-------Timeless-----A--Mundane---Story-----------------

part one.

------------------Timeless----------

There is a difference you know
between fearing for someone's life
and wanting to share it while alive

she said

Sometimes caring is not enough

then what is love
I asked

A cry in the night
A sudden stop of time
the whisper of your breath

--

We all know how waking up can become a real drag sometimes, so indeed it was for Joe, and if the truth really needed to be told it had been so for quite some time now. As he slowly forced his eyes open only the bare whitewashed walls would meet his eyes. Thirty-three years of age with nowhere to go, that's me, he tiredly thought as he rubbed his eyes.

That is if one didn't wanted to call that sad excuse for a room home of course he thought, but for now he knew that he had no other choice but to once more get up to hunt down some work. He well knew that he was down on his money as well as on his luck, and that no matter what work he would find, it at best only would move him an inch back from the edge.

It were just days before his rent was coming due again, the problem here being that what little he had all went to food. He shook his head at himself and ruefully muttered, "shit, I don't know why I bother anymore" as he prepared his oatmeal porridge.

He had never been that good with cooking, but he had to admit that he had became quite good in preparing porridge over the last few weeks. At least he had a place to call for getting work, although working there over the last three years quickly had coerced him into becoming something of a 'jack of all trades'.

Not that he had had any say in the matter anyway. Sometimes there was work for a few weeks but lately there had been none at all at the center. As he had pawned his cellphone last week, he now had no choice but to use a pay phone, "Shit, not a clean sock to be found" he swore as he frantically looked around trying to get ready for the day.

Normally he tried to remember to wash them in the washbowl but somehow he had forgotten this time. The weather was fair but cold when he came out, his once so expensive Jordan sneakers that once used to be his pride and joy were starting to get worn down, as well as the rest of his cloths.

Perhaps that's the reason, he thought, as he walked up to the pay phone, why there didn't seem to be any work for him lately? The Center prided it self on having well groomed workers with a good work ethic, at least that was the sermon served when they discussed his appearance last time.

But how could one buy clothes without money? He knew he was a good worker, handy both in and out of a house. Stealing wasn't really Joe's style but lately he had felt more than tempted at times. Luckily someone had tipped him of on oatmeal as a cheap and 'wholesome' diet and boy were they right.

Wholesome as in, one more spoon and I'm gonna ... he thought mirthlessly as he dialed the Center. "Hi Jenna, it's Joe. Could you connect me to Mr. Fairwall please? Thanks." As he waited he aimlessly looked around, it was a cold and windy October morning and the street was still empty.

He really needed to buy some warmer cloths he thought as he stood there shivering, seeing the windswept dark wall of clouds building up, drawing constantly closer to him.. "Just my luck, ain't it." He muttered to himself. "Fuck it!"

He almost dropped the phone when he suddenly heard Mr. Fairwall ask "What did you say Joe" "Oh sorry sir, I was just talking to myself." answered Joe hastily. "I was calling to see if there was any..." " Now son, don't you lie to me!" He heard Fairwall's angry retort.

"I heard you clearly swearing at me, complaining over your luck. Now boy, if you don't want our work stop calling us." And with that Joe heard the phone on the other side hang up. He froze, standing there with the phone in his hand, staring at nothing defeated, and with a feeling as if all of his energy just had run out. Slowly he too hung up the phone and turned to walk home.

Over him the clouds had become as a whirling vortex of dark colors, now and then illuminated by flickering lights, somewhat like flashes but without any sounds forthcoming. It was a most eerily sight but Joe never even noticed it as he blindly walked home with his head down, only seeing his own two feet, up to his one room apartment.

Coming too he found himself sitting staring without seeing into the wall. Sometimes he thought, sometimes... He looked around, thirty-three years old and this is what I own he thought to himself. A worn backpack a tent and a sleeping bag , and books of course, lots and lots of those.

Cheap ones, paperbacks mostly, but he bought them for the content not for their appearance. Since his mothers death he had had no other choice but to work, and school was for those able to afford it he thought somewhat bitterly.

Even before that he had worked of course, but then they had been two at least. And there had been some sort of purpose to it. But what was the purpose now he asked himself as he looked around. To read a book more, to call back and apologize to a polished asshole calling himself a manager.

Just because the jerk couldn't be bothered with listening. Maybe I should just end it he thought. It wasn't the first time he had thought so since he lost his last good regular job five years ago. Then he had been a tech working for a dot.com company.

It had been fun and interesting with lots of travels to different countries. But they had been bought up, then consolidated and downsized. A lot of people had to go, he could have stayed he guessed, but when the rest of his department just got kicked out he choose to follow them.

It was more a matter of pride than necessity for him at the time, but hell, he had thought that with his experiences from there, it would be a breeze to find a new job. He had forgotten how his old work would react though.

Its new owners had counted on him thanking them for being allowed to stay, now they suddenly found themselves lose a lot of goodwill from their old customers as their old representative no longer worked with them.

They couldn't stop him from quitting but they could blacklist him. So wherever he searched for a new job there was this invincible wall awaiting him. The employers would call his old firm and then, after some time, uniformly they called him back to inform him that they were sorry but, no.

So all of a sudden he found himself compelled to search for other jobs and in other places, and somehow it all had ended here and now. He had a girlfriend then, but that was another life, and another town too he thought. She had left him fast as soaped lighting when she had realized just how 'bad news' he had became out there on the streets.

Somehow he had succeeded in misdirecting himself too, he thought, as he had been the staunchest of believer in her fidelity. Apparently he had been mistaken there too, after she had left him he had found out from others that she was all to well known for her loose ways, whenever he left town. Strange how people were all too happy to tell a fact after but never before it came to be, he mused to himself.

Sitting on his bed staring at the wall he now started to feel as if it all just added up to one single thing. There was nothing left here for him, he sadly concluded, as he raised himself from his bed and started to pack his backpack one last time. He left a whole lot of books as well as other things, but where he was going there would be no further use for them anyway he thought.

Though he had to take some favorite books with him, he just couldn't walk away from them. Sweeping away his hair, his eyes fell upon the footlocker that had been here when he moved in. Hadn't it been a parka in there? It was an old one, green and warm if he remembered right. He decided to look in it and yes, there it was.

What harm would it do he thought to himself, whoever that had left it there wasn't planning to come back anyhow. As he lifted it up it got stuck somehow. He pulled and as it come loose a small compartment opened up at the bottom of the footlocker. "Hey!" said Joe as he leaned over to take a better look, "now what the heck is this?" Inside the compartment were a crystal and a piece of something looking like paper.

The paper was of a yellow color and seemed both old and fragile, Joe took it up to put it on the bed and then opened it in a most gingerly manner. It was sturdier than what he first had expected though, and if it was paper it was no paper he ever had seen before.

It reminded him more of some sort of vellum or yellowish leather. The strange thing was that it also looked as something out of a newspaper clipping. Joe shook his head as if to cleanse it from a fog of ignorance. "This can't be true?" Joe said. "I gotta be dreaming here." As he studied it the vellum seemed to come more into focus somehow, slowly he started to discern letters as well as... Was that a photo, made in leather?

Nothing seemed to make any sense today Joe thought as he sat there staring on the strange 'clipping'. He hadn't picked up the crystal yet but now he started to feel that it was time to take a look on that too. As he lifted it up his vision blurred slightly only to sharpen again almost instantly, so fast that he couldn't decide if he only had imagined it.

As he turned back to his bed he to his surprise found that the parchment now was perfectly readable as he looked at it. "We congratulate Evelyn Te'daoall to her new mundane posting as our observer of the terrene ordnance's and as our forerunner for peace eternal"

The photo was of a almost ethereal quality to Joe. The azure blue or was it green eyes seemed to be able to come across the photo to touch him even as he stood there watching her smile. She was so perfectly poised and at ease, at the same time as she seemed both shy and innocent.

He felt a sudden immense need of protecting her, "Awh, come-on!" He mumbled to himself. "This can't be true." But before he wrapped up the vellum he took one last wishful look at her and, giving in to a sudden impulse, gave the parchment a fleeting kiss.

"What the heck, can't make any harm can it." He smiled to himself as he stuffed both the vellum and the crystal away. He then made a throughout search inside the footlocker but to his disappointment there was no more hidden compartments to be found.

As he took a last look around his apartment before leaving he got this feeling as if he never had lived there at all. It was like the last year somehow never had existed. When he had started his packing up he had had a very definite and final goal in mind, but finding what he found in that footlocker put everything in a new light.

"A walkabout." He said to himself. "I will go for a walkabout." He felt a great relief at that thought. As he was leaving the building he put his keys inside the caretakers mailbox together with a letter explaining that everything he left now belonged to the apartment.

When he at last came out in the street he found it to be very dark, almost as if it had became dusk already. He looked up only to see a swirling black togetherness, like one benighted cloud, vastly stretching as far as the eye could see. He almost felt dizzy looking up at the flickering lightning high above him. "Strange?" he murmured. "No thunder?"

And strange it was indeed.

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

While time wait for none
Love might wait forever

To not care is to lose
To care is to lose

Faith hope and trust
Words in love

--

Evelyn Te'daoall sat in her office looking out. Where Evelyn was there was no darkness, her realm was a place of tranquility and ease. Yet she had this irritating feeling of discontent, she had had it on and off for more than a week now, and she couldn't for the world understand why.

She was quite satisfied with the Mundane's actions for now. They seemed for once to be ruled by sanity and the wars and armament sales had gone down as the governments sharpened and restricted their regulations. They were still very strange and bestial to Evelyn but she had high hopes for them.

A long time they had lived side by side, in different realms but coupled by the consequences of actions taken by both sides. None of those realms existed by their own, 'as above so below 'as the old saying went and yes, it went both ways she thought to herself.

Evelyn's realm was vastly different from the Mundane's. What was simple and mostly straightforward in the Mundane world became here a matter of choice. Dreams were not only portents, they could if you were unlucky and not anchored in your self become all to real.

On the other hand there was always people watching for just that so all in all there was no more danger from what the Mundane's called 'nightmares' than in their world. Also there was this thing about gender, In the Mundane's world, that became sealed with birth, well, mostly so at least.

In Evelyn's realm it more became a matter of taste and will, not all together of the Elflings own choice though, as their world often had a mind of its own. Yes in Elfland all were conscious, each with a life of their own.

So it was that Evelyn those first young years had been a male, and most happily so. As she came into what most likely resembles what the Mundane's would call puberty that had changed drastically though. And all for the better too, if you would listen to the numerous admirers of her newfound grace and beauty. Now, you might have heard that Elflings age differently from Mundane's.

It is most true I can assure you, but only as long as they are in or have a open boundary into their own realm. One of the worst punishments there could be was to be banished from their own realm, to live out the rest of their life as a Mundane, without the protection of any open boundary. But even so they would live almost twice the length of a ordinary human. There were also many other reasons why 'cross breeding' between Mundane's and Elflings seldom were seen, but mostly it was a matter of living so totally different lives.

It was while Evelyn pondered on such weighty matters as what color her tongue should be today that she heard the morning post materialize. It usually came with a little 'pooh' to it as it pushed away some air. As she opened it eager to see the sport results, ah well, she had always been into rabidjumping and badger burrowing you see. And yes, that was even before she became a 'she' in fact, reading she couldn't help but notice a photo of a young Mundane caught under a immense black vortex.

The caption said, "Mysterious Mundane Makes Air Wobble", when she continued to read she found that the Morningglory's intrepid reporter had been called out to observe a most mysterious phenomena all centered around that young man. And as the reporter wrote, 'it is not without danger for my very life I at last succeeded in taking those photographs for our enlightened followers reading pleasure.

Evelyn smiled appreciatively and gave a small applaud whereupon the reporter captioned in a small photo further down answered with a most self-aggrandizing bow. There was something about the photo of the Mundane that spoke to her, maybe it was the town? No that was not it, was it the man himself then? Had she meet him under one of her visits to Mundania? As she looked under the photo the text hurriedly became larger as more paragraphs were added to the article while she read it.

This is why the Mundane's never will catch up with us, she thought with no little pride. However great their technology we still will be the leading edge. As she read on she found to her surprise that that the new paragraphs all was about her. 'We have learnt that our esteemed follower and long time admirer Ms. Evelyn Te'daoall has promised to personally take a hand in the matter.'

I will? Thought Evelyn much consternated as she read on, why ever would I want that? 'As we on the Morningglory, as always at your service, now have been informed by our very own, as humble as immensely grandiose, Elf-home's burrow sage-assemblage.

Now Evelyn found herself at a loss of words. Why! Didn't she had enough to do she wondered to herself. Taking care of the observing and channeling of the Mundane's energetic and boyishly unreflective deeds into something resembling a proper framework. "No way I will take care of that ugly clumsy Mundanian .. Mundane!" She snorted uproariously. Sage-assemblage or no sage-assemblage.

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

One step forward two steps back

---

As Joe started to walk he could feel the static electricity building in the air. It was as if those twisting cloud-masses were torturing the air itself. Suddenly he heard a 'twaing' and when he looked aside he saw a parked Lexus. There were tiny blue flames dancing around its now open hood and from inside the engine compartment he could hear a wheezing sound.

Then the car-battery must have exploded, it was just luck and his fast reflexes that saved him from being drowned under the acid rain that the battery spewed forward. Now he saw more cars doing the same, their hoods screeching as they opened up, in front of him as well as behind him.

It more and more started to feel like living a nightmare to Joe, with him all lighted up as their only target. But he also got a stronger and stronger feeling that he desperately needed to get away, and fast too. He looked back to his apartment wondering if he might make it back, but then he remembered that he didn't have the keys anymore.

The buss, he thought, I can take the buss. They were the new kind driven by electricity like a streetcar. Now, where the fuck was the nearest bus stop he thought franticly, and how the hell would he get there without getting drowned in acid?

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

Evelyn dreams

--

So they believe that I, do they? That I? Me whom already is overburdened by all my responsibilities will have the time to take in a stray human too. They got another thing coming to them if they think so, thought Evelyn as she proudly snapped her ponytail, her pert nose poking a literally hole in the sky around it.

One could almost hear the air sizzling as it touched her overheated brow as she impatiently paced around her office. She looked down at her morning paper again. There were new paragraph's coming in a never ending frenzy now and the formerly so proud and self-reliant reporter seemed, if that now ever could be possible, almost nervous as he continued to report from the scene of action.

Even Evelyn had to admit that it didn't look too good for the young Mundane as she continued to read the story. Then she read 'We make a break here as a news flash from our esteemed Elf-home's burrow Sage-assemblage just have come in.

It says that our beloved and most enchantingly cheerful heroine Evelyn Te'daoall graciously have accepted the responsibility of getting our mystical Mundane house trained and vaccinated for the yearly expose by the Sage-assemblage, now with even greater awards'.

"Now what... " she screamed as her eyes started to glow with an most unearthly glow.

Ah, if you don't mind.
I think we will leave our heroine there for a moment.
To stew in her own juices as it may be.
Or not perhaps, as to cross Evelyn's path most definitely wasn't meant for the yellow bellied.

As we instead throw an eye or two on our own most mundane hero.

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

Jumping Jack flash

--

Joe had started to run, he had no choice any more, the faster he could get under cover the better, But it was hell running carrying his backpack. After just some blocks he felt like his lungs were burning, and his legs felt like lead. Whatever it was controlling those cars still had trouble with planning for his running though. He had made it safely past over a hundred cars already, and as long as he had the energy to keep moving he thought he would be safe.

But he didn't dare stop running to get some rest. If he did he was sure that whoever it was controlling this would change the strategy somehow, and then he most probably would be doomed. He was just glad that it hadn't started to rain yet. It was while he thought about that, that he first noticed the strange whistling sounds coming from the sky, he slowed down a moment just to be able to look up. What he saw made him frantically tear of his backpack and place it over his head as he once more started to run forward.

What he had heard was no rain at all, no Sir, it was hail. And as it started to hit his backpack and ricochet from the ground he saw that some of the hail was almost as big as Ping-Pong balls. He knew that to be hit by one of those easily could have been fatal. Thank the Gods that he didn't had thrown away his backpack as he first had wanted to do he thought as he continued to move towards the buss stop.

When he at long last could allow himself to rest under the cover of the buss stops shelter he felt like he was half dead from exhaustion. The constant smattering from the hail stones hitting the roof as well as the ground made it almost impossible to hear anything. Combined with the perpetual darkness from the twisting cloud vortex it also made it very hard to see. As sudden as it had started the hail stopped. It was as if someone had found out that it wasn't going to work and decided on something else instead.

It was with an eerie feeling of dread Joe lifted his head to see what next was on the menu. Whatever was coming he was sure for it to be coming from above. The swirling black vortex seemed to be changing form, splitting itself into a multitude of smaller vortexes. They almost started to look as beclouded inky fingers, all starting to point at him.

Shit, those were no finger's he realized all of a sudden. Those were twisters, growing and coming for him! He didn't know how many there were coming his way, but he didn't need to be a rocket scientist to realize that this buss stop wouldn't do a thing to stop it. He started too look around scanning for a better solution, he needed to come inside some house, not that it might be that much safer there he thought. Glass windows were dangerous stuff when a twister made a visit.

And those were a lot and they all seemed to seek him out. He wasn't sure that a house would be able to stand it but it was still a better chance than to stand here and die he thought. He now felt a desperate need to start moving toward the nearest house, praying that the port would be open as he more felt than saw the darkness swallowing what light there was left.

Suddenly he couldn't see which way to go, he stood still for a moment trying to listen but he couldn't hear a thing more than the sound of those twisters closing in on him. They sounded almost like jet engines or maybe like some really heavy and fast express trains passing just over his head. He almost wanted to let it go now, what was the use, he thought as he stood there listening to the throbbing ever-closing sounds.

He had almost decided to do it before he thought, it was finding her photo that had changed his mind he admitted to himself. Come on Joe, one last try, then you can rest he thought to himself, trying to hold the memory of her face in his mind. He still didn't know which way to turn but knew he had to move It was now or never. As he took that first step his foot got stuck on something making him fall down on his knees..

Feeling around it he found out that it was a manhole cover. he desperately started to push the lid away, counting on it to be a ladder to climb down with. After what felt as an eternity and not a few broken nails he succeeded in removing it with the help of his backpacks protruding ends. He started to feel around with his legs for the ladder while swearing to himself about his lack of smoking.

If he had had a gasper, he would have had a light too, wouldn't he, typically me he sniggered to himself, never prepared, lucky I never joined the boy scouts he thought sardonically. In the end he found the ladder anyway, and with his backpack secured over his shoulders again he started to blindly climb down the ladder. The last thing he remembered to do was to pull the lid back over the manhole, silently praying for a chance to live, and perhaps if luck was with him to once meet her whose face he still could see at his inner eye. While at the same time hearing those express trains finally coming into their own, colliding just over his head.

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

Evelyn begets a pet.
Or vice versa?

---

Evelyn who by now found her foul mood to be truly ingrained into her very soul decided that she definitely needed to teach that lying fiendish chickenhearted yellow-bellied scandalmongering piece of shit what a lady was made of. Getting her bearings toward the scene of action she took contact with the paper. The bastards absolutely refused to cooperate with her having the gall to refer her to the Sage-assemblage instead.

She hastily collected herself, thought over what she wanted to say and why she so desperately needed to communicate with that sweet brave reporter which head she would revere for all time forward, promising herself to remember to smile at all times too, as she explained to those lovely old men and women. To her surprise though they were all too happy to direct her toward the scene, almost gaily waving her on to her final destination.

It wasn't until she arrived to find her self surrounded by the most stinking darkness she ever had felt that she started to wonder about their apparent willingness to help. She made a slight weave creating a soft yellow light as well as creating a substitute for that stench with her own favorite flavor of the week. A very lovely but erect rosé with just a twinkling of cinnamon and vanilla. It was while doing this she looked down and found herself suspended over what most probably was as a sewer under her, and with something sounding as hellhogs on a warpath above her.

She was rather surprised though as she kept hearing them fighting above. After all, it was well known that hellhogs very seldom if ever were allowed outside their own circle. And as far as she knew, never on Mundane territory. It was at that time Joe, who now was holding fast for his very life to the rings knocked into the wall while listening to the express trains colliding, suddenly started to wonder if he had gone mad.

He knew he had no matches, maybe, just maybe, if he was lucky, and if the fluid wasn't finished, he might have a lighter somewhere in his backpack. But his backpack was on his back as it should be according to all manuals, even if he dearly would have preferred to have it somewhere else by now. It was becoming horrendously heavy at a ever accelerating pace.

So how could there be any light? Now, one have to remember that Joe was only human, although a very brave lad in many ways even he had his weaknesses, one of them sadly enough acrophobia. As the educated reader well knows this is no easy thing to bear. So with both acrophobia and the backpack to oppress him Joe indeed had placed himself in a most precarious situation. In the end his need to prove himself sane won out against his fear of heights.

As he ever so slowly forced himself to look down he become struck by the lovely fragrances coming from what rightly should be a sewer. And it was as he forced himself to look even further down he first saw, to his everlasting surprise, something he just knew had to be sent to him as a revelation. She was that verily apparition of loveliness and good taste he always had dreamt of, just not here. Her appearance calming his senses as nothing else could as she effortlessly and gracefully floated just some twenty feet over the well feed sewer.

It was almost as if he recognized her too, he thought, but hey why not? Hunted by twisters and crazed car battery's, why shouldn't he knew a sewer Goddess too?. At least he should show her his appreciation of her coming to him in his hour of need he realised. "Oh sweet Avatar of thine everlasting grace." he begun, as any experienced sweet talking role-player would. "Thank you enlightened one for brightening my drab and dark subsistence." Evelyn who's, until now that is, primary goal had been to make some sense of her surroundings now looked up the manhole, mightily surprised to see something clinging to the wall. Something that to her eyesight most looked like some shaggy turtle.

"A talking turtle, how quaint!" she blurted out loud. Not wanting to scare it away she collected herself again, while furiously trying to recall where she had read about talking turtles. The only thing she remembered was that they all liked pizza, oh, and that they really liked to fight too. But that didn't surprise her, after all, this was Mundania. Now, a talking turtle would actually be kind of cool she thought, her friend Silvia had a fish that could levitate but a full size talking turtle? Oh yes, her friends would go mad of jealousy, she smiled.

And no longer would she have to withstand those embarrassing silences that all to often seemed to pop up in her discussions. Now if she only could remember their true names she thought. Ah yes. "Is it you Donatello? Or is it Raphael?" she said in a most gay manner as she slowly floated up to her soon to be very own pet. As all sentient beings know true names contains true power, so being able to name her turtle would in fact be the first step into consolidating her own and very sweet power over it.

Joe on the other hand, who by now had started to become seriously confused, became even more so as he recognized her as being the very girl portrayed on his vellum. But why did she think he was an Italian, he wondered? "Have you come to save me?" He asked hopefully. He wasn't fully sure who or what she was, the only thing he knew was that it was her he had to thank for not giving up. Somehow she, or at least her picture, had made it all seem worthwhile to him again.

As she started to come nearer she at last started to recognize him for who he was, no turtle at all she thought disgustedly. Oh no she thought, it was only that stupid boy who didn't even had the good sense to stay at home when the weather got bad. Now, Evelyn did have a slight problem with her eyesight, nothing really bad as long the distance wasn't further than ten foot, that was.

Yes! She was near sighted, not that she ever would admit any such thing, but it was that problem that allowed the others to win whenever there was a witch race. Usually she used to blame it on the others brooms but in reality she, at the very least, should be as quick as any broom invented.

She studied him some more, as he leaned out to do the same with her, somehow her beauty made him forget his tiredness which was a good thing. But it also made him forget his hold on the ladder, which was a slightly worse thing, especially as it was a rather fair distance left before the floor.

The twisters that somehow seemed to know where he was had now gathered into one really majestic twister. That twister was for the moment occupied with studying the manhole lid, If now a twister could shake its head and smirk then that was what this twister was doing. Then he slowly started to move again and as he moved the very ground he touched disappeared.

Evelyn who by now had seen enough of him, on second thought decided that she first wanted to go home and take a bubble bath before she ever decided if she wanted to adopt him. She was rather disappointed though, and doubted that a mere Mundane ever could be as good as a talking turtle would have been..

But she should give him a chance she thought. "What tricks can you do boy?" she smiled "Can you do roll over?". The twister above their heads that by now almost was situated over the lid started to suck it in ever so slowly. Joe who by now had decided that he most probably was hallucinating couldn't help but feeling scared anyhow as he heard the lid starting to rattle.

Hearing what easily must be the largest vacuum cleaner in history hovering, gaining strength, just a few feet over your head can make almost anyone feel so, trust me on that. Evelyn who by now was starting to feel bored as well as not really wanting to meet the hellhogs mother who evidently was digging above her decided to cut out on her fun for the time being.

She gave him a brisk smile as she said "Well got to go now boy. Sad that you didn't know any tricks. You know, if you ever want to get adopted a few good tricks is good to have" Joe just started at her, adopted? By her? How old could she be? Sixteen perhaps, no older than twenty, that he was sure of.

"Look girl," he said forgetting his manner for a moment. "If I ever wanted to be adopted then that was a long time ago. I'm old enough to be your father." Evelyn forgot to make the last weave as she listened to the young fool. She started to smile a broad and terrible smile as she considered his naivete.

"And if I told you that the moon was made of green cheese you would believe that too?" she asked while smiling sweetly. Joe who couldn't help but feeling irritated on the lack of cooperation in this lovely hallucination leaned out some more as he studiously and with great precision informed her "Go home and change your diapers girl, leave us big boys alone."

Now, saying so to a fully grown Elfling is not recommended, not at all. If there is one thing that might make Elfling's touchy then that got to be the number one unmentionable. Maturity and the gaining of it is a very important juncture in any Elfling's life. So now, at last, he had succeeded in pissing of the very girl of his dreams.

Evelyn looked first at him and then at the lid, she saw that it started to move and however much she wanted to flatten this boy and literary spank him into submission she decided that she rather wanted to go home. So she smiled a truly angelic smile as she said. "Say bye bye for me to sweet mama hellhog now boy" as she finished her weave.

Joe who by now totally had forgotten where he was, angry as he had became with her, leaned out some more to get as close as mundanly possible to her. He really couldn't help that you know, even in his most steaming anger he found her to be all that he ever had wanted, not that it stopped him from steaming though. "Hellhog huh, just who are you calling a hellhog, sweetiepie."

He said it in his most arrogant manner at the same time as Evelyn started to finalize her way home and the manhole cover finally got sucked up. Looking up, seeing the lid float up in the air Joe finally lost his last handhold falling down at Evelyn who just was beginning to fade away. As luck would have it she instinctively grabbed hold of him, as he did of her.

And so they both were transported to Elfland and to her lovely and highly picturesque village of Elf-home. On their arrival he found himself, most happily at first admittedly although rather quickly realizing his relative displacement, placed on top of this twisting and spitting minx of a girl that verily seemed prepared to claw him into little pieces if he didn't move his ass back off her.

Joe being the eternal gentleman naturally followed her wishes and sat himself as far from her as he could. "Look girl, my lady, I didn't mean to," he said stumblingly. "I just sort of l'lost my hold, take me back if you want. I never meant to intrude on you. I'm sorry girl." What he didn't know was that the law war very strict on what rules that applied to anyone bringing back 'anything' from Mundania. Whatever it was it became that person's responsibility.

And before allowing to bringing anything back the whole clan had to gather to decide if it could possibly cause them any long term harm. This process would easily become rather costly as the person wanting to bring something back also would be the one paying for the whole shebang, up to and including any guests that wanted a 'say so' in the process. Depending on the participants festive mood as well as the instigators financial 'resources' it could easily become drawn out indeterminately. Some of those 'investigations' had been known to go on for over a year, leaving their instigators almost destitute.

So the people bringing back 'mementos' was relatively few as compared to the sheer overwhelming number of Elfing's that couldn't help but travel. Also the law of prevention of cruelty to animals was very clear on what one could do and what one couldn't. Not that Evelyn was a cruel person normally, but as for the moment? Well, let us just ascertain that some anger might have been present at the moment he tried to explain.

But as Evelyn started to collect her righteous wrath into a really kick ass imprecation, she found herself relenting as she saw his disheveled condition. It wasn't that Evelyn lacked empathy or compassion. But she was a Elfling, not a mere Mundane. What he had to flee away from was to her a easily corrected situation. She just lacked that true understanding of the capabilities as well as of the liabilities of a mere Mundane being. But as she couldn't miss how he felt her compassion went out to him, with herself in tow, both wearing an almost friendly smile.

"Come here pet" she grumbled under her breath. "It seems as you are mine now. I don't know what to do with you really" and here she looked him over most critically "But I don't seem to have any choice, do I?" And now her smile had become almost real. Joe looked at her, as if frightened of her disappearing, and asked hesitantly, not sure even now if he was dreaming or not. "Does that mean that you will be mine as well, sweet lady?"

She studied him for a moment as if appraising him anew. Then she gave him the smallest nod. "Perhaps, perhaps young man, we will see. But come now pet, You need a bath and then a good grooming I think, after all, there might come some friends of mine to visit." She sighed. "You don't know any tricks at all, do you?" She decided to give up on that and continued with "If you behave yourself now, I will fix some nice Mundane food for you to chew on too, would you like that pet?"

Joe who still wasn't sure that he wasn't hallucinating just shook his head at this, nodded and mumbled "Thank you my lady, but please, call me Joe." having said that he leaned towards her, closed his eyes and just inhaled her scent for a moment. Then he meekly followed her as she turned up the stairs to her bathroom, as a lamb led to the slaughter, his hand in hers but with a smile as wide as a smaller barn door.

-----------

If you find it good it was mine.
Otherwise, I'm as sure it was someone else's :)

And no, I'm proud, proud I say, to take a stand.
A bedside stand, at least.

Cheers
Yoron.

I'm splitting the original in two parts here.
And this is written later than the first chapter was (sort of) so hopefully most readers haven't seen it.
If I remember it right that is :)

----

Life on the other side

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

Now we all have those fantasy's at times, don't we.

You know, like the ones where we are hanging by our fingertips over a cliff, staring down at a drop of a ten thousand feet.
With the vultures lazily circling under us and the Bengali tigers waiting above us, ready to rip our guts out.

While we are busy screaming 'Please, oh please, cancel my adventure vacation. I wanna go home.'

Oh, maybe that wasn't the one?
Ok, sorry, wrong tale, now where were we.

Ah yes, dreams of having someone caring and sweet don't we? Taking care of our every need. Admit it, we all have them at times, but mostly we grow out of them though, as them usually only being fairy tale's, but then again.

Once in a blue moon someone gets lucky. And that's what Joe felt like now. From being hunted by psychotic car batteries and twisters from hell to being taken cared of by the girl of his dreams. Although he wished he could be sure of her age. He definitely didn't want to take advantage of her innocence and naivety.

Still, it was somewhat like winning the lottery.

"My lady," he said ,"may I ask for your name?" She continued walking as she answered "Evelyn my pet, can you say E v e l y n?" Joe tried to make sense of it as they walked. If he could say Evelyn?

Of course he could say Evelyn. " Evelyn." He said whereupon she clapped her hands together praising his ingenuity. "Oh what a clever Mundane you are my pet, that is so correct. E v e l y n."

Evelyn had now started to have some hopes for this shaggy Mundane, perhaps there would be a possibility of teaching him a few tricks after all. Joe who on his side couldn't help but wonder if all girls here would be as crazy as Evelyn looked at her again. He was in love, he knew that, and there was no help for it too.

So he finally decided, if she wanted a 'pet' to take care of, then for the moment he would be that pet, for the moment that is, he promised himself. As soon as he had some more information he would start to dazzle Evelyn with his mature charms and show her what a real man was.

They had now arrived to the bathroom, but it was as no bathroom Joe ever had seen. There was a huge wooden tube, big enough for five, in the middle of a big white and green tiled room. The tube was girded by several broad copper bands and had a chute hanging over it, coming to it from a hole in the wall above.

There was already water in it as well as sweet-smelling waterlily's. It had a little stair to it to help you get in as it was almost as high as Joe himself. He was very impressed as he looked at it. Evelyn who was the ever practical one, had observed his stupefied expression with a badly hidden smirk of her own now decided to speed things up a little.

After all she thought, he don't seem well groomed, and there could be all kinds of vermin hiding behind that shaggy appearance. "why were you in the sewer pet?" she asked as she donned big yellow rubber gloves. '"Playing with your friends perhaps?" As he sputtered for words she continued without giving him a chance to answer. "You know pet, here you must behave, I can not have you dirty yourself like that."

While she talked she now started to undress him. As he recoiled from her sudden touch she smiled at him comfortably while waving her gloves saying "So, so, my little pet, nothing to worry about. They are a little cold I know but I don't want to catch anything from you as you bath." What! Does she think I've got lice? Thought Joe, getting more and more pissed by the second.

But looking at her he found himself tempered by her sweet naivete and so found himself unable to hold his grudge against her highhanded treatment of him. "So Evelyn you want to undress me?" he asked. She looked at him seemingly surprised. "Can you do it by yourself Pet?" She asked. "Oh what a clever clever little boy you are." And she clapped her hands again.

He couldn't help but feel buoyed by her good spirits and so in the end he gave all modesty good riddance and accepted her terms. As she had undressed him she looked at him critically again. "A little underfeed I think." She muttered to herself. "That's what happens when one allows pets to run free" and here she nodded to herself sagely. "First a shower and then the bath" she said as she quickly washed him off.

"Now into the bath young man." She said briskly as she led him to the steps going up to the tube. It was heaven for Joe getting into that big tube at last, but now he couldn't help it. He wanted Evelyn there too. But how to get her in? She saw him as a child or? A pet? Then, how about… "Evelyn please, I'm scared, It's so deep in here. Please help me, please."

Evelyn wasn't surprised hearing him beg for her to come. As soon as they know who's the mistress they start to relax she thought contently. Then their natural insecurity and need for support comes to the surface. "So my little darling." She said as she walked up the steps. "I'm here, don't you worry a thing, little sweetheart" as she leaned over to give his back a comforting clap. However the poor boy seemed so scared of the depth that he took a hold of her arm, not letting go. "So pet, let go of my arm, let go I say" she scolded.

But he didn't seem to be able, instead he slipped and drew her with him down into the tube. Yess Yes Yes, thought Joe who now had his very own wet, ah, blouse contest? And a most sweet young thing she was too. Another dream to cross out of my almanac he thought to himself, as he gloatingly congratulated himself on his victory in the ever ongoing battle between the sexes. After a fierce scolding from Evelyn, interleaved with extremely clear instructions in how a pet should and should not behave Evelyn at last allowed herself to accept her pet's heartbroken apologies. And by that time they actually was, heartbroken that is, as well as hearing impaired...

After all she thought to herself, he's so young, only thirty-three, I wonder if he's even been weaned yet? "Pet, you know how to eat by yourself, don't you?" What! Thought Joe, smirking to himself again, and miss the chance to be feed by you? No way. He said, sounding scared again "I can try, if you want me to Evelyn." Her heart went out to him as she saw him standing there, dripping but so brave and eager to please her. "No noo child" She said. "Let me help you."

Now to understand these misunderstandings one just have to remember the age difference between Elfing's and Mundane's. And as I said before, there is one, a vast one. Evelyns age for example if recounted into Mundane terms would be approximately eighty three years of age, and she was considered young by Elfing's standards. She would easily live ten times that age before she ever got to be considered old in Elfland..

And yes, she wasn't that fascinated about Mundania and Joe was her first Mundanian Pet so she should really be excused for her ignorance on those matters. And what about Joe's ignorance you might wonder? Well he didn't even know they existed until now, did he. When he got up from the tube he found himself without clothes, Evelyn just gave him something resembling a nightshirt to take on,

When he asked why she just hushed him and told him to follow her. She took a tight grip of his hand and led him to something that had to be the kitchen and a big old oak table. There she sat him down in a special stool marked with his name in a happy red color, and then proceeded with feeding him, having already arranged to cut the food in small slices for his delight. After he had been feed she wanted to burp him but as she found him to big she decided to correct that.

With a small weave of her hands he suddenly found himself a mere toddler in size. She bent down smilingly saying, "So little one, don't be scared, it's easier for us both this way, whereupon she put him over her shoulder to burp him." After that she kept him to her bosom as she sat down in a rocking chair.

Joe who had been taken by surprise had now started to reevaluate his strategy, perhaps it wasn't so smart to follow her intentions so unresistingly he wondered as he slowly drifted of to sleep contentedly hugging her bosom. Evelyn looked down at her new pet as she sat there rocking. That unfulfilled feeling that had followed her those last weeks seemed gone for now, she thought that it might just have been a good idea after all, getting her own pet.

The next day Joe woke up in Evelyn's bed. He desperately needed to go to the batrom but when he tried to get out of her hug he couldn't. She had evidently decided to keep him at the same size as after his food yesterday. He tried to wake her the best he could but the only result he got was her drawing him even closer to her.

In pure desperation he leaned close to her sweet breasts and started to suckle on her right nipple, nipping it carefully to try to wake her. That seemed to be working at least partially as she started to moan a little in her sleep, whispering, "Oh baby ohh, you get me soo hot." But now her eyes flow open as she noticed that it was real and no dream.

"Eeccch" she squalled as she flung herself backwards away from 'Jaws' that had tried to eat her up. Joe who almost got thrown of the bed in the process wasn't too happy with her stunt but at last she seemed to to have woke up and remember yesterday. "I need to go to the toilet Evelyn!!" Joe said trying his best to transmit the sheer necessity of his needs.

"No you don't my pet" said Evelyn pouting at him in a sweet sing song voice. "My precocious little darling you." Awh shit, now she's gone nutter on me thought Joe seeing her strange behavior. "Okay, Evelyn" He said trying his best to uphold his nagged dignity. "If you want to risk your bed that's your choice, remember that I warned you baby."

It didn't help that the voice coming out of his mouth more sounded like a four years old than his own mature one. "Ohh you sweet little thing." said Evelyn as she tickled him on his belly button. "Just do it in your new nappy." It was then Joe, for his first time, started to wonder if there just might be worse things than getting hunted by Car battery's and insane twisters.

Strangely enough he got used to it. It is as they say he thought philosophically a few days later as he lay in the cradle Evelyn had set up in her office. Man is a creature of habits and can adapt to almost anything. He had tried to talk Evelyn out of it but she had refused to listen on that ear. "No mamas little sweetiepie." She had said to him in that cloyingly sweet voice one used when talking about concepts for grownups.

"You need to acclimatize yourself to Elfland and to do that best you need to be a baby." Yes, she had started to breastfeed him too, if he didn't know better he would still wonder if it were his own fault biting her nipple that first desperate morning. But apparently it wasn't, it seemed as if every realm had their own dangers and most living in them got their protection from their mothers as they grew up.

So in fact one could look at it as being similar to a inoculation program but only with natural ingredients, ah, sort of. And it did make them bond, she loved him more for every day that passed and he felt the same, and he loved the feeling of her pliable yet firm breasts with their silken skin and that sweet fragrance of safety and love combined that was hidden behind their cuddling.

And she was a hot babe, as well as his babe. He knew that now, not that she hadn't had other lovers in her life. But that was all before him, at least one thing less to worry about he thought as he tried to read a beginners book about magic that she had gotten translated into Mundania as she called it. He was learning to read Elfian too but that was a most difficult literary language reminding him a lot of Chinese. As he would grow she had promised him it would become easier but as for now he had to pace him self.

The only thing troubling him was that mixture of motherhood combined with his need for her as his woman. He thought he could hold them apart but it was a strange mixture. But on the other hand he wasn't the first man to taste his lovers breast was he. And they were right in it creating a stronger bond too.

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

Days like clouds
Sweeping by

lost
As they vanish in the mist

and us

Standing at the bow of the Titanic
Icebergs ahead

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

That unseen force that had been hunting for Joe's life
I'm sure you're wondering over that
What was it.

And how could it control the very weather?
Don't worry, you will know

Although I hope you can wait a little as we first will watch our hero grow up anew. Evelyn and Joe were at was quickly had become their favorite spot, in front of the tile stove in her large old kitchen. More than one month had gone by now and Joe had grown up to become a handsome young man at about twelve years of age. He was slowly brushing Evelyn's hair as she was staring into the flames.

"You know." He said. "My mother used to say that one hundred pulls every day, then your hair would look good." She smiled as she with the feline grace of a cat stretched and then leaned back into his embrace. "My mother used to say the same she said." Sounding a little sad for the first time he had heard her. He tightened his embrace and whispered. "Don't be sad Evelyn, we are together now, and I will never leave you."

"Oh you." She said as she turned around to lift him up and put him in her lap. "You little tease, I think you need a spanking. Soon you will be to big for me." he squirmed in her embrace pretending to try to get away but then lifted his arms to hold her against him throwing all pretence to the winds. "I love you Evelyn, until I die and beyond." She answered in a whisper as she leaned down over him, a strand of her hair caressing his chin. "I love you dearly. And I always will."

Her emerald eyes melted into a dark blue as she once more settled down to watch the flames leap inside the hearth. Out side the cold and snow might reign absolute, but inside their little home there was both warmth and rest. Elf-home's burrow sage-assemblage had left them alone those months, which had worried Evelyn a little. She did not like when officials took an undue interest in her affairs. And first forcing her into Mundania, not that she regretted it now with hindsight at her side, and then after the deed was done just to let her go? It was indeed most strange.

Outside their little village the old powers still persevered, old bones never laid to rest moving restlessly under hard packed earth, bitter shadows filled with a terrible purpose. There had been portends and foreshadows thrown by the sages warning them of this winter but more than forewarned they could not be.

Had Evelyn and Joe known what was waiting for them outside the protection and charms of their little village their peaceful nights might have come to an abrupt end. But why worry about a future that may never come I ask, enjoy what bounty's life offer while you have it and let the future take care of itself. And so they did, Evelyn and Joe, and most wisely so if I may concur.

December was almost gone before the sage-assemblage at last took contact with Evelyn again. At that time Joe had became a lad of fourteen years about. Or was it a lass? There had always been what the Mundane's would call an certain gender confusion in Elfland. Nobody really cared you see, especially as you could change it just by willing it.

So as Joe grew up he used what Evelyn had at home, in the beginning there were some boys' clothes that she had left from her early age but as he grew bigger there were only girls clothes left. And Joe didn't care, no, he had never been interested in cross dressing, well panties did have a certain charm as he was young, he would be the first to admit, especially those who had been worn by those ladies he then dreamt of. But hey, what's new about that?

But otherwise he just didn't care what he wore as long as it was with Evelyn. And to him it was just an added bonus to be able to wear her clothes with her scent inside them. He never could understand why she wanted any perfume, to him her natural fragrance were the best perfume there was. On the other side he had to admit that her clothes were a lot more comfortable and airier than his old one ever was. But it was her that he cared for, not her clothes.

The assemblage asked her to come alone first but she refused. "Joe is neither old enough nor mature enough to be allowed to be at home by himself." She said to them. Which in fact was rather fun as he had taken care of himself in Mundania for over ten years before her without any bigger problems. But on the other hand, as she had explained to him. That probably was all luck he ever had used up in one sweep on those ten years. Then she had admonished him that one shouldn't waste luck like that, especially when one might need it in the future.

So he hoped she was wrong about this with luck but on the other hand he had started to understand the age difference now between Mundane's and Elfing's. So he wasn't as certain as he would have liked to be about it. They arrived to the council-hall the 29 of December in the morning. They were meet at the door by an old friend and lover by Evelyn's mother, Dariel. "Welcome to our hearth" she said as she invited them in to sit down in front of a large fire mantle.

After presenting herself to Joe she disappeared for a moment just to come back with hot cocoa and cinnamon buns for them all. "It will take a little time before the others are here. They had to strengthen the charms and spells at the Benner's family. "What happened" asked Evelyn as Joe contentedly munched away. Dariel told them that some werewolves had tried to pass the charms with some help from an undead sorcerer, luckily they had hold but the attempt had scared the whole family.

"Werewolchs" said Joe as he chewed on his last cinnamon bun "Do shey exchist?" "Don't talk with your mouth full Joe" said Evelyn. "And yes, they exist. But they are not welcome here." Joe swallowed the last of the bun as he said "Wow" to himself. "Thanks for taking me with you Evelyn." He said in a low voice. "I don't know what I would have done if one of those had showed up." Evelyn pulled him to her with a smile saying. "Don't you worry Joe, the Benner's live quite a bit outside our village. That's why they were worried. The charms we have are immensely much stronger than theirs."

He put his arm around her shoulders pulling himself even closer to her whispering "Thanks all the same," in her ear. Dariel who had witnessed their little exchange smiled at them, "You seem happy enough together." she ascertained. Joe nodded a little shyly as he rested his head against her and Evelyn just smiled as she hold him safely inside her hug. "We are, thank you." She said. "But I still don't know the importance of me going to Mundania?" Dariel smiled at her again and answered "Patience is a virtue my dear, my dear, let's wait for the others first."

Joe who had made himself comfortable with his head in Evelyn's lap had fallen asleep before the other members of the Elf-home's burrow sage-assemblage at long last showed up. He dreamed strange dreams of a search that had gone on for ages, of a woman leading an army of wondrous hosts against a horde of vile creatures. They were strange and frightening dreams but, just as he decided that he couldn't take them any more and only wanted to wake up, they changed.

Now he seemed to be standing at the shore of a lake looking out over the waters. The scenery was bleak and the water felt chillingly cold when he touched it. There were no sounds here to be heard, not even those of a bird. He felt as if a great sorrow had befallen him, but couldn't for his soul remember what it was. He sensed distant shores calling for him, whispering his name from that other side of that lifeless sea.

As he looked down he saw a bow with a quiver of arrows at his feet. Girded around his loins hung a sword of a black obsidian looking material. As he looked up again he seemed to see something floating out there, something calling to him, evoking a terrible hollow longing in him. He heard himself whisper "once more will I meet her. All is not lost."

Suddenly he found himself on his knees with no memory of how he came to that position, his hands clenched in rage, buried in the stony ground as if he wanted to uproot the very ground. And a bleak and terrible rage it was, filling his universe as he cursed himself again and again. Raging against what Gods there might be for his loss.

And the dream changed shape again.

He found himself in a bed, all wrapped in rags and deadly tired. This body was old and weak, as if every breath could be the last. He heard himself say "Remember her, and know that after rain comes sun, great sorrows becomes wells of joy, remember." He tried to make the old man look around so that he could see who he was talking to, but failed and soon that dream was gone too.

And then he was back again on that bleak shore staring over the waters. There was something drifting out there, something he desperately yearned for but at the same time knew would fill him with despair. Staring blindly into the sea he at last allowed himself to see. There some way out floated something that to his eyes seemed to be some sort of a raft. On it someone had laid lovely cloths richly woven of warm colors and in its midst there was a body of a woman. As the darkness draped itself around him, as a mantel woven of sorrow, he found his soul transported to her a last time.

In his mind her gentle hands once more was holding his and her sweet voice once more assured him, filled with a tenderness that made his heart ache. "Don't worry for me my love. We will find each other again." Wearily he remembered how her hand slowly had lost its warmth as she wandered to that place where he could not follow. He bent down to cock his bow a last time, letting her words fill his mind and praying from the depths of his soul that they were true.

From his quiver he carefully choose the straightest most beautiful arrow it held. Wrapping a piece of his shirt dipped in a black substance around it he finally made the weave allowing the fire to commence. He slowly drew his bow, let his breath out and in a smooth motion released the arrow with his love to her.

And once more he found himself on his knees, with his bow broken at his side and staring without seeing, until that last light disappeared from the horizon and only his ragged breath and the beat of his broken heart filled his universe.

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

Cloaked in shadows the finger moves
The wheel turning

Redemption

In time the echo promised
In time

And so the quest begun
Again

------

Joe woke up filled with dread, he had never felt so alone before. "Evelyn, are you…" She looked down on him, a look of concern on her countenance as she smiled at him. "I'm here love." Her hand lightly resting on his, the other playing with a lock of his hair, "what was it Joe, a bad dream was it? We were just going to wake you up. They are all here now". He relaxed, knowing that all was right with his world.

Hrmm, now Joe heard someone clear his voice. "Well, now that we all are here," and with some more emphasis, "and awake! I believe we can start at last. If you like Liam, would you be kind enough to begin?" "A moment please." said Evelyn. "Could we start with explaining why you tricked me to Mundania?" "Do you regret it child?" Joe heard a deep baritone ask. He sat himself up beside Evelyn, not letting go of her hand as he tried to see who it was speaking, his eyes all blurry.

There were more people there than he had expected, and they did seem old but not tired old, More like hale and hearty old if you can see the difference. The voice that had asked if Evelyn regretted her actions seemed to belong to a rather large bearded man dressed in a dark-blue gown, ending it in a pair of heavy working boots at sharp divergence with the rest of his stylish outfit.

Evelyn took a firmer hold of Joe's hand as she answered. "No, that I do not. And I'm most thankful towards you all," here she tried to curtsey which was no uneven feat, sitting as she was in a comfortable sofa. Then she continued, "but I can't help but wonder what made you know that Joe and I were fit to be?" The man who by now smiled at them both warmly, then with some small mischief in his voice answered "That was what we were planning to explain my dear, just before you interrupted us. Liam, if you will?"

Liam who was a short man dressed in what looked like a robe of some sort and with a pointy hat on his head went to a cardboard that was strapped above the mantelpiece. He bowed to them all, harrumphed and harrumphed again, then went back to the table where he had been sitting to take a draught of whatever dark liquid it was in his glass. He put the glass back on the table and then sat himself down.

"Liam! You were going to tell us the beginning here!" said the man in the gown. "And weren't you going to use the cardboard too?" Liam looked slightly embarrassed as he hastily stood up to go back to the fireplace. "Ahh, been a long day today." He said. "sorry about that, now where were we? Oh yes." Then he harrumphed again and flicked his fingers, suddenly there was a pointer in his hand, long white and elegant.

He turned to his audience again and gave another small bow. "As you can see." He said. "There was nothing there in the beginning." He turned back to point at the empty cardboard. He emphasized again, rapping the cardboard with his pointer "Not. A. Thing! Absolutely nothing at all" He looked at us all most meaningfully. "But as Master. Hiero'et Egro'witz pointed out in his tractate 'Nothing is still Something'."

There he stopped abruptly, seemingly to think it over once more. Then saying in a undertone, as if to himself "Rather brilliant that one, I must say. Not bad at all." Then he seemed to need to think it over once again. Nodding to himself, by now quite satisfied with his reasoning, he turned back to us.

"And… As we all know." Here he smiled a most enigmatic smile at us showing lots of small pointy teeth's." As… We all know…" Now nodding hastily up and down "Even the most hidden of thing can be seen under the right circumstances." Another meaningful pause as he scrutinized us. "And... So it was here."

He then nodded meaningfully to me. "And there you are, young Sir. Cogito ergo sum" He now gave us all a most self-satisfied smile, took a small bow once more, seemed to wait for some applaud and when it wasn't forthcoming went to his table to sit himself down.

I looked at Evelyn to see if she had understood anything but she looked as confused as I. The man in the gown, who's jaw now seemed to have stretched itself out to the floor, now decided to take the matter in his own hands.

"Ah, thank you Liam, a most eloquent as well as concise summation." Here Liam bowed again from his chair." Though, on second thought, perhaps we need to go into this matter somewhat more comprehensively, considering our new companions." Now he looked at me directly. "young man," he said "allow myself to introduce myself. My name is Counté D'rigeur Alphonzo Dellacrosse Fointeé, but for brevity's sake, you my friend, you may call me Alphonz, at your service."

And here he bowed as he made that sweeping gesture with his hands that I remembered from those old Errol flynn movies I used to rent. Yes, I do like those old movie flicks and I for one absolutely refuse to be ashamed of it too. "What our old friend here" And now he bowed towards Liam, "was referring to were the famous?"

Here he stopped for a moment and suddenly I got that instantaneous feeling of déjá  vu that all to much reminded me of that esteemed colleague of his, Liam, in his manners. You know, stopping in mid-sentence, loosing his thread etc etc. And doing so did have the effect of driving me up the walls I'm sorry to admit. But he seemed to find himself soon enough again.

"Yes!" And here he seemed to almost wanting to shout out his discovery. "The most famous knight-errant's quest for that Holy Chalice. That redeemer of all our sorrows inflicted by tribulations and visitations of the most horrific as well as vile beasts and foes that Fae and man together yet have had to withstand."

Here he stopped to take a deep breath, his mighty chest rolling in and out under that impeccable darkly-blue woven gown, as he came up gasping for more air. "But, this is not what this is about." He finished, somewhat anticlimactically to my taste. After a deep breath he continued. "No, my friends, this is" and here he stopped talking just to, as it seemed to me, in an almost superstitiously chillingly manner, surreptitiously peek around the chamber instead.

As if he expected demons and hell-spawns to be lurching in every corner of this great council chamber, just waiting to attack us innocent bystanders. Thinking of it though I could see his point here, they had just informed me that they had werewolves here, for Gods sake. Looking out the windows I saw that while I had slept away so peacefully evenfall had finally came to rest and outside those lead-encased window panes, making up for a mosaic of colors when alighted, there were now only cold darkness to be seen.

One could hear the freezing wind rattle the windowsills, as the thriving fire inside our chamber threw up flickering flames and made the shadows on the ceiling dance high above us. Somehow, amidst all this theatrical confusion, it was all too easy to forget that death was as real here as at my own home. I decided I needed to start taking a closer interest in what they meant instead, and to try to ignore the theatrics shown as they said it. I snuggled closer to Evelyn trying my best to burrow myself into her embrace as I listened.

Comparing my situation now as a fourteen year old lad to how I had lived before as a boy and then a man in Mundania I realized that it definitely was two separated realities. Even if I now was dressed in, if I may say so myself, a rather delicious as well as flirtatiously frilly frock with some really cool laces making me feel quite, that is if I wasn't careful of course, oh well, breathtaking. Yes I know, I know, a real man isn't supposed to feel that way, I do know. But I wasn't, was I?

I mean, in this land and this reality I was only a very fast growing boy, used to wearing dresses since, well, since early childhood in fact, right? So when in Rome and all that. But on the other hand, it was not all my doing either. Evelyn had insisted on us looking our very best as we would be meeting the whole sage-assemblage, and she had fussed around me like a startled bee for the whole morning getting me ready. And I have to admit that I hadn't minded for a minute.

As long as she was happy I was happy, yea I know, somewhat embarrassing I admit. But hey, have you never been in love then? Have you forgotten to what extremes one was ready to go just to make that special one happy? At least I hadn't started to try to flirt with the assembly, not yet in any case. Tank the Gods for them small gifts I thought to myself as I leaned in to kiss my Evelyn. And after a while I actually found it quite fun to try out different models. Hey, what can I say, it was fun..

She hugged me back making me feel as the most important person in the world. Then I remembered my dreams and suddenly I felt the coldness. It was as if a bony ice-cold hand put its constraint around my heart and then ever so slowly started to tighten it, I could feel the shadows creeping in on me as I sat there remembering. Just as I was going to tell Evelyn about my dreams though Alphonz started to talk again, breaking up my foul mood. "No" he said as he stared, as it felt then, straight into my soul. "This isn't about quest written, neither is it about deeds known. This is a most serious matter touching our very existence."

As he bent forward towards the fire mantle to put a gnarled tree-root into the fire I couldn't help but notice that he seemed to have aged somehow. There was nothing noticeable on the outside really, it was more like the feeling of a great weight inside him, formed by countless years as the water forms a stone. He nodded at me. "Good lad, that's rather remarkable of you, we might make a thaumaturge out of you yet. And yes, I've been around for quite a while." He said as he smiled at me. This guy really freaked me out, how the hell could he know what I only had thought?

He shook his head looking at me. "No boy, I do not read thoughts although sometimes I can read the intents of your body. And your heightened interest in my movements told me what you thought about." I felt somewhat easier hearing that as I took hold of my Evelyn for another caress. Considering it all I would prefer to have my thoughts to be my own, thank you. But now I started to worry again, was there such a thing as mind reading? And if so, could Evelyn read my thoughts?

I studied her visage nervously, as I started to remember all those small pranks I might have played to get her attention at times. Nothing evil of course, just, ah you know, like pranks, harmless friendly pranks. Like getting her to take a bath with me, and cuddle, and feed me, and, to do what I wanted, and… She looked back at me solemnly, her countenance inscrutable, then she slowly nodded. Oh Noo. Shit! Shit! Shit!!! She could read my mind, she really could. She had known all the time, all and every move of mine. Or, was I overly suspicious here? Was she just guessing?

"Evelyn? Guess what I'm thinking of now." I said as I smiled innocently. I couldn't help but notice her coral colored luscious lips, so begging to be kissed, while I at the same time tried my best to keep my innocent expression intact. Then as I looked into those golden-flecked green eyes of hers she coolly answered. "You were thinking of kissing me." Owh no, and doubleshit Nooo all over! She could, she really could read my mind. And I? I was just soo doomed.

"Evelyn? You're joking, right." I said. "Right?" She just smiled at me inscrutably, sort of making me go mad all over if you get my drift. If she just wasn't so damned cute when she smiled I thought despairingly. "But you love me all the same, don't you sweetiepie." She said in that thick syrupy voice she used sometimes, mostly to make me want to scream for mercy I think.

"Oh sweetie, you little blunderhead you." And here she hugged me whispering in my ear. "Don't you worry your little heart baby-boy. Mamma knows all, always..." Awh double shit! I thought as I tried to relax, how the hell would I ever dare to think anything at all? Knowing what I now knew I mean? My worst case scenario ever had become public knowledge, or if you like, all that I thought had suddenly become public knowledge. "Yes." I answered truthfully. "I do love you Evelyn, and I always will. But all the same, at times you scare the living daylight out of me." Now it was her turn to kiss me and behold, somehow time and thought ceased to matter, ah, for a time at least.

While we had had our little conversation Alphonz had gathered momentum again. "What I'm going to foretell here tonight must stay inside those walls" he said looking at us all. "Some of you know parts of it, and some of you less." He nodded to me and Evelyn. "Never the less we all most learn to take the outmost precautions from hereon." This guy really was starting to get inside my skin, in a most scary way. Even sounding as pompous as he now did, one could see by his demeanor that he meant every world of what he was saying. "Know that our worlds float in chaos, only by the strength of the mind hold our worlds together." By now the darkness outside seemed as compact as if one could slice it with a knife.

And listening in the sudden silence the wind seemed to me to howl with voices no mortal ever should have to endure. To express it in simple terms, I was fast becoming scared shitless. And the way it sounded it only was gonna get worse. What little that still helped me uphold my morale, and me, I had to contribute to Evelyn's warm arms around me. Absentmindedly she started to play with my hair as we listened to the wind and the crackle from the logs burning in the fireside while Alphons continued.

" Before the creation there were only forces, neither caring nor nurturing they warred against each other. Each and everyone of them driven by a mindless necessity to be the one foremost." "Time as we know it did not exist there, and what one of those forces did, it did in all instances. In what we call the past, as well as now, and in all possible futures." Here he peered out at us under his bushy eyebrows, seemingly at ease with his visions. Then he took a draught of the same darkly green liquid as Liam had drunk, and suddenly I found myself thirsty.

"Evelyn?" I whispered. "Can you get me something to drink, please Evelyn." She looked at me for a moment and then raised herself from the sofa to disappear for a moment, interrupting whatever thoughts Alphonz might have harbored. When she came back it was with a carafe of a fiery red juice with small slices of lemon in it. "Here you have baby" she said as she filled a glass for me. "Now, don't you spill on yourself Joe." She admonished as she gave it to me. I have to admit that I was kind of disappointed as I very much would have liked to taste, what I guessed was the stronger stuff, that the others was drinking.

But one look at Evelyn told me that she would not be happy with me asking such so prudence told me to smile and say "Thank you, Evelyn, just what I wanted. Strawberry juice with lots and lots of lemon, mmmm." So ok, so maybe I overdid it a little, still, sometimes a man just gotta put his foot down, you know what I mean? She studied me for a moment, frowned a little and then asked most sweetly. "Baby not happy? Tell Mama baby." Oh shit I thought, It's almost like she could read my th… Shit, oh oh, happy thoughts I thought desperately, only happy thoughts from now on.

I gave her the biggest most appreciative smile any man, or boy too for that matter, ever have given their bulli.. Oh sorry, significant other I meant. "I love it sweetie, I'm just groovin here babe. Please Evelyn, can't you just sit down a second and warm me up some? I'm freezing here." Happy, happy thoughts, yep, that's me, how was it Muhammad Ali said now again? Something alike, 'to think like a butterfly' was it? Hm, yep, that's definitely me I thought. I heard someone clear her throat beside me, and then a voice saying in a secretive and subdued manner. "Reading other peoples thoughts is a rare gift in any place and time."

I turned aside and found to my surprise a lovely brunette sitting herself down just beside me. She gave me a friendly smile as she continued, "that is if you wondered?" she said. "And none here, except me that is, have that gift and even if they did." Here she gave Evelyn a rather sharp glance. "No one would be as rude as to use it without permission, well, excepting me of course." And here she smiled at us both. "But I don't Joe, so you can stop worry, okay."

Hate this, posted the wrong version not noticing it at all.
So here is the corrected one, and if you like to kill me :)
Make it a surprise.

Awhh.
---

 
 
Looking at her I couldn't help but noticing that she seemed younger than the rest of the council. She smiled at us and then presented herself "Oh and hi, I'm Jéena and I don't think we meet before." she nodded politely at us. "I was sent here from Elf'sforrest Brook as an emissary of sorts." She then looked at Evelyn asking. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything by introducing myself but I was just dying to meet you both. It's not often one sees a Mundanian and a Elfling so happy with each other. I just had to see you." Evelyn who had seemed rather peeved just before now smiled back, even if somewhat sourly. "No Jéena, nothing was interrupted, at least nothing of importance." Here she choose to give me a most withering glance.

"But you are correct of course, it would be highly impolite to listening in to others thoughts, that is, if they didn't deserve it." And here came another one of those withering glances directed at me, a little like the deathstar attacking, ah? Considering my clothes, ah well, princess Leia I presume. But I still felt somewhat bolstered by Jéena's assurance, so I just smiled at my little dove. Now, thinking of it most people sees doves as some sort of white angelic birds that devote most of their time to flying around making peace signs, don't they. Well let that be what it might be, but I my friends, I had a friend when young, in Mundania that was. He happened to own? Or perhaps lend might be a better description here a slightly illicit columbarium of sorts on the roof of his tenement house.

I for one can assure you, where you ever to go in there, peace would be the last thing on your mind. If you on the other hand needed to re-stuff your pillow? A totally other matter my friend and do come back. So I wasn't totally blindsighted if now anyone thought so. While they were talking I inconspicuously sneaked inside Evelyn's embrace. I knew that she would find it hard to be miffed for any longer time, especially with us cuddling. Sneaky of me? Well, it sure beats bickering, also one have to understand that this strange young body I now occupied seemed to have demands of its own. One of them cravings being Evelyn, and only Evelyn at all times. And even my slightly more mature brain seemed to have no problem concurring with that.

As we had talked I had lost the thread of what Alphonz was talking about. Listening again I got the impression that we had moved forward, if that now was possible without time? He said " And so time came to be." He wiped some sweat from his forehead and took another deep draught from his tankard. "She was a new force in this chaos and extendedly conscious of her shortcomings. As all other forces could and would do whatever they wanted in all possible instances she was the first to set up limits." For once I almost started to understand what he was saying, and as Evelyn had gone back to slowly fondle my hair I knew that all was well again. So I laid myself back in her embrace to listen some more.

"That is why time only moves in one direction, from the now to the future. All other dimensions we know of allows us to move however we will, backward forward, up or down, but time does not. She was the first order to impose itself on chaos." Now Liam seemed to get a little agitated where he sat eating one of the remaining cinnamon buns. Alphonz smiled at him and said. "As our esteemed friend Master Liam, whom I'm sure would like to point out though, there is a difference between those dimensions creating what we call matter and that creating time." Now they both politely bowed towards each other, each one making polite gestures of approval.

You know, seeing such I at times had problems understanding how anything ever could be accomplished in this place, what with all that bowing and politeness and stuff. Alphonz continued. " Time can nowhere be touched nor hold as far as we know, whilst matter is most pliable and will conform to our wishes. But." And here he stopped to once more peek out under those bushy eyebrows whilst he took another draught of his tankard. "But, one has to remember that what has been done can be undone." Here Master Liam abruptly stood up overturning his glass in the action, bowed deeply at Master Alphonz whilst mumbling "Your eternal servant Sire, so true, so very true and a most masterly approach." Master Alphonz now graciously bowed back making decrementing gestures signifying his utter unworthiness in those matters, that finished he continued.

"And that's why we had to act, there has been disturbances since long time ago as we see it, weakening's of time if one like." As I told you before, I found it a marvel that anything ever was accomplished in this realm, with all that politeness interrupting whatever they were doing. As I was thinking I could hear Master Alphonz proceeding with his tale. "It seems as the very force of time is under attack here, and as we all are creatures abiding under that law of order then we all are under attack." Now Evelyn wanted to ask something. "Sire, what would happen with us then? If time was lost, I mean would we to be lost then?" Master Alphons smiled warmly at her. "A most concise question my dear, what would indeed happen? That's the precise reason why we're gathered here tonight. To discuss, and if possible, to decide what should be done about it. That my dear is if I may say so, the pivot of the pinnacle. But first dear lady. if you won't mind please allow us some refreshments."

That said we all moved out to the kitchen where by the light of some lanterns and the wood stove we proceeded with making ourselves sandwiches as well as tasting a delicious mushroom soup that already were prepared for us. It was a nice and cozy kitchen, and big, just like rest of the rooms here. And the food was really good with thick crusty slices of bread, and different types of cheese and olives, as well as lots of other stuff. Still it was now long past my bedtime and I was getting very tired. Evelyn who noticed mine yawning collected some food for us and took me with her back to the sofa in the council chamber where we first meet. "Here Joe." She said. "Lie down and rest pet, I'll wake you up when it's time." I did as she suggested, and with my head in her lap and listening to her humming I soon feel into a deep sleep.

I never noticed when I moved from being awake into sleeping. It was more like being transported into yet another reality. Looking back at it I can't avoid this feeling that all of our lives in some ways are made of dreams. Somewhat like that prisoner I read about once. Who one night dreamed that he was a butterfly dreaming that he was a man. The next day he sat there wondering, am I butterfly dreaming I'm a man or am I a man dreaming that I was a butterfly. It's quite confusing I admit. But there I was, transported once more into another place and time, without anyone asking for my sanity or consent. Thinking of it I have to admit that even though I'm not sure if there even exist any Gods I hereby proclaim that I'm fast becoming quite riled with them.

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

In dreams we trust

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He found himself back on the beach once more. There was nothing more to be seen now, even the embers had died down. Slowly he raised himself and turned around to walk back to his mount. The bleak jagged shoreline behind him felt as a cruel wound to his soul. Joe who experienced every single thing as if it was happening to him, and who at times had great difficulties remembering just whom he was, still knew that he was just a nonparticipant bystander here. Not being able to do or change anything. Though there was this feeling that it was of the outermost importance to try. In this dream or whatever it was, there seemed to be certain rules, but if he allowed those rules to control him this would once more end in an tragedy. It was as if he had watched the same tale being recounted untold times. And it had to be broken, he knew that somehow he had to find the path to opening it up.

His steed stood there silently waiting beside his loves. As he mounted her she neighed and threw her proud head around, her mane flying to the wind. "Yes Eila, it's time to leave." He said, the first words to come out of his mouth since the funeral. He bent down to pat her. "I do not know if we will make it this time friend, but we will try or die." And so saying he collected the reins of his loves steed too, bound them to his saddle horn and started for that barely seen mountain range waiting at the horizon.

It seemed as the days went by very fast now, as they traveled what best would be described as a stone desert. Very little greenery was to be seen and only a few signs of anything living. They had their provisions but only a little water. He trusted a lot in his steeds water sense as he had only a negligible knowledge of this territory. They had come here fleeing something he couldn't remember any more, with his one and only love sorely wounded by the arrows that had been sprung on them from an ambush on the way.

The only path that he could see in front of him now was the path of retaliation. But he couldn't remember any more. Who or where it was he was meant to go, neither why he had been hold prisoner. He knew that he had somewhere, he could remember a black tower and a small cell, and tortures of many kinds, the worst he thought to be the mental. The physical ones could be terrible in their cruelty, but they all ended sometime, if not sooner, then at least when he became unconscious. But the mental tortures never ended, did they, they just went on forever. They had tried to fool him into believing that his love was dead, that their friends had betrayed him. That justice was a travesty and so much more.

And the black and filthy magic that had attacked his soul had never seemed to rest, day and night it was there trying to claim his essence for its own. If he just could remember. And the worst thing about his life was that he knew that she was, that she was dead, without her he didn't even know if he cared for having his memory back. Perhaps, he thought, it was best not to remember, perhaps it was a blessing in disguise. He felt as if the very universe were trying to sunder him apart at times. And as the light slowly waned into another night, and the shadows came back to reign one could see them, three small shapes steadily pacing themselves against the dead unmoving landscape. On their way to redemption, or to hell.

And the Author doesn't know a thing anymore.
All his plans for a moralistic and edifying essay of uplifting qualities have by now gone sadly astray.
Bowing to the inevitable he fast falls asleep in a rocking chair.

The next days were no easier, the sun was taking its toll on them all and even his once so mighty war steed had started to falter in her steps. If he had had the eyes and flight of a falcon he might have found reason for hope, seeing as that stony desert was coming to an end just a couple of days ahead. But as he didn't, he now had started to doubt if they were going to survive this journey at all. To be honest he didn't really care any more, it was just the cravings of the flesh that now and then disturbed his inner reflections, and the plight of his horses.

They had come a long way to die here he thought, but on the other hand, is that not true of us all. You never know where your next choice might lead you. That step outside your door to throw out your trash might end anywhere. Even to here, he thought, sunk into a black mood as he continued riding, as if in a trance, steadily step by step eating the miles away. That night he gave the horses the last of the water. He had tried to shelter himself and them from the worst of the heat by waiting in the shadow of a old ravine for dusk. Now he knew that it was time for that last attempt, if they didn't find water and shelter in a day or two they were going to perish here.

So he rode straight through the night, trusting in his horse to find the right path, never giving in to his exhaustion. Following Beltherus, shining so steadfast in the skies, trusting it to help him going in the right direction he found himself, as the dawn slowly moved in, almost at the edge of the desert. Not that he knew it though, there was noting proving it to be so from where he could see. As luck would have it they found a small natural well coming up from under the stony ground, creating a steady trickle of water. They all drunk their fill and for once he could relax some, he now had to decide if they should wait out the day or continue their march.

He Looked at his steed Eila where she stood, she seemed almost impatient to continue he thought. Maybe she knew something he did not, "so what do you think girl?" he asked. "Should we press on, or should we wait." At least we have water here, he thought. But Eila seemed to be of the opinion that they should keep on moving, It was easy to see as she pranced around, moving impatiently. And Anne's steed jinn also seemed to wanting to keep on, so in the end he decided to trust to their sense of survival. If it had been only him he would have waited for the night behind some small outcrop, but there was no rock large enough to offer his horses any shelter from the sun. And water or no water he could still see their ribs standing out under their skins.

So they marched on, this time though he didn't have the heart to ride her, Eila wouldn't complain, but he knew that they all were at their ropes end here. So they walked through the simmering heat with dust and heat as their only companions into the evening. He offered the horses what water he had left and they rested as the evening came. He had stopped sweating under the day and that, as he knew, was a sure sign of his body's imminent collapse. Now, as the cold came as the dusk crept in he found himself starting to shiver violently.

He collected the horses and forced himself to start walking again, knowing that he no longer would have the strength to keep going if he stopped to rest. The canopy of stars lightening his way made him feel as if he was walking inside a mighty cathedral, he didn't know it but he had started talking to himself. "Anne." He mumbled to himself. "How I miss thee." His voice cracking from the lack of water he could only whisper. "We will meet soon enough my love."

Saying so with the conviction of the newly saved or the nearly delirious. As the night proceeded so did his delirium, somewhere under the night he had stopped walking, falling down without noticing it. He had crawled the last miles on his hand and knees, somehow succeeding in finding a shelter under a bush, hiding himself in some sort of primal reaction against foes, as well as the sun. The horses, that faithfully had followed him through the night even as he no longer could stand, had now split up.

Jinn had proceeded toward the smell of water but Eila remained to steadfastly guard her friend. As the night moved into morning Eila saw her friend and master slowly stop shivering. She bent down to smell him and neighed softly, but he didn't seem to notice her any more, and no movements were to be seen. She seemed to stand still thinking, as if undecided for a moment, then she turned towards the smell of water and whinnying a last time she set of at a brisk pace.

Suddenly Joe felt someone shake him, "Joe." He heard a voice from far away. "Joe, it's time to wake up, come back now Joe." He forced his eyes open to look bleary eyed on Evelyn smiling down at him. "Come on sleepyhead, you don't want to miss this." She said. "here, drink this." It was some kind of tea with milk, very strong and sweet and after some minutes he started to remember where he was again. "Evelyn, remember to ask me about my dreams later. Promise me." He said as he sat himself up, trying to relax his cramped muscles.

"Where they that strange, Your dreams?" He heard a soft melodious voice beside him. Turning aside he saw that it was Jéena looking at him. She studied him with frank curiosity, "did they seem that real then. Were they portends thy think?" She said then in a low voice. "You should tell us all Joe, but not before we have sat up new wards to protect the sanctity of our hall." But now Alphonz bid them all to quiet as he started the rest of his tale.

"Know," He said, "That time to protect itself and all inside its fold have to have the faith of those living there, know also that consciousness is in time." Here he looked at Evelyn. "And so we at last come to your question Evelyn, what indeed would happen with us if time failed?" he stopped to solemnly look around.

"Now , you must remember that this is at best only circumstantial evidence though, as no man or woman that ever been outside that flow of time have come back to tell us their tale. It is said that when we die we still exist in some way, death may be the great divider of souls but not of consciousness itself. So consciousness is one thing, life is another. What then will happen if time no longer define us? One thought on this matter is that we are like fishes in the sea, the sea then being consciousness, although the fishes, which then would represent us, would die the sea would still remain."

Now Joe asked. "Are you saying that if time disappeared we all would become as ghosts?" Master Liam who by now had started to jump up and down in his chair agitatedly answered. "No Joe! Ghosts do exist, we can and will communicate with them at times. Consciousness though, is neither here nor there boy, it is like the Holy Grail of existence. It is what is and through us it observes itself" Alphonz now bowed ever so slightly at Master Liam then just as smoothly concluded his tale with saying "So in a way the potential of us would still be here even without time, but as for us living now? We would no longer exist. And that brings us to the crux of the matter." But now Jéena interrupted.

"Alphonz, the wards have weakened, we need to strengthen them before any more discussion." Joe heard someone gasp and several of those sitting there started to move as if uncomfortable. "Also I think we need some sleep. There is enough rooms here for us all, so I suggest that we continue this discussion in daylight instead." Alphonz whom now seemed to be in his own world for a moment suddenly acclaimed. "By Jove Jéena! You are right. They have weakened, remarkable indeed, as we sat them only yesternight?" He peered at us all asking quickly. "Anyone against us taking a break? And seeing to the wards. No? Good." He then turned to me and Evelyn.

"Joe, if you and Evelyn follows Jéena she will see you to a room so that you can get some sleep. This discussion should in fact have been made in daylight but unfortunately we had to help the Benner's family with their wards. Now is that a coincidence or not?" Here he thought for a moment and then said. "Never the less, try to get some sleep friends. We will all meet in the morning again." Jéena took us up to our room saying as we went. "I want to hear all about your dreams tomorrow Joe. I think they should be told." Evelyn looked at her strangely and then at me. "Why? Is there something you know?"

Jéena just smiled at us. "Why don't we discuss that tomorrow, I need to get out there with the others, to help with the warding if you excuse me. Promise to wait with discussing anything until tomorrow, please." Now Jéena and Evelyn exchanged some weird look of concern and Evelyn moved closer to me as if suddenly feeling very protective. "Don't worry Jéena she said. It can wait until the morning." As we went into a dimly lighted room with a big comfortable looking bed as well as a small vanity table and some chairs. I for one was still extremely tired and wanted nothing more than to get some sleep.

Evelyn and Jéena went to the window and started to make weaves around it and after they finished there they went round to all corners of the room doing the same. It was a octagonal sided room and high in the ceiling. I liked it immediately and really wished that I could have had one like that when I was living in Mundania. On the wall opposite the window there hung a big Bronze mirror and on all the other walls there was a smaller one. I just had to ask. "Evelyn? Why are there so many mirrors here?"

Jéena answered, "they are spirit traps." She said. "Huh?" I said. Now that Evelyn finally seemed satisfied with the wards too she explained to me as one would do to a inquisitive child. "They are traps for evil spirits intruding on the living, the smaller ones just scare those spirits away by showing them themselves but the big one is a what we call a soul-well. It takes them and hold them until we decide what to do with them. And now you can feel totally safe baby cause Mama will soon be with you,"

I heard a low sniggering sound at that from somewhere, but as I gave Jéena a suspicious glance she just looked back at me, perfectly poised and serious. Shit, I thought, did it come from the mirror? First werewolves and now? Evil spirits too? In my bedroom! "Ah Evelyn, do we really need that big mirror in here? It makes me kind of nervous." I admitted. Jéena who had been on her way out now froze in happy anticipation, just to hear what Evelyn would answer. "Oh mamas little sweetheart, scared of the nasty mean mirror are we, no don't you go worrying your little brain here. Mama will make all them bad things go away, and your Auntie Jéena will help too, oh yes she will."

The last was clearly addressed to the silent figure standing in the doorway turned away from me, shaking with the effort of withholding her mirth at Evelyn's all to blatant baby talk with me. Then Evelyn delivered the coup de grace "Jump into bed now baby. Quickly now, so that Auntie can kiss you good night as a good boy." As I actually already was in bed she didn't really need to say that, I think she did it just to tease me. Jéena who now had stopped her shaking turned back into the room and gave me a sweet peck on the chin. Though she couldn't help saying "Sleep well now baby, Auntie will just go out and chase them bad wolves away."

Now why the hell did she have to remind me of those? And just as she was leaving I saw them both doing a very strange weave together. It reminded me of a high five if you know what that is. Asking Evelyn when she had gone to bed, she told me that this only was a simple security ward sealing the door way from spirits, and didn't she say that there was something more? Ah yes, it seemed to take care of bad breath too. That one I thought was kind of strange. But rather smart too, especially in the mornings.. Well whatever, anyway, as soon as we came together in bed I fell asleep, and this time I didn't dream a goddamn thing.

When I woke up I had this lovely feeling of absolute satisfaction, As I experimentally moved my tongue I realized why. It tasted like Evelyn, in my mouth? As I opened my eyes I saw this soft but firm mammalian milky-white round object in front of me raising like a small Zhumulangma (Tibetan mountain) into my mouth. I felt someone caressing my hair and Evelyn's sweet voice crooning "Mama's Gonna Buy You a Mockingbird. If that mockingbird don't sing, Mama's gonna buy you a…" Well you get the idea. I don't know how I happened to be there but I have to admit that I gave into the moment. Not that I'm weak, no way, just that is was kind of… Comforting, might be the word here? Anyway, don't snort at things you don't know, that's my advice, and yes, that goes for coke too.

By now one could hope for some sense from this.
But where?

So there we were in the bed enjoying ourselves. After some tender lovemaking Evelyn felt asleep again, but I who felt as I always do after making love, as if infused with a huge amount of energy, found myself getting restless, I looked at the window. Exactly as the room it was set in a beautiful octagonal shape, I went up to take a closer look. Looking out I saw a cold windy morning and looking down it seemed as if it had snowed an awful lot. The few ragged clouds I saw up in the sky seemed to hold a promise of even more snow as they swept past the house. Standing there looking up I somehow got the impression that I was standing on a large ships bridge, traveling majestically through a gray windswept sky. Looking to the horizon I could barely see the peaks of the Broken Hills mountain range from where the clouds seemed to come, they were so far away that they almost seemed imaginary to me.

Suddenly I felt the imminent need to refresh myself so I went out to find a bathroom. There was one not to far from our room, so after relieving myself I had a good wash too and brushed my teeth, you know, all those thing one should do, and even do at times, if one remembers that is. There were even unused toothbrushes, so it seemed as if people visiting and staying in those guest rooms were a common situation. But I didn't find my breath to have become any better though, Before mine brushing I mean. So I don't really think that the girls last weave at the doorway worked as they had planned. Even though it still was a very good idea I admit, walking back to the room I tried to be as quiet as possible. Well inside I found myself a chair and sat down to just watch my girl. Before her life had only seemed a struggle, all just to keep my head above the waters, and I had been on the edge of giving up. Thanks to her life once more had a purpose and magic.

She seemed so innocent and sweet to me as she slept, with a satisfied quirk to her lips, as if she was a cat who at last had found out where the cream was. I wondered was she was dreaming of. Could it be me perhaps? I crept under the sheets to find out, and snuggled into her to sweep her into my arms. "Did you know that you are mine." I whispered in one little rosy ear. "All mine, and that I'll never let you go." She opened one eye to stare me down most imperially, the color of it slowly changing from a blue to deep green as the light from the window started to touch it. "How can I ever forget it baby, if you never give me a chance?" She answered coolly. "So much mischief that you put me through already." Then she shook her head as if trying to shake away the cobwebs, and relenting slightly she hugged me back.

"But I forgive you sweetiepie." She whispered. "You do kind of grow on me baby." She smiled as she now opened both eyes and I feeling as if I was loosing myself inside their pools of ethereal light kept on soaring inside them for what seemed as an eternity. In the end having to close my own so not too allowing the feeling to overwhelm me. "You do know that I love you Evelyn?" I said, as I held her. "Don't ever leave." "Oh baby, I won't" She promised and there I felt as if a yoke had been lifted from my shoulders. "Oh, baby." She said, suddenly sounding very businesslike. "It's time to get up now, come on lazybones, get a move on." When I told her that I already had done so and just had snuggled back because she was too inviting, looking at her sleeping, she smiled a most self-satisfied smile asserting to my good taste. But then she went up anyway, saying "Well, I haven't, so be a good boy and wait here while I get myself ready."

Putting on a dressing gown she stopped in the doorway. "And don't get into any mischief either." she admonished as she moved to the bathroom. Well, from being on my own to being with a woman who at times seemed to see herself as my mother. It was kind of strange but if that was what it took to keep Evelyn happy then that was a cheap price I thought. People, as we well know is never static, we change all the time, we act in one way at work, another with our friends and yet a third way with our love. It is much in the same way as we say one thing meaning another and ending up doing a third, we sure seem to make a mess of things, but, on the other tentacle, it seems to be that way we want it to be too.

When she came back all rosy, smelling of soap and woman, I had no choice. Dressed as she was in only her dressing gown I found it quite easy to convince her to my ideas merit, and so it was that it took a little more time before we finally got dressed and could walk down to the kitchen. Why we went there? Well, we were hungry, and a kitchen is a very nice place to start your day in if you are so inclined. There was a spread of different stuff served on the table, even more stuff than yesterday with Tea and honey, cheese and olives, some different sausages and roasted meet, thick crusty bread, vegetables and soup. All waiting for me primarily.

Well, if you have to be picky about it there was Evelyn too of course, as well as a assorted assembly of beings from yesterday, but now with a new sprinkling of younger looking 'people' inserted. Everything from four-footed cats eating fish and speaking with a strangely purring sound, whom I freely admit to look more like animals than sentient beings to my eyes, to blue colored gentle giants. Evelyn seemed to take it much in her stride but too me it was still quite a shock to the system. The two months I had been here I had mostly spent inside after all, and a little around Evelyn's home, but never faring long from there. After all I had been growing up you know, and it also had been a very cold winter and... Okay, ok. So maybe I'm lazy. What can I say, it's in my nature. Some people are black, right, others are white. Well, I'm lazy, and, depending on circumstances, at times yellow.

But it was warm and cozy and from the wood stove over there came those delicious smells of bread baking in the oven as well as the smell of pinewood burning. So I just laid myself back and started to lay in, so to speak. I know that I eat fast, but no matter what jealous people say. I do not eat as a pig, More like a caterpillar if anything, ah, the larger kind that would be by the way. So I was having the time of my life there stuffing myself up to my ears, as well as checking out some of the most exotic people I ever had seen before. That's when Jéena came in, she seemed rather tired but after collecting some fruit, biscuits and a cup of tea she went directly to us. "Hi" she said brightly. "I had a heck of a time waking up this morning" she told us as she nipped at some biscuit.

"But you know, hearing some crazy people going at it was almost like having your very own alarm clock." And now she gave Evelyn a most hearty expansive smile. "You have such a lovely voice." She said as Evelyn, as well as I, started blushing. Soon enough we had to move back to the council chamber. There the windows shimmered and laid out an mosaic of colors on the rooms interior. And the big fireside burning some aromatic wood made the air a joy to breathe. I quite preferred to be here in daylight than in nighttime I discovered as I sat down to listen. Alphonz who waited until the last person had came in now stood up. "Yesternight." He said. "Before we got interrupted," Here he politely bowed towards us three.

"I said that we were going to discuss the crux of the matter. Well it's time now to do so and I would like to let Master Cumely start with relating what news he has found at the borders" Here a deeply tanned man, rugged and powerful looking stood up to bow at us. He was not very tall or broad, more of a sinewy strength and seemed fleet of foot as well. "Lately there have been strange tidings coming in from the borders" he started. "As some of you know it is my privilege to supervise our borders, to my help I have a loose gathering of fellows and paid informers that keeps me up to date. Our work is at its essence a most necessary one, I don't think I have to remind any of you of the feud of thirty-three where Elfling's fought and died for two years before any settlement was found."

He now slowly looked around with a faraway look to his weather-bitten face. "It is to stop us from once more being taken by surprise that I and those who are with me freely have chosen to be so far from home and hearth. Ours is no thankful task and not many care, but we are still needed. Best it would be if we never was, but such is not our case." Now he opened a cylindrical bag, nicely made of leather, out of witch he picked up what looked like a map that he proceeded with hanging on the wall. It was somewhat peculiar, in its middle there was if I read right Elfland and from its border came other territories some of them named in Elfian but most marked in other scripts.

He made a weave as he finished with his unrolling of it on the wall and suddenly the map seemed to came to life, what had been a blurry not so well drawn map now became both sharp as well as three-dimensional. He stepped some way from it so that we all could get a good look on it and then pointed to the north border, that was the one where the Broken Hills mountain range was situated too. "From here they started first, they were rumors of new and strange beasts coming from the Hinterlands roaming and destroying without purpose or goal. Also it was said that somehow the very ground there were becoming unraveled as if distances and paths no longer was in tune with common sense. I sent some of my best men and women into those lands to find what could be found." He paused looking distressed.

"Alas, only a very few of them ever came back, amongst them was young Adrien Silbertongue." Here he bowed at one of the Cat persons relaxing on a fine rug in front of the hearth. "Adrien, would you please tell us what you found." Adrien stretched a little trying to loose up his aching muscles, before he raised himself on his hindlegs, he looked as if he preferred to be on all four, but he seemed to have no problem moving like this either. He pointed to the border making a weave with his spotted tail. Suddenly the Hinterlands came forth expanded to a great degree, looking at it one could almost discern single objects like trees and what looked like animals living there. In some ways it felt like a satellite-footage but in real three-D. To my geeky eyes this was immensely and extremely cool, I loved it.

Adrien started to speak. "As I first came into the Hinterlands I felt that something was wrong. As you probably know we are tied to the land with strong bounds and what the land sense so do we. The Hinterlands are in pain, and as Seer Cumely already told you there seems to be something twisting the lands very fabric. Time itself seemed to lose its properties as I went further into it. There were stretches of it that I know that I traversed for what to me seemed to be weeks. Coming out of them though I sometimes found my travel to have taken only hours, and another time it was a whole year lost in there while I on my side could have sworn to it taking no more than a couple of days. Magic like none of us have meet before."

Listening I got his feeling as if I recognized and somehow had an inkling towards what the problem might be. Which I found strange. I mean what possibly could, ah, Mundania with its science have to do with this so obviously magical Land? And me thinking I understood some laws here better than those living here made no sense to me. But I still had that feeling, almost like a premonition that I knew? Adrien continued. "After wandering around for quite some time without being able to find my way out of the Hinterlands I saw one of those creatures that they were talking about. I can not describe it to you, it was as if there was the absence of light that was revealing it." He thought some more and then said.

"I saw it best by what not was there if you see what I mean. As if it could obscure or even immaterialize itself, and whatever it touched dissolved into oblivion, there was nothing left where it went. I have no better word for what happened and I didn't dare wait for it to come nearer. I started to flee as far away from it that I could. I'm no beginner when it comes to magic but what I saw this creature do has no likeness to any magic I ever seen or heard of. I still don't know how I found my way out from there and I fear that at some point I loosed my mind as the days after my sighting of are just a blur to me." Here Adrien bowed and went back to his rug to once more relax and enjoy the warmth.

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

Peering into times dark abyss

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

I found that I couldn't hold my tongue any longer. "Alphonz, Sire, if you don't mind. There is something about those strange ways of the Hinterland that I seem to recognize." Adrien who almost had seemed to fall asleep at his rug now looked at me with renewed interest. He lazily asked. "Interesting, so what are you then? A boy sorcerer perhaps?" He purred amused. "No Sire." I answered. "I'm a Mundanian Sire." And proud of it too I wanted to say, but at best that would have been a truth with liabilities, soo, I didn't. Now Adrien's head sunk down between his fore legs again as he muttered to himself. "Oh, one of those." Sounding slightly disappointed as he seemed to fall asleep again. I felt myself starting to redden but Alphonz seemed to take me more seriously.

"Is that so?" he said. "Good, but before we take that discussion Joe, would you mind if we continued with what we have found out so far." I calmed down somewhat and sat myself down again answering. "No sire, of course not." Jéena who sat beside me to the right whispered to me. "And don't you forget your portends." Portends I thought confused? "What portends?" I asked. "Your dreams, silly" answered Evelyn to my left. Somehow I felt like those two were starting to team up on me. It was a little scary as well as exhilarating to see them fuse together, like seeing the evil twins getting born I thought. Now both seemed peeved with me? I got the feeling that I had been right after all, they both could read minds! "No I can't silly." Said Evelyn. "That's totally true." Said Jéena.

"Hah! I only thought it. You can read my mind!" I said to Evelyn. "No you didn't." Answered Jéena. "You only thought you thought! Silly." laughed Evelyn now. I just knew it I thought, those girls are going to give me a headache. "No we're not." said Jéena, and then Evelyn asked me stop "talking so loud." As she was kind enough to explain in a very sweet voice "there was people here trying to listen to the serious discussion". "You know. Listening to…" Whispered Jéena in my other ear. "Grown ups!" Evelyn started to laugh. By now those two had succeeded in getting me so riled that I decided to not say another word to either of them, ever. And Evelyn could forget any cuddling for this year at last, and Jéena too, I thought. "What!" Said Evelyn looking at me suspiciously.

"I knew it!" I said. "You are listening in, admit it." I concluded triumphantly. "Of course I am silly." She answered. "To the real discussion." As she nodded to Alphonz who were having a discussion with Master Liam. Now Jéena had started to snicker at me too. Well girls I thought bitterly, as the proverb say, while giving them both my best 'evil eye'. 'Two wrongs don't make a right'. And boy, did I ever have two wrongs here, one on each side, I smirked. "So true" said Evelyn. "And they do definitely not make you right." crowed Jéena who now was openly gloating. By now I felt seriously fed up with them both so I moved away to a comfortable looking chair in the corner, deciding to just ignore any further interrupts from those airheaded geese.

Then I happened to look at Evelyn and seeing her hurt expression I went back mumbling something about needing to "stretch my legs." Seeing how Evelyn opened her arms to let me into her embrace calmed me down considerably. Didn't she know that I loved her? "Oh we do" muttered Jéena while smiling at me. But this time her smile seemed quite complimentary. As I tried to listen in to Alphonz it didn't seem as if we had missed so much anyway. And now Alphonz said that he thought we should take a tea break, which to my ears sounded like a perfect idea, especially as the smell of freshly made warm scones came wandering in from that treasure of treasures, the kitchen. "Come on" I said impatiently. "There is scones." And maybe there will be jam too I thought hoping for the best. "Oh, boys and their scones." Laughed Jéena, but this time I didn't care a jota for what she said, we had to hurry here, that blue giant could probably eat them all by himself. "Okay lady." I said as I took off fast as a three-stage rocket into that enchanted kitchen. "Don't blame me, blame yourself if there is no scones left." I sniggered as I mentally prepared myself for the feast.

This one is to short.
But hey?

Ain't that just like life :)

And I was right, it was a veritable feast out there, and enough for us all I might add. Sadly my two lady's found the scones almost gone by the time their dainty eating habits allowed them to search for some.

Luckily for them I had already foreseen that problem and hijacked a bowl for our private consumption. But there was a price to be paid here I decided.

"Now my sweet ones?" I said as I offered them a look on my bowl of gold. "What you see here is a bowl filled with delicious, still warm and lovely tasting, scones. No no no." I said as I hastily had to move it out of reach.

"Ladies, your antagonizing attitude and slowness of acting in matters of weight have made me a very sore man ,indeed, both my muscles as well as my brain aches here."

Evelyn looked at me. " That your brain aches Joe is no surprise, stop trying to think and it will go away." Jéena nodded meaningfully adding "She's talking about your pain Joe, not your brain. But it's all the same. Boys should only be seen but not heard, now, give us the bowl Joe."

I smiled a vicious smile of victory ignoring their feeble tries of intimidating me. "Ladies, for a throughout massage, chosen at my discretion, there will be a pot of the most delicious magic awaiting you now and here. And an apology for your tardiness of course. So what do you say?

"Now it was Jéenas turn to answer. "one massage only, or one per person?" I hadn't thought about that actually but as she asked I fast realized that this would make my revenge even sweeter. "One per person of course." I answered trying to sound surprised. "So, what do you say?"

Needless to say, they did ask most reverently for my everlasting forgiveness and pleaded to me a most refreshing massage, at whatever time of my choice. With that said and done we sat down to a most relaxing and enjoyable tea break.

Coming back to the chamber hall refilled and much relaxed we sat down to listen some more to Alphonz and his companion thaumaturgists. Alphonz started with explaining that to, "truly understand the predicament we now had found ourselves in some more depth, some more understanding of the theory behind the creation of our worlds might be helpful"

He nodded again. "So without further ado, allow me to present my fellow compatriot Master Aloysius." Here he turned sideways and gave a small bow at an very old and venerable looking sage sitting just beside him.

"Hrrmphf" the old man begun. "As Master Liam and our own dear Alphonz already has explained, in the beginning there could be no time, as we know it, existing, or described differently, you could say that all time was there, but simultaneously."

Did they really explain that? I wondered, failing to remember any such description. "As the principle of geometry was introduced into the void, consciousness at last found it possible to differentiate itself into several separate nodes of existence."

"What we call geometry is something hinging on our concept of the universe, somewhat alike numerology but defined in all dimensions." Here he looked around, as if to see how many that still was awake.

Not that I minded listening as I sat there, comfortably relaxed in the sofa with Evelyn's head resting in my lap, and Jéena, ever so snugly reclining, snoring at my other side.

Who would ever have thought it? Me, the veritable studmuffin I mused wonderingly as I sat there. "With geometry came also the phenomena that we refer to as wrapping, namely how a dimension by wrapping into itself can introduce a geometric knot. Yes esteemed listeners, much of this you already know but bear with me for a moment."

He smiled as he took a swig of that dark green so tasty looking liquid that all except me seemed allowed to enjoy. I carefully looked down to see if Evelyn was awake. Hah, she was sleeping as a inocent lamb, soo, carefully untangling myself from them both, I sneaked off to fill a tankard of my very own with that enchanting fluid.

Coming back I found that they both now seemed to have fallen into each other. Realizing that there would be no easy way in between them, I decided to recline in a comfortable looking lounger instead enjoying my spoils of, ah, sneakiness? Stealthiness? Whatever.

Master Aloysius harrumphed some more waiting for me to sit down and then continued. "This geometric knot is what we call mass and mass as we all know, will demand space to exist. Therefore it is not wrong to say that mass creates space as well as controlling how we experience it. Even time adapts to mass."

Now Master Liam exclaimed loudly. "Hear hear." And I saw several others nodding, concurring with his acclamation. Master Aloysius smiled most graciously as he accepted the assembly's extolment and bowed several times at us before proceeding.

"Time finds mass to be of a longer duration than for example that what we call space. If one just remember how intricately interleaved in bend after bend a knot must be to be perceived as being mass, then this is no surprise." He looked at us searching his mind for an example.

"After all, if one would unwound just one knot out, the mass of a corn, its length could easily be measured in thousands of light years, So time will slow down at knots as they follow its geometry." Here all assembled nodded at his explanation, as if it was self-explanatory, not to me though.

"Now some of you may wonder why mass can demand space? That, esteemed listeners and colleagues is simple. As mass is consisting of a dimension bound into itself, it is consistent with that observation to look at how it can be at that precise location."

"When we do so we find that there must be something originating it and that is space. The less interwoven a dimension is, the more space and the more open its time." Here I couldn't stop myself. "Sire." I said. "Could that be what is troubling the Hinterlands?"

Master Aloysius looked at me much consternated. "Ah young man. Would you mind explaining your thinking in some more detail here?" I stood up. "Well Sire. What you are describing here rhymes with a lot of our Mundanian speculations about our universe, what we call spacetime."

Some of the congregation nodded at that recognizing the Mundanian concept. "We speak of time much as you do, but we also see it as something relating to mass, acceleration, and to motion itself. So my thought was this. Perhaps if time cease to exist or gets ensnared or estranged in some way, would that explain those different 'time zones' that journeyman Adrien sought to describe?"

Master Aloysius seemed most intrigued as he slowly digested my thought. "Interesting point." He said. "Make it an essay and deliver it to me in, hmm let's say, in two days time dear boy. There is hope for you yet." He now smiled benedictory at me.

Shit, did he expect me to introduce him to modern physics? Uh uh, no way. "Sire, what little I knew I've already told you. Sire." He seemed a little put off at that, well, see if I care you old geezer I thought snugly as I relaxed again.

But then he seemed to get an idea. "Mater Alphonz." He said. "Has the boy been apprenticed yet?" Alphonz looked at him surprised and then at me. Slowly a huge smile started to spread over his face as he answered Master Aloysius. "Now, when you ask, my dear fellow, I don't think he has, has he."

And I just knew in my heart that this time, this time, I was definitely up shit creek, and also that I just could forget anything concerning any paddle.

Well, that's hoping that the girls wouldn't find a need for one, nah they wouldn't, would they? I did have Internet when in Mundania, and some of those sites had found use for paddles in ah, ways. Well, let's just call them 'ingenious'? Thinking of it I realized that I better take up my taijutsu again...

Awh, it does not behave itself.
Ah well, that's also life.

Now I don't know about you, and I sure didn't know anything about Elfland either but when people enroll me in their schemes without asking, it kind of get my hackles up. It pisses me off royally to be absolutely truthful, I'm reasonably sure that I wasn't put on this planet, or any planet at all, to become someone's loyal subject. Well, at least I believed so before meeting Evelyn, that is.

But her and Jéena is one thing, those two old geezers scheming something entirely different. So, nope, sorry, no deal, bye, bye. I'm what obstinate is made of if you get my drift, so, whatever you got it won't work I thought to myself. That put aside I could now concentrate on my real concerns. How to drink my tankard as fast as humanly possible, and then how to best sneak back in between my two sleeping beauties before Evelyn noticed.

That first concern was rater easy actually, and very enjoyable too if I may add. In fact it was so enjoyable that I had to redo it. The second time it was even better. And then both were feeling alone so I had no choice but sending down a third to keep them company.

It gave such a pleasant satisfied glow to the proceedings I felt, I could easily understand why it was in such demand as a thirst quencher. I decided to tiptoe back to my girls to carefully insinuate myself in between them. Where I before had seen the task as insurmountable I now at worst saw it as moderately challenging.

With my newly won confidence I felt sure that if worst came to worst, a few calming words and a slight smile would do wonders with my little darlings attitude. And if it didn't? Well, then I just had to remind her, in no uncertain language mind you, that there were other fishes in the ocean, wouldn't I. I'm a man baby, I could hear myself explain sternly, I will roam and yes, I hunt.

We all have our urges and a man needs his space. You're a girl Evelyn and that's different. And all of it naturally in the most comforting tone to exemplify to her the full depth of my care and understanding. Yep, I've got all the bases covered I thought smugly to myself as I started to work my way back in between those two glorious babes.

Perhaps I should have been a trifle more cautious as I did it though. I don't know how it happened really, but when I was finished it was Jéena who's head was resting in my lap and somehow Evelyn now was draped all around me with her hands resting where they might be severely misunderstood should Jéena wake up prematurely.

I tried to correct it but somehow it just made it worse. I could now hear sniggers spreading in the chamber and looking up I unhappily found me being the new focal point, of undivided interest, by all. It was at that moment Master Alphonz with a truly devilish smile choose to clasp his hands together, deliberately and loud. "Ahem, as I was saying before. You'll make a most interesting apprentice Joe, wouldn't you agree Evelyn?"

Evelyn who didn't seem all too happy with being waked up so abruptly, almost hanging over my shoulder as she was, shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Sorry Alphonz, would you repeat that please?" As Alphonz retold his litany she looked at me, then down at Jéena still happily snoring away in my lap, then back at me but now sniffing the air as if there was something unpleasant hiding there.

Sitting there I suddenly found myself doubtful. The plan I had formulated in my head just before, and which then had seemed absolutely foolproof, had by now started to fracture dangerously. Could she or could she not read my mind? And what was it she smelled?

Her hands, who before just had seemed a slight nuisance as they were placed, by now started to worry me a lot. She had started to clench and unclench them as she sniffed and her nails, which by now more and more resembled small scalpels to my imagination, left me no rest. It was all to near my pride and joy for me. "Remember Evelyn how you like children. Babies sweet Evelyn, wouldn't you like babies?"

She looked at me again as if trying to decipher what I meant, then she followed my gaze down and slowly she gave me a small but grimly satisfied smile. Studying me, nodding emphatically she just left them there for me to see, clenching and unclenching rhythmically with the nails glistening in blood-red nail polish.

Was this the moment to explain that she only was a girl I wondered. Nah, what had seemed so reasonable before, now looked as the very height of foolishness to me, as well as a sure road to destruction. " Are you angry Evelyn?" I whispered. While whispering I could see several of our onlookers now leaning forward as if striving to hear.

"You know very well you, you drunkard!" She whispered back furiously. "Drunkard?" I replied trying my best to sound surprised. "If you by that mean that I was thirsty and the only thing to drink was that green stuff? It was very good by the way. Oh, you mean it contained alcohol? I never even noticed baby."

Scrutinizing my appearance she seemed to become sad suddenly. "I promised myself." She reminded herself in a low tone. "Never ever again would I get involved with anyone drinking but here I am, and with you, a mere boy. You're not even dry behind the ears yet, are you Joe." By now I had started to feel a little guilty as I listened to her, still, She could have told me, couldn't she?

And even if I had known, I think I still would have wanted a taste. "Look Evelyn." I pointed out, somewhat irked, "I don't go around fighting just because I had a drink or two you know. I'm basically a very laid back guy, drunk or sober." I tried to probe her a little . "So, I guess you have had some bad experiences then?"

She looked at me without seeming to see me for a moment, then she smiled wistfully as if remembering something sad. This time her smile felt more sincere though. "Let's talk about that later Joe, that involves things that still hurts." She said noticing our audience. "I think it's time you wake up our sleeping beauty here." I looked down at Jéena marveling at her capacity for sleeping through almost anything and then shook her lightly while whispering "scoones!" in her right ear.

To which her immediate response was "Yes, thank you." Without even opening her eyes. "Ach soo. Now you're awake my liebchen. Gut, das thou surrender." I asked her in my best guttural German accent. She opened her eyes briefly looking very confused, desperately trying to remember where she was. All of a sudden she saw that she was resting in my lap and, her face coloring into crimson, she quickly looked askance at Evelyn, who just smiled back reassuringly. At that she seemed to relax somewhat again.

Thinking of it I wondered if 'drunkard' was the worst word Evelyn knew? In this world of theirs there seemed to be little need for expletives and diminishing people. It kind of made me feel warm inside seeing it. Banter and teasing they had, anger and war too. But comparing that with how people in Mundania behaved, constantly needling others to prove themselves better or in some indefinable way more 'worthy' really simplified my choice of living. No way I wanted to go back to that.

As I see it we're all human beings, even though different in many ways. To believe yourself 'superior' is just another form of insanity in my eyes. We can all find situations where we are superior, to our children for example. Does that mean that we are better than they are? Intelligence can be as ignorant as the worst savage. Never confuse it with wisdom. We're all human beings, nothing more but also, nothing less.

Mundania though rested on many such beliefs, intangible nightmares exquisitely defined to continue sowing strife and injustice. All of those using people's fear of being perceived as different for the pivot wherefrom they could infest minds like locusts. So there the mundanians were, steered without questioning, believing themselves to think on their own. Add to that each and every person's belief that they, and only they, knew what was right and wrong and you have it. A real mess.

Even the modern so called psychological 'sciences' was bound to those needs. The now so beloved behavioristic approach was a true sign of the times. Whereby humanity were reduced to its basest ingredients and outlines, and being treated as an automata either were found to be 'mended' or not, depending on their forthcoming actions.

That same type of ideal made about any definition a society one could think of to become 'sane', that is as long as it fitted that particular societies need. So the former soviet's regime asylums from a purely behavioristic standpoint was 'sane', as long as the society around it tolerated it. As well as Chinas prison camps is sane when seen through the eyes from inside China.

And no, you saying that it was neither sane nor humane wouldn't make a difference. Mundanian philosophy of life, was more a question about attitudes and preconceptions reinforced on a mass basis, than that of a freethinking individual. Starting at childhood and continuing all through ones life. So admittedly, I was quite happy to be out of it. On the other hand I knew to little to really prove my ideas about this place yet, but even so, what little I'd seen still made it seem better than Mundania.

Most of what Mundanians believed in and what steered their actions was intangibles, from the concept of money to the concept of the soul. So saying that behaviorism which is the study of, and only of, tangibles was the correct answer? Well at its best it was extremely doubtful, and at its worst, an outright lie. Ah well, enough of that.

By this time all three of us were awake, although I had started to feel slightly inebriated, not surprisingly admittedly, as I in fact had drunk three tankards in a fairly short time. Now Master Alphonz found it for good to gather up the reins again. "Yes." He mused as if to himself. "The question here is how we should proceed." He now stopped talking for a while, looking at the fire as if dreaming away.

"It might be so that time itself is unraveling and this is the beginning to the end for us, if so I strongly believe that in the end all realms will fall." He lost himself staring into the fire again. "Then again one can wonder if there might be some way to communicate with the force attacking, nota bene, if it now is an attack at all." Now master Aloysius replied "You are eminently right there Master Alphonz. The question indeed is, are we under attack by something conscious wanting to harm us or is it by something inanimate without reason."

Thinking of it I had to wonder myself what was right. If there was an attack what would the spoils of it be? A ordinary war, at least in Mundania, was usually over material winnings, the power to control territories and those living there. I couldn't help but ask Master Liam about what the profit of it might be, and there he freely admitted that he couldn't see any good answers. Seeing that all present seemed as stymied as me made me feel not quite the enormous ignoramus I first had surmised myself to be.

"So let that be our first goal then." Maste Alponz suddenly suggested. "To find out if there is some way to communicate with this strange upheaval. And to see, if that turns out to be the case, there still might be some possibility of reconciliation." He stopped for a moment but then he peered out at us, sharply under those white bushy eyebrows again. "Simultaneously we need to find out if there is even the slightest possibility of undo it by ordinary magical means. And that means magical research of the highest order." Now there was heard a general sound of accord as well as some diverse "Hear, hear," from the congregation.

"What about the portends." A clear voice was heard. Alphonz looked up startled. "What portends?" He asked sharply. "Joes. He had had some very strange dreams lately." Replied Jéena because it was her that had asked in the first place too, naturally. Why wasn't I surprised. I had just started to enjoy the slight buzz from my drinks as well as my newly found anonymity when she had to sabotage it all. "Yes." Master Alphonz answered sounding slightly confused. "Dreams I knew he wanted to talk about, but portends? Are you sure child?" He asked me.

Now I may be young but in Mundanian terms at least, I was definitely no child any more, and I was getting fed up with people constantly referring to me as such. In my eyes I was unquestionably, and most assuredly, at least the equivalence of Evelyn or for that sake Jéena. To be honest I found them both sadly immature, I thought to myself, at least when compared to a gentleman of my caliber and spiritual refinement.

I realized that I had to explain those important discernment's of mine at the soonest. They were of importance to the further treatment and understanding of my wholesome intellectual depth. I could no longer allow this assembly to so misjudge my qualities. "Aheem." I started, now everybody quieted down, instead strictly observing me with the quiet fascination of folks waiting for yet another circus-act to unfold.

"Ah." I said and now they all leaned forward. I looked down only to find both Evelyn and Jéena observing me with that same kind of intense fascination. It was strange but neither one of them could be still, I noticed as I once more concentrated on what I wanted to say. "Ah, ahem. Ash I wash Shaying." I started once more, strange that nobody could sit still I thought.

"There'sh been a shlight misshundersthanding here." Then I stopped to as I had to draw a deep breath again, must remember to breathe I admonished myself. "Thosshe little wimen." I started to explain as I looked down at my two, no, three wavering ladies. "They doeshn't undershtand the importanshe of a shentleman's dreamsh."

"Shhh!" I majestically put a finger to my mouth, as I now found Both of Evelyn wanting to interrupt my sympathetic explanation of their plight. "Ich not your fault dear, you're jusht not ash mature ash me." I then smiled at them and nodded in a most friendly manner. It felt so strange that I had to redo it, just to find out exactly why my head wanted to leave my neck all of a sudden, but it didn't. Most comforted by that simple fact I now sat myself down. Feeling good to the core in the simple knowledge that I, for once, had set everything and all straight.

"Shou well shee shweeshearsht." I addressed the girls and, their sisters were they? "Now when shey know she true whort of a shentleman, and shome shleep'shoo. Night." I muttered, while I tried to stabilize the sofa by gripping it fiercely with my hands. I also decided to save my girls by restraining them with the help of my limbs, as the sofa by now had started to move in a most unsettling manner. I wondered as I slowly drifted off just how many twins those two girls had. And why they hadn't bothered to introduce them before.