Section Author: 'Peredhil'

It seems as if he'd been climbing these same steep stairs forever. Strange echoes reverberated through his mind, the many times he'd climbed to his Master's chamber.

Sometimes the Master would have him sit at his feet silently and they'd watch the storm together. Other times he'd make him peer into the Black Crystal and tell him stories.

He paused. That's where he'd seen that face before! That exquisite face! He'd been dreamily watching the ball, idly listening to the story his lips told of a Princess and her Golden Ball, when he'd seen that face!

It had peered slyly from the shadows, watching Flames dance and Winds blow hard, with one raised eyebrow and a melancholy air.

He stopped in his story, barely mindful of his Master's hoarse whisper prompting him, his gnarled misshapen hands cradling his head.

Then they'd - NO!

He stood shuddering on the stairs, forcing his mind to think nothing. NOTHING.

Slowly his breathing calmed. A tremor passes over his body and his eyes regained their grey-green luster.

As he climbed the steep winding stair, his mind tentatively reached out to the dream he'd just experienced...

* * * * *

The Dream Weaver returned from adjusting the Loom's pegs. The fabric was under great tensions of late, threatening to tear itself in its torments.
Unwillingly she found herself drawn to the Black Strand.. She arrived just in time to see a red thread snap. The severed strand jerked back coiling, then slowly turned black.
In moments it had been absorbed into the Black Strand.

She shuddered with horrific fascination. Her hand reached out to touch the repellent black, then jerked back.

Moving to her chair, she picked up her sewing and soon her needle was flashing furiously in the flickering light.

* * * * *

The Master stood in the center of the room. The warm humid air beaded moisture on the stained walls. Streaks of black mold and green algae outlined the rough stone blocks.
The fetid slime made strange moiré patterns on the bare skin of the man chained to the wall.

We Are One!
At the hoarse cry, the chained man raised his head. Glazed blue eyes glared through the damp strands of brick-red hair curtaining his face.
Never he snarled.
The Master smiled at the show of spirited defiance. They both knew at this point how hollow it was.
Moving forward, the Master raised a gloved hand slowly. The prisoner flinched in reflex.

Struggle my beauty, I need you to fight with all you have. Your beautiful essence. Your Will was strong, so strong.
In a voice that make a mockery of love, the Master whispered. Have you been having Bad Dreams? Shall we play The Game again?

Sick loathing rose in the blue eyes, then they focused inwardly in rage and desperation. The chains rattled like rain as his muscles began to swell, old scabs tearing and flaking away. Strange mind-twisting patterns of scars flashed a silver-white network against the reddening flesh.

As the gloved hand touched his forehead, he finally flashed into Berserker Frenzy.
Veins swelled and snaked like rapidly growing vines under his skin. His nose and eyes began to bleed.
One massive arm flexed. The chain's links popped; the broken wrist seemed a small distant price to pay for such freedom.
The Master retreated several steps and began crooning a eerily welcoming raspy note.
Turning slightly, the Berserker ripped his other arm free. He seemed unmindful of the heart's spurts of blood or glistening bone at his wrist.
Turning with an animal howl, he flung himself at his tormenter.

ONE! Screamed the Master as the Berserker's scar-Glyphed body hit his.

Only one body hit the door. The Master's cloaked figure writhed, expanding and contracting wildly as he screamed his throat raw once more in lickerish exultant agony.

Finally straightening, he opened his cloak with shaking hands and let the blood-streaked bones fall.

Tucking a long strand of brick-red hair back under into the dark abysmal depths of the hood, his triumph whisper echoed in the empty chamber.

We are one.

Staggering to the door, he hoped that the new one would prove to be this strong.

Back in his Chamber, he focusing his gaze on her, he extended a whispering shadow across her sleeping face.

One... We are one...

Letting a flicker of his essence rest on her to stain her dreams, he allowed himself to rest in observation of her beauty.
Corrupting this one would be difficult and slow.
The anticipation was exquisite agony.

"Anata wa haru ichiban no sakura no yoni utsukushii...(3)" He murmured, then started at hearing the words leaving his lips.

He must be careful with this one. One.

One... We are One

Yui felt a chill as she stared off the balcony into the lemony morning light. She warmed her hands on the tea Soi had brought, but her Love wasn't back to warm her heart.

She felt very uncharacteristically small and frightened like a mouse cowering below the monotonous circles of the hawk. Every time she examined the fear, it sparked a white hot anger that she should feel this way. But the helplessness crept back in and snuffed the anger.

One... We are One...

Far down in the hidden depths of her soul, a shadow best left alone stirred in its slumber. Raising a sleepy head, it fluttered silver eyes and subsided again, murmuring soft noises.

Yui's body was wracked by a chill, causing a tsunami in the tea cup. A dark foreboding spun up like a spiral of bats to torment her.

* * * * *

After the endless climb up the tower stairs, he found himself staring at the cold iron ring that opened the silver-banded door.
Outside the storm howled and raged with a sick berserk fury, beating at the stalwart tower.
The ring would be heavy as always, and the cold would bite at his hand.
With a sigh, he opened the door to his Master's Chamber.

A shadow slipped in unnoticed at his heels.

* * * * *

"Mommy, can I weave too?"
"Hush-a-nonnie sweetlings," she crooned as her hands flicked in and out of the Loom. "you're much too real and not enough dream. Like as not, you'd be pulled into someone's dream and then where would you be!"
She smiled at the serious frown on his face as he considered her warning.

"Mommy, what's a Dream?"

* * * * *

The Master fairly rippled with power as he avidly gloated over something in the crystal.
Perhaps he shouldn't have come here to the chamber. But he'd felt a pull - The Master answered his unspoken thought.
"Yes, come gaze into the Crystal."
As always when the storm raged like this, he felt much more real than the Master. It was like waking in a fever dream, complete to the ringing in his ears after every clap of thunder.
The Curtains billowed suddenly and a man stood confronting the Master.

* * * * *

The Master gazed in puzzlement for a moment.
"I haven't summoned you. Go away." Looking around, he saw his slave standing fearfully near the door.
"You! Come here."
The Man walked between the youth and the Master and stood staring at him. The Master met the intense red glare for a moment.
"A vampire? I have no time for you. I've had too many. Go away. I don't want you. I want my slave," he said in a querulous tone.

The Vampire snarled at being brushed aside so dismissively. Stepping forward, it once again sought the Master's eyes, this time raising its hand in a compelling gesture.

The Master ignored it.

"Boy. Come here now!" The ragged figure began edging helplessly past the Vampire. With a guttural cry of fury, the Vampire grasped the youth's arm, who fell to his knees with a cry of agony at the icy grasp.

The Master stood and walked forward with an inevitable motion. The Vampire looked up at the motion, and froze in the Master's gaze.
The Master's leather gloves carefully pried the young man from the Vampire's grasp.

With a convulsive jerk, the Vampire slashed a taloned hand at the Master's face!

* * * * *

His arm felt bruised where the Vampire'd gripped him. His spirit felt bruised at the Vampire's ruthless attempt to grasp and drain it. Shaken he remained kneeling.

Above him he heard echoes in the Master's voice as his hoarse whisper said "Sozo ijo no mono deshta...(4)"
"Pardon Master? I do not understand."
"Nothing of importance. I am One with another that I didn't want. I've gone as far as I desire that way. Unfortunate."

With gentle hands the Master lifted him up.

"Come, let us gaze together and see what we see."

* * * * *

Yui watched with impassive face and beating heart as the Messenger whipped his lathered horse for a sprint to the House.

The news he bore must be of great urgency.

She moved inside to prepare herself to receive him.