“Theo!” Tresk shouted. She struggled against the vines holding her tight, rolling herself over to protect Alex as she dug for her dagger. Each motion brought a wave of agony.

The Dronon said something in a tongue she didn’t recognize. Likely one of the damned demon tongues, but she could sense the confusion in their words. They all shared looks, even as the warriors in the group batted away hammers and awls. She didn’t like being toyed with. Not like this. And where had Theo gone? She couldn’t feel him nearby, but he wasn’t dead. She’d know if he was dead.

“I’m gonna claw your eyes out!” Tresk shouted, gnawing on the magical vines.

The Dronon mage turned to regard her, leveling his gaze. He was an older man, wearing ceremonial robes and hoisting a staff made of bones. It looked gross, and the vines tasted disgusting. It was like chewing on a pile of ants. “Where has he gone?” the mage asked in Qavelli.

“How the hell should I know?” Tresk asked, grunting. She withdrew a dagger from her shared inventory, but it clattered over the stones, out of reach. Cursing, she wiggled her hand through those vines. Those lacerating vines.

The mage approached, stooping low and paying no attention to the battle behind him. That assassin who tried to kill Theo came close, standing behind the mage and crossing his arms. “Where? You are his soul-bond. Both of you. Don’t struggle.”

“Have you tried checking in your butt?” Tresk asked, chuckling at her own joke. She winced when the laugh forced the spike of a vine into her side.

“You should take this more seriously,” the mage said. “What hope does a level 20 have against a 100?”

Yeah, that sucked. But the scaling damage on her poison might do something to them. Enough to make an arm fall off or something like that. Good enough trade for such a smug piece of—

The mage rose, squinting and looking southward. Tresk did everything she could to crane her neck, even as the vines drew more blood. There was nothing to see over there, but the Marshling felt something. Like a storm bearing down on them, thundering hard and full of fury. A snap like lightning echoed over the road, then a man appeared on the road. Arms crossed, Fenian Feintleaf grinned.

“I’ve gained my share of titles over the years,” Fenian said, scanning the scene. Everyone stopped fighting. Ziz’s men edged away with instinctive self-preservation. “Perhaps you know a few.”

“Stay out of this, Elf,” the mage said.

“My title as Champion was The Gale of Parantheir,” Fenian said. A rapier appeared in his right hand, blue-silver and inlaid with more adornments than Tresk could count.

“You’re not the only Champion to walk the world,” the mage snarled. Energy gathered near his staff, but didn’t lash out.

“That’s a bluff, Alex,” Tresk said, whispering to his gosling.

“No, but I’m looking for some new titles,” Fenian said. Another blade appeared in his left hand. A rapier that seemed to be made of pure shadow. As though it sucked in all the surrounding light, almost formless. “What do you think about…”

It didn’t matter how much [Dexterity] Tresk had. It was impossible to follow Fenian’s next move. The road beneath his feet cracked, then fissured, creating a trench that spanned 100 paces in either direction. Silver-blue fire flashed with impossible shadow as the Elf struck out at the first Dronon. He didn’t just kill the man standing near the rear of the formation. He annihilated him.

“Shadow hurricane?” Fenian asked, pursing his lips. “No, no… Too cliche.”

The assassin launched an attack. Tresk had never seen someone shut down so completely. She was sure there was a parry in there somewhere. Maybe a feint, but it didn’t matter. The Dronon assassin was simply gone after an exchange of strikes.

“I suppose it doesn’t really matter,” Fenian said, tapping his foot. “You can’t really give yourself titles, can you?”

Fear played across the Dronon mage’s face. Pants-crapping fear.

Another series of exchanges saw the other warriors destroyed in moments. Fenian stood before the mage, dual rapiers glowing with their respective powers. Each eye took on the hue of a god. Parantheir’s blue-silver in his right, and the depthless shadow of Uz’Xulven in his left. Then there was a pause in the fight, as though the two men were battling each other in their minds. Tresk dismissed the idea when she felt a flare of power from both parties. A torrent of red flame burst from the Dronon, but it was battered down by twin fires from Fenian. Brutal fires that consumed everything of the mage, leaving nothing but a…

“Greasy red smear!” Fenian said, chuckling as the vines faded away. “That’s what I promised, right?”

“I think I remember that,” Tresk said, rising to her feet with a groan. She popped a healing potion and felt her skin knit back together. “You really messed them up!”

“I held back,” Fenian said with a bow. Both of his rapiers vanished.

“We alright? Where’s Theo?” Ziz asked, scampering back to the scene. His eyes went wide when he saw the damage to the road. “Better than dead, I guess.”

Fenian fixed his eyes on the place where Theo vanished. He didn’t seem surprised about the attack at all. Tresk would put a stack of gold coins on the idea that the Elf knew what was going to happen. It was like he wanted this to happen. What did that mean?

“Ah,” Fenian said with a nod. “He’s safe. Just… Ah… Not here. Well, ‘here’ is relative.”

“Alright. How do I get my boy back?” Tresk asked.

“We wait. About five more seconds… Ah, there he is,” Fenian said.

----------------------------------------

Theo gasped as the blade crushed his ribs. The pain flashed for an instant, but was banished just as quickly. Then he was falling through something. Impenetrable darkness and twisting shadows all around. A gentle descent, then things came into view.

A dark bridge stretched in either direction. It was vaguely the shape of a stone bridge with ornate railings. Shadowy cobbles jutted here and there, but there seemed to be nothing over the edge. It reminded him of the communication crystal he used to talk with the capital. Back when they actually listened to his calls.

“Hello?” Theo asked, watching the coiling shadows below. “Anyone there?”

“Strange circumstances,” a soft voice came from behind.

Theo twisted around, spotting a hooded, cloaked figure. Her features were obscured completely.

“Uz’Xulven?” Theo asked.

“Not quite,” she said, drawing closer. She held her hand out for a moment, then nodded. “Interesting skill evolution. Not sure that one’s been done before.”

“What?”

“Your interface is obscured here. You cannot see the message.”

“Where is here?” Theo asked.

“Uz’Godan Bokrak Tal,” she said.

Theo looked around. If she wasn’t Uz’Xulven, but this was the Bridge of Shadows, what the hell was he doing here? It snapped in his mind in an instant.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“Toru’aun,” Theo said.

“Perhaps you are worthy of a core,” she said, a smile bleeding into her voice. “My sister allowed me to approach you here when she felt you fall.”

Theo rubbed his chest, finding the wound there. The damage to his flesh was real, but the pain had gone. But what did it mean to physically enter the Bridge of Shadows? Was it an actual bridge, or another realm? Perhaps something between the two—a realm that connected realms. That was the only thing that made sense, but he couldn’t understand how he got here. The last thing he remembered doing was using his [Dreampassage] ability.

“How did I get here?”

“An interdiction event,” Toru’aun said.

Theo knit his brow. “Where was I going?”

“Tero’gal.”

Theo took a deep breath and held it for a few heartbeats. That made little sense. “Did you interdict me?”

“My sister did,” Toru’aun said, withdrawing a notebook and a class core from nowhere. “I give the same instructions to all my followers. I do not suffer priests and I do not speak to my followers. This is the first and last time we will speak.”

Theo took the items, flipping through the book. Each page was written in what must have been Toru’aun Drogramathi and displayed a series of strange symbols arranged together. It was around 50 pages.

“Are these different sigils for spellcasting?” he asked.

“This is the first sigil,” Toru’aun said. He could hear that grin in her voice yet again. “Learn this and perhaps I’ll teach you more. Until then… Good luck.”

The Bridge seemed to consume Toru’aun. Theo was left standing alone. Enough time passed to allow his mind to catch up. Urgency flooded through him. He was safe, but what about Alex and Tresk? The assassin was powerful.

“Funny. He said you’d arrive but I didn’t see it,” a voice said. It didn’t come from anywhere.

“Uz’Xulven,” Theo said. Who else would have such power over the realm?

“Hope you don’t mind me plucking you from your journey. My disciple is cleaning up on the mortal plane. Don’t worry,” she said. “It’s very curious. I never thought I’d see such mastery over an infant realm. Well, perhaps the two of them.”

“My friends are safe?” Theo asked.

“They’re fine. Fenian is destroying them,” she said. “Your arrival was unexpected, but welcome. Hope you had a good chat with my sister.”

Theo felt something about this realm, as though it were brushing up against his mind. It wasn’t a probing sensation, but an uncomfortable irritation that rubbed his psyche raw. He could fight it, pressing his willpower against that of the god’s but it wasn’t a contest.

“My power over this domain is absolute. Think of it as though every molecule within this place has no doubt that I am the master,” Uz’Xulven said.

That was an excellent description.

With his friends safe, Theo didn’t feel so uneasy. He allowed himself to relax, allowing that authority of the realm to wash over him. It was a comforting sensation, like resting while traveling. “Where do we go from here?”

“No spoilers, right?” she asked, laughing. “Ah, I can’t wait to see the next person to tread the Bridge. What a time to be a god.”

Theo was headed to Tero’gal before this. That’s what the Queen of Mystery said—she said he was going to the Dreamwalk. While he didn’t fully understand it, the alchemist knew he shared a realm with Tresk and Alex. The Dreamrealm of Tero’gal had never seemed like an actual place to him. It was a place that lived in his dreams. A result of the [Dreamwalk] ability. And what was the Bridge for, if not to connect the realms?

“Before you go, I feel a stern lecture is in order,” Uz’Xulven said, her voice echoing over the shadowy landscape.

There it was. Just beyond that curtain of shadows, nestled somewhere in their embrace. His realm. The place where his authority was law. Theo reached out with his will and grabbed onto that idea as the Queen of the Bridge of Shadows rambled on about responsibility. He pulled hard, holding the [Dreamwalk] skill in his mind.

“Wait, I’m not done—” Uz’Xulven started. But it was too late. The shadows swirled and Theo was gone from another plane of existence.

Puffy clouds floated above in a blue sky. Soft grass underfoot. A gentle breeze blew across growing wheat, blowing the scent of the crop into Theo’s nose. The tension of the day flooded from his body as he walked, letting his hand trace a path along the plants. Out onto a grassy field with a creek running through it, feeding into a small pond. Beyond that was nothing. It was as though the world ended in a drop. The edge of Tero’gal. The edge of his world. Where the authority belonged to two people and a goose. A snap of willpower and system messages flooded his vision.

[Skill Evolotuion]!

Your [Tara’hek Dreampassage] ability has evolved!

[Tara’hek Dreampassage] has evolved into [Tero’gal Dreampassage].

[Interdiction Event]!

A god of the Demonic Pantheon has started an interdiction event!

Your ascent to Tero’gal has been redirected to Uz’Godan Bokrak Tal.

This is a domain controlled only by Uz’Xulven. Assail it with your forces to capture.

You have 0 troops with you.

Entering passive mode.

Theo shook his head. That was a lot that happened in a short amount of time. The messages claimed his [Tara’hek Dreampassage] ability evolved when he used it, sending him to his private realm. Then Uz’Xulven tore him from the path and placed him on the bridge to meet with the Queen of Mystery. The last part was the most interesting. The gods could attack each other’s realms. But where did that put him? Why had the system placed him on the same stage as the gods? Surely he couldn’t hope to compete.

Then again, Uz’Xulven willed her realm to look like a bridge. Not this beautiful, verdant field that Theo found himself in. He knelt near the water and scooped it up, sipping a mouthful. It tasted like fresh springwater, filling his mouth with a cool sensation that traveled all the way to his stomach. It seemed real. He removed his shoes, sitting at the edge of the pool as he inspected the damage to his chest.

“Easy enough to fix,” Theo said, finding that his inventory power was active. The fire of a [Healing Potion] raced through him, stitching the flesh back together in an instant. But there was no pain. “Time to inspect the new skill. I guess.”

[Tero’gal Dreampassage]

Marshling Bond Skill

Unique

Slip through your dreams. Through reality.

Effect:

Each member of the Tara’hek may travel into Tero’gal, while awake, once per day. Once within, you may choose to exit ‌and return to the point you left, or [Approach] another member of the Tara’hek. The duration within Tero’gal depends on the level of your [Tara’hek Core], strength of your realm, stability of the bond, and willpower.

That was frightening. Of all the Tara’hek skills, that seemed like the most powerful. According to Khahar, time moved differently in heavenly realms. He’d been sitting near the pool of water for a few minutes. How much time had moved in the real world? While he was eager to get back to his companions, this was a good time to test the skill’s limits. This wasn’t the Dreamwalk he’d seen in the past. It was entirely different. Rising to his feet and leaving his shoes behind, Theo worked his way around the floating island.

Tero’gal had the fields of wheat, the spring, brook, and pond. But on the far end—something Theo decided was south—was a small cottage. It was much like those in Broken Tusk. Those that were in the town before he arrived. Faded wooden walls with a blue slatted roof. Inside, a fire burned that put off a sensation closer to comfort than warmth. The small writing desk was inviting, but he left the cottage, finding his way back to the edge of the floating island.

Legs over the side, Theo watched the clouds swirl below. After a while he saw something. Looking closer, drilling down with his willpower, he noticed it was his friends moving in incredible slow-motion. Fenian was kicking off from the road, two rapiers blazing with strange colors in his hands. Tresk was trapped under that curtain of vines. The alchemist found he could move the image around, but it only went so far. It was centered on the other members of the Tara’hek.

“Fair enough,” Theo said, watching the image. “But I’m the master here. Right?”

The air seemed to shiver, responding to his statement.

“How long is a minute outside compared to here? How long can I stay?”

Theo didn’t know how he knew. But he knew. He could remain within the realm for five minutes on the mortal plane. He would experience twelve hours within, although it wouldn’t pass like regular time. If his mind slipped, time would slip away from him. But that was all he wanted to know. He allowed his concentration to slip, watching as the image below sped up. Fenian destroyed the Dronon—Zagmon Dronon by his guess—and freed Tresk from the spell. He smiled, sensing that the world around him was slipping away. Like the other members of his soul-bond wanted him back now.

“No time like the present,” Theo said, grinning to himself. He jumped from the side of the island, forgetting his shoes behind and plunging into the clouds. Intent on [Approaching] Tresk.

The clouds parted, darkness whipped by for only a moment, and then he was standing on the ruined road. Barefooted and smiling.

“Where’d your shoes go?” Fenian asked, cocking his head to the side.

Theo tumbled over, caught in Tresk’s embrace.

“I felt you go there,” Tresk whispered. “I wanna do it. How do I do it?”

But she knew. She just wanted to stay on the mortal plane for a while longer, hugging him over those cracked stones. Ziz and his gang stood back, stammering but unable to get the words out.

“It’s a strange thing, Theo,” Fenian said, coming over to hoist the group to their feet. “Even the most knowledgeable scholar of Tarantham couldn’t tell you what that was. Tell me… What is it like to touch the heavens?”

Theo extricated himself from Tresk’s grasp and slung an arm around the Elf’s shoulder. “Let’s see where this road goes. Then I’ll tell ya.”