*Chapter 2*

Saints was awake. He knew this because he could feel what was around him. But what he felt didn't make sense; he felt cold and wet, but for some reason…he liked it. He sat up quickly, as one would do when awaking from a nightmare. His surroundings were unknown, but somehow…familiar. He stood up slowly, weighed down slightly by the cold slimy water that saturated his clothing.

The clothing he had no hope of recognizing.

Apparently in this dream, he was some kind of noble. His clothes were all black, highly stylized with handsome silver trim. His tunic fit snugly and was covered in a thick silk jacket that was buttoned up to his chin. His pants were strait-legged and neatly creased. As impressive as he was intended to look, the overall image was diminished by the fact that he was soaking wet.

There was no daylight in this place. The overgrown canopies of barely nourished trees saw to that. Saints could think of a few words to describe this place: mire; bog;

Swamp.

The lack of daylight didn't bother Saints in the least. His suddenly over-keen eyesight allowed him to see perfectly. He took a slow step, then another; the sudden voice in his head stopped him from taking a third.

"So…the second has awakened as well."

Saints stopped and turned his head one direction, and then the other. The voice had come from no discernable outside source. He wasn't mistaken; it was in his head. Seeing no being to direct his voice at, he prepared a non-verbal response. 'Who are you?' he said in his head.

"I am known as the whispering one," the voice hissed.

Saints could feel the cold self-amused malice in the voice; and a definite feminine edge as well. It took him all of two seconds to learn who it was. 'Sheoldred…' he said.

The voice hesitated, and then spoke at length. "…So you know of me. Perhaps that is for the best; no mysteries; no reservations."

'What do you want?' Saints asked the praetor mentally. For some reason, it didn't bother or surprise him to be having a telepathic conversation with a fictional creature.

"I am here to guide you, but only through words."

'Guide me? For what? How about telling' me just what the hell's goin' on?'

"Seek the Zenith. And crush the angel that is destined to oppose you."

'Great guidance..' Saints said mentally. 'Any other tips?'

There was no response. The voice of Sheoldred had left his head, and left him alone. In this cold, dark and somehow comforting swamp.

…

I had his attention. Gideon stared at me with an objective wonder in his eye; begging me without words to continue speaking. "I've been to other planes as well," I said. "Zendikar, Mirrodin, Shadowmoor, Innistrad, I've seen 'em all. But good old earth is home to me." I didn't think I'd be able to control this dream so well.

"I have never heard of this…earth you speak of. The multiverse is truly vast," Gideon said with quiet measure.

"Indeed it is," I said cheerfully. "So now it's about time we…"

Something in my brain snapped. Something about what was going on here suddenly made me go absolutely crazy.

"Wait a minute…What am I doing!" Gideon actually took a small step backward; startled by my sudden outburst. "This is a dream! I'm standing here talking to a guy who doesn't even freakin' exist!"

"Hm…Perhaps Denor's medicine has had some side effects…" Gideon mused.

"YOU'RE NOT REAL!" I positively shouted. "Do you know what you are where I come from? You're a fictional character; a game! We put you on trading cards and play with you for our amusement! And if you wanna get personal, I don't even run you in my deck! I'm more of an Elspeth kind of girl."

Gideon remained quiet for some time, staring at me with confused curiosity. At length he said, "What are trading cards?"

I couldn't take it anymore.

I pinched my arm as hard as I could; really twisting my fingernails into my skin. "Wake up!" I commanded myself. I slapped myself across the face. Hard. "Wake up, now!"

I hit myself again and again.

Gideon finally crossed the room and arrested my arms at my side. "Stop," he said simply. That one simple command completely disarmed me. He didn't say it forcefully, but he managed to convey the fact that he would make me stop if I didn't cooperate. I looked up to him now, with tears blurring my vision. What I couldn't suppress right away was my immediate thought; he was so handsome. His eyes were hard and clear. If anything about what I knew about him was true, I knew those eyes had seen many a battle, and would see many more. His mouth now was hard-set; his lips looked firm. His shoulder length brown hair looked like a lion's proud mane; further enhancing his aura of masculine authority.

Whoa.

Time to stop admiring the fictional guy.

"I can understand your fear," he said. "You are in a strange and unfamiliar place. Fear of the unknown can be good; but you cannot allow that fear to consume you."

He let my arms go and took a slow step back; his eyes locked on mine, as to better gauge my impending reaction. "Okay…I'm fine," I sniffed. My mind was…well, I didn't really know where my mind was at that point. Apparently I had lost it somewhere between home and this place. Could this be real? And if so, what was real in this place? All the dreams I've ever had of the multiverse and of being a planeswalker were just that; dreams. Fantasies nurtured by a fictional experience, a game of adventures; of imagination and possibility. How could it be real?

By that token; was I real? Suddenly being able to traverse the blind eternities that was the multiverse pretty much put me on the same pedestal as every one else who could actually do it. The planeswalkers. The same beings who only lived in my imagination…until now. "Okay," I said quietly. "Tell me about Terry- Foster." If this was my new reality I had at least learn everything I can about it.

"Terra-Fausta," Gideon corrected gently. "The history of this plane is a dark one. Long ago, when this city of Lu-Dirra was in but it's infancy, a clan of wild mages attacked. They called themselves the Illuminati. They were mages with no masters, no laws, and no morality. In this particular point in history, being able to wield magic at all was considered unnatural; a crime; a sin. Anyone exhibiting any magical fortitude whatsoever was branded an enemy of mankind, and thus persecuted and put to death."

"But that's.. that's just…" I couldn't find the right words to express my disgust at this injustice.

"It was the way of world at the time," Gideon said calmly. "The illuminati were a group of escapees; outlaws having evaded capture banded together with a singular purpose. Revenge. They raided and destroyed villages, recruiting any mages, who were all too willing to join their forces; their only other choice being execution at the hands of humanity.

Over time, the Illuminati became an incredibly formidable force. Having recruited mages from all over Terra-Fausta for their cause. And then they set their sight on Lu-Dirra. As they marched on the city, they were met with but one soldier of resistance. Sabaton."

"Sabaton…" I've never heard the name before, but for some reason, it resonated with me. It echoed; it had power. I could only imagine the figure worthy of such an impressive name.

"He was the only soldier in this plane's history to be able to wield the mightiest of all magic weaponry. The sword of body and mind."

"I know that sword!" I cried aloud. "It grants protection from certain mages. And it mills your library!" Gideon cocked his head at that last statement. "Or…uh…suppresses your ability to wield magic by destroying your uncast spells," I amended. I'd have to get used to not using earth lingo around here.

"Precisely," Gideon said. "The Illuminati were simply no match for the awesome power of the sword. Shortly after; they were defeated. And Sabaton's name and legacy were celebrated throughout the ages, even to this day."

"Amazing…" I said. And then I realized something about the tale wasn't right. "So, if mages were enemies at that time, why would they idolize someone who wields a magic sword?"

"People are not without their ironies," Gideon grimaced. "Having killed all known wielders of magic, humanity had no hope of opposing a unified body of that which they sought to destroy. Their only chance of survival was to depend on that which they feared; magic."

"Okay I get," I said. "Humans killed mages; mages rallied and took their revenge; and then the mages were defeated. Why do I get the feeling that the trend in starting up again?"

"Fear is a powerful force. Without anyone to wield the sword of body and mind, humans are once again seeking to snuff out any source of potential magical revolution."

Something else still bothered me. "From what I've heard, you're the captain of this city's…mage hunters."

"Indeed," Gideon said solemnly. "But I am not the same black-hearted beast as you have already encountered."

"Gavis, that jerk." I spouted.

"while it is true that I do hunt the mages, I do so for their protection. I bring them here and set them into hiding. Under my authority, they are not to be harmed by any other members of the unit. The only ones who even know they poses magic power are the ones who bring them here. As long as they exhibit no magic, they are impossible to tell from normal humans."

"Hiding in plain sight." I took a few steps around the gray room and then came to a decision. "I want to see the city," I said.

Gideon smiled. "I do tire of this ugly scenery," he said. "Perhaps an outing is in order. Let us go." He swung open the metal door to the room and gestured handsomely for me to proceed first. I was starting to like this guy. I stepped through the open door and into a dimly lit corridor. There were many identical metal doors lining this hallway, no doubt they were all prison cells. Luckily my cell was at the very head of the corridor, apparently Gavis and company were too lazy to carry me to one of the deeper cells, idiots.

Gideon led the way up two flights of winding stone stairs and pried open one final door before I was met with sunlight. Glorious sunlight. I did a two-footed hop out the door and cried out, "Freedom!" Gideon gave a small laugh and beckoned me to follow his lead. So this was it.

This was Lu-Dirra.

My first thought was that I was watching a fantasy movie at home, like lord of the rings or something. The street we were on was wide, it needed to be, as it was positively packed with bustling people. The street was lined with merchants, crying bargains to potential patrons. People of all ages and walks of life scurried about. Some were children carrying baskets laden with foodstuff while keeping close to a well dressed adult. Many of them seemed to be commoners, dressed relatively simple, as I was. Guess that made me a commoner…oh well. In all, it was a truly impressive scene. I always wanted to know what a thirteenth century city would look like. Now I was living it; assuming it was the thirteenth century of course.

"These are the main streets of the city," Gideon said as he lead the way. Our progress was made much easier seeing as the city folk gave Gideon a wide berth as he came through, most offering some kind of salute. Gideon inclined his head and returned the salute to everyone he could. It awed me to see him garnering such respect, then again, I didn't expect anything different. He was Gideon freakin' Jura; he was the man. It made me a little proud on the inside to be able to be seen with him in public. Maybe one day I could be just like Gideon; parting crowds wherever I went…maybe.

As I took in the passing scenery, I began to notice some things a little out of place. For one, the dirt street we were walking was sprinkled with what looked like confetti, colorful little shreds of paper that seemed to be everywhere. There were huge banners that adorned the rooftops of every building. The banners were half black and half yellow, and had what looked to be the letter 'S' pierced by a sword. There was even an impromptu stage erected in the town square that we passed. And that's when it hit me. "Gideon, what is Carnivalium?"

"Carnivalium is the annual celebration of Sabaton's great victory over the Illuminati. 'Tis a glorious day of festivities. Parties, dancing, games and performances, culminating in a re-enacted battle between Sabaton and the Illuminati." Gideon said this with a little twinkle in his eye, as though the memory were bringing back some of Carnivalium's feel-good atmosphere into his mind. That little moment made me feel good as well. Gideon may have been a soldier, but he was still human; he had a softer side, a side that liked to have fun.

I chose to ignore the little flutter in my stomach.

As we walked the rest of the square I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. It was a black cat standing in an alleyway. It stared at me intently with it's wide yellow eyes, as though looking for something that only it could see. I shook my head and hurried to catch up with Gideon.

And then suddenly from up ahead, there were screams. Both me and Gideon's heads whirled in their direction. City folk fled in sheer terror down the crowded street, knocking down more people than they avoided. Whatever it is they were running from, I couldn't see…until the building not thirty yards from us exploded. Splinters of wood stone and glass showered down through the air. Everyone now was running for their lives…except me and Gideon. He stood firm and stalwart, eyes scanning for the source of the mayhem. I was too scared to get my legs working.

Then, from amongst the wreckage, the assailants showed themselves. There were two of them. They were moving slowly; walking with a bizarre limp, and they didn't look human. Well, technically, they were human.. Or at least they used to be. Taking a look at their rotted skin and clothing, I knew right away that these were zombies.

"Why are we being attacked by zombies?" I asked Gideon. "Could it be a necromancer?"

Gideon remained silent. He was looking past the immediate threat, as though expecting some other danger. He would not have to wait for long.

Suddenly, there was the sound of thunder. The ground beneath me trembled. Just what the hell was that? The sound came again and this time I was knocked off my feet. And that's when I saw it. An immense shape rounded the next building and stood before us. The thing was well over twenty feet tall, it's skin was ashen and paper-thin. Despite it's size, the thing seemed to wasting away before our very eyes. It's body was riddled with corpses; arms and legs hung from it's hollow torso. I knew what this was.

It was a grave titan.

"A creature from the black order," Gideon growled. With a small flash of light, Gideon produced his weapon, the sural. And with one graceful whip-like movement, cut down the two zombies in our immediate range. That was the easy part. The titan let loose a savage roar, a hollow howl that seemed to shake the ground itself. Gideon stared up at the enormous creature now, pondering his next move.

"Gideon!" I shouted. He turned to me, looking all sorts of surprised. I rose up from the ground and stood at his side. "Stand back," I said.

"Unless you have a plan-"

"I do…I think," was my shaky response.

Gideon watched me carefully, and the titan even more so.

This was it. This was the moment. I knew I could defeat this thing. I was a planeswalker. It was time I started acting like one. Standing there in the cold shadow of the massive beast, I cast back in my brain for a memory. The memory of the first time I used magic. I had knowledge. Knowledge of many spells. Playing all those magic cards taught me to be a master of the multiverse. I could feel the warm sensation of mana flowing through my body. Blessed white mana. I had established a bond with a plain; it was time to use it.

The air around me swirled with energy, rippling my loose clothing. I raised my right hand and faced my palm towards the beast. I focused my will and shouted, "Smite the Monstrous!"

A beam of high-density moonlight erupted from my palm and flashed towards the titan. The beam penetrated the thing's rotted body and continued into infinity. Before it could even utter a pained howl, it exploded into a cloud of ash.

Grave Titan destroyed.

"How was that?" I said cockily.

"You could have at least told me you were going to do that," Gideon said with surprised relief. "But impressive none the less."

In my moment of triumph, I could feel something. Many somethings; behind us. I turned around and was met with the eyes of hundreds of the city folk. After what had just happened, you'd think they'd be overjoyed. I just saved the city from potential destruction, and all they could do was stare at me? The eerie dead silence was as awkward as it was unbearable.

I looked to Gideon. "What's wrong with them? Was I not supposed to save their city or something?"

Gideon stood stone faced and stared back into the crowd. I followed his gaze and my eyes fell on someone who I wish I could forget about. Standing in front of the crowd, was Gavis the jailer. He looked at me now with a combination of hatred and satisfaction. It was then that Gideon's words came flooding back to me. I remembered what he said about the mages hiding in the city. Before the day started, none of these people knew I even existed. Now everyone in Lu-Dirra knew I possessed magic.

I was set to be persecuted by the very people I just saved.

*End of Chapter 2*