6- Of trips and tribulations.

The ride to the kingdom was a smooth and fast one... Too fast actually! I am not one to start complaining about quick and uneventful trips, really! I certainly prefer those the majority of the time. But having the opportunity to travel on top of a Dragon!? My Dragon!! A quiet and super short trip while riding a dragon was just my kind of “good” luck. Tsk!

After a short-lived trip through the simple cobble roads, surrounded by the scenery of a lush forest, leading from my manor towards the southern entrance to the Kingdom. We now stood in front of one of the big, freakishly big portcullis. This is the sort of thing I always felt like I gave for granted within the game, but now within my dream it was as if maybe some part of my mind over exaggerated the proportions. The entrance was so wide it could most likely let pass through heavy siege weaponry… Heh. I suppose that is something I would focus on within my dreams.

Just as the entrance was wider than I could remember, the moat showing to be quite wide, the passage was longer as well. It was almost like a cave. The kingdom’s outer wall proved itself to be quite thick, the walk through the gate felt like taking a stroll inside of a cave. All this brought me plenty of ideas for scenarios defending and attacking such position, with possible positions to place heavy units with long ranged attacks, assessing the benefits of the moat itself as well…

Not long after passing the gate, with me distracted looking at the paved stone paths and medieval masonry all around, which I was rather familiar with. A soldier came running towards us. He stopped in front of us, hand held high, surely as the attitude that would most likely come for sure…

“H-Halt there!! No m-mounts can e-enter past this point without merchant permits or special concessions!”

Heh. The poor guard seemed to have been frozen in place as Feugan did not bother to stop after hearing the guard’s command, getting close to him he started sniffing him. Personally, I was not keen on this idea of leaving Feugan behind so soon and I was sure we could just run past through without any guard being able to catch on us… But what the guard said made sense and I was not too inclined on souring my mood trying to explain a gate guard how I should be able to do what I wanted within MY dreams.

***

Master decided to listen to the puny guard… Claims to be a guard, yet trembles in front of me! Well, that much is to be expected truthfully.

He remained back with the guard waiting to be lead to the stables, while Master and the little pup went ahead to acquire food.

Having decided it was quite an obvious result to have such an unimpressive guard in full distress upon him, Feugan snorted with a mixture of disappointment and resignation over his current situation, contemplating on the best course of actions to take now. Appreciating the stables and making notes on how to properly defend them from intruders, taking a good look at the faltering fence, unreliable wooden walls, it was a precariously kept stable.

While Feugan was making mental notes about entrusted abode in front of him, the poor guard could feel the overwhelming pressure just as he took in his hand the dragon’s Rein, the pressure of its presence and regality as the dragon stood behind him majestically! The responsibility of leading a dragon mount to the stables!! The humble stables that held mainly traveler mounts, mostly carry birds that couldn’t hold a candle to such an epic mount!!! In reality calling them stables was an overstatement, it was something more akin to an oversized bird’s pen.

Just as the poor guard was suffering of a serious case of weak knees, trembling in front of the small stables, Feugan decided he didn’t care to wait for his one-person-entourage to lead him to the pen. Thus, he just went ahead and with all the magnanimous dignity needed for a king to enter a foreign castle, he entered the oversized carry bird pen.

Feugan gazed upon the humble kingdom he was entrusted with. Deciding to guard it properly, regardless of its wanting size. Taking then place next to the entrance, determining he had to greet any newcomer in adequate manner and make certain they knew themselves safe once they see him. At his side, the trembling guard, small by comparison, perhaps even unfit to be called a guard by comparison as well...

One of the carry birds stepped forth, with its feathers holding a rather golden luster, fierce determined eyes showing that it was no pushover, it offered itself as a retainer for the time being. While the rest of his new retainer’s flock remained safe and well fed, Feugan sat on his hinder legs, the golden-feathered retainer now under his chin providing him with a much necessary fluff to rest and be ready for anything. He stood there, valiantly guarding this foreign kingdom. With the flock of subjects brandishing their pale-gold yellow feathers, Feugan knew then that protecting this new hoard of subjects would come in all too easy and natural. They were now safe, for thieves and thugs would never take nothing from him, he was the King (temporary) in the pen.

5- Tipping the scales

There, within the stable behind the manor, a stable that seemed more makeshift than possible, surely not one to be found in a proper manor or a farm, but almost as if one was to ask a lazy contractor “and something like a stable there”.

There it was, sitting within the stable it called home, more comfortable than anyone should rightfully be about the accommodations or the place.

As things concerned the inhabitant of the little stable, it was almost like any other morning, wake up, stretch, food, grooming, hugs and maybe a nap or two. BUT!!.

A few things made it quite different now!, which in turn made this morning into a special one, and already bustling with excitement.

Sitting on its hind legs, a small red dragon had been gathering its thoughts about the events that had taken place during his brief morning routine.

For starters, Master’s little pup came more excited than usual when bringing the food, which in turn lead to more hugs than normal, this was good. Hugs were nice and the little pup was always really soft.

Even better yet!, the extra hugs brought Skillups, this was good. Skillups were a result of honing your skills which in turn meant better effects when using them, and there is nothing more important for a warrior than constantly improving his own skills.

Lifting its right foreleg, at its own chest height, it made a sound that could pass for a person trying to talk by using only growls and with rocks in his mouth.

“Krurrugs”

Following suit in front of the dragon, a videogame-like light blue semi translucent window appeared.

The dragon was not even interested in the reasons on why such an out of place window would appear, if it was something natural or not, or why would it appear under such a pretense of a voice command. Instead it focussed on the information within the aforementioned window.

[ Feugan ] [ Soulbound Dragon Ward ]

[ Skills: ]

Dragonbreath	1.05
Slash	1.05
Gore	2.32
Leap	2.10
Rush	1.10
Hug	2.02
Overeat	2.01

Admiring his own skills, Feugan huffed full of pride after checking the improvement in his hugging skill.

Feugan had seen how happy Master’s little pup was when he first allowed her to hug him (and on each subsequent morning thereafter), he then realized Master could enjoy hugging him too, so it was definitely a good skill to hone. He was sure he was so good at hugging now.

Fortunately the little pup could always cooperate with this part of his morning routine, sometimes she would even join for one or two naps too.

The rest of the skills were sure to please Master too. Even Overeating! a skillup message would appear whenever the little pup brought more food with her to spend an afternoon sitting along him while feeding him. This seemed to made her happy, so he guessed it could make Master happy too.

He then stood up, moved towards a spot where a ray of morning sunlight had already warmed the floor. He sat down with just his hindlegs, puffed his chest again now feeling prepared and excited. This morning was special after all.

He could feel his Master’s presence within her house.

This was most likely the cause for Master’s little pup to be so excited, then again, she always seemed full of pep, so he was not totally sure about that. Decided look as impressive as possible to greet Master after she came out of her abode, so he looked around for the treasures he had already prepared before hand.

He took with his mouth some strips of ragged leather laying around on a corner of the stable, tossing em deftly he got them on top of his back and head.

His trophies of defeating goblins that had been lurking nearby Master’s home, surely he was now the most threatening visage any goblin would see for the last time.

While looking for more rags he had hidden in the stable, he felt his Master already coming out of the house, fortunately he was ready.

A few weird half broken primitive bone necklaces, some cloth rags and leather straps hung from him now.
"I am a warrior. I am Death". He thought, while standing ready at the stable. The little pup came along in a rush, she panicked when she saw him. It was only natural, he must be such a fiery visage wearing all his trophies. She immediately started taking them off much to his complains.

“WhyWhyWHY?!! Feugan you are supposed to look your best today!!! where did you even get those rags?! Mistress Ayi is really coming! and you should be spotless!!”

After taking the trophies of a dozen (or so rounded up) fights off him, the little pup then took his bristle brush, one of the good leather reins and a saddle, now starting to prepare him.

Why would she say that? he was sure that was his best. Then again maybe she had a point, Master would be sad if she knew he had gone on his own adventures without her. Pondering on that idea, he lowered himself down allowing her to saddle him, he was looking forward to ride with master on an adventure, maybe some food, and a nap.

He was still making a list of things they would do, while the little pup broomed him again, she finally took the reins and guided him to finally meet Master.

This was definitely an exciting morning.

4- Stable dreams

It was a weird feeling, being dressed within a dream… It was a novel yet rather disturbing experience nonetheless. To think the lack of control over her own dreams would let her feel such an overflow of unforeseen sensations…

“Mistress Ayi, I’m sorry!… I’m not trying to tickle you on purpose, I just can’t let you go out without meeting certain levels of regality!, on my pride as a maid!... but you sure are ticklish, doesn't take too much really...”

“I am not THAT ticklish! gah—” was the poor excuse that Ayi managed to say before reacting once again to Zoey’s hands on her sides, as the little maid straightened the wrinkles on her clothes. Unwilling to let go even a single imperfection on her mistress attire, as Ayi’s poor ticklish sides would attest.

Regardless of how ticklish this part of her dream was, Ayi couldn't help to feel that the memories coming to her were quite vast, Zoey had presented her with a variety of options, most of which Ayi had refused almost immediately. The little wolfkin girl was quite excited to dress her like a royal with frilly dresses or grandiose sets of clothes, all of which made Ayi grimace at the thought of going around in public while wearing them.

She recalled acquiring such garments long ago, mostly for celebrations or grand events. Even with a generalized extravagancy feel on the game’s populace, she would only acquire the event specific attires and maybe wear them privately. Going out with such flamboyant dresses, fit for an eastern teenage pop idol was something she couldn't quite accept. Frills galore was the easiest way to describe them, overly fluffy, quite striking in the wrong way, skirts way too short and puffed up at the wrong angles, wearing those while in presence of anyone of the childlike races was just asking for a complete review on your undergarment choices, to say the least. Dream or not it was too much and too little in all the wrong ways.

In the end, against all of Zoey’s complaints, Ayi managed to convince the little maid to help her with some casual attire that seemed to be almost hidden within the armoire.

The attire was quite simple and covered all that required to not be seen, almost against Ayi’s specific race preference on the matter. Then again, regardless if it was a fantasy game or a dream, going around while wearing a bikini chainmail felt wrong to her.

It was simple in itself, a pair of padded grey cotton breeches, knee high brown leather boots, a loose white shirt (she thought she could see a glimpse of a refined embroidery on it but decided to not fret on it) and a thick and long teal wool coat that basically killed any sense of fine glamour that could be held by proper attire combination.

Had she paid less attention to her favorite event gear, she would have seen a little maid (in training) despairing over such a flagrant fashion faux-pas.

Not too long (or so she assumed) after being fully dressed in her convoluted combination of garments, she was lead downstair by the little wolf-girl, first out of the door greeted by the oddly expected yet unfamiliar sounds of an old mansion that she knew belonged to her yet felt like she had never been there before. One step at a time followed by the sound of old wood pertaining to an old house, her house, her manor, right?

With steps full with more curiosity about the environment oddly known to her yet altogether new, the master of the manor followed the wolfgirl that lead her towards the stairs leading to the ground level, still quite taken aback by all the sights, sounds and even smells of a place she was familiar with and yet feeling quite out of place somehow, she was led by her hand down along the stairs. Once on the floor level, she remained still, all the while the little wolf-girl rushed somewhere in a burst of energy only known to the young. There she stood, looking around her own house, almost in a dazzle. A gentle light still coming along the windows in the barren manor, she took a deep breath and circled her shoulders again with her eyes closed.

Faster than her own thoughts could turn again onto existentialist matters, came the bundle of energy and frills known as her head maid (in training), a basket ready at her side, a wide joyful grin on her face.

The little girl stood at the door after unlocking it, she opened it, while the door creaked in an almost gentle manner she took a formal bow welcoming her mistress, outside?

Holding back a chuckle at the overenthusiastic actions of her little maid, Ayi walked forward, patting softly at the little girl as she went past the doors threshold.

“Thank you” She was almost uncertain on why she was saying it, certainly because of all the effort the little girl was putting in for her, and perhaps because she was making her truly happy for all the attentions.

Outside it was all as had she recalled, lush trees, a calm breeze, the bustling sounds of the city barely audible far away. While following her little maid, the smell of the trees and all the flowers on the garden confused her for a while, she was not actually certain she ever recalled such aromas before, all too entranced by them while the little wolfgirl explained how she had prepared the flowers for her. By now crouching by the flowers, touching and admiring them. Puzzled by the shape and aroma of flowers she was certainly sure she couldn’t remember at all which was a distressing thought in itself—

“Mistress Ayi!!”

She turned towards the childish and mostly excited voice of the wolfgirl.

Ayi’s eyes opened wide in surprize and disbelief. This had never happened before, her dreams were never this complex… or pleasing for that matter.

The little wolfgirl maid was walking towards her, full of mirth. Holding on her hand a leash, leather reins of what seemed to be a small sized rust-red dragon. A dragon with it’s eyes clearly fixated on her.

3- A young maid (in training)

The little girl’s ears immediately perked up upon hearing her own name, a warm feeling came to her chest along with a bright smile.

Zoey’s big bright eyes gleamed with happiness, it was then that she decided this was definitely the best day ever. Totes.

With a little enthusiastic jump and a cutesy movement Zoey rearranged herself in front of her Mistress, a delicate and well practiced bow accompanied with her best smile yet, a smile that unbeknown to her, had landed a critical hit to Ayi’s heart.

“Goood morning!! Maid Zoey’Naa at your service, mistress Ayi!” 

She greeted her dear mistress, with a clear and cheerful voice that might have sound like she was trying to softly sing the words along.

All factors combined made it impossible for Zoey’s mistress to contain herself from hugging the fluffy package of cute that the little wolfkin maid was.

“Soo adorable!!”, was the little bit Zoey managed to understand before being swiftly held in a rather enthusiastic hug by her mistress.

“Ah! M-mistress! please contain yourself! I-I'm happy for the attentions really b-but!”

Embraced by her mistress made her incredibly happy, happy enough that she couldn't control her own worry-free wagging tail, this flustered her some more since this was her opportunity to make a great big first impression. Unfair.

After a few minutes of an intense fights of wills, which she totally lost, she was finally able to pull back from her mistress. She straightened her maid uniform as best as she could, with a few precise strokes here and there on the skirt, accommodating the sleeves and lacey wristbands... she gave up, it was a total defeat, no way to fill the -professional maid- role after allowing herself to be pampered so much without having even offered her mistress something to break her fast. The Breakfast!!!.

“ohmygod! the breakfast! M-mistress! breakfast shall be ready for you at your command!”

She almost yelped it... Her perfect introduction plans were no more, constantly stammering due to the excitement, her planned schedule barely holding by a thread. But!, the perfect breakfast was still possible! She had practiced simple and healthy dishes to make for a great start!. Carpe food.

But... there didn't seem to be an answer. 

“Mistress Ayi?” Looking at her dear mistress, she peered at the bright green eyes that were staring back at her, suddenly there was a soft and almost sad smile on her mistress face, those same green eyes then looked at the window, turning her head, making her expression hard to read due to the blond hair covering her mistress face. Almost in a whisper, her mistress finally replied 

“It is definitely one of the best ones… yet, it is sure to end soon…”

Her mistress then turned her face back to Zoey, a soft warm smile accompanied by a soft pat on Zoey’s head.

“It seems to be a lovely day as well, want to come walk with me?”

This was her chance! a great opportunity just presented itself to her after all, she could take her dear mistress for a stroll. 

At the garden she had arranged all kinds of pretty flowers, some were already in bloom, a quick trip to the stables for her mistress mount, a small tour around the estate, maybe even a trip to the market too, and then buy some fresh fruits and make some sweets as well. Full attack!.

“Most definitely mistress!! i just know some places close by, that you might enjoy yourself at! Don't you worry!, your head maid will take care of you!!”

Zoey immediately went to the nearby dresser for some of her mistress preferred traveling clothes, ready to assist her mistress dress up, she was glad she had such a great opportunity to show her mistress around the estate and maybe the best parts of the city, she was confident it would make her mistress happy, she wanted her mistress to enjoy herself, she wanted Ayi to stay with her. Don't leave.

2- A sleepy lady

The day started with the chirping of birds on a window, with a groggy disposition and a disarmingly strong sense of comfort. An female figure rustled under the blankets of a disarranged bed, with a grumble and some shifting about, the figure revealed herself.

She laid between the bed’s blankets and an excess of pillows. A graceful slender female figure, seemingly young, clear skin, and barely covered by a teal nightgown.

But what would get the attention of anyone (and most important, the attention of anyone who ever played any online game), a pair of feline ears twitching on top of her head, accompanied with a tail coming from her lower back, both with fur color matching her hay blonde hair.

She couldn't help but to just lay on bed and listen to the birds sing, in what she would just describe as “i would rather just sleep some more” morning proclivity.

After fighting the very well known “monday struggle”, to the point she wasn't sure if she could get any more good rest even if she wanted to, she finally got up. A lengthy yet somewhat refined doze went by while she sat at the side of the soft bed, her feline ears twitched as she rearranged her disheveled -morning do-, moving a few strands of blonde hair of her face.

With all the energy and morning willingness of someone who manage to lay on bed all night, without getting a wink of proper rest, she looked around the room.

A bright and big room. Spacious and bare, was both blunt and the best way to describe it. A very familiar sight to her. Within a manor she had saved up for, in one of her favorite games. Without having actually furnished it at all yet, due to the big expenses of buying such a large estate, it was a place she was wont to come and spend time if anything to keep her claim on it.

She stretched still half asleep, enjoying the soft relief of bones popping 

“aaaah, this is one of the good ones...”.

Immediately after thinking she had well measured her situation,she slowly circled her shoulders, enjoying the reprieve from pain that would come to her only during her dreams.

She suffered from a certain medical condition, weak muscles easy to tire in the best of days, excruciating pain by just typing at the worst, expensive to treat, without a real cure, and a rather lengthy subject to try to explain to even the most “understanding” of her relatives.

Nice and comfortable dreams like this would come every now and then, not often at all, but she was glad whenever it happened.

She knew people that claimed to have control over their dreams, this was something she had deemed beyond her long time ago. So her good dreams were what most people would just describe as a rather simple and dull experience.

Finally standing up from the bed, she stretched her body again, then she stood almost motionless with her eyes closed, enjoying the cool breeze coming from the open window, until suddenly startled by the creaking of old wood she turned around towards the door, where she saw a girl peeking her head behind the slightly open door. Upon being discovered the little girl entered the room with a enthusiastic little jump, with a flourished bow and a big smile on the girl’s lively face, she exclaimed.

“Good Morning!, Mistress Ayi!!”

Ayi stared at the little girl, dumbfounded for a moment, all traces of her morning drowsiness now gone. She stared intently at the little girl, couldn't put her as being more than 10 years of age. Aside from the girl’s big bright grey eyes that stared at her intently, the most remarkable features she could pinpoint were a pair of big wolf-like ears, the same white color as the girl’s hair, with soft-looking pigtails at the sides just under the fluffy ears.

The second most eye catching detail, if only because the little girl stood head first in the room, as it was rather something it couldn't be overlooked otherwise, was what seemed to be a very frilly and overly cutesy housemaid attire.

Ayi stared at the little wolfkin for a few seconds, to which the little girl responded with another little jump taking into a serious servant-like demeanour, her hands on her lap and a professional face that didn't quite match the little girl but created a lovely gap that tugged at Ayi’s heartstrings.

Drawing close to the wolfkin pup, Ayi reached forth and caressed the girl's hair, unable to resist at all, she patted the little girls head making her fidget in place, emboldened in the knowledge that it was ok to pet such a cute girl freely in a dream (as otherwise it was sure to bring unwanted problems). Now being closer Ayi could see a fluffy white tail wagging from the lower back of the girl, likely a result of the current attention she was providing the little girl.

She tried to remember the girl, it was certainly uncommon for her to have anyone accompany her within her dreams at all, more often than not she would just walk around for what seemed like just a few minutes before being pulled back to reality due to aching muscles.

Not that she was ungrateful for this longer lasting succor, still, it was somewhat strange.

Soft whimperings brought her back to the present, the little wolfkin maid girl had slight pink blush on her face all the while her tail was wagging freely with an honest joy that made Ayi smile at the scene.

Then it finally came to her.

“you… I know you!, you are Zoey!”

The little wolfkin girl in question had been an NPC she had saved during an special event a long time ago. A long and arduous event that consisted in a series of fights against multiple waves of enemies, while defending your position and somehow keeping your whole team alive. It was an unpopular event, mostly because the rewards just didn't quite seem worth all the trouble. Outdated gear, unsightly armor, weak recovery items, and a few underleveled NPC companions, it was mostly comprised of the sort of rewards you would give a new player.

Zoey in particular was an NPC that one could get as a companion upon completing a long string of such battles while accomplishing an even longer list of conditions.

Needless to say, most players didn't even bother to go that far after reading the wiki on this, the amped difficulty of the fights, the resources one needed to gather in order to access the events, the lack of checkpoints that forced players to start over again if failing in the middle of the events.

Nevertheless, all this did not stop Ayi.

She found in the event a good challenge that could put her leadership skills to the test and help her in the long term for future high end battles with a high logistical complexity, with a reward that could be actively put on display to others as to show her mettle.

That was what Ayi kept telling to others.

She kept her innermost reasons to herself, almost all her friends that helped in the long endeavour just figured she was in for a “world first” clear on the event.

In truth, she was completely charmed when she saw in a forum, pictures of Zoey, she knew this was the one quest she had to tackle down by all means.

Zoey was one of the few NPC’s that were capable of being house stewards, so Zoey could be left at her big (and vacuous) manor to roam freely, act as an assistant and brighten up the place with such a cute sight.

All this was a rather convincing argument in Ayi’s eyes.

After a few months of completing the series of fights, of gathering ingredients, of meeting all the conditions required to achieve the “rescue mission”.

Ayi finally finished the event. She didn't get the “World first” and she got plenty of pats on the back by her friends that told her words such as “Be proud, we did our best”, “Second place is not a bad thing, really!”, “We will beat them next time!” and so on.

Ayi took all of those kind words as best as she could without letting show her bustling with joy. She then spent weeks (and a frightening amount of resources that kept her estate from being furnished properly, ever) acquiring gear to dote on her new diminute house maid.

Some of her friends showed some concern when she not only started making requests for specially crafted showy cooking utensils, but even moreso when they heard her asking for frilly maid attires and cutesy dresses favored by the players with the childlike races.

She was delighted when she finally had gathered everything to properly dress the wolfkin NPC. She spent a staggering amount of time not only taking pictures of her but also using the NPC system to modify her patterns and support skills on Zoey. Going so far as to acquire ingame gambits to expand NPC data, just to write on background details about food preferences and behavior.

All for the sake of having the cutest maid, in her ingame manor.

Back to her current situation, she again felt like it was all worthwhile if she could have such a detailed dream, the personality, the voice, even the fluff was like she imagined it.

At this moment specially Ayi was quite grateful that her muscle pains had not kicked in and woken her up yet.

Souls overture

It has been through the faith that spirits and ideals come to be, spirits old and new, weak and all powerful. It has always been possible with the faith of sentient races that ideals and philosophies attain the self.

Souls pray, their faith brings forth spirits. Spirits watch and use their faith to their believers benefit, such is the order of things.

Yet, spirits and souls gathered together all to be witness of a rather uncommon event. an unlikely occurrence, even to the knowledge of the oldest of spirits.
Watching with mixed emotions, a myriad of spirits and souls gathered all together at the unfolding event.

Justice, war, love, hedonism, if enough souls poured faith into an ideal, a spirit is born. But what happens if enough souls hold dear not an ideal or a person, but a story?

Souls and spirits witnessed how it all unfolded again, as seen since the first light appeared in the void, t’was not a spirit taking form. Countless souls and spirits prayed, converged and took shape into a new world.