1: The Light of No Tomorrow

"Uni!" Hank whoosed a breath of relief, but kept his eyes and bow still trained on Venger's nightmare.

Uni rubbed her head against Bobby's head, deftly avoiding the horns through years of practice.

I fear the dead unicorn was a scout, Bobby. A brave scout who never returned from spying on the orcs and their League of Malevolence masters who overrun one of our ancient homes.

She looked over at the Nightmare.

"You remember each other, of course," Uni said aloud so all could hear, her voice strong and melodic. "His story is his to tell if he chooses but know that he has my trust."

"I am Warm Blood, Barbarian," the Nightmare growled as smoke and glowing embers rained from its nose and mouth. "I am Warm Blood, and I finally flow freely."

"Greetings, Warm Blood," Bobby responds. "If Uni trusts you then so do I. What brings you here?"

"Long was I enslaved by Venger. Freedom only came when he did not need me anymore, when he and Karena returned to The Realm from which you all escaped. Uniaxia found me half-dead and saved my life. I come with her to aid you in defeating Venger once and for all!"

"Warm Blood speaks truly, my oldest friends. He may not be what you consider good but he is also not evil. The High Blessing of Unicorns has deemed Warm Blood, if not friend, then close ally in the fight against Venger and his former minions. Venger and Karena no longer need Kelek and his League but Kelek wants whatever the twins are after in The Realm. Kosar will provide Kelek with the means to enter The Realm and beat the twins to whatever prize they seek within."

Presto interrupts, trying to wrap is mind around it. "Wait, how is that possible? The Realm is gone, everyone left. With no one remaining, it should have collapsed into nothing. It's been years, how does it still exist? Unless....Does this have something to do with Dungeon Master? He's the only one I could think of that would be able to recreate it, or to keep it in existence."

"Dungeon Master!" the Nightmare scoffed, sending out a puff of dark smoke which spawned its own mini thundercloud complete with lightning like volcanoes sometimes do. "I put nothing past that worm of a man but all I know is that The Realm still exists. What shape it takes remains a mystery."

Diana listens to all this stoically. Inside, she's still a tumult of emotions. The others seem to have this parlay well in hand, so she just hangs back and listens.

"Wait, I don't understand. I thought this place was part of The Realm? Or what remains of it anyway."

"Remember when I tried to teach you about cosmology, Bobby?" Uni patiently said. "The Realm was a pocket dimension, a demiplane where Dungeon Master fought to bring his children out from under the influence of a terrible power. We never discovered who made it but we know Venger kidnapped thousand from across the real world and trapped them there. Perhaps it was a prison for that terrible corrupting storm. I hoped it was gone forever."

Uni nuzzled Bobby's neck.

"Remembering it still scares me."

Bobby hugs Uni reassuringly.

"We'll fight those villains in any dimension!" the barbarian declares.

That Venger's nightmare, no it wasn't right to think of it that way now that it had redeemed itself, had arrived with and was vouched for by Uni meant Hank also had to shift his way of thinking. "Warm Blood. the realm still exists?" Hank didn't need the nightmare to repeat itself, he simply spoke aloud to confirm that for himself. All signs pointed to where they had to go...

Sheila finished her drink and takes it all in, as the next chapter in their latest foray into this world begins to unfold.

Presto begins to pace around the group slowly. It's somehow reassuring that him and his group of friends isn't their direct target, but that doesn't help Kosar. He's clearly a tool in their plan, and somehow he feels that it will bring Kosar pain in the end. As well, what do they want in an empty, lost Realm that should have dissipated? What could possibly be there? Hm. I suppose the phenomenon and their goals could be tied. These sorts of coincidences are often tied.

The next question is what do they want it for? Once they have whatever they're after, what will they do? "Warm Blood, do you know what they are trying to achieve? Either the twins or Kelek and his lackeys? I'm sure it isn't something so paltry as material wealth. Beings of that level of power only seek to achieve more power, or to prevent their downfall. I assume they are after some sort of immortality or method to achieve greater power or control. Do you have any ideas?"

"I have said it is so, Ranger, and the aims of Venger are a mystery to me now, Magician. He and his sister entered a portal to that accursed place as his castle crumbled around me. I was barely able to shift into the ethereal plane, and even then I was gravely injured. Only Uniaxia's intervention saved me when I saw her watching the castle crumble from nearby woods. I was already dying. What did I have to lose? She might have gored me for all the misery Venger wrought upon her but she healed me instead."

The Nightmare bowed its head.

"Venger left me for dead. Uniaxia saved me. She and her people have my gratitude and my support. I suppose that means you humans have my support, too."

Hank marveled at Warm Blood's revelation. Things were certainly not how they had left them. "If Uni-, Uniaxia risked their life to save you, then that's good enough for us." Hank spoke on behalf of the rest as he often did, especially in this case, for it was true that they all treated Uni like family, especially Bobby.

"So the realm closed in on itself, but is now open?" The ranger looked at Presto to confirm his understanding. "I can't figure out what the League wants to achieve either."

Diana admires the firey black horse as it talks.; it actually helps to calm her somewhat. Interesting to see it as an independent being. When it finishes, however, her mind snaps back into high gear. "Doesn't matter much to me right now what they're trying to do. It seems like they need Kosar to do it, so if we can rescue him, we'll be throwing a monkey wrench into whatever their plans are."

"Uniaxia, is the valley of the unicorns still present and safe? I fear the mention of a valley of dead unicorns." Hank persisted in his linear train of thought.

"The Valley of Dead Unicorns marks the site of a great slaughter of our kind millennia ago. My clan is safe elsewhere, Ranger, and you of all beings need not address me so formally. I will always be your Uni."