"A city? In a dream?" "Oh, yes! It was a society all its own where people of different cultures, and even different worlds, could meet and share their knowledge. The City of Dreams used to be a very important place to some. These ruins used to be one of their buildings. I think it was called a Sanctuary," he said nodding knowledgeably.

The true nature of Cloudsbreak remains a mystery. Before people learned to dream, they believed that their own small worlds, surrounded by the Boundary Mists, were all that existed. Now they know that there are many worlds; some so small that one may ride from edge to edge in a day or two, some large enough to require a handful or more of days to cross from Mist to Mist.

“Master Bentis, look! A new dreamer!” Nightwing smiled at her friend and mentor as he walked up the stairs to the Fountain of Wishes, “This is Termish. It’s only his second Dream.”

"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 sighed wearily as he trudged up the ramp and into the Threshold of the Order of the Sable Moon.

Bentis sat in his usual spot on the edge of the Fountain of Wishes. This dream, the name of the Fountain seemed ironic. He wished he had not found the latest parchment with its terrible history of loss and destruction.

The woman sat on the top stair, her back to the portals that no longer spun. She gazed out at the empty, beautiful room, remembering.

“Once there was a place,” the old woman whispered, “a better place than this. A beautiful place, and strange. Where we didn’t spend all our time grubbing in the earth.”

"They used to worship me,” I say to myself, looking down upon the island.

Through the window of the inn, Catague watched the clouds crashing together. Tendrils of lightening flashed across the heavens as torrents of rain fell from the sky. Rivulets ran through the mud trails of the town, and more than one wagon was left stranded, buried up to its wheels in the quagmire.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

"A task can be almost anything that you think will interest your student and help him grow." Davanna leaned against the wall and smiled at her apprentice, "One of the most important things is to talk to your student. Find out what they've done, what they like to do, even what they don't like to do. Many of the best tasks come from that conversation."

Much later that same night, small groups of warriors began making their way up the Basins of Stars. The groups gathered two rooms short of their goal for the night and clustered around their leader for last minute instructions.

In the dreams that followed the fight for the Heartstone, Renmur and his friends maintained patrols of the Basins, genned for supplies, and skirmished with Calenturi patrols.

Argenor was as good as his word. At random intervals through the night, groups of the Entranced formed parties and burst into the Prime Room.

Kithan reached a hand out, and ran it along the rough bark, as he leaned his head back and looked up into the expanse of the tree’s branches. The soft light of the Dream filtered through the leaves, caressing Kithan’s face.

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.

The next few dreams were busy and exciting ones for Anya and all her new friends. Naturally a little shy, Anya had found it hard to make friends in the Dream and was delighted that the other nine members of the group were prepared to be friendly and helpful. She was a scarcely less awed by Medlana and Terrell, the two rulers, than she had been by the ancient Knight, but they treated her kindly.

“It’s not real yet?” Anya whispered to Devlin. He shook his head and whispered back, “Not quite. The Knights of the Illuminate Front have to approve our charter before we can become a true Aspirant Guild. But what he said sounded encouraging.”

“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.

“Hullo Jeren, how’re you doing?” Nikana smiled at the younger member of her Guild as he entered the Prime Room.

The instant the moon crested the horizon and began its climb into the sky, the town lit up with the eruption of bonfires. Flames flickered brightly, and the shadows they cast danced along the walls with a merriment and fervor that almost exceeded those of the actual dancers. Violins and drums began playing ancient songs, and the smell of roast venison drifted in the nighttime air.

As far as dreams go, one might say that the lucid Dreaming of the City is a bit of a letdown. In our own dreams, which reside solely in our minds, we are supreme; we control all. Others react as we want them to, and not of their own volition. Those we love take us in their arms, and kiss us with a passion we will never know in the waking world. Our nightmares are simply figments of our imagination, and vanish with the rising of the sun, never to return.

Felia’s coronation was an event that caused celebration throughout much of the Dream. The Illuminate Imprisoning house had grown by leaps and bounds once the kind and friendly Felia became Guardian, so it had come as no surprise to anyone when the beloved Guardian was promoted to Rulership.

“What?!” Mefis exclaimed, staring daggers at Talon. “They offered me a much better deal.” Talon replied, unperturbed. “Much better than anything you could offer me. Thus, I regretfully inform you that I will be unable to fulfill the contract.”

The alliance of the Dreamers of Light and House Calenture was a powerful one. Both violent and combative houses alone, their combined might was formidable. One fought for the cause of the Freesoul faith, their beliefs strengthening their blades. The other fought with a raging battle-lust, fueled by the belief their house was threatened.

“They’ve told me of the problem, and their demands.” Baila replied, standing before the battered members of the Gathering. They had holed up inside one of the side-rooms of the house, securing it with Wards, and making what defensive preparations they could. Felia, Drake, Laila, and several others watched Baila, listening to her words quietly.

As the hum of the portal died, complete silence enveloped the entrance of the Gathering of the Entranced. Baila’s normally carefree face was covered with a scowl for a moment. Felia’s face drained completely of color. Drake stood nearby, his face grim.

“And stay away from Alis! If I ever catch you sniffing around my woman again, I’ll crush you like the worm you are!” the big man took a step closer and raised a threatening fist.

Outwardly, the next day passed like every other day on the family’s holding. Everyone worked from dawn till dusk trying to wring enough food from the stony soil to keep themselves alive.

“You’ve been doing very well,” there was almost a purr beneath the mentor’s deep voice this time, “There’s been much wringing of hands in the Shadow House. Accusations flying, emotions running high. Excellent!”