I watch you
fast asleep,
All I fear, means nothing...

"T..Torrin."

"Shh!"

"B..But..I don't know anything about these lands and I don't know anyone! Are you really going to leave me here all alone?"

"I'm sorry. It's the only way to keep you safe."

"Noo! Torrin don't leave me!"

Slowly he stirred.. Memories of that fateful moment lingered deeply, as if guiding the young man, but to where exactly was the true question.. More so, was he foll-- No, he would not think that way, not now. What mattered more than anything was..

"S... Se.. Sera??"

The name called aloud in what could be best described as a raspy whisper of sorts.. Darkness abound, the sound of his own, labored breath, coupled with his own words and the pain the racked his body to no end, were all that lent credence to the fact that he was still alive.. Those things and the promise he had made to her, and to himself.. To see her once more, and nothing would stand in his way, not even death.

This pain and current state, Torrin found himself in, would slow the process down a tad, but he would not be stopped.. He would find Sera, he would secure her and the spheres, and he would by any means necessary protect his sister from those who would seek to harm her. More than anything, however. Torrin simply wanted to see his sister once more.

The air still crackled about the young man, as he lay flat on his backside.. Slowly he began to feel more than just the pain, as his senses came back to him bit by bit. He had been warned, that planar shifting in the manner in which he had been doing would take it's toll. True to word it did just that, as it took what felt like forever and a day to finally open his eyes.

Feeling returned to his hands, as fair eyes blinked repeatedly. Breathing calmed once more, while Torrin began to regain himself. Slowly, he began to move to an upright position, in order to get a better look about. From the look of things, he had shifted true, as he recalled a landmark! Excitement once more took hold, and caused the young man to cough in a somewhat violent manner. Still, that did not deter him, as he moved to his feet slowly. With a careful manner, Torrin made for a near bench and simply collapsed upon it.

Looking around yet again, he deduced he was in some type of market place, and was in fact where he had left her. Now all he had to do was regain himself more so, and then he could search for his sister.. For Sera.

Before that happened, however.. Sleep took hold, as darkness once more enveloped the young man.

"Is he dead?"

"No stoopid! Look at his chest! Geez, can't you tell if someone is breathing!?"

"So is he dead, or what?"

"No you morons, he's sleepin I think? I know, let's poke him with a stick!"

"Shut up, here comes a guard. Just say we found him like this, okay? My mom says if I get into trouble one more time, she'll sell me to those gnomes over on cauldron way!"

Oblivious to all around him, Torrin slept a difficult slumber at best. One forged by sheer exhaustion, and the severe need to recoup his strength that at this moment was severely depleted. It wasn't as if the young Elf had wanted to collapse on that very bench, somehow becoming surrounded by a group of curious children, and the heavens know what else. While his dreams screamed of 'Wake yourself!', 'You are not done yet!', his body continued to relent, and in turn out voted the mind. In short, the mind was willing, but the flesh was far from that juncture. So there the young elf lay in his slumbersome prison, as he awaited the strength that would be his release.

Still Torrin, dreamed.

A maze appeared before him, large in stature and ancient in design. It's sheer presence cried out in familiarity to the Elf, as his eyes took in the wonderous visage that was before him. Finger slowly draped along the cold stone walls, as Torrin cautiously entered the maze. A series of shivers took hold of his body, causing him to wrap his cloak tightly about his slender form. Still he pressed forward and began to navigate turn after turn, evenrtually coming to a dead end, that housed what looked to be a planar portal.

The Elf came to a stop, and simply stared at the portal. He could not put a finger on it, but something was not right here. Something gripped at his senses, and cried out in defiance, screaming to the highest! And even with that unsure feeling, even with that earnestly defiant cry of caution, Torrin continued towards the portal. All caution was tossed to the wind, so to speak, as he entered the portal and was enveloped in it's glow. Only one thing would make him do such a thing, only one thought would make him disregard that voice of reason, in favor of the unknown that lay beyond. That one thing was the hope that somehow, this would lead him closer to Sera.

As portals lead to more portals, turns lead to turns, those turns leading to other portals and so forth. After what felt like an eternity, the Elf fell to his knees and cursed all he knew, as fists pounded stone again and again, continuing to do so, even after he had lost all feeling in his hands and knees. Heavied breaths taken, as fists finally managed to halt their barrage against the ancient stone. Eyes clenched shut in sheer frustration, as Torrin cried out again and again, hoping somehow that something, or someone would hear him. The reward of his efforts was no response whatsoever.

Slowly Torrin began to rise to his feet, the lack of feeling in his legs making that task much more difficult that one would imagine. Still, after a bit of time, he managed to gain a vertical base once more and began to press foward. And that was when Torrin was knocked flat on his back, the wind knocked out of the Elf, as his eyes looked to the heavens in a rather dazed way. The deep rumbling brought him back to his senses, as the walls and ground trembled violently, causing the walls of the maze to collapse bit by bit. Scrambling to his feelt, Torrin looked ahead and behind, back and forth feverishly, as legs finally listened to the commands of mind, and began to carry the Elf away from what he gathered was the worst. Despite that, it seemed to follow Torrin, and to make matters worse, it was gaining!

Through Portals, he went! Around turn after turn, and still it was all coming down, as the tremors worsened! He didn't know what to think, as he simply ran as if there were no tommorow, and for all he knew there wasn't, as he hadn't seen a damned soul since he entered the this cursed place. That is when he felt it. More so he heard it.. He heard it!

"Torrin!"

"Brother..Brother wake up..please wake up.."

"Torrin!"

That voice.. That was what he had been looking for! He was sure it it, he felt it, this is what he was here for! He could not allow himself to become one with this place, not after he had heard that voice. But how would he escape.. What would he d-- He never had the chance to finish that train of thought, as a brilliant light erupted from a portal in front of him, it's light enveloping himself in it's warmth, a warmth that was longed for more than anyone would know, a warmth that was simply... Home. Torrin couldn't recall anything after that moment, save the demonic howl that seemed to erupt from the maze itself, as the Elf was carried away from it's cold grip.

On the bench, he stirred slowly, his body reacting to what had happened in the realm of dreams.. Eyes clenched, as his mouth slowly opened, a single word escaping.

"Sera."