When finally I attained a relative calmness, I found myself in a world of rooms, of doors. I was in and out of elusive lucidity.

During one of my lucid moments, I had the presence of mind to attempt to bring Venger into the dream. Before this lucidity, I was able to speak in any voice. I remembered this upon becoming lucid and decided to use it to help summon Venger.

I studied my surroundings first. It seemed every room in the dream was part library. Always the filled bookcases neatly arranged either along walls or in rows in a section of a room.

I called to Venger, shouting his name. [I have had to deal with this situation in lucid dreams before. It seems I have to "play along" with a dream, use the dream's pre-existing conditions, in order to make happen what I wish.] When he did not answer, I answered for him. (Remember, I could imitate any voice in this particular dream.) In a perfect imitation of Venger, I said, "I am here."

It worked! I knew then that he was behind me. I turned to see Venger, perfectly formed, standing there looking at me. Now that he was here, I lost (or willingly relinquished) control of the dream.

As I approached him, he was speaking to someone unseen to my right. All I remember of what he said was his referring to himself as being a vampire (though in real life, I've never thought of him as such). Then, he turned to me.

We spoke, but I don't remember the exact words of the first part of our conversation. It seemed he mistook my intentions, in any case. After I had said something, he informed me that he had someone already � like a wife or betrothed. I told him that that did not concern me, that I was not asking for his love or other such attachment.

"You must remake me, Venger," I said. "I cannot enter the Realm unless reborn in your image." And what this meant was that he must drink my blood in order to transform me in a way so that the Realm of Dungeons & Dragons would allow my entrance. It did not mean that I would become Venger or even look like him.

"Tell me your name," he said.

"I am Sayyadina Nurai." [noo-RYE] (a touch of Dune creeping in)

Slowly, he bent to me, and we embraced as he placed his fangs against the left side of my neck. I realized there was music playing. It was "The Brides" from the soundtrack of Bram Stoker's Dracula. A perfect score for the situation (sample here). It was intoxicating.

Venger and I floated just above the floor, making a slow, wide circle around the room as we held each other. He still had not penetrated my flesh with his fangs. The anticipation of the act, mixed with the knowledge that I would experience death if he carried it through and the fear that he might yet change his mind, was agonizing yet thrilling.

Finally, he did sink his fangs into me and pulled at the blood in my veins.

Then the dream changed. I was standing alone where we had just been together. I looked to my left and saw Venger lying on a table. There were others in the room, discussing what to do to help Venger.

I ran over to him and looked down at his face. His appearance was very similar to mataleoneRJ's depiction in "Venger Untooned."

Someone told me his helm must be removed. I reached out with both hands to remove it, and Venger opened red-rimmed eyes that instantly locked onto mine and gave me pause. But he did not try to prevent me.

Slowly, I pulled it off. Long, silky, black hair was loosed around his face. Even in his helpless state, he was mesmeric.

He sat up then. "What I require is the power of worlds!"

Well, in this � my dream of doorways � the power of many worlds was within easy reach. I bade him follow me.

I kicked open a large and faded light-blue door that led to an intricately designed hallway. The walls, and every door along them, were thick with precious metals and jewels � an extreme example, perhaps, of an ostentatiousness possible only of the wealthiest and most extravagant of kings or emperors.

I opened doors on both sides to show him the worlds I offered. But then he ran down the hallway to an end door and disappeared behind it. I ran after him. I opened the door he had gone through and found that it led to an identical hallway. I began opening doors there to try to find him, but I knew he could be anywhere, and nearly impossible to find. I felt betrayed by this abandonment.