Chapter 4

The late night shower had refreshed Tommy. Lying on his bed his mind idly reflected on the events of the previous days. With great power comes, great power he mused. Chuckling to him self sleep finally caught up and enveloped him.

"You are the ring bearer, are you not?"

Turning to see the origins of the voice, surprise was self evident on his face. Again the Nymph asked;

"You are the ring bearer, are you not?"

"Yes, I suppose I am, if I understand your question." He responded at last.

"Come with me." Said the nymph, as she turned and walked off. Instinctively he followed.

The whole conversation had occurred so quickly that he had failed to take the time and observe where he was and with whom he was talking. This was again the forest of which he had dreamed several times since he found the ring. Looking around he saw several mythical creatures. Nymphs, sprites, trolls, even a unicorn and a centaur.

His companion was a female. May be four and a half feet in height. Her complexion was green like the colours of the forest. Her body, more than any thing resembled a young girls' just in the earlier stages of puberty. Her breast where there and obviously breast. They were not in need of a bra. Given the fact that she was totally naked it seem doubtful that she owned one.

Most of the inhabitants in the forest where naked. The trolls seemed to where lap clothes. Some others had nought but capes over them. Other carried satchels or baskets. It took up to this point for him to realise that he too was totally naked. None seem to care, nor even notice his presence in this place.

"Where are you taking me?" he finally asked.

"The Council of Seven have been expecting you." Was the cryptic reply.

Her attitude seemed to be abrupt as if she would do only what is required. Tommy reached out with his mind and tried to give the Nymph a sore foot to make her stop for a minute. His mind seared with pain for a split second.

"Play not your games on me Ring Bearer, for I can turn your powers back at you. When you send pain to me I can turn it back on you. The council would not send a feeble mind to meet you."

Stunned by this he realised he was all but a poisoner of this weakling child. He dare not try to flee till he knew her powers.

Efforts to solicit further information from the nymph proved useless.

The council of seven sat in wait as we entered the tree encircled clearing. They comprised five men and two women. Each seemed to have lived for an eternity. Their chairs were simple affairs. Each wore a cape of varying colours. One by one they nodded at me to acknowledge my arrival.

The oldest and frailest of them sat in the centre. It was he who spoke;

"Greeting, Ring Bearer. Do you know why you are here?" He enquired.

"I don't even know where here is." Was my curt response.

"It is a long story Ring Bearer. Sit and let us explain." His tone was some how comforting and reassuring.

He and the other member of the council explained a great deal to me. Firstly this place was Galbraith, a parallel world to Earth. The ring allowed me to travel between the two with no apparent time lapse while I was in each. My visit tonight was but a fraction of a second in my Earth time.

The ring I wear was forged by a great wizard. Its powers are said to have no limit but those imposed by the Bearer. Its powers were drawn from the pleasure of the wearer of the ring. The greater the pleasure the greater the powers. When the powers of the ring are used the power diminishes with in the ring. They explained that I will have almost uncontrolled urges to have sex or witness it, this is where the power of the ring comes from.