While sleeping Patrick had a dream different than any he remembered having before. It was much more vivid. He found himself in the forest, but not the forest around his home. The trees surrounding him were huge. Easily 200 feet tall of more, with trunks that would take four people to encircle holding hands. The ground was covered with small bushes of different type. None of them looked familiar. Turning in a circle there were trees as far as he could see. There was no breeze to speak of, but the air was cool and fresh with a hint of something that smelled like mint.

He spun reaching for the dagger that was missing from his waist on hearing a noise right behind him. Jules was standing behind him looking around in puzzlement. Patrick was just thinking it was strange to have Jules in his dream when he felt her familiar presence in his mind. That’s when he truly began to think this wasn’t a normal dream. “Is that you Jules?”

He got a surprised look on her face with a more intense feeling of her presence in his mind before hearing. “It seems we are both here wherever here is.”

“Can you sense anyone else?”

Jules closed her eyes for several minutes and I waited patiently until she pointed to my left. He turned and try to line himself up in the direction she pointed. Picking out a unique branch we could use to keep us going in the right direction didn’t take long. Patrick took Jules hand to guide her while she kept focus on their surroundings. He was looking around himself and while he heard animal calls from deeper in the forest there was no sign of movement around them. Luckily the undergrowth wasn’t that thick and they made it to the first branch he picked out along the path. His sister pointed and he picked out the next unique landmark. The next one was a thick dead branch that had no doubt fallen from the canopy above.

It only took ten minutes until he began to hear quiet sobbing. The source came into view a minute later. A small boy was sitting against a tree trunk with his knees drawn up to his chest. The boy was rocking himself with arms tightly clinching his legs. He seemed to sense them shortly after they caught sight of them. Patrick was just opening his mouth to offer some words of comfort to keep him from running away when he got up and ran straight to them. Well actually straight to his sister where the boy jumped up into her arms. Definitely not what he was expecting. His sister began to sing the same wordless tune in their minds she always used with the injured animals and suddenly two things became clear.

The boy had an ugly half healed scar on his side just like the golden fox and the boy’s hair while dirty like the rest of his body was the same golden color.

“So, you are the golden fox we rescued.” Patrick said to no one in particular.

A soft “Yes” answered him.

“Do you know where we are?”

“Yes, we are in the deep wood.”

“I am not familiar with these woods. Where are they relative to our home?”

“Your people call these the Phantom or Ghost Wood.”

A chill went down Patrick’s spine. The Ghost Wood is a place that typically only very powerful monsters or mages could get to. It was on a different plane of existence. Only a person’s spirit could enter. It was said to be very dangerous, but also full of very powerful herbs, ores, and creatures.

“How did we get here?”

“I am injured. It is normal for me to come here to heal faster. I am not very good at spirit traveling and pulled you with me. I am sorry.”

“That’s ok, but it is probably not safe for us to stay here.”

“Yes, it is dangerous. Creatures here will be able to sense your unprotected spirit.”

“Can you send us back?”

“I have been trying, but have been failing since we got here.”

“Hmmm, is there anyway we can get any weapons? I noticed I cannot access my inventory here and don’t have any of my weapons on me.”

The boy squirmed in my sister’s arms until she put him down reluctantly. He ran over to a fallen branch, which was about seven feet long and twisted along its length. Suddenly his body glowed and the branch straightened, shedding its bark. A sharp point sprouted from one end right before the boy dropped it from shaky hands. Patrick grabbed it before it could hit the ground. When his hand touched it, he felt something shoot up his arm and into his chest. A notification suddenly popped up in front of his face.

You have found a Spirit Weapon; do you want to bind with this weapon? Yes or No?

By Vera, a Spirit Weapon. He had never heard of such a thing. Looking up from the weapon cradled in his hand, he met the young boys’ eyes. “Hurry up and bind with the weapon or it will revert.” The boy said.

Patrick quickly thought Yes and got another notification.

You have successfully bound with the Spirit Weapon.

Weapon Name: Golden Thorn

Weapon Description: Spear fashioned by a novice spirit warrior of the Golden Tribe. This spear is soul bound to Patrick Ericson and cannot be wielded by another.

Weapon Damage: 20 - 40

Weapon Durability: 500

Weapon Spirit Points: 7 (5 base points plus users’ spirit)

Weapon Spirit Point Regen Rate: 1 point per hour

Spirit Abilities:

· Double Damage, cost one spirit point per successful hit

· Parry, cost one spirit point to deflect one incoming attack of any type. Only works against attacks targeting the user. One additional point can be spent to direct the attack at a different target.

· Golden Stride, this is a passive ability that increases all movement by 50% while within fifty feet of a member of the Golden Tribe.

Wow, what a serious weapon. He dismissed the notification and looked at the young boy shivering in front of him. “Thanks, this is an incredible weapon. I never got your name. I am Patrick and this is Jules, my sister.”

“I know, your sister told me. My name is Dorian of the Golden Tribe.”

“Nice to meet you Dorian. Any thoughts on what to do next?”

“Yes, we need to find my tribe, but I don’t sense any of them nearby.”

“Well maybe…” Patrick trailed off when the forest suddenly became quiet.

“Look what we have here Jacob. If it isn’t our friend the hunter. It looks like you found our fox.” It was the two men Patrick had run into in the forest earlier. Both were dressed in green leather tunics and pants. Black cloaks with deep hoods rested on their shoulders. They both had swords drawn and moved with grace through the undergrowth.

“I don’t know what you are talking about. Dorian is not a fox, he is a young boy.”

“Good try, but we have been listening to you for the last few minutes and we know what he is. I don’t know how you got here, but I think the Lord will be wanting to talk to both of you when we take the fox back.”

Dorian moved to hide behind me and Jules. I glanced at her and she looked pissed.

“I don’t think you will be taking anyone anywhere.”

“Really? You are all such low levels. If this area wasn’t so dangerous, I would take some time with you, especially your sister, but I think we don’t have the time to play around.”

Jacob’s partner gestured with his left hand. Green flames sprang up along his finger coalescing into a ball that shot at Patrick. Patrick didn’t have time to think, although at the same time everything appeared to slow down. His weapon twisted with a life of its own striking the ball of energy back into Jacob’s partner who dropped to the ground motionless. Patrick staggered, suddenly feeling drained. It wasn’t fatigue or stamina exhaustion, however he had trouble feeling alert.

His sister wasn’t idle during this. A bolt of purple light flew from her to strike Jacob, who clutched his head. Then another bolt from Jules hit him dropping him to his knees. A third bolt struck Jacob causing him to drop unconscious to the ground. Jules dropped to her knees wiping sweat from her brow. Dorian surprised him by running over to the downed men. He quickly searched the two men removing two coin-shaped medallions from their pockets. Dorian held them up in triumph running back to us.

“They used these medallions to cross over to the Ghost Wood. You should be able to use these to get back.” Dorian said handing each of us a medallion.

“What about you?”

“I can make it back on my own. I just couldn’t take you back with me successfully. Both of you try to activate the medallions.”

They both focus on the medallions in our hands and got notifications.

You have found a Spirit Gate Medallion. This medallion will allow the user to cross over to the spirit realm and back. This can only be used once per day.

Do you wish to use the medallion to leave the spirit realm? Yes or No?

Jules and Patrick select Yes.