Forsaken Dreamscape (Nevermor)

by Lenore, Lani

  There was just one more thing that needed to be dealt with, and that was concerning the Wolf Pack.

  The slit pupils in the center of its yellow eyes narrowed as they focused on the group below. It was impressive really, how such a small group could destroy all the pirate minions that the demon had blessed. Not even the mechanical boy with guns in his arms had been able to best them it seemed. But look at this: they’d all gathered together in a nice little cluster, just for the demon’s taking. They should all be eliminated, but especially the animal boy. The demon could not have him healing the land it had worked so hard to corrupt.

  A shrewd smile pulled at its stiff lips, and the demon temporarily forgot about its own pain. It turned in the air, swooping down toward the unsuspecting group, ready to be done with all this. It plummeted downward, enjoying the feel of the air around its tight skin. It enjoyed that as much as it enjoyed killing. It–

  Massive yellow eyes widened as pain flared within, much greater than what could have been expected. There was a horrible tearing sensation somewhere along its length, which made the demon unsteady in the air, and when it turned its head to examine, a burst of black blood gave way to a large ball of flame that ripped through its flesh.

  The demon could hardly believe what it had seen, but it did not have time to contemplate the horror before it was hissing loudly with pain. The air would no longer hold the serpent up, and it began to fall without control.

  The wound was serious. Was this truly how it was meant to die? Without even knowing the truth of its own death? No! It could heal itself! It could–

  The flaming form that had shot from its side was hovering in the air, and as the demon fell away, it saw that the fire had a face, a body. It was in the shape of a young man, not a boy – a man who had turned his weaknesses into strengths and conquered his enemy, just as he had conquered before. The hell beast continued to fall, but somehow, it found a smirk. It could appreciate this battle.

  The next one would be even better.

  5

  It wasn’t even a full breath that Sly had taken in, but still it was proof that there was some amount of life left in him. I think he’s still alive. Finn’s declaration had gripped everyone’s attention, but none with greater concern than Calico. She twisted in Toss’ restraining grip until he was forced to put her down. Without regard to anyone else, she moved to Sly’s side.

  He wasn’t moving, but she could hear the sound of labored breath deep in his chest. No, he was not dead, but he was certainly dying. Stupid, terrible boy! There was no doubt that her anger would reach new heights later, but for now she only cared that he lived. She lifted him up to sit, and when his blood-smeared face was closer, she saw his lips tremble just a bit.

  “Don’t talk, you fool,” she scolded him gently.

  He had heard her, or he was simply too weak to do it, but he gave up his attempt. Calico held him closer, letting her tears run into his hair. They had been through so much – too much to say goodbye now!

  “I am not going to let you die,” she swore, though how she hoped to have any power over that event, she could not fathom.

  They all stood around silently, accepting this. If this had not been what Sly had wanted, he would not have done it, but it did not keep her from hating him for it.

  6

  Mach helped Wren to her feet, and while she might have liked to go to Sly, she didn’t dare. Calico alone had the right to hold him as he died.

  Wren choked back a sob, and then raised her eyes to the sky. That black monster was still there, and it seemed so much closer than it had before. Where was Rifter? Though he would have been a tiny spec compared to the demon, she could still not see him anywhere. He was alright, wasn’t he? Of course he was.

  Of course he was.

  Wren’s line of sight inspired the gazes of the others, and it was not long before Finn, Toss, and Mach were all looking to the sky. And there was not one among them that didn’t gasp when a mass of flame ripped itself free of the demon’s side.

  7

  At first sight, they had all guessed that the ball of fire would be crashing down upon them, but it moved farther upward into the sky instead of to the ground. If there was one unmistakable thing, it was that a rain of black blood was on its way down to splatter upon them – and that downpour was followed shortly by the demon itself as its dying mass plummeted.

  “Get clear!” Finn shouted, and there was an immediate reaction.

  Everyone began to run off into the trees, hoping that the distance and the branches would protect them. Wren was lifted easily by Toss, who promptly hurried off to safety with her, followed by Mach. Since Rifter was not present, Finn took on the role as leader, keeping up with the others to make sure everyone was there. There were, however, two figures that remained stationary.

  Finn stopped to look back toward the spot they were trying to clear themselves from. Calico was still holding Sly, as if oblivious to all else. In her arms, his brother appeared very dead. Finn hated that this had happened, but he had to try at saving as many lives as he could. That meant Calico. He glanced up to see that the demon was gaining distance quickly, its speed growing.

  “Calico! Let’s go!” Finn yelled.

  Her eyes, once so beautiful, turned to him, now empty.

  “I’m not leaving him!” she insisted, using her voice in the same firm and commanding manner of her youth.

  He looked up once again. The demon was nearly to the treetops – dead weight. Did he have time to rush over, grab her and then carry her, kicking and screaming, to safety? Above, he heard branches cracking, and Finn made a choice that he was certain he would regret later.

  He turned away from the Tribal girl and ran the other way. All of them had to make their own choices, and he did not feel he could interfere. To Calico, everything she loved was dead, and she could not live without it.

  In this world, they lived and died by their choices. They had every right to make their own.

  8

  Left alone, Calico looked down at Sly’s face, smoothing his hair back. It should not have come to this. This outcome was not as he’d promised her. He’d promised flowers and thriving villages. Now, those dreams were gone.

  Above her, trees broke apart and began to splinter beneath the demon, but the princess remained content, staring at Sly’s face. She closed her eyes then and kissed his damp forehead, just as the demon’s great weight smashed into the unhealed earth.

  9

  From within the flames, Rifter watched the demon fall. He observed his hands, watching as the fire blazed all over him and yet did not seem to touch his skin. Inside the demon’s fire, he was whole.

  It was exhilarating really, how this had worked, but he was not done. Far from it. The demon was not dead – couldn’t be dead – and there was only one way Rifter knew that would make its death definite. He had to take it to the greatest power he knew.

  The sun.

  It would be a long journey, but he could make it. He could carry the demon there, and he had no concern for whether or not he returned. This life hadn’t had meaning in years, and when he had finally gotten some degree of happiness back, it had been ripped away from him. Perhaps it was simply the fire that was running through his veins now, but rage for Wren’s death could not be shot down with reason and logic and hope.

  He had no way of knowing that she was still alive.

  Without any further thought, Rifter rocketed down toward the demon’s body. It had already crashed into the ground, splintering trees by the time he reached it, but he did not care about that. He did not focus on anything else around him, only on getting himself beneath the demon and pressing its weight up into the air. It was as easy as he’d expected, with all the fury fueling him, and the task of taking the battered demon into the sky was nearly effortless.

  The flight was hardly enjoyable, for Rifter knew he had only one destination, and it would surely be a one-way trip. But he had no remorse for it. Not after everything. If he
found death, at least he would rest. There would be no more sorrow for his memories.

  “You…wretched…child!” the demon hissed uneasily, but Rifter did not respond to it.

  He was not aware of anything – not the sound of the demon’s voice or the weight of its enormous, snake-like body. He did not feel the wind that whipped past him, or the way the lack of oxygen affected his lungs. The flames were hot, but Rifter was distant from it all.

  And he was not aware that, on the ground below, Wren was screaming for him to return.

  10

  From a distance, an outsider watched the scene, just as she had watched it all. She had once been a direct part of Rifter’s existence, now shunned for her crimes, but still she could not find it in her to blame herself. All she had done, she had done for him.

  Whisper had seen everything unfold, and now looking in, she could not say that it was so much of a surprise to her.

  She had been disillusioned, finding out that Rifter was not who she’d thought. As soon as she’d seen his face here at the Beginning – such a lovely face she hadn’t seen in years – she had known she’d been fooled. Rifter had hidden his identity from them all, even her, and she would rather die than have him look at her the way he had in that moment, with his gaze so full of disapproval and loathing.

  The fairy closed her tear-filled eyes, thinking of what had just happened to her heart. She’d tried so hard to keep Rifter to herself – had even tried to destroy Wren for it. Rifter had banished her for eternity over that ordeal, but she had been certain that one day, he would forgive her and ask her back. Years had passed, and then finally that day had come. She hadn’t known it was a demon in another boy’s body. When he’d finally confessed that he needed her, it had been bliss. He’d told her of his new plans, of masquerading as the Scourge for the sake of the world – to purge it of all the others so that they might be the only ones left, as it had been in the beginning. They’d been happy – only now to find out that he was not Rifter at all.

  To think that she, a creature of light, could have been so easily swayed by the darkness.

  Whisper knew that she could not erase anything that she had done, but she could seek forgiveness. Now that she knew the truth, she had to go to Rifter, no matter where he had fled. By his side was the only place she belonged.

  Without giving more thought to the outcome or consequences, Whisper followed him into the sun.

  Rebirth

  Though dusk has fallen on this place,

  There still remains one hope – one grace.

  From dust and ash he will arise

  A savior to take back the skies.

  Of all that in the past transpired,

  This world will live, reborn of fire!

  Epilogue

  It had been weeks since the war. The uproars had died down, and now that the nightmare demon was gone from their midst, the people of Nevermor seemed able to think much more clearly. Their ability to reason had returned, no longer arrested by the darkness. Granted, there were still wicked ones among their number, but the land had calmed considerably. Wren had watched it. She wished that they all could have seen it. It would have meant so much to them.

  Three small boulders on the hillside were placed as markers, and while they were not perfectly hewn, they served their purpose. Wren was able to look down at them without tears in her eyes, even though the pain had been slow to dull. What had happened was unfortunate, and they had been so dear to her, but what was done was done, and there was no going back on that.

  “Are you alright?”

  Wren turned to a smooth voice and a light touch on her shoulder. She found herself looking into glowing Tikilin eyes, set in the handsome face of a young man whose black hair was growing out, beginning to curl. He was supportive of her. He had promised not to leave her side.

  Finn looked at her with concern for her thoughts, and she managed to give him a smile.

  “I’m alright,” she promised, though he looked as though he didn’t believe her. After a moment, however, he relented and looked out over the wasteland beyond the hill.

  Above them, the sun was glowing beyond a foggy haze that had been present since the war, and Wren couldn’t help but wonder if the fiery orb was fading as the days went on. Still, she had to shield her eyes from it, and that kept her content. There was still power there.

  The sun gave plentifully, but it most certainly took away.

  For several moments on the hill, there was silence, and then the sound of a dog’s bark pulled their attention.

  The two of them turned to catch the pale green eyes of a timber wolf that panted happily up at them. The pet was accompanied by the one who had adopted him: a large boy with a kind twinkle in his dark eyes. He stood taller and wider than all of them, and inside, his heart was just as vast.

  “There’s a nice breeze today,” Toss commented, no doubt enjoying the way it coursed through his thick hair. A surprisingly boyish smile shined out of his bearded face. “Thanks, Wren.”

  She smiled at his joke, but it was not so far from the truth. Sly had passed his power on to her when he’d resurrected her, and though she did not even remember what death was like, her bond with the land was proof of it. It was an amazing thing, and she was proud to wield it in his stead. Granted, she hadn’t learned all there was to know about her new power, but practice would make for perfection.

  Toss seated himself in the soft grass, and the wolf, named Bruno, sat obediently beside him. Wren observed them, feeling grateful that he’d taken on this pet. Toss had seemed like such a lonely boy, always feeling awkward when he had nothing to say and the others were lost in their own business. Bruno could give him sincere companionship.

  “So, we start here today, then?” Finn asked, putting his hands behind his head. “Looks like a lot of work.”

  He gave her a roguish smile, flashing his mouthful of teeth that was accented by the one fang. He always said this when they started on a new area, teasing her to make sure she didn’t forget how much she would have to do and how little he would have to. But there were still nightmare monsters to deal with on some days. She needed their help with that.

  Nothing had been changed because the demon was gone, as far as what the land had become. Destroying the corrupted creatures was just another responsibility in restoring it. This particular hill, however, which looked down over a barren stretch of land, seemed devoid of tainted life. Perhaps it would be an easy day after all.

  “It’ll look so nice once it’s finished,” Toss commented. “I’m glad we picked this spot for them.”

  He was speaking of the headstones, somehow able to make the situation seem positive despite the solemnity of it. But he was right. Wren did like this spot. That was why she had chosen it.

  “Well, best get started then, yeah? Whew! Looks taxing!” Mach hardly looked up from what he was doing when he spoke, but he wore a little smirk on his face when Wren looked his way.

  The pale boy was letting his black hair grow out, revealing fiery red roots. He hardly kept his head up anymore, always busy with some object he was inventing. He and Finn had taken a renewed shine to each other over their knowledge of Tikilin, and together they worked diligently to create meaningful instruments that would make life easier for all of them. Whatever the contraption was that Mach had in his hands at this moment, Wren couldn’t tell, but still she hoped for success.

  Times had been hard for them. They had all lost ones who were dear, but Mach did not often talk about his lost twin. He had insisted that his brother would not have wanted them to be so sentimental. Wren had interpreted that differently, thinking instead that Mach simply did not need the reminder that his twin was gone. He had his memories, and that was all he needed.

  Memories… Fragile things. Often too much and yet never enough.

  “Yes. I suppose I should begin,” she said finally.

  Wren knelt on the ground, placing her hands on the soil. She always felt nervous when it came down to this.
Perhaps it was all the eyes watching her, and she always felt terrible when she could not make great progress, though something always happened, even when she didn’t try. Even now, grass was rising around her because she had been standing in this spot for so long.

  She knelt before the stones, closing her eyes to concentrate. She urged the earth to bring forth life, but felt nothing happening beneath her fingers. When Wren opened her eyes again, she saw that she had failed at this first attempt. The wasteland before her was just as dry and dead as it had been before. Shame came over her, even though she knew that none of them judged her lack of progress. This did tend to happen at times. The stress of the task overwhelmed her.

  Letting out a soft sigh, Wren turned her head.

  “I could use a bit of coaching,” she said pointedly to one who stood behind her.

  The fragile-looking young man knew she was addressing him, even though she had not spoken his name. His ears rose to the sound of her voice, his three striped tails twitching involuntarily. It had been a long road from near death, but Sly had done it, though not without the help of the Tribal girl who stood there beside him now, watching him move toward Wren.

  For nearly a week after the demon’s demise, Sly and Calico had been believed to be dead, crushed beneath the weight of the demon and lost among the immense pile of pirate bodies. They had been mourned by the others, and then out of the blue they had come back, very much alive. Sly had still been extremely weak, but with a bit of help he could hold himself upright. There hadn’t seemed to be much to say about their situation. The demon had not crushed them, and Sly had not died. Fate had allowed these things, Calico had said, and the rest of their survival was reliant on her word that she had promised not to let him die.