Part 10 - Open Your Eyes

Tolan slowly opened his eyes. He recognised the alleyway where he had fallen unconscious instantly, but his perceptions seemed to be hiding a distinct difference. Slowly he rolled onto his face, feeling his nose scrape across the cold stone floor, but there was no discomfort. Carefully Tolan climbed to his feet, struggling to remain aware of the danger he knew he should be in. His eyes scanned the alleyway but he percieved no threat, obviously the danger had passed. All too quickly Tolan realised his error, it couldnt have passed, he had been stabbed! He reached down to his side, but only a rent in his leather vest showed any sign of damage, the skin beneath was unmarked. The young man's thoughts began to reel, he knew he had been stabbed, he had felt the blade. Then comprehension dawned on him, he focused his vision on the wall to his right in order to clarify his beliefs. It was whole, but somehow transparent; inchoate. The blade had held poison, this must be an effect of it, none of this was real. But that didnt mean it couldnt hurt him.

Regaining his composure, Tolan began to walk down the alleyway, seeking something but unsure what. As he approached the mouth of the alleyway he was able to see out into the street, which was wreething and alive with hundreds of strange, grotesque creatures. All had two legs and two stunted wings like malformed dragons, but they each used their limbs in different ways, some dragged their bodies along the floor, pushing themselves along like basilisks, others limped forward using their wings while yet the majority strode on their legs flaring their wings challengingly at others. Quickly the young man attempted to retreat back into the alleyway, but it was too late, the creature nearest him had spotted the movement and began to advance.

Tolan fell back as far into the alleyway as he could, but it was no use, he had been in this position before, and faced this dead end both times. Slowly the creature drew itself into the mouth of the alleyway. It stood on its hind legs like most of the other creatures and towered over Tolan. Despite the low light Tolan could clearly see the black viscus liquid salivating from the creatures jaws. It was the very poison that the knife had bore before it pierced him. This was the harbinger of Tolan's death and it had come to claim him.

The young churchman was no coward, and even in the face of death he would not relent. He took a battle ready stance despite the knowledge that this was not real. Somehow his weapons had been taken from so he would need to do this barehanded, but he had been taught some unarmed techniques during his tutelage. Slowly he extended his left arm palm forward towards his enemy while he tucked his right fist in, cocking it for one large blow. The beast advanced. Or at least it seemed to, for instead of moving closer it seemed to be walking against an unseen barrier, as if Tolan's palm was stopping it. As soon as Tolan realised this was happening the walls around him became even more transparent, seeming to dissolve around him revealing plains and citys which he had never percieved before. Something was changing and Tolan only had moments to take advantage of it, so with one large stride he launched himself at the nearest wall, which he slipped through as if it had never been there, and slowly, he began to fall.