"Nothing happens unless first we dream." – Carl Sandburg

Review Replies:

Calm-Waters: Well, one of your many questions in your last review will be answered right in this chapter! Haha, I see someone's hooked. ;)

JohnnyD44: Ah, someone who likes drama! Well, you'll certainly like this chapter!

Longest chapter yet! Yay!

Warning: Mild spoilers for "Fall of Odyssia Pt.2"

Nestor felt like he was on cloud nine, standing in that anonymous corridor next to Quest – who was busy marking their progress on the door they had just exited. In the many months since he and Graer had shown up on the warrior's unwelcoming doorstep, he and Quest had shared what one might generously call a strained relationship. Quest found Nestor annoying, and the boy wasn't ignorant of the fact. He was slowly getting used to constantly being called a 'runt' and, on special occasions, a 'snot magnet'. He couldn't really expect any different – he had been the one to put the allegiance spell on Quest that so grated on him... But, in the amount of time they'd been on this last adventure it seemed that Quest was not only able to tolerate Nestor now – but he may even be starting to like him!

And what was even more surprising, what was really giving Nestor reason to smile now, Quest needed him.

Nestor couldn't believe it had taken him this long to realize it. When Quest had first stumbled into that first dream in the church, he could have left Nestor sitting in that pew to figure out what was going on, alone. He could have told the kid to stay put and then gone off exploring these doors by himself instead of having a 'runt' like him trail along. But it had been Quest who had asked Nestor to come with him.

Why? Maybe he had wanted some company. Or maybe he had just wanted to keep an eye on the kid. Either way, Nestor was happy to be here with him now.

Quest turned smartly on his heel and looked soberly down at the prince, whom he discovered to be beaming up at him. He raised one eyebrow questioningly, but it was only a short moment before the prince's mood began to ruin his own normally unyielding disposition. He had to turn right back around, facing the wall of doors, to be able to hide the beginnings of a smile from his young comrade. Gesturing towards the next door to their right, he stepped towards it pointedly and, knowing full-well the boy wouldn't be far behind, entered the next dream.

It was hard for their eyes to adjust to the darkness having just left the brightness of the hallway. Shapes began to take form in the soft light – now seen to be coming from two lit torches, one on either side of the 'room'. If it could be called that. Outlines of stalagmites and stalactites were now becoming visible, and looking down at their feet Nestor could see that the floor was covered in a few centimetres of water. Thank goodness for boots made of rubber! One word suddenly came to his mind, looking at his surroundings: grotto. What a fittingly ugly word...

Could this be what they'd been searching for? Was this Quest's dream? It certainly was as grim and as creepy as he'd ever imagine Quest's subconscious to be, but there was something about this place that didn't quite... fit.

That's when the red cape still partly concealed in shadow on the far side of the cave caught Nestor's eye. He felt a tightness in his chest. Ogun.

"Yes, my lord," Ogun's guttural reply to an unheard question echoed harshly in the open space. Quest glared past the general, trying to discern any distinguishing features from the figure lurking in the shadows.

No. It couldn't be...

"You mustn't deter from our original plans, General Ogun. You must stay close to Spite. He has the power to release me using the Shattersoul sword. When he does, you will overthrow him and we will rule Odyssia together," the hidden figure dictated. With two confident steps forward, he came into view. The dark green cloak, the bright yellow eyes poking out of the shadow that was his skin... Quest first met this man many years ago. Had it not been for this evil mastermind's exploits, Quest may never have been banished from the kingdom.

Lord Shadowseed.

He had to get the kid out of here.

General Ogun grinned wickedly as he replied, once again, "Yes, my lord."

Quest reached his arm out to take hold of the prince. The air seemed to be getting thicker and his breaths were getting more desperate. A low humming circled the cave and was making his head throb. It was Shadowseed's doing, he was certain. He knew the evil lord that was before them wasn't just a figment of Ogun's imagination. Somehow, despite being held prisoner in some faraway (perhaps mystical, Quest never had gotten the details...) place, Lord Shadowseed was using his former henchman's dreams to communicate with him. Quest's hand did not make contact with any part of Nestor's body, however, and he looked down to see that the boy had moved forward in interest, just out of reach.

As Quest was taking his first step towards the prince, Shadowseed's gravelly voice was heard once again. "And my grandson, General Ogun. I want him also at my side." Quest froze in shock and stared at the evildoers. His jaw had dropped, his eyes were wide, and his mind had momentarily gone blank. Had he been able to think, Quest would have grabbed Nestor and ran for the door before things could go any further. Had he only been thinking...

Ogun's expression changed dramatically; from fiendish pride to crestfallen surprise. "But... my lord! Prince Nestor will never come to our side, he's... he's a do-gooder, a sworn hero, a... an ethically-governed brat!"

"Be that as it may, General Ogun..." Shadowseed began, but stopped quite suddenly. His nefarious ears had picked up an odd noise from another part of the grotto. He concentrated on his surroundings. It didn't take long for him to detect the two foreign presences. And when he looked hard enough in that direction... Yes. He grinned maliciously.

When Nestor heard his name... when he understood what it implied... it was just too much for him to take. An evil overlord, his grandfather? How could this be? He'd never met either of his grandparents on his mother's side, but he'd assumed they'd died before he was born. No one had told him any different! No one... He couldn't help the strangled noise that came from his throat, but he also couldn't be sure whether it was a choked sob or a repressed scream.

Quest's heart was racing. He watched, horrified, as Shadowseed turned towards them. And when the evil man grinned and reached out his arm to the kid, Quest knew he had very limited time. He leapt towards the prince and took hold of his arm just as Shadowseed pulled his out-stretched arm back in a swift movement. The effects of this became clear as the prince and his bodyguard felt a tremendous force pulling them forward.

Nestor closed his eyes tightly and cried out. Whatever was happening, he didn't like it. His stomach was doing flips and somersaults as he felt something trying to yank his whole body one way, and what he could only assume was Quest's hand on his arm jerking him another. He clenched his teeth as he waited for one side to win, and at this point he couldn't care less which did – he just wanted this intense pressure on his body to stop.

The same was not true for Quest. He dug his feet frantically into the wet earth to steady himself and tried taking a hard step back. It took every muscle in his body working at overdrive to hold his ground, but there was no way he was letting that madman get the runt. He knew Nestor would be hurting right now, but it would be far worse for him if... Another step back, and Quest reached his free hand to the open door. Grunting with the exertion, feeling Shadowseed double his own efforts, Quest was still able to finally grasp the doorframe.

They weren't out of the woods yet. The intense power trying to hold him back was beginning to get him as Quest hung on for dear life. He watched helplessly as his fingers were slowly slipping from the sturdy wood. He was almost ready to give up, when he thought of the boy he still had a firm hold of. The boy the allegiance spell demanded he protect at all costs. And then he thought of what would become of that same boy if he lost this battle. With a roar of rage and with renewed strength, Quest swung Nestor through the doorway and, keeping a firm hold on the prince's arm, allowed himself to be pulled into the hallway after him. The door slammed shut behind them.

Nestor groaned as he lay sprawled out on the marble floor, with Quest on top of him. Everything hurt. Spots blurred his vision before his head cleared, and then he was able to realize that the place he was most sore was the arm which Quest still had in a vice-like grip. "Hey, you can let go now."

The prince's voice brought Quest back to the reality of the moment. His body had just gone through so much strain his mind had fairly shut down in the minute that passed after their narrow escape. He quickly unclenched his fist around the boy's arm and gently rolled off of him. He felt concern, knowing Nestor would also be experiencing pain, but he wasn't quite sure how to show it. "Um... you okay?" He'd spoken softly, but the words seemed much louder in the empty corridor.

Nestor rubbed his arm vigorously after Quest got off of him. Was he okay? Well, his arm didn't seem to be broken, and although the rest of his body felt like he'd fought a dozen growls at once, and lost, no real damage appeared to have been done. He turned his head and looked up at Quest, who had now moved to a seated position, from where he lay on the floor. "Sure," he said, but he couldn't seem to make his voice any stronger than he felt.

Neither moved or spoke for several seconds. Then Nestor sat up, painfully. He grasped his bent legs, circling his arms around them at the knees, and stared down at his feet. Gently, he whispered, "You knew."

It was both an accusation and a request for explanation, and Quest understood this. He could go on the defensive – yes, he knew who Shadowseed was, but it hadn't exactly been his place to tell the kid. Quest had been banished from the kingdom for the majority of the prince's life, he'd only had the last few months to get to know him as a teenager. How was he supposed to know that no one ever bothered to mention he had an evil relative who'd tried to kidnap him at least once (that Quest was aware of)?

Quest could have brought up all of that, but what would be the point? The kid would need to deal with everyone else who'd broken his trust later. For now, Quest's only response was, "I knew."

Nestor seemed to consider this fully before he nodded once. Then, still without looking at his companion, he asked, "The others?"

"Graer and Gatling know. Anna wasn't around then... I don't see how she could." Quest studied Nestor carefully. He hoped that being straightforward with the kid would help him move on from this. He also hoped the kid wouldn't ask for details Quest didn't want to go into. The image of a cooing baby Nestor with the newly-turned-evil General Ogun in that hologram after being kidnapped flooded his thoughts momentarily.

After a long moment, Nestor stood up. He took a shaky breath and stepped up to the next door. Quest watched him turn the handle silently. When it became obvious that Nestor wasn't going to wait for him, Quest stood quickly and, with long strides, hurried after him.

xXxXx

"General Ogun," Lord Shadowseed cried in frustration, "that meddlesome Quest has spoiled things once again!"

"I don't understand what you mean, my lord." Ogun, lacking in the magical powers his lord possessed, had not been able to sense the two invading presences his master had. He was thoroughly confused, but he was also terrified of agitating the overlord.

"I have no time to explain this to you. You must do something for me immediately, General Ogun," Lord Shadowseed demanded, as he began to pace. "I have had enough of Quest, and if my suspicions are correct, now is the perfect time to strike him physically. You must awaken now, find him, and destroy him while you have this chance." He stopped in his tracks and glared at Ogun, daring him to question him further.

"I will do my best, my lord." General Ogun bowed deeply to his master. It helped to hide his fear.

"Go now, General Ogun," Lord Shadowseed commanded as his figure faded into the shadows of the dream. "Go now, and do not fail me."

As I said at the beginning of the chapter, a lot of the information here was from/inspired from "Fall of Odyssia Pt. 2". I tried not to go into too much detail about what happened during the episode so as not to spoil it for anyone.

Till next we meet!