Boys of Avalon Book 1 – The Dream Worlds

Three boys from the Avalon series show up here on their own adventures, which lead them into a strange world, where their only chance for survival rests on their ability to wake up. Can they survive their worst nightmares?

Disclaimer:

"I own Web of Magic!"

"Really?"

"No! Can't you read? This says 'FANFICTION'. Not just fiction!"

Just to note, I am not trying to discriminate against boys. I was just referencing the actions of these particular boys, in addition to the facts that they have an excellent sense of humor and that boys tend to tease people who believe in magic. I know, because I knew some people like that. Rest easy, friends. Also, the description Kyle's almost-drowning comes from my three experiences of almost-drowning. Enjoy this; ThaliaofAvalon.

Funny thing about trios of teenage mages – they tend to be pretty arrogant. You insist otherwise? Ah well. Let me prove my point.

Did you really think Adriane, Kara, and Emily were the only mages in the universe? They seem to believe they are the only thing standing between their multiverse and destruction. If that were the case, wouldn't it all have been destroyed by now? How can three teenage girls be expected to fight all the evil in many worlds? The answer to that, my friend, is that they can't. They aren't the only mages. In fact, if only they'd let go of their arrogance, they'd see that there was another team of mages, one of the hundreds on Earth alone, living right under their noses. Oh no! Another team of magical teenage girls? Not at all, my dear friend. In fact, it's something far more amusing. It's a team of magical teenage boys. You thought Adriane, Kara, and Emily were irrational? Let these mages surprise you, then.

It all started a year before Emily moved to town.

The three boys went camping in Ravenswood at least once during the summer every year since they'd become friends. This year was no different – in that respect, anyway. Kyle, Joey, and Marcus had been friends since second grade. The three were looking for a place to set up camp, when they came upon a huge obelisk. Behind it was a beautiful stream, trickling into a clear pond.

"Whoa," Marcus remarked, staring up the obelisk; "I vote we stay here tonight."

"I second that!" Joey agreed.

Kyle didn't have a problem with it, so they set up camp. It was hard work to gather enough firewood for a campfire and hammer the metal tent stakes into the hard earth, but they finally completed it. It was still daylight, so the three boys stripped down to their underwear and swam in the cool pond. They started splashing around.

Kyle got hit with a wave of water, knocking his breath out of him as his feet slipped out from under him. He suddenly felt lost. He couldn't tell which way was up, and which way was down. He flailed his arms, terrified, desperately trying not to breathe. Something glowing floated past his face. He reached out for it and snatched it – but it was only a stone. He didn't have time to wonder why a stone was floating or glowing, because he had to breathe. Right now. He took a deep breath, expecting water, but all he got was air. He would think about that later, because right now he was looking for… Instantly, he saw the surface, and felt very foolish. Jeez. Drowning in four feet of water. He found the bottom, and stood up easily. Joey and Marcus were panicking when he surfaced.

"Oh God, what if he's drowned?!" They turned towards him as he took a breath of the sweet forest air. He found himself wrapped in a double tackle hug. He stumbled a little, but didn't fall this time.

"Guys! Seriously! I'm okay."

"You were underwater for five minutes!" Joey exclaimed. "How are you even alive?" Kyle looked down at the stone still in his hand. It looked like a three-centimeter-long translucent white crystal. It flashed bright silver light, like moonlight, then went dark. He almost dropped it. His friends stared at it.

"Hold on, guys. I want to try something." They looked at him warily as he slipped beneath the surface. They watched as little circles rippled out from where he'd gone under. Yup. He could still breathe underwater. As he got back to the surface, not at all out of breath, his friends glanced at eachother, and back at him.

"Since when can you hold your breath for two minutes?" Marcus asked. Kyle shook his head.

"I can't."

"Then what were you doing?" Joey questioned. "Breathing water?" Kyle stared at them in all seriousness.

"I think so." They laughed at him, so he decided to forget about it. He slipped it into his sleeping bag to investigate later, and ran back to the pond. None of them noticed the pair of sickly green eyes watching them.