Chapter Thirty

She found herself walking around in the same jungle and still, she didn’t understand why she was having this dream. Was it a dream of things to come, or was it a memory of the past? Whatever the case may be, she had to find out soon because she was about to be born and she could now feel it.

Perhaps if Mykella walked far and long enough, maybe she would find the source of the dreams. Maybe she wouldn’t have to ask Vince again why she was having these dreams.

There were beginning to be too many questions that she wanted answered before she was born. The crucifixion of Jesus, she could understand. But why was she damned to walk these jungles for eternity?

The dreams always begin the same: She finds herself standing at the bank of a creek. She usually drops down onto her bare knees with tears in her eyes and digs her fists into the wet sand and looks up into the sky above the trees and watches the birds fly from treetop to treetop.

Then she stands and begins walking deeper into the jungle. Soon after, silence befalls her. And it is this silence that frightens her; why, she doesn’t know. She begins running without knowing where she is running to.

Every now and then, she would trip over an uprooted branch and fall onto her hands and knees. The times she does not fall, she runs deeper into the jungle, never expecting an answer to why she is here.

And when she gets too frightened, then, and only then, she brings Vince into her dreams and he seems to be the only one who calms her down.

In fact, she had recently left him in this same jungle as he held her as tight as he could. It was Vince who had explained to her that her flesh was more pale and softer. When she looked down at her reflection in the creek, she saw, too, that her hair had dulled and that she could no longer see her fingernails.

Am I to be born that soon? I don’t think I –

She glanced up from the creek and was taken aback when she was greeted not by Vince, but humankind’s nemesis. Mykella stood up as fast as she could and felt her heart racing in the next instant.

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He walked past her but she could not see him as he hid beneath a cloak. He was silent as he walked over to her and then placed his feet into the water and walked around the frightened young Dream Crusader.

This isn’t the way it’s supposed to be. He can’t be here; I’m not even alive yet.

“So,” he hissed as he stopped behind her and reached up and grabbed a low-lying branch and hung his weight against the tree. “I believe an introduction is in order, don’t you?”

Mykella shook her head as tremors raced through her body.

“You will address me as King Orion,” he began and bowed his hooded head. He could already sense her protest. “Oh yes. I am a King. Rightful heir to both King Darvon and Queen Nanaac. You choose.”

She could almost feel the beast smiling at her and it disgusted her. “Why are you here?” she found herself asking, and was excited that she did so.

“Come now; is that any way to talk to your elders?” Orion stepped closer to her and he could smell her soul and it delighted him. “I came to see you. I was curious to know you and what I have in store for me in the future, so to speak.”

She tried to picture Vince in her mind but Orion placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “No, it won’t work. For one, I’m here with you and I will not allow Vincent to come to your aid. Secondly, he’s awake now.” He grabbed her other shoulder and turned her around so that he could see into her frightened eyes. “Yes, my Love. I am stronger than you. In a fortnight you shall bear witness to a new reign in a new kingdom. Unfortunately you will not be old enough to remember it as a babe.” He looked around the wilderness she had come to know. “This is why I gave you these dreams. As an unborn child, I wanted you to know what will befall humanity. You will be born into a world I created.”

She shook her head as tears fell from her eyes and she watched in silence as he pulled back his hood. He looked like Ordinary Man; there was nothing terrifying about him, actually. His darkened skin and dark eyes.

“What you see is my temporary self. I had to borrow this body once I unearthed the key to the Forbidden Realms. But once I have the Tree of Knowledge, I shall have my old form back.” He leaned closer; she could smell dirt on his breath. He bent down and brought his lips to hers and kissed her.

There was no fear in that brief exchange and when she opened her eyes, she was alone in the wilderness of her pain. There may not have been fear in his kiss, but there was a familiarity. She couldn’t put her finger on it yet.