Ch.3 Not So Little Blue Men

As I lay in the blue forest, listening to the sounds of metal clanging in the distance, I finally noticed that Shift was no longer with me. Wherever it was that I was trapped, I had to get out. Unfortunately, I had no idea of how to do that. Shift was what had helped me from the first cage.

Slowly standing, I walked from the forest and onto the moor. It had been awhile since I had been on the moor, as my mentor had held all lessons on the beach. I walked to the giant windmills, which twirled with the warm breeze from the blue ocean.

In the distance I could see small fish, like silver glimmers, jumping from the water and splashing back in. I walked past the old tin mine entrance and listened as the wind moaned through its twists and turns. Then I eventually got to the road that led from Hescombe to the Masterson's.

I turned in the direction of Hescombe, favoring the beaches and their warmth to the fogged farm.

The sad was as warm as I had wished, and I buried my legs in the sand as much as possible, trying to feel closer to the vanished Shift. I watched as the angle of light sank and made the silver stars dance on the horizon in a mock sunset.

Surely I would be able to get out. Surely I would find that this was just a trick and my mentor would be waiting for me to arrive with Shift wrapped protectively around me. I sat in the blue sand, then jumped as I felt something slide past me.

I watched the tentacle left out of the sand and try to grasp for me before disintegrating into the fine particles. Again a tentacle formed, this time latching onto my leg and drawing me down into a sphere of blue.

Coldness took over and I felt tired, my breath slowing as the tentacle wrapped itself around me as walls of blue rose around and above, smoothing into the spherical prison.

My breath fogged in front of me and I watched as it formed into indistinguishable. I rubbed my hand back and forth across the tentacle that seemed to form itself into an Ouroboros. It gripped tightly around my waist and I felt safer, in the grasp of something that wanted the best for me. It purred and I listened as distant city noises echoed from far beyond the prison.

I counted my breaths and relaxed as the Ouroboros grew slightly and wrapped me in a warm embrace. I breathed out again and watched as they formed int snow flakes. My half lidded eyes watched as again and again the breaths poured into the area around me, another puff joining in every once in a while from the snake wrapped around me.

About to close my eyes, I caught the sight of something that wasn't snow. It was similar, but it didn't melt. In fact, the more we breathed, the more ended up in the small prison.

"What's happening?" I whispered.

I have been sent to keep you here. Replied an unfamiliar voice.

"Why are we here, though, in this cage?" I said, the questions leading me away from the near sleep.

For the Master wishes us too. I, too, was once free. I feel a strong bond to you. Kullervo! I thought angrily of all those shapes he had. Each and every one must have been a creature that he took over. He possessed and stole each one of their forms, locking them away.

"What if we worked together?" I asked, "Surely with all of our forces we could beat the Master?"

It is true. Every one of us that oppose Master would rob him the ability to steal our forms. But there are those that will never oppose Master.

"Well then," I stated confidently. "We will have to persuade all those we can to join us and overcome the rest!"

It is true. You are the most powerful here.

"Oh, ya, the whole 'potential universal' thing."

But you are a universal here. All those that will listen to no other will listen to you!

I could hear hope and joy building in the voice. Standing, I pushed confidently against the walls and watched as they collapsed under my touch, leaving me on the well lit beach.

"Where to next?" I asked the Ouroboros.

Go to where the Master is strongest here, the sight of the battle!

The joy made me think of Shift, and I wondered if he was still out there, past the cage I was now trapped in. It made me wonder how I had gotten here in the first place and if, after I defeated Kullervo, I would be able to leave and find him.

The stars twinkled in the sky as I marched to the road to the Masterson's. I felt warmth seeping from the light and earth itself as other mythological creatures began to follow. At first I could only feel the Ouroboros, but soon I felt the pressure of minds of others.

There was a rock dwarf, following behind a little bit and trying to hide its presence from me. Overhead a few flyers took to the sky. There was a pegasus, a thunder bird, and a siren. From the direction of the sea came a human figure with wide, soulful eyes that I recognized as a selkie.

All five came closer and were right behind me when the farm came into view.

It was as I had remembered the event that day, and I watched as Shift's form, possessed by Kullervo, grew and knocked the trustees back. I watched as the large blue sand sprite tightened around a blue copy of myself.

Charging forward, I let out a battle cry, the creatures behind me doing likewise and charging with me. The sand snake looked up and separated from the blue copy of me. I watched as it called to the sky and gathered its own forces.

A fire imp sprang to life, bigger than it should be, and danced across the ground, gleefulin its ability to go as fast as it could towards us with its intent to burn. A large dragon, who had acted as a Trustee in the replay lunged forward, a unicorn by its side. I watched as the four charged forward and I instinctively reached to my back and pulled out a bow, knocking arrows and launching them at the charging garrison.

The imp fell under my assault, but the other creatures ran forward and did battle with the ones behind me. Rushing forward I helped the blue version of myself up. It grinned at me, then started to fade, merging with me.

Memories poured in and I closed my eyes.

After training with my mentor for months, learning the ins and outs of sand sprites as well as training with Connie on my leftover universal abilities, I had been called, along with everyone else, to battle the remainder of Kullervo's forces. We fought long and hard, largely hindered by the weather giants. In the end me and Connie had waged battle on Hoo, the stand in leader. We had eventually beat him back, but at great loss to us as the golden dragon had been killed I the fight. We had won the battle, but not the war.

I collapsed to my knees and opened my eyes. Looking down at my hands, tear filled my eyes. The golden dragon had been struck down by lightning, her blood raining down upon our small group. Connie had collapsed in grief and agony and I had had to fight through the enemy lines to score the blow on Hoo before they called the retreat.

When my eyes cleared, I saw that my skin had returned to its normal tone, no longer filled with the blue veins that it had had before. I looked around and saw a battle field. There were mythical creatures everywhere, humans fighting in the mix, but all was silent.

All of my followers in the charge of the last part of the cage were gone, and I felt let down with out them.

We are not gone! A collection of voices echoed in my head. We are merely with you. You can use our powers in the next battle!

I looked down again and was startled to see that they were right. A rock plate covered my chest. Around my waist was a silver belt that resembled a snake eating itself. Pants that were deep brown and felt of fur stretched down to metal boots.

Stretching, I could see a mix of colors on my back that turned out to be wings. They changed from pure white at the top, gray in the middle, and storm black at the base, showing the merge of the three flyers that had accompanied me so far.

I then turned my expression to stone and set my eyes on the horizon. Now that the Master knew I was breaking free, this would be no walk in the park.