Through the Woods pt. 4: Answers and Nightmares

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After Cloudbreaker left, while I watched Dale clear our plates for us, I remembered that Dale hadn’t specifically said why he went in to the Innkeeping profession.

"Dale,” I said to him while he wiped the counter down, “you never really explained why you chose to open shop up as an Innkeeper. I'm curious why this profession? I would think a man of your skill would have taken up teaching or mentoring other adventurers, soldiers, or mercenaries. Or perhaps have gone into blacksmithing or open a shop of trade."

"Oh, I don't see how it's very strange, really,” the Innkeeper responded cheerfully, “Back in the day there was nothing like stopping off at an Inn after long months in the wilderness and sharing stories with other travelers over a good ale. Always told myself I'd open my own if I lived long enough. So here I am.”

Dale pulled out a few more mugs and while he filled them with ale, continued on, “Makin' things has never been much my strong suit. I've always been the breakin' type. As to mentoring, I do a fair bit since I'm not beyond giving advice to those lookin' for it. However I find myself learning still. You'd be amazed the stories that people tell these days, what with the shadows of that awful war still lingering across the land."

The innkeeper then mentioned someone named Merrin. He had taught her quite a few things. Dale’s confident that there isn’t a warrior in the Goldtide who could hold a candle to her skills with a blade.

I found myself feeling comfortable with Dale. He was warm and open and seemingly carefree. Despite such a tough look, he was gentle and clearly took pride in his profession. I watched as he continued to converse with other patrons and worked to make them happy. It may have been only four days in this new part of the world, but it seemed like a lifetime away when I was living in Dijon with Carl, Isaac, and Raæin. Sitting at the bar conversing with Dale made it seem almost like home.

I looked at my hands and was reminded how filthy I was. I dismissed myself from the bar to go wash up. Taking a look at myself in the mirror was depressing. My tunic was even worse for wear. More tears were in my leotard and blood was splattered everywhere. My hair continued to be a pain as it hung down in my eyes. If I had scissors at the moment, I would probably have cut my bangs. Instead I resolved to getting a new outfit in the morning and finding someone who could braid my hair back.

My return to the bar was seamless. People continued to converse and didn’t seem to take notice of me. That was a good thing. I liked not being noticed- at least in the sense of not being noticed by those who had ill wishes for me.

As Dale continued to fill orders and converse with the folk at the bar, and with how comfortable I felt with him, I figured he’d hear out some of my questions. Once most of the folk left the bar, I waved Innkeeper down.

“Hey, Dale. I have a few more questions,” I began. Dale gave a grunt of consent, “So since you know I’m not exactly from around here, could you tell me where Athvala is?”

A smirk grew on Dale’s face.

“Why in Athvala of course.”

I furrowed my eyebrows. Was this some smart answer like the ones Barrok would give me, I wondered.

“So, Athvala is it’s own continent then... which Kingdom is it near? Perhaps the Dwarven or Man Kingdom?” I asked. Dale’s mouth hung open for a moment as he assessed my question. Something in his eyes suggested that he thought I was a mental case, but he seemed to take some compassion upon me.

“Missy, I think you think you’re somewhere you clearly aren’t,” Dale began, “Athvala is Athvala. Plain and simple as the stars above. There’s no fancy Kingdoms here. Perhaps the seafarers in the Lower Kingdom would know something, but I assure you no one around here has heard of the places you just mentioned.”

Dale then took a long look at me, ”Perhaps when you were serving your God, you served in a different time and place. There are many worlds out there, so I’m told. Athvala is just a humble Kingdom that you probably haven’t ever seen.”

I nodded to his words, “I suppose you’re right, I forget there are other realms in this universe.” I then continued to ponder my situation. It was interesting to process. At the time I wanted to be angry that I was taken from my world. I doubt I’d ever be reunited with Raæin and Isaac- and Cortanna if she was still alive... Yet, if Athvala was truly a new realm for me... hope swelled in my chest. This could be a new start! 
A smile came to my lips.

Yet, what new start could I make knowing I was marked by Erythnul? He knew where I was and could very well be the cause of how I got to Athvala. Then I remembered the God wars. What had happened there? Dale so far had been patient with me, perhaps he’d explain more to me than the priest of Pelor.

“I pray you’ll bare my naivety once more, but who, or where might I find someone or something that could help me understand more about the God Wars. I know my God is dead, but for whatever reason I have no recollection of it. Last I remember, I was in some other world, dealing with the problems there. Now I’m in Athvala, suddenly my God’s dead, and I can’t tell you how or why I’m here. I’m sure you could understand how distressing that is for me to find my deity is dead,” I lied. Goodness, Heironious sure got what he had coming for him, “I just need someone willing to be patient and help me understand,” I concluded.

“Oh I can answer that. Clearly you've been out of touch a mite bit,” Dale said, giving me an appraising look. He then went on an elaborate retell of the God Wars to the best of his knowledge considering he was born shortly after peace had been restored. Apparently the Wars were quite extensive. Angels, demons, and Gods at each other’s throats to the point that they came down to Athvala. Dale seemed surprised that the land even maintained itself considering many Gods were killed in this war. The Athvala I was in was the aftermath of such a great war. Dale mentioned it was unclear as to why the war started, but I smiled in my head. I knew why, or at least I was sure I knew until the Innkeeper continued on.

Dale ventured on about Heironious. Apparently he had tried to help his brother, Hextor. Hextor was no better than Erythnul, but for whatever reason, Hextor didn’t scare me. Probably because he was out of the picture when I was growing up. Dale mentioned how Heironious was certain Hextor was being corrupted further by some God or demon. It’s not known who was behind it, but it was this dark entity that ultimately killed Heironious and nearly Hextor. Dale then mentioned how Hextor really lost it and took his followers, and perhaps those of Heironious since he didn’t have his nemesis to fight any more, and turned them against the other forces of evil. It had been said this was done so he could have ‘ultimate dominion of all evil.’

So now I have to wonder, if that was the truth of the God Wars, or to some degree of them, why was Heironious trying to help his brother? Why hadn’t he joined him since we was so set on working with Erythnul? Perhaps he got cold feet once I killed Malfeiya and took his love away. No... he and Erythnul had united. But every thing Dale said felt true.
Oh how the Gods still frustrate me. I’m tired of Their problems falling upon us. Us who can’t do much of anything about it.

Dale finished up his retelling of history by mentioning how the followers of Heironious went and followed other Gods, like Balus, the Dawncaller, and Pelor, after He died. Dale also mentioned how his God, Larland, had a temple in Lake Town that fell, taking most of the clergy with it. He mentioned catacombs for the temple were still accessible. In fact, he was certain there was a lone survivor, though Dale was equally certain he was mad. Doesn’t know of his where abouts, for all he knows, the bloke could have walked off the bluffs long ago.

“Wow, that’s... quite interesting,” I said after the long story. Part of me was intrigued by the catacombs, but perhaps it was because Dale presented it in such a way that would suggest something of interest was there.

I sat in silence for a few minutes. I pondered once more over the possibility of this being a new world and my determination to forget about the Gods. With the thought of starting a new, I figured I’d give my name one last go. One final test and hope that this truly was a new place that knew nothing of Araja.

“Dale,” I called out, “one last question.” Dale walked back in front of me, “Thank you for explaining so much for me. Since you seem like a man who’s heard quite a few tales, have you heard of a woman by the name of Araja Eloirakn?”

The Innkeeper raised an eyebrow at me. For a moment I got nervous that he indeed knew that name.

“Araja? That’d be a name I haven’t heard of until you and your friend came in. He called you by that name didn’t he?”

A wave of embarrassment washed over me. Of course! Why didn’t I remember? I scolded myself.

Suddenly something began to happen.

“Miss?” Dale asked. I looked at him, straining my eyes. I heard him repeat himself, but the harder I tried to focus on him, the farther he became. It was as though Dale had called to me from down a hallway. Then before me images began to play. They swirled around in an unusual manner. There was the mark that I saw on my companions. It was seven snakes entwined. They slithered about each other without moving, like a mirage. Then Heironious formed and that of a scarred being. The scarred person was unrecognizable.

The crowd, that was in the bar, felt stifling, as though they were closing in on me. Despite the pressure I felt from them, I suddenly felt scared and alone. I barely remember falling to my hands and knees. Though the feel of the hardwood stinging my palms lingered, I realized I was looking at myself on the floor. Hovering about my form were the three images of the mark, Heironious, and the scarred being. I couldn’t figure out why they were there, but there had to be some significance.

A warm hand touched my shoulder, snapping me back to my body. I shook a little, blinking rapidly as I registered the floor under my hands. I looked up and found Dale staring at me with concern. He wrapped an arm around my body and in that moment I remembered feeling great relief wash over me before waking up on a table.

It was as though I was in a crowded room as the mark and other beings flashed before my face. They’d pause just long enough for me to register who or what I was seeing. There was Heironious once more. A moment of calm came over me as I looked upon him. He was then replaced by a more sinister feeling as the mark of Erythnul, wreathed in flames, appeared before me. I wanted to shrink away as I watched it become the seven, entwined snakes. They slithered about, coming toward me, but I was unable to move.

As they slithered past my body, I saw my sister, Meryth, sitting in a bed of daisies. I barely caught sight of her stringing the flowers into a crown while humming her lullabye, when flames distorted her presence. Longing clutched at my heart and I felt it break as she disappeared.

Meryth was replaced by two men fighting. I was beginning to feel distraught as I watched the two bodies grip each other’s throats so violently. They kicked and clawed at each other incessantly. What made it more distressing was the faces continued to shift. There were people I knew and those I didn’t. Heironious, Hextor, Cloudbreaker, myself, my father, the Priest from Pelor, Rekka, Grendel, Isaac, Gemmel, the scarred man, a snake, Meryth, some man I saw at the dock, Erythnul, Lash, Trickfoot, the cook with the bloody apron, and so many more! They kept coming, repeating, and flashing faster. It was so chaotic things began to blur as I tried to process every image.

I felt so helpless watching the two beings fight. My limp body couldn’t be willed to move. I wanted to cry out for it to stop, my mind going mad as my eye relentlessly watched on.

Then an explosion of fear erupted in my mind. In my peripheral vision I caught sight of a face. I hadn’t noticed it there before. What made this realization so horrifying was it was aware of me. Whatever I had been witnessing was just that; me witnessing. This humanoid like being, however, was watching me very closely.

I can only recall a few other times in my life that I had felt such terror as I did there. I wasn’t able to get a good look at the creature since my eyes couldn’t unlock from the fighting beings. Yet I knew it was there, hovering over my shoulder.

Though my body was already immovable, I felt myself go rigged as the warm, silky tongue of that being slid down my cheek. I wanted to lash out at it, to make it stop. Then there was a sharp pressure on my neck, as though something was biting me.

I bolted right up, a scream escaping my throat. It echoed all around me as I swung my arms about, trying to hitting the creature that I thought was next to me. I felt large hands wrap around my frame, pinning my arms, and a familiar voice calling out to me.

“Araja! You’re alright! It’s okay! It’s me, Cloudbreaker!” the Goliath bellowed over my scream. I looked around in the darkness and after a moment my eyes focused on the blue form of Cloudbreaker. A wave of relief swept through me to see him. I wanted to collapse in his arms, to have him protect me, but at the same time, I wasn’t convinced it was him. I reached out and touched his arms and face and was relieved to feel the warm skin of some actual being. Quickly realization set in that what I had seen moments ago was a nightmare.

“I’m awake?” I panted, “I’m awake... it was just a dream... just a nightmare,” I rambled. I could feel myself shaking and my whole body hurt, especially my back where the mark was.

“You had a nightmare?” Cloudbreaker asked. He took his hands from me and I had to grip the surface I was sitting on to brace myself. I felt the cloth and looked to find myself sitting on some kind of alter.

“Where am I? What happened?” I breathlessly asked. I jerked my head back and forth trying to take in my surroundings. The most I could see was a spacious room.

“”You’re in a human temple Araja,” Cloudbreaker said.

“Why?” I said absent mindedly.

“You were in a cold sweat, muttering, and your back was on fire... I was worried,” the Goliath explained. I looked into Cloudbreaker’s eyes for a moment. Why would he be worried about me?

As I pondered on what Cloudbreaker had said, a Priest, I hadn’t noticed standing by, handed Cloudbreaker a piece of paper. It sounded like a receipt of sorts, the Goliath arguing a few items upon it. I listened as the Priest explained that what was happening to me, or rather to the mark on my back, had been stemmed for the time being.

“What has happened to me?” I interjected. The Priest barely looked my way, while lifting an eyebrow.

“I think you’re in a better position to explain that,” was all he said. Cloudbreaker then went off on the Priest, suggesting that he wasn’t telling us everything. The Priest stammered, saying what he had done was out of luck and a combination of old rituals to deal with what I was going through. I was beginning to assume what the Priest was talking about had everything to do with the Mark. I then heard Cloudbreaker mention how the mark was an illness to which the Priest agreed and now that I think about it, he did say that it was something that hadn’t been around for a very long time. And now that I really think about it, Athvala is a new land for me. How is it the mark is here too? I’ll have to remember to ask someone about that.

The Priest then walked off leaving me and Cloudbreaker alone. I tried to ponder if there was anything about myself that would register as a clue to what was happening to me. All that I could feel was the lingering pain in my back- and my neck! I quickly placed a hand under my chin and was relieved to feel nothing there but smooth skin.

“Araja, you said you had a nightmare,” Cloudbreaker said gently, “Do you remember what happened in it?”

I clenched my eyes together, The images played vividly behind my eyelids. I then looked at Cloudbreaker and stuttered out some vague details. There was something about the dream that felt overbearing and made me feel helpless. Listening to myself reiterate what had happened made it seem... silly. Why would it have scared me? Actually, I did know. I was helpless, unable to do anything about the situation...

As I mentioned the humanoid being biting me, Cloudbreaker tried asking about what it was, but all I could convey was it being humanoid.

“Perhaps it was a vampire. They said there are vampires here,” Cloudbreaker said.

“I wouldn’t know,” I responded.

“Are you feeling better at least?”

“My back is killing me,” I confessed, “It feels like it was on fire... Cloudbreaker, I heard you refer to the mark as an illness, why’s that?” I asked, my mind reminding me what I had heard earlier.

“The way I see it, this mark doesn’t belong on me and clearly it can make us sick. So it’s an illness,” Cloudbreaker simply stated. I shrugged my shoulders. “We will find a cure for it,” Cloudbreaker added. Right, I thought, but held my tongue.

The Goliath then placed a fist full of platinum pieces on the altar and handed me a handful as well.

“What’s this?”

“Your portion of the bounty. Now let's get out of here and go to bed.”

I carefully stood up, biting my lip and walking as casually as one could while stifling the ache in my back. We arrived back at the Larland’s Chalice Inn, Dale welcoming us back. He asked how I was and I replied I was faring better. He gave a warm smile despite the number I did to his shirt. Apparently I had vomited on him...

Anyways, I’m hoping I’ll be able to rest more peaceably all things considered. Cloudbreaker’s on the floor already asleep and I’m journaling to put off the inevitable sleep cycle my body craves, but my mind clearly isn’t ready to delve back into the potential dream world. Next Entry