Hello again. The new chapter is finally here. I am not sure when I will be able to get back to my Monday releases but I am gonna try. This chapter honestly was a pain. I went threw a lot of ideas and rewrites. I ended up deciding to make Otis 'Go Big or Go Home'.

I have other stuff on my website please feel free to check it out. https://yougots.wordpress.com/

Hope you all enjoy.

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Otis surveyed the barren gray wasteland. Instead of the blood sea there are only slim dark pulsing red lines etched into the ground.

“Everything has changed again.” Otis sighed. “If it wasn’t for the crack I would think that I traveled to a completely different place. Even the crack looks more like an angry scar now. I guess I will just head to that way again.”

Otis used his shadows to maneuver his way through the world. He found traveling this way much faster and he needed the practice. Otis would like to get to the point where he did not fall on his face every other time he stepped out of the shadow. If anyone had seen his movements now they would see him flicker in and out of existence. Otis did have to take some odd turns during his journey as this world deemed that it would not allow him to take a straight path. During this time he passed the first gorge that had been a problem previously. The earthquakes caused by the Bloodrage had reduced the distance between the cliffs so it was easy for him to jump across. As he traveled he crossed several deep ravines and in all of them there seemed to be no bottom.

Infuriated and annoyed at the amount of time it was taking Otis decided to take a break from traveling at one of the ravines. He believed he traveled for a little over an hour and was still about two thirds of the way to the scarred sky. Although Otis did not need to take a break he wanted to keep his mental energy at full capacity, he never knew what might happen in this world and he really did not know how much longer it would take him to reach his destination with all of the twist and turns he had to take. He glanced up at the jagged gray lines that raced through the sky. He had seen them several times as he traveled but they never stayed for long before they left the sky. Otis sat down and closed his eyes to meditate.

After some time Otis’s eyes shot open. “Somethings changed.” Though he said that he did not know what had changed. He just knew it was something good. A sound caught his attention before this gray wasteland had been eerily silent. It was the sound of running water and it was coming from the ravine he was resting at. Otis hurriedly peered down into the ravine.

“Running water? No that’s not water.” The liquid was an unnatural vibrant blue. “That’s mana! What is going on?” Otis looked up to the sky this time there was no window with Violam’s vision this time. Otis frowned. “What did that idiot get us into now?”

He pushed his mind forward like he had inside the fog barrier. “As I thought his mental energy is much weaker than mine. I should be able to push my will into it.” His mind pierced the sky. At that moment Otis was overwhelmed by a second set of senses. He could feel Violam’s pain, hate and anger. Otis entered into Violam’s thoughts. Thoughts of loneliness and an overwhelming unnatural fear assaulted him. “What is Violam so afraid of? Who planted that fear; was it the Bloodrage, was it the Gray Man or some other unknown?” Otis shook his, he did not know the answer.

Otis did his best to soothe Violam’s mind but it was filled with unanswerable questions.

Why are they doing this to me?

Why am I here?

Why am I so alone?

Why does it hurt?”

Why do I always have to hurt?

Why me?

Why?

Violam put on a strong facade to show the world but truthfully his mind was unbalanced and breaking. Otis did not think Violam would be able stay together for much longer. “I have to heal him in some way we need more time.”

Otis pushed forward and finally grabbed ahold of Violam’s vision. Violam was walking through the Farg camp. “Who is that?” Otis wondered. On one side of Violam was Sonashi but to his other side was a mask individual. Otis grabbed some of Violam’s thoughts, he found out that Violam drank an Intellect potion. Otis continued to feel Violam’s flow of thoughts. They were chaotic and for the most part dumb. Otis surmised it was damage caused by the Bloodrage as he had experienced the drain that it caused.

Otis pulled some of his own thoughts. He decided to plant some of his own whispers into Violam’s stream of consciousness. He quietly urged Violam to plant magic traps in the camp using the newfound mana source. He also planted happier thoughts and memories in the stream. He wanted to give Violam some hope and strength to continue on. The last thing Otis wanted was for Violam’s mind to break.

Otis detected an errant thought. It doesn’t hurt when I kill. Otis followed the thought and found another. I am here because I am lost, no because I have lost. It lead to more errant thoughts. I am alone because no one wants me. The thoughts began to change, they became more aggressive and bitter. You always hurt because you are worthless but it doesn’t hurt when you kill. You must kill. You must become one of the Farg. There was a pause in the thoughts.

Why me? Why not you.

WHY? Because you have to.

“No, these are not Violam thoughts.” Otis touched one of them. It had been planted in Violam’s mind. Otis traced the thought to find its origin. The thought’s corruption stained Violam’s mind. Otis could not find its origin but it was foreign. It came from outside of Violam. Otis’s thoughts drifted for some unknown reason to Sonashi and that masked individual next to Violam. Another thought caught Otis’s attention.

Who are you? It was not directed to Violam but to Otis. Otis had been found by the invader. He decided to answer.

Isn’t it considered rude to not introduce yourself first. Who are you?

There was a slight hesitation but the response still came. It was forceful, a show of dominance.

I am Neuromancer Gooram, an Overseer in the Farg Legion. Anomaly, leave my trainee or be eradicated.

Neuromancer Gooram, I assume you are the master of the spikes. If you had the power to eradicate me wouldn’t you have done it already? Otis responded.

Do not be full of yourself. I will hunt you down and kill you. It is only a matter of time.

Now who is full of themselves? So tell me Gooram what is the Farg’s purpose? Otis pulled his mind away from Violam’s stream of consciousness. He could feel Gooram frantically searching the stream for him. Gooram is more skilled at mind manipulation than Otis but there is still a limit to what the Overseer can do compared to Otis. Otis is a part of Violam after all.

We are the Farg Legion. We explore, conquer and destroy. Gooram answered with a hint of pride. The Neuromancer was attempting to buy some time to search for the anomaly. There is no other purpose for the Farg Legion.

I can tell you are lying to me Gooram. Otis gambled. He could not tell if they were lying but it was a reasonable assumption.

Why would I lie? Gooram halted their frantic search.

Why wouldn’t you lie? Fine, tell me your purpose and I will tell you who I am.

Gooram released an audible growl in Violam’s mind. It is no big secret. We Farg come to this world to train and take the soulless but this is the first time the Farg Legion has been sent here. As for the Ambassador’s purpose I do not know. Now, who are you?

I am...a liar. Good bye Neuromancer Gooram. Otis fled from Violam’s consciousness but held on to Violam’s vision. When he felt himself on the ground again he opened his eyes. Violam’s vision could be seen through a window in the sky. Otis could not bring the sense down to the surface but he still had access to it which is why it was visible in the sky. He watched Gooram’s gray lines continue to cut through the sky in search for Otis.

“Gooram doesn’t give up.” Otis smiled. “Good luck finding me up there.” Otis looked at the mana still flowing in the ravine. The area around the cliff was no longer gray and desolate. It had turned into a rich brown soil. Otis could also feel the elements from the external world.

A rotating sphere of water appeared about Otis’s hand. The compressed water shot into the air and exploded out to rain down onto the ground. Otis felt relieved as he watch the gray ground change to warm fertile soil.

“The Bloodrage said he would flood the body so the ground must represent the body somehow. Unless I want to end up like the gray man I better do something. I don’t know how long this mana will last so I better get started then.”

Otis closed his eyes for a moment. There was a lot of area to cover and he had things he needed to do. He split his mind.

“I am stuck with all the grunt work, huh?” A copy of Otis appeared in front of him.

“You know what to do. Go use the mana to heal the ground and then try to strengthen Violam’s mind. I am going to check the scar to see what damage is done. We still don’t know what the Bloodrage meant by ‘Destroy the Halls. He also wanted to corrupt our soul. We need to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“Yeah yeah I already know.” The double pointed at the ground. “I am pretty sure these red veins have something to do with the corruption. So after I am finished here I will follow the veins and after you are done you do the same. We will just meet up at wherever they end.” The double said as he used water magic to heal the ground.

“Ugly, you are not half as dumb as you look.” Otis said and nodded in approval. “I am not sure where this world will let you go but do your best to cover as much area as you can until the Intellect potion runs out of time. Oh and be careful of in Violam’s mind, Gooram is on the hunt for me but it doesn’t looks like they can attack us down here.”

Otis and his third mind split up and went their separate ways. Otis did not travel by shadow instead he ran or walked. He wanted to be able to heal the land as he moved. He experimented with all the different kinds of elemental magic. Every magic he tested healed the land whether it be wind, earth, water or fire magic. It was interesting to see fire magic turning the ground from gray to brown then green. Otis found out that if he continued to cast magic on an area grass begin to grow out. He wanted to see if he could get trees to grow but he was wary of the time he had left. As he attempted different elements he found that earth magic was the least efficient while wind magic had been the most. That discovery confirmed in his mind that the ground was not real physical earth. It furthermore solidified what the Bloodrage had alluded to that this ground was a representation of Otis’s body.

Otis stood next to another ravine which had mana running through it. “I wonder. Can I manipulate the mana itself?” Otis attempted to feel for the mana like he would during body manipulation. He tugged at the mana drawing it to him. He stared at the stream the mana did not immediately come to him instead he saw a ripple in the mana. The wave approached him separating from the rest of the stream dancing its way through the air to stop and hover in front of him. He sent half of the mana to the ground. The gray disappeared in an instant turning into grass and sprouting flowers. The grass spread combating the grey barren wasteland. Soon Otis’s immediate area had turned green and lush. Otis did not have time to be awestruck at the scene in front of him. He continued on towards the scar only stopping to summon more mana to sprinkle on the ground.

After some time the Mana disappeared. Once the intellect potion ran out the ravines emptied. Now there was just the same dark abyss at the bottom. Otis resumed using the shadows to travel. After many detours he arrived at the mountain beneath the scar. He climbed the mountain reaching the peak quickly. All of the pulsing red veins seemed to originate at this spot. The veins ran down the mountainside and scattered in all directions. There was one vein that was much larger than the others and it carved deep into the ground.

“I wonder which one I should follow. The tiny pathetic ones or the gigantic foreboding one?” Otis sat down. “I think I need some time to decide. So I might as well rest for a bit.” Otis watched the real world through the window in the sky. Otis sometimes felt like a voyeur spying on a neighbor but the difference was he did not get any enjoyment out of it. He jealously watched wanting to have control over his body. He put those thoughts aside, he did not want to dwell on it as he has a job to do and that was to save the idiot in charge.

Otis watched Violam arrive back at his carriage. It seemed that time moved slower here than it did in reality. Every action of Violam moved at half speed or slower. Another person entered the carriage it was a dwarf. The dwarf yelled at Violam.

“Hey other me can you hear me?” Otis knew his double could hear him he had left that connection between the two open.

“Yeah what do you want? I am busy with that damn Neuromancer so make it quick.”

“Tsk.” Otis smacked his lips. “Why are you such a pain in the ass? Anyways reconnect the hearing so I can hear what they are saying.”

“Fine.” A few moments later Otis watched the dwarf grab Violam’s throat. The ground around Otis rumbled and red scar began to drip blood.

Otis dove out of the way of the raining blood. At the same time he heard a scream in his mind. “Other me are you okay?” Otis asked in panic.

“It hurt but I am okay. That damn Bloodrage threw me from Violam’s mind. I can’t believe that idiot called on the Bloodrage again after it almost killed him.”

“I know but it doesn’t look like the monster is there this time.” Otis responded.

“Really what’s happened?”

“I don’t know. There is no monster the scar just started to drip at first and now the blood is pouring out like a waterfall.”

“Did you save any mana?” The double asked in Otis’s mind.

“No was I supposed to?”

The double sighed. “Cast out a shadow I am coming to you.”

Otis summoned a shadow and pushed it out in front of him. His double stumbled out but caught himself before he fell.

“Do I always look that dumb when I travel by shadow?” Otis’s doubled just stared at him for that remark and pulled a vial from his pocket. It was filled with a vibrant blue liquid.

“You made a mental construct to carry some mana!” Otis gaped at this double. “I certainly am a genius!”

The double snorted in response. They looked up to the window Violam had broken the dwarf’s arm and at that moment it was scurrying out of the carriage. The Bloodrage’s flow began to lessen but still continued to flow. “It looks like Violam is trying to stop it but he doesn’t have the control. He’s too weak.” Otis looked at his double. “Use the mana we can’t afford to let it flow.”

“I know I just wanted to save it for an emergency.” The double looked at the vial longingly. It was supposed to be his insurance.

“This is an emergency! We won’t get another chance to collect mana if we don’t stop the Bloodrage!”

“I know! I know! Seesh you nag too much.” The double removed the top from the vial. He controlled the vibrant liquid making it float out and waved his hand flinging the vibrant liquid at the scar. The blood stopped flowing immediately. The scar slowly shrank to a quarter of its original size, the remaining scar had a blue film covering it. Otis could see that the mana was still healing the scar but at a much slower rate.

Otis watched the change in the scar. “Damn if we had a little more we could finish it now.”

“Well at least now we know it can be healed. We will just have to do it later. Hopefully Violam won’t use the Bloodrage again but if he does at least now it should be more controllable.”

Otis nodded in response. His double was right the scar was significantly smaller. “How did you know you could come through my shadow?”

Otis’s double shrugged. “It was just a guess. Since I can feel all the shadows I create. I figured since we are the same person it would work.”

“Let's merge for a moment so we can share knowledge.” The third mind winked out of existence. Otis stared into the distance as he went through the double’s thoughts and experiences. Eventually he split his mind again.

“Other me continue to support Violam’s mind and watch out for Gooram they seen to be getting stronger the more they come in contact with us. Gooram must really want to get rid of us.” Otis waited for a response but the double just stared into the sky.

“Hey are you even listening to me?” Otis asked, there was a hint of annoyance in his voice.

The double remained silent and pointed to the window with Violam’s vision. He had been staring intently at the window this whole time.

“What is it?” Otis asked in anger. “Oh.” Otis saw what his double was looking at. “They have gotten quite close haven’t they?” The two of them had caught a glimpse of Sonashi bathing herself before Violam spun around.

“The two immediately responded in outrage. “Violam stop being a wuss take a peek!” Otis yelled.

“Yeah man up and take a look!” The double added.

Otis sighed. “He kills without a second thought but can’t even look at a girl. He should be ashamed. Hell I am ashamed!”

“I can’t even believe we are the same person!” The two lamented Violam’s actions but continued to watch just the same.

“I think we should take a break for now.” The double stated.

Otis quickly sat down on a constructed chair. “Best idea you’ve had all day!”

Both Otis’s rested for a bit to enjoy the show. Initially they both initially were disappointed in Violam. So much so that their insults went from friendly ribbing to downright disgust and anger but as they watched they quickly changed their opinion.

“He’s a genius.”

“How did he convince her to wash his back? I don’t think we have given him nearly enough credit.” The double responded in shock.

“He’s a genius.” Otis repeated.

The scene had finished but the double’s mouth was still agape. “I think we should trust her a bit more.”

“What just because she had gotten sweet on him? You know that is dangerous but I have to admit if it wasn’t for her Violam would not make it. He couldn’t survive the Farg alone no matter what patch work we do in his mind.”

“So what should we do then?” The double asked.

“Don’t plant any thoughts of distrust towards her in his mind just make sure he does not divulge too much information about us.”

“Agreed...wait what is that?” Otis’s double gestured back up to the window of Violam’s vision.

Otis turned back up to the window. He had stopped watching once he knew that there was nothing more than some innocent back scrubbing would happen. “That I believe is Gooram. At least I am ninety percent sure it is.” A masked figure was sitting in the corner of the carriage on a stool.

“That is creepy watching someone bathe like that.” The double stated.

Otis snorted at the irony but decided to leave it alone. “Does Violam not know that Gooram is sitting there?”

“It doesn’t look like it.”

Otis stood for a moment in thought before speaking. “When you go into Violam’s mind focus on trying to find a way to stop the Neuromancer from entering our mind completely. We need to find a way to defend ourselves from their mental attacks but don’t do anything too aggressive.”

“I guess break time is over. If this vein leads anywhere let me know.” The double pushed himself up into Violam’s mind. The double Otis immersed himself in Violam’s thoughts. He found that Sonashi’s innocent caress gave Violam much more mental strength and mental stability than he could by planting positive thoughts. The bonds that Violam was making with Sonashi were making him stronger. He feared that Violam would become too attached but he agreed with the other Otis. It was best for Violam if he had this relationship.

Sonashi opened up to Violam for the first time. She recalled how she ended up with the Farg. Even Otis could not help but feel closer to Sonashi as he listened to her story. It was all over too soon as the Gray Man entered into the carriage. Almost all of the good Sonashi did for Violam’s mind vanished replaced by fear.

Otis sprang into action he planted many thoughts as he could into Violam’s stream of consciousness. He focused on reassuring Violam that everything would be alright. Otis felt another influence in Violam’s mind. It was not Gooram because it was much too refined. Compared to this Gooram was a blunt instrument. If he had not been in Violam’s mind for so long he would never had noticed it. It was like a subtle poison it looked completely innocuous but its corruption ran deep tainting each and every one of Violam’s thoughts. If it was Gooram, Otis would have been able to tell in an instant which thought was whose but now they all looked like Violam’s thoughts and they were all poison to his mind. Otis was in awe, mind manipulation like this was masterful. “This must be the Gray Man.” Otis said to himself.

Otis got to work. It was not as simple as balancing one bad thought with one good thought. The balance was broken there were only bad thoughts and worse thoughts. He needed to touch all of them. He had to be delicate changing a thought while it was being thought would cause serious damage if not done right. At this point it did not matter what he changed the thought to as long as he maintained Violam’s mind. He also needed the thoughts to sound similar in the mind. Which meant he could not just drop a ‘not’ in the middle of a thought to change its meaning. Thoughts like You are one of the Farg were changed to You always wanted a farm. Otis went from thought to thought changing them to neutral or for the better.

By the time Otis had finished with the simple thoughts more powerful ones began to develop. Otis was confused. “Violam doesn’t normally have thoughts like these. These are actual dreams. Why would he be having them right now?”

He reached out to the other Otis. “What the hell is going on out there?”

“I don’t know after the Gray Man took Violam out of the carriage the window went blank. I can’t see what he is seeing. And it's damn hot down here! If it wasn’t for the shadows I would be dead.”

“So useless. Deal with it!” Otis dove into one of the dreams before his other self could respond.

Otis landed in a battlefield. He was surrounded by tall glass buildings similar to one he would find on Earth. Death and gore filled his vision and the sound of breaking bones and crushed metal entered his ears. One side wore combat uniforms while the other wore some type of advanced armor. It was a battle of the Farg against Humanity. Otis did not care who was which he only cared about finding Violam and pulling him out of the dream.

Otis had a vague feeling of where Violam was at. The feeling pointed him down a main street deeper into the Farg ranks. Otis was pulled from his thoughts as jets screamed over the top of the skyscrapers. Those jets were being chased by advanced aircraft that was not human. The advanced aircraft fired condensed beams of energy ripping the jets apart. Their flaming remnants fell behind the buildings out of Otis’s vision. “This battle is completely one sided.” Otis said to himself as he watched the humans in full retreat and the Farg advance.

“Kid! Why the fuck is a kid here?” The passing soldier roughly grabbed Otis’s arm. Otis did not realize it earlier but for some reason he looks like he is only five years old.

Otis looked at the human soldier but before he could respond the man exploded spraying blood and viscera over the boy. Otis took a step back in shock. “Too real, it's all too real.” He turned towards the armored Farg, its weapon gleamed an unearthly purple hue. It powered another blast killing another soldier.

“Open Fire!” A brave soldier shouted from behind Otis.

The soldiers steeled their nerves and fired their weapons. Killing it was their only chance to stay alive. The armored Farg stepped forward through the rain of bullets. The bullets harmlessly bounced off the advanced armor littering the ground. The Farg’s railgun spun and hummed as it continued to fire projectiles.

Otis sprang into action. He could no longer stand and watch. He summoned a large shadow scythe. The Farg soldier who had ignored the boy until now took a step backwards in surprise. Otis appeared before the Farg, he spun the air and with his full strength he brought his scythe to the enemy’s neck. The weapon and armor clashed. Otis’s scythe was deflected back without so much as leaving a scratch on the armor. The Farg laughed at Otis’s fruitless attack. Otis used the momentum from his rebounding weapon to twist his body around for another attack. The Farg smiled to himself from within his advanced armor. It knew no ordinary weapon could penetrate his defenses. The smile faded from the Farg’s lips when it caught sight of the weapon again. It was no longer a blade instead it was a gigantic two handed Warhammer. Otis used the moment the weapon left his enemy’s vision to shift its form. The Warhammer slammed into the Farg’s head. The great force sent the Farg flying into the first floor of a glass skyscraper.

“I need to get over my habit of fighting head on. I can’t just assume they will be weaker than me.” Otis’s arms were still numb from the rebound of his first attack. “Seriously?” Otis saw the Farg soldier step out of the building.

“I don’t have time for this.” Otis said and with a wave of his hand he sent a constructed boulder sized rock into the armored Farg. “Now stay down.” Otis stepped into a shadow moving down the street towards Violam and passing hundreds of Farg soldiers.

“How the hell am I going to get him out of here?” Otis knew he would reach Violam soon but he needed to figure out a way to remove him from the dream. It was like the simple thoughts he could not just wipe the dream or the Farg away. Violam had to make the choice of leaving the battlefield himself.

Otis moved through the throngs of soldiers. He used his shadows to move deeper into the enemy lines and to conceal his movements when he was out in the open. At last he made it to his target but he could not approach as Violam was surrounded by guards. Otis emerged from his shadow. He ran swift and silent on the balls of his feet into the wreckage of a collapsed building.

“I am not going to run head first into the enemy this time. I need to observe the situation then I will probably run head first into the enemy.” Otis decide from his hiding spot.

Violam was giving order to his Farg subordinates. If Otis and Violam were not part of the same person Otis would never have found him. Violam wore a Farg advanced armor which concealed his entire body. At this distance Otis could not hear what was being said but it looked like Violam was yelling at the messenger.

“Something must have gone wrong. Did I cause that much of a disturbance?” Otis saw the messenger pointing down the street that Otis had come from. “I didn’t kill anyone but some must have saw me.”

The guards around Violam began to gather everything from their temporary command post. “They are moving this will be my time to strike.” Otis followed behind Violam from the shadows. Their group moved down the main street. There were no human resistance forces that Otis could see only Farg soldiers. The battle had finished and the Farg soldiers were setting up their camps. He surmised that the Farg had nearly taken the entire city.

Otis peeled away from the group and moved ahead of them. He knew the direction they were heading now he just had to distract them long enough so he could snatch Violam. “Edgar is always watching, all eyes in this dream are his eyes. So I need to grab Violam before they even know he is missing.” He assumed Edgar was watching, Edgar would want to make sure his corruption of Violam would go off without a hitch.

Otis ran into one of the still standing skyscraper. He casually touched places on the first few floors setting traps for later. After he was satisfied with them he used his shadows to move up the stairs until he reached the sixth floor. Otis immediately dropped back into his shadow. An armored Farg stood guard in front of the sixth floor stairs. “Why is he here?” Otis formed a weapon in his hand. He knew he had to kill it quick and silent.

Otis rose from the shadow he placed behind the Farg. His five year old appearance put him at a major disadvantage compared to the seven foot Farg. A condensed shadow platform pushed Otis higher. Shadows shot out from floor and ceiling binding the Farg’s legs, arms and body.

Otis’s black dagger was unique in shape. It did not have a slicing edge instead it looked like a bar that narrowed down to an unimaginably sharp point. Otis stabbed the guard ten times in quick succession. The dagger punched a hole into the waist of the armor on the second stab. It plunged into what Otis believed was the kidney. The Farg struggled in its bonds for a moment until its body went limp. Otis stepped past the body and went further up the stairs. He met several more guards but decided to not waste time and shadowed past them.

Otis exited the stairs at the twentieth floor, he figured it was about halfway up. There were at least a dozen Farg on this floor. “I wonder if the Farg were going to use this for their command center.” The thought was in Otis’s mind for a second before he decided it did not matter.

Otis did not conceal himself as time was more important than stealth. He could feel that Violam was getting dangerously close. The nearest Farg spotted the boy and opened fire. It was not a rail gun but some small energy weapon used for indoor combat. Otis dodged the attack but it drew the attention of the others. Otis pulled his a liquid shadow. It was not enough to defeat the armored Farg but it was quick and strong enough to cut steel. The shadow whipped out cutting the pillars of the building. Otis dance through his shadows avoiding the gunfire as he slashed more of the support beams. By the time he had finished the walls were riddled with holes and deep incisions.

The Farg soldiers chased and fired at Otis. In their frustration they had gunned down some of their own but now they had finally cornered the boy. The only way out was through them or out the window and down twenty stories. The Farg soldiers could survive that fall in their armor but they knew the boy could not. He was just a human. To their dismay Otis slashed the glass and jumped out. Determined to kill this human they leaped out after him since they could easily survive.

Otis had crashed through the glass but before he could fall he constructed wind to propel himself upwards. The constructed wind was different than the natural transparent kind instead it looked like green streaks in the air. The wind could not propel him for long only a couple of stories. The Farg falling under Otis unexpectedly fired at him again. “Why can’t they fall quietly?” Otis dove through the glass back into the building to avoid the energy blasts. He rolled on the ground and quickly hopped up. A few dozen Farg stood in front of him and one sinister figure.

[Edgar - Level 50 Dream Illusion]

Otis ran forward past the Farg. “Sorry wrong floor!” He crashed through the window in front of him. Edgar and the Farg were in complete shock, they did not even think to stop Otis until he was already gone. Otis propelled himself once more finally reaching the roof.

Condensed shadow ropes shot out from Otis’s body in all directions. The ropes wrapped and grabbed a hold of roof of the building. From the roof Otis could see the boundaries of this dream. The boundaries were about ten blocks away with this building at the center. Otis had almost forgotten that this was a dream. That was dangerous he did not want to get lost in Violam’s mind.

Otis ran off the side of the building. He constructed wind and gathered it behind him propelling him forward. As he flew the shadow rope attached to him constricted pulling the building. Otis could feel the building shift and tremble but it was not coming down. He snapped his fingers to trigger the traps on the lower floors of the skyscraper. Green fire and explosions erupted showering the streets below. The building tilted gathering momentum as it fell towards the Earth and Violam. Otis severed his shadow ropes from the roof. He threw a new shadow onto the falling building and flew into it.

Violam and the Farg stared at their falling doom. Otis rose up from the ground behind them. “Sorry about this Violam.” Otis whispered as formed a one handed hammer. The world was in chaos none in the Farg noticed the 5 year old boy strike their commander.

Otis dismissed his shadow hammer. He grabbed the unconscious Violam and pulled him into the shadow. The two traveled through the shadows to a vacant alley several blocks away from the fallen building. Otis stood at the entrance to the alley there were two crumbled buildings to either side of him. He formed a construct to mirror the facade of those building and bridge them together to conceal the alley way.

He returned to Violam and removed his armor. Otis winced at the bloody wound on Violam’s head as he removed the helmet. He knew the wound wasn’t real but he constructed some bandages and wrapped Violam’s head anyway. After Otis removed the armor he stacked in the corner of the alley. At Otis’s will shadows crept across the ground to cover the armor and compressed it until it was unusable.

“Mister, wake up.” Otis patted the side of Violam’s face.

“OW! I am awake. Who the hell are you?” Violam reached for the weapon that should be at his side but only felt air. “Where the hell is this? And where is my armor?” Violam stood and grabbed the boy by the throat.

“You’re hurting me.” Otis breathed faking the pain. “You don’t remember? You save me from that building.”

“Saved you why would I save a human?” He released the boy dropping him to the ground.

Otis scrambled to his feet. “But you’re human too. You not one of those monsters right?”

Violam’s face visibly twisted. “Just show me to my armor. I will let you live this time but never show yourself ever again.”

Otis pointed to the pile of armor. “It’s over there but it was badly damaged when you covered me.” Violam scowled and turned to retrieve his armor. Before he could take a step Otis grabbed his hand. “Don’t leave you had to kill some of them to make it this far. They won’t let you go back. Don’t you remember?” Otis used the contact to plant some blurry images of him killing the Farg.

“T-that's right. How could this all go to hell? This battle was supposed to be my crowning achievement. Why would I give it all up for a stupid brat?” Violam pulled his hand away from the boy in disgust.

“That’s because you are human right? Come, my mom lives on the outside of the city we can hide out there.” Violam still hesitated he did not want to leave the battle the situation may still be salvageable.

“I may be human but I have to go back.” Violam turned to leave.

“They will just kill you. Come with me and maybe we can get out of this. My mom is waiting she will accept you. We can leave this world and put it all behind us.”

“I-I don’t know if I can leave.” Violam said almost if it was just to himself.

“Of course you can leave you just have to make the decision to leave.”

“I-I don’t know.” Violam answered still indecisive.

Otis noticed the hesitation. Just another push, he thought. Let’s sweeten the pot. “Come, my mom will make us my favorite pancakes.”

Violam’s eyes narrowed. “What kind of pancakes?”

“Apple and pecan.” Otis responded with a smile of course he knew Violam’s favorite.

“Lead the way.” Violam answered. A golden door shimmered into existence next to Violam. Otis’s held his surprise inside as Violam had acted as if it was the door was natural. Violam made his decision to leave the dream and this was their way out.

“No after you.” Otis gestured to the door. Violam nodded and vanished through it. Otis followed immediately afterwards.