The sight of the morning sun and the feeling of my dry fur telling me that my body has fully recovered from what I had it go through fills me with hope. Hope that today will most definitely be the day that I'll be seeing Tolan and Cari again.
"I'm sorry." I respond after shaking my head in an attempt to get forget about the dream. I don't even know what the apology was for, or who the statement was directed at. But Treek appears satisfied with my response and finally decides to let go of me.
"That must have been one hell of a bad dream you just had." Nina makes herself heard, before I take the high road and greet her with a good morning as I don't feel like talking about what my subconscious just had me witness.
I shake my head again, forcing myself to stop thinking about the dream while filling the void it left in me with the hope and determination of not letting it happen for real.
"We need to head out." I try to change the subject, hoping that no further questions would be stated about what the dream may have been about. And unlike during the night that just passed, my wish is granted after Treek allows me to stand up and starts talking.
"You're right." He begins. "There's no point in wasting any more time. We're all rested as much as we can be and if we continue to wait for something to happen, we'll just get hungry for food that we don't have."
I shiver at the mentioning of food as images from my dream start showing up again. Images I wish I could forget, but know that they will haunt me until I can convince every fiber of my being of their wrongness. They will continue to stalk me up to the point when I will see them again. When Tolan and Cari are finally and safely back in my arms.
I disguise the shiver by closing my eyes and shaking my head again, forcing the images to vanish for a while before I open them again and take another look at Treek staring at me with concern written all over his face.
"I'll be fine." I respond. "And don't wait for me to get ready, because I am."
Standing up straight, only to finally hit the roof of the tent and forcing me to stand crooked, I take a determined pose while staring back at the Treecko who finally appears satisfied with my determination.
"I hope you're not faking all of this and in actuality you just had another seizure..." He begins before cutting off in mid-sentence, probably remembering back to how I reacted the day before. And not wanting to upset me again, he turns away and faces Nina.
"You heard the 'mon." He states while facing the fox. "So we better start moving out."
Nina gives him a nod and after sending me a concerned look of her own, she finally decides to turn around as well before following Treek who has already left his self-made tent consisting of sticks and branches.
Being the last one still in the tent, I realize that I should start moving as well. And just in time, as me still standing inside the tent would have gotten awkward if I stayed any longer.
So I step outside, while Treek sends me another concerned look to which I respond with the same determined smile I gave him before, followed by me nodding at him to emphasize my point.
He wrinkles his forehead a bit before turning away, leaving me without anyone staring at me while Nina is focused on him.
Without anyone speaking any words, probably still thinking about what it is that I had to endure, Treek pulls up the map and begins studying it with Nina while I take a look around our surroundings.
I immediately recognize that we are just a few meter away from where I collapsed last evening during the rain storm. The memories are still fresh in my mind and I know that it's an experience I won't be forgetting anytime soon.
My eyes focus on the point where I remember lying while everything started getting blurry. And while my ember shamefully flickers inside of me, I even notice the paw prints of me and the others, alongside the mold of my body lying in the dirt.
The ground still fells wet and I get ripped out of my thought as a stray needle hits my back, causing me to freeze in anxiety.
'I thought it was over.' I think to myself frightened, before realizing that the drop of water must have waited for me to come along before falling from the leaf that had been holding it in the air up until this point.
While letting out a sigh, both from relieve and annoyance that I have yet to see, or rather feel, the last of the storms legacy, Treek seems to notice my discomfort and gives me a weird look.
Instead of nodding yet again, I decide to walk over to him and join him while in studying the map. But I'm too late as he puts it away before I arrive.
"According to the map, we have to go that way." He states while pointing north.
"Then let's go." I speak up awkwardly starting to walk the direction he's pointing to.
Treek takes my hint and walk up next to me as I start leading the group without even having looked at the map. Yet after arriving at my side, I give him a quick glance he doesn't return before focusing back on the wet and uneven ground, leaving my paws with a tingling feeling after every step I take.
It's nothing too bad and definitely not something you'd find off-putting, unless you're rich enough to always get carried around and already find the thought of walking on you own annoying. But never-the-less, I definitely prefer walking on dry grounds, something that will sadly be quite impossible for a while.
Showers are quite common during this time of the year. And while we most definitely left the season of solid water behind, there is always the chance of an odd shower before the weather stabilizes and stays warm until the nature will die again at the end of the year.
"Do you want to talk about it?" A familiar voice suddenly interrupts my meaningless thoughts. I recognize it as Treek's and would have been surprised if it was anyone else talking to me.
Not immediately responding, I start feeling his eyes poking me from the side before finally deciding to honor him by responding. And while turning my head to face him, I can confirm his look as I begin talking with my feet still tingle after every step I take.
"It was a pretty bad one." I begin before taking a short pause to collect my thoughts. "And I hope you understand it if I don't want to talk about it right now."
Looking back at the path up ahead, I sigh again before continuing to talk without actually looking at my friend.
"You probably guessed this part, but it was about the kids. - And it was pretty bad."
Another moment of silence passes and I look back at him to notice his concerned look before he takes my own glare as an invitation to respond.
"I understand, dude." He full heartedly speaks. "I'm worried as well. But you can't keep yourself down like this, because otherwise you can't expect us to count on your participation if it comes to a fight."
Looking away from him and back to the ground, I sigh one more time before responding with a feeble voice.
"I know. But..." I try to begin before collecting my thoughts once again. "Just... give me some time to get over it."
I sigh while still looking at the ground and continue speaking a little bit louder. "Because there is some part of me that tries to convince me that it wasn't just a dream. But I'm sure that once I seem the kids again, that part will remain quiet and in no case will I let it stand in our way."
"Cyder." Treek suddenly speaks and stops, causing me and Nina to stop before I look back at him. "I know you don't want to think about it and I guess that's what your dream was about. But even if we don't find the kids, I have to be able to count on you to not just stand around in shock while we have to fend of the bad guys."
I look away and without responding I start heading the way we were walking.
"Cyder. Please." Treek speaks to me from behind with the only other audible sounds being my own paws walking the ground and tingling whenever I take a step. But before I can take two more steps, I manage to find the will in my heart to respond.
"For the dragon's sake..." I begin, my words overflowing with determination. "Let's hope it won't come to that."
Treek seems to understand and knows that I won't just be idly standing around if we don't find them. Because if that is truly what is going to happen, there is nothing that can stop me from fight until either me or the dragon is dead. Even if it meant I had to fight, dominate and kill dozens of dragons.
"There is nothing that would stop me." I state after a while with Treek walking at my side again. And with my teeth crunching against each other I continue stating my intentions. "And if they're gone, there is nothing that could stop me from wiping out everyone and everything that stands in my way."
I snort and blow a pillow of smoke out of my nostrils while keeping my eyes narrowed on the path ahead of me.
"Nothing." I say again, barely whispering the word and not even caring whether or not Treek would actually hear me. Because the only being I stated it for is myself, convincing my ember that the fight has yet to be lost. That it ~was~ just a dream. And that I ~will~ rescue both of them, no matter what.
Because hope dies last. And hope will always be there – always - until no one is left to express that hope.
