Important Author's Note. Read it or I'll be forced to put two months between each chapter.

(Author's Note: I am so sorry that this installment has taken me so damn long to get out. I truly do apologize. *Sigh* I've just been seriously busy lately. I know that all of my faithful readers will throttle me for procrastinating even more, but I had to make a special note. When I first started writing this little story, I never thought that it would ever be so much of a success. So here's my (undoubtedly annoying) little tribute to my wonderful, lovely reviewers. *Hugs all reviewers until they can't breathe* By the way, they're in alphabetical order. ^_~

My Most Lovely and Wonderful Reviewers:

Ai no Yuugi, who knows the truly best way to motivate a writer to complete the next chapter….*cough* death threats *cough* ^_~

Aylee the Dragon, who is one of my best friends in real life, as well as a great writer of various anime (in addition to a really cool HP fic) and a very nice reviewer as well. You rule Aylee!

Ceres Wunderkind, who has written, truly, one of the best HDM fics I've ever come across. Everyone who reads my crap HDM fic should more wisely use their time and read Ceres's awesome story instead.

Gaile, who reviewed every chapter all at once (not many people do that). Thanks!

Ghost, who is yet another faithful reader, and who has actually given me some excellent constructive criticism, and has some awesome works of fiction up as well. And, who has a brilliant HDM fic up, but hasn't updated in ages. *cough*

Glen Timian, who is going to get around to actually reading the story as soon as possible….*grins*

Kara, who actually asked me questions about the story, which helped me to think about the validity of certain elements of it, therefore granting me more means of improvement! Thanks!

KirjavaLyra, who is another one in the faithful reader category (my very first reviewer! *sniff*), and who has a plethora of awesome HDM fics. Take a look!

Leefta, who is another faithful reader, as well as being one of the most intelligent people I talk to online, and my spur-of-the-moment Beta Reader!

Midnight.Star, who is one of my most faithful readers of all. Thanks for your support (and your various complaints about me needing to get off my lazy ass and work on the story….^_^).

Moon Sparkle, who is another very faithful reader, and who also has some awesome stories up. She helped me come up with some ideas for my HDM story as well. You rule!

Otter Person, who also reviewed every chapter all at once. Thaaaaaaaanks.

Red XIII a.k.a. Katie, who is another of my best friends in real life, and who always makes sure to write each and every review of hers in the most satirical way possible. Thanks for pointing out my miniscule grammar errors by the way! What ever would I do without you?! Such a great friend, I tell ya!

SkywaterBlue, another faithful reader, and a great reviewer. Thanks!

Tan Ji, who seems to share my love for physics…rock on!

Wolf on Air, who finally got around to reviewing (^_^) and has an excellent start to a surely brilliant HDM fic.

And all the rest whom I'm too lazy to write down comments by: thanks to Prof. Sparky, Seph Girl, Myst Phlaerah Nanaki, Sniperwolf, Jesus Freak, Riosundance, jt112, Kirjava, anon., shesha, Mojo the Mutant Monkey, T.J., StarEyes, Elissa, and….erm….well, if I've forgotten anyone, just yell. Ahem. Anyway…………

*inhales* Okay then! There you go! Now, before somebody kills me…on with the story!

CHAPTER ELEVEN-Into the Darkness

It was almost midnight before Breyman and his men came loping into the relatively small town of Quell. After asking a few well-placed questions and scaring a few people out of their wits, he had gathered enough information from the inhabitants to be able to derive that Tobias had, indeed, passed through that way. However, Dune's right-hand-man could find no evidence of his current presence, nor of his leaving the town, and thus became quite suspicious.

He presently arrived at the home of the man who had captured Iris and Tobias, frightened him half to death as he awoke, and quite easily got the information of what had happened. The Forthsight-gifted boy had been captured, locked up, and had mysteriously disappeared.

Breyman wasn't stupid; he could fairly easily figure out what had happened. In addition, he knew what he was up against: that boy must have had an extraordinary power that allowed him some way to travel the worlds. It was the only explanation.

He rallied his men, checked his weaponry and prepared for the next course of action.

*

As Tobias and Iris wandered down the dark streets of Oxford, their dæmons by their side, they pondered over the events that had recently occurred.

"I can't believe that we found another person with a dæmon so easily! Do you really think that he might help us, Tobias?"

The blonde boy nodded. "I know that he will, Iris. He definitely seems like the type to always keep his word. As long as we stick to our side of the bargain, I'm sure that he'll never let us down."

"I hope you're right, Tobias. I dread what's to come, though."

Tobias agreed, although he said nothing. They walked in silence for a while before Iris piped up, "Um, so anyway, where are we going to sleep tonight?" Tobias had been wondering as well, but hadn't voiced his thoughts aloud until now. "Well, if either of us had any money, we could rent a hotel room. I don't have any money from this world, though, and anyway, it's so different here! The cars, and the lights, and the buildings; it's all so mind-boggling. My suggestion would be that we make an opening to another world where we can get some decent shut-eye."

He paused on the sidewalk and said, "I would make a window right into our home world, but I don't think that would be a good idea, owing to the fact that they know what we are, now. So I suppose I'll just sift through the worlds until I come to a suitable one…"

They walked to an area of little inhabitation, where it was rather dark and enshrouded in a post-rain mist, and Tobias presently closed his eyes in concentration. Iris waited, watching him intently. Tobias let his mind drift down into the tips of his fingers, and slowly and deliberately extended his hand to touch the very fabric of space before him. He waited for that familiar snag…

Waited…

And waited…

And then, instead of the customary feeling of acceptance as his fingers and mind took hold, there was a blast of plangent pain. His hands flew to his forehead as a wave of anguish stabbed through his brain, and he reeled back, uttering naught but a stifled moan. Iris jumped forward immediately. "What's wrong? What happened?"

But the pain wasn't as transitory as he had hoped; it seemed to increase with each moment. Soon it was blinding agony, and he fell to the ground, tears squeezing from his eyes, unable to speak.

Iris panicked. "Tobias! Oh God, what's wrong?!" She knelt down next to his now-prostrate form, trying her best to comfort him, but having no idea of what she could do to help. After all, she had no idea of the magnitude of mental torment that was aggrieving him. Tobias, on the other hand, couldn't understand what was happening. He was dimly aware of Iris's touch, as well as the form of his twisting dæmon Aerotsierma on the ground at his side, but other than that, nothing but white-hot agony filled his vision and mind.

For a moment he thought he was going to die, but then it passed, carried away on the wind as if it had never occurred.

Tobias looked up at Iris slowly, his face white, his hair matted with sweat, his eyes wide with fear. He was shaking. Iris stared at him and whispered, "What happened, Tobias?"

His voice quavered when he spoke. "I--I'm not sure, Iris." He reached out shakily and drew his shivering, wide-eyed dæmon to his chest gently. He stared at Iris intently, but his eyes seemed to be looking through her…and then Iris realized that they were, and that his vision had shifted to where he was looking behind her. He seemed to be mesmerized by whatever was holding his vision. For some reason Iris felt an undecipherable darkness enshroud her soul at that moment, and she whispered, "Tobias? What is it?"

Tobias's face turned deathly pale and he began shaking again. "Oh, God…" he murmured. "I don't believe it…."

Iris's head snapped around, just in time to see none other than the Commander Breyman materialize out of the dark, gloomy mist, his yellow-eyed black wolf dæmon bristling by his side. He was dressed in a black trench coat and had his sniper rifle strapped to his back, and he advanced quite deliberately upon the two quaking children. Iris's eyes filled with terror, and she clung to Tobias as he came closer and closer, taking his time.

Mist swirled around the dark scene, and Tobias felt his insides go cold. Aerotsierma crawled under his shirt, shaking. "Iris…" Tobias whispered. "Run."

The two children leapt up from the ground, taking off down the road and running as fast as they could. Immediately they heard a snarl and a growl as the black wolf sped after them, and a metallic clink and a whoosh as Breyman unslung his gun and began to chase them.

Bolting through the dark swirling mists, Tobias and Iris sped along side by side, hearts straining against their chests, ragged breath tearing from their lungs. Panic swept through both of them as well as puzzlement and confusion. How the hell did he travel through the worlds?!

But that at the moment was not a necessary thing to ponder upon, as they tore haphazardly down the streets, leaping over trash barrels and speeding through puddles, oblivious to all around them in their terror. Into the darkness they blindly ran, tendrils of mist swirling behind them, the sound of Breyman running behind them highly audible even against the nightly Oxford travel noise.

And they knew that he was gaining on them.

Finally Tobias realized that they couldn't outrun him and faced the fact that he would have to fight.

Nonetheless, he kept on going until he felt his heart would burst, and Iris screamed in unimaginable pain as Breyman's dæmon leapt from behind upon her caracal, digging her sharp canine teeth into his shoulders. She fell upon the ground, gasping for breath, and Tobias spun quickly around, snarling with rage and hatred.

Aerotsierma leapt upon the wolf, but she was far too small to put up much of a fight. The caracal fought back hard, clawed paws going fwap-fwap-fwap, seeking out the eyes of his assailant, but to little avail. Finally Tobias got seriously pissed and, forgetting the universal taboo in order to save his friend, kicked the wolf hard in the side. She whimpered and snapped at him, and he struck her hard in the face.

At that moment Breyman caught up with the fray, doubling over as his dæmon cringed away from the attacks of Tobias and the fox and caracal. The wolf leapt up away from the assails and fled back to her human, snarling in anger and pain. When Breyman looked up, his face was dark and his eyes flashed with hatred. "I'll kill you for that, you worthless piece of trash!"

He lunged at Tobias, swinging his gun. The metal barrel hit a glancing blow to his temple before he could even think about dodging, and stars exploded in his head as colors danced before his eyes. Breyman was about to strike again, but Tobias, ignoring the pain, fell backwards lightly, catching himself on his hands and striking upward with a powerful kick that connected solidly with Breyman's groin.

In the brief amount of time that Dune's right-hand-man spent doubled over holding himself and moaning, Tobias and Iris sprinted away again. The boy briefly thought to read Breyman's mind, but was afraid that his using his Forthsight again might fill his head with excruciating pain once more, so he avoided the temptation. Suddenly Tobias heard a metallic noise from behind him, and the next thing he knew, a gunshot sounded and Tobias could feel the whoosh of it as the bullet sped past his ear.

"Iris! He's shooting at us!" He screamed as they continued running.

"No way! I didn't realize that!" She retorted, tingeing her terror with sarcasm.

Tobias knew that it was inevitable, but he still hoped and prayed that it wouldn't happen. Mostly, he just hoped and prayed that it wouldn't be Iris.

And it wasn't.

He heard the second gunshot just moments before his head exploded in pain for the second time that night. Iris screamed and caught him as he stumbled over his own feet and fell, splattered with blood. Tobias moaned, but the pain wasn't all that excruciating this time…it was almost as if he was floating, and he couldn't feel anything at all…

Iris was sobbing. "No! Damn it all, no! Just when I've found you, you can't…"

Tobias's eyes flickered, and he tried to say something, but all that escaped his lips was a painful groan. Dark blood oozed from the back of his head and onto Iris's lap and the sidewalk. Aerotsierma lay in a twisted heap at his side…and to Iris's horror, she was flickering slightly…

She lay his head down and sprung up when Breyman and his wolf approached. He was smiling, his dark eyes shining in victory. She lunged at him, screaming, "I'll kill you!" but Breyman was far quicker: he swung his rifle hard at her legs. She screamed, the sickening crunch of her kneecaps reaching her ears. She collapsed upon the ground, and Breyman stepped over her toward the prostrate Tobias.

He reached down, picked him up, and slung him over his shoulder, oblivious to the blood that trickled down his back from Tobias's head wound. His wolf dæmon picked up the fading Aerotsierma by the scruff of her neck and followed her master as he dematerialized once more into the gloom, the hate-filled, grief-ridden cries of Iris still ringing in his ears.

----

(Author's Note: Sorry about no Will and Lyra in this chapter! They'll be in the next one, I swear! Honest! And I'll try my best to get the next chapter out sooner. I know this one took a loooong time…*ducks as rotten fruit is thrown*…but I've been really busy lately! Sorry! Anyway, the next chapter SHOULD be out by next weekend, and don't forget to send your usual death threats, and please review on your way out! Thanks!)