[Templars in the Shadows]

06/01/13

Templars in the Shadows
I am in a strange place.  I look around to see where I am.  I don't recognize the place.  I leave the small room I find myself in to find I am in a large gathering hall.  There are quite a few people there.  All of them are Assassins.  I see a reflection and I realize I am also dressed as an Assassin, so I fit right in.  I wonder why I might be there.  I start to wander among the Assassins to see if I can find out.  I finally spot a familiar face.  Ezio is off to my right talking to an Assassin I don't recognize.

I keep looking around and I spot an Assassin that looks off somehow.  I get closer to him and I see he seems to be surrounded by an aura of dark energy.  That's not normal for an Assassin.   I get closer to the strange Assassin.  I catch a glimpse of his eyes.  They are solid black.  That is definitely wrong.  He pays no attention to me.  He seems to be focused on Ezio.  He moves silently up behind Ezio.  No one seems to be taking notice of him.  Apparently no one else can see the dark energy.  He is standing right behind Ezio now.  He is about to stab Ezio with his hidden blade but I get him first.  The dark energy Assassin collapses, dead.  Someone calls to Ezio to look out and someone grabs me from behind.  Apparently they think I'm the attacker here...  Ezio turns around and looks at me.  The other Assassins are telling Ezio I was trying to kill him.  Ezio just looks puzzled.  He says no, that's Raven, there must be some other explanation.  One of the other Assassins points at the dead Assassin and says I just killed him.  As if on cue, the dead Assassin changes into smoke and disappears.  Assassins are all staring.  I hear people muttering, asking what that was.  Ezio wants to know what that was.  I tell him it was a shadow Templar in disguise.  He had been about to stab Ezio in the back.  Ezio says that doesn't make sense, either.  Ezio says he just recruited that guy, and when he checked him out he was definitely not a Templar.  I wonder if maybe the dark energy can somehow fool Ezio's eagle vision.  Since he's not used to seeing it.  I wonder how to test that theory.  I would have to find another disguised shadow Templar.  But where would I find one? I look around the room.  There are quite a few Assassins, but none of them look out of place.  No sign of dark...  wait...  I spot someone in the corner with a dark energy aura.  A female Assassin who is trying to blend with the rest of the group.

I get closer to Ezio.  A couple other Assassins don't seem to want me too close to Ezio, they block my way.  Ezio comes over closer to me.  I point over to where the shadow Templar is and ask Ezio if he sees anything out of place over there.  The shadow Templar is with a group of four Assassins.  Ezio looks over there and says he only sees a group of five Assassins.  Another Assassin tells Ezio not to trust me, what happened to the dead Assassin is just proof of my evil tricks.  Ezio doesn't pay any attention to him.  He asks me what he should be looking for.  I tell him dark energy, one of them is a shadow Templar in disguise.  And it's a good disguise.  Ezio looks over there for a bit longer.  An Assassin pulls me away from Ezio and tells him that the traitor is right here, I am clearly the Templar here.  Ezio says no, he is sure I'm no Templar.  The other Assassin starts to object again but it is clear Ezio isn't paying any attention to him.  Ezio just looks at him until he lets go of my arm and backs off looking frustrated.  Ezio turns his attention back to the group of Assassins I pointed out.  The question is how to get Ezio to see dark energy.  I am focused on that goal when I think of the song Unforgiven II by Metallica.  I take this key and I bury it in you...  the key to seeing dark energy.  Ezio finally says he does see something.  The woman, second from the right, has a dark aura...  but why didn't he see that sooner? I tell him it can take time to see dark energy when you're not used to it.  He starts to go over to the shadow Templar.  I tell him to wait, now that he sees them he needs the energy that can destroy them.  In a pocket of my robes I find a Witchblade with a light energy crystal which I give to Ezio.  He puts it on and then goes over to the small group of five Assassins and I follow him.  He directly addresses the shadow Templar.  The shadow Templar tries to act casually but looks a bit worried.  She points at me and says she can't believe someone she thought was an Assassin had turned traitor like that.  Ezio says I am no traitor...  and he can see what she is.  She backs away a step but then laughs.  She gives up all pretense of being an Assassin.  She says there is no way the Assassins can win with the power she and the Templars have now.  She tries to attack Ezio but he is too fast and stabs her with his hidden blade.  She laughs and says she can't be killed.  Then the gem in the Witchblade activates and charges the blade with light energy.  The shadow Templar stops laughing and says that is impossible just before she collapses and disappears in a puff of smoke.  Ezio looks over at me and asks if I see any more.  I look around and I don't.  I tell Ezio that, and add that now that he has seen one he should be able to see them a lot more easily.  He asks where these Templars are coming from.  I tell him I can answer his questions but not now, I am about to wake up.  He looks at me strangely then I wake.

[Winter Shield]

05/29/13

Winter Shield
I am in a place I don't recognize.  I have somehow become semi-lucid without remembering how it happened.  I look around and I see Nomad sleeping in a bed.  He is there holding Winter.  I stand and watch them sleep for a while, thinking they look peaceful together and feeling lonely that there is no one in this dimension meant for me.  I am lost in my own thoughts when I see that I am not the only one watching them.  I look around and see there are Templars everywhere.  I am not sure what they are doing there but I am sure they are up to no good.  I drop an Immortal Fire spell right near Nomad and Winter.  The explosion of energy incinerates all the Templars in its path.  When the energy fades I see all of the Templars are gone.  I look back at Nomad and Winter, feeling a little better.  Being alone doesn't mean I have to give in to the Templars.  I wait for a bit longer and Nomad wakes up, or more accurately he enters the dream.  He looks up at me.  I tell him he had been surrounded by Templars, but I got rid of them.  We can get right to putting up a shield around Winter.  He agrees that is a good idea, first we'll have to go into her inner world.  He says he isn't sure what condition the place is in…  Since I have never been in there I let Nomad take both of us into Winter's inner dream world.  Once we are in Winter's inner world I see that it is in complete chaos.  The place is on fire, and there are dream demons flying everywhere.  Nomad looks around and then says the dream demons are only DC's.  That means her inner world has fortunately not been invaded as it appears.  The dream demon DC's are making things a bit chaotic so I focus on two songs at once.  Enter Sandman to create a cyclone of energy and Black Hole Sun to draw all of the free flying dream demons into the center of that cyclone.  There is a large explosion in the center of the cyclone and the DC dream demons are destroyed.  I look around and see Nomad holding on to Winter.  I focus on the song Blitzkrieg by Metallica in order to form a defensive shield around all of Winter's inner world.

After that is done I focus on the song Full Moon Light to spread healing energy throughout the place.  It flows to all areas of Winter's inner world as well as through Nomad and Winter.  Nomad looks upset by something.  I ask him if Winter is ok.  He says we need to go to the healing glen.  I open a portal to the healing glen and we go through it.  We are greeted by the Crystal Golem.  We all sit down in the tall grass, Nomad is holding Winter close to him.  The birds are singing, there are butterflies flitting around as well as some other iridescent insects.  An angel is singing a healing song.  For some reason the healing energy isn't making me feel any better, I am feeling more alone than ever.  So I get up and leave, walking through the tall grass until I come to a small pond.

I sit down on the banks of the pond and look out over the water wishing I didn't feel like crying.  But I am alone… so it's ok to cry.  So I sit there and cry silently.  I don't know how long it has been before someone is beside me.  He asks if I am ok.  I instinctively try to wipe the tears away, it is a habit for me to not want to be seen crying.  He doesn't say anything more, he sits down beside me and puts his arm around me, pulling me close.  Somehow the fact someone came to check on me makes me want to cry more, people don't do that in my waking life.  I look to my side and see Altaïr is the one sitting beside me.  We sit there for a bit until I hear strange noises behind me.  Nomad is there, says something about smoking a joint.  Winter is playing around with some kind of ninja powers.  Nomad says we have to find Ezio.  Altaïr says he already knows where to find Ezio.  The Ezio we are looking for is from the same world he is from, just a different time period.  He said he scouted the area and caught sight of a shadow templar disguising himself as Altaïr, but he disappeared before Altaïr could stop him.  A fake Altaïr… that would explain the visions I got of Ezio and Altaïr fighting, it was no doubt the fake Altaïr.  Good to know since between Ezio and Altaïr I would tend to choose Altaïr.  I wake up, and for a few seconds I still feel Altaïr's arm around me as if he had come out of the dream with me.
 
Shadow Ambush
I am in a city I don't recognize.  I look around but I don't see anything that can help me recognize the place.  Something about it reminds me of a city from a video game, so I decide I must be testing out the latest virtual reality system.  So I set to exploring the town.  There are quite a few people wandering the streets but I don't recognize any of them and none of them seem to notice me.  I continue wandering until I find several guards that seem to be bullying one man, pushing him around, threatening him… I figure it is probably an optional task to teach those bullies a lesson.  So I check for weapons and find I have a sword and a hidden blade.  Good enough.  I go over to the guards and tell them they had better leave that man alone.  The guards laugh at me and tell me I had better move along if I don't want to get hurt.  I tell them I don't see anyone around that could hurt me, but this is their last chance to back off.  The guards just laugh at me.  One of them says maybe they should put me in my place.  The guards are now surrounding me, there are five of them.  The guy that had been being bullied takes the opportunity to run away.  Jerk… he won't even stick around to offer a reward for helping him?  Well, kicking these guys' asses should be a reward in itself.  The guards are around me with their swords drawn so I draw my own sword.  This brings more laughter.  One of them laughs and says the little girl thinks she's going to be able to fight.  One of them attacks me.  I block his attack and then cut him down with a counter strike.  The other guards seem surprised I was able to do that.  The others attack me now, I dodge out of the middle of the group, using a counter strike to take another one out.  Three left, and they're all attacking at once.  I focus on one and use a counter strike, turning around quickly to find the two coming from behind me… are already dead?  They haven't even hit the ground yet, and there is a man standing between them, the one who killed them.

I recognize that man as Ezio.  He is looking at me strangely.  Ok… taking out a few guards is easy, but I don't think I'm a high enough level to take on Ezio… but I don't have to.  He comes over to me, it sounds like he is going to ask me to join the Assassins, but he gets interrupted by another Assassin running up to him.  He says there is trouble, and Ezio is needed right away.  Ezio follows the other Assassin quickly and I follow Ezio, since he's apparently going where the action is.  We leave the main area of town and end up in a small glen of trees.  The other Assassin has stopped and is just standing there.  Ezio asks what is going on, who is in trouble?  The other Assassin looks up with a really evil grin on his face and says Ezio is the one in trouble.  There are Templars emerging from the trees.  They all seem to be surrounded by dark auras.  Shadow Templars!  There are shadow Templars in this game?  Then there had better also be magic to defeat them!  Ezio is instantly ready to fight the new enemies.  I tell him to wait just a second… then focus on the spell song Battery to summon a lightning bolt of light energy to charge Ezio's sword.

He looks at the sparking blade only briefly before attacking the shadow Templars.  There are six shadow Templars including the one disguised as an Assassin.  The Templar disguised as an Assassin is the first to fall to Ezio's blade.  The others has been moving in, but when they see their friend go down so easily they seem to hesitate, giving strange glances at each other.  I hear someone muttering about dark energy making them invincible… and a response of just kill them!  Ezio takes out a Templar coming at him from in front and then one off to his right in one smooth motion.  I manage to take out one attacking Ezio from behind and then counter strike the one attacking me.  I turn around just in time to see Ezio cut down the last Templar.  Ezio looks around to make sure there are no more Templars hiding in the trees and then over at me.  He asks who I am… there was something strange about those Templars, what was it?  All I end up tell him is my name… Raven Knight… then I feel like I am about to wake up.  I find that disappointing.  I don't want to return to my waking life.  I realize I have spoken aloud, said I don't want to leave.  Ezio says I don't have to go anywhere, but apparently it's not up to Ezio… I wake up.

[The Haunting of Ezio Auditore]

05/26/13

The Haunting of Ezio Auditore
I am lying on my back in a green field of grass.  I am looking up at a clear blue sky.  I have entered this dream already lucid by way of a hypnosis program.  I hear the music of Metallica playing in the distance, I fell asleep listening to Metallica.  I get up and look around.  I am alone in the field.  I remember that the first goal was to do the usual healing.  So I focus on opening a portal to the healing glen on the moon.  A portal opens and I go through.  On the other side I am near the healing springs.  Nomad is already there, and Winter is floating in the water.  I go over near Winter and focus on the song Voices to heal her.  Healing energy flows through Winter, and through everyone at the healing springs.  When we are finished with the healing I tell Nomad that we have to find Ezio.  I remember a previous dream that indicated shadow Templars would be going after Ezio.  I focus on opening a portal to find the instance of Ezio that needs help.  I focus for a bit and finally a portal opens.  Nomad immediately disappears through the portal, I follow after him.  On the other side we are inside a building, it is night time.  My first thought is that we are in one of the Assassin Dens or Assassin Towers off of Assassin's Creed Brotherhood or Revelations.  I look around the room and I see there is someone in bed sleeping.  It is too dark to see who it is.  But there are strange figures standing over the bed.  Five of them, two on each side of the bed and one at the foot of the bed.  One of the figures near the sleeper's head takes out a glowing dagger and prepares to stab the sleeper.  I yell at the figure to stop and jump over the sleeper to tackle the figure before it can stab the sleeper.  I pass right through the figure and crash face-first into the floor.  I look back at the figure.  While I didn't succeed in tackling the figure, I did succeed in distracting it from the sleeper.  I think I surprised the figure simply by being able to see it.  Nomad tells me they are on the astral plane, I need to also be on the astral plane to fight them.  As if to prove the point he transforms to be part panther and shreds one of the figures with massive claws.

The other figures turn from the sleeper towards Nomad.  I have to be on the astral plane?  I am unsure of how to switch planes like that…  Nomad is fighting the figures.  They are attacking him with strangely glowing weapons, astral weapons.  I wonder how I can help if I can't shift planes.  I form Witchblade into a sword, but it passes right through the figures without effect.  Nomad has now torn another of the figures apart.  I see the sleeper shift restlessly as if having a bad dream.  I am getting frustrated at being ineffective.  I attack a dark figure, this time charging my Witchblade sword with energy.  That seems to have done the trick, and I slice one of them in half as Nomad shreds a fourth.  The last one is coming at me and I am able to cut it down before it reaches me.  I go over to the sleeper, who still looks uneasy in his sleep.  I look closer at the sleeping man… I recognize him.  Ezio Auditore from Assassin's Creed.  I wonder how he could not have woken up during the time Nomad and I were fighting the intruders.  I look closer and see Ezio is in an uneasy sleep.  I hesitate, then I carefully try to wake him up.  No response.  I try a little harder.  No response.  Nomad says he thinks Ezio is being kept in a dream state by a dream demon.  We need to go into his dream to allow him to wake up.  That sounds a lot easier than trying to shift to the astral plane.  I find a dream crystal in my pocket and I give one to Nomad.  The gems activate and we are both beamed into Ezio's dream.  Once we're in the dream I see Ezio's nightmare.  There is a platform with some people tied to stakes, surrounded by kindling.  A man up there is laughing and about to set the kindling ablaze, burning those people alive.  Ezio is trying to get to them, fighting his way through a hoard of Templars but not making any progress.

It is clear he is desperate to reach those people before it's too late.  I look around to see where the actual dream demon might be.  I don't see any one enemy that stands out.  Nomad says there are so many dream demons.  I look around again, there must be the main dream demon somewhere.  I finally spot that the man  on the platform about to light the fire is the main dream demon.  Nomad has charged into the group of Templars and is scattering them, throwing them through portals that form in the sky.  I head straight for the man with the torch.  When I get close enough I use the song Dream Warriors.  The dream demon gets pissed off and transforms into a giant wraith.  I look and see that Nomad has gotten rid of enough Templars that Ezio has reached the platform, though now he is staring at the wraith.  I use another song, Enter Sandman by Metallica to create a cyclone of energy around the wraith.  There is a large explosion as light and dark energies mix like matter and antimatter.  As the wraith explodes there is a blinding flash of light and then the dream suddenly ends.  I wake up in bed. 

[Labyrinth of Darkness]

05/17/13

Labyrinth of Darkness
I am in a dark passage that looks like something out of a medieval dungeon.  I am not exactly lucid, but I have the mindset that I am playing a video game.  I somehow pull back and view my own character as if from outside.  I am me, dressed in black Assassin's robes.  I must be playing some new Assassin's Creed game.  I go back to 1st person.  I can sense where my target is, but this time it isn't a target to kill it's a target to rescue.  If I can avoid being seen by the demons here I will be better off.  This is a stealth mission.  So I quietly sneak down the corridor, following the closest route to my target.  I see movement down the corridor and I move into a dark alcove just in time to avoid being seen by a really ugly guard as he walks by.

With my dark robes he doesn't notice me at all.  He looks a bit like a human sized troll… and he smells worse.  I continue down the corridor, watchful for any other guards.  I hear the screams of someone being tortured.  Is that my target?  I might have to fight to get him out after all.  I follow the direction of the screams for a bit and I realize I am going the wrong way.  But I am close to the source of the screams now… I have to check it out.  I peek through an open door into a torture chamber with all sorts of nasty indescribable devices.  There is a bald man chained to one of those devices being tortured with fire by three more of the troll things.  They laugh every time he screams.  I plan to go into the room and try to stealth assassinate two trolls at once and then hopefully get the third before he raises an alarm.  I am about to do that when what looks like a demon enters the room and tells the trolls to back down.  They immediately hurry away into a corner as if they are afraid they will be next to be tortured.  The demon addresses the prisoner as Robert de Sable and says he must apologize for this treatment.  I do a double take… the prisoner is a Templar leader?  The demon says someone must have made a mistake, he had left explicit orders for Robert to be brought directly to see him as he has a business proposition.  The demon acts as if he has just realized Robert is in pain, and waves one taloned hand.  The scene shifts.  Robert is now standing in front of the demon, no longer chained, and his wounds are healed, and he is in his usual Templar armor, I can recognize him now.

The demon says he wants Robert to work for him.  Robert asks what if he doesn't want to.  The demon says if the answer is no, he will simply go and leave Robert to his fate.  The troll demons in the corner are muttering to each other.  Robert immediately tells the demon not to go, he just wants to know what he would be doing for the demon.  The demon grins evilly and says he only wants Robert to do what he likes to do best… kill Assassins.  Robert mutters something about Altaïr.  The demon laughs and says revenge against Altaïr may come later, but Robert's first target is actually one of Altaïr's descendents… an annoying Assassin by the name of Ezio Auditore.  The demon says his power will allow Robert to crush Ezio like a small bug, but they would discuss details in a more suitable location.  The trolls in the corner are hissing in anger, they want their prisoner back.  The demon just glares at them and they cower back.  Both the demon and Robert leave through an exit on the other side of the room.  I think something should be done to keep them from going after Ezio, but I still believe I am playing a video game and I am not at a high enough level to challenge that demon.  He would crush me like a small bug…  So I make a mental note to find a way to help Ezio as I continue to track the target of my current mission.  I finally find where my target is.  A troll guard is standing by a prison cell door.  I sneak quietly over to the cell door and stealth assassinate the troll guard with my hidden blade, charging the blade with light energy in order to make it more effective.  I use a Harry Potter spell alohamora to unlock the cell door and I go inside.  There is a man huddled in the corner under white robes.  Is he an Assassin?  He is my target.  I go over and tell him I'm there to get him out.  He says if he had any strength he could open a portal.  I focus on transferring some energy to him.  He looks up at me, now looking more like a wizard than an Assassin.  He stands and opens a portal.  I can see it leads to somewhere green and alive.  He says to hurry before the demons sense the portal, they hate it when someone escapes the Dark Realm.  He goes through the portal but before I can follow him I wake.

[Escape From Jerusalem]

05/16/13

Escape From Jerusalem
I am lying on a blanket in the middle of a green field.  I look up at the clouds passing through the blue sky, I see that one of them looks like a cat.  I sit up and look around.  I am by myself.  I remember my dream plans.  Healing.  I have been making it a habit to do some healing on Nomad's girlfriend Winter to try to get her fibromyalgia under control.  Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be helping.  But I guess I'm not ready to give up trying.  So I open a portal to the healing springs on the moon.  Nomad and Winter are already there, so I go through the usual process of healing with the song Voices.  It makes me want to fall asleep in the dream, but I remember that there is another plan.  To share an Assassin's Creed dream with SJ.  As if he already knew what I wanted to do, Q appears and says he will send me to the proper instance of Jerusalem.  He snaps his fingers and the scene around me changes.  I am now standing in a back road of a city that looks like Jerusalem from Assassin's Creed.  I am just missing SJ.  I use the song Dream On by Aerosmith to initiate a shared dream.  I focus on SJ, and after a bit a woman appears.  She is dressed in dark Assassin robes and is looking around at the city but doesn't seem to notice me.  I ask if she is SJ, she says yes.  Now to find Altaïr.  Of course that could be difficult in a place the size of Jerusalem, especially if he doesn't want to be found.  I figure Q probably sent me to a place fairly close to Altaïr.  SJ and I walk out into what looks like a busy market place.

There are vendors all around selling their wares, people buying, it is very crowded.  I see what appears to be the main gate out of the city not far away.  There are Templars blocking the way, which is getting quite a few people more than a little pissed off.  I look around the area and I spot one of the game hiding places.  Five robed scholars approaching the gate.  But the middle one isn't quite right.  The differences aren't nearly as visible as in the game, his weapons are mostly concealed beneath his robes.  I can see the tip of the sword hanging down below the robes, but that is it.  If I didn't know what I was looking for…  The group of scholars approaches the gate and tries to pass through but the Templars block the way.  After briefly arguing about it and then getting threatened with execution the group turns back into the market place.  I see a bench nearby, so SJ sits on one end and I sit on the other.  As I expected, Altaïr sits right between us and looks over at the gate, watching the Templars closely.

SJ is staring at Altaïr.  Maybe he sees her from the corner of his eye or maybe he just senses her watching him, but Altaïr turns and looks at SJ.  SJ hesitates briefly, then holds up her left hand with the ring finger bent over to indicate she is an Assassin.  I can't see his face, and it is too loud to hear if he is speaking, so I don't know how he responds.  But after a short time he turns and looks over at me.  I copy SJ's hand gesture to indicate I am also an Assassin.  He looks at me closely for a bit, perhaps checking my identity with his eagle vision.  He seems satisfied that SJ and I are both Assassins.  He says it is important that he get out of Jerusalem as quickly as possible before Robert de Sable meets with Richard.  SJ indicates the gate.  He asks if we know how many Templars are out there.  I say it's not enough.  Altaïr says he'd been hoping to avoid a direct confrontation with the Templars but there is no more time to wait.  So all three of us go over to the gate.  Templars get in the way and say no one enters or leaves.  The Templar who spoke eyes us suspiciously.  Two more Templars join him when we seem unwilling to leave.  There are three of them, three of us… three stabs with three hidden blades, three dead Templars.  The others don't seem to immediately realize what has just happened.  We are halfway through the gate before some Templar sounds the alarm, pointing at us and yelling that the Assassins are here, don't let them through.  So now a fight begins.  I look over at SJ and see she has produced a sword from somewhere and knows how to use it.  She kills a Templar as I watch.  The next thing I know Altaïr yells to look out.  I turn just in time to see Altaïr's throwing knife embedded in the neck of a Templar who had been coming at me.  I need to pay less attention to SJ and more attention to the Templars!  I dodge an incoming attack from a Templar and counter strike with my Witchblade sword, taking out another Templar.  We are fighting our way towards the stables.  Altaïr is after a horse.  So we fight our way to the stables, leaving a trail of dead Templars in our wake.  Then Altaïr is on a horse, tearing out of the stable at full speed and running down a couple Templars who had been blocking the gate.  SJ and I kill some Templars trying to get to the horses to give chase.  I see Altaïr disappear into the distance.  There's no way they'll catch him now.  I have just killed another Templar when I wake.

[Search for Nomad]

05/11/13

Search for Nomad
I am on a long driveway in front of a nice house.  I am thinking it's mine even though I've never seen it before.  There is a huge yard around the house.  I see rolling fields of grass and wild flowers with a forested area in the distance.  I look around a bit more, the grass is tall and blowing in the wind.  There is a tree with a wooden swing hanging from it.  I can hear the birds singing all around though I can't see any of them.  I entered this place through a hypnosis program so I am already lucid.  I think I have plans to continue healing Winter since I don't yet know if she is feeling better or not.  I focus on opening a portal to the healing glen.  I go through the portal into the healing glen.  I see the crystal golem in the glen seeming to be tending to something.  I don't see Winter or Nomad.  I ask him if Nomad and Winter are around.  He says no, but if I need healing...  I say I'll be back after I find Nomad and Winter.  I focus on a portal to the healing springs on the moon.  The portal opens and I go through.  I am alone again.  No one is there.  The pools look very inviting.  But where are Nomad and Winter?  I wonder where they might be.  Has something happened to them? I focus on a portal and on finding them.  I will open a portal to wherever they are.  I focus, but nothing happens.  I wonder what could be wrong...  I decide to try to bring them to me.  I focus on my altered lyrics of Dream On by Aerosmith.  The song plays through, but still nothing happens.  I try again, focused on Nomad.  Still nothing.  I wonder what could be wrong.  I wonder if they are sure ok.  I am trying to think of another way to find them when the dream slips away and I wake up.

Dark Tower: Defenders
I am near a small camp just near a rundown looking town.  It is night time and the stars shine brightly above.  I am not alone there, I am there with Roland, Eddie, and Susanna.  One of the first things I notice is wrong is Susanna has her legs.  I think that is really odd, as in the Dark Tower books she is missing the lower part of her legs.  In spite of that difference I still recognize these people from the Dark Tower series.  They apparently realize I am there because Roland motions me over.  He says the people of the town are too scared, and they believe there is nothing that can be done about the attacks that come.  He says they are also too afraid of being infected, which is actually a valid fear.  He asks if I, an assassin, will stand beside them until the end if needed.  I hesitate, wondering how he knows I am an assassin, but then I tell them I will stay with them.  He asks if I would happen to know any other assassins I could call on, we will be seriously outnumbered.  I think of several.  My first thought is MoSh.  I use Dream On by Aerosmith and focus on MoSh.  MoSh appears out of nowhere, much to Roland's surprise.  Eddie and Susanna are talking to each other off to the side.  I focus on the song and this time I try to summon Nomad.  Nothing happens.  I focus harder but nothing happens.  I focus on summoning Spike.  He appears, then asks where the bloody hell is he.  He asks if I just teleported him.  He says he's always glad to see me, but next time give him some warning before pulling him in.  I think about that and decide he is right, it is kind of rude to just grab someone…  Now I am hesitant to summon anyone else, and Roland takes my pause to mean I am done.  He says the only direction the enemy can approach from is west, so we need to guard the narrow approach from the west and not let any of them pass.  Everyone spreads out, the area is mostly desert so vegetation is sparse and I can see the others take up positions.  There is some light coming from the east and I can now see that we are in a narrow canyon, and there is indeed no way around us.  Things are approaching.  They look like big trolls.  And there are a lot of them.  The silence of the morning is broken by gunfire.  I check and realize I have a gun.  That's a first… so I start shooting at the trolls as they charge through the desert.  They seem heedless of the fact they are dropping as fast as they can come.  I shoot one as it is about to reach me and it practically falls at my feet.  In the brightening day I can see worms wiggling around in the head wound… YUCK!  Its whole body is covered with those worms.  I can see why the people in the town were worried about infection.  The trolls just keep coming, it almost seems unfair to be using guns on them when they don't even seem to have the intelligence to realize they're dying.  Finally they seem to get the picture and the ones farther away are retreating.  I wonder what will keep them from coming back, or if they will actually remember this canyon as a bad place to be.  I am thinking about asking Roland when I wake.

[I ‘wake up’ in the same location entirely aware that I am dreaming. I feel oddly calm and untroubled. I have the momentary urge to remember lucid goals but the urge floats lightly away like a strand of spider silk on the breeze. I walk into the midst of a nearby crowd. They are looking into the night sky but not to the stars. They are waiting for fireworks. Some are complaining that it is taking too long. I point to the section of the sky with a nebula that looks kind of like the butterfly nebula. The earth jerks and suddenly the nebula is right in front of us. It wavers slowly like there are heat waves between us and it.Everyone is amazed that I brought the nebula so close. I am surprised that the DCs are finally impressed by my dream abilities. But I didn’t bring the nebula closer to us, I brought us closer to it. I try to explain but none of the DCs understand it. I then do this a few more times, simply point out the place I want to be and the entire planet moves there. They try but can’t do it.I use a finger to pinpoint a spot in the sky. When I move my finger the starry sky slides from side to side, as if I am using a touch screen. This also isn’t me moving the sky but me anchoring myself in the sky to move the planet. The DCs still don’t understand. They begin to inquire if I am a god. “No.” I keep telling them. “There are no gods, only dreams and dream masters. We’re in a dream.”To further demonstrate, I leap into the air and fly straight up. As I come back down I am engulfed in flames as I renter the earth’s atmosphere. It doesn’t hurt but I do feel an unusual sensation flickering over my skin. It is sort of like millions of ribbons of faint electricity are running over my body. I fly around engulfed in flames for a while and then land. Most of the DCs are gone.I wonder what time it is where I am sleeping. I look to the bench where I’d laid down and am surprised to see my body still laying there. It doesn’t feel like it really is me laying there. I poke at the sleeping me and she stirs. I wonder if I will wake iwl if I wake her up here. I decide to test this out and very viciously shake the other me awake. She sits up and looks so miserable and tired that I think I should have left her sleeping. She stares at me with a look that is the epitome of murderous rage. I can tell by her eyes that she is contemplating how to kill me for waking her up. “What time is it, where you are?” I ask suddenly to distract her. The look on her face changes to one of deep thought. She raises a finger to the sky and places it onto the moon, which hangs low in the Western horizon. The moon turns into a white faced clock with black numbers but no hands. She slides the moon clock across the sky, a comet like tail trails along after it. The other me sets the clock very low on the Eastern horizon. “Does this mean it’s almost morning?” I ask.“What else would it mean?” She asks bitterly. “I’m going back to sleep. Don’t wake me again.” She lays down and immediately dozes off. I turn back to the clock and wonder about the different things it might mean, though I’m mostly sure it means it is nearly morning. What the hell else could it be? I pace and consider the scene. “It’s always East and West.” I say out loud, “Hardly ever North or South. This time... a broken clock moon in the east night sky... a night sky full of strange stars and nebula. Two sleeping mes and a lucid me. What am I saying here?” I keep repeating these questions as I pace, I’m sure there is a hidden meaning. I want to figure it out before we all wake.]

LD Within a Dream - DILD

Staying at hotel, in room most of the time and not allowed out. I either sit by the window staring outside or pace the room.
Have to shower but sister goes in first. She takes a long time. I’m left roaming the hotel. There are no stairs, we have to climb from level to level. I eventually climb to my floor and to my room. I gather my stuff to shower and have to climb to the shower this time.

While in there, it dawns on me that one wall is all window. People can probably see me showering. I’m not too disturbed by this except that it also dawns on me that there might be kids out there who can see into the shower. Don’t need to be traumatizing them with my nakedness. I  lower a screen over the window and everything is okay.

Done showering I climb back down and outside. It is night. People are gathered around looking up at the sky. There are several large, multicolored nebulae in the sky. They also look very close. I think I may be dreaming, but instead of biting my finger to check I lay down on a bench outside the hotel and go to sleep.

I ‘wake up’ in the same location entirely aware that I am dreaming. I feel oddly calm and untroubled. I have the momentary urge to remember lucid goals but the urge floats lightly away like a strand of spider silk on the breeze.

I walk into the midst of a nearby crowd. They are looking into the night sky but not to the stars. They are waiting for fireworks. Some are complaining that it is taking too long. I point to the section of the sky with a nebula that looks kind of like the butterfly nebula. The earth jerks and suddenly the nebula is right in front of us. It wavers slowly like there are heat waves between us and it.

Everyone is amazed that I brought the nebula so close. I am surprised that the DCs are finally impressed by my dream abilities. But I didn’t bring the nebula closer to us, I brought us closer to it. I try to explain but none of the DCs understand it. I then do this a few more times, simply point out the place I want to be and the entire planet moves there. They try but can’t do it.

I use a finger to pinpoint a spot in the sky. When I move my finger the starry sky slides from side to side, as if I am using a touch screen. This also isn’t me moving the sky but me anchoring myself in the sky to move the planet. The DCs still don’t understand. They begin to inquire if I am a god. “No.” I keep telling them. “There are no gods, only dreams and dream masters. We’re in a dream.”

To further demonstrate, I leap into the air and fly straight up. As I come back down I am engulfed in flames as I renter the earth’s atmosphere. It doesn’t hurt but I do feel an unusual sensation flickering over my skin. It is sort of like millions of ribbons of faint electricity are running over my body. I fly around engulfed in flames for a while and then land. Most of the DCs are gone.

I wonder what time it is where I am sleeping. I look to the bench where I’d laid down and am surprised to see my body still laying there. It doesn’t feel like it really is me laying there. I poke at the sleeping me and she stirs. I wonder if I will wake iwl if I wake her up here. I decide to test this out and very viciously shake the other me awake. She sits up and looks so miserable and tired that I think I should have left her sleeping. She stares at me with a look that is the epitome of murderous rage. I can tell by her eyes that she is contemplating how to kill me for waking her up.

“What time is it, where you are?” I ask suddenly to distract her. The look on her face changes to one of deep thought. She raises a finger to the sky and places it onto the moon, which hangs low in the Western horizon. The moon turns into a white faced clock with black numbers but no hands. She slides the moon clock across the sky, a comet like tail trails along after it. The other me sets the clock very low on the Eastern horizon. “Does this mean it’s almost morning?” I ask.

“What else would it mean?” She asks bitterly. “I’m going back to sleep. Don’t wake me again.” She lays down and immediately dozes off.
I turn back to the clock and wonder about the different things it might mean, though I’m mostly sure it means it is nearly morning. What the hell else could it be? I pace and consider the scene. “It’s always East and West.” I say out loud, “Hardly ever North or South. This time... a broken clock moon in the east night sky... a night sky full of strange stars and nebula. Two sleeping mes and a lucid me. What am I saying here?” I keep repeating these questions  as I pace, I’m sure there is a hidden meaning. I want to figure it out before we all wake.

I don't.


Note: Previously, I was the one with murderous intent toward other alternate dream mes. This dream I am on the other side of that intent and it was kind of scary and disturbing.

[Dark Tower: Ambush!]

05/09/13

Healing
I am lying on a blanket in the middle of a field of green grass.  I lie there for a few minutes, looking up at the blue sky as clouds drift by.  It is very relaxing.  I am lying there relaxing when I feel something wrapping around my right wrist, it feels like a snake.  I hesitate just a little too much before sitting up.  A snake thing wraps around my other wrist.  I look around and see I am not alone there, I am surrounded by Templars.  The places where the snakes… more like tendrils… are holding my wrists are burning.  There's some kind of dark energy pulsing through the tendrils.  The tendrils are extending from two of the Templars, right out of their right hands.  One Templar says there's nothing I can do to stop it now, they own me.  I form hidden blades on each arm and twist around to cut the tendrils.  There are many more tendrils heading my direction from all the other Templars.  I form Witchblade into a sword instead of hidden blades and cut through the tendrils as they try to grab hold of me.  There are just too many of them, they're all coming too fast.  I won't be able to hold them off for long.  I get another idea.  I put the sword away and let the tendrils wrap around my body.  I focus on the song spell Whiplash by Metallica, sending the energy back along the tendrils to their source.  The backlash of energy knocks each of the Templars back on their asses.  They are recovering quickly and sending the tendrils out again.  I start to set off an Immortal Fire spell, but I don't get all the way through setting it up before I am grabbed by the tendrils again.  I use Phantom Lord by Metallica to create a wall of fire around myself, the tendrils burn off.

During the time the wall of fire is protecting me I am able to complete the Immortal Fire spell.  A blast of energy extends out from me, destroying my own wall of fire and all the Templars standing around the outside of it.  When the energy clears I am alone in the field.  My first goal is the usual healing.  Since I wasn't able to find Nomad and Winter on the moon earlier I decide to try the healing glen first.  I open a portal and go through to find out my choice was correct.  Nomad and the crystal golem are standing near a levitating Winter.  I go over to them and focus on the healing spell Voices, directing healing energy through Winter.  Golden energy is permeating the entire area, flowing through everyone there.  It feels very relaxing.  I hadn't realized it but I had been quite angry at the Templars for intruding on my earlier peaceful dream.  I realize how angry I had been as I am calming down now.  I am so relaxed I feel I might fall asleep.  As the spells are coming to a close I really do fall asleep and wake up in bed.  

Dark Tower: Ambush!
I am in a comfortable looking house with three other people.  I don't remember the name of the one, but the other two are Roland and Eddie.  The third man is staring at me with his jaw open.  He says he never actually saw a walk-in walk in before, now he's seen everything.  I tell him there's one more to join us.  I think about getting MoSh into the dream.  I have had an idea for improving the chances of shared dreaming so I decide to test it out with someone I know I can make a connection with.  I focus on the song Dream On by Aerosmith, but I change the lyrics from "Sing with me, sing for the years.  Sing for the laughter, sing for the tears.  Sing with me, just for today.  Maybe tomorrow, the good lord will take you away," to "Dream with me, dream of the years.  Dream of the laughter, dream of the tears.  Dream with me, just for today.  Maybe tomorrow, the good lord will take you away."  I focus on the alternate lyrics while keeping in mind who I want to make contact with.  After a brief pause MoSh appears in front of me, looking a bit disoriented.  Roland says we really need to get moving now, before Balazaar's goons come after us.  Eddie seems to want to talk to the other man some more.  Roland tells him to talk as we go.  He asks who can drive.  Eddie, then me, then the other man, and finally MoSh all say we can drive.  It appears Roland is the odd one out there.  So we go outside to where there is a car and a truck parked.  I am hoping I didn't lie, I am not familiar with driving a stick shift… I need not have worried, it is an automatic.  MoSh, Eddie, and the other guy all get in the truck, which I find a bit odd… there is more room in the car… I decide not to worry about seating arrangements.  I drive the car, following after the truck, Roland is in the seat beside me.  Roland is silent for a while, then he finally asks where exactly it is that MoSh and I come from… is it from Eddie's world?  I don't have to figure out an answer for that, however, as the truck in front of us blows a tire and skids off into the ditch.  I slam on the brakes just in time to keep from hitting the row of spikes on the road.  We are under attack!  I wonder how they had time to set up an ambush.  Roland is out of the car in an instant with his gun drawn, he takes out two of the goons before they can react and take cover behind a couple vehicles hidden alongside the road.  I get out of the vehicle quickly, but not fast enough.  We are in a shootout.  But do I have a gun?  I don't see a gun anywhere, I am dressed in my Assassin robes, I have two hidden blades… didn't anyone tell me not to bring a hidden blade to a gun fight?  Shooting is going on around me while I look for my gun.  I want to help out somehow… so I sneak off to the side and into the trees.  Maybe if I can just get behind them…  Someone shoots at me, but he misses and leaves himself open to be shot, I think he gets shot by MoSh.  So MoSh got a gun and all I got was hidden blades?  I focus on summoning a gun but nothing happens.  Shit.  The shooting continues.  I circle through the trees, and I spot a pair of goons approaching with the same idea I had.  I climb up into a tree before they see me.  Then as they are passing below me I jump out of the tree and do a double assassinate on the two goons before they can circle around behind Roland and the others.

I think that might be why I couldn't summon a gun… if I had, I wouldn't have been sneaking around and found these two!  I go to continue circling around behind the other goons when there is an explosion.  Someone must have ignited a gas tank.  I see smoke rising from the trees ahead, but then the dream fades out and I wake partially…  I doze back into the dream, not lucid now, and time has passed.  I am with Eddie, Roland, and MoSh and we are in a nice looking house talking to Stephen King, which I think is pretty awesome.  I wish I had one of his books to get signed.  MoSh is looking around the room.  Roland is saying something about Stephen King creating us.  I tell Roland that I don't think Stephen King created anyone, but he can see into other worlds that most people deny the existence of.  Influence events?  That seems likely, let it be written, let it be done.  But create real living people?  Only a god can do that.  But I really want to know how he can see the other worlds, because I want so badly to see the other worlds while I am awake, to have final proof that they exist…  Then I ask Stephen King if he could write me a door… a door from my own house into my inner world, or a door to any world where magic works, really.  Because if I just had my powers I could go anywhere.  A short story would surely do.  Make the door appear in June 2013, please.  In the home of Raven Knight.  And not locked, or write in a key with it.  Stephen King looks at me strangely, and then I wake up.
 
Dream With Me
I am in my own room lying in bed.  I sit up and stroke a furry animal by my side.  The animal pikas at me.  Pikas?  I feel another animal beside me, and this one vees when I pet it.  "Pika!"  "Vee!"  A pikachu and an eevee.  I get out of bed and do a reality check, which is something I am trying to get in the habit of doing every time I wake up in bed.  I pinch my nose and find I can still breathe.  I'm dreaming!  My first thought is to just go outside and fly somewhere, I always like flying dreams.  I think for a few minutes, then I remember I had a goal of trying to share a dream with a couple people.  I decide to try my new song spell to reach someone I haven't dreamed with before, or at least not much.  My first goal will be to share a dream with FH.  I remember he wanted to get to the moon so I will do it from there.  I open a portal.  Nothing happens.  I wonder why it's not working.  I look at my closet door for a bit and then open it.  My closet door leads to the moon.  I go through the door to a place at the base of the tower.  The door vanishes behind me.  I focus on the song Dream On by Aerosmith, but I change the lyrics from "Sing with me, sing for the years.  Sing for the laughter, sing for the tears.  Sing with me, just for today.  Maybe tomorrow, the good lord will take you away," to "Dream with me, dream of the years.  Dream of the laughter, dream of the tears.  Dream with me, just for today.  Maybe tomorrow, the good lord will take you away."  Now I just have to focus on who I want to make contact with.  I realize I have absolutely no idea what image to focus on.  I focus on the idea of bringing FH to the moon as I focus on the altered lyrics.  At first nothing seems to be happening.  Then someone starts to take shape.  It's like a malfunctioning transporter on Star Trek.

The image forms a bit, then disappears a bit, then forms again.  I try to get a good look at the image but I am failing.  A man, I'm bad with ages but my guess is in his 30's, dark hair, his hair is short, might be slightly receding… he is average build and height… the image is so non-descript, this could describe countless men out there.  I wonder if that's what FH really looks like or if that's just how I picture him… I think the image is going to come into focus but instead it disappears.  I drop an Italian curse word… Cazzo.  I was also going to try to share an Assassin's Creed dream with SJ.  Key note being Assassin's Creed.  I focus on the alternate lyrics again, and this time I have a clear image to focus on.  Pretty, long dark hair…  Maybe I can pull SJ into a dream and shift this dream to an Assassin's Creed setting at the same time.  So now I focus on the song, and on both of us being in an Assassin's Creed world.  The scene around me does shift.  I do teleport.  I find myself in a place that looks like one of the cities from Assassin's Creed, the original game.  I think it is Jerusalem.  I am standing between two buildings, out of sight of the main walkways and streets.  Perfect, I think SJ would like to meet Altaïr.  As I am focused on the image of SJ someone starts to form in front of me.  Then I start questioning myself… what if we get attacked by a hoard of Templars?  If we get surrounded and attacked, would that make it a nightmare for her?  No… I don't think so.  Give her a sword and she could play virtual reality Assassin's Creed like I have done in previous dreams where I wasn't lucid.  So I keep focusing on SJ.  She is materializing, it is working!  Someone rudely shoves me out of the way, I lose focus, and SJ disappears.  I look and see Altaïr has pushed me out of the way.  I step back out in front of some guards that are chasing Altaïr, and they run right into me, we all fall down in a pile.  The guards quickly get up, several of them are cursing at me, and they continue in the direction Altaïr went… but I figure he is probably long gone.  I am thinking about trying Dream On one more time when I wake.

[Crystal Healing]

05/08/13

Crystal Healing
I am lying on a blanket in a green field of grass.  I sit up and look around me.  I am alone on the field.  I remember a goal of helping to heal Nomad's friend Winter, who has been having some problems with fibromyalgia.  I focus on a portal to go to the moon and it opens.  I go through into the area near the balancing pools.  The healing springs.  I look around to see if Nomad and Winter are there yet.  I don't see them.  I wonder if there might be something wrong.  I focus on opening a portal to find them.  A portal opens and I go through, not sure what I might find.  I find myself in the healing glen, the home of the crystal golem.  I figure Nomad must have brought Winter here for healing since the healing in the springs on the moon doesn't seen to be doing the trick.  The crystal golem is there, he is standing right next to a floating Winter.  Winter is levitating about three feet off the ground, surrounded by a glowing golden aura.  Nomad is watching this.  Nomad says we were trying to get anyone who would help to heal Winter here.  I focus on a portal to find Basara, I figure he would help.  A portal opens and I see him playing his guitar.  He comes right through.  So the three of us all use healing spells on Winter at the same time, while the crystal golem continues his healing.  A swirling orb of golden energy surrounds Winter, flowing around and through her.  The entire glen fills with the healing energy, it is flowing around and through all of us.  I see gross worm like things coming out of Winter...  I thought those were all gone!  After the healing spell is done the golden energy continues to permeate the clearing.  The crystal golem says those Templar attacks have done a lot of damage, Winter needs to have dreams within dreams where she can focus entirely on healing.  Nomad looks pissed when he mentions Templars.  The crystal golem says anger will solve nothing, and he seems to make an attempt to calm down.  I wonder if all of the parasites are really gone this time.  I remember that Nomad wanted to travel through time to make himself lucid.  I wonder how we can do that since I haven't been dreaming that long and I already know I'm dreaming.  I am still pondering that when Nomad kisses Winter and says this will have to pass.  I am pondering opening a portal through time when everything around me fades to black and I wake up.

[Land of Confusion]

05/06/13

Land of Confusion
I am lying on a towel in the middle of a green field.  It is a very peaceful setting.  I sit up and look around.  At first I think I am alone in the field but then I see there is a man there with me.  One solitary Templar.  He is watching me from a distance.  I figure I will ignore him but then I remember the tasks of the month.  One of them is to tell a DC that they don't exist.  This should be an easy one.  I go over to the Templar, who seems unsure of what to expect.  He says he is just there to watch, he means no harm.  I say it doesn't matter.  He isn't even real.  He hesitates and then asks what I'm talking about.  I tell him he doesn't exist.  He pauses again and then says if he doesn't exist then why do I keep killing him and his friends.  I ask how I can kill him if he doesn't exist.  I can't kill something that doesn't exist.  He pauses again.  I remember the other part of the task of the month, which is to set myself on fire in front of a DC.  I've already confused this Templar, why not go a bit further.  I ask him if he'd like to see someone on fire.  He backs away, holds his hands up, and says no, don't do that.  I tell him I'm not going to set him on fire, I'm not a sociopath.  I'll be the fire.  I call up a small fireball and set myself on fire.  It's warm but not hot.  I'm on fire but not burning.  The Templar just stares.  He is totally speechless.  He says I really am insane.  I comment that I should've known.  If I'm on fire he wouldn't piss on me to put me out.  Typical Templar bastard.  He doesn't seem to know what to respond.  I hear a meow and I look down to see Grumpy Cat roasting a marshmallow on my left foot.

I summon a splash of water to extinguish my fire and then scoop up Grumpy Cat to pet the cat.  Grumpy Cat submits to being picked up but looks grumpier than ever, she has a look in her eyes that says she would like to scratch my eyes out but for some reason she doesn't make any move to do so.  Grumpy Cat wiggles in my arms so I put her down.  She walks away, sticking her tail up as she goes as if she is flipping me the bird with her tail, telling me to fuck off.  I am left alone with the confused Templar.  I remember that I had been planning on checking on Nomad since I haven't heard from him for a while.  I focus on opening a portal to find Nomad, and one opens.  I am about to go through the portal when I wake up instead.
 
Captive Rage
After waking up from the previous dream I manage to go back to sleep and go directly back into the same dream.  I am in the field of grass, the Templar is still there watching me as if nothing had happened at all.  I focus on opening a portal to find Nomad and one opens.  This time I am able to go through it without any annoying waking up.  On the other side I am in trees, up in a tree.  I hear the sounds of quite a few people not far off.  I follow the sound, keeping to the trees as I go, jumping from tree to tree.  I have the idea if I appeared in the trees that maybe I should stay there for now.  I reach the site where I hear people without being spotted.  I look down on the scene below.  There are lots of Templars, some of them look like human Templars, others look like orcs.

There is an altar with a woman chained down to it, there are strange things crawling all over her.  The things look like worms of some kind, and they are burrowing into and out of her flesh as if it was loose soil.  I recognize the woman as Winter.  There are a couple Templars watching the torture, but most of them are focused on a large humanoid panther that they have chained to a huge stone of some kind.  That looks like Nomad, though he doesn't appear lucid.  A Templar is right beside him trying to be heard, which is very difficult considering Nomad is yelling some of the loudest expletives I have ever heard.  I look back down and see the altar is right below me with two Templars, both men, watching.  All of the others are distracted.  I form Witchblade into tow hidden blades and jump down on the two observing Templars, air assassinating both of them at the same time.  The move is silent and does not get any attention.  I am trying to get through the locks to free Winter when I realize Nomad is no longer yelling expletives.  I can now hear the Templar telling Nomad that the sooner he cooperates the sooner Winter will get well.  He resumes cursing at that Templar.  I focus on a healing spell, using Voices to send healing energy through Winter.  The healing energy forces the worms out and they burn in white energy.  Winter seems to relax, though she is still badly injured.  I sneak around the outside of the clearing to approach the rock Nomad is chained to from behind.  They are locked, of course.  I use the unlock spell from Harry Potter, alohamora, to open the locks and I kick myself for not thinking of the spell when trying to free Winter.  As I unlock the chains, an enraged Nomad realizes he is free and grabs the Templar who has been talking to him, practically tearing him in two with his claws.  He rips an orc Templar open and heads directly for Winter.  One Templar yells to stop him, another one says if the first one wants him stopped to do it himself.  Nomad reaches Winter and tears the chains off of her, they are smaller than the ones that had been holding him.  He looks at her and is pissed even more, tearing into more Templars with such a rage that the remaining ones scatter.  I open a portal to the moon, telling Nomad that Winter needs healing.  The first place I think of is the healing springs.  Nomad seems to calm down when he sees me and sees the Templars are gone.  We go through the portal to the healing springs.  Nomad sets Winter in the water, the water around her glows with a bright light as it has its healing effect.  Some dirty black stuff washes off of Winter and disperses.  I use my healing spell on her again, focusing more healing energy through her.  The worms are all gone now, and the wounds they have made heal closed.  After the healing she seems to be sleeping peacefully.  Nomad is crying now, saying he couldn't stand watching them do that to her… and then he adds that they will pay for what they've done.  Everything fades to black as I wake.