"Tell us the story again!", the children asked.

Dusk had fallen on a small, quaint town. Outside the crickets were already chirping, and even the fireflies were starting to come out. Four children, all neighbors, were sitting around an older woman who sat in a large chair.

"Yeah, tell us again!", Francis asked his grandmother. The woman chuckled, "All right...", she agreed.

She adjusted in her seat, and clearing her throat, she began to say, "I was walking through a forest one day, and I saw someone passing by..."

"Who? Who was it?", the kids questioned, though they had heard the story before.

The woman smiled, "He was a great deer, a very kind soul. He had strong arms, great big red antlers," she held her hands up to her head, fanning them out like the antlers in the story, "and a gentle smile. I asked him, 'What is your name?' He stopped on his way, looked to me, and said, 'My name is Quad.'"

Divine Sanctuary

The town was silent. Francis was deep into a dream, remembering his grandmother's tale. He walked through a dense forest, feeling lost and alone. The place was completely silent - his footsteps seemed to echo with each step.

Then he heard something approach. A creature approached, a great stag who stopped and looked to him. His fur was a shaggy dark blue and white, and on his head were great red antlers. It's him!, Francis thought. He cleared his throat, and asked, "Quad?"

The deer's eyes began to glow red, and he let out a bloodcurdling shriek.

Francis awoke and sat up. He was back in his bed, and he was gasping for air. He looked around his room - the little bit of light coming from the window gave the room a slight blue tint. He took a deep breath and began to lay down when he noticed something near his closet. He rubbed his eyes and looked to see two red glowing eyes staring back at him in the darkness.

The boy's blood went cold, and he at once cried for his parents. The eyes began to approach, and he could hear each step it made on the hard wood floor. His thoughts raced as his heartbeat pulsed faster and faster.

The door swung open. Light filled the room, and Francis was blinded for a second. "Francis! What's wrong?", his mother asked. Francis looked back at the spot where the monster had been.

Nothing. It had vanished.

"There was a monster in my room! I saw eyes looking at me!", he cried. His father appeared in the hallway, "Son, there's no such thing as monsters.", he assured the child, and stepping in, he flicked the switch on a nearby nightlight. Francis let out a sigh as his parents stepped out of the room, both telling him goodnight before closing the door. The room was now had a warm beige glow from the light.

Francis laid down and tried to close his eyes, though he would get little sleep this night.

-=|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|=-

The great stag opened his eyes. He sat up, looking around, as he was alone in a meadow. The world was quiet, though nearby he could hear birds singing and insects buzzing around.

"This isn't the dream...", Quad said to himself, "Something must be going on."

"Yes.", he heard a voice say, as a ball of light appeared before him. The stag recognized the voice at once, as he stood and bowed, "Hello, Mother Doe."

The ball began to explain to him, "The time is about to come where you awake in the humans' world. There is one last task we ask of you to do, and then you will have your wings again, and will be able to come to our world."

Quad smiled, "How long has it been?", he asked. "Sixty years have passed since the day your body was preserved in the stone.", the voice replied. "Sixty years...", Quad repeated, "I bet the Forest looks much different than it did when we lived there." He then changed the subject, "I've had some time to think, and I have a lot of questions to ask."

The voice let out a sigh, "Please, if you do not mind, could you ask when we meet in person? There is no time for now."

Quad's smile faded slightly, "I guess so.", he said, and yawned. The stag's eyes began to close and he relaxed and rested.

The voice spoke to him one last time, "Enjoy the little bit of time you have left in this meadow, for the next time you awake, you will be alive again."

INTERMISSION