CH. 23 "Time"

As the night grew deeper, the drinks grew stronger. I leaned back and stretched my legs out under the table, looking for any relief. Matilda cast glances over her shoulder to me, seemingly reassuring me of the company that kept pouring into the room. Faces flew past like snowflakes in a storm. It seemed like the entire town had crammed themselves in to pay homage or even just lay eyes on an alleged reincarnation of a once beloved warrior of the many tribes. Gray sat to my left, sitting close enough for our legs to touch. Chase was to my right, Arlan at the door with Matilda, standing watch. It felt nice to have so many new allies rally in support of my new found soul. I could almost feel the DayDreamer within me, resonating with activity happening around me. It felt like a secondary pulse, rushing energy through my veins; not blood. I felt him start to take over, with every drink I finished. His energy began to overtake mine at an alarming pace. I laid my head on Gray's shoulder, closing my eyes, and letting out a breathy sigh. I felt his cheek rest on the top of my head, his fingers brushing my arm. It gave me comfort to know that my saviors were mere feet away. The new faces popping in and out of the banquet room barely bothered me as the night flowed on. I felt less and less tense, knowing I was not a target here anymore. I felt buzzed. I opened my eyes to find Chase kneeling in front of me. He brushed some hair out of my face, clicking his tongue in distaste. 

"You know, for being as much of a badass as you are, you can't hold liquor", he said, playfully. He rested his hands on his knees as he stood up and held a hand down for me to pull myself up with. Gray placed a hand on my back to steady me. Matilda and Romeo stood as well. As foggy as my mind was, I still wanted to talk to Matilda and see what else she knew. I knew there was more to her than what the boys had previously told me. She could sense my urge; that I wasn't finished with our earlier conversation, either. She smiled and sighed, motioning for Romeo to leave her side and slid a hand over my shoulder as I stumbled towards the door with her. Chase, Arlan, and Gray all stood watch as we made our way down the hall, following far behind. It sounded like Romeo and Gray had some catching up to do, from earlier. I figured as long as I was with Matilda, what harm could truly come? She wrapped her arm around mine, guiding me down a long, narrow hallway, which I figured led to the sleeping quarters. As we came to a stop, my eyes slid across the perimeter of another large, circular room. 

Mauves, reds, taupes, and rose colored decorations adorned the walls, the ceiling, the floors. It would make sense that a person such as Matilda would surround herself in the tone of her element. She sat me on a large ottoman at the end of an ornate bed. The boys crowded at the door. She shot them a stern look, and they scattered further back into the hallway, out of view. With a sigh she eased down next to me and took off her outer ceremonial robes. 

 "So, I'd presume you want to know one or two things then, my friend?", she asked. She didn't wait for a reply. 

 "I am the first female knight of the house of fire. No, I'm not sure what exactly happened to allow me to progress through the ceremony, as it was only male identifying warriors who were allowed. Yes, I worked and worked and worked to acquire the power I have today. No, my knighthood was not acknowledged until after the war," her gaze met mine as she finished and I was left entirely speechless. I had heard the stories from many other tribe leaders, as well as the boys, but hearing it from her mouth carried much more weight. There was pain, there was triumph, there was struggle, there was hope; many emotions crossed her face as she talked. 

"And yes, I did fight alongside the DayDreamer. Well, the one before you. I must say, there is a strong resemblance in the face, dear. But as far as the personality goes, not so much. You're sweet, reserved, patient, creative; I saw you take Romeo down when he should have had that fight in the bag. But, you lack the tenacity, the urge, the resolve. I hope that's not too forward to say," her words trailed off. It was true, though. I didn't know what I was doing entirely. How to unify a nation. How to rally troops. How to cope with loss. What was entirely expected of me. I of course had texts and retainers and survivors to counsel with, but how far would that get me in a true combat situation? Experience is worth more than advice.

 "As much as I don't disagree, may I show you why I think they're more closely knit together than we may have thought?," Gray cut in as he entered the room. He walked around to the other side of the ottoman, placing himself gingerly down next to Matilda. He took her hand in his, turning it over a couple times. He met my eyes, and winked. I knew that was my sign to show her everything we had found out so far about my powers. I concentrated my energy, squeezing my eyes tightly shut. I felt the fire swarm from the cavity in my chest, spreading outward to my hands. I stood and let the fire consume me, feeling my vision to the dream world's grasp tighten. The air felt heavier; darker. I opened my eyes, looking down at the floor at first. I felt my hair float on a nonexistent breeze, leaving my shoulders cold. The tile looked grey and drab, not pink and perky as it had moments prior. I lifted my head to meet Matilda's gaze. Her mouth was slightly agape, as if she was about to gasp or speak; I wasn't sure. I shifted my gaze to Gray, hoping for him to control whatever emotions she may convey. Gray spoke before she had the chance to decide what she felt. 

"This is why we wanted to come to you before we went to the other realms to seek advice," Gray said. He dropped her hand, leaving her sitting in awe. He walked over to me, brushing my floating stray hairs out of my face. The lengths of my hair floating above my head swayed with the gentle current of air as he came closer. My elemental marks flared and pulsed under his touch, growing brighter and weaker as he dragged his fingers across my shoulders, up my neck to my face. She stood, cautiously, and stepped closer. I closed my eyes as silent permission, an invitation. After a moment, I felt her hand travel up my arm; the searing fire of her element hot against my skin, mingling with my light. It felt caustic, ethereal. Her thumbs caressed my eyelids, making the center of my element shift to my head. She trailed down my neck and to my shoulders, which forced my energy into my solar plexus. She let out an exhilarated giggle, seemingly excited by my unnatural elemental energy. 

 "She… seems to have more of his energy than his personality, yes. But what do you make of her containing a combination of all the elements...?," Gray asked, sitting back down with a huff. I opened my eyes and the lavender glow of his eyes trickled across the floor, bleeding onto my skin, spreading like ink in water. I glanced to Matilda, her now alabaster skin crackled with an amorphous crimson red aura, just like Romeo. She seemed more like a painting than a sandperson, she sat so still, pondering. Gray and I exchanged glances,waiting for her to speak. I leaned forward, sliding my hand into hers, settling them on her lap briefly. I offered a soft smile, not that I believed she thought of me as anything short of a friend. She opened her mouth after what seemed like the longest minute.

"I'm not entirely sure how I can help, if I can at all," she began," but I am willing to extend my help and resources to her cause." I felt my smile light up, physically flinging small sparks from my chest. As my excitement burned, so did my energy. Her reddened eyes worked their way across my face and down my chest, resting on and reflecting my sigil. A small smile spread across her face, as if she was laughing at her own joke. She slapped her hands onto her thighs.

 "That settles it then, between Romeo and I, we will teach you everything I've learned all these years, stuck here," she finished. Her smile faded as she spoke, but I didn't press the issue. I knelt in front of her, and offered her my hand. She took it graciously, leaving her palm open in mine. I reached into the cavity in my chest, producing a small shard of my energy. I slid it into her hand, not making a big deal of it as the rest of the boys filed in. Arlan and Chase came to either of my sides; Gray kept his post next to Matilda. Romeo eyed me suspiciously, but didn't say anything. I pulled my hands back from Matilda, smiling once again. I was so glad her reaction was nothing short of puzzlement as opposed to rejection. I knew not every tribe we visited would be as accepting, or hold as much knowledge as the fire tribe. I could at least revel in the tribes I did have on my side so far.

"It is getting late," Chase stated, patting Romeo on the back. He met my gaze, and I felt the elemental sight slip away. Things returned to their normal colors. I shook my head slightly, the drunk fog started to return as I stood again. I suddenly felt weak in the knees and Gray was quick to prop me up against his side as he ushered me towards the hallway.

 "Is there any possibility for us to stay...?," Arlan asked Matilda, his voice gentle. She smiled.

 "Of course, any friend of Romeo's is a friend of mine, dear," she said, patting his shoulder lightly. I caught on to Arlan's plan not too shortly after he asked the question. The time here would allow us to rest the night without changing the time by much in the human realm. He was smarter than he appeared. A few of the retainers swept in and started to move around Matilda, grabbing slippers, changing blankets, preparing her for bed. A young girl led me and Gray down another hall to a winding staircase. I groaned at the sight of the monstrosity of a spiral staircase, at least 25 feet down into the ground. I looked at Gray sheepishly.

"You know, if you throw me down, I'd survive and we could spare four minutes of walking," I blurted, attempting to lighten the mood and harbor some pity. He frowned at my suggestion, obviously not in the mood to commit human crimes. I sighed, placing a hand on the railing. I shuffled step by step, his body ready to catch mine when, not if, I fell. My heavy-lidded and wavering vision was met with golden doors, not unlike those in the front of the house, as we turned the first semi-circle of the staircase. I tilted my head to get a better look. The light from the soft oil lamps illuminated the winding bodies of dragons and samurai locked in battle, their different terrain than the front doors. I noticed the samurai on this door had faces, intricate details. Odd, not like any of the other doors in the building. I wondered if this was truly Matilda's room, and she was letting us stay out of courtesy. Who knew. As we reached the last few steps, Gray's foot slipped under mine, sliding my leg out from under me. My breath caught in my throat, and I grabbed the railing in a less than graceful motion, arms flailing to find some semblance of balance and purchase. Gray's snaked around my waist, but the force of my slip had already thrown me onto the railing, facing away from him. I felt my heart skip a beat, my head getting momentarily clearer from adrenaline. My hands firmly grasped the last foot of railing. When we made it to the bottom, I paused to even out my breath; it started returning to normal after a few deep inhales. At least I was keeping some human traits, I thought to myself. I shook it off, moving towards the doors after Gray unwrapped me from his grip. I slid the doors open slowly, revealing not one, but three beds. At least the boys could be within an arm's reach, literally. The girl who led us on our way bowed deeply, closing the door slightly on her way out. Chase and Arlan popped in moments later. I sighed, popping the metal armor off my body and tossing it onto a pillow on the floor near the doors. The lightweight robes were separate from the armor, at the very least.

"So… Who's sharing?," Chase asked pointedly, gesturing between the three beds and four bodies.

 "What do you mean?," Gray asked, smirking. He rubbed his lower lip with his thumb, awaiting a snarky comment back from a now irritated Chase.

 "We will take turns staying up again, obviously, you numbskull," Arlan interjected from his spot on the far wall. Gray chortled at his quick response, sitting himself on the corner of the bed. 

 "Or she can pick whoever has done the least to annoy her today to share with," Gray suggested, looking me up and down. I stood with my hands now on my hips, tapping my fingers with an increasing pace.

"Well, Arlan has barely spoken to me today, so he wins if that's the pissing contest we're having. My bed is his bed if he doesn't mind. I suggest you both get sleep and get ready to put on your big boy panties tomorrow," I said firmly. Gray gasped, genuinely offended. Chase let out a sigh, laying down on his own bed. Arlan waited for me to climb in before dulling the lamps to almost no light at all. He lifted the covers, sliding in directly behind me. I hadn't been in this close of a proximity to him since his knighting ceremony. As I began to drift, I felt his arm over my ribs, pulling me in tight. He slid his arm under my ear. We were so close, we could have passed as one person. My mind went blank shortly after I saw the glow of green glitter roll over the side of my face and onto my lips.

. . . . . . . .

My eyes fluttered open to unveil a dreamscape I had never seen before. Stalactites and stalagmites of carbon black surrounded my horizon, the sky cut into portions of a deep jade green and crimson red and a galactic grey. They swirled like cream in coffee, sluggish and unyielding. Demonic faces seemed to be cut into the stone walls that quickly surrounded me, morphing, moving, writhing in agony. I had my head on a swivel, looking for any way out. I heard my name called from somewhere deeper in the cave that started to appear before me. I stood up, dusting myself off. The light grew dimmer and dimmer on the horizon of the now tornado infested sky. I willed my legs to run. They moved faster and faster, making me feel like I could fly. I figured what could hurt, and propelled myself off the ground. My limbs felt lighter the further away I got from the cave of terrors where I started my dream. I imagined wings upon my back, carrying me closer and closer to the sun with powerful beats. I closed my eyes and willed and willed for it to happen until I felt the warmth of the sun on the back of my eyelids, staining the sightless black a vivid red, and I realized I wasn't moving anymore. I opened my eyes, to find myself floating off the ground, as if suspended in water. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw no wings holding me up. Maybe one day. I let myself drop to the ground, gently catching my bare feet against the earth. I wondered who's dreams I had entered tonight. A grove of trees to my right, mountains to my left. Chase? Arlan? There were only so many minds I could have entered given my proximity and talent. 

As I nosed around, I kept finding fragments of forgotten memories. Lovers passed on, friends sent to the other side, kin smote to the ground in the last war. The memories here seemed tinged by sadness and regret, although the sun was still shining. Red and orange and yellow seemed to be the favored colors of this person's subconscious. I pushed the clouds of emotions out of my way, heading deeper into the mountains I had come across. I kept bending down and picking up pieces, collecting them in a fold I had made in my robe; a makeshift pocket. Every step I took left a light lily yellow footprint behind, something I had never noticed before when hopping dreams. The same color as my aura. Correlation? Maybe. 

I wondered what demons haunted this poor person's mind. I also wondered; why weren't sandpeople immune to the nightmares powers? Was the veil between worlds growing thinner and thinner? All very concerning points. I'd have to tell Gray when I woke up. I directed my attention back to the side of the mountain. I willed it to open, and pushed my hand onto the thickest rock. It folded open like a curtain, allowing me through. The daylight began to dwindle, fading into night as I entered the side of the mountain. Here, the sky began to glow red, as if the earth itself was on fire. I looked right and left. I had found the central hub of this person's subconsciousness. The crystals grew in a circular pattern, forming a crown of a flower. Every facet portrayed a memory. I wasn't here to fix anything, but I figured what bad could it do? I had collected so many shards, just like in my own subconscious. Maybe I could restore an important memory? I started placing the fragments on the ground. They glowed white under my touch. Flashes of smiles, of blood, of childhood memories, flew by the backs of my eyelids as I touched the main spikes and fragments. They changed color with the emotions attached to them. Curious, I started sliding them into the main branch of crystals and they melded back together; forming one solid piece again. Why were these memories lost? Scattered? Shattered? Was it intentional, as if someone wanted to forget these important things? My mind raced at the moral dilemma I now faced. I slowly put down the shard I was holding as I pondered whether or not this person wanted their memories restored. I pursed my lips and rubbed my forehead. Maybe they don't want them restored, but I'll leave them here anyways, I thought to myself. Just in case they change their mind.

As I stood, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a mouse dart behind a far corner of the crystal. Were mice able to be here? Was it a hallucination? I pensively approached where I saw the 'mouse' run into, a small hole under the crystal. Just like a tiny mouse hatch, like in my childhood cartoons. How was that possible? I knelt down in front of the hole, again scratching at my forehead. I sighed, and reached my arm in as far as it would fit into the hole. I felt a sharp pain, as if something had bit me. I ripped my arm out, pulling the mouse still attached to my hand with it. The mouse was all an inky black. No real eyes, nose or mouth; a nightmare, no doubt. I grabbed it off my hand, squeezing it excessively. It let out a screech that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. I tightened my grip, and it squirmed in vain, struggling as its body oozed a nasty black goo. Between my fingers, it melted and disintegrated into a trailing puff of smoke, leaving only ash in my upturned palms, just as Chase told me they would. I sighed, brushing my hands off on my thighs. I stood, making sure there were no more mouse holes hiding anywhere else. But where there's one, there's many, like all infestations. Again, I decided to leave it be for now, and inform Chase and Gray upon waking. 

I walked out of the mountainside, to be greeted by Gray, to my surprise. I opened my mouth to talk, but he held his index finger to his lips. I rolled my eyes, approached his side, and linked my arm with his. We walked for what seemed like forever. Finally reached a familiar flower field. It was the same one from when I met Chase! Was this his head? I had so many questions. On the horizon, the same door to my apartment dropped into view. I looked from the door, back to Gray, confusion clear on my face. I pulled away from him, suddenly feeling not as sure. Chase walked up from the left side of the field, but he didn't seem quite himself either. Both started to decay before my eyes, turning black, moldy and squidgy. Their faces, what remained of them, distorted with expressions of pain and joy simultaneously. I shivered, backing away. Fire surged to my hands, my chest; I was more than ready to use it. I understood why Chase and Gray referred to me as a walking weapon now. At the thought of both of the boys, the nightmares began to melt away, bleed out faster, turning into liquid rather than sludge. The harder I thought about their real faces, the faster the faces of the imposters sunk and dripped, revealing blackened, charred bones underneath the facade. I sighed, gathering a small flame in the palm of my hand. I bounded it back and forth between my palms; it grew in size every pass. I eventually lobbed it at the skeletons dancing in front of me. They evaporated with an almost blinding flash of white light, disappearing entirely. I looked up at the top of the pillar of light now protruding from the ground and ran straight into the pyre; willing myself to jump high enough to reach the top. I had to report the nightmares to Matilda, Gray and Chase immediately.