The Dreamer stirred, in her fitful slumber, a call ringing out through the multiverse, a dream unfulfilled, a new reality, new sensations and experiences. Releasing the grasp upon her Dream, the Dreaming Queen allowed one to wake, summoned to this realm, to this shadow of existence. Insubstantial, a dream, a fleeting thought.

Through the skeletal-guarded gateways a solitary figure raises from a vast swirling darkness, rises from a massive sarcophagus until slowly the dream worlds fall away as the patterns of reality emerge, a strong resonance thrumming through the various realities, calling forth the awakened Dream.

Slowly the shadows dwelling between worlds rouse themselves. Once more unto the breech the Dreamers call out the whispers in the night, the movement at the corner of the eye, the chill that caresses the skin ever so lightly. Calling the spark of life lost on far horizons.

The thrum of life, the resonance of battle had found its way to the deep vastness of the shadow world. What life did the Dreamers call forth from the chambers of the void? A spark, a fleeting moment of glory, a life that wished to challenge that which stood ever watchful, ever willing to grant the sweetest of kisses, that of dreams untold to those who wished the embrace of the Dreamers.

That thrum of life, rich and vibrant ringing through the dark halls, beckoning the shadows forward, beckoning to the forgotten memory, beckoning the eternal sleepers to a wakened state.

At that moment, a great sigh from the vastness of the shadowed realms erupts and sweeps over a form lay bare from the enveloping shadows. The world where the waker dare tread lay open to them. Upon weak and feeble steps, they will return to the realms of light and substance, a new beginning, a new opportunity to fulfill their life’s work.

Sukoh had fallen in battle, yes?

Ah.

Death's embrace once more, Sukoh had felt it once before. The harshness of battle followed by a serene silence, then what came next was always beautiful. The great bear's eyes slowly opened and surveyed his new surroundings. Body sore from a battle now in his past, head ringing and fading injuries, Sukoh was in fact dead. With a sniffle from his nose he closed his eyes again. "Oh well." He growled out the words, listening to the slight echo from the vast expanse around him. Even with the worry for the lives he had failed to save, Sukoh had earned a rest. And here there was no chance of any foe attacking him in his slumber, so Sukoh, in all of his massive girth? Rolled over onto his side with a resounding thump. Scratched his belly.

And then?

Went to sleep.

The process for feeling better and then returning would feel a lot quicker without having to be conscious through it. Though where would he go? He can't return to whence he came, but he doesn't know what other world he could freely go to. It was unfair to let those who could not defend themselves go without defense, but Sukoh somehow knew there were going to be drawbacks to death. It's kind of how death works.

“Sukoh…Sukoh…Sukoh…Wake…Wake…Wake…” called the voices, a multitude, a host of voices touching the consciousness of the great bear, voices that fluttered as a dream in his peaceful slumber.

Then a touch, a physical thing, a gentle, hesitant touch along his head, pressing his left ear back softly.

“Sukoh. Gentle bear, this slumber is not eternal. Your time to rest has not come. Gentle Sukoh waken.”

Scathach rose from her kneeling position, her long back and purple gown falling around her, a soft red light falls from where her eyes should be, bathing the giant form before her.

“Come Sukoh, come and sit with me a while, tell me the tale of your life great bear.”

Scathach turned and moved away, an ethereal shadow vanishing in the darkness, yet a faint reddish glow lingered in the air, allowing the enormous creature to follow if he so chooses.

***

On a great throne, Scathach, the Dreaming Queen sits; red energies flowing from her eye sockets. Bathing the entire area in a soft glow, her face concealed with a veil. The grand chamber, the Dreaming Throne surrounded by shadows, movements in the darkness. Seated and seeing all, observing and sharing thought forms and ideas with other Dreamers.

In the vast churning transparent gloom, there is a single spot, a high back chair, seemingly out of place for it is full of life. The chair is located near the steps leading to the Dreaming Throne, upon a softly glowing twelve feet by twelve feet parcel of land that is untouched by the shadowy dream energies.

The chair is Cathrel’s, her spot among the great Dreamers. Her sanctuary, untouched by the power of dreams, her own space to shape and control, a space that the Dreaming Queen had given to her, so that she may dream unfettered by the others.

“Sukoh. Gentle bear, this slumber is not eternal. Your time to rest has not come. Gentle Sukoh waken.”

The bear's body twitched and squirmed for a moment before his eyes opened to see the skeletal figure, donned in robes. It took a great deal of effort to heave his great weight back onto his feet from his sleeping position, but Sukoh felt amazing after that sleep. His big head shook back and forth to properly wake him from his slumber, and then he looked at the figure once more. It was walking away from him but beckoning him to follow.

“Come Sukoh, come and sit with me a while, tell me the tale of your life great bear.”

With no reason not to, Sukoh obliged, slowly trotting after her with his body leaning either way each step. The path was strange to him, not like the earthen paths that he usually walked. No it was both material and immaterial at the same time, much like the dream realm itself. Before him was the great throne with the woman who awoke him sitting upon its seat. Sukoh stepped forward into what seemed to be her domain and he leaned forward over the top of the staircase, almost touching her with his nose. His lips barely moved as he spoke in his animal tongue. "Who are you?"

Sukoh stepped forward into what seemed to be her domain and he leaned forward over the top of the staircase, almost touching her with his nose. His lips barely moved as he spoke in his animal tongue. "Who are you?"

A soft laughter filled the void, as the skeletal begin sat back, visibly chuckling at the question, the glow bathing Sukoh brightened.

“Oh my genetle bear, I am Scathach” she said as she reached out and stroked the bears nose, “I am both shadow and substance, alive and dead. I am the Dreaming Queen.”

Behind Sukoh another shimmering translucent shadow appeared, a man, strong limbed and hearty stood upon wobbly legs, his eyes wide with fear and apprehension as he stared at the bear, then he sat down and laid his head on a pillow, falling asleep.

“I have never seen a bear in person, although I have experienced the terror of a bear. I have witnessed the frolicking and play of cubs, the ferocity of mothers. I have seen the harsh winters and the brutal springs where food is scare for the cubs and the weak and weary seeking shelter from hunters. “

Before she could continue a shadow appeared, a skeletal being, whose very being seemed to be fold in on itself at times. The words passing between them are in a hoary language both ethereal and fearsome, a language forgotten by a race long dead and seemingly eternal.

Scathach lowered her head a moment as she pulled her hand back, a glow of red energies raced around it and an image appeared. A grotesque horned horror emerged from a gateway somewhere. As the being roared to the heavens it paused and stared, as if it knew it was being watched and a feral grin spread across its black lips. A raucous laughter erupted from the beast as it turned its attention to a mountain in the distance.

A hint of sadness settled on the skeletal being, her voice had lost its cheeriness, she rolled her hand over and dismissed the image, “Tell me the story of your life Sukoh. I wish to know the dreams of others. What is it you dream of giant one? What vistas do you wander when your mind is free and unfettered?”

Behind the veil, a hint, an impression that the Dreaming Queen was smiling, winsome and lonely at the bear, “Forgive me Sukoh. I do not wish to delay you on your next path; I merely sought to understand you.”

The bear rubbed his head against the hand of his host, snuffling silently as she introduced herself. "Scathach? Heavy name, lots of meaning. Time weathered and smart. Scathach is a good name." He turned his head to the new man who appeared and then fell into slumber, a warrior who fell in battle. Like Sukoh. This was a rest he deserved, most definitely. "You have never seen, but have felt? Ah. You feel through others, but not yourself. A seer not a doer, yes? Watchers, Dreamers, Seers, they watch us in days and see our lives. Someone watched me one day, saw my struggle. Brought me back, gave me strength. You are like them, yes?"

A heathenish creature appeared around her hand, monstrous and giant. A true terror to behold, and it looked through at her. Speech that was as black as the depths of time that separated its time and his own. Then it vanished, and the woman turned its attention back to him. His eyes were wide and two tears rolled from each eye. A monster, more fearsome than the one who had felled him not a day ago. The enormous bear shuddered at the thought of such a creature.

Then her voice brought his attention back to her. She spoke sorrowful at first, and then with a seemingly reserved happiness. He waved it off. "Sukoh was not doing much before Scathach awoke him. I have time. And my story will seem boring to one so time experienced. But since you asked."

His noise pointed upwards and he sat back onto his bear tush, fat trembling with the force. "Sukoh was once a normal bear, a hunter and gatherer. I ate many fish, and so many berries. Winter was coming and sleep was near, Sukoh loves sleep." It was as though his speech was labored, as though it wasn't something that came wholly natural to him. Short speech was easy, but this was a story. "One day a cruel bear, an angry bear, a bear who was not smart. That bear attacked a human cub, he killed and ate her. And the humans were scared. They attacked the bears, I fought back. Sukoh died then, and was in a place like this. And then I was sent back, bigger, with power. Sukoh scare away the humans, and kept them from hurting the bears."

The bear dropped back down, putting his head close to her once more. "I can now walk in places where I couldn't before. And other animals allow me to eat them now. Sukoh got fat from no chase, but never got weak. Sukoh is big and strong, strong enough to protect." His eyes cast downwards in a bit of shame. "Not smart enough to stop the monster before. He was too strong, but Sukoh hopes he slowed him. Dragons there though, dragons will help."

His nose pointed to the spot where the image had shown. "Sukoh has answered your request for stories, yes? Now I want to know. Who was that monster? And why does he seem so evil?"

“Sukoh has answered your request for stories, yes? Now I want to know. Who was that monster? And why does he seem so evil?"

The Dreaming Queen lowered her head and placed it close to the great bear, a soft hiss escaped her, as sat back, pushing the bear away slightly, a great light erupted around them.

“Behold Sukoh, the world of the Dreamers.”

The world was dark, gray and cold, a harsh world with two dim suns and three pale moons, a violent world, with great dragons and other beasts that the bear would hardly recognize.

“Ghoukas…he is a Dreamer. But, he found the pain and sufferings of those he dreamed upon enjoyable. He used his power to manipulate, to control and to shape the lives of those he tormented. “

The images became real, surrounding them as if they were there. Silence filled the gloomy air. It hung about, hovering, waiting to be shattered. The smell of corpses was too strong to ignore. The land was burnt from war.

Darkness clung to every object in the sacred hills of Mara’Gar, a Kingdom in the world of Balsa’sha where forms could be seen. If one had been standing at the top of Fal’dor cliff, the highest point in all of Mara’gar one would have been shocked beyond words.

There in the valleys and hills of Mara’gar, lay bodies scattered all over. Lifeless, pale bodies covered almost every inch of the once lush green hills that were now burnt and dry. Thousands of arrows were stuck into the ground indicating futile aims of soldiers. However, millions more had met their targets at the bodies of soldiers, dead.

There was no single fire but instead many small ones that still burned away at the trees. These were the signs of war that had occurred; a fresh war was what the people once called Xindhi, now Dreamers, would have called it.

The sight of dead bodies strewn all over the place would frighten anyone. There laid the great empire of Mara’Gar, or so it had once been.

Scathach turned to the great bear and smiled, her voice low-

“The Day will come when the gate opens
Reflects the cold light unto the floor
In a perfect circle, the light will combine
The sign of closure, crumbled in time
Ghoukas’ gates will open awhile

The worlds must stand vigilant.
Ghoukas must not leave
He must stay trapped
For once, he is released
Doom shall fall upon the multiverse…

War is at hand,
Ghoukas has been released
There is no time,
The worlds need guardians,
To stand the onslaught of
Nightmares.”

The Dreaming Queen faced the great bear…”That is who has been released. That is the Nightmare who Walks.”

The bear's question was certainly answered, but he was not expecting what he received. A dream just like the one that he's in right now, showing him the lands of the Dreamers. Where so many had died in battle to the one known as Ghoukas. It wasn't just some monster, it was raw saturated evil incarnate. Sukoh's eyes welled with tears and frustration, narrowing them to better observe the wastes left by the abomination. It was so powerful, and so cruel that it had done all of this? Or was this a vision of the future. Sukoh wouldn't question that. It would probably be too complex. There were fields of death, rained like a storm. Arrows riddled the ground, even more bodies lay about as well they too are riddled with arrows and the wounds of battle. The bear's chest filled with a great sadness at this horrid loss of life.

The woman recited a tale, like those carved into stone on ancient ruins. A warning tale, an old legend from lives long since passed. It told of the great horror of Ghoukas, and what would come if Ghoukas ever walked the worlds again.

Sukoh's head lowered, almost to the ground. His ears flattened against his head, and his face was filled with a more than evident sadness. There was a sense of urgency and importance that filled him, and a wave of dread washed over him. Sukoh knew exactly what he had to say next. "This one, this Ghoukas. Is too strong for Sukoh. Isn't he? Sukoh can tell that he is. Sukoh is going to have to fight him. Because I am a good bear."

Shaking his head a bit he pulled away from the woman, looking down the winding paths to see the many worlds he could go to. One path lead to the great evil that his heart ached to stop, but his brain told him that he would only die again. The great monster was far too powerful for him, and he knew there were some out there who were more powerful than he is. He just hoped that someone who was that powerful would be good enough to fight him.

With a heavy heart Sukoh turned around and wandered towards the portal for AU Earth, having been born on a version of Earth himself, he felt that this version would also be nice to travel to. Maybe it would be a little bit less violent than the other worlds.