Chapter: Nightmares, a midnight talk and the night business
Douxie dreamed he was in a forest.
It was dusk, and he was walking under the safety shadow of broad leafed oak trees, the branches sighing softly in the cool breeze. He raised his head, sniffing the air. He knew this particular forest.
He remembered a large lake in forest were magic was always present in perfectly smooth surface of water, and Lady of Lake song all the way with wind. He remembered Merlin taught him about all the unique flora and fauna of the forest, and Morgan with her magic showed him all secrets of this place. He also remembered a beautiful wood nymph chasing him and his cat familiar through these very trees.
Douxie thought of the nymph briefly, Nari, his oldest friend with long green hair in a braid, antlers, light green skin and yellow eyes... they spend had a lot of good times in that forest, together. Nari must be approaching around two thousand now. The teen wizard have not seen Nari since the war happened. And he miss his friend more than anything.
He shook himself, dispelling the nostalgic memories and came to a halt when he reached a crossroad.
"Two way." Douxe murmured, as he thought about going back and try found other path, he heard a faint voice call his name.
There, in front of him was a wisp. A little blue light glowed. Douxie blinked his eyes in curiosity as the little blue stretched its tendrils and two big eyes stared right back at him.
"A will o' the wisp." He whispered. The teen wizard had cross paths with the blue fire-like sprites before; they either helped him or led him into trouble. But Merlin used to always say that wise wizard will never turn his back on a will o' the wisp.
The wisp disappeared and then trails of them leading down the left path. Immediately Douxie followed the wisps, he had a feeling that they were showing him where he need to be.
When he reached the last wisp, Douxie looked down the hill he was on, was a large lake surrounded by trees. There, standing still next to the west side of the lake was a person. And they are holding a will o' the wisp.
Douxie cautiously approached the person. And then recognized who is that.
"Luz?" He asked in genuine surprise.
Luz blinked. It takes her a second to figure out that the young man in front of her is a guy who work part- time at her local café and serves her favorite smoothies. "Douxie?"
For five seconds they stare at each other and then simultaneously said, "What are you doing here?" Then in unison, both of the teens aked, "What am I doing here?"
"The wisp bring me here." Two teenagers talk at the same time one more time.
"Stop saying exactly what I say!"
"Cut it out!"
"That's not funny!"
"Stop it!"
"Now!"
"Two-Headed Unicorn!" Luz exclaimed.
"Jantar Mantar Jadu Mantar!" Douxie shouted.
They both stared at each other, Luz mirrored Douxie's shocked expression as she stared beside her at the teen boy. It was so quiet you could hear the passing firefly.
Douxie's eyes narrowed. "Two-Headed Unicorn?"
"It was the first thing it came out." Luz answered, "And what's Antar Mantra Du... something? An illness?"
"It's phrase used by magicians in India." Douxie replied promptly, as if that was something everybody knew.
"Don't you hate magicians?" Luz alluded to an incident when Douxie tossed man out of Arcadia Café. Just because he tried to pick up a girl in a line by mind-boggling card tricks.
"Only fakes." He said heatedly, "But more to the point, what are you doing here?"
"I just woke up in this forest, and the blue wisp bring me here. You?"
"Same th-" But Douxie had not even finished his sentence, when Luz saw something that caught her attention.
"What's going on?" She pointed out to the lake.
At first it felt like it was an illusion, but the truth was that the water seemed to be bubbling. The water was really bubbling, like someone had turned on an air valve like in a jacuzzi. And on top of it all, something seemed to be glowing in the water. It was a faint glow, like when someone placed a lightbulb inside the water. And Douxie know that glow.
"It's them." He said, which made Luz look at him.
"Who is them? What's happening there?!"
Before Luz could get an answer from the bewildered teen wizard, slight haze materialized over the water, and three black-haired women emerged through.
Douxie has identified them as the Lake Foundation; a group of women who were assistants of Lady of the Lake. Her emissary to the outside world. Douxie met them only once before the war began. But it's the one thing in his life he'll never forget. Just like he never forgoten their magic glow.
"Both of them live. Both of them fight. It's a duel that is eternal, a never ending fight. It's good versus evil, it's dark against light." one of the woman intoned.
"It's a dangerous game, the winner take all. But one must win, end the longest of fights. This day is near come. The most important from all." said another of the group.
"At the clash of the sides. Only one will remain. Our future can be destroyed. But the choose of-"
The last woman wanted to finish the sentence when something made the earth shake beneath them. Luz and Douxie's thoughts were taken away from the Lake Foundation and their rymes then as a low keening wail penetrated the fogbound shore of lake .
The moon hid behind a clouds. And then a sudden wind picked up, the smell of potent magic swirling in the air, which was gradually taking on a dark blue and black hue.
Douxie's eyes narrowed and he raised his arm with charm bracelet in preparation to cast spell. Luz also drew her glyph.
And they saw someone walking through the woods. Luz and Douxie could've sworn that they saw the outline of tall guy in the horned mask. But what came out the woods... it didn't look like person.
Both teens took a shaky step backwards. They were terrified of the Monster.
It looks like a some unholy combination of a deer and a deformed humanoid made of black goo, and it wouldn't look out of place in Bloodborne.
"What's this?!" Luz all but yelped, aghast.
"I don't know. But don't make any sudden movements." Douxie said, sensing that something was terribly wrong with this creature, it was surrounded by an aura of death. And... a very toxic magic energy.
The creature head tilted, sounding a bit like a clock that had gone through a chipper. Its creepy face was positioned directly at the Lake Foundation.
"Hrni ni m zphnbl mhhlawh. {This is a futile attempt.}" the Monster' voice was old, dark and deep. "Je ejl smj ihew pi. Hrl Dao ez Pjnho ni mbaeih pwej pi. {No one can stop us. The Day of Unity is almost upon us.}"
The women spoke to the creature, but this time, their words were darkly.
"You're the slave of broken mind. Just sit down, mark your time."
The empty sockets of creature eyes filled with the blue color as it laughed, madly. An unearthly and unholy sound that sent a shiver of dread down two teens' spine.
The Lake Foundation looked at the Monster with so emotionless faces, then placed their hands outward, drops of light and white energy begun to form in front of the women's palms. Then suddenly the drops came together forming a large ball of glowing energy. The female trio pointed it at the frightening creature, and they closed their eyes.
Quick as a flash the Monster dunked two front limbs into lake as it opened its mouth up and made a sound like a cat being slaughtered.
The lake water has turned to dark substance at the same time as the three black-haired women dematerialized like fog burned by the morning sun.
The ball of magic floated in the air, just a little bit longer, then fell in the black lake. And drowned. Like sun being sucked by the dark hole.
At that very moment, Douxie ealized that he and Luz have to run anyway. 'Cause whatever that creature is, it's much more dangerous and powerful than looks.
Yet, he didn't have the time to tell Luz that. The Monster turned its head towards them.
Within a fraction of a second a mass of black tendrils burst out of the ground and ensnared both teens around their legs and arms.
The Monster spoke to them in English, this time. "Stay out of this or I'll end that pathetic existence of yours, the apprentice of Merlin."
"Who or what are you?" Douxie asked at the same time as Luz asked "Apprentice of Merlin?"
The creepy creature just roared and attacked, neither Douxie nor Luz have a chance to avoid the attack.
It was just a second.
The talon had gone straight through soft bodies.
The moment of incredible pain.
And then darkness...
Luz shot open her eyes and started up out of bed, letting out a sharp gasp. She looked around for a moment before clutching her chest in pain and breathing frantically. The commotion from her awakening caught the attention of a dragon in the foot of her bed.
Kayda immediately nudged her hand affectionately and growl softly.
"I'm fine. I just had some crazy dream." Luz just kind of completely blanked on that nightmare. But fear and anxious still races through her. "I've got to stop eating sugary snacks before I go to bed."
Kayda seemingly still worried for the teen's emotions, positioned herself in Luz's lap and began nuzzling her, to which Luz responded by stroking her hand down Kayda's scaly back. A soft purr calmed Luz down.
She smiled before sing quietly to her dragon. Very soon Kayda back to sleep. But the Latina couldn't fall asleep.
Luz gave herself a few moments before getting up, real quiet so she doesn't wake Kayda again. She open the window to go outside and breathe in the night air.
The moonlight cast its eerie glow over the treetops on a clear starry night, and shafts of its ethereal luminescence filtered through the barren branches, creating patches of light on the forest floor below. No birds called out their plaintive cries this night, no crickets chirruped and no frogs croaked as they normally did on such evenings. It was as if nature was holding her breath.
"Admiring the view?"
"Yes." Luz spared Jett only a glance before turning back to the panorama.
She wasn't surprised that her friend's awake. Jett's sleep schedule is a roulette wheel, there's no way to predict when he wakes up at sunrise, stays up till 3:00 a.m. or when he'll be out like a baby till noon. Yet, he follow the routine for specific night time.
Jett flopped his frame down a two feet away from the first teen, lying on his side with his head supported by one arm. "Stars are very light tonight."
Luz gave a half smile and nodded. "I love the night sky here. You can't see no stars in the city where I live."
However, Jett noticed that his friend's spirits seemed dampened by something. "But you're not as big of a star fan as Katrina is, though. It's pretty late. So the next question is: Is everything okay?"
Luz nodded her head mechanically, "Just couldn't sleep is all," the younger one said rather unconvincingly.
"Nightmare?"
"Yeah..."
"You wanna talk about it?" Jett asked gently. He knew from his own experience not to prod too much, but to let them come to you when they're ready.
"I don't even remember what the dream was about." It was true. Still she got chills when thinking about it, "But it was an awful."
"Maybe you have nightmare because Kayda." Jett suggested. "And you know... the flying problem."
Luz sighed.
The dragons were a very interesting creatures, and what struck the girl most, was that the dragons learn how to fly through observation their parents. Only their parents. And Luz, as Kayda's "mother", she is the one who have to teach her dragon how to flying. There was only one problem... humans can't fly. So, Kayda still can only a glide.
Luz was hoping that maybe Jett's dad'd help with that problem. But he can't. First of all, it's physically impossible to Michael will loan somone his wings. And two, it could be a big mistake to teaching Kayda to fly like an angel instead of a dragon. What's the difference? You asked. Well, Michael said a dragon don't have feathers, for starters.
It's a fact. If Luz can't fly, Kayda won't learn how to use wings. And as the great dragon tamer - Nuffink Horrendous Haddock II wrote in his Dragon Manual, If dragon can't fly, it can't get away. A downed dragon is a dead dragon.
"Flying is necessary for dragon life. Kayda can't fly." She said sadly.
"Yet." Jett said curtly, "Don't worry to much about this."
"How? My baby can't fly." Luz cringed, then she lay on her back, looked up at the sky. "She needs to learn how fly."
"Then teach her."
"You know I can't." She huffed, looking at her friend with a mildly annoyed expression, "And even if by some miracle, I found glyph that give me a pair of dragon wings. I have absolutely no idea how to teach Kayda the right way to use her wings."
"Meaning maybe you could use a little help. That's okay, I got it." Jett said as he summoned his scroll. In the sms he wrote: Hi Vi, could you come by the Owl House on tomorrow?
City lights twinkled beneath a dark sky, like the stars had fallen down and scattered across Earth. In the low light of the private lounge, Karai Saki... better known as the Snake Princess, mafia queen of Japan was by the window. Her silhouette was outlined in silver and glittered on the tips of her recently cut hair. An orange light flashed somewhere in the distance, glowing on her irises every other second.
"Isn't this too extravagant?" the Lazarus asked mildly.
She turned to face him, that soft venom smile settled on her lips.
He closed the door behind him, blocking the view of the guards stationed outside. The open lounge space had a single round table in it, lit by candle light, with two chairs either side. A large bottle and a pair of glasses stood in the middle of it. He settled down into one and crossed a leg over the other, watching her. None were in view, but the whole tower was filled with guards armed with weapons.
"Last week I was the victim of two assassination attempts," she told him, voice measured, "I don't want that to make it three."
Karai stepped over to the table and took a seat, similarly crossing one leg over the other.
"So we're having our buissnes in a fort?" the Lazarus took the bottle and pulled the stopper out, then carefully filled their glasses to an equal measure and slid hers over.
Karai sipped her wine and looked the man innocently, "Don't you think that suits us?"
The Lazarus nodded, face turning more serious once more. "Yet. We're hiding from the world, for various reasons."
"My is obvious. And yours?"
"With all due respect, Karai-san, that's my business."
"Then let's get down to our business." She said with a neutral expression. "I found out what you told me to."
"Then where is it?"
Karai smiled a dangerous kind of smile at the fierceness behind the question. "I need to see what you have to trade first."
The Lazarus reaches under his jacket.
"Don't try any funny business, tomodachi." Karai said casually.
"If I wanted you dead, we wouldn't even be talking right now." He retorted making the woman looked at him with a mischievous smile.
"Personally, I like a little chat with peopl before I kill them." The pair glanced at each other. "The lies people will tell when they're begging for their life." Karai finished as she sipped her wine.
"Truly you are grandchild of Kankuro Namikaze, Karai-san." The Lazarus said slowly.
"Which is why we're perfect business associates, the Lazarus-kun." Karai said, her eyes on his face. "Now let me see what you got there."
"Something far more precious to you than money."
The Lazarus pulled a very old black box with red markings on it, put it on table and pushing box with a three fingers to forward until it was next to Karai's hand.
Karai placed a hand on box, turning it every which way to see if it's genuine. The phrase "あなたは一人じゃない" engraved on it.
Slowly, she placed her other hand on the box. Keeping it at a wise distance as best as she could, she kept it steady with one hand and opened it with the other.
Inside was a black Tessen; Japanese war fans made of heavy plates of iron which are designed to look like normal, harmless folding fan.
Karai smiled, sliding her finger on the three white Lotus along fan's metal body. "This is a satisfying payment."
She crossed the room and she stood in front of wall safe. Her right hand punch in the code, and took out object the size of hand.
"My expert says it's an original and very old object."
The Lazarus received a small metal box. He opened it, and found a gold disk like objects with a symbol on it; a triangle covered with markings, a sword with wings and an orb in the middle.
"Do you know what really intrigued me?" Karai's eyes moved to the man, and she frowned a bit. "It's made of pure gold. Yet, it's nothing compared to all previous things we trade with each others. It's very different."
The Lazarus stared at her for a moment. "I guess our games get old after a while."
It took Karai a moment to realise what he meant. "Different doesn't necessarily mean boring. I was having so much fun with taking it from a previous owner."
"I'm glad this business haven't been a disappointment to you." he took his first sip of wine.
"Still I am kind of curious, why you were so determined to get this object?"
The Lazarus didn't reply for a moment, eyes shifting to gaze out the window into the night.
"I'm a ruthless and powerful figure in this world, but I have a great deal of affection for family heirlooms. Just as you are."
Author Note: And that's it for this week. If you liked it please leave comment. And I'll hopefully see you in a week!
あなたは一人じゃない - Japanese phrase that's means, "you are not alone,"
