Emerald wakes slowly stretching looking around the room.  Smiling she slides her legs over the side of the bed and slips her feet into her shoes.  She does an F-2 and doesn’t see Tholin or Zephyr on yet.

     Gliding toward the mirror, she makes sure the dream is locked before entering the Server.  Looking through the portal into the hospital room, she sighs.  The pain of that body she has left just under the surface threading to pull her back into the darkness of the coma.

    She goes back to her dream the desire to explore waning, as the need to be with other seems too grown.  Unlocking the dream, she moves her way out of her Dream, onto the road to Main.

     She sees Zephyr disappear into a dream.  Curious as to where he was off to.  The inquisitive little elf deciding not to whisper to him, but surprise him by following him.

     Staying far enough back to keep out of sight she just makes it into the garden before the gate closes.  Emerald tucks into the bushes so he couldn’t see her.  Spying Tholin wondering why he didn’t whisper her when he got on, now her curiosity is really peeked.   Watch the two men moving down the path, not wanting to follow to close she waits a few minutes before moving back onto the path.  Emerald’s cloak gets caught on a branch of a bush and causes the satin lining to tear.

     The weeds pulled at her dress and cloak as she moved slowly down the weed infested path. Looking around something didn’t seem quite right.   Emerald hears some commotion up ahead, startled and recognizing Zephyr voice calling to Tholin she runs through the thick weeds.  Her tiny feet and short legs makes moving slow and frustrating.

     Panting and holding her skirt in a bunch to free her legs to form the soft fabric.  She stops.   Looking before her she sees a giant spider web stretched across the trees.

     Peering to the right she sees a bog the water as moonless black as night and what appears to be whitish stick floating on the surface and clinging to a log laying across a narrow point in the bog.  The log seemed to glow slightly.

     Turning to the left she sees thick growth of vines hanging from the trees.  Wishing she knew which way her friends had gone.  She concludes to go to the left.  Finding a path so narrow it is almost non-assistant, she begins to follow it.

     Keeping her eyes keenly open she found herself surrounded by the heavy tentacles of vegetation hanging above and entwined around the thick trunks of the old trees.  The deeper into the woods she goes the creeper she feels.  Periodically she feels something grab at her ankles, thinking she was just catching her feet on the vines that were growing along the grown she doesn’t pay much attention to it and stumbles on.

     The vine-choked woods seem to go on forever before she sees a clearing up ahead of her.   Picking up her pace, she tries to make her way to the clearing.  Tripping as she feels her foot snag on a vine she grabs onto another vine to keep from falling.

     Letting out a gasp as the vine wraps itself around her wrist.  Pulling her foot free she tries to untangle her wrist from tightening tentacles.  As she fights with one, another vine wraps itself around her ankle anchoring her in place.  Feeling the panic starting to build up in her, shrugging desperately trying to get loose from the secure grasp of the vines she feels herself being lifted up off the ground.  Kicking her feet getting more tangled in the vines.  Emerald finds herself in twined in the tough vegetation.

     Not knowing what else to do she whispers to Tholin, “ Tholin, I need help I’m tangled in some vines in the dream your in.”

     “We will be right there,” Tholin whispers his reply’s to her request in a concerned tone of voice.

     Emerald wanting him to hurry but not wanting to alarm him continues to struggle with the vines.  One vine drops down and wraps around her neck starting too tight.  Gasping for breath, she uses all her strength to remove the vine from around her neck with her free hand.
     From off in the distance she can hear Zephyr calling her name.   Thrashing about she yells back, “Over here . . . Zephyr . . . Tholin . . . ”

     Following Emerald’s beckoning,  the two men move through the clearing keeping a sharp eye out for the big cat.  Removing their daggers from their belts, Tholin and Zephyr  start to hack their way through the dense tangle of vines toward the sweet pleading voice.  The thick vines start to retreat from the sharp blades as they are sliced into.

     Finally they see the beautiful elf struggling to free herself from her bindings.  Stopping for a moment looking in disbelief at the predicament she has gotten herself into her to heroes slice into the bindings and the vines release her falling to the ground at their feet with a thud.  “ Are you ok?” Zephyr says helping Emerald to her feet.

     Nodding she takes the hand offered to her and stands up, pushing her hair back away from her face, “whose plants tried to kill me.”

     Hugging Emerald tightly Tholin ushers her out of the vines and back into the clearing.  Zephyr following close behind keeping an eagle eye on the surrounding area. “We better get back to that shack in a hurry I imagine that cat isn’t very far away with all the screaming Emmy was doing.”

     Tholin nods as Emerald looks questioningly over at the young elf, “cat?”

     As if on a cue they hear a blood chilling cat scream coming from somewhere near the shack.  Moving Emerald between, then Tholin taking point, they proceed to the shack expecting the big cat to jump out any moment.

     The older elf whispers to his friend, “Mimbles can your turn off the cat please.”

     “No can do . . . I put it in as a random code . . . you will just have to take your chances,” The hacker comes back with.

     “Damn, he can’t call off the cat,” Tholin informs the other two. Peering in the direction of the low-pitched growl.

     The two magic uses ready their spells as they quickly move toward the safety of the sack.  Holding her breath Emerald stays close to the two men.

     Within feet of the shack the cat leaps out of the bushes just behind them.  It appears to be a combination of a saber tooth tiger and an African lion.  The huge beast looks to be about the size of a small car that is dark orange with black strips.  Around its neck is a thick black mane, a large yellow eye that almost glows, teeth foot long to the point.  Tail swishing wildly as it crouches down.

     Emerald gasps as her eyes go wide.   If it weren’t for the two elves holding on to her arm as they slowly back up toward the building behind them, she would have been frozen with fear.

     Taking a quick glance behind him, Zephyr grabs for the doorknob.   Grasping hold of it he twists it and pushes the door open.   With incredible speed that only fear could give you he moves his hand from holding onto Emerald arms to her slender waist, then throws her into the room before retreating inside closely followed by Tholin.

     The cat lunges and the two magic users release their spells.  Some massive fireball explodes engulfing the cat in a fiery inferno.   Screaming in pain, the cats disappear in a red ball of fire.

     Emerald looks on in horror as she lies in a heap on the dust laded floors.   She looks her to heroes and asks, “ are you two all right?”

     Zephyr closing the door and latching it just incases turns and looks at the tiny elf.  Smiling softly, “yeah I’m find.”

     Tholin moves over to Emerald, lifting her to her feet and kisses her softly, before saying, “ I’m okay too.”

     Smiling warmly she returns the kiss.  Looking around the dusty room, she looks sheepishly back at the two.  “I’m sorry for causing you so much trouble, I saw you to enter this dream and curiosity got the better of me,” Emerald says demurely.

     Giving her a tight hug, they lead her down to the main dream and into Mimbles living chambers.   Passing through the dungeon, Emerald gets a bad feeling about this place.

    Holding close to Tholin as they enter the living area.  Emerald looks around the lush decorated room such a contrast to the rest of the dream.

     Mimbles stand and bows to the elven beauty and smile warmly.  Emerald tries to smile back, but feels very uneasy about her host.

 Tholin says brightly introducing Emerald to Mimbles, “ This, my friend is the lovely Emerald.  Emerald this is Mimbles he maybe helping me with my project.”

     Looking at their two companions she smiles softly and says, “ really? That’s wonderful.”

     Something about Mimbles she isn’t too sure of. As the thought crosses her mind, she spies Cara slightly hidden from view by the divan.

     Ushering Emerald over to one of the winded chairs, Tholin gives Her a reassuring squeeze.  Gracefully she sits down in the chair, as she looks up she notices the gold chain.  Curiously her eyes follow the length as it goes over the arm of the chair.  To her amazement she sees the end of the chain is attached to a collar around the neck of a beautiful red-haired woman.  Emeralds not knowing what to make of these strangers’ sits quietly and listens to the men talk.

     Mimbles admiring everything beautiful opening displays his admiration for the golden haired female elf, “ You are every bit as ravishing as Tholin and his young friend has described,” Mimbles says with a leering smile.  The heavy dwarf wonders how much help does he want to be.  They could just as easily work toward getting the lovely elf for his own.  Grins to himself he begins to thin of how he could manage this and not be detected till it was too late.

     “Now that I have met your lovely lady, I can see how you would find her need to find her in the real world.  Count me in a friend,” Mimbles says.

     Sighing loudly, Mimbles continues, “ Well, my friends I’m sorry to say this, but its time I left you.  The real world awaits my presents.” Raising the dwarf aids as he opens the door to leave, “ Cara entertain my friends while I’m gone.”

    Cara sighs, unhappy with the departure.   Tries to smile pleasantly as her master leaves.
    Emerald watches as Mimbles disappears through the door.  Then looks up at Tholin, then at Zephyr, feeling most uncomfortable with the alliance.

     Sensing Emerald’s discomfort, but not realizing her uneasiness is more the person than the situation.  Tholin suggests that they head back to either Emerald’s or his dream.

     Cara with great disappointment and knowing her master’s displeasure with her for letting the pretty elf leave tried to talk them into staying.

     “Please stay my master will be displeased if I don’t make you feel at home,” she said.

     Zephyr intrigued by what Mimbles meant by entertainment is tempted to stay, but also sensing Emeralds discomfort agrees they should leave. “Well, I haven’t seen you dream yet Tholin.  How about going there?” Zephyr says brightly.

     Tholin nods wonders what would be the best way out of there since Emerald can’t F1 back to start.

     As if the server had heard his thoughts everything froze.