“So you see how important it is to drain those essences and free the souls from further torment,” Devlin concluded. He and Anya were back in the Threshold room of the Radiance, talking to several new dreamers about their beliefs.
A dreamer wearing the crest of the Gathering of the Entranced snorted, “Sure, if you believe all that stuff about souls in the Dream in the first place. Freesouls know it’s just a lot of bog poop. No stupid little emp is going to steal my soul!”
“So why do you dream, then?” Anya asked curiously, “Do you have a purpose beyond just amusing yourself?”
“I dream for my house,” replied the other, “and so I can become a teacher some day.”
“I get enough of that in the waking world,” Anya said, “Work for the family, so we can all get enough to eat and so I can become a mother some day and have a family of my own.
“Here in the Dream, I have a more important purpose. Here, I’m helping to save souls from the Chaos.”
“So they can keep working and raising more workers?” scoffed the Freesoul.
“What people do with their souls is up to them,” Devlin said, “all we can do is make sure their souls are their own to do with as they choose.”
“So you’d save the soul of a murderer, too?”
Devlin shrugged, “How can we know? When it’s in the clutches of a nightmare, the soul’s own personality is stifled and drained. It could belong to an innocent child or the worst criminal on his shard. But no matter what the owners are like, the souls belong to them, not the ‘mares.”
One of the newly awakened dreamers moved a little closer to Anya and whispered, “That’s pretty neat, having a real purpose in your dreams. Your waking life sounds a lot like mine. Except I’m supposed to want to become a father and work to support a wife and lots of children.”
Anya smiled at the young man, “It’s wonderful. I always thought there should be more to life than just endless rounds of working and eating and making babies. It’s like I’ve been looking for this my whole life.”
The new dreamer smiled at her enthusiasm and said, “I think it’s great that you’re so excited about it. I was listening to some Freesouls earlier and they were having a lot of fun debating things. Kinda like those two,” he gestured at Devlin and the Gathering member, “but it seemed like they were more interested in scoring debating points than anything else.”
Anya nodded, “It’s great to discuss and debate. We don’t get to do much of that at home either. But I wouldn’t want to have that as my only purpose for dreaming.”
The other nodded and said, “My name’s Kranden, by the way. And I agree, I’d like to have more of a purpose too.”
“Hullo, Kranden, I’m Anya. Would you like to join us? We don’t have our house yet, but we’re really close. In fact, I should tell you that it’s especially important to us to find new members right now. That’s part of the task we were set to gain the house. We want new people to accept our beliefs and want to join us at any time, but you’d be particularly welcome right now.”
Kranden looked thoughtful, “I’m glad you told me that, I’d hate to feel like you were just doing all this for a task.”
Anya shook her head vigorously, “Oh no, the Crusade and persuading others to join us is the most important and exciting thing in my dream. It’s just a bit more so right now.”
“Are all the people in your Guild like you?”
Anya thought for a moment, then replied, “We’re all excited about the Guild and our beliefs, but we’re all different too. Everyone’s been very kind to me though, and part of our charter says that we look after one another and help one another.”
Kranden smiled at that, “I think it would be easy to be kind to you, Anya. But I like that you’re all committed to helping one another.”
Anya blushed at the compliment and looked at her boots.
“I think I would like to join you,” Kranden continued, “I’ve been dreaming for several nights now and yours is the first group that makes sense to me and seems very enthusiastic about what you’re doing.
“Some of them were too busy even to talk to me, and some who did talk to me didn’t seem to have a very good understanding of what their groups believed.”
Anya smiled broadly, “Oh that’s great! Everyone will be so excited to welcome you!”
She hesitated a moment, then asked, “Are you a good hunter?”
Kranden grinned at her, “I’m learning to be. I’ve gotten frustrated a lot with trying to talk to people and when I do, I go out and hunt. I have a pack full of essences I’ve been wondering what to do with.”
“We’ll be happy to have them,” Anya assured him, “And I need to hunt enough mares to collect 25 essences.”
Just then, the Freesoul with whom Devlin had been arguing bowed ironically and left the room. Devlin turned to Anya and Kranden and said, “Stubborn man, that. He wasn’t very good at arguing his beliefs, but he stuck to them like glue.”
Anya wrinkled her nose but said, “Dev, this is Kranden. He wants to join us.”
Devlin beamed at the two of them, “That’s wonderful! Welcome, Kranden. Did Anny tell you that you’re especially welcome right now?”
They both nodded and Kranden replied, “She did, and I was grateful for her honesty. I’ve been looking for a purpose in my dreaming and a group to join and I’m glad that joining yours will be a help to you.”
“Shall we go hunt up some essences?” Anya suggested.
Later that dream, laden with their required essences, Anya, Devlin and Kranden made their way up the Valleys of Totality to the House.
Terrell was there with several of the others, including someone Anya and Devlin had not met. He called them over and introduced the newcomer, “Anny, Dev, this is SummerStorm who wants to join our Guild.”
“Welcome, Summer!” Devlin exclaimed, “We’re very glad to meet you.
“And this is Kranden, who also wants to join us.”
The group stood on the stairs chatting for awhile as the rest of the Guildmembers trickled in.
Finally, Medlana glanced around the group and asked, “Everyone has their 25 essences?”
There were nods all around and several reported that they’d brought in some extras, just in case.
“That’s good, because as well as helping to relieve the suffering of the trapped souls, the House Prime requires the residual energy of the essences to power the House,” Medlana told them, “Our guide has told me that the House will absorb power each week to keep the portals spinning, but locked to all but our own members, to fuel our mission board and to allow us to initiate new members.”
The Knight’s voice spoke from behind Medlana, “The house draws its strength primarily from your faith. The better you follow your charter and your ideals, the stronger the House becomes and the less strength it needs to draw from your Prime. Once you are the owners, the House becomes attuned to your Guild and its charter and flourishes with you.”
Everyone bowed to the Knight and Medlana told him, “Sir we are ready. We have gathered the essences you requested and found two more Dreamers who wish to join us.”
“Well done, Crusaders! We shall return to the Prime Room, the Lady Ruler will cast Taint again and rouse the House to accept you.
“Once the House is yours and the Prime empowered, you may initiate your new members,” with these words, the Knight raised his hands, and the group found themselves once again standing in the Prime Room.
Medlana strode forward and took up the Prime Key. She stood a moment facing the Prime, gazing at its muted and tarnished surface. Then she raised her hands and once again evoked Taint Prime.
This time, the effect was far different. Instantly, the Prime began to glow and a low hum filled the room.
“Now you must complete your mission and the House will be yours,” the Knight told them, “Drain your essences and free the souls, then each of you take up the Prime Key and begin to empower your House.”
Not for the first time, Anya wished that avatars could breath so that she could take a deep breath. She set her teeth, chose one of the essences from her pack and evoked Drain. There was an odd little sound, and she felt slightly queasy, but the essence vanished from her hands, “That’s not so bad,” she thought, “and worth a little discomfort to free a soul.”
She glanced around the room and saw that all her Guildmates had determined expressions on their faces and were evoking the same art. Before she could lose her nerve, she quickly drained four more of the essences and stood quietly, waiting for her turn with the Prime Key.
First Medlana, then all the others according to their ranks, took the Key and committed their remaining essences to the Prime. As they did so, the glow of the Prime seemed to intensify and it seemed as though the whole room became brighter.
Finally, Blue Lily passed the Key to Anya. Anya took it reverently, slightly startled to find that unlike the first time she’d held it the Key now seemed warm and vibrating with a kind of life. As she used it, there was a soft chiming sound and the light in the room glowed brighter still.
Several people gasped softly and Anya looked up from the Key in her hands to see that the portals to the room had begun to glow and spin as well. She replaced it carefully on its pedestal and stepped back to look around the room in happy wonder.
The Knight was positively beaming at them as he said, “Well done and well come, Crusaders! The House is now awakened and powered and yours.
“Are you prepared to initiate your new members?”
Medlana, smiling as widely as the Knight, replied, “Indeed we are, Sir.”
She turned to the newly pledged members and said, “Please come and stand before me. Kranden, Summer Storm, you have accepted the Faith of Illumination and it Is your intent to join us in our Crusade to free souls and bring the word to the Dream. Is this so?”
The two pledges nodded and Kranden said, “Yes, my Lady. In token of which, I have brought essences for the Prime.”
Summer Storm echoed him, “Yes, Lady. And I too have essences to give.”
“That is very good and we thank you for that,” Medlana replied, “I will read for you the Charter of the Guild and at the end, you will repeat the pledge with me.”
As Medlana read the words again, Anya was thrilled to realize that she remembered them almost word for word and could silently repeat them along with her ruler.
At the end of the Charter, Medlana said, “Now, please repeat after me: Gladly do I pledge my Dream to this Guild and gladly will I follow the terms of our Charter.”
As each of the new members spoke the pledge aloud, Anya repeated it silently to herself and saw the lips of many of her fellows moving as they too repledged their allegiance.
Medlana took up the Prime Key again and holding it reverently, evoked an art none of them had seen before. There was a soft, clear chord as the art evoked, and Medlana said, “By the light of the Faith and the grace of the Radiance, I welcome you to the Guild.”
As the final words were spoken, medallions appeared on the chests of the new initiates. Anya looked down at her own medallion and gasped in delight. Instead of the Aspirant crest, she now wore the triangular symbol of the Protectors of the Radiance.
