Ch. 17 "Awakened"

The vision came as quickly as it went. It was a flash of a face; a familiar one. Gray's face was covered in small cuts and blood, but he smiled his charismatic smile through his obvious pain. His hair was matted to his cheeks, caked in blood and mud. He laid on his back, on the ground. My eyes quickly adjusted back to reality. I was staring directly into the now roaring fire. How long was I in the vision? I looked up at the sky, the sun and moon had barely moved. Most likely a matter of a couple minutes. Gray patted my shoulder, then took a seat next to Chase opposite me by the fire. Both of the boys chowed down on some of the snacks we had brought along. I contemplated telling them what I saw. I thought better of it, keeping it buried within me. Was it a premonition? A mere possibility based on our actions following this beacon? I shook the thoughts out of my head. Now, we just needed a plan.

"So when we reach this tower, what are we supposed to do?", I asked, lightly tapping my thigh, anxious. I looked between both of the boys. Their gazes roamed my face and body. I looked down, my markings were still deep in my skin; the white light fluctuated, casting ribbons of light over the objects in front of me. My charcoal skin contained the light effortlessly. I looked back up at the boys. Chase spoke first.

"To be honest, I think we're heading straight into a war zone. Or a trap. You haven't been reared or trained in how to control your power. I don't know if there is a good way to control it, seeing as you're a vessel for the spirit of the DayDreamer. That alone is going to be a hurdle. Human bodies are so fragile compared to us. The nightmares know this as well. I'm sure their leaders are conspiring as we speak. I think we should take the time to show you a few things and gather some forces before we jump headlong into that portal", he finished, popping a cookie in his mouth. He looked to Gray, urging him to reaffirm his position.

"As crazy as it sounds, I do agree with him. We should take the time and effort to at least show you self defense and offensive maneuvers. Say that the nightmares are truly plotting something far more sinister than a kidnap, what could you do without knowing at the very least their weak spots? I don't like the idea of you being directly in harm's way, let that be known. But at this rate, we are left with few other choices. They've targeted you, and the last thing they'd expect is you on our front lines if this does come down to a fight", Gray say, contemplating tactics. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Who do we need to see to train me?", I asked, backing this plan myself. I didn't relish the thought of lasting a matter of seconds in a "battle". Chase and Gray exchanged looks, smiling. They nodded at each other, then looked back at me.

"There was a female, many millennia ago in the human world, who escaped from the nightmare's realm. She has dedicated herself to the purification of nightmares. Not the killing of, the purification of. With her experience, a new element of dreams was born to be tangible. She's a clan elder. I think we need to talk to Matilda", Chase said excitedly.

"Woah, wait. She's still alive? After a few millennia?", I asked, shocked. They both nodded.

"She lives in the realm of fire. She created that realm with her bare hands. That's how she learned the tactics we seek. Nightmares don't do well with light. You're made entirely of light. You two will get along splendidly, so I'm not worried. We'll send out an announcement of our arrival first thing in the morning. I'm sure they'll welcome us, given your current state. We're in the nature realm currently, but hopping the portal and diverting the magic to get to the fire realm should be simple enough. There's a realm for each of the elements, and fire has the most notoriously bad for hospitality. You're the DayDreamer now though, they'd never dare cross you, your power, or position. If we play this just right, we can have their entire clan on our side, which would be invaluable to our cause. If we come with the impression that they are the finest swordsmen and cavalry men, grease them up a little, we could work them to our advantage", Gray stated. This was good, we're making headway! We had a very solid plan now. I nodded, and looked up at the sky. The moon was far overhead now, the sun had slipped away beyond the horizon. I figured it meant very short nights and very long days. No wonder time worked differently here. I yawned and stretched, my now strong muscles began shivering. The cold was setting in.

I slipped into my sleeping bag, already feeling the day melt away. As I began to drift off, I heard footsteps and sleeping bags being dragged and set down on either side of me. The boys really weren't going to let anything get to me tonight, or ever it seemed.

. . . . . . . .

The sun warmed my eyelids as it quickly rose overhead. I rolled onto my side, slowly awakened by the sounds of wildlife. I sat up, reaching my arms above my head. The cloak fell around my waist and the sun warmed my skin. I looked around the small clearing; the boys had packed their bags, left by the remnants of the fire. The boys were nowhere to be seen. Oh well. The nightmares didn't seem to be able to come here, so I wasn't too terribly upset to have been left alone. I stood and went into my backpack, pulling a very generic shirt and pants out. Snapping sticks distracted me. I looked up to see a young man, probably a few years younger than my human body, standing at the edge of the clearing. He blushed bright red as he looked at me, quickly averting his eyes. I approached him, not worried about modesty.

"State your purpose", I said sternly, again my voice merged with another coming deep from within me. I held a hand out, palm facing him. My body somehow knew how to subjugate him. He dropped onto one knee, kneeling, with his left arm across his chest.

"Master Chase has sent me to inform you that he has rallied with the nature clan. They will join you when it comes time. He has also sent me with gifts from the townspeople if you will have them", he rose but kept his eyes down. He gestured vaguely back out the way we came in. He took a few steps forward and held out his arms, baring what looked like a dress. I stepped forward lightly and took it. I pressed my palm to his forehead; he welcomed the gesture. His aura read as that of a gentle soul; non-argumentative, willing to please, from a broken home. Maybe I'll keep him around. I released him from my hold. He again dropped to one knee, pledging with his fist against his chest.

"I want to join your traveling party. Chase has advised me it's an ill decision, but I cannot stand idly by and allow those... things to continue to hunt you", he said, with distaste for the nightmares. I reached for his chin, tilting his head up, forcing him to meet my eyes. His skin was the same green as the clan's elder, but his eyes resonated with what I saw in Chase. It pulled my heartstrings.

"Stand. Pledge your alliance to the Warrior of Light", I said. My voice was entirely gone, replaced by what I could only describe as "his". The young man stood with his hand still across his chest. He stood eye level with me. He let his hand fall to his side as he closed his eyes, readying himself. I held my hand over the left side of his chest, energy surging through me. I felt my hand grow hotter than a fire. He bit his lip and scrunched his nose, but did not flinch from my touch. As I removed my hand after the heat died down, he was left with a burn pattern that resembled a sun. I blew hot air on it; it responded like a fire, throwing white embers into the air. How was my body able to know what to do? I assumed it could only be the resonance of the spirit of the DayDreamer.

"I, Arlan, of the House of Nature, pledge myself as a squire to the Warrior of Light", he said, bowing deeply to me.

He stood with his back to me, arms folded, keeping watch as I slid on the dress. It was sheer and flowed in the slight breeze, as the cloak did. The material felt cold against my skin. I cleared my throat, Arlan turning his head slightly.

"Are you ready to head back to town?", he asked, offering me an arm. I shook my head, and whistled. The horse trotted out of the woods, letting out a whinny. He walked right up to me. I met his eyes again. He lowered his head and grazed on the short grass in front of my feet. I looked to Arlan, gesturing for him to get on the horse.

"No, I'll walk", he insisted. His face turned beet red at the thought of sharing a mount with me.

"You willingly pledge your life to me, but won't share a horse?", I asked dubiously. He shifted his weight. He pondered the situation.

"I suppose you're right", he said, giving in. He hopped up with ease, holding a hand down to me. I grabbed his forearm and he hoisted me up. He threw a glance over his shoulder, his face still bright red.

"What about your packs?", he asked, scratching at his neck.

"I doubt anyone will touch them", I said firmly. I grabbed a handful of the horse's mane, pulling Arlan's arms around my waist. I could feel his blush; it spread down his neck and onto his chest. I gently kicked at the ribs of my mount and he started at a slow walk, leading into a full gallop.

We arrived to town in less than half of a human hour. We were greeted by the sight of mounds of offerings. Oh lord, I thought to myself. Here we go.