Matthew realized that the Leader, Lazarus, was a very powerful wizard. He shouldn't have pushed him to use his magic, but Lazarus didn't see what he could. He saw the raw talent and power Lazarus possessed. It was written all over his body. The magic flowed around him like the very air he breathed.

He even had powerful allies. His pooch, Sammy, was a war dog and would protect him to his dying breath. Yet these Grog creatures were dangerous and they needed to find more allies to help them on their quest.

It was night and Lazarus was warming his hands near the fire. Sammy had caught a few rabbits a few hours ago and they’d had a meal of meat roasted over a fire. Matthew sat on the dirt. They had moved their camp a few blocks down, deciding to stay in a small structure which looked like a large open space parking lot, but was now covered with huge blocks of cement, asphalt and pieces of building, creating a barrier around their area.

"Lazarus," he said, "what do you command for me to do?"

The Leader looked at him in a strange way. "I need to think. I don't understand all this."

Matthew nodded. The Leader was not ready. He did not know what he could see and do. Lazarus was still thinking he was in the old world.

Matthew said, "I will gather supplies for our trip."

"We cannot be the only people alive. Somebody must have survived."

"Yes, I believe you are right, but we don't have time to look for them."

Lazarus turned to him. "Why do we have to start this quest that you keep talking about?"

"He is coming. The Dark Creature."

"You mean like a Grog?"

Matthew saw something pass through his mind. He shook violently and looked away. Suddenly, everything around them seemed darker and colder.

"No, he is more than a Grog. He is stronger. He will come with an army of creatures."

"How do you know this?"

"They have come to me in my dreams."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The Leader scanned the flames before him. Sammy was curled up next to him and he moved his head upwards, scanning the camp. Since the incident today when Lazarus destroyed the remnants of a building, the Grog creatures had disappeared. The last few days the Grogs were all over the decimated landscape eating and killing any people they encountered.

"Who do you see in your dreams?"

"The elves. They are talking to me. They are helping us, but they are far away in a distant place."

Lazarus was quiet. His silence was punctuated with the crackling of the fire.

He said, "We can both go to sleep. Sammy will watch over us."

Lazarus petted the top of his dog's head. Matthew was not sure if the Leader believed him.

"Sure."

He grabbed his blanket and bedded down for the night. The ground was still warm from today and he felt comfortable.

***

Lazarus watched as the big man turned over and went to sleep. He wondered why he had sought this man because he was clearly not well mentally. Sure, Matthew knew how to control his magic and had some answers to his questions, but these answers were suspect and crazy. It gave him even more questions. They should be looking for more survivors and a place to stay.

He knew he wasn't some type of adventurer or hero to find these people Matthew was talking about. This quest to find a doorway to an ancient city was crazy and ludicrous. They might end up being killed, or killing each other.

Elves, why did this man dream about elves and quests? It was sheer madness, but everything that had happened the last few days was crazy. Only in thriller books and movies could a world turn upside down in a split second. He tried to recall what he did the day before the tidal wave destroyed his building but couldn't remember the last normal day of his life.

He wondered what Uncle Jack would do in this situation if he was alive. He fed more wood to the fire in front of him. With Sammy next to him and Matthew, they should be able to survive and maybe thrive in this crazy place. The last few days he had wondered about other survivors and also about the police or even the army. Somebody must have survived.

The bracelet on his wrist glinted in the firelight. He stared at the golden-silvery rings and at the stone attached to it. The opal had been silent since the first day of the catastrophe.

He shook his head. His uncle would take command and be the leader on this quest Matthew kept talking about. If he should lead shouldn't he know more than the Matthew, shouldn't he have the visions and ideas? He reached down to Sammy and petted his head. The dog wagged his tail and gazed at him. The animal could look furious and huggable at the same time.

Lazarus stood and grabbed his sleeping bag. They had abandoned the jeep a few miles away from here because the roads were impassable, but he wondered if they could use the car. He would ask Matthew in the morning about going back to get the jeep.

But for now, he would get some rest. He unzipped the sleeping bag and fell among the folds. Sammy padded to him and slept close by. The animal's warmth was almost like a blanket covering him. He had been lucky to find a companion such as this. The dog wagged his tail as if knowing his thoughts. Lazarus closed his eyes and was promptly asleep.

At the edges of wakefulness, he saw the opal on his bracelet start to glow.