~~Feno~~
'It's cold so, so cold, why does it have to be cold, why do I have to be cold?' I think to myself, running again from a group of cold guards, clutching some warm bread. I do love warm things like a mother's hugs and when my father told stories. But those cold people took all the warm things away. 'I shouldn't think cold thoughts, not when cold man are looking for me.'
After some sharp moves, I lose the cold guards and make my way back to my cold home. It was not much, some half-rotted planks with a few long rags and a pillow! I crawl into my home to eat my now not-warm bread. After eating it, I went to sleep to dream of warm things.
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This dream was strange. At first, it was a warm dream, but it became cold, and it wouldn't stop getting colder. I tried to wake up, but I couldn't. As the dream turned into the day, the world became much colder. I was forced to watch how mother, in her nice dress, was taken away screaming. And how father was stabbed through the chest by uncle. While he laughed at father. Then he looked at me with a cold glint in his eyes and told me: "Run boy and make the hunt fun." In a cruel tone as he laughed.
But before I could run as I did on that cold night, a person who wasn't present that night appeared. Uncle turned to him in confusion. The person was tall much taller than uncle, wearing an old ash-colored cloak with a wide brim hat that covered most of his face. Shadows were the only thing I could see along with one glowing crimson eye. When uncle looked straight at the face, he paled and let out a scream that hurt my ears and uncle fell unconscious. Then the person turned to me and even that one eye made me feel cold.
"Wh-who are you?" I stuttered, my voice breaking as well.
"Who am I?" He said in a voice so cold it would make people run from. He pauses for a moment, seemingly thinking it over what I said before answering. "I'm the Lord of Nightmares, Helmer." He moves closer to me.
"What is a nightmare and what do you want?" I don't know why I asked him, but his cold was burning like fire.
Again, he stops for longer this time, staring at me, almost judging me with that gaze. "You don't know what a nightmare is?"
I couldn't stop myself when he asked the question, coldness made me speak. "No, I always have warm dreams."
My heart pounded in my chest and each time it pumped I could feel the coldness from the man as he spoke. "How interesting and to answer your second question, I was here to recruit this man." He looks at uncle on the floor and for some reason, that hurt. When he said he came for uncle, the cold became almost too much.
"But he doesn't seem to be any use now." He looks at me again, seeming to wait for something.
"I could do better than uncle," I squeaked out as I started to feel his coldness leaving.
"You think you can do what I want, boy?" The person's coldness came back with vengeance, burning me.
"Ye-ye-yes I can as long as I don't have to feel this cold many more." As I spoke, I couldn't stop myself form shuddering at what I'm now certain is a nightmare. The nightmare stared at me for a long moment.
"Hahaha, fine boy if you think you can do better here." The nightmare flicks his wrist.
Quest - One Life for Happiness
You have agreed to work for the Lord of Nightmares.
Success: Kill one person.
Optional: Cause widespread fear. (Will increase reward.)
Fail: Fail to kill someone within 1 month.
Reward: Keeping Shadows Embraces and not suffering an eternal nightmare. Increased reward on performance.
1000 XP
Shadows Embraces: In darkness creatures will want to look away from you and find the need to leave the area that you are in if you so wish.
The last thing I remember was that crimson eye looking at me and the cold washing over me, almost comfortably.
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~~Helmer~~
As I enter the dream of the man I was looking for, I noticed that the dream was of him killing the boy's father and taking away the boy's mother. He seems like the right person because the dream is too weak to hold me. So, I graded the dreams of others to straighten it.
As I finished straightening the dream and enter it, the man was laughing at the boy, telling him to run. But the boy seemed to notice I was here. First. how interesting I thought, but he's not the one I'm here for. The man turns to see me and he turned so white so fast that he could have been a chameleon. His scream was loud, if this was the real world, not just a dream. I'm certain some glass would have broken if it was real. Then he passed out.... Well, that failed! Was it because I'm in the dream, I wonder as I look at the boy. Or maybe because he was the main dreamer as the boy doesn't seem like he's going to pass out. Or the man was just not strong willed?
"Wh-who are you?" The boy stuttered out with his voice breaking.
"Who am I?" I say caught off guard, but I might as well try and salvage some of this. "I'm the Lord of Nightmares, Helmer." I move closer to the boy deciding that I might as well see if I can get some essence.
"What is a nightmare and what do you want?"
'Wait, did this boy really ask me what a nightmare?' I stare at the boy, trying to figure out if he's lying to me. "You don't know what a nightmare is?"
Almost like he was forced to answer me he said. "No, I always have warm dreams."
'Okay he could just be an outright liar, but I doubt he is. And if he isn't, then that could be really good or really bad for me. But I don't think he is lying to me about this. "How interesting and to answer your second question, I was here to recruit this man." I look at the man on the ground with a bit of annoyance as I think on what to do next.
"But he doesn't seem to be any use now." I look at the boy, thinking of what to do now. Before I make a decision, the boy surprise me.
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"I could do better than uncle." The boy squeaked out.
I start thinking if the boy was worth putting my chips on. "You think you can do what I want boy?" I bring my full focus on the boy as he starts to shake.
"Ye-ye-yes I can, as long as I don't have to feel this cold any more." He couldn't stop himself from shuddering as I watched him.
I don't know why but I found this boy, splattered with blood and saying he could do better than this man, interesting. Hell, why not, let's bet on him? "Hahaha, fine boy if you think you can do better here." I flick my wrist at the boy and on focus the essence what I want and need.
Quest - One Life for Happiness (Cost 31 EP)
You have agreed to work for the Lord of Nightmares.
Success: Kill one person.
Optional: Cause widespread fear. (Will increase reward.)
Fail: Fail to kill someone within 1 month.
Reward: Keeping Shadows Embraces and not suffering an eternal nightmare. Increased reward on performance.
1000 XP
Shadows Embraces: In darkness creatures will want to look away from you and find the need to leave the area that you are in if you so wish. (Blessing)
As I leave the dream turned nightmare, I decide to give the boy a peaceful night. After all, he will be busy for the next month. When I left the dream realm I was met with a stare from the human. Which was giving me great concern, has she figured out that I have no idea what I'm doing? I get ready to do something as the feeling of mistrust grew stronger. It was also nice to know that essence can turn into XP one essence for 1000, not bad, I think, trying to stay calm.
"My lord, why did you change to a different mortal?" The human asked, looking at me with confusion.
Before the distrust grew overwhelming, I replied. "The mortal was weaker than I thought, and an opportunity appeared, that boy seemed to have some potential." I looked at her flatly.
For a few seconds she said nothing before speaking again. "I think I understand my lord, as the elven boy is still young, he can grow into a useful pawn."
I blinked at the fact I didn't notice the boy was an elf. Which was concerning. How did I fail to notice he was an elf? How much did I change in that short amount of time? But the feeling of mistrust left after her hearing what I said. I hate the fact that I can't trust the only other living thing with me but the second I even think of saying something, I'm blasted with the feeling of mistrust again.
I bring up the blue boxes to see if I can find one for being a patron after a few seconds I found it.
Patron of the Gray Dreams Essence: 23
Chosen: 0
Proteges: 0
Warlocks: 0
Acolytes: 0
Servants: 1
Upkeep: 16 essence a month
Servant: 1 essence
Blessing: 15
Shadows Embraces - (15)
Income: 0 essence a month
Bonus: 4 essence
'Hmm, interesting, I didn't know I had an upkeep. And what does the different between servants and the others mean?'
Servants: 1 essence
Servants are the lowest rank of servant amongst your followers. Not known for their loyalty, they are not given any major benefits other than sometimes getting temporal bliss.
Servants are the cheapest of your follower to maintain.
Lesser Benefits: As a patron of the Gray Dreams and your abilities will affect the benefits.
Lucid Dreams: Strengthens dreams and increased awareness while sleeping. (Horizon Walker)
Nourishing Sleep: After sleeping you will have the effect as if you have eaten. Effect is stronger with more people around. (Dream Eater)
Servants: 1
Name (Feno), Race Elf (Wood), Age 11, Level 1 (234XP), Cost 16
Income: 0
Bonus: 4
Four creatures had nightmares due to your actions. Gain 4 essence.
When did I cause four creatures to have nightmares? Well at least I have something to do well I wait.
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~~Feno~~
When I woke up, I had a hard time remembering what I dreamt. I remember a tall, cold man and uncle? But as I looked at my states and saw the quest, I realized what I had done.
Name: Feno Willow-Heart
Race: Elf
Subrace: Wood Elf
Health: 80/80 Mana: 100/100 Stamina: 90/90
Strength: 7 Agility: 10 Dexterity: 11 Constitution: 8 Endurance: 9
Intelligence: 10 Wisdom: 8 Charisma: 10 Luck: 11
Titles: First Servant of Helmer
Abilities: Feel Insight, Shadows Embraces, Servant of the Lord of Nightmares
Malice\Buff - None
Skills:
Level 8 - Sneak (Novice)
Level 5 - Pick Pocket (Novice)
Level 5 - Small Blades (Novice)
Level 2 - Unarmed Combat (Novice)
Quests:
One Life for Happiness - Time remaining 29 days and 23 hours.
Quest - One Life for Happiness
You have agreed to work for the Lord of Nightmares.
Success: Kill one person.
Optional: Cause widespread fear. (Will increase reward.)
Fail: Fail to kill someone within 1 month.
Reward: Keeping Shadows Embraces and not suffering an eternal nightmare. Increased reward on performance.
1000 XP
Shadows Embraces: In darkness creatures will want to look away from you and find the need to leave the area that you are in if you so wish.
As I look at the quest, I remember the cold from the dream and I shiver from the memory. I hug my legs to my chest as I try to calm myself. 'Okay Feno, what to do?' I think to myself but as I do that, I hear someone arrive to my home. Did they come to kill me?
"Feno, are you still in there? I hear the merchants called the guards on you." A cheerful but slightly worried voice called out.
A wave of relief goes through me as I realize it was Skylar, one of my oldest friends. Unlike me, they didn't live on the streets but in the temple of Oreal, but they still came to see me. "Umm yea, I didn't get caught."
I left my shelter and found Skylar standing there in the apprentice robe to Oreal, having one of the star constellations on it but I could never remember which one. They had light skin, dark brown hair and pale blue eyes. They were mostly androgynous in looks, they could be a girl or a boy.
"Are you okay, you don't look too good?"
"Umm, oh no, I just didn't get much sleep that's all." I say, thinking back to that cold creature.
"You too?"
"Wait did you also see... It." I feel the dread before I could speak its name.
"No, I didn't have any nightmares as people are calling them, but people all around the place are having them. The temple thinks it is a new disease from Alamer." They voice darkness at the mention of Oreal's hated bother.
'Should I say that it's not a disease but something new?' But as that thought entered my mind I felt the displeasure of the nightmare. Maybe if I do nothing the nightmare may just leave me alone.
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1 Week later
After a week, I wasn't visited by the Lord of Nightmares again but the timer on the quest kept ticking down. But other weren't as lucky to not be visited by nightmares and the ones that saw the Lord of Nightmares seem to go mad or are too scared to leave their homes. Some just ended themselves. The temple still think it's Alamer and have been trying to communicate with Oreal or one of her servants. Not successful, from what Skylar says as if something is blocking them.
But the blessing I got from the Lord of Nightmares has been almost too good as the week went on. I was becoming healthier after each sleep and sneaking became easier. where I could even steal warm food. But I know at the end of the month, it will be gone.
I look at the quest one more time as I wonder if I could really do what the quest wants.