A Dream in a Dream

Like having a stroke, everything was achingly familiar, yet not. Having no control over my body. I was just there, existing. Like a customer in a cinema, I was watching a scene from the late herald's memories play out in front of me. Instantly, a thought came to my mind, "Lucid dream?"

"Father, why do they call Grandpa The Berserker?" A young Herald asked his father. He was so brutish that he needed his wife to warn him every time not to get angry. Every time he got angry, his clothes would rip open and his muscles would bulge until they looked like they were about to tear through his skin.

"Lad, do you know why I'm called Bjorn the fearless?" Father asked in reply as he swung his cup full of ale towards his mouth, gulping it down in one go.

"Killed a bear! They say you wrestled a bear to the death, and others say that the bear talked in the human tongue. He said that you are as fat as his wife bear!" The young Herald said innocently. Hearing his mother laugh from the other side of the room, he continued, "And when you won, your shout of triumph was heard miles away!"

"Yes! And it was legendary. I was older than you at that time. Father threw me into the wild saying that I needed training. And while I was traveling, a bear came from behind me. I bashed the bear in the face, and the bear moaned like a damsel in distress! He was huge, he was terrifying! And when I punched him, he was enraged!! " Stopping for a bit, the man leaned on, and whispered, "he was as big as your mother."

"Hehe," Herald cackled wickedly. But he stopped the next second when he saw his mother standing behind his father with her arms crossed.

Yet, I could no longer see their faces. They were unrecognizable, their features smeared and distorted. The only visible information is my mother's hourglass-like physique.

"What the hell did you just say to my son!" The calm, yet authoritative voice came from behind my father.

Herald swore that day, that he saw the strongest and most skilled warrior of the village, who had never shown fear in battle, tremble like a tree branch against the wind.

"Hahaha," Chuckling a bit, father ignored her question and continued his story. "The ice cracked beneath my feet; then I saw the bear running towards me. And by the beard of Odin, I saw the gates of Valhalla open for me... I heard the hollering of warriors, scented food, and saw the entrance buzz..." Looking down, the man sighed in disappointment and shook his head.

"It wasn't time for me to go. I was scared that day, embarrassed to say that my heart was going to leap from my mouth...."

"I only prevailed because of my father's hard-earned lessons! He taught me a great skill that not many people know about. Do you want to know what it is?"

"Go on father... Tell me what Grandpa did! I'm so excited to hear about it!"

"Excited??" Pausing as he shook his head; Bjorn continued as he laughed" Ha-ha; Every time we dueled, and I lost my weapon to him, he made me feel the searing heat of the iron against my skin.

He made the sword yellow-hot in the forge's fire and burned my hand ...He said losing a weapon in a fight is a sign of disrespect! And Odin wouldn't want a man to die without a weapon.!" Without faltering or taking a break, as if he saw the pale face of the young Herald, Bjorn continued with a smile on his face.

"At that time, I struck the bear in his throat; he was incredibly heavy, as heavy as Thor's hammer. At that time, the burns on my hand and back itched terribly!

I felt like they were burning! I felt alive and invigorated again! No longer weak and powerless!

So I never let go of the sword. I kept it placed in the bear's throat... And when he came down, I used my brain. ..."

As if waiting for him, his wife was still there, looking as beautiful as ever and injected "For the first time and the last! Hahaha.

"Don't listen to your mother! I'm just as cunning and quick-witted as Loki!"

"And dull as a Frost giant!" She continued with her hand crossed. "I can't believe you would say something like that!"

"Dang it, woman! Can't you see I'm trying to tell my story to the kid?" His father's voice was rough, and he slammed his wooden cup upon the table. Bjorn's clothes ripped a little as he heard his father's clothing rustle.

"Hahaha! Come on, you can do it! I believe in you! If you lie to him, I'll tell on you!" She said sarcastically, as she began braiding his father's hair.

"And when the grizzly came down at me, I just pointed my knife towards the incoming bear, piercing him, thankfully the ice cracked or I would have died by merely its weight, so he tumbled down the mountain to his death! As I held on with my dagger who penetrated the ice safeguarding me from the fall "Father's voice was down, as I felt that he wanted to lie; but with my mother's eyes looking down on him like a hawk, piercing through his every word, he just couldn't muster up the courage to do so.

"And why do they call Grandpa The Berserker?" I asked.

"Well! In one word, Father is a ..... Lunatic !!" The voice of his father was further and further away as another voice woke Herald up from his daydreams.

"Wake The F up, Samurai, we got a traitor to burn!!" A voice that was all too familiar woke me as my eyes shot open. I found myself in my house. Yet the figure in the doorway took all of my attention. It was a tall, imposing man with a long scar down his cheek, and he was holding a sword.

He had long, blonde hair that was tied up in a bun, shaved sides, and an oval face. Thick eyebrows that were shaped like cutlasses, rosy cheeks, and round green eyes that shone in the dark like a feline's. He had a wide mouth that showed off his straight white teeth, plus a bumpy nose and strong, prominent jaw that made him look very serious.

It took me two seconds to register who the figure was, and when my mind made the connection, adrenaline rushed through my veins as I pounced towards my sword that never left my side. "What in the world are you?" I said as I pointed my sword, slightly surprised that the person didn't try to kill me when I was unarmed.

"Well, can't you see ??" the figure said as it continued, "Should I call you Luke or Herald?"

"Is this really happening?" I said instantly, already feeling dizzy and disoriented from the surreal turn of events.

"Of course Odin willed it and it did happen !! So Luke can I request something from you ?"

"What do you want from me?" I trembled when I was called by my real name for the first time in months.

"Hahahah! Can you please give me my body back?" The figure asked innocently as he waved his sword around. His voice was light and tinkling, like glass bells.

"Umm, how?" I asked, hope shining in my eyes. I thought to myself, "A way out! A way out of this hellhole!"

The figure in front of me turned eerily silent as it stared directly into my eyes without blinking. The room gradually filled with a tense feeling, and I could feel beads of sweat gathering on my forehead. It was as if time had frozen in that moment, and I was unsure of what to do next.

He suddenly roared with laughter as he said, "I can't believe you actually thought that would happen! HAHAHA , what a spineless man !! "

"F*ck," I cursed under my breath while my eyes never left the man in front of me. That figure is me, yet, I wasn't sure, so I asked "Are you Herald? or ..."

*Cough* The figure coughed lightly and said in a gruff voice, "Yeah, man. That's me. I was trying to reach you, but it only worked now. Your memories are quite interesting...That world ....Your world is so much interesting "

"Herald, where am I?" I asked, raising my voice and trying to get some answers. "Why am I here? What's going on?"

"No need, you will wake up shortly....." I sighed in relief when I heard him say that.

"I understand, Luke. I really do. Well, since I have been always here, I was always watching. Your way of doing things is exactly like Grandpa....So let me ask you this: How did you get into this world?"

"Of course, I died !!"

"Tell me how do you think you got that body of yours ?"

"I don't know !!"

"Smart! Just say what you are thinking! No need to test me like that!" Herald nodded with a toothy grin, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"You died?"

"Tell me, mister Going back to the future, how do you think I died?"

"Who knows!!"

"You are too much of a trouble Luke !! so let's get this done with. Someone killed me !! and I want you to kill him or her !!"

"Oh, how do you know that ?" I asked as I shot a piercing gaze towards Herald, if someone killed him then he or she would try to kill me too.

"Let me give you some insight. Just when I found the most idyllic place to settle down, I died. I was just about to say something when I died. Now you are the knowledgeable one here, so tell me. Have you ever seen someone just die out of the blue like that?"