Toward the Dawn

The Questioners begin their voyage across the dawn route and the legions of horror follow.

‘He’s fine Billy- the night terror sent him back to the waking world!’ Norris yelled to the boy with regard to Kurt’s well-being as he carried the children into the air, then,

‘Hold on tightly now- we’re going directly up and over!’

Billy leaned forward and held onto the dragon’s neck- pressing Amber safely between the two, as Norris flew upwards at a tremendous rate. Amber’s hair blew back into Billy’s face and the scroll bag jarred against his thigh in the velocity of flight and Norris roared angrily to the clouds of flying creatures that threatened to block the pathway to the dream realms.

Both Billy and Amber recognised the pterodactyls and pteranodons that flew above them amidst the whirlwind of bats and vultures, but neither knew of the myth of the gigantic Roc- a legendary eagle-like bird large enough to eat fully grown elephants, and it was this very creature that appeared to halt their progress.

Its expansive wings spread out above them as the comparatively tiny dragon reached the cusp of the Gateway Realm.

‘What are we going to do Norris? We’ll never make it passed that thing!’ Billy cried out.

‘Have no fear children! I have faced mightier beasts than this pitiful budgerigar!’ Norris boasted and a second later released a ball of green flame from his open mouth.

The projectile sped ahead and hit the bird in its middle; instantly setting its plumage ablaze with jade and emerald fire. The Roc chirped in noisy distress, but this did not deter Norris from firing off two more fireballs that were aimed accurately at either wing. The wings burst into flame and the bird flapped frantically for a moment before plummeting from the sky.

The light of dawn exuded from the space vacated by the bird and the horror’s directly below screamed in agony as the light of the sun seared their cursed flesh.

‘Bring them down horrors!’ the King commanded and banged his staff against the valley floor in which he now stood. At his order, witches and warlocks gave chase on broomsticks, wraiths and spirits of their own accord, while winged beasts such as gargoyles streamed upwards- all intent on intercepting the dragon and his increasingly nervous passengers.

Norris accelerated toward the gap left by the Roc, but was hindered by the approach of swooping prehistoric reptiles and swarms of bats that moved to both frustrate the dragon’s efforts in escaping and blot out the light.

The dragon responded by throwing a barrage of successive fire from his open jaws; forcing the opposition to either take evasive action or else perish in the heat. Those that had choice chose the first option and in doing so allowed the Questioners passed by the layer of familiars and head toward the top of the Gateway Realm.

Billy and Amber looked up as the Gateway Realm faded and the twin worlds of light and dark came into view. A quick glance behind them told Billy that they were no longer being pursued, but he was already too taken with what lay ahead to be too concerned about the memory of that which they had left behind.

‘We’re going into space!’ he yelled as the dragon broke free of the Gateway and paused in flight.

Billy and Amber sat straight on Norris’ back and looked in wonder at the dream worlds at either side of them. The dark realm, as could be expected, was terrifying to behold. A constant rumble of tormented screaming could be heard. It was as if countless entities were being subjected to hideous torture below the racket of a permanent thunder storm and much like the scroll of time and space, the only way to see any difference in the upper atmosphere of the world was by closely observing the diversity in shades and tones of cloud and night.

The light world, in stark contrast, gleamed as if it were a living treasure trove of gems and gold. The surface of the cloudless world was in full view and a great many cities shimmered in a myriad of colour across the landscape.

‘It’s beautiful!’ Amber whispered in awe.

‘It’s the most wonderful world of all,’ Norris confirmed, ‘and it is up to us to save it.’

Without another word Norris turned to the right and headed toward the world imbued in glorious sunshine.

……………………………..

From within the crack in the mountain the Queen peered out and watched the Questioner’s dramatic escape for the Gateway. She smiled grimly when they had done so,

‘Good luck my beautiful children. Forgive me for deceiving you- I hope to see you again soon,’ she wished for herself and for them.

Meanwhile the Gateway was being ravaged by the assault of the invading army. The mountains above turned a charcoal shade of night, while the grass below withered and waned at the cold touch of death. Most of the children and their companions fled while the Horrors took possession of the small adult populace that remained at the Gateway to fight. The Dream Wraiths, by nature adapted and changed to fit the story being told, now resembled reapers and soon the Queen of the Gateway stood alone in the chill black of the newly conquered realm.

Despite her fear she walked from her cover in the mountain and faced the legions of horror that were gathered in a half circle around where she stood.

‘You have won the battle, but you will never win the war!’ she declared with proud defiance, but her statement was met with laughter and the night terrors parted to allow their King passage.

‘The war is already won foolish woman! It will take more than children to prevent our long overdue retribution,’ Sin Muballit said as he walked to the fore of his army and looked directly at the Queen.

She could scarcely make out his features in the dimness, but as the cloaked and robed regal figure sauntered toward her she recognised that behind the braided beard was the face of Charlie Nichol, her husband in the waking world.

The sight was simply too much for Phoebe to take and she fell to the ground in despair.

‘What have you done to my Charlie? Where is my husband?’ she begged to know as floods of tears streamed unbidden.

‘Your husband?’ the King asked disbelievingly, ‘You have taken leave of your senses- I am Sin Muballit, the rightful ruler of the waking world! The spirit and body of your Charlie are nothing more than vessels I shall use to further my ends- as are yours.’

Phoebe looked up from where she had fallen to the cracked and broken earth of the Gateway Realm and stared longingly to the usurped form of her husband.

‘What do you mean to do with me?’ she asked fearfully.

The King laughed loudly as he walked to stand above where she sat and trembled. He then proclaimed,

‘I am now the ruler of this domain- I have become your King and you shall be my Queen,’ he told her and then gestured that Phoebe look to the parade of horrors.

From the passage where Sin Muballit had emerged there walked a corpse of a woman who dragged and shuffled her decayed body to the fore of the monstrous army.

‘My wife Summaratt has need of your body so that she may join me on the conquest of your world and rule by my side forever.’

Phoebe made to object, but the words did not have time to reach her lips before the King had pointed his staff toward the zombie Queen and her frail body began to dissipate. The Queen of the Gateway attempted to stand and flee, but found that she was held fast by the will of Sin Muballit as Summaratt’s body was transformed to a featureless wraith that hovered ominously in the air.

Its translucent grey and black mass twisted and turned endlessly as it hovered toward the King who proceeded to turn his staff in Phoebe’s direction.

The woman tried to scream as the wraith flew at her, but the fear and anguish diminished as she felt the spirit of Queen Summaratt enter her body and drive her thoughts and feelings into a place of sheer darkness.

The horrors screeched their hideous delight about the newly conquered dream realm as their Queen stood in the human guise of Phoebe Nichol.

Sin Muballit smiled lovingly at his bride and held out his hand for her to take in hers.

‘It has been so long since last I held you, my Queen,’ he told her as their hands clasped together and they stood side by side.

The royal pair then faced one another upon the withered wasteland that had recently been the gateway to the dream realms. Sin Muballit plunged his staff into the ground and took his wife by both hands. They embraced and danced a slow tempo in the fading light to those around who chanted in macabre reverence.

‘We shall bask together in the glorious sunlight my love!’ Sin Muballit promised his Queen who simply smiled in reply as if blissfully unaware of anything that was happening.

The impromptu show came to an abrupt end then as the King of the Horror’s retrieved his golden staff and twirled it toward the front line of night terrors. A golden glow emanated from the head of the staff and each monster that fell beneath its power began to shrink as if their bodies were folding agonisingly into themselves. Smaller they became until each resembled a misshapen egg of granite that had been shaped by the rigours of time. Hundreds of these eggs soon formed a procession between the King and Queen and their army. The horror’s nearby gasped at the awesome power they beheld as their King cast a second spell upon the glowing ovals that now resembled a primitive temple; a shrine to their ruler.

‘Hatchlings of Horror; I command you- transform

 I free thee from sorrow- your essence reborn

Lead us to tomorrow- take us to the dawn

Nightmares will follow- worlds conquered will mourn!’

The earth rumbled to the rhyme and the golden glow became absorbed by the rock pods that lay around. The horrors backed away from the egg shaped objects as they began to move of their own accord and then crack open along their length.

Newly formed beaks, talons, arms, legs and heads together with wings and tails of leather and feather began to break through the shells as monstrosities fought their way to life anew at their King’s behest. From each then crawled a creature of flight; Piasa birds, gryphons, phoenix, Rocs, dragons, gargoyles and hybrid chimera of all broke free of their embryonic confines and lay at the feet of their creator.

Once reborn they grew quickly to immense proportions and sang their liberation to the darkened skies of the Gateway Realm. Sin Muballit was pleased with his work and addressed his legions again,

‘We must follow the dawn into the world of light and forever shroud the sun from its skies, but I require a force that will intercept the Questioners and prevent them from further interference!’

In response those horrors that were able began to mount the new born creatures of flight while the King removed the Gryphon that was fixed to the head of his staff and then threw it to the floor. The golden artefact began to grow into life and soon the creature of myth and legend was large enough to carry both the King and Queen of horror. The gryphon roared across the plain as it bore the weight of its passengers.

Sin Muballit pointed to the roof of the Gateway and yelled in command,

‘Toward the dawn, my legions- victory awaits!’

Then, as if they were a platoon of fighter planes taking off for a mission the winged horrors took flight and followed their King in the direction previously taken by the Questioners. The swirling cloud of creatures at the cusp of the gateway travelled above to protect them from the light that would surely fade beneath the cloak of darkness. Then the legions of Horror would follow to consume all in their wake and turn the dream realms to a place of terror where even fools would fear to tread.

Author's Note

This is a pivotal time in the story to follow- the point where I had hoped the reader would be enticed enough to wish to follow the story to it's conclusion. Have i done enough to make the first chapters the conduit by which exhaustive reading can be achieved?