Kiyora's new temple was more impressive than she had been expecting. Much more impressive. It towered over the rest of the district like a great cathedral. Of course, it still had a bunch of holes in the walls, and the roof had fallen in, but then it was only half complete.

"Wow, this place is huge," said Kiyora. "Did you build this all in the last six months?"

"No, I'm repurposing it," admitted William. "It once belonged to a god that no one worships anymore. What was her name again, Felix?"

"Typhos," said Felix.

"Ah, right. She is the Mother of all monsters. There was a great war between her and the goddess Zeya," said William. "All the gods took sides, and eventually, Zeya emerged victoriously. Typhos' power was sealed away in an ancient shrine.

"Now her followers are scattered and few. All that remains of her power in Artarq is this temple."

They entered the center of the temple and saw a brown-bearded dwarf speaking with his workers. Above them loomed a gigantic statue. It looked like a brontosaurus, except it had seven heads like that of a snake instead of one. It had three heads like that of a lion and one head like that of a goat. It also had eight legs, four like a bug and four of a lizard.

Brinsiege, small even for a dwarf with ruddy skin and brown hair, looked up and ran up to William. He seemed determined. "I won't do it, sir!"

"Brinsiege, what is the problem?" asked William.

"I won't tear down a statue to a god!" snapped Brinsiege. "Not for any money. One has to show respect."

"Typhos hasn't been important in many centuries, Brinsiege," said William. "Why should we fear her?"

"And yet she is watching us. Look at that statue," said Brinsiege. "Look at those eyes. Whatever is behind them is judging us."

Kiyora looked up at the eyes and noticed that the eyes of the statue were all gems. That was weird. There was also a life in that gaze. Had Typhos been the one watching her? "...Hey, if this temple has been abandoned for years and years, why hasn't someone stolen the gems?"

"Good question," admitted William. "Brinsiege may be right. Still, we can't just leave the statue here. This is your temple, Kiyora."

"Why don't we just move it down to the catacombs?" asked one of the dwarves. "We could set up a secondary shrine there."

"Oh yes, because I'm certain Typhos will react so well to being made a secondary god in her temple," muttered Felix.

"Better to be worshipped by some than none," said William.

"Just leave the statue here," said Kiyora.

"What?" asked William.

"Put my statue up right here, see, across from it. Then give me a rainbow sword or something!" said Kiyora. "And I could be pointing it skywards, and Typhos could be roaring! And I could be riding a horse!"

"What is a horse?" asked William.

"A horse," said Kiyora, getting a blank look for her trouble. "An equine?"

"What is an equine?" asked William.

"A large pony," Kiyora tried. "Well, not really, but um... okay, seriously, how can none of you know what a horse is?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say because there are no horses in any land I've ever heard of," said William. "Even Erik the Voyager never wrote of such creatures."

"Wow, no horses. That is cool," said Kiyora. "Anyway, I want my statue to be facing the monster thingy-"

"Typhos," said Felix.

"-facing Typhos down and brandishing a sword," said Kiyora.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you have never used a sword. In or out of a dream," said William.

"It'll look cool. And appearances are everything," said Kiyora. "Why do you think my people dye our hair?"

"Very well. I'll contact the artisans and tell them that you are changing the plan. Again." said William with a sigh. "We'll have to create an entirely separate altar. Yet more expenses."

"Hey, we wouldn't even be in this situation if you had built a temple from scratch," said Kiyora. "Why do we have to repurpose this one at all?"

"It's cheaper this way," said William.

"Cheapskate," said Kiyora under her breath, though she wasn't offended.

"What?" said William.

"Never mind, it doesn't matter," said Kiyora.

William looked at her carefully for a moment. "...At any rate, how are things on your end, Kiyora?"

"My end?" asked Kiyora. She had an end?

"Yes, I needed you to arrange for priests to run this temple," said William. "It's best if we have them laid out in advance."

"Oh right, that!" said Kiyora. She vaguely remembered talking to Bjorn about this. "Um, the priests are all ready. But Bjorn is planning on sending them by sea from Port Otter. He hoped your dad would send some men to escort them, what with the pirates and all."

"Wonderful," said William. "I'll tell Father next time I see him."

"So, do you want to see this statue shaper guy?" asked Kiyora.

"His name is Vensus, and he is one of the best at his trade," said William. "If there is nothing else, Brinsiege, we'll see him."

"By all means. I've got work enough to occupy me clearing this place," said Brinsiege.

William led them out of the temple and back into the bustling streets. The area they were in was an impressive place. There were many different holy sites, shrines, and, of course, temples. They came in all shapes and sizes. At least a hundred gods must have been worshipped in this place.

"So, where are we heading?" asked Kiyora.

"We're heading to the Merchant's District," said William. "It is the center of business in Arsheen. What we're in now is the Temple district. Do I need to explain what its purpose is?"

What had him so annoyed? "Nope. Wow, there sure are a lot of people here."

"Well, it is business hours," said William. "Come."

Vensus' place was the exact opposite of the Dust Elven architecture. It was a house built of white pillars and elegant curves. Elaborate designs were all over the walls. They showed pictures of angels and various religious scenes. At the top of the house were four statues of angels, each facing outward on a corner of the roof.

"So this is the place?" said Kiyora. "Pretty, isn't it?"

"Yes," said William. "Oh, Kiyora, a warning before we go on: Vensus and his family are from the elvish reservations. So whatever you do, do not mention Anoa the Bright or anything to do with the founding of Harlenor. It is against common courtesy when dealing with the elves."

"I wasn't going to," said Kiyora. "Um, so uh... who was Anoa the Bright?"

"The founder of Harlenor United," said William. "He founded a dynasty of Kings that ruled over our golden age. Then Baltoth ambushed and murdered his last heir. After that, it fractured into three lesser kingdoms. He had a large part in destroying the old elven Kingdoms, so do not mention him.

"If you do, Vensus would be obligated to curse his name. At that point, I would be obligated to defend it, and we wouldn't get anything done."

"Okay," said Kiyora.

They walked to the door, and William knocked. It made a nice sound when William hit the door. After a moment, it opened, and out of the door peered an elf. A high elf, or so Kiyora guessed. His ears were longer than the Dust Elves. Yet they were shorter than hers, and his appearance was more angular. He was also fair-skinned with blonde hair tied into a ponytail.

"Ah, William," he said, "You are here at last."

"You were expecting us?" asked William.

"Yes, I saw you coming some time ago through the eyes of my angels," said Vensus. "I've had them track you for quite some time. You'll be happy to know I've already begun shifting the stone to make the requested changes. You really should plan these things out ahead of time."

Suddenly, Kiyora felt an impact on her forehead. The world began to fade around her, warping and twisting. Damn it, she was just getting interested.

"I see. Perhaps we should discuss the details of your fee," said William.

"Of course," said Vensus. "Come in."

"...Um, I have to go," said Kiyora.

William looked at her in irritation. "You might at least stay long enough to see the negotiations."

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

"No, I'm waking up," said Kiyora. "I can't-"

Kiyora felt the impact of a ruler being slapped lightly across her forehead. "Wake up, Kiyora! I don't pay you to sleep!"

Kiyora caught the ruler and shoved it away before looking up to see Gisora standing across from her. The green-haired Princess looked very annoyed, but she could stay that way. "You don't pay me at all."

"I'm serious; this is a club," said Gisora. "You aren't supposed to be sleeping through it."

"I was brainstorming," said Kiyora.

"With your eyes closed and your head on the desk," said Gisora.

"I brainstorm in my dreams," said Kiyora. "So, what's the agenda today?"

"We were just discussing what the hero should be in the story," said Gisora. "Great heroes make great villains, and I need you to come up with a hero to match Laurus' villain."

"Right, and what was Laurus' villain?" asked Kiyora.

Laurus looked a bit annoyed at this. He looked just like an elven version of William, except without the scar and a bit thinner. His body language was more like Felix's, though. "Fine, I'll repeat myself. He's a cunning and charismatic enemy who appears very reasonable. But he is manipulating events to cause as much chaos as possible."

"Why?" asked Kiyora. "Why does he want to cause chaos? How does he benefit?"

"He isn't human," said Laurus. "Instead, he's the avatar of a being of cruelty who enjoys toying with mere mortals. His true form is incomprehensible-"

"Another dark god?" said Kiyora with a yawn. "Why can't you ever make a normal villain? One that is elven."

"Because that would be boring," said Laurus.

"No, it isn't," said Kiyora. "There are plenty of great villains who are merely mortal."

"If someone is reading fantasy, they want to read about the fantastic," said Laurus. "Why have a fantasy setting at all if your villains are going to be elven?"

"It could make for a great twist," said Kiyora.

"Reya, what do you think?" said Gisora.

Reya only spoke if spoken to. Her hair was dyed a darker green from Gisora's today. A recent change. After getting the question, she adjusted her glasses nervously. Eventually, she found an answer. "I think both ideas are great."

"That is a complete cop-out," said Kiyora. "Give us an actual answer."

Reya froze up and stammered. "Erm... okay. Um... I think that Laurus' idea was better."

"Ha!" said Laurus.

"Fine, whatever," said Kiyora. "Okay, for the hero... um, I'd make the hero a human. There are too many elven heroes, and I'd have him have long blonde hair and a scar over his right eye, but he can still see fine. He is kindhearted and brave but also seeks glory. He spends his spare time healing the sick and injured. But he does it as much to practice his skills and increase his renown as to help them.

"He is also a complete cheapskate."

"So, being a cheapskate aside, he's a generic knight in shining armor?" said Laurus.

"And what's so wrong with that?" asked Kiyora, annoyed. "Nobody makes knights in shining armor in stories anymore. It's all about people who want personal revenge or want to make a lot of money. I can count on one hand the heroes on television these days who act the way they do because it's the right thing to do."

"That's because standard heroes are boring," said Laurus.

"No, they aren't! They're only boring when being a hero is the totality of their being!" said Kiyora. "I already said that William is motivated at least partially by a desire for glory and is a cheapskate. Those two factors could result in any number of character arcs."

"Yes, but reality is complex. In reality, there is no such thing as a hero," noted Gisora. "Everyone believes they are the hero of their own story, and media has evolved to account for that fact."

"They account for it by making the heroes a bunch of jerks," said Kiyora. "Heroism is a quality anyone can aspire to given the right circumstances."

"It isn't realistic," said Laurus.

"It is, too!" snapped Kiyora. "You only oppose the idea because you want everything to be about dastardly schemes. You think anyone with a moral compass is a boring character."

"Calm down, both of you," said Gisora. "Reya, what is your opinion?"

Reya paused thoughtfully. "Um, I'd rather not say."

"I insist. Your opinion is important to us," said Gisora.

"Erm, I think having some heroes in the story is probably good," said Reya.

"Well, that settles it, doesn't it?" asked Gisora before checking the time. "Now let's call this club meeting adjourned. Kiyora, next time you come here, make sure you do something other than sleep before the meeting. I know we're Dreamer Elves, but there are other ways to find inspiration, and you sleep too much."

"Yes, madam president," said Kiyora.

They parted company, and Kiyora and Reya began walking home together like always. It was a bright and sunny day, and even the shade cast by the great tree Actavosh couldn't detract from it. Actavosh himself was in a very good mood. His enormous boughs were stretching out to catch the sun.

Reya didn't seem to be enjoying the day much. She looked very thoughtful.

"Hey, Kiyora, mind if I ask you something?" she asked.

"Sure," said Kiyora.

"How do you come up with all these ideas so quickly?" asked Reya.

"I told you I dream about them," said Kiyora.

"Well, yeah, but um... usually when I dream, I dream of things I have experience with. You come up with all these weird ideas for settings," said Reya. "Like a round world, for instance. Or a flat world. I mean, I know some people can dream about things they don't know about, but usually, they are highly trained."

"I don't know, I guess it's just a talent I have," said Kiyora.

"You should become a Dream Sage then," said Reya. "You'd be great at it!"

"I don't know what I want to do when I grow up, to be honest," admitted Kiyora. "Do you?"

"I want to marry into a large harem group and have a big family," said Reya. "And I want to garden too. I want to be known as the best gardener ever to live.

"Oh, we should marry the same guy. That way, we won't all have to be separated after school ends."

"Right, uh..." How did Kiyora tell her she did not see the appeal?

Then Kiyora stopped. The hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end. Something was here. It wasn't just being watched. It was a presence she hadn't felt since she had seen him. Something moved in the corner of her eye, and Kiyora turned to look at it.

She saw only an empty alley like before. But for a moment, she thought...

"Kiyora, is something wrong?" asked Reya. "You just went pale all of a sudden."

"Did you see that?" asked Kiyora.

"See what?" said Reya in confusion.

"I uh... let's pick up the pace, okay," said Kiyora. "I've got a bad feeling, and I don't want to be out any longer." Something was out there. And Kiyora had a feeling she knew what it was.

"All right," said Reya, not getting it.

They came to Reya's house soon enough, a small one for this part of the city. The roots had formed only two stories and a few dozen rooms. Kiyora had been over here many times. Reya halted as she came to her driveway and turned to face her. "Well, here I am. See you tomorrow, Kiyora."

"Right, gotcha," said Kiyora before walking onward.

She ran as soon as she got out of sight of Reya's house. Not because she was afraid but because she just liked running sometimes. A couple in the street gave her strange looks, but she didn't care what they thought of her. Soon, she came to her house and saw Dad sitting on the front terrace, painting as always.

She waved and ran to him. Anything to forget what might be out there.

"Hey, Dad, how's the painting going?" she asked, coming to a halt next to him.

"Quite well," said Dad. "Just look at this."

Kiyora looked at the canvas. She saw a gigantic whirlpool, which was utterly black at the center. Many giant spires of rock rose from the water around the vortex. A massive tidal wave surrounded the entire thing. It stood looming over everything. The colors were bright, and it gave off a surreal, fantastic feeling.

"What is it?" asked Kiyora.

"It's a world that exists on a disk," said Dad. "But the entire thing is surrounded by a huge wave. It reaches thousands of miles into the sky. And every year, the wave goes down another few inches. And one day, it will fall completely and bring about the end of the world."

"Where do the people live?" asked Kiyora. "That's just a huge whirlpool."

"See those spires around the whirlpool's edge?" asked Dad. "Each of those is miles high and has many plateaus. The people live on those."

"And what are the people?" asked Kiyora.

"Fish elves and amphibians. They hate each other bitterly and war all the time," said Dad. "See, a long time ago, the gods were banished from this world, I call Dresh, and demons came to rule over the fish elves. The amphibs blame the fish elves for blocking the gods out and are always fighting with the demons."

"Sounds like it could be the site of a good story," noted Kiyora.

"Well, maybe you could write something in it," said Dad.

"I'm not exactly a writer," admitted Kiyora. "I come up with concepts, but that's about it." The front door opened, and Mom walked in quickly, dressed to kill in a fancy white dress. She sighed when she saw Dad. "Idlenus, finish up, dear."

"Why?" asked Dad. "What's the rush, Mayora."

"Don't you remember the charity ball?" asked Mom. "We're supposed to be attending it."

"You didn't tell me anything about this," said Kiyora in annoyance.

"I'm sorry, Kiyora. It must have slipped my mind," said Mom. "I cooked something for you to eat when you get hungry. It's in the fridge when you want it."

"Right, thank you," said Kiyora.

This wasn't anything new. Dad was a famous painter. His family had been obscenely wealthy before he got started. He liked spreading wealth to the less fortunate and the lesser races.

Kiyora went inside and started watching what used to be her favorite show on the TV. She wondered what she had ever seen in it with each passing moment. It had been great once before it had succumbed to a narcissistic actor who owned forty percent of the stock.

Just when she finished the episode, she got a phone call. Picking it up, she put it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, Kiyora, what are you up to?" asked Gisora.

"Watching what used to be a decent television show," said Kiyora.

"Not again," said Gisora in resignation.

"I mean, it started great," said Kiyora. "The plots were pretty intelligent, and the characters were all decent. They all shared screen time. Some of the characters were brilliant."

"So what happened?" asked Gisora in a bored tone.

"What do you think happened?" asked Kiyora. "They fired the lead writer and turned the show into pointless action sequences. Nobody except the insufferably smug main character gets any screen time anymore. Oh, and I forgot that part, the main character gets like... three love interests an episode."

"You do know that marrying multiple women is normal, don't you?" asked Gisora. "Your parents are a bit eccentric."

"I know that!" snapped Kiyora. "My problem is that these shallow love interests are introduced once per episode. Then they disappear completely and are never mentioned again! It defies belief that anyone could have that many one-night stands!

"And what kind of moral is it setting?

"'Sleeping with hundreds of women and then never seeing them again is A-okay?'

"The only way this show can be saved is if a legal attorney serves the main character."

"Legal attorney?" asked Gisora. "What for?"

"Demanding recompense for the hundreds of illegitimate children," said Kiyora. "There have got to be a few dozen at least. The mothers have a right to support. Then maybe he could get flayed alive by the rest of the cast for stealing all the limelight and die painfully."

"You don't have to watch it, y' know," said Gisora.

"Hey, if no one tears these trashy TV shows to shreds in the reviews, they will continue to make them," said Kiyora. "This is my time, spent for the betterment of the Dreamer Elf race. Whenever you watch quality television, do so and remember me."

"I won't be remembering you much, then. You know these shows cater to the lower classes, right?" asked Gisora. "Humans, halflings, dwarves, the species that only care about wish fulfillment."

"I'm the Dreaming Goddess!" snapped Kiyora. "I'm allowed to dream, damn it! Ugh, screw this. I'm going to bed."

"Don't you think it's a bit early?" asked Gisora.

"I've got nothing better to do," said Kiyora. "Mom and Dad have gone to another party."

"Isn't that the third one this week?" asked Gisora.

"Yup," said Kiyora.

"I swear, your mom acts more like a Princess than mine," said Gisora. "See you tomorrow."

"Bye," said Kiyora before hanging up.

She ate the leftovers, climbed the stairs, and went to bed.