Tyreeque Boshaunn set his sword and
shield by the bed post, a little uncertain but unwilling to challenge his
master’s assurances that they would come with him. He prepared for bed normally, save for the
hide armor he wore. His magical pendant
and rings would be with him in a burlap sack in his arms, but also tied to his
right wrist. When he awoke, he would
swear something fierce if they weren’t with him. He climbed into bed, and moved to snuff the candle
on his night stand, black skin glowing in the warm light. He reclined, and recalled his master’s words:
“Tyreeque, listen well, for students of my school have many
gifts to master. You could choose to go
off into the dark and dangerous dungeons, fighting the hoards of beasts to your
ladyfriend, but know that the monsters you seek have already found a way around
such horrors. You will need a way around
them yourself, or you will be doomed to toil forever, and Mackaelah will be in their clutches too long. Listen, for you alone can fight for her, and
I shall now teach you reach her.”
Tyreeque shifted uneasily in
bed. It wasn’t easy to listen to his
master, not with Mackaelah in who knows what danger.
“You want me to sleep?” he started
angrily in his memories.
“To dream,” replied the master. "It is the fastest way…”
Tyreeque remembered his anger, his
turning away in that tense moment. “Master,
I cannot…”
“Heed me.”
“No!
I just can’t rest while she’s in their clutches. My group is getting ready to go. If we hurry we might still catch them in the
mountain pass before they get underground.”
“Please…” quoth the master.
“Enough! I will send when she is safe. Goodbye master.” And Tyreeque left in his
rage.
Lying in bed “I had so much to learn
master… I may yet still.”
Tyreeque burned with the shame. He now knew exactly what the master was
talking about, about the ability to dream and arrive at the place of
dreaming. He might have intercepted the
monsters if he had just listened.
And Mackaelah might still be alive.
It was a long way to the monsters
home lair, and his group was down in numbers.
In fact, with magical protections blocking most teleportations, and a
moat of deadly aboleths blocking the way, it might be impossible even to get
close to it. The evil ones may have
almost won.
Almost.
“Though I learned too late to save
you, “ he told the image in his mind, the image of Mackaelah, and his master, “I
will make it right. They won’t hold me
back tonight.”
As Tyreeque closed his eyes, he
willed the image to change, to the back entrance of the dark underground citadel,
past all of the defenses. He knew more
difficult challenges lay ahead of him, allegory in dream form for the monsters
he would have to face in the physical world, but he doubted they would be as
dangerous as they would be here in waking reality.
“I’m coming for you, now.” He
meditated on the place until he was no more awake, and what follows is his
journey in his dream to the destination he pictured.
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