Joenek moved through the dark tunnel, following the broad-shouldered frame of his friend, Arun. It had been decided that the blacksmith would join them on the journey to Filne-Semmit.

Hours prior, Torben had used hannolle to alter the pack of each member. He had explained to Joenek - for everyone else seemed already aware of what had been done - how the enchantment worked.

The back section of Joenek's pack would contain the heavier or more valuable items in his possession. Once these were within said section, they vanished; or so Joenek thought.

"Everything is still there," said Torben. "Technically, it's no longer in your pack; it's in a separate dimension, of sorts. But the details of it all are often confusing to one unaccustomed to the nuances of hannolle. Suffice it to say, your belongings are safe.

"I have simply made it easier to retrieve your belongings. All you must do is think of what you want or need, and it shall appear in the bottom of the bag; nothing else. You must think in specifics, though. You cannot simply think, 'I need a weapon'. Instead, you must think of which weapon you need."

Here, Torben had encouraged Joenek to test his words. Just as Torben had professed, when Joenek thought of a particular dagger that he had placed in the back pocket, the dagger was all that appeared in the bottom of the back section.

Torben further explained that this would also help prevent thieves from taking anything that had been placed in the enchanted portion of the pack.

"Though, of course," explained Torben, "if he's seen something you own which has been put into the pocket, he shall find what he seeks - assuming he's thinking of said item. I dare not make any of our packs accessible only to the individual carrying it, lest some ill fate befall one of us and we have need of what's in his pack."

He had gone on to further explain that, because the true location of the items was not within the bag itself, Joenek could place anything in the back portion, so long as it fit through the opening. Naturally, Joenek had to verify Torben's claims and placed the tip of his sword into the bag. When he came to the place where the stone surface beneath the bag should have prevented the sword from going any farther, Joenek marveled. The sword continued to descend all the way to the hilt, at which point he retrieved it from the pack.

Now, as they marched through the dark tunnels under the Drezkens, Joenek wondered at the hannolle that Torben possessed.

Most of the tunnels they traversed were lit in the same way the baths had been so that, while still dim, it was easy enough to make their way through without running into one another. However, on occasion, they would come upon a stretch of tunnel where the special shafts must have seen damage, or else none had been created in the first place. In these places, Torben would speak a few words in the same language he had used to enchant the bags and a soft, blue-ish sort of light would fill the passage.

Joenek glanced behind to where Yena guided a now-floating - though still unconscious - Marrik down the tunnels. This, too, had been accomplished by Torben's hannolle.

Yena said that each of them had special abilities and that is why the Elders chose them. But with Torben's hannolle, I don't see why any of the others are even necessary, other than Rikku, perhaps.

The animal-keeper had been sent ahead, following a cave-dwelling rodent who - by Rikku's account - was quite amiable. The furry little creature, that reminded Joenek of a long-legged rabbit, had agreed to lead Rikku through the twisting tunnels and out upon the western slopes of the Drezkens.

Her goal was to acquire an animal fleet of foot that would help them transport Marrik. Joenek didn't see the need for such measures with Torben's hannolle. However, he had kept quiet on the matter when it was first discussed, much to his own surprise; he ever seemed incapable of restraining himself.

After several hours more of travel, Torben directed the group into a tunnel entrance on the right. The passage was short and soon opened into a chamber large enough to accommodate all of them.

As they started to settle in, Joenek turned to Edileth.

"Why is Rikku going ahead of the group? What is the purpose of using an animal when Torben can use his hannolle?"

Edileth glanced at him, her brow arching as it was wont to do.

"Is there anything that you do know?" When Joenek did not respond, she continued. "First, we are trying to remain inconspicuous, so we cannot traverse the countryside with a floating body, not unless it is well disguised.

"That brings us to the second point: a hannorim cannot create things whenever and however he pleases. Each act of hannolle draws some form of energy from the hannorim himself; certain tasks require little energy, while others require more exertion.

"It would take an immense amount of energy for Torben to create an illusion of a horse or some other creature pulling Marrik if nothing is actually there. If he has an animal that can be attached to a litter, of sorts, Torben can then cloak the two and make them appear to be something which they are not. This is less taxing than creating and maintaining an illusion."

Joenek's eyes widened at the information Edileth had shared.

"You know a lot about hannolle for someone who isn't a hannorim."

"I read," came her short reply. "What, pray, do you spend your spare time on?"

"Do you really want to know?" Joenek grinned. "I can show you."

Edileth's jaw tightened. She crossed her arms.

"I'm not unaccustomed to the vulgarity of rothni; you'll remember I command the Guard of Kerindh and am its sole female member. Even so, I am beginning to wonder if you are part elaborathin, with your proclivity for lusty conversation."

Joenek laughed at her unexpected response. He was accustomed to rothnash who blushed at the subtlest of innuendos.

"I am not an elaborathin, I assure you. Though I'm sure you'd be pleased to see me die at the ripe young age of thirty-or-so summers."

"Feridh have mercy! I certainly hope we'll not be stuck in one another's company for that long."

"I agree," said he, though there was a part of him that wondered at the accuracy of the statement.

Before long everyone had lain down, and Joenek slipped into the world of dreams.

* * *

There was a brilliant sunset in varying hues of pinks and oranges, with a deep, rich blue mixed in at the uppermost portions; small specks of starlight only just began peeking through the growing darkness.

Joenek stood on a high ridge, overlooking a wide valley. The ridge was on the far end of the valley, close to where two mountain ranges joined. To his left, there was a gentle roaring sound and, as he turned toward the murmur, he saw a tall, cascading waterfall. Glancing back to the valley and the mountains surrounding it, Joenek noted that, though many of the trees were large pines, a few deciduous ones were showing the last vestiges of their autumnal colours.

Joenek turned his focus to the valley below. The sight that met his eyes sent him reeling.

As often happens in dreams, though the valley floor lay far below and surpassed even the keen eyesight of elves, Joenek found that he could see every detail. It was as if he were in the very midst of the scene.

A large mass of charcoal-gray marched down the center of the valley. Though he had never seen a force of such size in person, he surmised it to be close to ten thousand. Elves, elaborathin, strange elvish creatures, bekhron, lerecht, and other monsters the likes of which Joenek had never seen, swallowed the land.

With such suddenness that Joenek felt his heart lurch, he found his dream body floating down to the floor of the valley. There he saw Torben standing before the horde of enemies. The hannorim stood at his full height; his eyes were ablaze with a righteous rage. Though Torben shouted something, Joenek could not hear the words. It was then he realized that he couldn't hear anything; not the voice of Torben, nor the wind, nor even the stamping feet of the enemy.

Turning to his right, Joenek saw a black-clad figure stand to challenge Torben.

Joenek's dream-mind could not discern the face of the opponent; the countenance of the elf was blurred and shifted continuously. However, he could see the remainder of the elf well enough. The fair-haired elf leaned back and crossed his arms.

Returning his gaze to the left, Joenek realized that there was a small group of elves standing like a wall behind Torben. Though he could not see the faces of these elves, he knew that they represented the elves he was now travelling with. Yet, as he studied them closer, he counted only five, including Torben.

He tried to determine who was missing from the group, but soon found his dream body begin sinking into the earth. Panic consumed Joenek's thoughts as he felt the life being crushed from him; his bones cracked; his organs screamed in agony. His lungs refused to accept air, try though he might to obtain it. Joenek's vision started to swim, black dots darkening his sight. Just before his head plunged beneath the surface of the earth and everything was blotted out, Joenek watched an arrow strike Torben in the chest. The hannorim jolted backward. While his body began falling to the sodden grass, Joenek's was swallowed up in the earth.

* * *

With a yelp, Joenek flung his body upward. Once he was in a sitting position, he looked around and realized that it had been a dream. However, dread washed over him as he felt a tingling sensation in the back of his head.

It wasn't only a dream; it was a vision of something to come.

But how much of that will happen? he wondered.

Unlike the visions he had seen in the past, Joenek had experienced the vision in an out-of-body way. He did not see the vision as if he were living the situation but watched himself through the eyes of his dream body.

Surely the last bit won't come to pass, then.

He shuddered as he remembered the suffocating, bone-crushing pain of being swallowed into the ground. He also recalled, then, that Torben had been shot and had fallen. Joenek had not seen enough to know if Torben had been killed or only severely injured, but he felt dread stir within him.

With surprise, he noticed that the other elves were watching him with curiosity and concern mixed in their features. Yena, ever the motherly sort, was the first to speak.

"What, pray, is the matter?"

"It was a dream."

Joenek was unsure if he should reveal that it had, in fact, been a vision. As it turned out, he did not need to make that decision for himself.

"It was no mere dream, was it?" Torben looked at Joenek with a studying gaze.

Swallowing in anxiety, Joenek gave a slight shake of his head.

"What was it? What did you see?"

"I was standing on a ledge, looking down at a valley." Joenek began.

He then proceeded to tell the group what he had seen. As he described the blonde being, a thought came to mind and he raised a question.

"Do you think it was Akkheron?"

"I suppose it is possible. You say he was fair-haired, yes?"

Joenek nodded. "It was similar to Edileth's."

"Hmm...I rather get the feeling that was not Akkheron, then. He is indeed tall and fair of feature. However, his hair has always been so pale as to nearly be white. He has a milky complexion and rather refined features; not, at all, what one would think of when told of so evil an elf.

"He has one feature, in particular, that stands out. His eyes are the colour of pale amber. They are almost a creamy gold; quite intriguing, really. And I tell you, many a fair maid has fallen for them; as well as his other, ah, physical qualities. He takes much pride in his appearance, and the beauty of it."

"You speak as if you know him." Edileth gazed at Torben inquisitively.

"Know him; how preposterous! Why, I only speak what I have read in the countless books on the history of Akkheron and Si-ol. In addition to being a hannorim, I'm a bit of a chronicler."

Torben winked. He then turned back to Joenek, motioning for the younger elf to continue recounting his 'dream'.

Joenek told of how he had seen the group, and of the mysterious missing members. With caution, he continued; speaking of his suffocating experience, as well as the last thing he had witnessed.

The cave hummed with the uneasy stirrings of the group. As Joenek spoke of what had befallen Torben, Yena instinctively moved closer to her husband, leaning into him, and laying her head against his shoulder.

"This shall come to pass?" Celik's concern showed in the slight dip of his brows.

"It will," said Joenek. "I get an odd feeling at the back of my head when I've had a vision of the future; I felt it when I awoke. But I'm not sure how much of my dream will truly occur."

Joenek felt Arun staring at him. When he turned to the blacksmith, the large elf spoke as though he had been enlightened.

"Oi, so that's why you were so afeared of thet beasty."

The group collectively turned to look at Joenek with expressions of inquiry.

"What's this about a beast?"

"It was another vision I had. I actually had that vision three mornings in a row, after I collected the Gredhe."

"And what was it you dreamt of?" asked Torben.

"There was a monster of some sort chasing me. I tried to get escape, but it was so dark that I could make little progress. Then I was in the middle of a pond and I held someone close to me. After that, the beast came close and I could tell that it was about to attack. I woke up before it did."

"What did the beast look like?"

"In truth, I don't know. All I could make of it were the eyes. They were huge; one was nearly as wide as I am tall. And they glowed a foul shade of green. Other than that, it was too dark to really see anything." Joenek shuddered at the memory of his vision.

"Meshín Mornme..."

Everyone looked, with startled expressions, in the direction of Marrik. His eyes were open, though there was a bewildered look in them.

"What's thet; wha'd he say?"

Torben's face grew grave; his lips set in a frown.

"He spoke of an ancient, evil creature that I heard tell of many years before..." Torben paused, as if trying to recall when he had learned of the creature. "At any rate, before the Ferlian Order called upon me. Meshín Mornme is the name that was given to a beast from Si-ol's ancient past. It was believed to be both pet and servant to the god Rokkhshtoran. It is in the tongue that Shekkholian and Veshtírian came from; a language that has been lost but for a few select phrases. It means 'Shadow That Consumes'."

Author's note: This chapter has seen drastic revision (as of 2021-02-05). Future chapters will not reflect some of the changes that were made. Thank you for your patience, understanding, and support.