Chapter Thirty-Six

The four-legged Dreamkiller had been doing its rendition of barking for a while before the Cloaked One entered the room. And when he entered, everything became silent. Orion looked at each one in turn, only to fall upon Mykella last.

“I see you have found a way to get to them anyway,” he said and gave forth a small chuckle.

“We won’t let you kill her,” Vince called out as he moved closer to Mykella.

“Kill her?” Orion laughed. “My Boy, I don’t care about her right now.” He moved deeper into the room. “It’s you I want.”

Vince stared at the Master Dreamkiller, the first Dream Crusader. “Why?”

Such an odd question, thought Orion. One word that could mean a million things. Why? “With you not in my way, my fight with Miss Brown will be a lot easier,” he said and shook his head. “Why else did you think I wanted to kill you?”

“Because of my father and mother.”

“Ah,” Orion nodded and thought this over. “Tracy Kingston. Whatever became of her? Is she in Heaven? I don’t think she’s keeping Allen Corgan company in Hell.”

So, he doesn’t know that Mom’s a Guardian?

“And Rick Hopman would have died sooner or later – his life was ending fast, was it not?”

Chris and Karl kept a fixed gaze on the Dreamkillers standing beside Orion. They were praying that Beth and Eric were as strong as they looked.

Krieger grabbed Mykella’s hand for support as he watched the scene unfold.

“No, they meant nothing to me. I really didn’t care for them way back when.” Orion began pacing the floor, keeping his hooded head turned in Vince’s direction at all times. “You see, if I keep you alive, then you will be in my way when my battle takes place. I don’t need any more obstacles.”

“Tell me about the jungle,” called Mykella from behind Karl.

Neither Chris nor Karl understood the question. They haven’t seen any jungle of which she could be speaking.

“No,” said Orion. “You will know what it is when the proper time comes. I gave you those images as a gift.”

“Ilias gave you a similar gift. Didn’t he?”

Orion quickly turned on Beth. “You know nothing of that name. He was a great Oracle. God became jealous of him!”

Beth could feel the heat emanating from Orion. There was too much hatred in his soul to even attempt reclamation. She nodded and fell silent once again.

“If you must know, Ilias gave me images of Time and Power.” Orion turned his attention back to Mykella. “I offer you images of things to come. Not merely Time images, because Time can be changed and altered. But the images will take place. In my future, where I am finally sitting on my throne.”

Karl shook his head and sighed. “You know, if we’re going to bullshit like this the whole time, I’m going to get pretty damned bored. You came for a fight. Let’s get it over with,” he said behind a devilish grin.

“I couldn't have said it better myself,” replied Orion and he glanced at his new Dreamkillers and nodded.

The Dreamkiller that was holding the “dog” at bay let the chain fall from its claw and before anyone heard the clank of it hitting the floor, the four-legged creature was howling toward Chris.

It leapt into the air and before Chris had time to defend the attack, it used its front legs and pushed her to the floor as it hit her in the chest. She rolled to the side, but the thing jumped onto her back.

Karl heard one scream as it dug its claws into her flesh, and he went to her aid, kicking the beast in its stomach, barely missing Chris’ head in the process.

As Orion watched in pleasure, one of the others went after Krieger, but Beth blocked the attack. She reared her fangs, phlegm dripping to the floor, and began clawing at her enemy.

Eric wasted no time as he went for the last Dreamkiller who had not attacked, but was waiting for orders from its master.

Orion nodded and the two Dreamkillers locked arms in a struggle to sever the others’ heads.

Eric seemed to be gaining the upper hand as his clawed hand found the beast’s throat. But as he grabbed for the artery, the beast smiled – or so Eric thought – and Eric’s battle was lost as the Dreamkiller formed a new limb from its side.

This limb, to Eric’s dismay, was sword-like and dripping with pus. Nevertheless, it was sharp and the Dreamkiller swung up with its new appendage and severed Eric’s arm – the one holding its throat.

Blood, both red and black, flowed from Eric’s shoulder. He screamed but he did not give up the fight. With his remaining arm, he reached for the weapon, held it steadfast as long as he could, and then retreated.

He let go and quickly swung himself around to the beast’s back side and wrapped his arm around its neck.

Vince ran over to their fight, sword held high, but was afraid to strike for fear of killing Eric.

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“Don’t hesitate,” screamed Eric. “Don’t think of me. Do it!”

The beast struggled, but in vain as Vince plunged his sword deep into the Dreamkillers chest. As expected, the sword went through both the Dreamkiller and Eric and when he withdrew the blade, they fell to the floor, Eric landing on top of his foe, both dead.

Orion was outraged as he watched this. He turned his attention back to Chris and Karl as they tried to fend off the “dog.”

It continued to jump at them, trying to sink its claws and teeth in whatever flesh it could grab. Karl’s sword was knocked from his hand and slid across the floor. Orion was ecstatic.

When he saw it, Vince tossed Karl his own blade and called out to him. It landed in Karl’s open hand and he swung down in the same motion and cut through the creature's back.

“Are you all right?” Karl asked as he turned Chris around and saw her cut shirt. He noticed three long cuts, but other than that, she had to count herself lucky.

“Thank you,” she smiled and embraced him.

Vince smiled as he watched them and then he heard the snarls and turned his attention to Beth who was standing, guarding Krieger and Mykella. He ran up to them and stood close to Beth. “Do you think you can hold it off for a little? I need to get her out of here before Orion decides to end her life early,” he said.

She turned and looked at him behind a grin. “After what they’ve done to my brother, I could hold the bastard off all night,” she replied.

“Mykella, I need you to take us somewhere. I know you’re not going to like it,”

“I can’t leave everyone here,” she began to protest.

Vince shook his head. “We’ll be right back. I’m going to try to get Xan to help us.”

A different look of fear fell over her. She had never told him what really happened that night when she had her little talk with her. She shook her head when the vivid memories came back to her. She could clearly see Xan throwing her across the room, and she had cowered behind a table. “I can’t. Please, Vince, don’t ask me to do this,” she begged.

He had never seen this behavior in her before. He had seen her frightened, but this was a new look altogether. “We’ll be right back, I promise.”

“What are you up to?” called Orion as he watched the small group.

Vince turned to face Krieger. “Tell Karl and Chris that I’m not deserting them. We’ll be back as soon as we can,” he said and Krieger nodded. Vince stared at Orion with an emotionless expression. He took hold of Mykella’s hand and gently squeezed.

Before he knew what was happening, Orion watched the two figures begin to fade from the room. “No!” he screamed and glanced at the remaining Dreamkiller. “They’re getting away! Get them before they disintegrate!”

It appeared to Vince that Mykella had gotten the dream surfing down pat. During the sudden gust of wind that would transport them to Xan’s dream, Vince realized that Mykella is the final Dream Crusader and Orion was the first.

And just as the thought occurred to him, Vince found himself looking at a very strange scene.

It was his sister’s bedroom; he remembered seeing it when he visited her way back when. It was now ornamented in some type of shrine. Candles burned around the dark room. He saw her kneeling at the foot of her bed praying to some unseen god. Her eyes were open, her lips moving, forming words, but she had not acknowledged their presence yet.

“Xan?”

“Give me strength, Lord, to endure the pain I’ll have when I am called upon to kill my brother. He knows not what or who I am, so forgive him,” she whispered, eyes now closed and her breathing heavy.

His heart was breaking every moment he watched her. Called upon to kill my brother. Who is her Lord? He was going to be sick if he didn’t have some resolution.

He reached down and took hold of her shoulder.

He stumbled onto the floor as she turned on him suddenly with blackened eyes and fangs.

“What the hell are you?” Vince cried out.

“Does it matter?” she asked and then she noticed Mykella, who had taken several steps back the moment she was detected. “Well, well,” she smiled and stood up. “We meet again so soon.”

Vince looked up at Mykella and saw the terror in her green eyes.

“Don’t hurt me,” she whimpered and Xan tossed her head back and laughed.

“Don’t hurt me,” she mocked and looked down at her brother. “See what the world’s coming to? She’s a coward. How can she even think of saving the human race?” She laughed again and Vince stood up.

“How do you know she’s here to save the human race? She could be here to save souls into Heaven, you know,” he said and then sighed. “Would yours be ready for her when she comes to get you? She could very well be your savior.”

Xan wasted no time as rage overcame her and she lashed out with her right hand. Four long cuts raced across his face. He reached up and felt the blood but merely shook his head in disappointment.

“Who were you praying to?” he asked. “Who is this Lord?”

Xan shook her head. “No one is allowed to know his name. He appeared to me once in my sleep – he’s so beautiful. All white,” she looked as if she were in a drug-induced euphoria.

“An angel,” Mykella said.

Xan turned to her and sneered. “Once, maybe. He looks as if he may have been clipped at one time. He may have been an angel, but he no longer has wings.”

Vince turned and looked at Mykella in panic. “Ilias,” he whispered. Mykella had not heard the tale yet. And now was not a good time to address the issue. He looked back at his sister. “Do you know of Orion?”

She laughed. “I have heard of him. Who hasn’t? He serves my master and always has. As I will eternally serve.”

“Come with us. Let us save you,” he implored with his hands out. He didn’t want to let his sister go, he had just met her. “I can’t stand by and let you be brainwashed by Ilias. He had turned on God. He will turn on you, too.”

With a speed too quick to be seen by Vince, she reached out and took hold of his shirt and sent him flying across the room. He hit the wall, putting his elbow through the plaster. He stared at her with her words in his mind: Give me strength to endure the pain I’ll have when I am called upon to kill my brother. She still loves me, he thought. There will be an internal struggle when Ilias calls her.

“If your soul is not to be saved,” he began and walked over to Mykella, trying to block out the pain. “I hope you go straight into hell without mercy. I shall pray for you when you die. You see,” he looked at Mykella and smiled. “She is the last Dream Crusader and she is sent by God himself to battle Orion. If God’s intent is not to save the human race, then so be it. He has other plans for her victory then.”

Xan glared at him but turned her head to look at a candle. “Be ready for the second wave, then. Once the order is given, our gluttony will be humanity’s blood,” she whispered and waved her hand which caused Vince and Mykella to vanish from her room.

They weren’t expecting to be pushed out of a dream like that, but when they looked around, they found themselves standing in the familiar jungle.