<span style="font-style: italic">Gordo Lachkin punched Bodzil Foxe in the head so hard, he went flying backward. The pain of the impact of the man's fist on his skull was intense, it sent lightning bolts through his brain. This time, he felt himself falling, falling, falling, but not knowing where he was going. His surroundings were dark and warm. The smell was sulfuric like the volcanos in Cekakula. The sensation of falling was overwhelming, but it was not as though he would impact with the ground anytime soon--a strange feeling that set in an anxiety; a fear.<br/><br/>Next he was standing inside his lodge, cut into the side of Mount Prishtina where his clan called home. It was a cave, constructed of rock and earth. A few pieces of furniture, constructed of wood and stone stood in the rooms. His bed, a wooden frame, a large pile of hay comprised his rough mattress. He could see the various rooms of his home and felt comforted.<br/><br/>Meda Yazzie walked into the room carrying their son, Tiriaq. Bodzil knew his son, who was just six months old. He felt like Tiriaq had been part of his life, that he was present when Meda gave birth to their son, but in the back of Bodzil's mind, he knew that he had no son. Meda Yazzie and Bodzil Foxe have no children. They had been together for many years. Bodzil is one hundred and sixty years old and Meda is one hundred and fifty years old. They had been partners for the past thirty five years, but had never conceived a child. Bodzil knew this to be true, but for whatever reason, felt that Tiriaq was supposed to be there. He felt about this strange reality, but it was not enough to wake him from his dream. He still had no idea he was unconscious in a cavern somewhere in a nation known as Afghanistan on the planet Earth.<br/><br/>While staring at Meda Yazzie, her face slowly turned into the face of Kwatoko, the face he saw on her when they re-united after passing through the rift several minutes ago. The Oolarger face of Kwatoko on Meda Yazzie's body holding their six month old son, Tiriaq. Bodzil was confused, but stood there in their home watching Kwatoko who would bounce the baby on her hip. Her lips moved and she shouted a few times at him, "Bodzil, Wake up!" <br/><br/>Bodzil watched her yell at him. He looked at the child who now all of a sudden was more white than pale green. His complexion changed. His hair was no longer black but reddish in color. His arms and legs, normally bulbous, plump like most Oolarger children were now thin and diminished in capacity. The child lay limp in Meda Yazzie or Kwatoko's arms, with its face buried in her chest as though he were asleep.<br/><br/>"There is something wrong with Tiriaq!" Bodzil cried at Meda/Kwatoko. He could no longer tell them apart. His partner and friend and Dragon companion and friend were slowly becoming the same person. "Tiriaq, wake up!" Bodzil yelled at his son, who did not exist. When Bodzil reached out to take the boy from her, he realized she was standing too far away from him.<br/><br/>Meda/Kwatoko laughed at Bodzil. "What? you really think you are going to take him from me?" She had this evil grin plastered on her face. "You cannot have him. He is mine," she retorted smugly. The boy looked thin, famished and asleep in her arms. He made no sound and no movement. Every time Bodzil tried to step forward, either his legs would not move or the Oolarger woman was further away from him. She laughed harder with each attempt at a step.<br/><br/>A cat, the one we know as Cornelius sat at a table reading the London Times financial papers. The cat lowered the paper, looked at Bodzil and cheekily uttered, "You really should wake up, old chap. These people need your help down here." Then Cornelius raised the newspaper and was gone.<br/><br/>A dragon, on two legs walked into the home and picked up the baby with the red hair who Bodzil was calling "Tiriaq". The boy was limp when the dragon held the baby in his arms. Oddly enough, this was no dragon Bodzil had ever seen before. This dragon walked around on two feet like him and was only slightly taller. Every dragon Bodzil had ever met was at least 20 or 30 feet long. This one was more like a man. <br/><br/>"My name is Kemanorel, but Keman is acceptable. I am a dragon, and I have reason to believe she is also a dragon. Though, I'm not sure why she's currently shaped like her companion. And what about you? Who are you?" The dragon spoke to him in his own home.<br/><br/>None of this registered. It was pure nonsense. But, even though Bodzil knew it was nonsense, he responded to Keman, "My name is Bodzil, Bodzil Foxe, but you already know that."<br/><br/>The dragon, Keman smiled, nodded and hefted the Oolarger boy aloft saying, "I see you met my son, Nahuel. Isn't he a beautful baby?" Keman the dragon who stood on two feet smiled proudly at the Oolarger child with red hair who appeared to be dead or close to it.<br/><br/>"What the hell is going on here?" Bodzil watched the scene. Meda/Kwatoko was no longer with them. He and Keman were out in the plains in front of Mount Prishtina. A rock/stone formation similar to the one they met on in Afghanistan stood right behind Keman, the dragon who stood on two feet. <br/><br/>Out of nowhere approached an average looking human about six feet in height dressed simply with a light-colored, long-sleeved shirt, darker-colored pants, and a very comfortable pair of black boots. The young man carried a small bag with him. He wore a necklace with a round, coin-like piece of obsidian on it, and had a tattoo-like mark on his left hand. His eyes were blue-green and he wore short brown hair. The young man approached Keman, who was no longer holding the red haired baby who may or may not have been Tiriaq, a baby that did not exist.<br/><br/>The young man seemed in good spirits. He addressed Keman, the dragon on two feet and Bodzil, who had a very confused look on his face, "I...you may call me Merin. I would suggest you not be so brash, Kemanorel, as it's quite obvious that she does not wish for your help, and unless you wish to cauterize the wound on his head with your magic, I do not think that shocking him will achieve much more than to bring upon you the ire of...her. The last thing we need right now is another injured person, we should focus on trying to get out of here in case anything else falls down." Merin gestured toward Bodzil.<br/><br/>Bodzil turned around. He could not see a woman. He looked back at the young man and the Dragon who stood on two feet, Keman to ask who "she" was, but they were gone too. He now stood in the plains alone.</span>