[Spirit Walk]

  A loud yell of surprise was ripped from Nicholas' throat as his body
unexpectedly shifted downward several feet until cool water totally engulfed
him. Panic took over as he started automatically kicking upwards,
reluctantly dropping the heavy sword as he flailed towards to surface.

  Was the Demon Beast that plagued him a sorcerer as well as its dark
master, LaCroix?  It must be powerful to have conjured up a lake's worth of
water into the catacombs,  Nicholas thought dismally to himself as he
struggled to remove the now leaden weight of his woolen cloak.  If so, what
chance did he, a doubt-ridden soldier for God have?

  Musings along that vein were put on hold when the submerged knight found
himself staring eyeball to eyeball with the oddest fish he had ever seen in
his life!  It was as thick around as his chest and at least triple his
length.  Brightly colored scales ended in a a firm tail at one end, with a
stiff upper-lipped jaw partially obscurring rows of needle sharp teeth at
the other.  The eel-like fish swam idly around his torso, bulbous eyes
sizing him up, shiny scales teasingly brushing against his water-weighted
clothing as his stunned immobility sent him downwards again..

  Nicholas got the uncomfortable feeling it was deciding whether to play
with its food now, or just go ahead and eat it straight out.  Frantically,
he tried to shove the slick body away from him, but he was woefully out of
his element and his soaked clothing was hampering his movements as it slowly
dragging him further towards the depths.  The fish easily avoided his  blows
in order to securely wrap itself around him.

  'Mother of God!' the Crusader thought as his lungs burned for fresh
air---he was going to drown and be fish food!

  Then he was being hauled rapidly upward until his upper body were free of
the water, sunshine glistening off the water dripping from his hair and
water-logged clothing.  Perversely hugging the very same living 'life
preserver' that he had, for all he was worth, shoved away just moments ago.
Gasping, Nicholas gratefully gulped down precious oxygen as he struggled to
make sense of recent events.

  Sunshine?

  Wiping the water from his face with an equally wet hand, he blinked
against the glare of the daylight reflected on the water's surface.

  Where was he?!

  The dark catacombs had disappeared and in their place was a grassy meadow
with pine trees rising beneath even taller mountains.  There were several
figures waiting on the shore, but the intense sunlight radiating down was
keeping him from seeing them clearly.

  An angry roar sounded from above him.  Forgetting his audience, Nicholas
tried to twist around enough to see what was going on in the sky.
 

  Damn this creature!

  The Vampire gnashed his teeth together in frustration as he dodged a
taloned swipe at his clothing, swooping aside just in time to avoid the
grab.

  He had just about caught his prey when the mysterious water had welled up
to replace the stone floor.  Only a quick flight straight upwards had saved
him from being caught as his prey had been.  But instead of hovering in the
dark catacombs of Paris, he'd found himself midair over a large lake---and
in the midday sun!  Sheer terror had paralyzed him for precious seconds
until he'd realized that he wasn't spontaneously combusting.  For this he
was grateful---(if extremely confused; could the Other be a wizard?)
Whatever.   The illusionary trick had done no more than momentarily
disconcert him.  He could still collect his prey.

But then he'd seen the fish attack---(an event that did not please the
Vampire; that was *his* prey after all and if *anyone* was going to hurt
that fool Crusader he deserved to be the one!)---and was planning how to
best seize away the floundering human from his aquatic rival when this
infernal winged nuisance had swept down from above him!  Was there some nest
nearby that the black hawk was defending?  Never before had he been accosted
so fiercely by a raptor---wild animals generally gave his kind a wide berth.
Yet this one was attacking with a vengeance---all fury and feathers!  Almost
as if it thought the human was its chick.
  Damn--he had no time for this!  The fish...!
  Wait...the fish was also helping the knight?
  And just where was he?  Surely even a wizard could not create so realistic
an illusion?  He could even*smell* the grass and trees!  Blinking, he tried
again to make sense of his new surroundings---and the fact that he was not
burning up.

 Too bewildered to both think and continue to fight, the Vampire let the
relentless hawk force him down from the sky onto the shoreline where some
humaniods waited.  He recognized most of the four:

  The young creature with the delicious smell, an older version with a more
muted aroma and white hair, and the odd human with the green light for a
sword.  And standing far back... the arrogant yellow man who had tried to
trick him!

  Snarling softly, he made to land next to the younger, dark-haired creature
he had earlier laid claim to, but the raptor beat him to his
target---alighting carefully on an upraised arm turned perch.  Was it his
imagination that the mad bird seemed to shrink in size as it did so?  He
prudently chose a landing spot about ten feet away where he could keep an
wary eye on all of them.
 

  Doctor Anders could not believe his eyes.

  What had happened to the cave?  Why was it no longer cold, and---
  There were too many questions.
  'Frash!' he cursed vhementley in Anaran. *Everything* was a question!

  "Where are we?" he demanded, deciding on bluster over admitting to his
fear-filled ignorance over their changed locale.

  K'yer snorted disdainfully.  The Anaran's fear scent was plain to Kievet
nostrils.

  "We are where K' dwells within.  But you never believed our 'delusions' so
you may think yourself  'Nawhere' or asleep, or whatever you like.  Just do
na interfere."

  "Don't start that mysticism trash with me, you furry pest," Pohl rebuked
him.  "This is a place.  And if it is a dream--which it is *not*--, then it
is the most realistic dream I've ever had."

  "Very likely," K'yer off-handedly replied.  He had more important things
to keep track of than the arrogant Tanaken.  An unwanted addition to the
Walk that he had not expected himself!  Why had someone brought *him* along?

  Pohl folded his arms.  "I demand to be taken back to the cave."

  The Singer scowled at him.  Would the being never be still?  It wasn't
easy to keep them all attuned  to this realm---both he and K'tay had to keep
part of their selves fixed on the right Songs or they would find themselves
right back on the Ysh Mountains without realizing what they had come for.
"You *are* in the cave,"  he snapped.  "Now be quiet or... AYTH!"

  Igniting his lightsaber, Qui-Gon had started forward to aid the
blonde-haired human from the grip of the sea monster, weapon raised to free
the man from the creature's grasp.

  K'yer's yell of dismay stopped him.

 "Na harm!  It is all right, Kwi G'wan Jinn.  PameaYervet will naught hurt.
We are of one clan, he and K'yer."

  "Clan?"

  "Spirit clan.  We were both chosen by Water.  PameaYervet is my Brother,"
he explained.

  So saying, the K'tlyan strode fearlessly up to the monster, whistling to
it.  The fish dipped its head enough to lightly caress the humming Singer on
the head with the underside of its jaw, then carefully deposited its burden
on the shore.  Gurgling, it slipped back into the water and disappeared from
view.

  Qui-Gon blinked.  Despite the outcome, the action of the fish had been as
one greeting an equal---neither had acted in dominance over  the other..
But then, he reminded himself, this was not the physical realm they were in,
but a shared mental projection controlled by the Kievet.  Or a vision.
 

  Coughing up the last of the water that had slipped into his lungs,
Nicholas watched the odd beings before him from his perspective on the wet
ground.

He didn't know any of them, though  the yellow man seemed vaguely familiar
as a threat  The Beast was the only one he recognized off hand---and it was
eyeing the strangers as uncertainly as he.  Nicholas didn't know whether
this was a good thing or not.  Were these the Lord's minions---or Satan's?
Perhaps the angel with the green sword could explain things to him?  At
least, he fervently hoped it was one of God's angels and not the Devil's,
nethertheless, he felt drawn to the tall 'man'.

  I have met him before---, the Crusader mused.  Though I can't remember
from where.  Maybe he is my Guardian, come to protect me against the Demon
Beast and his minions.  In any case, without my own sword I have only my two
hands with which to defend myself against them.

  Nicholas had hardly gotten himself upright when the 'angel' came to greet
him.

  "Greetings," the large man said, long hair flowing around his shoulders as
he inclined his head towards the dripping knight.  "My name is Qui-Gon Jinn.
May I ask who you are?"

  The blond man bowed slightly in return.

  "Good sir, I am Nicholas of  Castle Brabant, recently returned from the
Crusades.  Are you my angel come to defend me from the demon that the
sorcerer LaCroix has cursed me with?"

  "Nicholas?" the Jedi Master frowned, not certain what was happening, but
remembering back at the Jedi Temple when who he had thought to be a confused
Padawan Inav Ayar had in fact turned out to be a completely different entity
in Ayar's body.  Back then, 'Nick' had also believed them to be some sort of
mythical being.

  So this was Nicholas' true form as he was back on his Earth?  Come to
think of it, Council member Yareal Poof had described seeing him this way.
No wonder he had been so confused after waking in the Bacta tank!

  But, if he is truly Nick, why does he not recognize me? Jinn wondered.

  As if reading his mind, K'yer pantomined ripping his shirt in two and
Qui-Gon was reminded of why they were here.

Nick was torn in two.  Two personalities battling for prominence:  one
similar to the Jedi, the other predatory like a Rancor---if Nick's tale back
in his quarters on Coruscant was to be believed.

  "Which 'demon' do you need defending from?"  Qui-Gon asked quietly,
mindful of his friend's agitated state.  Not that he didn't already have a
good guess---but the sound of his calm voice seemed to be soothing to the
nervous man.

  The humanoid pointed towards his identical twin.  Well.. *identical* if
the other did not sport bared fangs and glowing eyes.

  The Vampire.

  "I see.  Then you have my word that I will protect you, Nicholas of Castle
Brabant.  Come...let me introduce you to my friends..."  Laying a comforting
hand on Nicholas' shoulder, Qui-Gon guided him over to the others, making
sure to keep himself between the antagonistic pair.  "This is K'yer and his
offspring, K'tay."  K'yer smiled; K'tay looked like his mind was elsewhere,
an aura of intense concentration surrounding him.  Qui-Gon decided to ask
about the younger Singer later, instead pointing out to Nicholas the Anaran
hovering silently in the back.  "And our fuming hitchhiker back there is the
erstwhile Doctor Pohl Anders."

  Nicholas looked at Qui-Gon for reassurance.  None of these beings were
human!  But then, the one *had* sent away the fish monster.  He remembered
his manners.  God or demon, he was not some barbarian.  "Good day,
um..Kee..yair.  Thank you for saving my life."

  The K'tlyan purred, a pleasant rumbling sound from deep within his throat
as he answered, "You are very welcome, Nik-ah-las, but it was nah this one,
but the Jedi friends and K'tay" ---here, a silent K'tay bowed as much as he
could without upsetting the bird on his arm--- "of yours who brought you
here.  Together, we will help heal you, hrrm?"

  "The curse." Nicholas agreed.  "You can free me from the curse?"  He
dropped to his knees before the Kievet, head bowed in supplication.
"Please, good beings---I beg of you!  Deliver me from the Demon sent to
consume me!  I realize that I was at fault, and wish to atone for my lack of
faith.  Let me again be bound soley to our Lord in Heaven."  He shivered,
afraid that he would be denied this redemption because of his having
listened so willingly to the LaCroix demon's words.

  K'yer smiled sadly at the kneeling alien before him.  So much anguish!  So
much like himself when he was young and foolish.  Not that he wasn't still
prone to foolish acts.  No one was.

  "We can only do what you freely allow us to do, Nik-ah-las.  A curse you
have, but is it what you think it is?" he asked kindly.  "I see na 'demon'
here."

  "Nar I," K'tay added, speaking as if he was half asleep.  "There is only
Life in this place.  Unayarek, what you call 'demon' canna enter where
K'tlysa dwells."

  "But the Demon *is* here!"  Nicholas protested angrily.  Surely they saw
the Demon standing there!

  The Vampire snarled in at his 'twin's' belligerance, but made no other
response, content to wait and watch the others.  He would find out what was
going on---and then he would snatch the Other away to a more private
location where he could finish subjugating the weakling in peace.  Once that
was settled, he would start searching for a way back home to his Master.

  K'tay shook his head, his purple eyes almost completely pupil-less as he
he regarded the falcon on his arm.  With a start, Qui-Gon realized that the
K'tlyan's eyes held nearly the same markings as the bird's.

 "Na Demon.  K'tlysa is here," the K'tay informed them.  "Would speak with
you, Nik-ah-las.  Has been waiting for you."

  "Ke tly saw?"  The word was both familiar and not.  But, Nicholas
realized, he felt pulled to it---just as he felt pulled to the night-hued
raptor.  One hand unconsciously reached out to feel the falcon's black
feathers, tinted a metallic purplish turquoise where the light shone on
them.  "What a beautful bird.  Do you hunt wi--"

  The falcon turned its head to look straight at him, and Nicholas was
reminded of the fish.  Only this time the gaze did not frighten him.
Unnerve him, maybe---his mouth had gone dry---but not frighten.  But it was
easy to get lost in those ageless eyes...

  Darkness.
  Starlight.

And he was airborne.