The dream occurred two days outside 'Winter Village'. I'd already sent word to the Professor and Claire so inquiring about the dream seemed unwise.

But I couldn't help being curious of the night's events. I knew it had to be associated with the closeness to the center of the mass of mana.

It was a mass. The deeper I got in the Bay the darker the mana cloud became. I must have been nearing the churning center of this barrier.

In my dream it was dark. Completely black.

I was alone.

With myself.

All I could hear were my thoughts. I tried to vocalize in the dream but nothing would come. The only sounds were the thoughts that passed through my head.

A foreign thought grew louder. The words were nothing but gibberish at first but began to grow meaning.

"Hello? Can you hear me?"

It was the 'language of the builders'. English.

This is the voice of the man in my mind isnt it.

I had wondered when this might happen. It would confirm my theory that the person was in fact conscious of my actions. This voice must be the one who presents me with the necessary memories.

If you think about it, the fact that the perfect memories of times would come when I most needed them. The only likely scenario was that another consciousness was delivering the memories to me.

But I had no way to reply to the disembodied voice.

At the time, all I could do was think silently in the dark blackness of the dream.

"Don't worry, I can hear those as well." The voice resounded again in the darkness of my mind.

"I must tell you, you're world is incredible. I feel blessed to be placed in your mind, I had gotten particularly bored lately. This is the perfect vacation."

'Vacation? This voice does know he would likely never leave my head right? Well do you? I plan on passing you down to my children, and children's children.'

"And I have no issue with that of course. On the contrary from my point of view it's an incredible turn of events. I'm now immortal. How great is that?!"

'Hm, that is true, as long as the ceremonies continued, the traditions continued, we will live on. But is a copied mind truly continued life? I tend to think the moment my brain dies, I will die also. Even if my memories are passed along I will be gone.'

"But isn't that selfish thinking? I mean, just a little while ago you claimed memories are all that make up a person. Am I not still a person?"

'He does make a good point. The fact that he can talk to me like this, with some sense of intelligence, proves he may still be 'alive' In a very weak defining of the word.'

"Hey what'd you mean 'some sense of intelligence'?"

'Oh right, I have to watch what I think. I would hate for this guy to know what I 'really' think about him.'

"Eyy?!"

I chuckled in my mind which felt odd.

'Sorry, I was just messing with you.'

"Lil' brat."

'Well anyways. What'd you bring me here for? Did you have something to talk about?'

"No reason. I've been attempting this for weeks just to see if I could. I had notice each time you go to sleep your mind becomes closer to my own. I figured with enough time and shouting you would hear me eventually."

'I see.'

"Yeah, must be something to do with REM sleep or something, I also noticed you got real close when you were first training in the Joye's 'timeless zone'."

'That names awesome so I'll log it away to tell Claire later.'

"Yeah, you like that!? You can keep that one. I got tons of those. I've been so bored up here all I do is name stuff and look at your memories."

'You're looking at my memories? Talk about invasion of privacy.'

"Oh, Well now you are just obviously baiting me."

I laughed again.

I knew this guy was a good guy, I'm glad I got linked with him.

'Oh, by the way, what of 'your body' on earth?'

"I've been wracking your brain about that. If I had to guess I'd say I'm still just living normally on earth. Or I'm dead. Fifty, fifty."

'Wait dead? You think Claire pulling your mind over here may have killed you?'

"I'd say it's possible. I can't confirm it but I also can't deny it either. The death of the mind's body seemed to be necessary for the transfer so I would think maybe my body must die as well."

'I suppose, it's untouched territory, even Claire or Joye wouldn't know. What do you think of the barrier? Any theories?'

"Ah, that's magic stuff I leave that all to you."

'Oh, yeah. Thanks for the help man.'

"Hey it's not my mana. I don't know how to handle it. I'm more of a paperwork, technology, quality of life kinda guy. I leave the fighting and the mana based stuff to you."

'Oh, alright real helpful.'

"Sorry."

'Well I mean I guess I can't really blame you, and don't get me wrong, I am thankful for those things.'

"You'd better be."

'Well, you are helpful, but let's not get uppity now.'

"Sorry."

'Right, well is there anything else? I feel I hear birds chirping. I'm worried if this goes much longer I will wake up. So important issues now take priority.'

"Not so much an important issue, but I wonder. Have you thought fully of the repercussions of taking the barrier down? All of them?"

'You mean the pulse? It would likely destroy the planet. It doesn't matter where I port it. Up or down, both would destroy the world one way or another. Poison the air or the soil? Was that really a viable set of choices?'

"That isn't what I refer to. You, too often think of the big picture. You need to narrow your scope of view at times. Remember this."

With those words the voice vanished.

I attempted to think towards him again but I could feel the sensation of his disappearance. It was linked to mana some how. With training I think I could achieve this state if I wanted. I really wanted to know what I was overlooking.

I wracked my brain about it. What was I not seeing. That's all that rang in my mind as I trudged through the deep snow directly towards the peak of the mountain in the distance.

It was the only point of bearing the villagers told me.

'Follow the river until its gone, then walk towards the tallest peak. You will find the camp ruins.'

The river was now completely hidden. So all I had was the peak.

I'd hoped mana vision would help me follow the river. But the river disrupted mana was masked after a few feet of snow.                    

Mana has a tendency to act differently based on its surroundings. It flowed in wind, dropped in rain, cascaded in snow. It became easy to recognize after the month in the Bay.

This place felt like another home. Everyone I met became a new friend. Even the small arctic foxes and rabbits in the winter area seemed to come greet my kindly as I continued towards the source with determination.

I still wasn't too worried about the trip back to the mage tower.

If all went to plan the snow would be gone. Leading to a much faster return.

This happy thought kept me sane in the endless white abyss.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~PEG~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~BREK~~~~~~~~

I sensed the creature a mile away. Well that wasn't accurate, it was, well unmeasurable due to technology, but much more than a mile.

I wonder when it had detected me?

I'm sure it had. The beast's mana sent off a feeling of curiousness. If it had been one of bloodlust I'm not sure what I would have done.

Mana levels were something hard to compare. Mine were likely much higher. But its standing limit seemed vastly higher than my own.

What I mean by that is nearly all my mana is locked away, only by releasing it can I access it. So technically I'm only a human with Atypically high standing mana level. I just also happen to have a few hundred times more mana locked away in stones.

But this beast likely had four stones worth of mana just standing idle. This would be something no one but I could stand near.

I was probably equally curious of the creature.

What was it?

Is it large?

How powerful is it? Can it hurt me?

It's a beast that controls this much mana. Even with its curious intent it's likely dangerous. And it's causing harm to people so I know what i must do.

I have no choice but to fight the beast.

I sallied forth with a bursting smile. 'This ought to be great fun!'

The snow dunes had been replaced by snow packed trees and I began to notice the first signs of humanity.

Humanity long gone.

An odd pile of snow would turn out to be a stone wall or the remnants of a large fire pit.

This area was once a large town. The largest I'd yet seen. I'd likely been walking through it for several miles without realizing. It was a sparse but massive place at one time.

I would have loved to see it.

From the shapes of the snow piles the city looked to be shaped in several arcs, from my guess I'd be nearing the sixth one.

I continued truding into the beast's domain, worry growing with each step.

I now saw my destination. A massive stone church in the distance. All the triangulations work out. This was the direct center of the dome. Just as the water had in spider village the mana warped around the thick barrier and collected here in a thick pillar.

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Something massive seemed to sponge the energy in this church. And the only culprit could be the large ball of mana who sat inside the church.

Curse this snow and its ability to slow me.

Oh, am I dumb? How have I overlooked this.

I trigger a small aura and instantly the footprint I stood in expands to a one foot radius around my body.

When I attempt to step forward I found my entire body was now restricted by the snow instead of just my feet. I could partially plow through it by pushing, but it was actually more work.

I figure maybe by if I use a fifty foot pulse and then repeat. But that would likely anger the beast I was nearing so I will politely trudge the final half mile.

So I do.

I also kindly wipe my feet when I enter the snow swept church.

I would hate to anger god by tracking in snow to the abandoned place.

I could hear the loud breathing as I knocked my shoes against the wall carefully.

What lay before me in the small church was a large dragons body, it was intimidating. However the head was less so.

Cockatrice, I believe, is the name of the creature. I had heard of them from earth memories but I didn't see them as the magical creature type.

Infact all the impression the head of the beast gave me was one of hunger for poultry.

It was undoubtedly a half chicken, half dragon. It was a marvel. I find myself thinking of its flavor but I grimace when it then begins to speak.

"She'd told me you would come. I didn't believe, but here you stand."

"Oh you can talk? And wait, who told you what? And what's going on here anyways?"

"Oh. I was sure you knew of this place. You being you." The beast says, stirring and walking carefully towards me crushing the surviving pews.

"So you know who I am. But I still don't know who you are, or the 'she' you spoke of."

"Answers, answers. Humans always want answers. Why did you attack village? Why did you eat pig? Always with questions. Can't you find time to relax, enjoy the weather, maybe sleep."

His words flag me oddly.

"You, why are you here?"

"More questions, questions, questions," The chicken mutters under his breath as he peers at me deeply with grotesque eyes. "You should be more thankful, that I even let you in the forest valley, I could have blocked you're entrance or exit even back before that human dirt town."

"You're control extends that far? And I figured you'd love that town for all the gold. Why say its dirt?"

"Heh, were not dragons." He says with a snuff turning around and walking back towards the alter. "Cockatrice enjoy beauty different from 'those things' in our view gold is just a cheap replica of the real precious metal, copper."

"Hehey, brothers in copper." I say grinning and flashing a thumbs up. I assume my desire for the metal was different from his but oh well. I'll take what I can get. He will answer more of my questions if he likes me.  

"Oh, you have good tastes." He sighs glancing through the coins I had in my hand.

It seems truly, like Dragons, the Cockatrice enjoyed the luster and beauty of the metal. But unlike them, they didn't have a strong desire to hoard. I had tried to bribe him but he said I should keep it. Not that I minded. I needed all I could get.  

I didn't understand the beast. He was reserved at first but he also seems happy to see me. He didn't want to talk he claimed, but would speak at length.

It's like he was lonely. The Ents had been the same way.

He's been here maintaining this barrier how long? Just how much of that time has he been alone? All of it?

Do Cockatrice have families?

They must miss him.

I feel bad, I originally came to kill this beast. It's obviously not something I want to do now though. It's a friendly creature, and obviously very magically skilled.

"So would you like to battle?" It suddenly asks with a beaky grin.

"Battle?"

"You clearly have mana in great amounts. Let's compare shall we?"

"Oh! Well yeah. Sounds like fun."

It must be like a magic duel. He explains the rules to me. Its pulse against pulse. You judge by whose aura overwhelms the other. I was worried we would kill each other but he just heartily laughed. It won't be a issue for us he claimed.

We both carefully step from the Church towards a snowy town square. The Cockatrice uses the wind from its wings to sweep the snow as it walks.

It was much more efficient than my large pulse method.

When I showed him the trick he laughs loudly and then attempts it himself. The square was crisply swept. Perfectly. It wasn't an uneven sphere like my own aura. This was a perfect cube of mana.

"How?" I asked agape.

"You can't control the shape?" He asked with a curious tilt of his head.

"Nope."

"Bah, what'd we even teach you 'this' for."

"Huh? What'd you teach me?"

"Well obviously I didn't" he says simply, "Well forget it. Let's go shall we."

This creature speaks odd words. It was Joye who taught me these skills. Even if his 'we' referred to the Cockatrice race Joye was clearly not one.

"Alright, lets."

We both step to the required ten paces. It wasn't like a gun battle. We would both present aura in turn. The cockatrice explained that this was for the purpose of proving you have control over the level of power. Suicide attacks were prevented with this rule.

I hadn't even been aware such a thing was dangerous. Its lucky he told me or I would have just unleashed every mana stone I had during this pulse.

Such a thing would likely kill me I now understood.

The cockatrice carefully readies himself with shut eyes. I notice via mana vision that this beast was drawing the mana around him. Then, with a fierce look it releases the strong pulse.

The strong feathers on its face all stood straight, giving an intimidating look to the silly creature.

The pulse maintains for a few moments, overwhelming my body in heat. It was strong. Even strong compared to the whirlwind of mana already in the air.

It was more stones worth than I expect.

He has a smug look on his face. I think he thinks he scared me. Maybe my face looks scared, I'm more impressed. I didn't know a pulse could be maintained like this. I would have to attempt it during my turn.

He studies me carefully once he reigns in the mana. I'm not sure what to do, give him a big one, or try to match the control of his own.

The control looks to be an important aspect of the duel.

Well, here goes nothing.

I will go for a large but maintainable burst. Something I can feed for a few seconds without draining myself.

I'm not positive this is the correct method for controlling a burst but it will be better than nothing. I wouldn't have time for a practice run.

I carefully draw upon the strength of a dozen stones. This would destroy them but I had plenty now. The small pile had now become a veritable river bed of rocks and pebbles.

I would use fist sized stones for this. It should be sufficient to overwhelm the beasts aura.

It is.

It looks dazed when I open my eyes. He meanders drunkenly for a moment then shakes his head.

"Well it seems you're control is poor, but your cultivation is strong. You haven't entirely lost the teachings of the beasts. Tell me though, does the witch really not even know of her reason for living here anymore? You should be more careful how much you reveal with intent. That was foolish. I now know all there is to know about you. You are a new mind are you? And to want to destroy the barrier. Tsk tsk"

"Wha…"

"Lets return, there is much to talk about young Land God. Perhaps she has finally decided to reveal herself to you."

There is too much to question.

He had seen through me from my pulse? He knew I wanted to destroy the barrier?  Was so much of my intent really in the pulse? He mentioned the witch, and her reason for camping in the Bay.

Does it have something to do with the barrier? She said she knew nothing about it. Was it really something lost to time?

I knew the tradition of camping in the bay mountain has been one that had been passed down for generations by the witches of the Tribe. But to actually forget the reason seems foolish.

I follow the dragon body back to the church, and perhaps towards the 'She' that the dragon talked of.

Will she tell me more about the things he talked about. I hoped so.

"I will, don't worry." A female's voice echoes in my ear. It has no source. The sensation felt like that I had earlier while talking to the 'Earthling' in my dream.

'Who are you?'

'My name is Astra, I was the head priestess of those known as the Upper Gods. It is nice to formally meet your new mind, leader of the Mid Gods Drew, Duke of Blood, and Hawk of the Blood Hook. I'm aware there is much you don't know, worry not. In time.'    

I recognize two of the titles. But the last reminds me of words the Cockatrice said earlier.

God?