Jace opened the door to Tyri's apartment and found three new people standing expectantly in the center room. Tyri was sitting in a chair in the back of the room.
"Welcome back." she said. "This is Soron, Ayden, and Jax."
He walked in and went to the side, his arms crossed. Kajin followed him, eyeing the newcomers in suspicion. Airi simply looked confused. Jace knew how she felt. The boy with the blond hair had a primitive archery set that looked out of place against the neat and orderly technological apartment. Jace had noticed the girl looking them over, and she obviously knew how to gauge strength. The black-haired boy simply looked unnerving, and Jace decided not to get too close to him. From the look in Kajin's eyes, he had decided the same thing.
"Are you going to explain why we're here?" Kajin asked.
"I'm going to have to agree." Jace said. "I've been here for three days, and I can tell you didn't get me out of the military to sit around."
"And you are again?" the blond boy, Ayden, asked.
"Jace Engle."
Tyri looked up from her seat. "I will tell you some of why you are here. The rest is not for me to reveal, and depends on if you choose to believe me or not."
Kajin leaned on the wall. "Go ahead."
"I belong to a secret order called the Azkiar. This order has been around for millennia, though we have not appeared for several centuries. You may have heard of some of our members from ancient times. Zeus, Odin, and Horus are just three examples."
Jace started to look interested. "All gods of old cultures."
Tyri nodded. "Though not actually gods, primitive people often mistook their power for godly control, not just on Earth, but on every world that hosted intelligent life in that age. That time was very desperate for the galaxy, but we did not belong. As soon as our job was done, we disappeared from all history, at the same time you stopped worshipping gods. We have returned only sparingly, performing what you call miracles. Our purpose is to protect the Iriko from those that seek it harm."
Ayden yawned. "That's very interesting and all, but what does it have to do with us?" He spoke with a British accent.
"Nothing, or perhaps everything. This is the part where you might think this is all a joke. The Iriko is a dreamworld, a place where spirits roam, that we sometimes visit when we sleep. The stronger your aura, the more dreams in the Iriko you have. Every Azkiar learns to identify with one spirit and use the power it offers. Eventually the only dreams you have are part of the Iriko. Our seers have connections in the dreamworld that allow them to read the current of time. Twenty years ago, they received a message that our most dangerous enemy, thought to be long gone, was reviving, and five humans would bring it's defeat. We dismissed it at first as pure nonsense at first, but four years later, we felt a massive surge of energy, and Earth was destroyed. We could no longer ignore it, and we sent searchers out to find those the seers spoke of."
"And you think that's us?" Jax asked skeptically.
Tyri shook her head. "Not you. While your aura is strong, with the others together in one room, I cannot feel you at all."
Soron spoke up for the first time. "These dreams you speak of. I don't suppose they're dark and shadowy with strange noises, maybe a monster or two, are they?"
"Not any I've experienced, no." Tyri narrowed her eyes. "That does sound like a good description of the shadow domain, though. One of the fourteen domains of the Iriko. I have only ever seen that of the light."
"So what you're telling us is that mystical forces do exist, and we might be five very special people who could stop the apocalypse." Kajin said with a raised eyebrow. "I'm sure you understand that's kind of hard to believe."
" I am only telling you a part of the story. If you decide to come with me, you will hear the rest. I will let you go about your own business while you think about this."
Ayden shrugged and walked into his shared room with Jax. Soron stayed in his chair, slouching with his arms crossed, deep in thought. Kajin took Airi outside, leaving Jace the only one standing in the room.
"Jace, a word in private please?"
He jumped and saw Tyri standing in the doorway to his room, but he hadn't seen her move. Leaving Soron alone in the central room, he followed her.

Kajin walked into his room and let himself fall onto the bed. It had been one crazy day. Getting caught by slavers, escaping slavers, coming to Titan, and then being told he was chosen to save reality. Go figure.
He started to fall asleep when he noticed an enticingly familiar aroma. Opening his eyes, he saw a dish of food sitting on the desk, full of Salanese spices. It was only then that he realized how long it had been since he had eaten. He found the energy to wolf down the food, and fell asleep.
He opened his eyes to see a barren wasteland with lava flowing past in rivers. Clouds of ash and lightning filled the sky, circulating around a large mountain that Kajin guessed to be a volcano. He wouldn't know. Salan didn't have volcanoes.
"Well, krikshen." he said. For a brief second, he wondered if Titan had lava fields, before realizing he was dreaming. Then he remembered Soron asking about the Iriko, and Tyri's reply.
That does sound like a good description of the shadow domain. One of the fourteen domains of the Iriko.
Fourteen domains.
If she was telling the truth, maybe he was in one of the other domains. He would have to ask.
A roar sounded in the distance, and Kajin recalled her talk of spirits in the dreamworld. He sincerely hoped they were friendly.
Out of nowhere, a large shape flew over him at full speed, nearly bowling him over. He whirled in the direction it took, but it had disappeared. It was then that he heard growling behind him slowly he turned around, and saw-
With a start, Kajin jumped awake, his heart pounding. It took him a minute to find his senses, but when he did, he could only think of one thing.
Tyri was right.