"Volker." I hear Helen now; my proud sister. She isn't that much older than I am. "Volker, why have you done this?" I try to speak but I can not. "Answer me!" She is getting upset now I can hear the strain in her voice.

Helen, I want to tell you but I can't. Wait, why can't I see you or father? Theus help me what is this place?

"You have dishonored us Volker!" "You have dishonored us all." It's the company; I can feel their presence, but still I can not see.

The voices are all silent now. What is that? A light coming towards me? I can't make out what it is. It keeps coming; moving too fast. I reach for my sword and all I find is the hilt of fathers; the sword that Helen bore until the Drachen killed her.

"Defend yourself with that sword Volker. Let it be testament to your betrayal of our family." I raise the hilt and hold it in front of me. Then the light is gone and there is nothingness again.

I blink my eyes and I am once again in a new location. This time I am in a field on my horse. I am alone at the base of a mountain. I see Helen walking up with a group of people. Not our people though; they are riding away from the mountain. She yells farewell to them and salutes with a mighty thump to her chest, they return the salute and keep riding. I spur my mount ahead yelling for Helen but does not hear me.

Then the ground shakes.

Shifting mightily the mountain crumbles and splits! Thrusting itself forth is a mighty Drachen. Helen and the people she is with turn to face it. It moves through them one by one, swatting them aside like flies. Helen, mighty and brave, stands her ground. She fights the beast in a great battle but finally my

Valiant sister is overcome!

I scream out and start pushing my steed, trying to reach my sister, to help her. The Drachen looks up at me as it has her pinned to the ground in it's talons. The horse misses a step and we go tumbling end over end. I lift my eyes up in time to see the head of the Drachen pounce on her.

Screaming, I realize I am once again in another place. This place is dark. Not to the point that I can not see, but dark none the less. Then there is a light, and a voice behind me.

"Volker." I turn and see Helen. I can not make out her face but I know it is her. "Volker why have you done this?"

"Done what Helen?" I can speak!

"You drag the company across Eisen to destroy this man whom I cared about enough to die for."

Her words strike me. It is almost a physical pain. "Helen, I...."

I can not complete my sentence as she speaks again. "By your actions you have dishonored me, and my company. You are not my brother."

I leap forward in a cold sweat. I am in Heilgrund's castle. I know in my heart that it was just a dream, but her words still burn in my mind. I notice that I hold in my hand the hilt of father's sword. Was I holding it all night? My knuckles are as white as the clouds in the spring sky.

I look to the small table next to the bed. Father's ring is next the lock of hair Helen gave me for luck when I went to the academy. My mind swirling with troublesome thoughts, I know I will sleep no more tonight.