a vampire!” Hunter cried indignantly.

“We’ll see about that,” Zyke growled angrily as his two men roughly grabbed Hunter and dragged him off into the woods.

“What are you doing!?” I yelled, “where are you taking him!?”

“Don’t worry, arrudshan,” Zyke replied dangerously, “he’ll be safe. At least until we get to the elder.” I could only follow wordlessly as they lead Hunter, who was detached and strangely submissive, into their village.

---------------------------------------

“So, you’re telling me that you’re not a vekshira, even though you have the same aura as one?”

We all now stood in a small hut on the edge of the forest, a way post of some sort between those that patrolled around the perimeter of the village, like Zyke and his men, Tenna and Dahk, and the village itself. The village Elder, Tomak Mür-ecca, stood in front of Hunter, his two gigantic, chestnut bodyguards standing opposite Mike and I. Raising his ancient, grey eyebrows to accompany his question, Mür-ecca awaited Hunter’s response.

“Yes!” Hunter cried, exasperated.

“Why should we believe you?” Zyke intoned, trying to mask the fear in his voice with skepticism.

“If he’s a vampire,” I replied calmly, “why doesn’t he just, I dunno, fly away or something?”

“Because then we would know that he’s a vampire!” Zyke refused to follow reason. Reminds me of Mike, I thought.

“Can’t you tell I’m not dangerous?” Hunter addressed the Elder, ignoring Zyke.

“Do you have an explanation for this unheard-of phenomenon?” Mür-ecca asked politely, the irony in his voice implied, but not spoken.

“Actually, I do, but…” Hunter inclined his head towards Mike and I. The Elder nodded slowly, almost imperceptibly, then shook his head.

“I won’t let your friends help you with your story,” the Elder spoke firmly. At his gesture, the bodyguards hauled us out, leaving Hunter alone with the creatures. When I got outside, I realized I could still hear them. Questioning Mike, I discovered I was the only one. Slightly disturbed but nevertheless intrigued, I listened intently.

“I’m not a vampire,” Hunter began slowly, as if testing his tongue to give him the proper reply for his release. After a few moments of what I assumed was careful consideration, Hunter continued.

“To tell the truth, I just discovered this recently, and I’m not even very sure what I can do, but…” Hunter paused again. I could imagine Elder Mür-ecca raising his eyebrows in skepticism. “What I’m trying to say is… I am the Dhampir.”

What this meant I had no idea of, but from the immediate explosion of voices that even Mike could hear, although only slightly, I guessed it was a big deal.

“The Dhampir!?” Mür-ecca cried in disbelief, “That’s no small claim you’re making, boy!” An awkward silence ensued as Mür-ecca paced back and forth around Hunter. “Still, I can tell you are no vampire, so perhaps…” he trailed of in pensive silence.

“How can you even think of believing him!?” Zyke demanded, “You don’t even know him! Besides, he’s from another world. How can you be sure he’s not-”

“ENOUGH!!!” Mür-ecca silenced Zyke, who immediately withdrew into himself. An uneasiness permeated the forest home as the elder continued. “I am the Village Elder. I am the one who is skilled in magic more than any other kwu in this community. I can tell when one is a vampire.”

“Sir,” one of Zyke’s hunters, Tenna, humbly replied, “in all due respects, sir, but how can you tell if he’s a vampire or not if not by his aura?”

“Because,” the elder paused, as if pondering whether to tell them the truth or not. He decided quickly, and began talking again. “Vekshira have no souls.” Everyone was deathly quiet. “I am sure this boy is no vampire. Although,” he turned to Hunter, “I still find it hard to believe that you are the Dhampir. We’ll be watching you.”

“So,” Hunter spoke hesitantly, “can I go now?” The Elder must have nodded, for soon after, Hunter emerged, liberation in his eyes. Looking from me to Mike, Hunter sighed loudly in relief.

“So,” I began hesitantly, “betcha sure showed them, ‘ey?” I smiled wanly, trying to look cheerful but having trouble due to the shock I had just received. Hunter looked at me strangely and sighed again.

“Yeah,” he looked at the ground, “Guess they got their ‘auras’ mixed up. Seems I’m just a human with vampiric pheromones or something’.” Mike laughed at the joke, but I could barely force a smile, and Hunter didn’t seem to happy. And Mike didn’t help either.

“They were probably right, you know,” Mike said, nudging me in the ribs, “I bet Hunter really is a vampire.” Hunter glared at him and I gave him a warning glance, but Mike characteristically ignored us. “Watch out, Bob! He’s gonna eatcha in your sleep!” Then he laughed heartily and Hunter shook with anger. Then, getting control of himself, Hunter breathed out sharply and shook his head. I sighed heavily, thankful that Hunter hadn’t blown his cool at Mike’s remarks.

“That was lame,” Hunter replied, ruining Mike’s fun and cutting the conversation to its end. “So, how’s about we meet our new neighbors, eh?” I nodded, and the three of us headed into the village. I smiled; Hunter was himself once again.

Seeing the village in real life was just like in my dream. Huge evergreen trees rose hundreds of feet into the air, all around us. As I looked up to the tops, I began to realize that these trees were also kwu houses. And the kwu had been quite creative in making their homes. Some were built around trees, some between trees, and others right into the trees. Branches were intertwined carefully to create a living thatched roof, and other branched were woven together to create floors, walls, and even furniture. Some houses were on the ground or even underground, while others were high up in the trees. Only a few major buildings were tree-independent, such as the High Elder’s house and some kwu shops. Ladders and ropes made out of branches and vines stood or hung all around us, and kwu were constantly climbing and descending. Wow, no wonder they’re all so strong, I thought, watching a young kwu-ghai boy nearly run up one of the vines. Everything was so amazing, I couldn’t help but not notice the crowds that were starting to drift around the three of us. In fact, if that little red-haired kwu hadn’t run into me and virtually knock me sprawling, I wouldn’t have noticed at all. When I looked down at him, I realized a number of other kwu had stopped their tasks and were gathered around us, whispering.

“Hey!” the boy spoke in a high-pitched, almost raspy voice, “What’s the matter with your face?” His beady black eyes narrowed in disgust. Taken aback, I stuttered and said nothing.

“Be nice, Freck,” a red-haired kwu girl, a few years younger than me, pushed him gently behind her. She was obviously the boy’s sister, but her clear, mellow voice and her bright, blue eyes contrasted with her brother’s rougher and meaner features. Both wore simple tunics made of brownish animal skins. The girl wore a small jade bracelet on her left wrist. “Sorry about my brother,” she said, looking each of us in the eyes. Then she asked, “Are you from across the Big Water?”

Not knowing what she was talking about, I made the obvious response: “What?”

“The Big Water is what the kids call the Ignen Ocean,” a woman in the crowd responded.

“That’s where all the humans are from,” the girl replied, sounding surprised at our ignorance, “from across the Big Water.”

“Oh,” I said lamely. Duh, what else would the Big Water be? “No, we’re not from across the Big Water.” Then a thought hit me- the ocean I had crossed from the elven port to the human hovel in my dream! That must be the Ignen Ocean!

“Well, then, where are you from?” the kwu girl was obviously confused. And I didn’t blame her. I would be the same way if a European told me he hadn’t crossed a sea to get to America.

“Uh…” I scratched my head, lost for how to describe our arrival method. Fortunately, Hunter was ready with an explanation.

“Let’s just say we’re from across the ‘Big Sky’,” He said to her. Instant silence filled the area around us.

“The Big Sky?” an older kwu woman, red-haired and middle-aged- the girl’s mother, I guessed- pushed her way forward. “You mean, you’re one of the Boundless?”
Again, like the “Big Water” remark, I knew exactly how to answer.

“Whatsat?” I blurted. Hunter snickered softly, and Mike rolled his eyes.

“Those who are not bound by the laws of nature that keep us in one place,” the woman responded, “Those who can travel from one world to another instantly. These are the Boundless.”

Truly enlightened, I realized that we were, indeed, Boundless. However, I wasn’t sure if walking through a door counted, so I explained the whole story. Of course, Mike had to put in his two cents every now and one second later. Hunter remained silent, withdrawn once again as he had seemed to be inclined to do since we first saw the kwu soldiers.

At the mention of the fact that I was their arrudshan, an earthquake must have happened, for suddenly all those around me fell on their faces in low, reverent bows.

“Wow,” I whispered to Hunter, casting him a sidelong glance, “so much attention in so little time.”

“At least yours is good attention,” Hunter replied dryly, not at all happy with the way things were turning out.

Looking back on this incident, I realized how ironic the whole situation was. Here I was, some unknown kid on my home planet Earth, just a regular guy that was no one in particular. Next to me stood the Dhampir, a vampire hunter with the spirit of the great Vladd Dracul inside him, someone who could one day save the whole human race from those vampires that sought to destroy their souls. And yet this whole village was bowing to me, me, the nobody, while they had arrested and interrogated the great superhuman next to me. Of course, at this point I hadn’t realized that what I would do was, perhaps, just as great as what Hunter would accomplish. The villagers rose slowly.

“Welcome, arrudshan,” one kwu intoned solemnly, echoing Zyke’s salute to me, “to the village of Udunat, home of the kwu-ghai.” The other villagers followed the man’s lead, and I returned the salute, smiling in front of my confusion.

“Thanks,” I replied slowly, “I appreciate your welcome.”

“So much attention…” Hunter muttered at my side.

Bobo wrote:"His voice was slightly gravelly, giving it the effect of a constant growl.

too many "ly"s there...sounds really weird to me.

Bobo wrote:“A vampire?!” I gasped, “How could he be a vampire? I’ve known him all my life, and he’s never acted like a vampire!” Hunter was dumbstruck.

“I’m not a vampire!” Hunter cried indignantly.

you may want to say "I'm not a vampire!" He cried indignatnly, instead of saying his name again...it wounds...weird (again)


Yeah, considering Bob doesn't know all that stuff about hunter, and wouldn't even know the word...wanna drop that from this chapter and wait till he finds out please?