Anya listened, wide-eyed as the young dreamer in front of her explained his beliefs.

 

“We know that the Dream is a higher plane of being.  From ancient times it’s been believed that you need a soul to enter the Dream.  Since they have no souls of their own, the chaotic nightmares steal the souls of the sleeping unawakened so they can enter the Dream and harm it,” Devlin explained.

 

He continued, “It’s our mission to help those poor tortured souls.  We collapse the ‘mares, but the unawakened soul is still trapped in the essence.  My group believes that the only way to permanently free the souls is to use our own avatars as filters.  We will drain the essences, taking the chaotic force into our avatars and freeing the souls to go back to their owners.”

 

“That sounds dangerous,” Anya said.

 

Devlin nodded, “It is.  Until your avatar grows in strength, you’re limited in the number of souls you can save in any dream.  That’s why it’s our mission to form an Aspirant Guild and open a House.  When we're a recognized Aspirant Guild, we'll gain the Art of Drain and be able to save souls.  And once we have a House and a House Prime, we can use the Prime to drain the essences we can’t handle ourselves.  It’s not quite as good; it only weakens the chaos’s grip on the souls.  But it gives them a chance to get away or at least not be weakened any further till we can drain them properly ourselves.”

 

Anya shook her head slightly, “I’m still so new that all this confuses me,” she admitted, “Someone I met the other Dream warned me that draining kills the souls in the essences and that I should stay away from anyone who advocates it.”

 

“That’s because they don’t understand how to do it properly!” Devlin exclaimed.  “It’s hard to get people to take us seriously when we’re still a small group with no official status.  That’s the other reason we need a House.  When we’re an official House Guild, people will have to pay more attention to us.”

 

Anya nodded thoughtfully, “I didn’t understand the stuff the Freesouls tried to tell me.  All about perceptions and the Dream not being real.  It makes a lot more sense to me that this is a higher plane and that our souls are here for some purpose. 

 

“I’d like to have some kind of purpose in my life.  At home on my shard it seems like we just work so we can eat so we can work some more.  I’ve always felt like there should be more to life than just working and eating and then making more people so they can keep doing the same things.”

 

Devlin smiled at her, “I know what you mean!  I’ve always wanted something more important in my life too.  And now I’ve found it.  How much more important could you get than saving souls?”

 

Anya hesitated, “Do you think I could join your group?   I know I’m still too newly awakened to help much, but I can learn.”

 

Devlin beamed at her, “I’m sure you can learn and grow to be a valuable member.  Let me see if Medlana is dreaming.  She’s one of the acknowledged Rulers of our group.”

 

Devlin cast locate dreamer and smiled, “She’s on her way up to the House we want.  Come on!  I can show you the House and you can meet Medla all at the same time.” 

 

Devlin led Anya through several more threshold rooms, then out onto an austere, rocky landscape, “The Valleys of Totality,” he told her, “they lead to the house of the Protectors of the Radiance.  The Radiance has always housed crusaders, from the earliest history of the Dream.  We want to open it again and take on that proud tradition.”

 

As the two young Dreamers ran quickly up the plane, Anya thought the severe landscape suited a house of crusaders.  She had a fondness for some of the greener, lusher planes she’d seen, but she told to herself that it would be worth giving up a pretty landscape to have a purpose.  A real crusade!  Just like the knights who owned the land her waking family toiled on.

 

They reached the house finally, ran through the entrance portal and stopped.  Standing on the stairs of the house were a tall woman, and an even taller man.  The woman stood straight and proud before the man who looked like no dreamer Anya had yet seen.  He was very tall and carried himself ramrod straight.  He wore armour of an antique-looking pattern and wore a crest such as she had never seen before.  He looked older than most dreamers, with lines of intelligence and experience on his face and the scars and callouses of many battles on his hands.

 

As the two young dreamers crossed the room, the woman turned to greet them and Anya saw that she had a stern face which relaxed a little into a smile as she recognized Devlin.

 

“Good Dreams to you, Dev, young lady.”

 

Devlin bowed and replied, “Good Dreams, Medla, sir.  This is Anya, who wants to join our crusade.”

 

“Then you are still more welcome, Anya,” Medlana replied, her smile widening.

 

“Indeed,” said the strange man, “It is very good that you have young dreamers afire with the righteousness of your cause, Lady Medlana.  It bodes very well for our enterprise.”

 

“This lord is a Knight of the ancient Illuminate Front,” Medlana explained, “He’s come from the distant past to aid us in our struggle to open the Radiance.”

 

The two young dreamers bowed, awed at the idea of a figure from the history of the Dream standing before them.

 

The Knight told them, “Long ages ago, my comrades and I swore our lives, our blades and our souls to the service of the Illuminate Faith.  When those of the True Faith are in need of our aid, that need still summons us.  It will be my duty and my pride to see the Radiance shine forth again, housing Crusaders dedicated to the Ideals of Illumination.”

 

He continued, “So, Lady Ruler, you have explained to me your beliefs and I find them consonant with the True Faith.  Have you sufficient members to write your charter and form your Aspirant Guild?”

 

Medlana nodded, casting a smiling glance at Anya, “Indeed, sir.  We have our numbers, and my fellow ruler and our guardians have been discussing the wording of our charter.  I believe we are almost ready for the founding ceremony.”

 

“That is very good, Ruler.  Do you bring your folk to the Charter Room three dreams hence and I shall witness your dedication to the rebirth of this Great House,”  with these words, the Knight disappeared in a flash of silvery light.

 

Devlin turned to Medlana and said excitedly, “We’re really ready to establish ourselves?”

 

She nodded, “Yes, we are.  We have our ten members, including our newest recruit here,” she smiled at Anya, “and Terrell and I have been discussing the wording of the charter and how we want to conduct the ceremony.

 

“For now, we’d best find everyone and make sure they’re all going to be able to dream for the ceremony.”