A/N: Thanks to Krypticghost for the review! This chapter is longer, but it's the length I plan to write most of my chapter. Caution for the crappy chapter ending. Here goes:

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When I asked for clothes, I expected something normal. Jeans, a T-shirt. But, no. Of course not. I had hand-stitched pair of pants and a shirt, and I think it may have been burlap. I was a little proud at how accurate my dream seemed.

They began moving immediately. I don't think I was supposed to follow, but I did anyway. Seth kept looking back at me. They'd all asked for information, so I made some up. I remember Jay writing fan fiction, and she put herself in as someone named 'Nightblade'. So, I told them I was Nightblade's brother. I found this funny, (although now, as I look back, I have no idea why) and had to restrain a snicker.

I didn't get much reaction at all from this. Seth gave me an odd look, and Eirika wanted to know who Nightblade was. I didn't have an answer for this. Luckily, Seth shook his head and told them that it didn't matter: they had to retrieve the bracelet.

So, I trailed about six feet from them, not knowing what else to do. They walked all night. It was odd, but I actually felt sleepy. We got to where ever they'd been headed the next morning. They spread out, asking about anyone who matched the boy's description.

I tried to remember all their names. Moulder… the priest. Gilliam was the quiet guy in all the armor. Franz was the blonde kid, apparently about my age. Ross… he was the other kid. He seemed to be a tad younger than me. His dad was Garcia. Vanessa, also my age, rode the flying horse. A Pegasus. Yeah.

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"The local villagers tell me that Babza's Bandits keep their lair nearby. A few of them saw a lad matching the description of our bracelet thief. It seems that the youth is one of these bandits." Seth said. He was talking to Eirika, but I couldn't help but hear. Who cares if he got mad, anyway?

Eirika was quiet for a couple seconds before saying, distantly, "Bandits… here in Renais, our homeland. I had no idea... burning our villages… stealing from our people with no fear of reprisal?"

"It wasn't always like this." Seth replied, "The Knights used to protect the citizenry… However, with Renais in ruins and her army tattered, law and order is hard to find. It doesn't look like the Grado army is interested in maintaining order here." He paused, "If nothing changes. It nothing changes, Renais will continue this sad plunge into savagery."

There was a long silence, when a new voice joined the conversation. I turned to see who it was. I hadn't heard anyone move. I was getting disappointed. So far I'd been having a physically accurate dream, for the most part, and now people walked silently and had pink hair. Pink-purple actually. Somewhere along the lines of fuchsia.

This girl was small, possibly a little younger than me. She was shy, and she looked frail. She stumbled over her words a little, "Uh… hello? Pardon me for asking… but are you some sort of mercenary troop?"

Eirika blinked, "Why do you ask?"

Neimi looked ready to cry, "P-p-please, you have to help Colm. You have to! I told him it was too dangerous, but he wouldn't listen to me!"

Eirika shook her head and replied, patiently, "You must calm yourself. Start at the beginning, and speak slowly."

"All right…" Neimi said, and sniffed. "I'm Neimi. I'm from… I used to be from a village called Lark. Except the village is gone."

"What do you mean?"

"Babza's Bandits burned it down. Only Colm and I escaped. The other villagers… the bandits attacked, and…" she trailed off there. Eirika stayed quiet.

So, Seth spoke up. He wasn't as kind as Eirika, but he wasn't exactly unkind, either. "Neimi, what are you doing here?"

"Babza's Bandits… they have a hideout here in these mountains. That's where Colm… um, Colm's my… uh… We've known each other since we were kids. He went to steal back something the bandits took from me…

Eirika looked concerned. "He went alone? That's a dangerous thing…"

"Yes, I know. Th-that's what I told him, but he wouldn't listen to me… If I lose Colm, too, I don't know… I…I'll…" She sniffed again, and wiped her eyes.

"Wait, please don't cry. Don't worry, we'll find your friend and see that he's not harmed."

Neimi looked up, her face bright, "Really? Really and truly? Oh, thank you! Thank you!!! I… I don't have much money, but I'll do anything to help."

Seth looked at Eirika, "Your Highness? What will it be?"

Eirika thought aloud, "If the thief we're after has gone to the bandits' lair as well…" Eirika looked at Seth and said decisively, "Well, it seems we share a common cause. She's a citizen of Renais, after all. And isn't it our duty to defend our countrymen?"

And, somehow, that was the end of the conversation.

We arrived at what was apparently the bandits' hideout, and Neimi told Seth that she was good with a bow. Seth told her to protect Eirika. I decided I'd protect Neimi. I'd been given an axe, which was fine. It was the only weapon they had that I knew how to use, because I chopped wood as a chore when I stayed with my grandparents and I'd leaned to use tomahawks at scout camp. I wondered if that really mattered, or if I could've picked up a sword and magically know how to use it.

Gilliam and Neimi went up the stairs. Eirika told Neimi to go look for her friend, and she would stay with Vanessa and Moulder. Franz and Seth broke down a wall and rode ahead, leaving Garcia to fight whoever was in the room.

The blue-haired kid came from nowhere, it seemed. I soon saw that this was Neimi's friend. They talked, and Gilliam moved past them into the next room. I followed Gilliam.

Inside, there were three treasure chests and a bandit. He charged me. Made sense, Gilliam in his armor and me in… burlap. He attacked. I panicked and froze. Luckily, He missed. I threw the hand axe, but it was heavier than a tomahawk.

I hit him, and he moved to attack again. I had no idea how to parry with an axe, and I kinda doubted I could. I put the axe up, anyway, and deflected his blade. Not by much, though. Instead of lobbing my head off, like I'm sure he planned, he put a large gash in my arm.

I looked to my arm, and then quickly back up. The bandit was dead. Gilliam had killed him. He looked at me and told me, rather gruffly, that I should get Moulder as soon as I had the chance.

The rest of the battle was like a hallucination. I couldn't stop looking at my arm, even after Moulder had healed it. Only a small scratch remained, but I kept shaking. I couldn't wrap my mind around it: I'd felt that axe cut me. I felt pain. But I was dreaming… This wasn't real. Things like this don't happen in real life.

Babza was beaten, Seth got the Princess' bracelet, and Neimi and Colm decided to join us. Everyone ate, and then slept that night. I sat, staring at my arm. I couldn't think strait. I touched the scratch on my arm. It still hurt, even though just barely. This wasn't a dream…

'This isn't a dream.'