[color=0054a6]"Do you think you're now brave enough to defend your country from the coming storm? You're not ready, not yet. But before we can begin to train you, you must be brave enough to be willing to accept this life. You won't remember us, or what we've discussed. You might recall portions of your time here with us, but the world of the dream is far different from the world in which you live. You will brush it off, until the time is right."
[/color]
The god paused, staring down upon Kal, waiting for his response. 

Kal thought back to his experiences here, in this place of Gods- though they laughed when he had asked if thats what they were. They had welcomed him into this palace of dreams when he had fallen asleep after the night on the road.

 There, in the palace of dreams, he had been shown many marvels that he could still scarcely fathom. 
A man that was part piano, or was it a piano that had grown a man, was endlessly playing music upon itself, and it's music brought tears to Kal's eyes, so grand and pure did it sound. Kal was not sure how long he had stood listening to the music, for he lost who he was while listening to it, so powerful was the melody it produced.
 He had been shown a garden in which all of the thoughts of the world were flowers, and grew and died as they were thought. He watched as the sweet buds of love flourish, and then shrivel as the love died from the breasts of those it resided inside. And though there were many thorny weeds, vicious and sharp that were the thoughts of anger and hate, they were outnumbered by the delicate and colorful flowers of peace, wonder, and joy. 
Finally, the Gods had taken him to the very center of the palace, held the same statuette that Kal had, though this one was larger than a grown man. The statue, (it was much larger than a statuette) floated in the very middle of the room, and slowly spun on it's axis. The room it was held in was massive, larger than the grand feasting hall of Kal's own home. It was floored with light grey stone, and was completely bare but for the statue floating above the ground. In the hollow center of the statue, it was a pitch black, and Kal could see falling stars move within it. 

And it was now here that they stood, all of the assembled Gods, beautiful, alien, horrific, and utterly human. They each had the power to raze nations and raise mountains, and no mortal weapon could mar their flawlessly flawed skin. 

And they had come to him to ask of his help.
[color=0054a6]
"The storm will not arrive for a while. You will have enough time to grow and become the man needed to save us all. But for that to happen, you will have to undergo trials. Some will be harsher than others, but all of them will shape you into a better person, so long as you rise to the occasion. Fail to do so, and the storm will sweep over everything, leaving nothing but the rains and devastation in it's wake. When you will awaken, the statuette you were given will have fused with you, and we will watch and, if need be, guide you, in your trials through it. Of course, we cannot force you into this. You must choose this course, or you will resist it."
[/color]
Kal was silent a moment, looking at the Gods, somber in their fine garbs, desperate and only starting to realize it themselves.

[color=f7941d]"Of course. When do I begin?"[/color]

The Gods laughed, relief and amusement at such naivety intermingling until they were one.

[color=0054a6]"When you awaken, you will have very little memory of what has transpired here this night, but you will be able to recall that you are on a path to greatness. We wish you luck, young one."[/color]

**********

[color=f26522]"Young one, are you awake? It's late morning. I thought it best we let you sleep. But if we wish to reach the castle by nightfall, we had best get started now."[/color]

Reindolous was crouched at Kal's head, who was still wrapped in his sleeping roll. 

Smiling, Kal drew himself out from the roll, stretching. Around him was the quiet murmur of his retinue preparing themselves for the ride back. Though the soldiers had all grown used with one another, there was an undercurrent of tension in them concerning the recent events  that was as obvious to Kal now as it had been invisible to him the day before. 

Something had changed, and though Kal couldn't place his finger on it, he felt it had something to do with the most wonderful dream he had last night. 

As Kal changed openly into his riding clothing, (he was among men, and they had all grown comfortable with one another after the week together on the road and the battle.) he reached into his pants pocket for the statuette. 

Finding nothing, Kal's smile changed to a slight frown of puzzlement. Searching for the statuette in his clothing revealed nothing, and neither did a close inspection of the ground at his feet, or in his bedroll. 

[color=ed1c24]"Looking for something, lad?"[/color]

Rubbing his neck, Kal said to the puzzled Reindolous,

[color=f7941d]"My statuette, though I don't think I really care to look for it anymore. Ah well, it may have fallen from my fingers during the ride." [/color]And truthfully, Kal wasn't concerned about finding the statuette. While it had been a beautiful gift, he just couldn't bring himself to worry about it.

"Hmm. Well, you look much better off today than you do the day before. It must have been the battle catching up with you that did you in."

Slinging both hands together behind his neck, Kal nodded, [color=f7941d]"Well, anyways, I feel much better now. Let us depart again and return home." [/color]Raising his voice for the rest of the soldiers to hear, "And I bet there are plenty of women who will be thrilled at the honor of keeping these hero's beds warm tonight!" Eliciting a cheer from the soldiers, the dark mood lifted from the party, and they quickly finished packing, and remounted on their steeds for the way home.

What Kal hadn't told Reindolous was that part of the reason why he wasn't worried about finding the statuette was that he could feel it on him. Tattooed onto the nape of his neck was a raised circle with geometric lines bending and curving away from the circle. 

Kal decided that he would have to either start wearing more scarves, or grow his hair to be longer.

But then, that was a concern for when he returned home. Right now, the sky was clear, the birds singing, the horse beneath him strong, his company friendly, and the way pointed towards home.