The God of Dreams

Molly was still rather shaken from the encounter with the vapors for the rest of that day. We had walked for hours and found nothing but bridge supports. Being as exhausted as we were Denzle had made us stop. So our rest took place in the middle of the bridge. He put Kalla and Ace on watch duty.

This time eating was not a difficult task. Sleep came quickly, and again, as my eyes closed I was confronted with the dream from before. With the door and the face. Only this time the dream didn’t end when I pulled back the bloody stump of my arm. This time the door opened. A large creature that seemed not but a blur stepped out from the door, it had a strange scepter with it. With a wave my arm was back. I heard a chant start, though it was only one word I could not quite make sense of it. Then I woke.

Even as I sat up I felt strange, and I felt rested. Looking around I could see it in the faces of my friends that I was the only one who felt as such. Most of all of everyone Kevin seemed to be rather disturbed. When he woke from what I can only assume to be a very fitful sleep, he was drenched in sweat. At this point there isn’t much to be done so I just ate my breakfast and packed up my things so we could all move on.

It was just over an hour after we had woken when we finally reached the next structure. We were rather cautious when we entered, no one wanting a repeat of the vapors from the last room. Upon finding the room to be free of the vapor we walked in, far more relaxed. Covering the walls were paintings of battles and of Extarch changing another strange creature. This one had the head of a wolf, the torso and left arm of a man, his right arm ending in a mass of disorganized tentacles. It’s feet were similar to man’s only large and tipped with talons. It’s left leg looked as if it were replaced by wood and metal. In it’s right hand it carried a strange scepter. On one end it looked like a crescent moon. While the other end looked like the bottom half of an hourglass.

When I saw the entirety of the figure in the painting I knew that this is what I had seen in my dream. Silently I said the word that had been chanted. Zadarch. Then I saw a bridge with a circle painted on either side. On one side it was black, the other was white. Then it all became clear to me. I quickly spoke out to my friends. Speaking quickly I said. “Guys! Extarch isn’t the only Elder God in Orting!” When I said this I looked to see my friends turn to me. I saw their faces frozen with fear. Their eyes angled high above my head.

That’s when I felt it. All in a matter of seconds. Cold damp air on my neck. The foul smell of a scavenging creature’s breath pervaded my nose. Nearly causing me to puke from the sheer overwhelming power of the foul stench. Then I felt something hit my head hard. The world and my friends vanished from my eyes.

When I woke it was dark, I couldn’t even see my hands before my face. I was stripped of everything. My clothes, my bag, my light, and most of all, I was stripped of my courage. I could hear the sound of rushing water beneath me and realized that I must be on a water vessel of some kind. I could hear the breathing behind me, heavy and matching the sound of water breaking on oars. I knew I was not alone, and I knew that it was not a friend.

Then I heard something off in the distance, the way we were going. It was barely audible, but it was there nonetheless. In seconds it seemed that there was a rhythm to it. In minutes I heard the sound clearly enough to know it was chanting. Then mighty drums joined in. As we came around a bend in the body of water I saw a distant and dim light. Soon I saw it was a blazing fire. I could see indescribable figures dancing about the fire, some launching themselves into the air with wild, mighty jumps. All the while they chanted and howled.

When we reached the shore I could see the creature who had ferried me up the river. He seemed as if he were not much different then the werewolves in the stories from our childhoods. The main differences being it’s size and third arm. The creature was massive. Each bicep being as wide around as a keg. The creature was massive.

As the boat ended it’s movement the creature pulled a long pole from the water, laying it in the boat. Then it lumbered over to me. The creature lifted me up with one arm. Struggle even as fiercely as I did against the creatures grip I could not break free. It did not release me until we were inside the circle of those chanting and dancing beasts. The creature stepped away from me quickly, then joined the wildly spinning circle of dancers. Then the chanting, dancing, and drumming stopped all at once.

Three creatures danced lightly into the circle. They were female by all appearances, as they wore nothing but necklaces of feathers and beads. Each had four arms, two at either side. They walked over to me. Each one towering above me it was not hard for them to overpower me and pin me to the ground. I soon found myself with two of them spreading my arms and legs wide. The third women stepped so she was standing over me.  She held several pouches with her.

My mind excited by fear and the barrage of indescribable images quickly found me slipping into unconsciousness. I was met with another dream. In the dream I chased Molly into the vapor. Once I was inside those shadowy curtains of fear I found myself in a wedding dress. I followed Molly, who wore a black version of the dress I wore, out onto a dance floor made of stone tiles. We walked up onto a stage carved from similar stone. The entire area was surrounded by towering trees. Shading us from a bright sun which I felt was there. Standing on the stage, looking across the room I saw my father and mother, next to them my brother. I saw my friends and my relatives. I saw Victor standing tall, looking much older than before, but no less intense. I saw Walter standing next to the aged Victor, he wore some official looking scarf. Kalla sat in a wheelchair, Ace standing by her side. Standing by a bar to the side of the dance floor was Denzle, who looked completely untouched by time. The Molly and I turned and posed as my friend Wilbur took a picture. Then I woke.

This time I did not wake to darkness. The boat I was on was illuminated by a hanging lamp, revealing that the three women sat just behind me. I saw many other boats accompanying the one I was on. Then I noticed the strange markings that now covered my body. The painted markings covered my whole body but for my right arm. I felt feathers brush against my cheek, they were braided into my hair. I could hear the water slapping against the boat.

In the distance I could see a tower that climbed high into the sky. Behind it stood a massive wall stretching to either direction as far as I could see. This shore is where all the boats landed. As they did I saw my friends come into view, and I saw the looks of terror in their eyes.

By the time the boat I was in had reached the shore my friends had been corralled so that they stood in full view of a massive door and a large green screaming face carved from the stone wall. Then the three women lead me down a pathway between the many creatures that opened before me and closed behind me as we went. There was chanting and drumming as I walked through that primal sea. Then I was pushed into a clearing just in front of the door and face. Everything went silent as the grave.

I could feel everyone looking at me, awaiting my next move with bated breath. First I tried the door. I pulled with all my might and when it din’t budge I threw myself against the door trying to open it. It wouldn’t move even a fraction of an inch. So with fear in my every step I walked to the face. While looking upon it the fear seemed to dissipate from my body and mind. I remembered my dream and knew what would happen.

I reached into the void of darkness that was the face’s mouth. I could see a lever in the far back. It was only when the darkness I was reaching into was up to my shoulder that I could grab the lever. I gripped it tight and pulled it out. Then the mouth slammed shut. The giant stone teeth crushing the bone and muscles in my arm quickly, severing my arm from my body.

I fell to the ground screaming in agony as I grabbed at the bloody stump of my shoulder. Then the great doors swung open. I could barely hear it over screams from my friends, cheering from the creatures, and the completely overwhelming pain that racked my whole body.

Then the great creature stepped out from the doors. It scanned the crowds before it. Then it looked upon me. I could barely see it through the tears that poured from my eyes. It took up it’s great scepter, then slammed the flat of it into my stomach. The act was accompanied by more terrified screams from my friends, more cheers from the creatures, and a white hot burning pain spreading through my body. 

Through my screams and tears I looked to my arm. There in it’s place was a wood and metal replacement that matched the style of the creature’s leg. The creatures released my friends who raced to me. All the creatures ran off following the great creature, all the while they chanted one word over and over again. “Zadarch!”

~End Entry Five~

~Olivia Eldritch~