Chapter 17<blockquote>


    Path of the Watcher - Dream Gardener


    Growing in strength through observing the thoughts and actions of those who wander the Dream, the Watcher learns to use Aether to connect with those whose minds are touched by the Dream. Though without a way to defend themselves initially, this path is suited for those who know how to make hidden knowledge work for them.


    Sub-Path: Dream Gardener - Those who cultivate Dream Flowers in the Dream are known as Dream Gardeners, nting and tending to the flowers that create the connections others need to ess the Dream. As a Dream Gardener, you gain experience points for each seed you sessfully cultivate into a flower.


    You have grown a Dream Flower. You have gained 1 EXP.


    EXP: 10/40</blockquote>


    Along with the windows that flooded his vision, Garrett felt a rush of information entering his head as the connection was formed between him and the robed man who now bore three Dream Flowers. Unfortunately, the cost of such rapid growth was the rest of the energy in Garretts soul spark, and as the world of the Dream began to fade around him, Garrett realized hed miscalcted how much energy he still possessed. Unable to do anything, Garrett nked out, waking up a momentter in his bed.


    He hadnt been kicked out of the Dream by running out of energy for a good while, so waking up with a pounding headache and a deep feeling of emptiness in his chest was terribly ufortable. Looking around the room with bleary eyes, he tried to find a clue about what time it was, but the darkness provided no answer. Turning over with a groan, Garrett pushed his throbbing head into his pillow and closed his eyes, mercifully sinking into an exhausted sleep a few momentster.


    When he woke again, the sun was shining in the small window and breakfast was on the table, but most importantly his drained energy had recovered, erasing the splitting headache he had suffered from the night before. Feeling refreshed, Garrett pulled himself up and got a te of food. Ryn was nowhere to be seen, but Garrett didnt let that stop him. While he ate, he thought through the previous days adventures, from his encounter with the adventurers to learning about the betrayal and unlocking the Dream Gardener sub-path. A lot had happened in rapid session, both rifying Garretts new assumptions about how the path of the Watcher was meant to be yed and introducing a whole new host of questions.


    More pressing, however, was dealing with theing betrayal and ensuring that the gang wouldnt suffer. The tricky bit was the fact that Garrett had absolutely no proof that anything was going to happen. He could, of course, publicly use the traitor and point out his betrayal, but that would cause him to lose one of the people carrying his Dream Flower, cutting off a potential source of experience. Biting off a piece of the roast he was eating, Garrett chewed the meat slowly as his mind whirled, filled with ns to get the highest possible value from the twisted situation.


    <em>I can spend an experience point to nt a Dream Seed and gain experience for each flower I grow. The question is, can I more experience than I spend, or do I need to observe the person whos carrying the flower having a lucid dream, meeting nightmares, and so on? I should be able to test all of this with these two people I nted seeds on, but before I can do that I need to deal with this traitor situation.</em>


    As his n came together, Garrett was knocked out of his thoughts by Ryn, who popped her head into the room, checking to see if Garrett was up yet. When she saw him eating breakfast, she burst through the door with her normal enthusiasm.


    Hey! Morning! Are you done with breakfast? I can clear that for you. You know, I just wanted to say sorry for yesterday afternoon. I thought it would be fun to go out to the market, and I think it would have been if we hadnt run into those idiots, but you never know with adventurers. Most of them are fine, so long as you leave them alone, but there are always those bullies who like to lord it over the rest of us. But theyll be sorry.


    Its fine. Garrett said, dabbing his lips with his napkin. Youre not responsible for other peoples behavior.


    Its not fine, Ryn said, her expression growing hard. They may be awakened, but that doesnt mean they can do what they want. Besides, no one gets to treat me like that and get away with it.


    Seeing the look in her eyes, Garretts eyebrows slowly rose.


    Are you nning something?


    Ive got some ideas, Ryn said, her lips shing a quick smile.


    Curious, Garrett leaned forward, interested in hearing her thoughts. Initially, he had assumed that there were no options but letting thingsy as they had fallen, but since Ryn had other ideas, he was open to evening the score. Grabbing her chair and flipping it around, Ryn straddled it, her arms resting on the back.


    Awakened are dangerous, but that doesnt mean that theyre omnipotent, and thugs like the guy who roughed us up are barely a cut above a normal person. Ive been casing the room where he stays, and it looks like it wouldnt be too hard to slip in and liberate a few of his things.


    Rubbing his chin, Garrett thought for a moment, and nodded.


    What do you need?


    Smiling, Ryns fingers shed, and a list appeared on the table.


    I need two silver coins so I can get a new set of tools. Its a long story, but mine are mostly broken or gone, which makes it really hard to do what I do. Two silver will get me everything I need.


    Fine by me. Theylle in handy in the future as well, Garrett said with a smile, reaching for the pouch at his side. Here you go.


    Her eyes gleaming with excitement, Ryn grabbed the two silver and stood up.


    Thanks.


    Putting the coin purse away, Garrett gave her a half shrug and a smile.


    It''s your money too. Remember, were partners in this. How are things out there?


    Eh, quiet. Most everyone is busy with something, though no one will tell me what it is, Ryn said, frowning. But Gorn did say that hed bring your new wheelchair overter today. I cant believe that idiot broke it like that. If I was Awakened I would have beaten his head in right then and there, but dont worry, I wont let him get away with it.


    Keep me posted on how it goes. Is Henrick in his office?


    Nope, he left this morning with a big group. Why? You need me to find him?


    Shaking his head, Garrett picked up his quill, flicking the feathers idly.


    Its fine if I talk with him when he gets back. Can you let me know when he returns?


    Sure.


    Once the table was cleared, Garrett sat back on his bed and closed his eyes. His side barely ached at all, a testament to the increased healing his body enjoyed as an Awakened. Yet, at the same time, the space around his soul spark was tightly contained, not allowing any energy to leak out. Garrett could only assume that it was this restriction that rose and fell with the passing of the sun that both shielded him, preventing others from discovering his Awakening, and prevented him from entering into the Dream during the daytime.


    Sitting in his bed, thinking about all the things he wanted to do, Garrett couldnt help but feel incredibly frustrated. Had he been able to walk, he would have spent his day hunting down the robed figure from the night before to learn more about him and the situation, but given his condition, he couldnt move. Any time he closed his eyes, he could feel the connection he had with the Dream Flowers, but it was a rough, tenuous line.


    The brief taste of rtive freedom hed enjoyed thanks to the wheelchair made being confined even more bitter, but he did his best to distract himself by trying to n out what would likely be happening over the next few weeks. There was only so much he could do, however, and Garrett was soon left with a long day stretching out ahead of him and no way to pass the time. With no other options, he decided to try and test out the connections he had with the Dream Flowers.


    Focusing his attention inward, he saw four little glows hovering near his soul spark. Thergest, by far, were the flowers that covered the hallway of the inns first floor. With his constant attention, they had begun to grow into the great room, and therge nt sat like a beacon in his mind. The three smaller flickers of light in his head represented Gorn, the Ghouls Tooth gang member turned traitor, and the mysterious robed figure Garrett had just nted a seed on the night before. While the connection gave him a rough sense of where they were at present, or at least how far away from him and in what direction, there was a general haziness to the information he was getting.


    <em>I bet I could increase the quality of the connection if I could use my soul spark energy, but its so tightly bound up, I dont know if I can ess it.</em>


    Setting his mind to this first task, Garrett worked on essing the energy in his soul spark. When he walked in the Dream, essing the energy was simply a matter of aiming his attention at whatever it was he wanted to do. By directing his attention he could also guide the flow of energy, strengthening and weakening it at whim. Outside of the Dream, however, all the energy contained in his soul spark was tightly bound up in a shining orb that was impervious to his attempts to direct it.


    Despite trying everything he could think of to pull energy away from his soul spark, Garrett found himself in exactly the same ce as where hed started nearly two hourster. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he checked the connections again and his attitude immediately improved when he saw Gorn was headed in his direction. A few minutester there was a knock at his door and Gorn stuck his head into the small room. Seeing Garrett wave him in, he opened the door and pushed a new wheelchair in.


    I had the carpenter fix one of the failed chairs up for you. Its not as nice as the chair you had, but its better than nothing, right?


    Absolutely, Garrett said, grinning.


    Maneuvering himself to the edge of the bed, Garrett waited for Gorn to bring the chair over and then moved himself into it. Turning it around by moving one of his wheels, Garrett nodded happily.


    This is great, thanks. Anything beats just lying in bed.


    I bet. Ryn said you were looking for Henrick, but he isnt back yet. Anything I can help you with?


    ncing up at Gorn, Garretts thoughts spun for a moment and he nodded.


    Actually, yes. Would you mind if I picked your brain about your Awakening?


    Garrett knew he was taking a risk by asking Gorn about this subject because Awakened tended to jealously guard this sort of knowledge, since it directly impacted their personal safety, but he was curious how far the influence of the Dream Flower extended. Gorn, who had just taken a hold of the back of his wheelchair, paused, his face shifting through a dozen emotions in rapid session. At the same time, Garrett could feel pulses of anger, goodwill, confusion, and even excitement through the faint connection he had with the Dream Flower Gorn carried.


    Shaking his head, as if to clear the confusion brought by his rapidly changing feelings, Gorn smiled.


    Sure, I can exin a bit about it. Nothing specific to me, of course. Thats private information and honestly I probably shouldnt be talking about it at all. It could be really dangerous for me if the wrong people learned about my Awakening.


    Sensing Gorns emotions starting to shift into negative territory, Garrett hurried to reassure him.


    Thats fine. You dont even have to tell me about yourself specifically. Im more interested in the general process and how people who are newly Awakened improve.


    A clear feeling of relief trickled over from Gorn and his whole body rxed considerably.


    Oh, thats it? Gorn chuckled. I thought you were trying to learn about me specifically.


    Pushing Garrett into the great room, Gorn pulled him up to a table and took a seat across from him, signaling to the waitress with a wave. Hurrying over, she smiled shyly at Garrett before speaking to Gorn, a faint flicker of fear in her eyes.


    What can I get you, sir?


    Does the cook have lunch ready?


    Yes, sir.


    Well take lunch and two ales.


    Yes, sir.


    Hurrying to the kitchen to put in the order, the waitress left Gorn and Garrett to talk. Using his sleeve to wipe at the table, Gorn gave Garrett a searching nce.


    How much do you know about Awakening?


    I know that its different for everyone, Garrett replied, and that most people Awaken during times of intense stress.


    Thats right. Are you familiar with the categorizations?


    You mean Weapon Sparks, Monster Sparks, and Tool Sparks?


    Yeah, there are three different types of sparks that can be awoken, but what most people dont realize is that sparks arent set in a category when the person Awakens.


    Really? I thought that was set from the beginning.


    No, thats amon misconception, Gorn said, shaking his head. A person who Awakens enters the lighting stage. Typically, we just call them Awakeners. Once their spark is grown to the point that it starts to take shape, we call them Shapers.


    And Manifesters are those who reach the final level, right?


    Exactly. Manifesters can project their spark outside their bodies. But what I was saying is that Awakeners just have a regr old soul spark. It has no specific shape. However, over time as the spark grows, it starts to naturally form a shape, based on what sorts of actions the Awakened takes and what sorts of beliefs they have about themselves.


    His eyes going wide, Garrett tapped on the table.


    Ah, that makes sense why its so dangerous to tell people about your specific spark. If someone knows about you and your spark, they can take action to disrupt your beliefs about yourself.


    Yup, which kills your ability to grow. See, the key to growing from an Awakened to a Shaper is holding a clear mental image of what youre going to be. Thats what gives your soul spark shape in the first ce. Only by holding that clear visual are you able to remove the natural restriction that surrounds your soul spark.


    Natural restriction? Garrett asked, leaning forward to listen carefully.


    Pausing while the waitress put their food down on the table, Gorn took a long drink from his ss and smacked his lips.


    Mm, yeah, people think that being an Awakened is all gravy, and dont get me wrong, its awfully convenient to not be weak like a regr person, but its also a lot of work. When you Awaken, your soul spark is full of energy, but its also sealed and it needs to be woken up. Which is why someone in this stage is called an Awakener in the first ce. In the first stage, you awaken your soul spark, in the second you shape it, and in the third you bring it into the world.