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    “So you’re telling us that there’s a whole other world that these shadows can’t get to. Sounds like just another wild rumor to me.” Aaron was irritated. The dragons had given plenty of useful information, but the one thing that stuck was the rumor of Eden, a realm that the Shadows could not reach.
    “I think it’s true.” Karaza whispers.
    “You too? Is everyone stuck on rumors? Well then I guess we’ll just waltz on over to wonderland and live the rest of our lives in peace.”
    “It’s not that simple,” Calana said in a soothing voice, “the Shadows can’t get there because the Door was sealed.”
    “It’s never that simple.” Aaron sighs and sits on a ledge.
    “Wait, I- I saw the Door! It was a bright, glowing light in the back of a cave.” Karaza turns to address everyone. “I- I’ve been having visions, something to do with this.” She pulls the dragon scale out of its hiding place, “It showed me the way.”
“That’s wonderful.” Aaron replies sarcastically. “We’ll talk about it more in the morning. Sven, first watch. Good night.” He lies over and covers himself with a thin blanket.
    “What is wrong with him?” Vilicus asks.
    “He’s not into fairy-tales.” Sven replies. Karaza glares at Aaron’s back and walks towards the cave opening. “Where are you off to?”
    “Not far away.” She responds. “Oh, and you know what else is a fairy-tale? Dragons.”
    ”Feisty one, isn’t she?” Vilicus asks Calana.
    “Yes, she has fire in her.” Calana watches Karaza as she climbs the slope by the cave.
    “I know what I saw.” Karaza sits alone on the mountainside far above the cave. “There is a Door, a gateway into another world.” She pulls out the scale and stares at it. “Why won’t you speak to me? Why only show me your memories, you horrid beast!”
    “Is something wrong…?”
    “Yes! Your words are not meant for me! It’s as if I don’t exist! As if you don’t care that an entire world is covered in darkness, and is dying!” Karaza grips the scale, cutting herself on the edges. “Why? Just… why?” Why is it that no one ever cares about me? Karaza starts to cry.
    “Why do you weep, little one?” came a voice from nowhere.
    “Because this world is dead, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.”
    Calana snakes her head up, and looks sadly at Karaza. “Dead, you say? Yet we live, or are we naught but phantoms?”
    “I- I don’t know, the world has become so cold, and dark. Maybe this is the land of the dead.” Karaza looks at the blood on her hand, barely feeling the pain.
    “Child, you bleed, is that not proof enough that we live?” As Calana spoke, she eased herself closer, easily scaling the mountainside as she came level with Karaza. “As long as there is life, there is hope. Let me show you.”
    “What?” Before Karaza could protest, she felt Calana’s mind push on hers, and the mountainside vanished.
    Karaza was alone, she was hurt and afraid, they were gone, taken by the darkness. She knew she was next, she could sense the dark ones coming back… Darkness, brief flashes of light, scenes of horror, all made worse by the fact that it was her, despite the protests of her tortured mind, she was the source of the suffering she saw… A faint voice, musical, but incomprehensible, calls to her, piercing the darkness, freeing her mind from its bonds, giving her life once more.
    “This is all I can do for you.” Calana withdraws, her own eyes holding tears. “Good-night, little one.”