"Master Bentis!  It's been so long since we've seen you that I was starting to worry!"  Nightwing ran up to her mentor, but stopped short when she saw the look on his face.  "What is it, Master, what have you found?"

 

Bentis looked up at the young woman and her friends and managed to smile slightly, "Dreamstrike.  I found a parchment that tells of the invention of Dreamstrike."

 

The little group looked at one another and Termish asked, "What is Dreamstrike?"

 

"A terrible art that's been lost.  The last dreamer who knew it ceased to dream long ago," Bentis replied, "But while it was known, it could end someone's dreams forever."

 

They turned as the portal chimed and admitted Alkinia again.

 

"Why does she always turn up?" Termish whispered to Nightwing.

 

Nightwing whispered back, "There are hardly any other Dreamers around anymore.  I think she's lonely.  Besides, she wants to convert us all to Illuminates."

 

"So Bentis," Alkinia said, "More ancient history?"

 

Bentis nodded, "A terrible tale, this one."

 

Skandren asked, "Please tell us, Master.  However terrible, it is a part of the Dream's history and it shouldn't be forgotten."

 

Bentis sighed, but he nodded to the young Dreamseer and said, "This parchment seems to pick up where the ones about the Dreamer Wars left off.  I had to copy far too many dull saints' lives before I found this one, but you're right; it is an important part of our history.

 

"The bloodshed of the wars became so widespread that the Master Dreamwrights took alarm.  Their great creation, the City of Dreams, was being turned into a City of Carnage by the warfare.  One group of Dreamwrights, led by Hartisan the Red and Turgin Lambent, decided to put an end to conflict once and for all.  Their group would become known as the Dreamstrike Masters."

 

Nightwing shivered and moved closer to Skandren, who put his arm around her shoulders.  She smiled at him and said, "Please go on, Master Bentis."

 

Bentis nodded, "I'm sure this parchment was written by an Illuminate.  He says: Dreamstrike is the ultimate punishment any person can suffer, for it causes not only death of the body in the Waking World, but also the soul of the Dreamer. It is true death, final and complete."

 

Skandren raised an eyebrow, "He seems very sure of that.  How could he possibly know?" "Perhaps then more than one dreamer came from each shard," suggested Termish.

 

Bentis shrugged, "Perhaps.  But I think it is more likely that he's simply quoting what the Illuminates believe about it.  As Alkinia will tell us, they think their souls come to the Dream, so it would be logical for them to believe that their souls could be harmed here."

 

Alkinia snorted, "You foolish Freesouls keep refusing to see the truth!  When we dream, our souls come to this plane where we have the chance of advancing to the Overlight.  But we risk all for that chance.  If our souls are stricken here, our mere physical bodies in the waking world can only die."

 

Bentis nodded, "To a Freesoul, however, the effect of Dreamstrike would have to be mental.  I would think that it must somehow interfere with one's ability to achieve the higher state of mind necessary to enter the Dream,"

 

"It makes you forget how to dream?" suggested Termish.

 

Alkinia shook her head "How can you be so blind?"

 

Nightwing added, "That would have seemed terrible enough to the old dreamers.  When the City was full of life and excitement, it would have been a dreadful fate to be barred from it forever.  Perhaps it would have seemed like dying."

 

Bentis nodded in agreement, "Even now, I would hate to be barred from the City and my friends here."

 

Nightwing nodded in agreement and moved a little closer to Skandren.

 

Bentis smiled at the young dreamers and continued, "With their art perfected, the Dreamstrike Masters entered Threshold and moved through it as a group, collapsing and Dreamstriking Dreamer after Dreamer.  This infamous surprise assault, the Dreamstrike Offensive, changed the Dream forever."

 

"The boldness of the warring clans became fear as they were forced out of Threshold.  They retreated to the far reaches of the Dream and their Dreamwrights began constructing great fortresses to guard themselves.  An uneasy peace settled over the Dream as the Dreamstrike Masters occupied Thresh and the other factions entrenched themselves in the lands beyond.  Roving bands of Dreamers still clashed when they encountered one another, but the Dreamstrike Masters would sally forth and 'strike anyone collapsed and floating on a battlefield.  Major battles ceased, but this was only the calm before the storm."