Dreamwalker

by J. A. Culican

  Astor, Sade, and I stared at the door as we waited for Idok’s response. Poor Astor, he hadn’t much of a choice if his master decided to abandon him. He would be shunned and forced to learn and practice on his own. Astor may be a bit dopey, but he could be reined in.

  The door opened, and an older man appeared. He wore a long red cotton robe that hid his pudgy figure the best it could. Most noticeable was his bald head. I gasped toward Astor, who appeared just as shocked as I was.

  “It will not grow back,” Idok remarked through gritted teeth.

  “Not even with your magic?” Astor cowered.

  “You’re an idiot, Astor,” Idok specified as he stood back and gestured for us all to enter the building.

  Sade and I followed Astor’s lead as he nodded and walked inside.

  The house was well decorated, likely by a female. The colors were muted, and most of his belongings matched the same color scheme.

  “May I offer you beverages?” Idok held his hands together and kept an eye on Astor.

  “Yes, please.”

  Sade nodded, and just as Astor opened his mouth to reply, Idok left to get our drinks.

  “His hair?” Sade smirked.

  “I’m sure something can be done about it.” Astor rubbed the front of his jacket.

  It was odd seeing him like this, a ball of nerves as he waited on what his master would say to him.

  “Here you are.” Idok entered the room with a tray and two drinks. “Please, have a seat.”

  Idok smiled at Sade and me as we took our drinks from his tray.

  We sat on the luxurious couch next to its matching chairs. I’d never been in a place so fancy before. We sat in silence for a few moments. I gathered that Idok hadn’t had many visitors based on how uncomfortable he sat.

  “That’s a beautiful lampshade,” I pointed out as I tried to ease the tension

  Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Astor as he shook his head no at me.

  “My dear Beulif made it,” Idok sobbed as he pulled a cloth from his pocket and wiped his eyes, then blew his nose. “She’s passed on now.”

  “I’m so sorry.” As I reached for him, Sade placed her hand on my leg. I leaned back in my chair.

  “Maybe we should go and leave you two to chat.” Sade stood, and I followed her.

  “Yes, we can catch up later.” Astor stood and placed his hand on Idok’s back to comfort him.

  Sade left the room and headed for the front door.

  “I’ll see you later,” I whispered to Astor, and he nodded.

  “You can’t show sympathy,” Sade said as soon as we were outside.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t know feeling sorry for someone was bad.”

  “It’s a sign of weakness for him to cry in public. It could be costly for him as a magician.”

  “Noted.” That didn’t take away any sadness I had for Idok. He missed his wife and wasn’t allowed to mourn her. The first thing I didn’t like about Western March. I speculated what else I would do wrong here.

  “We are about an hour’s walk from the dreamwalker.” Sade entered an alley of markets. It was different than the ones we had just seen. Businesses owned them rather than families. The goods were more expensive, and they had more variety. I bet Idok and Beulif purchased most of the items for their house from here.

  I made notes of items I would purchase and bring home to Mother. She deserved the best. Father may not have been able to give it to her, but I would sure try.

  As we made our way to the end of the alley, people shouted ahead of us. Sade’s arm shot out in front of me.

  “What is it?” I couldn’t tell which direction the noise had come from.

  “Just up ahead. D'ahvol perhaps. They aren’t the friendliest,” Sade whispered.

  We walked toward the noise, eyes following us as we passed each booth. Most in the city would know we were here by now.

  As we exited the alley, it was clear where the noises had originated from. We had almost stepped into the middle of a confrontation going on between a few creatures. One caught my eye as he stood seven feet tall and carried an ax and sword on his back. His eyes drifted toward us, and he stood stiff-backed.

  “Umm, Sade,” I practically used her as a shield. She tried her best to shake me off as the large man made his way toward us.

  “Let me talk,” Sade cautioned.

  “Well, what do we have here?” the thing beckoned as his heavy feet stomped the ground.

  “Just passing through.” Sade met him eye to eye, not a quiver in her body.

  “A wolf and a—” His eyes floated to me as they squinted, trying to decipher my magic talent.

  “Healer,” Sade offered, as I nodded and tried to look the part.

  “A wolf and a healer in Western March.” The thing laughed as he glanced back at the creature he had just verbally attacked.

  I could feel myself getting light-headed. We were outnumbered, and I was no match for any of these creatures. I glanced at Sade, but her cool gaze was trained on him.

  “A warrior picking on innocents,” Sade quipped back at him.

  “You know a thing or two about me white wolf?” He shoved his hands under his belt, amused.

  “I know who you are, just as you know who I am.” Sade grinned, daring him.

  What was she doing? Making this large thing mad?

  “And what do you know of me?” he grumbled as he placed his hand on the handle of his sword.

  “You’re Iri Gueust, Warrior for Hire,” Sade expressed her disdain in his line of work.

  “You mean merchant guard. To protect the lands from people like you.” Iri spat on the ground, inches from Sade’s foot.

  While Sade was well versed in fighting, I was not sure her tactics of egging Iri on were in our best interest. They stood face to face, minus the height, ready to spar at a moment’s notice. The more they bantered, the less the chance of being able to walk past these brutes.

  “We are just passing through.” I shuddered as I tried to walk past him, but that just refocused his attention on me.

  “A healer, you say.” His voice expressed distrust at our story. “I have someone in need of healing.”

  I turned toward Sade, but it was no use. She was ready to fight if need be. I needed to charm our way out of here alone.

  “I could take a look at them once we are done.” I adjusted my back and stood tall. I remembered Sade told me part of fighting is psychological. If you could make yourself seem like a threat, do so to prevent a battle. Adrenaline pumped through my veins as Iri stared me down.

  “Now,” he warned, spit flying from the sides of his mouth.

  I nodded as I hoped Sade would chime in. However, she remained quiet with her eyes on Iri’s weapons.

  “I have an emergency, and we must go as quickly as possible.” I tried to walk past him again, but he stepped back in my direction, stopping me again.

  “Where is the emergency?” Iri held out his hand for me to stop moving.

  “It’s none of your business,” Sade retorted from behind him.

  Iri lifted his sword above his head, and Sade grabbed her sword from her side to fight.

  “A dreamwalker,” I yelled as I stepped in between them with one hand in each of their directions, hoping to stop the insanity of this fight. “I need to see a dreamwalker.”

  “Dreamwalker, you say?” Iri’s forehead shrunk as he stepped closer to me.

  I froze and regretted what I had just revealed. I should have left the talking to Sade. I backed up but tried not to let fear show on my face.

  Iri matched my steps and grabbed me by the arm as he pulled me away from Sade’s protection.

  “What dreamwalker?”

  Iri’s voice rumbled in my ears as I cowered and waited for Sade to intervene.

  “I... I...” I stuttered, unable to speak.

  “Aria,” Sade called from behind me.

  Iri’s head swung back toward Sade then to me again. “You’re Aria?�
� he asked.

  “Yes,” I declared, still cowering.

  He let go of my arm and stood back at attention like he was my warrior now.

  “I’ll take you to him.” Iri held his arm out for me.

  I turned to Sade, who appeared just as confused as I was. I nodded as I took his arm. I prayed he was on our side as I blindly followed him.

  Iri was a man of his word and took us straight to Svan. We arrived at his home, which was off a lane. We passed by numerous trees, whose branches formed a bridge over the lane. White flowers were in bloom on the branches.

  “Will you be okay alone inside?” Sade interrupted my thoughts as we approached the door.

  “Yes.” I gestured for her to leave with Iri. I wasn’t afraid to meet him. I lifted my palms up and not one tremble.

  I stood back as Iri knocked on the door. He stepped back and took me by the arm as he placed me in front of the door.

  An older woman answered the door and Iri nodded at her. She smiled at me and stepped aside so we could go in. We entered an empty large room.

  “Wait here.” The older woman walked toward a hallway off the room.

  “This place is incredible.” The room’s walls were painted in bright colors and had many carvings. The front of the room hosted a large throne with two smaller chairs off to the side.

  “Iri, I trust you to be respectful with Aria’s guide,” Svan said as he took his seat on the throne.

  His voice was deep and soothing. He was a tall man, balding and very thin.

  “Of course.” Iri bowed and led Sade away toward the door.

  “I am very pleased you have come.” Svan stood and motioned his hand for me to take my place beside him.

  I obliged and settled into the comfortable chair.

  As I sat, his servant placed a cup of hot tea next to me.

  “Rose tea. To help with the shakes.” Svan brought his cup to his lips, then he stopped and shifted toward me. “Do you get the shakes after you dreamwalk?”

  “No,” I uttered, unsure of the proper manner to address him.

  “You must excuse me. I am curious to meet another dreamwalker. As you know, there aren’t many of us around.” He grinned, and I began to feel at ease.

  “I had no idea until recently. About being a dreamwalker,” I blurted out as I wanted to tell him everything about my life.

  “That’s unfortunate.” He appeared upset.

  “That’s why I have come. In hopes that you will teach me to be a good dreamwalker,” I said, practically bouncing out of my chair with excitement. However, my mood was not met.

  Instead, Svan sat back in his chair and didn’t say anything.

  “I have been dreaming of you for over a year. Unable to find you.” Svan sat still.

  I wanted to reply to his comment. However, I sat quietly as he appeared to be deep in thought.

  “What did you dream?” I finally asked as I leaned toward him.

  “I need to help you on your quest. To do that, I need to know all your knowledge on dreamwalking.”

  “Not much. I’ve been doing what I feel is right in the moment,” I said, embarrassed.

  “Let’s start there, shall we?” Svan smiled at me as he gestured to my drink.

  I sipped the sweet tea and felt a calming sensation overtake my body. My sore muscles no longer ached, and my skin felt clean and moisturized.

  “A little magic always helps.” Svan grinned as he set his drink down and nodded for me to finish my drink.

  I eagerly obliged.

  Svan sat back in his chair, and his hands formed a triangle as he rubbed them back and forth over his mouth.

  “Many people are afraid of dreamwalkers,” Svan explained, “because of the extraordinary power that comes with it.”

  I nodded as I listened. I need to remember every bit of advice he offered.

  “We are able to enter the world of dreams, in the flesh, as a form of teleportation. I guess that’s the easiest way to explain it.” He poured more tea into our glasses and dipped a leaf in his glass.

  “Thank you,” I muttered, not wanting to interrupt, eager for any information he had to offer.

  “It makes it easy to spy on people.” Svan’s voice drifted away, and his eyes glazed over with an old memory. “To make them do what you wish or even kill a person.”

  Then his eyes turned black. My heart raced as fear bubbled up in my stomach.

  “Once you learn to touch, it’s hard to turn back.”

  “Touch?” I asked confused. I had touched many things in my dreams. It was the only way I could get through to Beru.

  “Yes, you may or may not be able to touch things in your dream. It’s a rarity, but lethal. Only the strongest dreamwalkers are able to. It takes years of training.” Svan took another sip from his cup.

  “I can touch things,” I blurted out, not waiting for him to finish.

  Svan took in a deep breath, and his head tilted sideways as he stared at me silently.

  Perhaps he didn’t believe me.

  “So, it is true. I’ve seen you in my dreams with a man, but his back had always been turned from me.” Svan shook his head in disbelief. “Even an old man can be fooled by his dreams.”

  “It was the only way to communicate with him sometimes.”

  Svan smiled to himself, and I wondered if he knew the man in my dreams was Beru.

  “When I first dreamwalked as a young boy, I often ended up in the buff.” He chuckled again to himself. “Those were my learning years. It takes a strong mind to dreamwalk.”

  “I’m not sure I have that.” I grimaced.

  “Only time will tell.” Svan stood and gestured for me to follow him.

  We walked down a hallway. One side of the hall had glass from floor to ceiling. He had many plants and a garden two women were tending to. Once we arrived at the end of the hall, he opened a door and nodded for me to enter.

  I walked into the room, which appeared to be his bedroom. I turned back to him as he closed the door.

  “This is my studio.” Svan walked toward a small table by the bed. He picked up a candle and passed it to me. “For protection. May be superstitious, but I think it helps.”

  I could smell the lavender in the wax. It reminded me of home.

  “Please.” Svan motioned for me to lay on the bed.

  I walked over with some hesitation, being in a strange man’s bedroom, but I still felt comfortable. I climbed up and lay down on my back on the softest bed I had ever used. Svan sat beside me on a chair. He opened a drawer under the side table and took out a sheet of paper and dipped the tip of his feather in some ink.

  “There are limitations to dreamwalking.” He scribbled on his paper. “We must not affect the real world. If you are injured in a dream, you take that back with you. If you die in a dream, well, you don’t come back.”

  I swallowed hard as I remembered the first time I dreamwalked.

  “It is possible to take someone with you on a dreamwalk. It’s rarely done and professionally unacceptable, as they are not trained. There have been cases reported of people dying.” Svan scribbled on his paper, his eyes trained straight ahead.

  What if Svan was dreamwalking right now? He had to be. I was sure if I spoke up, he would not hear me. He was deep in a trance. I peeked over at his page to look at his scribbles. They made no sense. I lay back on the bed and listened while trying to remain calm.

  “The hardest lesson is to not stay in the dream too long, for you will stay there forever,” Svan’s voice changed.

  “Svan?” I asked quietly, scared to open my eyes too far.

  His head turned to me, and the whites of his eyes reappeared. He didn’t look scary anymore.

  “Yes.”

  “Are you ok?” I managed to get the words out of my mouth.

  “Yes. But there is one more thing.” Svan drew in a long breath. “You can lose your way back to your body.”

  The thought had never occurred to me. I had always made my way bac
k without trying. My dreams seemed to end, and I had no control over how long I stayed in them.

  “If you lose your way, your body is in danger,” Svan put his paper back in his drawer with the feather. “I’m too old for this.” He smiled as he placed the palm of his hands on the handles of his chair to help lift himself up. He was noticeably weaker.

  “Are you ok? Should I call someone?” I sat up to help him stand.

  “I am fine, but I will take your arm to go back to the parlor.”

  I reached over to him and linked our arms together as we walked back to the front room. I helped him sit on his throne.

  “Thank you, dear. I don’t get around to dreamwalking much. It takes the life out of you.” Svan smiled as he joked with me.

  I could feel the weakness getting stronger each time I dreamwalked. I wasn’t certain as to what caused it and tried my best to ignore it.

  “My tea please.” Svan pointed to where the kettle was.

  I poured him a cup of tea, and he drank it down, so I poured him another until the pot was empty. He regained his strength slowly.

  “It was an accident.” Svan paused.

  I watched as Svan gasped for breaths. His long slender fingers stroked his neck as his chest heaved up and down.

  “I stayed too long.” Svan smiled with sadness.

  The mood in the room changed as I waited until he was well enough to tell his story.

  “Susana. She was the same age as my daughter. She stayed too long. Her mother traveled from Bruhier.” Svan reached for his cup again and drank it down. He picked up his bell and a woman brought out another kettle full.

  I didn’t rush him. I waited for him to be ready to speak as all kinds of scenarios ran through my mind.

  “I found her, but....” His voice drifted off in thought.

  “It’s not your fault.” I wanted him to be happy again.

  “It happened because I let it.” He sat up in his seat. “Always take responsibility for your actions.”

  “I will.”

  “Don’t tell people you can dreamwalk. They’ll come for you. Some for help. Others to use you.” Svan drank more of his miracle tea, and his breathing was noticeably better.

  I nodded in understanding, thinking of Xagu and the mission he sent me on.