Moonlit Star exhaled slowly.  Her eyes opened, anticipating the straw roof of Kaelin's hut.  Instead she was met with darkness.  She squinted.  Or was it darkness?  Above her eyes, a small speck of light emerged.  It was a star.

    More specks appeared.  However, Moonlit could not recognize their patterns.  She had known the stars all her life, but this time their orientations were strange to her.  What were these constellations?

    She sat up and rubbed her forehead.  She was remembering something... or at least trying to.  It was Kaelin.  She said something to her a few minutes ago.  What was it?

    You are in the dream state.

    "Kaelin?" Moonlit called, looking toward the sound of her voice.

    Follow the river, Moonlit.

    She glanced around her for water, but all she saw were stars.  They were above and below her.  If she were not sitting, she may have thought she was in the sky with them.  So technically, a river would be on the ground, she thought.

    She sighted strange looking stars moving beside her.  They swirled up and down as if they were on a wave.  A reflection on the water, perhaps?  Moonlit studied the water and determined the direction of star flow.  She stood and followed the river.

    Where the river ended, she sighted Kaelin.  A great waterfall of stars plunged silently into the end of the stream.  The furre of water looked back at Moonlit and smiled.

    "I love what you've done with the place," she said.

    "Me?" Moonlit gasped.

    Kaelin nodded, "This is your dream."

    Moonlit heard a splash from the waterfall.  She looked back and watched as a canine emerged from the curtain of falling stars.  He spied Kaelin and smiled, walking toward her.  It was not until the furre was at her feet, that she was able to see him in detail.

    "Moonlit," Kaelin said, "This is Pidth.  He's the one who gave you the power over stars."

    Pidth was older than anyone she had ever met.  His ragged pea green clothing matched his grayed white hair and earthy orange fur.  He had a gentle face, stripped black.  Moonlit wondered if this canine was a seer.

    "No I'm not," Pidth answered, "I was the guardian of the elements."

    Moonlit gasped, "I'm sorry.  I didn't realize you could hear my thoughts."

    "Again," Kaelin replied, "It's a dream."

    "Is it real?"

    "Very real, yes."

    Pidth bent down and dipped his paw into the stars.  He retrieved a wooden cane and pointed it up to the sky.  He swirled the stick around slightly and the stars faded away.  They were left on a large black platform.  Twelve white circles, large enough for furres to sleep in, surrounded them.  Moonlit instinctively noticed the stars inside one of them.  She frowned as a furre appeared, laying in that circle.  It was her.

    She turned around, looking at the other circles.  One was covered with ice, while another was fully animated with flames.  One depicted sand dunes.  It's neighbour had only a simple lit candle.  Some had no substances within them.  Moonlit heard a distant tune and determined that it came from one of the empty circles.

    "What is all this?" she asked with wonder.

    "Hundreds of years ago," Pidth began, "There was great evil in Furcadia.  Winged demons sought out furres to destroy their minds.  Their victims would not even have the capacity to walk on two legs, forcing them to crawl.  The poor furres were almost mindless, relying only on instinct to guide them.

    "Ayem took the courage to fight the demons.  He constructed a staff and traveled from place to place, developing powers from his experiences.  Those powers were crafted carefully into his staff.  He then sought out the demons and destroyed them.

    "Peace lasted in Furcadia for only a short period.  Factions aroused within the furres themselves.  Ayem aged and he realized that he could no longer keep the staff from falling into the wrong hands.  So he decided to split his powers into different elements.  At the time, he looked to his children to keep the elements from harm.  My father gave me the role as guardian.  He also gave my brother the element of spirits.  He keeps an eye on the dead."

    "He's good at it too," Kaelin muttered.

    "Twice, furres had tried to harness the elements and create their own demons.  The first time was during the rule of King Xte and his kingdom.  His army fought off soldiers of the furres who wanted to control Furcadia.  Some of the invading furres looked into the ancient legend of Ayem and sought out demons to help the fight.  To determine this new threat, the king sent his four most trusted officers to me.  After carefully determining their spirit and courage, I harnessed them each their own elements: sky, time, water, and earth."

    "I had a little spat with the Earth," Moonlit pointed out.  She looked at Kaelin, "But I didn't realize you were so old."

    "My element has nothing to do with me not aging," Kaelin countered.

    "Then how-"

    "Not important."

    "The invading furres created the new demons," the ancient canine continued, "And the officers of Xte were sent out to destroy them."

    "It took a long time," Kaelin added, "At least half a decade.  My superior died of old age - about forty years into the 'hunt'."

    "During that time, King Xte died and his reign was handed down to his oldest child, Princess Liixte.  Unfortunately, the invading furres overpowered their army and eventually, the kingdom was crushed without the demons.  The surviving royals hid in exile.  When the remaining officers of Xte returned, there was nothing left but the evil reign of terror.

    "The furres of Time and Earth decided that they had to take the kingdom themselves.  So they sought me out again in hope of taking the rest of the elements with any force necessary.  However, they died on their way to me.

    "Ironically, the invading furres were not in power for long.  The Furcadian citizens quickly overthrew them.  Of the dead officers who sought me, only Time was retrieved by my brother for the dead.  The other remained in a place unknown.  I speculate that there was a remaining demon who merged with his spirit.

    "And now the furre of Earth, or Land as it sometimes calls itself, is trying to revive the demons again," Kaelin concluded, "Only this time, he wants to get as many elements as he can to craft his demons with."

    "Why?" Moonlit asked, "The demons could destroy the furres' minds without the elements."

    "All the elements have weaknesses and furre of Earth has plenty of them.  Water, for example, is a powerful weapon.  It can erode the land and could seriously injure him.  And as you shown, stars have a great impact on the Earth."

    Moonlit shuddered as the image of the Earth came into her head.  One punch with her power was able to blow up his head.  There was a familiarity with the demon furre though.  He looked like...

    "Yes," Pidth nodded, "Your friend is a descendent of the Earth.  It was determined by my brother and myself that only the sole descendent from all four of the officers of Xte could destroy the birthplace of demons for good."

    "However," Kaelin argued, "Some of us don't have children.  Damoxte died without having any."

    "You think small, Water," Pidth smirked, "There's more than one way to combine the blood and spirit of the officers.  And Earth knows that.  That's why he's determined to kill Mar, Gorian, and yourself."

    "Didn't I kill him, though?" Moonlit asked.

    "He's still alive," the canine told her, "He has the demon."

    "We have to combine some of the elements to destroy him," Kaelin added, "But we could only do it if the furres are fully aware of their powers."

    Kaelin pointed to the twelve circles.  Only two of the circles had distinguishable furres.  The first one was Moonlit; the second was Kaelin, resting on what appeared to be water.  Most of the other circles had furres on them too, but they were blurred from their view.

    "The furres that are alive only appear here when they sleep," furre of water explained, "And they're only distinguishable if they have totally grasped their powers."

    Moonlit squinted at one particular circle.  There was a bare tree in it.  The tree sprouted green leaves and darkened.  Within a minute, those same leaves changed into oranges, reds, and yellows and fell to the sleeping furre at the bottom.  The furre of stars concentrated hard only to determine that the furre was green.

    "Furre of Land will try to follow them," Pidth explained, "He hopes that they will die, so that he can capture their spirit before my brother can.  If the demon does, he seizes control of that power.  The spirits will be his slaves, just like mine."

    "Yours?" Moonlit asked.

    "He killed me years ago, trying to take the elements.  I spread them out to each of you to host."

    "Then how can I see you now?"

    "I can still appear here, but only if he weakens his control.  He did so when you demonstrated your power over him.  Notice the four empty circles?"

    Moonlit nodded.  She looked at the circles that was covered with soil, yet no furre laid in it.

    "Three are for the dead.  Furre of earth, sky, and time.  The other for my brother."

    "He never sleeps," Kaelin shook her head, "Not that he ever minded."

    Eventually he will.

    The three furres looked off to the intruding voice.  There, in one of the circles, was another distinguishable feline.  Moonlit shuddered.  It was furre of land.  He appeared on his covered soil and smirked at her.

    "Speak of the devil," Kaelin hissed.

    Old enchanter, Land continued, I was wondering where you went.  Come back to me...

    As his voice lingered, Pidth faded from view.  The canine returned forcibly to his demon master.  That master looked back at Moonlit and tousled with his black hair.

    I'd much rather love you than fear you.

    "I'd much rather spit on you," Moonlit said.

    Someday, I will get what's mine.  He looked at the other circles.  His eyes looked excited as he studied them all.  Someday ... I will own them all.  But I will enjoy having you.
 
 
 
 

    Moonlit awoke.  She rested her paw on her forehead and felt sweat seeping from her fur.  She did indeed fear the demon officer, but she had no idea that he would cause her so much anxiety.  She sat up, realizing that she was on Mar's straw bed in Kaelin's hut.  She stood and walked into her friend's room.

    Kaelin laid there, asleep on her own straw.  Moonlit listened for anything, on high alert.  There was no sound.  In fact, she believed the rain may have stopped.  She glanced above the bed and looked through the large gapping hole that was created during Kaelin's defence against Land.  No stars.  She sighed and sat.  She waited for Kaelin to wake.
 
 
 
 

    Earth kissed Kaelin fondly.  He laid her down in the dirt and caressed her face.  Kaelin struggled, but Land kept her firmly on the ground.  He smiled at her and licked her nose.

    You are beautiful, Blue Skies.

    "Stop this!" she shouted.

    At least let me love you in your dreams.
 
 
 
 
 

    Kaelin awoke, screaming.  She panted as she felt Moonlit's paw on her shoulder.  She sat up and instinctively bowed her head between her knees.  The officer looked at the straw mattress and contemplated this new horror.

    "What happened?" Moonlit asked.

    "Furre of Land," Kaelin whimpered, "He has a new weapon."

    "What?"

    "He can control our dreams."
 
 
 
 
 

    Somewhere in Furcadia, furre of Fire awoke.  She panted and looked at her surroundings.  The feline was unsure as to what the nightmare was about, but she remembered it to be devastating.  She looked out the window and studied the dew along it's bottom.  It was almost morning, she thought.  She decided not to bother getting back to sleep.
 
 
 
 

    Mar heard screaming in his dream and he was immediately awake.  He looked beside him to see Chloria sitting up, leaning against her backpack.  Her paw clinched the strap, but she looked as if she had no intention of going anywhere.

    "Are you ok?" he asked.

    Chloria looked back at him.  Her eyes seemed terrified.  She glanced around again and finally stood.  She hoisted her bag and wrapped it around her back.

    "Chloria?" Mar asked again.

    "I can't do this," she croaked, "I have to find my brother."

    Before Mar could react, the green furre ran off into the streets of Slen.
 
 
 
 

    Somewhere in Furcadia, furre of Light screamed herself awake.
 
 
 
 

    "Gelae!" Moraine shouted in his dream.

    Furre of Ice finally awoke.  He looked around, trying to figure out where he was.  He could not recognize the room.  He jerked his head back to his mate, almost in a panic.

    "It's ok," Moraine said as she rubbed his back, "You're in one of Espio's guest rooms."

    "I had a horrible dream," Gelae told her.

    "I know," she whispered assuredly, "But I was always here beside you."

    "I can still remember it..." he said, lost in thought.

    "What was it about?" she asked.

    Gelae was about to reply, but he brought up his paw to his face instead.  His mind went back to the fresh images he experienced.  There was so much pain and hurt, all inflicted by him.

    "Gelae?"

    The light blue furre began to cry.
 
 
 
 
 

    Gorian awoke.  He had became a light sleeper after years with bunking with Mar.  Any small movement and they would both be wide awake.  Gorian looked around Espio's guest room for any possible cause for the abrupt end to his dreams.

    He spotted Cyiet in the other bed.  He was just sitting there, staring out the window.  He looked extremely still.  Gorian moved his head slightly to determine if the poet was indeed awake.  After realizing that he was, the blue furre climbed out of bed and approached his friend.

    "Cyiet?" he called, "Are you ok?"

    "No," the poet replied coarsely, "But hopefully it was just a dream."

    "And if it wasn't?" Gorian asked.

    "Then you're in grave danger."
 
 
 
 

    Furre of Land approached the black furre wandering in the sand.  He rested his paw on the dreaming feline's shoulder and whirled Sand around.  Land blinked.  He recognized this furre.  His deep blue eyes were unforgettable.  They clashed with the bright orange hair and clothing.  This was one of Almasta's furres.  This was one of the vamps.

    I know you, Land said, Who are you?

    Sand tilted his head.

    Who are you?!?

    "I am the ageless furre in your changing dunes," he answered, "Swept by the fluid of forgotten."

    You are close to achieving your full power, mused Earth, What is your name?

    "Cunner."

    The demon thought carefully.  He had remembered every name, face, and moment he had ever experienced.  And he knew he remembered this furre from somewhere else before.  He thought back carefully, trying to place this unique feline.  He looked behind Cunner and stared at his paw prints in the sand.

    Unbelievable, he said, And to think ... I once almost burned you alive.
 
 
 
 

    Somewhere in Furcadia, furre of Time shuddered.

    "Wow," Damoxte said when her twitching stopped, "Usually you're the one who does that, Dark Harvest."

    The officer looked at her master for a possible answer.  But he ignored her as if in a trance.

    "Are you ok?" she asked him.

    There was a lengthy pause, more so than before.  Dark Harvest breathed in heavily and began to rasp.

    "I may be busy for awhile."

    The door to Espio's swung open.  Conveniently, the bartender was already there, washing the glasses that were used the previous night.  Damoxte watched from the empty fireplace as the furre of Seasons, Chloria, entered.  She looked around the room, looking very nervous.

    "Can I help you?" Espio asked her.

    Chloria nodded and retrieved a piece of paper from her clenched fist.

    "Is Gorian here?" she asked.

    "Yes," the barkeep answered, "He's upstairs.  I'll go get him."

    "NO!" Chloria blurted out, "Please don't."

    Espio eyed her, puzzled, "What's wrong?"

    "Just ... give this note to Gorian, please," Chloria said as she dropped the paper on the bar.  She walked back out the door in a hurry, leaving it open.  Espio took the note into her hand and immediately walked to the stairs and started the climb.

    "That's odd," Damoxte said, "Where's Mar?  Should I go look for him?"

    "No," Dark Harvest rasped.

    "Why not?" Time protested, "He could be in danger!"

    "It doesn't matter," he explained, "He's no longer of our concern."

    "We have to protect Gorian and Markliam!" she argued.

    "Not Markliam."
 
 
 
 

    Gorian gave the note to Cyiet.  The poet looked it over and shook his head.  He put the paper down and eyed the blue furre thoughtfully.  He might have to pull a few notes with Moraine, he thought, but he should be able to convince her to take Gorian and Mar with them up the Raina Mountains.

    "We would only take you to the valley closest to the vamp village," the troubadour told him.

    "I understand."

    "And if you asked me," Cyiet continued, "I would tell you that it would be suicide to attack that village on your own.  Personal vendettas are not going to grant you the ability to be invincible."

    "We'll probably have a close look at the village and turn back," Gorian explained, "Mar's not stupid.  He wants them to answer for his family's deaths, but he knows he can't do it on his own."

    Cyiet nodded.  He stood and walked to the other guest room.  He glanced over his shoulder and assumed Gorian was following him.  But his blue friend sat on the bed and looked over the note again.  The poet sighed as he knocked on Moraine's door.
 
 
 
 

DEAR GORIAN,

    I'M AFRAID THAT I'M UNABLE TO HELP YOU AND MAR REACH THE VAMP VILLAGE.  FORESTWIND, MYSELF, AND A FRIEND OF MINE HAD DECIDED THAT WE WILL HANDLE THE VAMPS WITHOUT YOU.  DO NOT FOLLOW US TO OUR CAMP.  YOU WILL NOT BE WELCOMED.

CHLORIA

Chapter 17