Tor's Introduction

Tor stumbled through the empty city streets, trying to escape the black fog chasing him. 1

"It's a dream," he told himself, "It's not real."2

Out of nowhere, a bolt of fire flew into the black from a building almost swallowed by the fog. A figure in black ran from the door and into the fog as an inhuman scream emanated from within the black tendrils. 3

Dancing red flames were visible to Tor from where he stood, and as he watched, the dark haze disappeared from sight. The figure in black was walking towards him and he began to turn to run when a call drew his attention.4

"At least bother to thank me for saving your sorry ass," a female voice said with a smirk in her voice.5

He turned to face his saviour and his eyes took in a sight that both surprised, exhilarated, and terrified him.6

A tall, muscular frame dressed in black. A head of blackest black hair. Lips of blood rouge. Eyes of black fire. A stance of easy danger.7

"Jael," she said, answering his unspoken question, "You must be one of the night dreamers if I haven't seen you before. I have no idea how you stumbled this deep into Dreamstate."8

"Dreamstate?" he asked, completely confused by her words.9

"What do you remember from before you came here? Your waking memories," she asked, grabbing his arm and pulling him down the street.10

"I....I can't..." he stuttered, drawing a blank.11

"Shut up and think. What did you last see with your real eyes?"12

Tor stopped and looked down, "...Lights. Truck lights," he said after a quiet moment.13

"Ah ha! Well then that explains everything. Congratulations! Welcome to Dreamstate!" Jael said, kicking open a door and pulling him through. As soon as he passed under the frame, the setting changed and they were in a lush, humid rain forest. 14

Jael pulled him upwards and they climbed up a tall, gnarled tree towards the canopy. Once they were very high off the ground, Jael thumped her fist on the sweating wood and a wooden patio and covered room materialized around them.15

"What the hell-" Tor asked, but a look from Jael silenced him immediately. As she reached up and plucked some blue and red fruits from the branches overhead, he noticed her clothes were no longer black.16

She was now dressed in a brown, leathery top with a matching skirt hanging loosely above her knees. She sat down with her log legs hanging out over the forest floor and patted the spot beside her, tossing him a fruit.17

"Can I ask what the hell is going on?"18

"Your name is Tor, right?"19

"How do you know?"20

"I've been here a very long time Tor," she said, taking a bite out of the odd fruit.21

"Where is here?"22

"Dreamstate. Only you're not dreaming. You're probably in a coma."23

"I am?"24

"Yup, this is where we're stuck until we wake up. Kinda like dreaming, but those dreams are much more temporary, always blinking in and out of existance. We're in the deeper levels of Dreamstate, where the dreams are permanent. We have to move from each one to the next, not vice versa like in the night dreams."25

"How long have you been here?"26

"Long enough to have total command of myself and my surroundings in here. You'll develop the same abilities if you're here long enough."27

"So that's how you can have an invisible treehouse?"28

"Well, this is just one of them."29

"You have more than one? Why?"30

"Apparently I've been here long enough to piss off the asshole who rules Dreamstate. I need to keep mobile."31

"What did you do to piss him off?"32

Jael grinned, "I tried to take over Dreamstate."33