“You fucking bastard! I’ve spent years preparing to die, now I’m not so sure that I don’t want to live anymore,” Leena admitted.
“And live you shall. The mage college of Xona has been experimenting with soul transfers for decades. In a few hours, we will put your soul into some object or corpse or plant or whatever else we can. Send your friends that I shall meet them in three weeks in the center of Alexandria. There is a luxurious inn at the main square; I shall be in the garden. Tell them to bring your body, come dressed in casual clothes and prepared for negotiations. Casual means with neither armor nor weapons, just to make sure. The last thing I need is to be seen around with Faye warriors.
About the negotiations, you have way more to offer me than you think. After all, with trivialities like aging and dying out of the way, I can focus on more important things like conquering cities and forming a kingdom. Now, I do not necessarily need an aerial cavalry, but why not have it if I can?” Salazar made another speech.
“Why would you tell me all this?” Leena pondered out loud.
“Why wouldn’t I? You already used intimate information about me to blackmail me. Also, don’t worry, Sibyl knows all of this as well. I wouldn’t lie to my secret lover, would I?” Salazar chuckled.
“You really are a strange man,” Leena evaluated.
“You focus on resting. I shall get the mages and return in a few hours,” Salazar commanded her and left.
Well… that didn’t go the way I expected. He even made sure I can’t escape from the plants and do something stupid. No wonder Sibyl is so crazy about him.
Leena tried to relax and rest. She closed her eyes to do the message sending spell. Once done, she just rested.
Count Salazar indeed returned in a few hours, exactly as he had promised. “I apologize for the wait, but I shall need to move you to another man’s dream pocket,” he stated in a tone that did not open space for a discussion. His vines enveloped Leena and took her through the Void to a nearby dream pocket. Inside was a group of about twenty men. Some young, most old. They were engaged in a vivid discussion over a huge pile of papers. Count Salazar soon arrived as well.
“Did you seriously gather the mage college?” Leena breathed.
Salazar just smirked. “Excuse me, gentlemen, I have brought the subject.”
The subject? Really?
“Your highness,” the men turned and bowed.
“Spare me the pleasantries, what do you have?” Salazar inquired.
“We are pondering our options. If you could please come and see,” one of the older mages motioned him.
Salazar stepped to him. They soon were all huddled around the large table covered by papers and engaged in a vivid discussion.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” a strict voice interrupted Leena.
She looked up and saw a man with silvery hair and black suit standing above her. “I’m sorry, but who are you?”
“Hi Sorry, I’m Lucas,” he smirked.
“Leena,” she sighed at the ridiculous joke attempt.
“I know. We will talk later,” he stated. “I apologize for the intrusion, but I need to borrow the count for a bit,” he announced loud enough for everyone to hear it.
“Now that’s a face I haven’t seen in a while… to what do I owe the pleasure, Lucas?” Salazar smiled broadly.
“I’m here to pick up the Faye girl, but we need to talk first,” Lucas replied in a non-bullshit tone.
“Always.”
Salazar and Lucas walked to the corner of the dream pocket and made a black barrier around themselves.
Leena focused and tried to find a crack in it so she could eavesdrop. She succeeded in a minute and listened intently.
“How is the prince? Shall he be on our team, so to speak?” she heard Salazar ask.
“Yea, I showed him just how bad things are when you leave the main road. It took a bit longer than expected, but it should leave a lasting impression,” Lucas replied.
“Good, it’s really annoying to keep dealing with city lords who had never really left the safety of their walls,” Salazar stated.
“I know, right? How’s your army?” Lucas returned a question.
“Meh, it could be better. It’s large enough, alright, but I seriously need a general,” Salazar complained.
“Here I thought that this was what your war academy was made for,” Lucas remarked.
“Oh, it produces a lot of great strategists, I have no complaints there. But I’m a bit nervous about their lack of actual war experience, to say the least,” Salazar revealed, “the monster hunting skirmishes my army is having aren’t nearly enough.”
“The marquis doesn’t feel like doing it himself?” Lucas pried.
“No, he does not. Anyway, do you have a rough time frame for when I can move in?” Salazar inquired.
“About half a year from now, give or take. By then, the Order will either be out of resources and retreating or have won. In either case, you shall have your opportunity,” Lucas announced.
“Excellent, after all, having an army is a necessity, using an army is fun. I wish you the best of luck,” Salazar smiled, “and I’m sorry for your loss. Nashimaeal was an example for us all.”
Lucas sighed sadly. “Thanks.”
The barrier disappeared and they walked out. Leena pretended she heard nothing.
“I will be taking her with me, sorry to crash your party,” Lucas said out loud.
“Have fun,” Salazar confirmed and went to tell the mages.
Lucas stood above Leena. “Can you keep a secret?”
“What do I get if I do?” Leena asked back.
“Live. I will take you back to your body,” Lucas offered.
“You can’t do that; it’s too far. I’ve got barely twelve hours left,” Leena sighed.
“This is why I hate talking to people,” Lucas shook his head and lifted Leena up. He threw her over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes. He stretched out his hand and a hole in the dream pocket appeared.
“I will take my chance with the mages, so how about you put me down?” Leena blurted.
Lucas ignored her and dove into the Void. He wrapped Leena in a barrier that shielded her from the cold and caught onto a stream of darkness. The current gripped them with an icy hold and threw them into the emptiness.
“You’re not supposed to be able to do this,” Leena breathed.
“Do you always just complain?” Lucas retorted.
“I’m just saying,” Leena defended herself. This is awkward.
They flew through the dark nothingness for hours. Lucas flew out of the current and stopped in front of dream pocket. “Give me the passphrase,” he ordered her.
That was… less than half an hour. I guess these currents aren’t as random as I thought because we made four switches along the way to get here. The only explanation is that he knows them like a map. I guess I’m not the best dream walker in the world, after all.
“Well?” Lucas disturbed her from her thoughts.
“I will manage the rest by myself, thank you, you can let me down now,” Leena said sweetly.
Lucas stretched out his hand and darkness shot out at her dream pocket. Light flashed and thunderous crashing filled the air.
“Stop destroying my defenses!” Leena exclaimed.
“I’m entering one way or another, whether I crush my path in or enter nicely is up to you,” Lucas smiled devilishly.
“This took years to build! You can’t just destroy them!” Leena shouted.
“Watch me.”
“Okay, okay, okay, I will tell you the passphrase, just stop destroying my stuff!” she conceded.
They entered her dream pocket.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Lucas breathed as he looked at the giant statue of Astril that dominated the place.
“So, I have a little crush on her, what about it?” Leena played cluelessly.
“A little crush? LITTLE? You have dozen statues of her in
your dream pocket and I don’t even want to count the paintings. That’s the worst obsession I’ve ever seen,” Lucas exclaimed.
“So what? Why would you care?”
“In a moment of weakness, I made a promise that I shall make sure that you are alright. This is not alright… but don’t worry, I will fix it for you,” Lucas smirked. He waved his hand and the statue disappeared.
“NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!” Leena shouted desperately.
Lucas ignored her and made all the statues and paintings of Astril disappear. “Now, let’s check this one,” he mused and threw Leena from his shoulder. Before she fell to the ground, darkness sprouted up and caught her.
Right now, I’m too weak to fight him… this fucking asshole!
Lucas waltzed to the couch with a large crystal ball next to it.
“Don’t you dare touch that!” Leena sneered.
“Or what?” Lucas smiled over his shoulder and sat down by the crystal ball, “so, what will I find once I look at the memories you have been re-living through this?”
“Nothing. You have no right to look at my memories!”
“I know,” Lucas breathed and dove into the memories. “Let’s check, you and Astril, some more of you and Astril, Astril when she thought she was alone, even more of you and Astril… you keep reliving your favorite memories with her… what are you doing, Leena?”
“That’s none of your business! Leave my stuff alone!” Leena shouted.
“So, you can destroy yourself by drowning in your own past? The newest of these memories is fifty fucking years old… you are dreaming of person that doesn’t exist anymore,” Lucas tossed up and started working his magic around the crystal ball.
“That’s not how it is!” Leena contested, “what are you doing?”
“I’m locking away these memories, all of them. You won’t lose them from your mind, but you shall not be able to access them from Dream World anymore,” he announced.
“STOP IT, YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!”
Lucas ignored her and finished what he was doing, then shattered her crystal ball into a million tiny fragments.
“It’s my past; I can do what I want with it!”
“SHUT UP AND LISTEN!” Lucas thundered. The entire dream pocket shook as if an earthquake hit it. “Reliving one’s past is one of the traps of dreamwalking. It’s the main reason why there are so few dream walkers… it’s just so easy to forget yourself in your own past and forget to live in the present. Remember this. Then go to reality, look at your sister and ask yourself if she is the person she was fifty years ago.”
Leena was sitting down like a pile of sadness. Tears were up in her eyes and she was doing all she could to not start crying.
“But of course, if you want your statues, paintings and access to your memories back, you can just defeat me. I will give them back if you can. You don’t have to bother with searching for me; we shall surely meet. We are at war, after all,” Lucas mused.
“Can you at least gimme back one little statue?” Leena wheezed.
“I can, but I’m not going to. Earn it back, if you can,” Lucas refused and left.
Decimated, Leena woke up.
She woke up in Astril’s arms. Marks of dried tears were all over Astril’s face.
She looks like she cried the whole night. I have never seen Astril cry. I guess she might feel something for me, after all.
Leena grabbed her by the head and kissed her.
“I… I thought you would die,” Astril breathed weakly, half in disbelief.
“I’m… fine… no need to… worry,” Leena reassured her with a raspy voice of her broken throat.
“You wouldn’t believe how happy that makes me… I really don’t know what would I have done if you weren’t,” Astril admitted. Her voice was very weak. She sounded like she would break down in tears at any second.
“What… happened?”
“I fucked up. I really, really fucked up. The mission was a bust, Allicia tried to blame it on Zerae and I lost it. I killed Barria, Eroe, Chrourise, Ioadia, Pimohyia, Irmallena and Coolette.”
“Awww… don’t… worry. It will… be alright,” Leena soothed her gently.
“I can’t express how much I needed to hear that,” Astril whispered as she hugged her strongly. “Mathilde and Allicia will never forgive me. But anyway, it’s worse. I did it while wearing my swimsuit and I was so pissed I forgot to use my swords.”
“Oh… was Zerae… there?”
“Mmmhmm.”
“It will be… alright. I will… be here… for you.”
29
Luna
“ROW! ROW! ROW!” thundered through the ship.
“Man, I’m happy I ain’t gotta be doing that,” Bull smirked. The 47th company was on the upper deck of Angry Judith and thoroughly enjoyed the moment. Half of the ship’s crew was down in lower deck, rowing.
“It’s nice to not be on rowing duty today,” Luna concurred.
“Tell me fucking about it,” Rod agreed, “the storm’s trouble though… I still wonder how the fuck did we get into a fucking hurricane.”
“Hey,” Bull motioned to the back of the ship, “is that our sergeant going to the admiral’s cabin?”
“It fucking is,” Rod confirmed.
“I’m starting to wish we were rowing,” Bull remarked.
“Come on, Bull, where’s your spirit of adventure?” Luna laughed.
“Dunno, somewhere in the southern seas… or wherever else I sailed back when I was young,” Bull replied.
“Still, this fucking stinks,” Rod evaluated grimly. He motioned them to follow him. They walked to the upper deck to stand by the railings close to the exit from the admiral’s quarters. Soon enough Sgt. Red emerged. He noticed them instantly and went to them.
“Sergeant,” they saluted.
“At ease,” Sgt. Red smiled and leaned on the railing, “came to spy on me?”
“No, sir, we were just wondering what the fuck is happening, sir,” Rod replied as politely as he managed.
“The fleet is landing and breaking a camp, it will stay on land until the storm gets solved,” Sgt. Red revealed.
“Gets solved?” Luna asked back instantly.
“The storm is made by some magic, which makes fucking sense since we are at war with the Storm fucking pirates, after all. The navy will stay, we will not. We’ve got a mission from Dreamwalker himself; I will give out the details to the whole unit as we march. For now, pack your things and get ready to not come back anytime soon. I will go tell the others,” the sergeant replied in a grim voice.
“Sir, yes, sir,” they confirmed.
Dreamwalker… it’s the codename for Lucas, isn’t it? Excellent! He sure knows where Miranda is and, at the same time, he has authority to send me to her. I don’t want to run away, but if I am under the orders of Dreamwalker himself, then it’s alright, isn’t it?
‘Sounds like a plan.’
Missing Miranda, Wolfie?
‘We both are.’
Sergeant Red left.
“Ah well, time to go pack the booze,” Bull remarked and stretched.
“I feel like there is some information I’m missing,” Luna stated, annoyed.
“There ain’t fucking much to it. Missions from Dreamwalker are fucking important, but also fucking dangerous and usually fucking long,” Rod explained.
“You will see as we go, for now, we need to pack as we are almost ashore,” Bull replied and left.
The ship hit the shore with a loud thud. The soldiers got down and pulled it up on the beach; then the entire crew started unpacking. Other ships landed nearby and got pulled up ashore as well. Once it was done, half of the army started building fortifications and the camp while the other half started forming units. Luna was happy to be in the units making one. Few hours after landing, they marched out.
“MOVE IT, LADIES, WE AIN’T GOT ALL NIGHT!” sergeant Red thundered against the storm.
“SIR, YES, SIR!” the unit roared bac
k.
“I know I’m asking stupid questions… but how do we put a city on fire in this weather?” Luna asked awkwardly.
“What makes you think we’re going to be putting anything on fire?” Bull raised an eyebrow.
“Really, Bull? We burned two cities in a row, now we are marching toward the third one that looks just about the same as the rest of them,” Luna remarked sarcastically.
They marched toward the city by the coastline. Their unit was the one furthest from the shore. Once they were close to the city, all the soldiers started forming the wall formation without even being told.
“DIAMOND FORMATION! We move stealthily, I lead!” sergeant ordered.
Everybody stopped for a second; then the company remade its formation. Sergeant led them by the city wall.
“The fuck’s going on?” Rod pried, “we were fucking supposed to sack the fucking city first and embark on the boss’ fucking mission later.”
“How would I know?” Luna shrugged.
“You are the special fucking agent in here,” he countered.
“I’m an associate, not an agent. Nobody tells me shit,” Luna contested.
“Well, just fucking asking, because we are only fucking unit around so this feels like some fucking special agent type of shit,” Rod explained.
He’s right. What the fuck are we up to?
They heard the sounds of the starting bombardment. Bombardment and battle.
“We’re missing on the good stuff,” Luna sighed.
“The best stuff’s right in front of us,” Bull pointed.
Ahead stood one of the Shadowless. Wordlessly, he took the lead and led them to what looked like the exit of the escape tunnel from the city.
“Zill’s and Jill’s squads stay here, rest continues,” Sgt. Red ordered.
It was wide enough for five men to walk next to each other. They walked in about a mile.
“Set up a collapse, my and Jim’s squads continue with me, rest stays with Hotshot to prepare it!” sergeant ordered when they were roughly under the city wall.
“Yes, sir!” the men confirmed and did so.
I smell demons. Lots of them.
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