#odyssey

"I bet they do."

After all, Oz is a huge dream.. it's like trying to avoid an exit into a big city off a highway when you're actually looking for a small town

Apples get thrown at them by some cranky trees. Flying monkeys go overhead.

Symon snags an apple, and hands it up to Dagmar.

A porcelain doll peeks out side by side with some sort of Clock man

The apple looks quite tastey

The apple is saved for later, for Star!

As it should be!

"I can smell that." Star says with amusement. This close to Oz, talking animals are a matter of fact!

One can imagine that Near Narnia is potentially similar...

Perhaps with braver Lions, though.

Indeed!

"Well, you'll be getting it once we find the place..."

"It's a fine looking apple."

And then they see it. a snowy patch of silver that doesn't appear to be Narnian...and someone has marked it with a sign pointing 'Valgarde Dreams- Triology, fan fic, and gamer scriptsinspired'

She steps lively!

"I swear, I don't get why Vali didn't just do this..."

"Maybe it's embarrassing? Or maybe, because it came from his head, it would implode in on him causing a black hole singularity that sucks in all of the nearby dreaming..."

"he wouldn't be able to get away" the snake at Symon's shoulder whispers "No one is in more danger from a creation's pull than the creator who already put too much of his or herself into it."

"It would be like going home to a place you created to get away to.... yeah, he might have trouble leaving." A blink. "Oh, hello you." Stroking the now speaking Serpent.

"Well, it's based on not-him..." She gently lays the reins on Star's neck to guide her, no need for force. In they go.

Quetz says "Hello. like my name. Also had fun scaring that girl. You'd think she never saw a ghost snake before. Heh"

Lovecraft chuckles ..apparently both agree scaring folks is fun

"Did you spook Sally Mae?"

Quetz says evasively "Define spook?"

"She threatened to hit us with a pan." Amused.

Lovecraft fusses "All fur no claw" folks should carry through

"Sounds like you spooked her good, then."

"He has no fur or claws at all." Stroking her with his other hand. He has a full time job, it seems.

And then they enter the realm of Valgarde...

"Whoa..."

the snow clears and... they seem in a very different season indeed

A pleased nicker and she reaches to crop some of that fresh-looking green foliage. No winter dry hay here!

A horn, sounding like the sort a viking would use, blares across the shore

"I say we walk a bit, give Star a break. Head towards that horn."

"Sounds good. Uh, I can slide off if you pull her over by one of those craggy rocks."

"Sure."

He flows off, and settles himself with critters. Lovecraft can continue to ride, she only weighs as much as a shadow when she wants to.

"This place is really pretty incredible. For something that sprung from Vali, I... I dunno. I was expecting something sillier, maybe.

"I liked the books, even before I knew they were his."

"And his book money's what got me a computer. So."

A horn calls a second time...

If it calls a third? that means someone needs help!

Or so it was in Chapter two of the first book