Xantha pushed the door lightly but it didn’t budge. She took a deep breath, using her back she creaked the old and rustic door open. The creaking sound echoed from the inside, chilling air burst outside, carrying a scent of dust along with it.
“Woah, what the hell is this?” Edric muttered staring at the inside— it was quite similar to a church from earth. At the end of the long hall a statue is erected, in front rows and rows of broken chairs and tables. At the corners there were metallic pedestals to hold something, based on the leftover burnt wick he assumed it is for lighting candles or something similar.
Taking precise and calculated steps they entered the main chamber. The temperature was most definitely warmer than the outside. Edric couldn't help but question what this place was, based on the other’s reaction they were curious too.
Aeris couldn’t help but stare at the deities statue at the end of the hall, his eyes were wide and focused. Edric turned to take a closer look, and odd wouldn’t be the worst way to describe it— He couldn't exactly tell if the statue was a woman or a male. One side of the torso had a good size breasts, while the other were more pecs. It’s hips curved like an hourglass but its legs were lean and muscular. It’s face was even more strange, one side a bald human face with some sort of crown—- meanwhile the other were some sort of creature that reminded him of the movie Alien.
In its arms were a lamp held with a chain and another a quill pen. Before Edric could ask what he was seeing, Aeris answered for him.
“Somnus—” Aeris mutters just audibly enough to hear. “ He/She is the bastard offspring from the god of dreams.”
That thing is an offspring of the god of dreams.
“Yes , I read about this god. Some call him the god of revelations, According to the myths, Somnus got banished from the pantheon by his father when he found the he was born. In an act of revenge he started giving revelations to his father’s followers, eventually turning them against his father.”
“Umm.. that great and all but why is his face… um… like that.” he points at the creature side of the statue.
“Oh that, the god of dream did it with a creature he captured.” Xantha said it nonchalantly , almost like the gods having sex with creatures was as normal as Zeus having a bastard. To be fair it could be.
The more you learn about this world, the stranger it gets. God! I’m tired. He looked around for a fairly comfy place to sleep. The floors were made out of stone, but there was some carpet and clothes spread out, which could be used as some blankets.
“Why don’t we grab the torn fabric for warmth?” he said as he started collecting the pieces of fabric.
Xantha nodded. “I was thinking the same thing too.” The girl made her way to the windows and grabbed the torn curtains. Meanwhile Aeris laid Kael on one side the floor next to one of the windows, and started creating barricades from the furniture.
Quietly they completed their tasks, the silence though eerie was peaceful. The rhythmic sound of crickets and water droplets impacting puddles was soothing to the ear— at least for everyone except Edric.
For some odd reason , Edric’s mind kept getting distracted from tiny sounds, sounds of wind hitting stone, or a sudden chill wind hitting his ear. Which all made him
uncomfortable, especially when he was the only person feeling it.
What is this feeling? I keep getting the same feeling ever since I stepped foot in this place. Especially that thing, that statue of Somnus or whatever…
Edric’s eyes kept wandering to the statue of Somnus. He didn't know why , perhaps Xantha’s story piqued his interest, or maybe the entire situation of a temple being under a cave was giving him the creeps.
The fact that Xantha and Aeris didn't get this sensation was making him even more uncomfortable. Granted it could be that they have seen the statues of the gods before, or they are just hiding their emotions. Which given their personalities could be true, neither of the girl’s liked being a drag to others.
Edric took several deep inhales and exhales, diverting his attention to his expanding diaphragm to slow down his tension.
I know, a good sleep will wash away my fatigue.
He grabbed the collected fabric, moved it to the corner of the room where Aeris and Xantha were sitting. Xantha was folding the fabrics into a thin bed to lay upon, the first bed was for Kael.
Aeris moved Kael's body onto the fabric, and wrapped another on top like a blanket. Edric dropped the clothes next to her and sat down laying his back to the wall.
No one said anything, not that there was anything to say. They just did their task, and just wanted some peace. Edric looked around to see that Aeris had made a makeshift fort from the furniture. Some of the large blocks of wood barricade the doors. Others were erected upright against the window blocking the view from outside but giving some space for light to enter.
Edric closed his eyes and tilted his head up to see the ceiling. OHH , the ceiling was painted fully, depicting some story he couldn't fully grasp. From the silhouettes he could tell it was a story about Somnus, but that's about it. The other figures depicted were a mystery to him. He squinted and observed the painting closer. From the pack that stood out to him— In the far right of the ceiling, Somnus was painted on a boat with the lamp on his hand lighting the way. His or her face was obscured by a gray fog but– its eyes were a crimson red looked down at the floor.
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No– it looked like it was meeting Edric’s eye contact and for some reason Edric couldn’t look away.
*WOO~* strange whispers flowed through the wind as his gaze with Somnus became longer. His hearing blurred to till it softened the background, his peripheral’s become blurrer where only the red eyes of Somnus was focused. Then—
“Edirc, Edric!”
Edric snapped back to reality when Aeris shook him. His hearing became clearer and his vision cleared up as he shifted his eyes. In front of him Aeris looked at him with a curious yet worrying expression.
Edric gave a light smile. “It’s nothing, just tried.” he lets out a big deep yawn. “ *YAWN* let’s go to sleep now shall we.”
Without any further response he moved to the makeshift beds made of Xantha. Picked the one next to Kael, and laid down. Aeris and Xantha gazed at each other, then without a word laid down too. A moment later, they closed their eyes shut—
Edric shifted and turned during his sleep. No matter how many times he tried to lay still something keeps bugging him. He felt like he was being watched by an unknown being. When all was lost he used a mediation trick he learnt, he counted for three seconds and focused his breath. A few moments later he went into REM sleep.
“AHH”, Edric wakes back up. His face dripped in sweat, dripped down on the fabric. “How long was I asleep for?” he muttered to himself.
He looked around for any change in time, but he quickly realized he was underground with no sun or moon to detect time. So he could have slept for five minutes or five hours— he turned to check up on Aeris and Xantha.
Aeris slept comfortably with slight snoring, her left hand rested on her sabre even in deep sleep. Well that was in character of her, Xantha who slept beside her curled up like a bunny in a tree. Her frail figure was wrapped under the blanket, and drool dripped from her mouth.
At Least there sleeping comfortably for once. Let’s check on Kael shall we— he froze
Kael’s body still , and pale after the crash, now trembled. His face was covered in sweat, his brows frowned and his lips parted like he was whispering through a nightmare. One arm jerked and then the leg.
Edric stood frozen, not knowing what to do. Should he wake up the other? They are tired and they can’t really help with nightmares. He hesitated , unsure if waking him up would be a good call or make things worse. Instead, he placed his hand on his chest. The heartbeat was there. Stronger than before but … fast.
He didn’t know why but he started patting his chest, like a mother warming her child when they have nightmares. Surprisingly it worked, Kael’s brows began to relax and his heart started to stabilize.
Edric internally breathed a sigh of relief— he waited there for a moment, then he laid back down on the fabric, while still keeping his hand on Kael.
When will this mess end… Seriously, I just want some answers. Is that so hard to ask? I can barely sleep , not knowing whether something will burst out from the ground and eat me–
Edric cursed eternally until his mood lifted. He closed his eyes and let his mind drift.
—---
*WOOSH*
Edric felt the wind blow down his clothes, his limbs were numb, motionless no matter what he tried. He couldn't open his eyes, only thing he felt was falling. Perhaps it was just a dream.
*BREAK*
He hears the sound of wood, or more precise, branches breaking. Then his head collided with something hard but it didn’t hurt in the slightest. It felt like a soft rock.
Is this a dream, or a nightmare?
His entire body jerked, bounced upwards and then tugged down. His body swayed in the darkness forward and backward. Then the darkness became bright like the sun, his eyelids squeezed involuntarily to the bright light source.
Gosh, why is it so bright–
He opened his eyelids to see a bright world —- he looked around in all directions. In front he saw some trees, beside that flowers, bushes and grass. But there was a problem, the entire world was upside down. The grass was up and the sky was below. He felt the blood rush to his head, he looked down at ankles.
It was tied to a rope , and he hung upside down from a tree. Well that explained why the world is upside down, but—
Where the frick am I? Was I teleported or something… OW! At that moment his hearing came back, the silence was broken but the cheers, laughter and banter of people came from afar.
He closed his ears , waited for it to stabilize. Fortunately it was surprisingly quick, even his brain felt better fairly quickly. After a deep breath, he cleared his mind and started observing the situation.
“First things first, I need to get down but how–”. He muttered to himself.
“Oi, mister what're you doing hanging like a thief.” The sound of a young boy interpreted his thoughts. He turned his head towards the source.
A young boy who is at least 7-8 years old with burgundy red hair, wearing shorts and a shirt worn by young boys sat squatted on the grass floor with a stick in his hands. His expression was quite cheery with a hint of cockyness.
He feels oddly familiar, don't know why but… he could be of some help.
“Hey buddy, why don’t you help me down and I will buy you some sweets.”
“Buddy? Oi mister I’m not your buddy. And what if you're a thief. I mean no one just loiters around the back of a manor.”
Edric kept the best innocent expression he could come up with. “No, No, I’m new here, I got lost and got caught up here. See” pointing at his face. “ Do I look like a thief..”
The boy rubbed his temples. “Hmm.. You got a point, you're a bit too stupid to get caught by a rabbit trap. And ye’re clothes are a bit too clean to be a thief, in broad daylight at that. If I’m right you must be here for the celebration , perhaps a trader?”
Edric started nodding. “Yes,yes. You're a smart boy , aren't you? Now could you please help me down, you smart little man.”
The compliment made the boy smug and giggle uncontrollably. “Ye, I am smart, aren't ya. I even impress myself sometimes.” he held his head high. “Oh, Ya right, i’ll help you down”
Edric watched as the boy twirled his stick in his hand like a knight sizing up a dragon.
“Alright,” the boy said, narrowing his eyes. “Stand really still.”
“I’m literally tied to a tree.”
“Good– then don’t mess this up.”
The boy took the stick with one arm, lifted at an angle and struck a javelin pose.
“Wait, What are you–”
*THWACK*
The stick flew through the air like a javelin, struck the rope clean and snapped it.
“WAA-” Edric barely had time to grasp before gravity did it’s thing and he slammed into the ground with a thud.
“Oww–!” he groined , curling up slightly.
The boy burst out laughing. “HAHAHA! Did you see that old man. The stick flew straight threw the rope.”
“I saw it ,” Edric wheezed. “With my entire back.”
“Should have brazed your chin.” the boy said, casually strolling around like a proud performer putting on a show. “You’re lucky I didn’t miss.”
“You should have warned me” Edric said, brushing off his shirt and sat up.
“I said, don’t mess this up.” The boy offered his hand with a smig grin.
Edric reluctantly took his hand.“Sheesh, alright I’ll make sure to read between the lines next time.”
As the two chatted playfully, Edric have the boy a curious glance. “Hey kid your good with the stick, what’s your name?”
The boy puffed his chest, grinning ear to ear. “Me, I’m Kael.”
WHAT?
Edric blinked, his breath caught only for a second.
Kael turned, already skipping ahead of the grass, pointing towards the distant path leading to the town square. “Come one, stranger! The celebrations that way. That’s where the real fun is.”
And just like that , he was off carefree, loud and impossibly for someone so small.
Edric stood frozen in place for a moment, staring at the young boys red hair bouncing in the sunlight.
Kael?
The name echoed through his head, he took slow steps forward.
Kael called over his shoulder. “Are you coming or what?”
Edric followed him after regaining focus. “Yeah! I’m coming.”
