. “Been a long time since I have seen you're like out here.”

Quite taken aback, I asked. “You have seen humans out

here?” I asked, trying to portray a very neutral

and friendly attitude. “Aye.” The giant replied, “But not for

ages now.” He peered at us and rubbed his magnificent beard.

“Got a feeling you are the one creating all the turmoil

around here lately. That’s why the Grognaw

are all in an uproar.”

From the time he was a young boy Jon Rayneksson knew he was different. A boy who could speak to spirits and animals was not something normal, even for the world in which he lived. All of his life, he was trained to harness gifts that he never asked for and often did not want.

Now he travels far from home on a quest that began as the simple escort of a Sabretooth to a faraway land.

Once his journey began, it became far more complex. Now Jon Rayneksson is an agent of the mysterious Lady of the Lands, an artificial lifeform who reluctantly portrays herself as God.

As he moves through the lands he, and his newfound companions begin to realize that they are mere pawns in a game of secrets and intrigue played by unfathomable cosmic entities.

Ral projected the thought out from within himself.

Ral's people had long ago dispensedwith the need

for vocal speech or any of the other requirements

of a mouth or vocal cords.Hence, his tight-lipped

and stony expression."Our purpose here today is to

examine the on-going socio-historic research

involving the Control Groups transplanted from

Earth to the experimentation platform designated as Threa."

"By all that is sacred enough with the

subservience Jon!" The woman

snapped. "My name is Myrnran Gaia,

and long ago, I was very much like you."

 The woman looked directly at me.

"If you want to call me something

respectful, you can call me Mother."

"Mother," I whispered. "Yes, that will do even though I am no longer either man or woman. I am all around you, Warden. I am all that you see. I am everything you hear and feel,

Kensai looked through the foreboding

opening we had just discovered.

“Shit Jon, there had better

be another way out, or we are

fucked,” retorted Kensai. I shook

my head at the unfamiliar word.

“I assume that to mean we

are in dire straits.” I gestured to the

opening. “As much as I hate to keep

 taking plunges through unknown

doorways, this is our only option.”