"What?" I yelped.
"So basically, everyone who tries to lead the...clans becomes evil?" said Jared. Helen nodded.
"And...Sam is supposed to...RE-unite them...again?" Another nod. I groaned and leaned against a tree trunk, wincing. Fallie nickered.
"It's okay," she whispered, whoofing at my hair. "There's always worse, you know."
"Thanks for your support," I muttered. Talking to Helen now, I asked, "So where are we going now?"
"To bring your father back, we'll need to follow the Norrelean River up through the Sierra. Naga's castle is surrounded by the Bedros Mountains. From here, we can visit my hometown, recuperate, and follow the river up. A desert lies between the Sierra and the Bedros Mountains, so we'll need horses. Fallie can't carry us all for a hundred miles. It'll be hard enough getting there. And we don't have much time. Three weeks." I nodded.
"So, when do we leave?"
"Right now."

In case you've ever wondered, forests are gigantic. Sure, a patch of sunlight then and there. But I was pretty tired of seeing the same old trees over and over again. Why doesn't anything else grow here??
The hours drifted by like stray leaves: soon we had set camp all over again. If a giant whirlwind had blown us a mile in any direction, I doubt any of us would have really noticed. I curled up next to Fallie and yawned, rubbing my aching back.
This time when I dreamed, it was not a dream.
It was a nightmare. I landed in a dark cave, the rock darker and more obtrusive. Sprawled on the floor, I felt a foot grind my wrist into the ground, feeling daggers of pain twist my hand out of shape.
I screamed, the sound filling my ears. Low cackling sounded above me. Painfully, I raised my head and looked. A woman stood, flowing black clothing covering her pallid skin. Long black hair was flung away from her face, a lock or two rustling a bit.
She grinned, revealing sharp, pointed teeth and stamped on my arm again.
Getting dizzy and still screaming, I saw out of the corner of my eye, a man chained to the rock wall, thick manacles welded into the rock. His dark brown hair hung off his face, and his clothes fell about him in ragged tatters. Long scars pockmarked his skin, and his wrists were rubbed red from the tight manacles.
The woman giggled girlishly, releasing my arm. "Come on, Samuel. Go on, free your father. After all, you are his son." She cackled louder, making my ears hurt. She kicked me as she laughed each kick punctuated by a shrieking giggle. The man roared, cursing her. So this is Naga, I thought.
"You know, I expected you to be a little more...tall," I spat out, rubbing my wrist. She screeched and kicked me again.
My father had not joined Naga. He had been enslaved by Naga.

"Sam! Wake up! It's only a bad dream..." Helen shook me gently, trying to soothe me. I had been screaming and wriggling, and Jared held an empty pan, his pants covered with water. I felt my hair and it was dripping wet. He shrugged, grinning.
"Sorry." Fallie nudged me.
"What did you see?" I shook my head, closing my eyes.
"Nothing...just a bad dream." I sighed and stood up, wringing my shirt until it stuck damply to my skin, a wrinkled mess of filthy cloth.
Helen slung the pack on Fallie's back and put out the fire.
"Time to go," she said. "We're within a mile of my home."