Preface -- It's the penultimate entry! I must say, I am very pleased with the outcome I have been getting (more views than planned).
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February 11th, 2011

Distant Lands

Dream Induced

My dream begins,

A wave of heat beat into my skin as I was slowly morphed into my common form. The unknowing dark was soon pushed away by an accelerating image of the assembling world. The darkness, however, was not purged, but accentuated by this new formation. My final destination was painted into a dark world. Obsidian rock surrounded a burning earth, while the lava rained from red dust clouds that mixed with smoke to create an inferno that burnt the night sky, or at least I thought it was night; there was no moon to answer me.

A sharp pain pulled me into immobilization, as my hands and forearms were bound by chimneys of the black rock. My paws burnt harshly for the seconds I was subjected to such excruciating torture. A reflexive kick freed me from the incineration, yet I felt as though I could have broken the shackles by willpower alone. Unforeseen strength had granted me its power in this nightmare, giving me an ample supply of adrenaline and confidence. Eruptions sundered the earth around me, driving me to a knee. The world was familiar but hellish. A lone stone tablet stood before me, made of white granite.

The reflection was foreign in such a depressing world, and as I approached the tablet, I felt a sense of distress. A single name stood in the center of the resilient rock – Mip. I knelt down to contemplate her sacrifice. The sapphire that was suspended at my back was stolid, but my mind felt that it was a treasure; its power was uncontrollable by a simple creature like me. As I sat in mourning, a shadow passed over me. The plateau that towered in behind the memorial stood well above the jagged spires that jutted from the earth’s surface. Rocks rolled down the side, turning my attention to the apex of the stone. A slight shadowed movement gave me hope of answers, clearing the deathly cloud that emanated from the black earth.

The rock chipped at the touch of my claws, allowing me to dig them in as though I were climbing ice with picks. Each second of climbing brought me to hotter stone, each step reaped a screech that tore into my head, which scrambled my thoughts and brought me into dementia. Only when the last ledge was within reach did I regain my consciousness, but to my horror, an even larger wall blocked my movement forward. It was invisible to me at any lower point; it was as though the thought of peace spawned more agony in an infinite chain. I turned as though to gaze into what I guessed would be the deep gorge from whence I came, but there world seemed t have no ground, only infinite steps of hot earth. I sat at the edge and caught my breath; I could not climb any higher.

The ledge that I sat upon spawned across the entire side of an infinitely high column. It winded like a serpent, crossing through the apocalyptic world. Even though I saw that it was infinite, I decided that it was the only path. I stood up and took a deep breath; the sulfur burnt my lungs. The journey began at a sprint but quickly decayed into a walk as time wore down the hope of success. My tired body sank down, resting upon the scorched ground. Once again, I was at a standstill, but I felt close to something. My true destination was not above or around me, but below my feet.

Without thinking, I jumped off the side of the ledge to fall the hundreds of feet I climbed purposelessly. The rising smoke blinded me for the few seconds of my fall, but my adrenaline assured me of my durability. The ground collapsed under the impact, bringing me into a hollowed out tomb. A long hallway stretched deeper into the mountain, sending out cool, cryptic air. Without standing, I threw my body upward into a sprint. The sides of the hall were as smooth as ice, but the floor remained used and tarnished. Once again, the free feeling of speed and air buzzed through me, pushing me faster and faster into the darkness. The light that penetrated the ceiling in small hole raced by, as my pace was ever increasing. The hallways gradually opened into a massive antechamber leading up to a small altar.

Valor knelt in front of the altar as if he was praying, but his ear twitched when I entered. There were no identifiable markings on the altar, yet its fine stone artisanship was to be admired. Two broken silver shackles lay spread out around him; they were smashed into dust and shrapnel. Only when I was standing just feet behind him did he respond.

“We have failed; the enemy has beaten us into the dirt,” Valor sighed. He was no longer stoic—his heroism was becoming exhausted. His tired eyes were fading and lifeless, while his body seemed barely able to stand against the weight of the world. “There may yet be victory, but not for me.” He sat and stared, as he had when Hope had fallen.

“Get up! We are far from failure; we are bound by the sacrifices of our kin. Their forfeit lives cannot be in vain!” I grasped his arm and pulled him up from the darkness, as he had to me in the forest cave. His eyes flickered with ferocity, retribution was now his sword, and penance was his armor. He pulled himself up before walking to a casket in the center of the room. The cover was thorn off, filling the room with new light. He pulled from its void a gauntlet, assembled by the light itself. Valor held it still, before turning to me and offering it forward. I received it with thanks and examined it.

The palm of the glove revealed an inscription, “When the earth is sundered and the sky begins to fall… Let a brave heart bring transcendence.” It was simply astounding, and as the metal snapped around my claw, I began to see the world fade into darkness. The haze soon entered my mind, as time was once again running thin. In the final seconds of cognition, Valor stepped before me. His dug his claw into the pristine diamond on his chest and tossed it forward. I caught it with a cupped hand before watching him die away in a stream of flashing light. The three jewels now rested next to each other, as they had in life. Hope gave me the strength of mind, Mip had given to me the strength of soul, and Valor offered his strength of heart. As for the core of my gem – I did not know.

The morning sun pierced my window, greeting me with newfound confidence.