Howdy! I am back with a new chapter. And it is a long one. My last chapter was a bit too short which is why this one got extended. You can check at my other stuff at https://yougots.wordpress.com. Though I feel like switching from Wordpress to something else soon. It feels like every time I post something on my site the process is less and less user friendly.
Enjoy.
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“What? Don’t you have to even think about it? You can’t go around killing people just because she says so! She could be lying! Have you thought of that? And besides she’s traitor how long before she betrays us too?” Violam shouted. He had been silent because he knew the least about their situation but this was too much. The dream clouded his memories but he could vaguely remember the horrible things he had done for the Farg. He had done those things because he had to. In some way he felt that how the Farg handled traitors was right. It was clean. If someone betray the Farg once then they are dirty and worthless. They must be wiped away.
Otis silenced Violam with a raise of his hand. “Violam look into her eyes. She knows this is the only way for her to be free and she knows the price of being a traitor to the Farg. If anything that makes her more trustworthy. We are her only hope out of this situation. If there was another way she would have thought of it already.”
“Are you sure you want to save him? That he can be saved?” Felasine spoke as if she could read Violam’s mind. She had worked with the Farg for longer than she cared to count so she recognized what his words had meant.
Otis looked at the hostess again. Her eyes were red and swollen yet firm. “Yes. We will talk on the move I don’t think we should stay in this room. The exit Dina spoke of is a trap right?”
Felasine distractedly nodded her head in agreement. “The exit is the front door to the Tea House. When you exit it will take you to another dream. The plan was once Violam builds his bond with the Farg Commanders he would then move on to the final dream. That is how the Ambassador turns people. He has done it many times before for those he marks for leadership in the Farg Legion.”
“Damn there’s still one more dream.” Otis stuck his head outside the door to check the hallway. It was clear and silent. “Wait, Violam in the last dream all you had to think is that you wanted to leave and you would be able to. I mean, this is your dream after all.”
Violam closed his eyes. “It’s not working. I have wanted to leave for a while now.”
“Like I said.” Felasine spoke up. “The only exit is through the front door.”
“Fine. Let’s go.” Otis asked as he reached for her hand and pulled her through the door. “What is the third dream?”
“I don’t know. I am only allowed in the Tea House dream.” She follow Otis down the hallway.
“I am just a…” Felasine let the words die on her lips. It was not something she should say to a small child. “I am not always in this dream.”
Violam begrudgingly trailed behind them. He did not seem to have any power in this world so he let Otis take the lead.
“Do you know any shortcuts?” Otis switched subjects to focus on the task at hand.
Felasine’s eyes went wide as if she remembered something she had forgotten. She reached into her pockets and pulled out a ring of keys that were too large to fit in that pocket. “This key will take us to the third floor’s staircase.” She walked to the nearest door.
“Wait. Do you have a key that will take us into the kitchens on the third floor?”
“No I don’t have any key that will lead to the third floor directly only to the staircase. The third floor is separated from the upper levels. It's like a completely separate building only connected by the staircase. You will not be able to send people through your shadows to the upper levels once we make it to the third floor.”
“Crap there goes that plan. Well it's not like I can spend that amount of strength anyway.” He mused to himself. “So that is why Dina has not caught up with us. Something to do with how to transfer between floors?”
The beautiful woman smiled and shook her head. She held up another key before she spoke. “She doesn’t have a key to get in or out of the penthouse. The Ambassadors uses that room for hostile flight risks. Now follow me quietly.” She inserted the key into the lock. The door shimmered white and opened without her having to turn the key.
They entered into the stairwell that led down to the third floor dining room.
“This Tea House is modeled after one I used to work in before the Farg came and destroyed my people. Many of the servant’s passages still remain on the lower levels.” The beautiful woman stopped at a lantern located halfway down the steps. Along the walls ran molding that split the painted upper half of the walls from the lower half’s wood work. Felasine twisted the molding located below the lantern. A small hatch door opened and swung into a hidden corridor. It would have taken someone to look real closely to see that there was a hidden door there.
“This will take us to the kitchens. Watch your step as you enter.” She stepped into the hidden passage.
Violam casted a doubtful look at Otis. Otis shrugged in response and followed her in. A soft glow of yellow light lit the passage as Felasine switched on the lights. The two continued down the passageway towards the kitchen without waiting for Violam. After a moment of indecision Violam entered and shut the door behind him. Otis had been watching Violam at the doorway so when he entered Otis secretly sighed in relief.
“It’s just up ahead so let me warn you know. There will be one of the Ambassador’s Commanders inside.”
Otis nodded in response. “That’s still better than meeting the four on the third floor. So what do we do when we get to the kitchen?”
Felasine thought for a moment. “I guess you will have to handle the Commander silently without alerting the staff. They may be held here against their will but they fear the Ambassador more than they will fear you. Luckily for us they know not to get involved in the Ambassador’s business so most likely they will look the other way.”
“Most likely? Are you sure?” Otis asked.
“Well if you drag a dead Commander through the kitchen they won’t be able to ignore you. Do you know how you will handle the Commander?”
Otis shrugged. “I will make it up as I go. It has worked so far.” Violam snorted in doubt but remained silent.
“Ok we will wait here for you to return. I would rather not be seen with you if things go bad.”
“Good idea.” Otis moved past her towards the end of the hidden passage. The door opened with slight creak but none of the staff took notice. With a quick survey of the kitchen Otis spotted the Commander standing guard between the door that opens to the dining room and the servant’s stairwell that leads to the second floor.
[Commander Gutgash - Level 48 Dream Illusion]
Otis pulled his head back into the hidden passage and waved at Violam to come closer. “Do you know a Commander Gutgash?” Otis whispered though he didn’t have much hope.
“Gutgash? He is Captain Umaiko’s father. She is one of the few nice people in the Farg. Maybe he will help us.”
“I doubt it. Is she pretty?” Otis asked. Felasine rolled her eyes suddenly annoyed with Otis. Otis did not wait for a response he could tell by looking at Violam’s face that she was.
Otis pulled a shadow over himself and stepped into the kitchen. He stayed out of the Commander’s line of sight. He still did not know how easy it was for others to see him. When he had looked at his own reflection it was easy for him to see his shadowed outline. So now he worked with the assumption that others would see him the same way.
The servants and cooks scurried around the kitchen attending to their task. They made for a perfect cover as Otis edged his way into the stairwell. When he made it a few steps out of view of the Farg Commander Otis spoke loudly and in his best Farg impersonation.
“Have you seen the tits on Captain Umaiko? I swear I would suck on those like there is no tomorrow.”
“Damn it Gargan I told you she refused your proposal. Stop dreaming of my daughter’s breast ‘cause you’ll never touch’em while I am here.” The Commander roared and ran into the empty stairwell. “Hiding from me like a little girl huh? See that is why Umaiko refused. You are not man enough. But I told you I was not going to put up with your shit anymore.”
Otis was still concealed in shadow had moved further down the stairs and now stood at the second floor doors. He waited for the Farg Commander to come closer. As Gutgash reached the middle of the staircase the shadows receded from Otis and travel up the stairs.
Commander Gutgash’s eyes went wide with shock. “Who the hell are you? Never mind, have you seen that bastard Gargan? He should have been around here.”
The stairwell’s lantern cast shadows that covered Commander Gutgash’s legs. Otis did not attempt to pull Gutgash into the shadows because Felasine was right he could not feel the shadows in the upper floors like he once had. He lacked the energy to accomplish it anyway. Instead, Otis was going to have to do this the hard way.
The boy pushed off the floor and ran on the side of the wall towards the Commander. He leaped off the wall flying at the Commander. He was going to hit this man hard so just in case the shadows hardened to hold the Farg Commander in place. It would not do Otis any good if the Commander flew back into the kitchen.
Otis’s fist connected with the bottom of the Commander’s chin just as the Farg had completed his sentence. A crunch sounded out as the Commander’s teeth cracked against each other. Despite being bound by shadows, Gutgash lifted a foot into the air stretching the shadows. The shadow’s snapped back against the tension slamming the Commander into the ground feet first. Both his legs buckled and broke like twigs against the strain as he collapsed into himself.
Otis stood a few steps away from where the Commander had landed. He had flipped away and used his footwork skill to avoid the aftermath. “I am surprised his head did not come clean off. I put everything I had into that punch. The Farg are some sturdy bastards.”
Otis returned to the hidden corridor and stepped through the door.
“Took long enough. Can we go now?” Violam jumped to his feet and complained.
Otis dropped his shadow and threw the large Farg Commander onto the ground. Violam and Felasine jumped back in shock as Otis shined with pride as he saw the looks on their faces.
Violam’s expression changed from shock to one of remorse. “Is he dead? Is Umaiko’s father dead?”
Felasine answered before Otis could state the obvious. “Do not worry.” She said with a frown. “It’s just a fragment of his consciousness. He will just wake up with a bad headache in reality. And you don’t get so happy. They are weaker here than they are in the real world.”
“I am not worried.” Violam blurted out.
“Any way what should we do now that I have dealt with the Commander?”
“Well you hide in your shadow thing and follow us. The staff will not be surprised if they see me with a quest but if there is a child with me they will get suspicious.”
“Alright lead the way.” Otis said as he pulled the shadows over himself.
Felasine exited the servant's passage first. Violam and she were immediately seen by the surprised staff.
“Madam what are you doing in the kitchens?” The head chef spoke before anyone else. His eyes darted suspiciously between her and the guest.
“Who are you to question me, let alone our master? Mind your carrots and speak no more or you will regret it.” The man swallowed and backed away to return to his task. Felasine marched through the kitchen to the servants stairs without another word to the staff.
Otis let his shadow fall from his body but tucked it under his left foot just in case he would need it soon. The group moved down the stairs skipping the second floor and went down to the first. Felasine halted them before going down the first floor stairwell.
“This is where we part. I cannot pass through the doors, I would rather not be seen with you. All you have to do is run for the exit maybe you will get lucky and no one will even see you go.”
Violam let out a dry laugh. “Not likely.”
Otis snorted in agreement before he spoke. “Tell us what we have to do to set you free.”
Felasine closed her eyes took a deep breath before opening them again. “If you plan to kill the Ambassador you would need to know this anyway. At least so it is a fair fight or, well, as fair as it can be. He holds an ancient weapon that was gifted to him by his master. It is a banner that has the ability to rip a soul from the chain at a person's death. The wielder of the banner is granted power over those souls. He can summon them into his own soul and will be granted their strength and knowledge until the soul returns to the banner.”
“And you’re one of those souls?”
“Yes, I am. All of the ones you have seen in this dream besides the Commanders and the dolls are souls trapped in the banner.”
“This is out of our league. He is too strong for us, too powerful.” Violam said without thought and fear showed in Violam’s eyes. A fear that Otis did not understand, a fear that was not there before their capture.
“Violam we don’t have a choice. How else are we supposed to get free of the Farg? If the gray man remains he will keep hunting us until we are his.” Otis turned his attention back to Felasine. “How do we destroy it? How many souls does it contain? What are the powers he has so far?”
“I-I don’t know. When we are returned to the banner we are alive but suspended. We have no thoughts, we just exist. We all just want to be called upon. Anything is better than remaining in that place even dying. The only thing I know is that he keeps it on him at all times.”
“Okay, I will find a way to destroy that banner.”
“Thank you. Now, I must go. Wait a few minutes before you enter so I can reach the upper levels.” Felasine turned to leave. She had gambled a lifetime of imprisonment in the banner on a whim. There was no surety and no hope in her steps just the mechanical resignation to her fate.
The two watched her leave. “Why are you always so strong?” Violam broke the silence. “You were supposed to be hidden away safe but here you are stronger than ever.”
“Violam we are the same person. I am only strong because you are strong.”
“Stop. You don’t understand. You have never been weak like I have been weak. You were only supposed to be a small segment of myself and yet you return much stronger than me. What is it Otis? What makes you stronger than me?”
“Violam, I have been through a lot too. I have done what I could to keep you safe. To keep us safe.”
“No! You were supposed to be weak! You were supposed to be the one protected!”
“Violam.” Otis, annoyed with Violam, put his hand up to stop him. “We are in this together. We protect each other.”
Violam opened his mouth to speak but quickly closed it, swallowing his first response and thought for a moment. “You’re right we are in this together. I just feel so useless.” He sighed. “What’s the plan?”
“You’re not useless it’s just that they are holding all the cards. We need to get you to the door and into the next dream.”
“I guess you will be covering me while I run for the door?”
“Yes something like that but maybe Felasine was right you will be able to just walk out to the door.”
The door from the dining room swung open interrupting Otis.
“You boys done talking. We have been waiting for you and it’s not smart to make a girl wait.” Dina spoke with her sword in hand.
Instantly a longsword formed in Otis’s hand. He swung up almost catching Dina by surprise. She blocked the blade but the power in it sent her back through the doors she just opened.
“Run! We go back up!” Otis shouted.
“No we don’t.”
Otis turned to see two Farg Commanders coming down the stairs towards them. He grabbed Violam and backed away through the doors. This led them possibly into an even bigger trap.
“Violam, we are just trying to get to know you better. There was no reason to run off on us.” Gargan spoke as he descended. I don’t know who you are little boy but I am starting to like you. And you Dina.” Gargan adjusted his sight to look over Otis’s shoulder. “He has caught you by surprise twice now. You call yourself our best assassin. Maybe we should recruit this boy as your replacement. What do you think?”
“I think you should shut your mouth.” Dina shifted her sword and flipped the Commander off.
“Alright. Alright calm down.” Gargan laughed. “Kid I think you should give up. You might make it through us but you will not get though Dina again. If you could see her eyes right now you would understand there is no hope if you were to fight her now.”
“And you would stop her if I give up?” Otis questioned.
“No, I didn’t say that. I am just saying if you don’t give up it will be a lot worse.” The tall Farg Commander stepped forward. His hands were empty and raised to appease the boy.
“Violam.” Otis whispered. “You must make it to that door. When I say run, you run and I will take care of Dina.”
“What are you two whispering about? Look we will bring you no harm.” Gargan stepped up to the door.
“Run!” Otis shouted. Earth and rock formed into existence in front of Otis, taking the shape of a flatten wall. It consisted of the hardest material he could imagine. The construct hurled towards Gargan and the doorway still gaining in mass and size. The enemy jumped back to dodge the dark earthen wall. It slammed into the door sealing it shut. Muffled screams of Gargan and the other Commander could be from the other side. Otis was upset that he had not hit Gargan but at least the stairwell was closed off and it bought them some time.
The first floor dining room erupted into chaos at Otis’s attack. Violam had ran towards the door at Otis’s command but Dina and the Farg still blocked the way. Otis addressed the Farg who chased Violam first. He punched his fist out three times, concentrated burst of wind shot through the air blasting the attackers away. I have to get Violam safely to the exit and then I can run for it, he thought as he watched them smash into the walls.
“Boy aren’t you taking me too lightly? I do commend you though for getting rid of that fool of a Commander.” Dina smirked as her body faded into a violet mist and rushed the boy. As it moved the mist became thicker turning itself into a dense gas.
“What the hell?” Otis was caught in shock at her change in form.
She did not avoid her own men. The gas passed through them causing their bodies to shake and shrivel. The small plumes of gas lingered on their bodies draining their bodies of life force. They did not collapse to the floor until the violet gas had completely left them.
Otis’s movements were in disarray at the change but he gathered himself enough to construct a stone pillar to block Dina’s advance. He smiled at his own success but it quickly faltered as the gas split and attacked from both sides of the stone. Otis jumped back to dodge Dina but she was relentless. The gas curved in his direction, Otis dodged out of its way but it continued to attack. He dodged the gas over and over again, it had contacted more of the Farg. Their bodies shriveled as she pulled away their life-force.
[Commander Dina - Level 48 (+3) Dream Illusion]
“She’s getting faster. I need a way to deal with her I can’t run forever. At least I know she won’t attack Violam in this form it’s too much of a risk. They want to keep him alive. I mean, she won’t do something crazy right?” He stared at Dina as tendrils of gas swept out grabbing at him. He swiftly moved and evaded her attacks but he every attack she drew nearer to him. For the most part her attacks were easy to avoid. Fortunately for Otis Dina’s gas form only expanded out to be twice the size of her human body. It would have been different if she could fill the entire dining room with gas.
Otis stole a glance at Violam. Violam still had not made it to the exit yet, he was being pursued and attacked be the remaining Farg. Otis watched as Violam dove through the grasp of several of his attackers. Violam could barely run straight , he was having a rough time avoiding the Farg and it was draining his energy. He would not last much longer and soon his attacks would capture him. Otis constructed a stone spear and threw it at one of Violam’s pursuers, he followed it up with two more constructed stone spears. The throws were on target stabbing each of them in the back.
“You are all so useless. You cannot even catch one weak human!” Dina’s gas form roared. She immediately changed directions and rushed towards Violam. The gas passed through the remaining Farg absorbing their life force and shriveling their bodies. The gas began to shift forms becoming human just as she reached Violam.
[Commander Dina - Level 48 (+10) Dream Illusion]
Dina leveled her violet sword at Violam’s neck. “Enough running! I do not care about my orders. I will kill him unless you fight me!”
“Isn’t that what we have been doing? You are the one who turned into the soul sucking fart!”
“Hey I don’t think this is the time to be calling her names.” Violam weakly spoke. His breath was ragged and his clothes we stained with blood. He did not even notice it when Dina’s back fist slammed into the side of his head. Violam’s limp flew a few feet before it slid to a stop.
Dina growled and launched herself forward closing the distance quickly. Otis constructed several stone spears launching them at Dina. She easily swatted them away with the flat side of her sword, they exploded into a dirt almost as soon as she made contact. Behind the cloud of dirt from the smashed spears Otis appeared.
He came up from the ground through Dina’s shadow. A dark shadow staff extended upwards targeting Dina’s chin. Otis felt no resistance when it struck her chin and exited the back of her head. Dina sneered and in her eyes a faint flicker of gloating. She stepped forward and sliced down. Otis retreated back into the shadow just before the sword would have sliced his head in half.
Otis pulled himself out of the shadow of an overturned table and attacked. She was late to react to his assault. He covered his hands and feet with shadows as he kicked her side. His kick passed through her ribs. He spun continuing the momentum for a second kick that passed through her head. Dina laughed as Otis’s punches connected with nothing and only left behind swirls of violet gas. She kicked, smashing her boot into Otis’s stomach. He was blasted backwards crashing into the floor.
“Disappointing, I thought you would give me a fight.” Dina laughed wildly as she pressed on with her attack. Otis scrambled to his feet but Dina was already there, her sword coming for his neck. He ducked as it slashed above him and punched at her stomach.
“You still haven’t learned? You can’t hurt me!” Her slashed turned downward angling towards him again. A violent ball of wind was instantly constructed on the end of Otis’s fist as it entered her stomach. The ball of wind exploded outwards dispersing Dina in all directions.
Her screams still echoed in the room but Dina was no longer standing in front of him. “Is she gone?” Otis said out of breath and moved toward Violam with vigilance. “Just as I thought you can always blow the fart away.”
“Stop calling me a fart!” Her voice echoed in the dining room. Otis froze in his tracks he scanned his surroundings until he found her on the ceiling. Streams of the violet gas gathered bit by bit into a cloud and drifted to the ground. Once it made it back to the ground its shape finally changed back into Dina.
[Commander Dina - Level 48 (+1) Dream Illusion]
She stood between Otis and the unconscious Violam. Her health bar had not dropped at all from Otis’s attack and she did not seem to use any mana for her ability. She was out of breath though and she staggered as she tried to regain her balance.
“I am still a woman. I will not allow you to describe me with such foul language.” There were tears gathered in her eyes as she spoke but her posture quickly straightened and she regained her composure. Violet gas shot out from her hand and hardened into her sword. “It’s time for you to die!”
Otis met her attack with a shadow spear. He used its superior length stabbed at her throat. She was not ignoring her defense now as his weapon clashed with the solid resistance of her violet sword. Otis rotated his body as she deflected his spear, the spear shifted into a war hammer aimed at her ribs. Dina formed into gas and split around the war hammer as it passed through her. A violet sword emerged from the gas slashing at Otis’s legs.
Otis twisted his body into the air to dodge the blade. As it sliced beneath him, he formed a ball of wind and kicked at the cloud. Dina retreated back evading the kick as it smashed into the ground. The wind exploded outwards leaving a small crater behind in the ground.
[Commander Dina - Level 48 Dream Illusion]
Dina reformed back into her body. The attack had at least grazed her as he health bar had dropped a few points and her title was back to normal. She renewed her attack.
“Dina! What have you done?” A voice interrupted their fight as their weapons met once again. The room was littered with Farg and stone. The rest of the Farg Commanders stood at the top of the stairs in shock. Their eyes stuck on Violam’s limp body.
“Don’t interrupt!” She withdrew her attack and turned her anger at her fellow Commanders.
Otis used this moment of distraction to gather wind. His sudden movement put Dina on alert expecting to be attacked. To her surprise Otis turned and kicked the wind. The wind shot in the opposite direction away from her.
“Stop him!” Otis heard as the wind curved and swept up Violam throwing him towards the door. Otis stepped in and out of the shadows. He opened the door just in time for Violam to fly into it.
“See ya!” Otis stepped into the golden doorway.
Otis was now standing in a group of people. It was sunny out and it was loud. Otis figured it was some sort of celebration or parade. The Farg were cheering and throwing confetti at the passing soldiers. Otis was no longer a dirt street child in rags. He was still a child maybe even the same child but now he was dressed in nice clothing. The man next to him was shouting.
“Look son! Look the heroes are returning victorious! Here they come!” It took Otis a moment to understand what the man was saying. Otis was still adjusting to the new dream as the new environment and noise was disorienting. When Otis was checking his clothing he found that the necklace that the boy had stolen still hung around his neck.
“I think I took over someone else’s body when I entered Violam’s dreams.” He felt the necklace to confirm his thoughts. “I wonder why the boy wanted this thing.”
“Son, you have been acting weird since we got here. Are you alright?” The man leaned toward Otis and put his hand on Otis’s shoulder.
“Yeah I am fine.” Otis responded halfheartedly. His mind was occupied with trying to figure out how to save Violam from this new dream.
The man drew closer and whispered with hint of annoyance in his voice. “Look, just hang in there once they pass our job is done.”
“Job? What job”
“Shut up. Here they come just shout and act happy.” The man told Otis and pointed towards some men mounted on land dragons.
Otis ignored the man who posed as his father and pushed his way through the crowd to the street. Violam was on one of those beast, Otis could feel it. As he reached the front of the crowd he looked down towards the riders. The line consisted of five riders and Violam was the third rider. He was dressed in a military uniform decorated with medals. His horned dragon marched forward and his head was held high, very much the spit and image of a war hero.
“Where are you going? If you interrupt the ceremony they will kill and torture you.” Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Otis thought as someone roughly grabbed him from behind. It was the man who is supposed to be his father in this dream. He was out of breath and had obviously ran after the boy. Otis brushed the man’s hand away.
At Otis’s action the man realized something. It was clearly written on his face as he took a few steps back. “Wait. You’re not Alvon. You’re the one they are looking for.”
Damn I wanted to avoid this, Otis thought as he roughly grabbed the man’s collar and pulled him down to his eye level. Fear danced in the man’s eyes as Otis stared into them.
“Leave.” Otis pushed the man back into the crowd but they were tightly packed so he just ended up falling to the ground. The man scrambled to his knees and grabbed Otis’s arm.
The man had a look of desperation. “Don’t go. Believe me they will kill you if you go after him now. Wait until they pass. You can get on the carriage after the riders it will be safe that way.”
“Why should I believe you? You are one of them.”
“No I am a prisoner. I want you to stop the Ambassador. We all do.” He tugged on Otis’s arm to pull him back into the crowd. “Just wait and hide in the carriage. There will be a chance once you reach the palace.”
“Why is the carriage safer?” Otis brushed off the man's hand again.
“Because it’s only for show. It is only manned with dolls.
The riders on their land dragons finally reached them. The ground shook as the land dragons stomped their way through. Violam did not spare a glance to the crowd, he was rigid and fixated on staring forward. The cavalry was at least twenty rows deep. There were too many to see any titles so Otis could not tell if there were any Commanders mixed in the lot. Otis decided to wait after all. He wanted to end the dream but there was nothing he could do with that many soldiers and possibly Commanders. At least nothing he could do that would not put Violam at risk.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
After what felt like an eternity the soldiers passed. Otis grabbed the man's jacket and pulled him along. “You are coming with me. If you aren’t lying I will let you go.”
Otis ran on the balls of his feet to the carriage crossing in front of him. The man called it a carriage but it was more like a rolling tiered platform. There were a set of steps on the back of the carriage. Otis ran up them and into the interior of the carriage with the man. There were people on board but they paid no attention to the intruders. They had the same lifeless expression Otis had seen in the Tea House. Their almost mechanical movements unnerved Otis but he put up with it for the free ride to the palace.
“Do you know much about the place we are headed?” Otis whispered.
“The palace? Not much but I have been stationed there a couple of times.”
“Good, so you can show me around when we get there.”
“I…” The man cut his words shot at Otis’s stare. “Y-Yes of course.”
I didn’t think this child's body would be that scary but I guess it worked, Otis thought to himself.
After a few minutes of silence Otis spoke again. “Where is this place? I mean where is this dream being held?”
“I believe this dream’s setting is the Farg capital but I have never been there in real life so I wouldn’t know for sure.”
“That’s unexpected. How could such a violent people have this as their capital city?” Otis had finally been able to notice his surroundings. Pure white skyscrapers lined the street. The white was almost blinding to look at during the day time. Everything looked modern or more advanced than humanity. And clean, the cleanliness of the buildings and streets was quite striking. The crowds watching the passing military parade were all similarly dressed, this included Otis. It gave an image of wealth and class. I know this is just a dream but the gray man had pulled it from somewhere. Could this really be how the Farg homeland looks? Why would they need to conquer if they have all this?”
The man shrugged in response. “Maybe the white of it all helps them forget about all the blood on their hands.” The man spoke as if he had read Otis’s mind.
“We should be there soon. We are approaching the walls.”
“What walls? I don’t see any walls.”
“It’s a barrier you won’t see it but you will feel some pressure as we pass underneath.”
“If it's a barrier won’t it stop us?”
“We should be alright as long as we stay in the carriage. Just stay low and out of sight.”
Otis felt a light pressure wash over him. If he hadn’t been told about it beforehand he would never have noticed it. His guide on the other hand was pressed flat against the floor gasping for air. But before Otis could come to the man’s aid the pressure let up.
“Don’t bother with me. I will be alright just stay down we don’t want them to see us.” The man coughed as he spoke.
Otis lowered himself to the floor and waited. The carriage made a few turns before coming to a rest in a building that Otis assumed was a garage. It was dark, too dark to see but to Otis’s enhanced vision it was as if the garage was dimly lit.
“Come.” The man exited the carriage. “Follow me. We will try to find him.”
The two wove their way through the various carriages and carts to an exit door on the far side of the garage. Otis was surprised by the man’s ability to move and find his way in the darkness.
“How are you able to see in here?”
The man did not turn back to respond. “When I am not in a dream I live in darkness.”
“Do you know where we should go? Where Violam is being held?” Otis changed subjects as he was satisfied with the man’s answer.
“He should be in the guest room getting ready for the ceremony. That’s where we are heading but we need to move fast.” They picked up their pace as they exited the garage and entered into an empty pure white hallway. It was quiet and gave Otis an ill feeling that he could not ignore.
“Where are the others” Isn’t this supposed to be a celebration?” He whispered.
“That’s just for show. It’s all an illusion so your friend will believe and trust Farg...the Ambassador. The celebration only follows him, he is the center of it.”
They made a few twist and turns until they had reached a set of large ornate doors. Otis could feel that Violam was on the other side of those doors.
“I will go in first. His attendants should ignore me since I have been assigned to the palace before. I will come get you when it is safe.”
Otis stopped the man before he went inside. “Thanks for helping me. Uh...Sorry for being rough with you before.”
“Don’t mention it. Just defeat the Ambassador and free us.”
Otis snorted in response. “Don’t you have a cat I can watch when you go on vacation?”
The man looked confused but didn’t answer as he entered the room. Otis pressed his ears to the door but he could not hear anything from beyond the door. Otis impatiently waited for his guide to return. The eerie feeling from the complete silence still had not left him. On the scale of the first two dreams this one had been much smaller, linear and more time consuming.
“Maybe I should have just rushed Violam in the streets and grabbed him. That would have been better than all this waiting.”
The ornate doors opened as if they had heard his complaint. “Hurry, they’ve left.” Otis slid through the slightly opened door into the room and silently shut it behind him.
“So Violam tells me your name is Otis. My name is Edgar. Do you mind if I address you as such?” Otis heard a voice from behind him that made him shudder. He turned to see the gray man sitting on an elevated throne with his legs stretched out and crossed. Violam and the man who guided him here standing beneath him.
Otis walked to the center of the room to face the gray man. “Violam, what have you done?” Otis’s words made his other self flinch.
“Come now we were just having a conversation there is nothing that Violam has done wrong. He is only thinking about his future. You cannot fault him for that.”
[Ambassador Edgar - Level 61 Dream Illusion]
“Edwine, you may go.” The gray man dismissed the man who led Otis into the trap.
“So you were in on this the whole time.” Otis spat out his words full of hate.
The man responded with a smile as his body began to shift becoming short and fat until he resembled the man who attacked Otis in the second dream.
“I live to serve, my lord.” He said with a deep bow to the gray man and vanished from the dream.
Otis and the gray man stared at each other neither of which wanted to be the first to start the conversation. Instead they sized each other up. Violam stood but his expression was glossed over as if he slept. He had made no notice of Otis other than the flinch earlier.
“What have you done to Violam?” Otis was the first to break the silence.
A smile blossomed on the gray man’s face. “I did what he asked for. I have given him power or at least increased his ability to control it. You may not know this but he is quite jealous of you Otis. He sees you as somewhat of a rival. I do wonder what your connection with each other is. Would you mind telling me?”
Otis ignored the question. “You gave him control of the bloodrage?”
The gray man’s violent red aura crashed outward. His fists were clenched and his face twisted into a half snarl. The gray man’s visible anger feed his aura but before it could strike Otis he regained his composure. Otis, without noticing, had retreated several steps and was in a battle stance. Otis did not know if the gray man’s flash of anger was from ignoring the gray man’s question or knowing of the bloodrage.
The gray man lean back into his seat taking a relaxed posture once again. “Otis my friend that is not how this works. I answer your question then you reciprocate. Well not that it matters. Yes, I gave Violam greater control over the bloodrage.”
“Why answer you? I never signed up for that.”
Anger flashed in the gray man’s eyes. “Otis I was offering you the proverbial olive branch. I thought we might be able to come to an understanding.”
“An understanding that I join the Farg and become mindless.”
“What this?” The gray man gestured to Violam. “He is far from mindless he is just recovering. He used a lot of energy to tame the bloodrage. Did any of the Commanders you have met seem mindless to you? Why not join us Otis? It’s not like you have anything better to do.”
“You make it sound like joining the Farg is like doing the dishes. But I do have something to do. I need to kill you.”
The gray man barked a laugh. “Why would you want to do something as silly as that? Did you have some hopes because of what that girl told you?” The gray man caught the change in Otis’s expressions. “Oh was that supposed to be a secret?”
The gray man reached into his vest and pulled out a scroll. “Yes I know she told you about this but what she didn’t know is that they cannot keep secrets from me. Their bodies, their thoughts and even their souls are all mine.”
“Do you think its smart waving that around?” Otis grinned as his constructed green fire splashed over the scroll. It burned brightly quickly racing towards the gray man’s hand.
The gray man looked at the fire in disgust and brush it away with his free hand. The fire fell to the dais and fizzled out. He sighed and rubbed his forehead in annoyance. “Did you get that out of your system? I thought I told you it was silly to try something like that.”
Otis took a few steps back as the gray man stood. He seemed to grow taller and more sinister. His red aura flowed outward washing over Otis. Otis dropped to a knee fighting against the pressure as to not let it crush him. “Why should I believe you?” He panted a desperate reply.
“Don’t test my patience Otis. I may not be able to kill you but I can make you hurt.” The pressure lessened and the gray man stepped forward off the dais to give the boy a hand. “Sorry about that I don’t know what came over me. I still hope we can be friends. After all you don’t know where the exit is. I would not want you to get lost.”
Otis stood up without the gray man’s help. “Friends? You’re a monster.” He spoke holding his chest in pain.
“Obstinate child! Fine if that is how you feel so be it. Since you won’t listen to me maybe it would be better if you heard it from someone else. Felasine, come here.” The scroll shined gold for a brief moment. That golden mist drifted off the scroll and took the form of a girl.
The beautiful girl from the Tea House appeared in the room. She was just as Otis had remembered her. The instant she saw the gray man her face paled and she dropped to a knee. “You called, my lord.”
“Yes. Yes I did. I am trying to explain to Otis here that the task you asked him to do is foolish and impossible. Don’t look so shocked he did not tell on you. He has been a perfect gentleman up till now when he tried to set me on fire.”
The gray man gave Otis a stern look like a school teacher addressing a mischievous child. “Anyway, you did not know this but you actually told on him. And now I need you to tell him to stop. But before you do let me explain something to and Mr. Otis here.”
The gray man held the scroll up to draw their attention. Felasine sucked her breath in sharply when she saw what was in the gray man’s hand. “Did you see that golden mist Otis?”
The Gray man waited for a response but instead he got silence. So with a frown he continued his explanation. “I will take your silence as an acknowledgement. That golden mist shows that this item is a divine artifact. Do you think you actually have the power to destroy something created by the gods? An artifact so powerful that it can rip souls from the chain of existence.” The gray man waited a moment to grant weight to his words.
“No, no I thought not. And Felasine what do you think will happen to you, that if by the slimmest of margins he is successful?” He stared down the girl that now looked much smaller and more fragile than ever. He was a predator playing with his prey. He was playing with Felasine. He was playing with Otis.
“No, stupid girl you never thought that far ahead. Well let me enlighten you. If Otis destroys the Banner of Souls. You will not be dead, you will just not exist. I said before it rips souls from the chain of existence. Once that link is removed it is replaced with a new one. You cannot go back to it. There is no place for you. You will never be reincarnated. If you leave this scroll you soul will break and crumble and become nothing but dust. Now tell Otis to stop.”
Otis stood in horror as the girl looked up to him with fresh tears in her eyes. “O-Otis please stop. I don’t want to die.” As she finished speaking the scroll faintly glowed again and unraveled just enough to let something out. Streaks of light shot out and floated in the air. They were letters spelling out the girl’s name. FELASINE
The gray man grasped them in his hand and crushed her name. The girl went limp and fell to the floor. It all happened in an instant before Otis could even react.
“What did you do?” Otis stepped forward only to be stopped by a flash of the gray man’s red aura. The aura felt like a wall pressing in on him.
“She betrayed me and she wouldn’t have without your meddling. Her blood is on your hands. There are millions of souls in this scroll and all of their deaths will be because of you if you continue this foolish pursuit.”
“I will kill you!” He struggled against the restraint of the red aura. “I am going to hunt you down and kill you!”
“No!” The gray man shouted and leaned forward. “I will do the hunting. So tell your friends in their human town that I am coming for them. And after I finish God's plan for this place. I will hunt down earth and kill every last one of you.”
The gray man stepped back and cleared his throat. “Uh sorry about that. That was unsightly of me.” He took a deep breath and the red aura that held Otis in place dissipated. “I believe we are at an impasse. Butch, come in.”
The large man Otis once fought in the forest entered through the door behind Otis blocking his escape. “Hey Edgar! You called for me.” Butch gave him a light wave.
[The Butcher Name Unknown - Level 57 Dream Illusion]
“Yes I believe we have done all we can here, such a shame really. Would you be kind enough to send our friend off with a reminder of what happens when one does not align themselves with the Farg?”
“It would be my pleasure.” The Butcher said with a smile. The cleaver on his hip seemed to quiver with excitement.
“Good and make it hurt. Come Violam let's be off.” They spoke to each other as if Otis was not in the room. The gray man grabbed Violam’s shoulder and the two vanished from the room leaving the dream.
“It’s just you and me boy, let’s see what you got.” The butcher pulled out the cleaver that was resting at his waist. “I have never been one for conversation.”
The butcher attacked suddenly, Otis leaped back to evade the swipe of the butcher’s cleaver. The large man stomped the ground when his attack missed. The ground crumpled in before exploding out in a ripple. Shards of earth jutted out of the ground chaotically striking out in every direction. Otis landed on the ground crying out in pain as he put pressure on his leg. There was a gash on his leg were a spike had ripped through his pants.
In my last fight with this bastard none of my attacks did anything to him. He has some high level physical and fire resistance, Otis thought to himself as he evaded the oncoming spikes and boulders.
“Keep running little boy I will get you at some point.” Butcher broke a spike off the ground and casually tossed it at Otis. He was destroying the room with a bored expression. He treated Otis as more of an annoyance than an enemy.
Otis looked around the room he was glad he waited to attack. When he first entered the room it was bright, flat and white. This meant there were no shadows for Otis to manipulate. But now after the Butcher’s casual destruction of the room it was no longer the same. His attacks had injured Otis but they also gave him strength. They gave him shadows.
Otis dodged another attack and dropped into a shadow. He jumped out behind the Butcher, in his hand a rod like dagger made especially for piercing armor. Otis plunged the dagger into the Butcher’s lower back.
Butcher screamed out in pain but his reaction was fast as he quickly retreated out of range before Otis could stab him a second time. The Butcher checked his wound, his hand came away from it bloody. “I don’t know how you did it boy, but it won’t happen again.”
“We’ll see.” Otis smirked before he vanished into a shadow. Otis reemerged and aimed his dagger at the large man’s back again but before he could the Butcher spun around in time to deflect the dagger. Otis dove back into the shadows and attacked again only to be deflected.
He attacked from the shadows several more times from different angles but the Butcher somehow knew angle and direction of the attack.
The battle began to turn, the Butcher would turn and attack just as Otis stepped out of the shadow putting him on the defensive. The Butcher chased Otis from shadow to shadow. It was as if he knew what shadow Otis was going to exit. The Butcher’s kick caught Otis unprepared as he appeared from the shadow. The impact blew Otis across the room. The Butcher was on him before he could stand. Otis rolled out of the way of the Butcher’s slash but when Otis thought he was safe a spike erupted from the ground to stab him in the ribs. It didn’t go too deep before the boy smashed his fist through it.
Otis put some distance between him and the Butcher, not that it mattered. The large man was unnaturally fast and could cover the ground before Otis could even defend himself.
“Is that all you can do boy? This is losing its fun.”
Otis felt his injury. It was not as bad as it should have been. The stab wound was deep enough to make him bleed and for it to hurt but not so deep as it would cause serious injury. The Butcher was following his order he wanted to make Otis feel pain. “Fine, let’s have some fun.”
Otis launched himself forward his dagger stretched out taking the shape of a quarterstaff with a blade at the end.
The Butcher roared a laugh. “Come Let’s Fight!” He lumbered forward with a speed that did not match his size.
They met at the center of the once white room. Otis spun to gain strength and momentum behind his guandao. The Butcher brought his cleave up to meet Otis’s attack but before making connection Otis stepped in and out of a shadow. His blade slashed across the Butcher’s back screeching as if it had hit hard metal. Otis continued with the momentum and kicked where the Butcher had just been slashed. The large man stumbled but before he could recover, Otis shot constructed stone. The sound from the attack was closer to a car crash with bent and broken steel.
The Butcher stumbled once more but never fell. “Good! Good! Now I can hurt you!” He shouted but Otis was gone, hidden in the shadows. The Butcher watched the shadows for signs of life. He was on to Otis’s game. He saw through it on the boy’s first round of attacks, it was why he had been able to keep up and even attack Otis. Now was the same, the boy was using the same tricks. The Butcher was getting bored once again, he had hopes that Otis would at least entertain him for a little longer but if Otis was going to use the same tricks he might as well end this and move to a different form of entertainment.
The shadow quivered telling the Butcher that Otis would appear soon. He pulled and threw three knives from his vest with well-practiced efficiency. The knives clinked against the ground bouncing off in several directions. Another shadow moved, the Butcher expected the boy but instead liquid green flames blasted out of the darkness splashing over his body. Doused in liquid flame the Butcher caught fire which rapidly spread consuming the man.
In the instant the Butcher was caught by surprise his Health had dropped a tenth. “Burn Me! I will destroy you!” The fire snuffed out as if it lost all oxygen. His skin was charred and melted into his remaining clothing.
“No longer fun now is it!” Otis fell from the ceiling. He slashed his guandao, it met melted skin and sliced through easily. The Butcher’s arm severed from his body and slid across the floor along with the cleaver. The Butcher warned by Otis’s shout moved just in time to dodge what would have been a fatal blow. Otis, surprised by his success. He continued to attack through the shadows and slashing at the man. The Butcher for his size was quite nimble escaping many of Otis’s slashes with just minor wounds.
“Enough!” A stone wall blocked Otis from attacking but the boy rammed through it anyway in pursuit. In that second the Butcher had moved to the other side of the room safely away from Otis. “Do you know why I am named the Butcher?” He spoke, his voice rife with anger. His burn wounds reversed themselves and his clothes reknitted. Otis attempted to move to prevent the Butcher from healing but his legs were not responding.
Otis fell to the floor, after he hit the floor he noticed his legs had fallen in opposite directions. His mind screamed at him, he could not ever comprehend what had just happened. His blood spilled across the floor.
“By your expression I can tell you are confused. So let me explain.” The Butcher said as the arm that Otis had severed settled back into its socket.
“My ability is to dissect things. I didn’t want you to have legs so I dissected them from your body. But that is not the limit of my powers as you have seen from the stone. Hey are you even paying attention to me? Oh that’s right your blood. I can control those things too. So let’s stop your bleeding for a bit so I can continue to have fun.
The blood that had pooled around Otis reversed its course and flowed back into the wounds. His consciousness began to return to him. It may have looked like blood but this is a dream. Otis had recognized the feeling that he felt when he lost blood, it was the same as when he had expended all his mental energy or had touched the bloodrage. Now that his energy flowed back into himself he was able to think again. He was able to recognize the dire situation he was in. Unlike the Farg who invaded Violam’s mind that would just wake up in the real world with a headache once they die. He would actually die or at least lose this consciousness along with all his acquired knowledge and mental energy. The main Otis would not be able to absorb him, he would not gain this mental energy and most importantly his other self would never know what had happened to Violam.
The Butcher stood over Otis, a smug and victorious smile adorned his face. “Looks like you lost. I have to admit you almost had me but almost doesn’t quite cut it.” The Butcher made a sharp gesture with his hand and Otis’s right arm fell away. In shock Otis could barely hear the dull thud as his arm hit the ground. “Hurts doesn’t it?”
Otis knew there was no way escape this. He may fade away, he may lose his mental energy but if he did not tell his other self about the things that have happened here in the dreams and about Violam then he will truly die. There was only one way he could think of to get a message to his other self.
The Butcher stood over him gloating about his victory and cutting away at his body. Otis pushed himself past the pain. He gathered his thoughts, his emotions, memories of the dreams and the information he has learned about the Farg, their strengths and their weaknesses. He compressed it and pushed it down deep within himself. He felt it reach the place that had not existed before he visited the library in Flower Hill. That place infused it with something that made it substantive and whole. It seared and burned inside of him, it needed to be released. It push upwards and he roared.
The roar was deafening. The dream world stopped. The dream tried to suppress it but could not and the dream snapped. Fissures tore through the room and the dream shook like an earthquake. The dream was falling apart and beginning to collapse.
“What did you do?” The Butcher yelled. He had been blasted into the wall leaving a large impression of his body. Blood freely flowed from his ears, eyes and nose. Listening to the divine language without the ability comes with a price. Otis was surprised that Farg was even still alive. The Butcher vanished from the dream before more damage could be done to him. But without the Butcher here to manage Otis’s wounds, he bled. The blood drained into the ever expanding cracks in the dream.
The cracks had given Otis hope that he would be able to escape. He probed the new exit with his dwindling mental energy but he was lost. He had traveled too far into Violam’s mind and now he cannot find his way back. Otis know it was over for him he just hoped the message would reach his other self. The dream crumbled and fell around the boy until he was finally swallowed by the darkness.
…
On the surface, Otis continued his journey through the Halls. It was the name the bloodrage had used to describe this place and Otis not knowing what else to call this land had used it as well. After being here for all this time he was pretty confident that the name referred to that fact this place only allowed you to go in a certain direction at a certain time like he was traveling through an invisible hallway. He was still following the red streams to their destination as best as he could. He had been diverted away a couple times but would always wind his way back at some point. The “Branding” of Violam had long since ended but for how long Otis could not tell as time flowed differently in the Halls. During the “Branding” Gooram had made a breakthrough, she can now puncture Violam’s mind and directly attack the Halls. She has not found Otis yet but every day she gets closer.
The red scar in the sky that housed the Bloodrage has also changed since the “Branding”. Instead of a slight flow of liquid that would drip to the ground there is a red webbing that extends the entire sky with the scar at its center. The red streams that flow through the Halls have also grown stronger because of it. Sometimes red monsters would appear and attack Otis but it was never as bad as it had been when the Bloodrage was fully open.
Otis was taking some time to meditate and recover his mental energy. He stopped regularly to recover because he never knew when he would be attacked. He could meditate while on the move but it would never fully recover that way. He was about to move on from his break when he felt something calling to him. A golden orb burned through the sky following it was Gooram in her gray form. She no longer took the form of a solid spike, she had grown stronger she had become more like a viscous liquid.
As the orb approached the blood red webbing, the webbing pulled away as if in fear. It pulled away desperately not to touch the orb but still as the orb fell through the gap the nearest red strands melted away. The entire web vibrated in pain. The Orb approached Otis and collided with his chest. A golden aura expanded to cover his body.
“I have lost.” Otis heard his own voice in his mind. “Violam cannot be trusted he is now one of the Farg. You must stop him before he kills us.” Images, emotions and memories flowed into him. He lived the dreams as if he had been there. His whole body glowed an intense golden hue as he absorbed the knowledge.
Otis did not get time to sort through the memories because Gooram had found what she had been looking for. A gray slash cut through the ground where Otis had just been standing. Otis only knew that he had lost Violam to the Farg and they had destroyed his other self. He had lost two pieces of himself to the Farg.
The gray liquid shot upwards to stab into Otis’s throat. He calmly raised his hand covered in shadow and grabbed Gooram just before she made contact. The shadows reacted to Gooram’s raw mental energy. The shadows sprouted from his fingertips and jabbed into Gooram. She attempted to pull back and shake free but it only made the shadow dig in deeper. They wove their way up the mental energy. Otis had no control over the shadow as it moved upwards but he could feel what it wanted. His mind had merged with the shadow they had become one and now another’s mental energy had entered their domain. The shadow wanted it, it hungered for the energy.
“I will take from you as you have taken from me. I will take everything from the Farg. No matter how long it takes me I will not stop until I have destroyed the Farg.” All of Gooram’s mental energy that stretched down from Violam’s mind turned black, consumed by shadow. The mental energy was ripped from the sky and it was pulled into Otis. He greedily accepted the energy and with it Gooram’s thoughts and knowledge. Her energy was converted and made into his own.
Otis always left the window through Violam’s eyes open. Otis unconsciously played with the necklace that appeared around his neck as he watched Gooram scream and collapse to the floor. She was not conscious and from the amount of mental energy Otis had stolen she may never wake again.
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So what did you think of the end to the dream sequence? Hopefully it was satisfying.