“Every Hero needs a Villain.”

“Both sides keep each other in check.”

“If by some chance one side wins, prepare for a much bigger blowback.”

“The stronger the Hero is, the nastier the Villain will be.”

“The nastier the Villain is, the brighter the Hero will shine.”

“Therefore, Balance in all things is the key to Reality.”

#20 Quote - Book of Life and Death - Chapter - Heroes and Villains.

*

Joint Dream - Mir - Some Time in the past.

“Therefore, when you activate all Nine Chakra Nodes, in theory, you will attain perfect control of yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually,” I say to my oldest buddy in this World. At the same time, I gave him a goal to strive for. ”There is more after that, but that part will have to wait. After all, the road to the Ninth Star will be neither easy nor short.”

Still, I doubted he'd appreciate what I told him just now until he's lived more, and experienced far more in life than just a few years in a Tribe.

How much time he'd need to reach the Ninth Star, I had no idea.

Originally, my imagination deemed it not that hard. However, after the Elemental Attunement Advancement displayed errors, in my initial thinking, it would be common sense to assume that more pits awaited Alexander and those using the Chakral Ascension Path.

I do wonder if the same applies to Qi users.? Guess, that part will have to wait for my own awakening in the future. Especially, as the last threads keeping me bound to Alexander and the Joint Dream snapped out of existence.

Yet, when they did snap, I did not vanish into oblivion, as I imagined I would. Neither did I snap back to my sleeping self, however that was possible.

No, it was freedom that awaited me. Freedom to do whatever I wanted.

Still, it was not without consequences. With no tie to the Joint Dream, I no longer had the resources to do anything, and if I did do anything even remotely big, I'd be spending everything that I had.

Although, one idea did permeate my mind right now. And if it was correct then my Dream Adventure still has some room for more Adventures.

Nevertheless, some steps had to be taken even if one did not want to take them. Me leaving Alexander to stand on his own two legs was one of those steps.

“There, with that said, it's time for me to leave you.” I said to my old buddy.

“Leave?” He looked at me with a puzzled expression. I couldn't fault him for being confused. I may have mentioned it a few times, but hearing and seeing it happen were two different things.

“Yes, remember me saying, I was stretching this Dream for as long as possible. Well, the time has come for things to end. It's time, I leave you to your own devices.”

“Ok” Alexander replied, but there was no denying the sad expression that appeared on him for a moment.

“Listen, Alexander,” I say to take his attention. “It's not as if I am gone forever. Get strong and in the future, you will be able to find me on your own, much less the ease you'll have in exploring the world beyond this Forest.”

“However, let me give you one last piece of advice.” With seriousness, I stated for his own benefit. “Be good to your Tribe and the Tribe will be good to you. In the future, even if you leave the Forest to explore the World, you will always have a home to return to. Never forget that.”

With that said, I have him one last pat and rub on the head. Though it was different from the first one he got when he was small.

However, by seeing his expression, I did not doubt that it worked.

POP

Then, I popped out of existence right in front of him.

I am sure that left an impression on him. But the only way for him to feel its true impact was for me to actually leave the Joint Dream fully. Otherwise, he'd feel my presence.

With intent, my body manifested outside the Joint Dream.

Everything was black for a moment before light reached my current form. It was Dreamy in the way it guided me to a destination, and when I reached it, a new/strange/familiar World welcomed me.

Swirling clouds, mountains, forests, rivers, oceans, and so much more become my new Adventure.

With a thought, I tried out my idea and it worked. By establishing a connection with the Dream World, I would be able to sustain myself in this new adventure.

Can't wait to see and experience what the Dream World has in store for me.

*

Tribal Dream - Alexander

Alexander opened his eyes in the Dream.

He glanced around the Dream version of the Den, he and his parents shared. Everything looked the same, as it had every other time he opened his eyes in the Dream, no matter which version.

Leaving the Den, Alexander saw a few Badg’Er laying around on makeshift beds made out of soft and dry earth. From their slowly expanding chests, Alexander knew they were sleeping, however, that was possible in a Dream.

Still, he could not fault them. He had done it a few times too. It felt extremely comfortable. Especially, when the Light of the Sun somehow focused on those that rested in this way. The Sun's warmth and the comfy earth beds made for an excellent recovery from physical and mental fatigue.

Those few aside, Alexander did not even have to imagine where the rest went.

Making his way outside the Tribal Clearing in the easter direction, he found the rest of his Tribe. Actually, he heard them first, as they shouted and cheered while seated on square stands made out of the earth.

Within moments, Alexander was beside one of the four observation stands surrounding the Nightmare Pit. Once there, he used the long squares to climb on one of them. Immediately, he was greeted with a view of Badg’Er eagerly watching the fight down below in the pit.

Noting everything was the same, Alexander made his way to a slightly isolated stand of seats. On them, he found his Mother and Father, as both enjoyed the show down below.

Seating himself beside his Mother on the right, he paid attention to the Badg’Er fighting two Giant Spiders.

The Badg’Er in question was one of the Hunters. Alexander had not seen him fight that much, but at this moment, he had no choice but to admit that the Hunter was stronger, faster, and far more deadly than him.

Being stronger and faster did not bother Alexander. The Hunter down in the Pit was in the Third Stage of Shamanistic Ascendancy. It was normal that they were stronger and faster as their path followed different paradigms, but what bothered Alexander the most was his inability to produce the White Flame.

The White Flame was extremely useful. Not only could it increase the speed at which his Aural Chakra manifested, depending on the prey of course, but it could also be used to accelerate healing, also depending on the prey.

Still, what Alexander wished the most was to be able to clad his own claws with the White Flame, just like the Hunter down in the Pit.

The more solid it looked the better it was. Cladding of the White Flame passively increased the strength of the claws and their ability to penetrate tougher skins and armors of Insects.

However, it was the active usage that Alexander would love to have.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Once those claws rip and slice flesh, they numb the flesh around the wound. It wasn't physical damage, as one could recover from the numbness with time, but the utility when fighting enemies became enormous if one struck a critical part of the body.

Even his Friend admired it, so why should he not too?

Yet, Alexander had no White Flame. He could neither produce it nor store it in any way. Which left him in search of other ways to compensate.

One of those was his Heart of a Rebel, but since he had yet to master the emotional requirements for full use, Alexander was stuck with the basic use of it.

Still, there were good things about his own Chakral Ascendancy.

“Son… Your, Father… Tell, Me, You, Found… Big, Mushrooms… Deep, In, Cave?” A voice interrupted Alexander's musing.

Turning to the left, Alexander saw his Mother stare at him for a moment before he nodded. ”Hnn”

“Many?”

“Many, Many.” Alexander confirmed and mentioned the height he'd seen at the entrance.

“Can, You, Guide, Me?” Blinking for a moment, Alexander considered the proposal. Then he realized that he could indeed do that, but unlike him, others would have far more trouble than him.

However, before he gave an affirmative reply, Alexander remembered the likely outcome of his Mother reaching that place.

Especially the outcome of him being the test subject.

Realizing the said fact, Alexander reconsidered his reply. Yet, before he could say that version, a shiver reached him, despite being inside a Dream.

Immediately, he found a different answer. “Be, Hard… Mother… Won't, See. Very, Dangerous.”

“Your, Mother, Don't, Fear… You, Guide, Me.” Came the stern reply as if there was no other option.

“Mother, Still, Not, See… Easy, Fall, Injured.” Alexander replied urgently.

“Don't, Worry. Me, Know, Solution.” The moment he heard his mother's reply, Alexander saw his mother's right paw face the sky. From the paw, a White Flame emerged. It gathered slightly above the paw and coalesced into a small sphere made out of White Flame.

Alexander observed the thing his Mother made, yet he did not understand the point. However, he did understand it the next moment when the small spheric White Flame blared with Light.

Instantly, it drew the attention of every Badg’Er present. Even the Hunter fighting in the Pit. The White Light distracted him and made him flinch for a moment. In return, the mistake resulted in a spider catching him.

Alexander ignored the scream of pain ensuing and covered his eyes from the bright White Light. Only after the White Light, lowered in intensity, could he actually see how bright the sphere made out of White Flame was.

With this realization, Alexander knew he was out of options. There was no escaping his Mothers concoctions. He would be escorting his Mother down into the depths of the Cave to that new and strange territory.

“Fine, Me, Show, You.” Alexander agreed reluctantly, but another sneaky thought popped up right after that. “Me, Guide… Me, Show… Me, Give, Order… Not, Me, Follow?”

“Hmm?” As if his demand made some sense, Tina, The Head Shaman of the Tribe, and his Mother considered his demand. However, just because he proposed something, it did not mean that she would accept his demand.

In return for the stated demand, Alexander received a suspicious gaze. A gaze that wanted to know why her son behaved as he did. Or at least, that was what Alexander imagined it contained.

Therefore, Alexander knew he had to look as strong as possible in front of her if he wanted to be the one to give orders. Moments passed, and neither gave up at first. Yet, as if sensing something from his mother, Alexander flinched.

Urgently he explained some more. “Me, Protect, Mother…Me, Give, Order, Mother Listen?... If, Not, Listen, Me, Can, Not, Protect?”

The argument was simple, in Alexander’s mind. The result, however, was not as he expected.

His Mother narrowed down her eyelids. Her gaze penetrated even deeper before the sphere made out of White Light stopped glowing and vanished altogether. Then she stood up and pointed at the Pit.

“Pit, Now!”

Not even looking back at Alexander, she made her way down the stands and into the Pit.

With that order, Alexander knew he'd lost his opportunity, or at least it felt that way. Standing up he followed his Mother down into the Pit.

Alexander had a hunch about what was about to happen. However, only after standing in the center of the Pit, with but a few meters between each other was he sure about it.

Perplexed and nervous about facing his Mother in combat, Alexander realized something very simple. All this time, he'd been in the Tribe, he'd only ever interacted with the male members, at least when combat was involved.

That was for a reason of course. Alexander understood that females were weaker physically than males because of their size, but now, Alexander reconsiders his opinion.

All this time, Alexander thought his Mother was the Head Shaman because she was there when the Tribe was created. That and being the mate of Scar, The Chieftain, and his Father.

Nonetheless, Alexander had a feeling that there might be more to the position of Head Shaman.

“Son, Me, Understand, You… But, Me, Not, Need, Protection.” Conviction layered with confidence reached Alexander’s ears. “Me, Show, You, In, Dream… Now, Attack.”

With that said, Alexander knew his options. With a quick sprint, he'd be by her side.

With a quick swipe of his claws, he would rip her softer underbelly. Yet, imagining doing the deed was different from doing the actual deed.

Yes, she fed him all those vile things.

Yes, she constantly administered pain to him. Sometimes, even multiple times when he did not listen. However, despite all those uncomfortable facts, the female before him was still his Mother.

There was no way, after all this time, that he'd just forget everything in favor of retaliating on his past torturer. Then again, this was a Dream. He could not hurt her permanently, and it was his Mother that made the fight happen anyway.

With that thought, Alexander's inhibition vanished. In their stead Rage manifested for all the pain, he'd endured under her care. In an instant, all Alexander saw was red and his Dream body surged forward.

With speed enhanced by his Heart of a Rebel, Alexander reached his Mother without her moving even a tiny bit. Even her expression did not change. Yet, even if it did, Alexander would not have cared with all those pent-up emotions finally finding their outlet.

SWIPE

With one upward swipe of his right hand, Alexander clawed across his Mothers softer underbelly up her chest, and it was over.

With pride filling his lungs Alexander bellowed a victory, only Alexander, in his blinding Rage, failed to notice his claws left behind white claw marks. And not the soft skin tissue of the things said soft tissue protected.

Stuck in that euphoria of victory, Alexander realized it too late when a White Flame exploded from the white fur on the back of his Mothers head, back, and tail. In a moment, it reached three meters in the air.

A moment after that, said White Flame coalesced above his Mother into a white shape. A shape that Alexander was extremely familiar with. Only it was missing its lower body parts.

That being the case, the giant head of a Honey Badger made out of condensed White Flame, made a declaration.

A declaration he was also extremely familiar with.

“Khrya-ya-ya-ya.”

What the declaration meant, was not important.

The only thing that mattered to Alexander was the giant right paw rushing toward his face, and upper body.

SLAP

Echoed in Alexander’s mind, as the pads on the paw slammed into him and blasted him backward. He flew for a few meters before his body skipped on the ground a few times. Only after reaching the end of the Pit did his body stop rolling on the ground.

“Ugh” Alexander uttered, as everything rotated in his eyes for a moment.

It was only for a moment, but Alexander thought he saw some stars swirling and dancing in his vision.

Only for a moment though, as residing in the Dream carried a few benefits.

Once the world stopped spinning, Alexander stood up and faced his Mother and the White Honey Badger apparition above her. Yet, the more he gazed at the White Apparition, the more Alexander understood.

The SLAP he just received was strong enough to rattle him from the Heart of a Rebel phase, although not completely.

When he realized that, his mouth gaped a few times as if he wanted to ask what the thing hovering above his mother was.

Only it got sidelined when Alexander once more understood his own place in the Tribe.

That infuriated him. Especially, after all the hard work he'd put into getting stronger.

No, He, would not go down that easily.

With conviction returning and emotions fueling his actions, Heart of a Rebel reached its peak once more, and Alexander sprinted forwards.

The distance between them was far but not too far. In moments he was in front of his Mother again, only this time he was far more prepea…

SLAP

Thud Thud Thud

Three bounces and Alexander saw swirling stars in his vision. They taunted him with their judgemental looks.

“Hngh”

Snorting them away, Alexander stood up once and gazed at his Mother. She had a smirking expression before motioning with her left hand for him to come again. And Alexander indulged as he sprinted once more, only now he'd learned his lesson.

The speed by which the White Honey Badger Apparition could attack surpassed his speed. Therefore, he had to change his tactics.

Right as he was about to enter the range of the huge arms, he abruptly stopped and a whoosh passed him.

A moment passed, and Alexander smirked. Only the apparition continued on its rotation, and in the next moment, a different hand attacked him.

Only this one became somehow longer than it should be.

SLAP

With force, the giant right paw smacked him on the right side and he flew once more. Thuds echoed in his ear before he realized that he did not see it wrongly the last two times.

There were indeed swirling stars dancing and making fun of him in his vision.

Even more enraged, Alexander stood up and charged at his Mother once more.