CHAPTER 7: THE DREAM.

(POV: Mysterious Narrator.)

About two hours after Duck's group found Thomas and Lady, Timothy's group were busy walking through the tunnels, on their way to finding Malstorm. They were getting even closer when an unexpected voice was heard from behind.

"Well, well, well!" He exclaimed. "Look who I find as I go on a little snow filled stroll."

"Hunter!" Timothy scowled, as he then turned and saw the figure that just arrived.

"Well, Hello Timothy." He replied. "It's certainly been awhile since we last saw each other hasn't it?"

"Shut up!" Timothy growled. "I don't ever want to listen to you! EVER!"

"What a shame." Hunter sighed as he then grabbed on to his sword's handle. "But, still, your reaction is to be expected I guess. ah well. I guess it's time that I make my promise happen!"

Hunter then began to sneer devilishly as he drew Bloodlust and got ready to slash Timothy down. However, before he even could, Billster drew Blue-Spark and met the attack of the crimson blade. As Hunter then saw the 14 year old, his sneer only got larger.

"Well, if it isn't the misfit child who abandoned his family to go to that school in Brighton." The man in crimson taunted. "I'm surprised that you actually returned considering that you disgraced the Billinton name, Billster. No-one wants to have a child in their family who can't express his emotions and needs."

Billster scowled as he heard this.

"Shut up Hunter! You're wrong! Mum and Dad along with Thomas, Timothy, Annie and Clarabel have accepted me back into the family with open arms! Also, for your information, I'm a lot different from when we last met! So don't you dare use the same old insults on me that you did back in the day for I can express myself with even more words and emotion now!"

"KLANG!" Went the swords as Billster then performed a parry.

As Hunter then slid backwards on the snow and ice, his sneer turned into a face of fear, for this moment was one that he never saw coming. As Billster then readied to fight Hunter head on, he spoke to the group behind him.

"Timothy, Gordon, Henry, Edward, Oliver, Douglas. You have a lot go on ahead. I'll deal with Mr. Crimson Killer here."

Timothy being unsure was about to say something, when Billster looked towards them and gave them a brave smile. Then, without another word, Timothy turned, and he and his group dashed on ahead to continue the search for Maelstrom, leaving Billster with Hunter. Then as Hunter gripped Bloodlust in frustration, Billster walked up to him.

"A disgrace you say?" He quizzed with a dead serious look. "I think your statement is highly incorrect, for a real disgrace would kill his family members for petty reasons. Thus, you're the one who disgraced the Billinton family name Hunter, not me."

Hunter scowled in frustration as seeing how futile his attempts of being intimidating were.

"Shut up you fool!" He then shouted as he did the strike that really began their duel.

Meanwhile, further down the tunnels, Timothy as his group were sprinting as fast as their legs could carry them. They were just going round another turn, when Timothy saw something that caught his eye. The man in grey then skidded to a halt as his allies followed suit. They were about to question his decision when they saw what Timothy spotted up ahead.

"A three way path?" Edward exclaimed. "Which one do we go down?"

"No idea." Timothy replied. "There's no more demonic ice to follow."

"So, how do we know which way to go then?" Oliver quizzed.

"We'll take all of them at once."

"Um... Is that even physically possible, Timothy?" Henry asked as he was at a loss.

"If we split our group into pairs of two people, then it would." Edward replied.

"Uh... Right." Said Henry in response. "So who is going with who?"

"Oliver, you're with me." Timothy replied. "Edward, You're with Henry; and Gordon, you're with Douglas. Now pick a path, stay on it and be wary."

And so, Edward and Henry took the left tunnel; Gordon and Douglas took the right; and Timothy and Oliver took the center. As the 6 Sorcerer-Knights went down their respective tunnels None of them were aware of what they'll find and each end. An hour or two later, at the cave where they were taking shelter at, Lady was tending to the fire as everyone else slept for how late it had gotten. As she did so, she saw Thomas shuffling about uncomfortably as he slept.

(POV: Thomas.)

As I looked around me, MANY horrifying images appeared around me. From the one of a certain someone with golden hair getting fatally slashed, to the sight of hundreds of black armored knights marching through towns and cities as many buildings and lives burned in flames. As I was just about ready to scream in shock, a very cold, wet sensation woke me. As I then looked over, I found Lady with a water sigil upon her fingertips. She had used it to wake me. As I breathed heavily, taking in every image that I had seen, she spoke to me with that same tone that I loved to hear.

"Thomas. I'm sorry. You were having a nightmare. I-I just couldn't simply let you suffer through it. S-So I-I woke you up."

"N-no... I-it's fine." I replied. "Thanks for doing that actually. I-I get them quite often."

"Oh... uh... You're welcome." She said back with a smile. "Anyway, are you willing to talk about this one?"

"Um... not really." I replied.

"Oh... uh... that's okay. If you don't, I won't pressure into doing so." She replied as she then placed a thermal sigil on me. "Here, I'll place this on you so you'll be dry again."

"Thanks Lady." I replied.

"Anytime." She said back. "Now please, do get some rest. You do need to recover after all."

"Will do." I sighed. "Night"

"Night." She said back.

As I then turned back toward the ceiling, my smile turned into a frown, for I declined Lady's kind and sweet offer. Though I kind of wanted to tell her, with what I saw, I just knew that I shouldn't, for it may worry her to an unhealthy extent. As I then closed my eyes, and fell back asleep, I had no further nightmares.

(To be continued...)