I spent far too much time speaking to the guardian at the peak of Skypiercer. While he wasn't able to answer my questions about returning home, he was able to confirm that Mim's flash of light was an awakening.

Her name had yet to be decided, though. Apparently, everyone got to pick theirs, whereas my own was in the process of being rudely discarded into my lap. Moreover, I needed to earn mine. I supposed when you were dealing with The Eater of Dreams, some exceptions had to be made.

When the hallway out of the court finally opened, a rush of Treefolk flooded into the room. I was grateful for the orb's guardian to step in and clarify the situation. It seemed he too commanded a certain respect of the people.

Before we left, the guardian had one more article of business with me.

"Take this," he said, holding out what looked like a folding fan.

I grabbed the wooden stick and flicked it open. Painted on thin paper was a spiraling flower pattern, reminiscent of the carvings on Keeper's bookshelf. "A fan?"

"For the Seers, a gift."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Instead of an all powerful orb? I suppose it'll do."

Soon, Mim and I were back at her village, and it was more than apparent to me that the Treefolk were happy to see me off. They were even so courteous as to stand like checkpoints throughout their village, guiding me straight to the exit with suspicious glares.

"Will you be back?" Mim asked.

I smiled and knelt to her level. "I'm sure I will get the chance to visit. You're always welcome to come find me, as well. Oh, and remember the stairs to get down, wouldn't want you stuck on a branch again."

The girl nodded vehemently. I wondered for a moment if she thought that was a legitimate warning.

"Now," I said. "I've got someone to talk to."

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"I'm not talking to you about this," Keeper said, stomping into our room.

"How many are there?" I asked. "Are they all like mine?"

"They're—I'm not talking to you about this," she repeated.

"Bloody gods, why are you so tight-lipped?"

She huffed. "Wasn't it enough to know you could get back? Why'd Maker have to go and put all these stupid ideas in your head." She sat at the desk and grabbed a handful of sewing needles.

"Think of it as a motivator. Once I know how to return, I'll be all the more motivated."

"Somehow I doubt that," she said. "Fine, a motivator. I'll tell you what I know if you win over the Seers with… that thing." The girl glared over her shoulder.

I inspected the fan. "What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing, he just told me he was finally gonna give it up, and now you're here without so much as a paper fan to convince the Seers to give you Diction." She paused for half a beat. "I have my doubts, that's all."

"Diction?" I asked.

"What?"

"You said something about giving me Diction?"

"Might wanna get your ears checked," she said, lifting a large piece of fabric up in front of her.

"If there's one thing I trust, it's my ears. Out with it."

She glared at me. "Out with what? It's nothing. I already told you they'd give you magic. You've seen Eater do it, you've seen Watcher do it, you've even seen me do it. What's so fancy?"

I sat a moment, mulling it over. But I couldn't help but get a little curious. "How does it work?"

"It's—Listen, I can't just explain it to you, then you'd go off and do it, wouldn't you? Like I said before, there's a process. Instead of asking how it works, why don't we get to the Seers, and then you can just go ahead and do it."

It seemed I wouldn't be prying any details out of Keeper, so I had no choice but to concede the matter.

"Fine," I said. "I'd love to be off right away. But aren't we missing someone?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Where's the wandering vigilante?"

"Oh, who knows? Off wandering somewhere, I'd guess."

"What is it? What's wrong with him?" I asked.

Keeper sighed. "There's nothing wrong with him, I just don't think he's… a good idea."

"A good idea? What do you mean a good idea? Was it a good idea for me to almost die in the Valley of the Dead? Was it a good idea for me to be attacked by a Mauler and addicted to human blood for a short period? Was any of this a good idea?"

Keeper stood and threw the large piece of fabric she'd been working on overtop my head. "Relax, I didn't send him off or anything. He should be back any time now."

I couldn't help but feel that Keeper was far too comfortable with throwing objects at me. Just then, a knock came at the door.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"An interesting choice in clothing," the familiar voice said.

I tore the fabric off over my head. Wanderer stood at the doorway, his arms overflowing with a mountain of miscellaneous wares. There was a bag of food tucked under one arm, small vials spilling from a basket, spools of string, strange blocks of wood that I guessed to be toys, and many more I couldn't quite identify. To my eye, it looked like a whole mess of worthless junk.

I looked to Keeper, who'd already gone back to sewing at her table.

"What's all this?" I asked.

"Step three before the Seers. You didn't forget, did you?" she said.

"You never told me what the third step was. In fact, I still don't know."

"I, too, am curious," Wanderer said, peaking over the mound.

"You have to contribute," Keeper said. "To society in The Realm, somehow."

"Contribute. Meaning?" I asked.

"Remember the drinks we had at Watcher's place?"

"I have to brew a drink out of dust?"

"No, you dunce. That was Watcher's contribution. You need to come up with something on your own. It's all tradition, a sign to show you're willing to be a force that helps the people."

Something that helps the people? His drinks did help me after all, they were the only reason I survived against that Mauler, with those explosions—

"Keeper," I said. "I recall you mentioning that Dream Essence doesn't burn Nightmares. Is that true?"

She gave a strange look. "When did we talk about that?"

"I think I've got an idea for my contribution." I came up to the wanderer and plucked a couple of glass vials from the heap in his arms. "That should be enough. Keeper, where can we find some Dreams around here?"

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"Are you crazy?"

Keeper was being difficult to work with again. "Are you supportive of my endeavors or do you exist purely to act as a counterbalance to my progress?"

"I can't just vomit on command, you know that right?"

Wanderer trotted up next to us on the mountain path. "As I had suggested, I am willing to—"

Keeper raised both arms in a cross. "No, you're not allowed. You should be upset that Ferrowill expects either of us to puke in a cup, not eager to give it a try."

"You don't have to do it in the vial," I said. "I was going to puke on the ground."

"I don't want details!"

"You have to at least let the wanderer try," I said. "I need to know if it's reproducible. Otherwise, how am I supposed to contribute to the inhabitants? Puke for them all day? Gods that sounds disgusting when I say it out loud."

Distracted by my own comment, I took another step and my toe hit against a rock jutting unnaturally out of the path. Wincing, I lifted my foot and glared down at the stone.

Keeper snorted as she passed. "Serves you right for all that vomit talk."

"It's not as if I chose to talk about it," I mumbled and followed along.

A while later down the trail, I wondered if Keeper had actually been wrong about Dreams around these parts. There wasn't much other than ill-placed rocks and arid soil, from what I could see. We crested over one last hill, and at the bottom of the modest valley was a cave digging into the mountainside.

"Here it is," she said. "For a bit there I thought it got covered up in a rockslide or something."

"Strange place for Dreams," I said. "Are they going to be like the ones we ran into before?" I asked Wanderer.

"It would be unusual," he said. "They rarely take a human form."

"They're only a bunch of Cozies," Keeper said as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"What?"

Wanderer chuckled. "The Dreams, they're Dreams of Comfort. Though, I've never heard them referred to as 'Cozies' before."

"Would it be better if I called them Comforts? How boring is that." And Keeper slid down the hill. "Come on, the sooner we're out of here the sooner I can stop thinking about puke."

I followed close behind and the three of us entered the cave, which was neither as deep nor as dark as I'd imagined it would be. We didn't have much of a trek before we ran into the Dreams, either.

There were about fifteen of them, crowded around a small pool of water. A periodic dripping echoed out into the rest of the cavern, likely from the hole in the ceiling. It served double as a spotlight, shining in and bouncing off the soft-looking creatures.

Soft was the best way to describe them, too. They were about the size of a red wolf, with four stubby feet sticking out from each corner; a body like the shell of a turtle; and a short, rounded tail. Their skin, or whatever their exterior was made of, was smooth and… well, soft-looking. It was a surprise they could be classified the same as the human-shaped Dreams we'd run into in Blink.

"They're kind of cute," I said.

Keeper took her shears and stabbed one. It puffed up into a light mist of Dream Essence and the rest of the Cozies began to waddle off in every direction.

"We gonna need more than that?" Keeper asked.

I staggered on the spot, straining to catch my breath from the gasp I'd let out. "No," I croaked. "I think one will be enough."

"Are you certain?" Wanderer said. He placed his foot on one to stop it from moving. "Would it not be more potent with more Essence?"

"It won't be more potent! Leave the poor guy alone—" I stopped myself from going any further.

Both Keeper and Wanderer looked at one another.

"How are you the same person who wanted to eat a crowd of humans not so long ago?"

"I was in a different state of mind! It's not important, come on, hurry up." I kneeled over and gathered my share of Dream Essence.

After mixing some bitter Essence drinks, Wanderer and I went through the grueling process of regurgitating it onto the cavern floor and scooping the mixture into the glass vials.

"It occurs to me, we don't have a Nightmare to test this on," I said, holding the shimmering substance up to the light.

"Would it not be suitable to use your Mauler's claws?" Wanderer asked.

I looked down at my arms. "That would work?"

"I don't see why not," Keeper said.

I guess so. And if it doesn't work, what's one wasted vial?

I held the mixture in my hand and tossed it into the air. My eyes shut, and I conjured forth my claw. The limb reached up and snatched the glass vial, crushing it in my palm. Instantly, a billowing burst of smoke leaked out from my shadowed fist. The heat was like a lump of burning coal pressed directly into my palm, and instinctively, I dropped my claws. The shards of glass fell to the ground, clinking against the hard stone.

I stood there, and the pain lingered for a moment longer, out where my claw had been.

Keeper and Wanderer both coughed, waving their hands to waft smoke out from their faces.

"Well, it works!" Keeper said.

"And it hurts, too," I said. "Will the Seers accept it?"

"I don't see why they wouldn't. It's almost too—" Keeper paused. "Do you hear that noise?"

Crack.

Out of nowhere, Wanderer yelled, "Watch out!"

And something slammed into my side.