An eternal dream

When the Kid laid her back down to rest, she felt completely drained of energy. Closing her eyes, the girl was immediately out cold. It was as if her soul was pushed out, sinking into the ground. She kept on falling, into the depth.

It was nothing to be alarmed about, this had happened every time the Kid went to sleep.

The girl never dreamt, not once in her life did she have that experience. But, she had something else, a journey to a different land. A strange kingdom with strange people. They were humanoid with two arms and two legs but human they were not. Their skin was delicate, covered in colorfully painted scales. They preferred cloth that was soft like water, but their armors rough and made out of harsh chitin.

Every single time she would always drop into this one room with a gate covered in spiral pattern. And waiting for her was a lone creature, the only one that could interact with her.

“You… look different today.” He said, amused.

“I am on an errand, kind of.” The Kid breathed a sigh of exhaustion.

This was not just any being. Towering over all other with scales tough as steel, he was their king. And this was also the only one that could see her. Somehow, they could understand each other despite speaking a different tongue.

“You sounds tired, it’s harvest season I presume.”

“I hope that’s the case.” The Kid replied.

Normally, the girl was a ball of joy and energy, but in here she did show her more somber side. The king, however, could sense something was different this time. He was crowned monarch not only because of his battle prowess after all.

He paced over to the girl and kneeled down next to her.

“Is everything alright over there?”

His feature was not human nor was the king’s voice, they were all too foreign. Yet, his genuine concern was conveyed without a hitch.

The girl smiled and said. “I am in quite a pickle you can say.”

The king was used to seeing her smile, but not like this. He could see through the façade with ease, however.

“You are worried, scared even.”

“Was that a presumption?” The Kid replied, still smiling.

“No, that was the truth.”

The smile on that girl’s face twisted one most somber. She could never show weaknesses to him, he was not mother. However, the Kid could speak the truth.

“Maybe I am a tad bit scared.” She said. “Our town is under attacked by raiders, they got this strange power… I can kill them but I can feel it, there’s something else out there, something so much worse. And that thought… it terrifies me.”

The Kid wrapped her arms around herself and bit her lower lip. The latter as an act of determination rather one of fear.

“I see, that is a feeling I can relate to.” The Kind assured her.

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“You? Afraid?” The Kid looked up. “But you are so strong.”

That was an understatement, but of course the girl did not know about that. The king’s people were conquerors, underneath their penchants for the fancy and the flamboyant was a terror coming from the depth. All of them born warrior, expert in the art of combat, the academic and culture. They were the peak species.

And the king himself? He was the top of their species, once a general responsible for a campaign that wiped out an entire continent. Just ‘strong’ was a comment that could only borne out of ignorance.

But in this room, he was not the king, the general nor the conqueror.

“Of course I am afraid, not just for myself but my people.” He poked her in the head with his finger, a gesture the Kid took as equaled to a pat. “Guess I can tell you about something, you better keep it a secret.”

“I have my mouth zipped.”

“Our archeologist found a lost empire belonged to a different species. It was vaster than everything we had ever known, their border endless. But… well they are not around anymore and the reason is… unnerving.” The king told the girl. “When iron rains worlds shall end, that was written all over their walls. Apparently it was caused a being, a creature called [The World’s End], it singlehandedly wiped them all out.”

“That…” The Kid reacted in disbelief, an understandable reaction. Her expression turned to one most grim when she realized why the king would tell her about this.

“Yes, your intuition is correct.” He said. “[The World’s End] would return at the height of a civilization to wipe them out… and we are at our peak already. Facing such a thing, the destroyer of worlds, it scared me. It’s painful to think about what will happen to my people, those who are close to me. Even at this very moment, new lives are born all over my kingdom. The thought of them never could enjoy a life lived, for the young and old alike to face extinction. It’s terrifying.”

“That’s horrible…” That was all the Kid could say. Compared to this threat, her raiders trouble seemed impossibly miniscule.

“That’s not all, however.” The King continued, looking at the door with spiral pattern. “Whatever is behind this also unnerve me. It uplifted my species with ease, like an afterthought, we are all but insignificant specks of dust to them.”

The Kid was aware of what this pattern represented. The deity of the sea, one called S’cylla by its patrons. Such a being also had a presence in her world. And it was not the only one.

The king placed his finger on her forehead again. “I said all this not to scare you. I just want to show that no matter how mighty you are, there’s always a bigger fish. Perhaps for [The World’s End] or these eldritch beings, there are something even more powerful than them.”

“I don’t think I can comprehend that.” The Kid said, squishing her cheeks with her palms.

“No matter how powerful you are, you would be the weak against something out there. But that does not matter.” The king slowly placed his hands on the girl’s shoulders then suddenly held them twice. His voice was no longer a soothing tone but one harder than diamond. “The only thing that matters is what you will do when faced with the strong. Will you give up or will you fight! Even if the chance of success is minuscule, always choose to struggle. When [The World’s End] comes, I will be waiting with my sword.”

Normally, the two would talk about things most inconsequential. But now, the king was speaking with great determination, a feeling most true. And such a thing was contagious. The Kid gripped her hands, muttering to herself.

“Struggle… I will.”

The king retreated back to give her some space. The Kid was deep in thought, but then a tingling sensation distracted her. On the back of her neck, a sharp pain soon pierced her. It was from a birthmark she had from birth. And whenever it stung, it meant…

“There’s a monster near me!” The Kid exclaimed. “No, Carina!”

“Guess we won’t be sparing today.” The kind said. “Go, it seems like you have someone to protect. It’s time to wake up.”

The girl nodded and turned to him one last time. “Thank you.” She said before disappearing, dissolving into bubbles.

The king sat back down to the lone chair in this room, next to it two training sticks, one short one long, lied. He did not tell her the full truth. About how the civilization they excavated, how its people were the girl’s own.

But that did not matter. The king was worried for the girl’s safety. He told her to struggle, to fight but what if it led to her death. He remembered his surprised to find someone here in this room, alone by herself, a being only he could see. Was it wish granted to him by the deity behind the spiral door?

He was born stronger, tougher, but in return, he could never have a child. The king had never taken a lover, he could not inflict that pain on someone else.

His kingly duty could wait. Here he sat silently, waiting for the girl to return.