The Capital city was enormous. It was beautiful. And so much colour. There were obelisks that rose into the sky casting their shadows across the rest ground. They marked the districts and were built of stone. The city held an equally impressive arena, for sports and games that drew people from all around the world to watch men fighting with Raptors and all these other creatures. People were lining up to queue inside, some dressed in bright blues, yellows, reds, and some with hats. Some were dressed in sandy brown colours that matched the sands from beyond the city walls. But nobody cared about fashion, they were there simply for the games.

-And the one who ruled over this city was me - Queen Skye.

I lived in a giant castle at the top of the city with my loyal knights. My knights names were Haydn, Wyatt,Joyce,Kerry and Cleo. They were all standing before me in my throne room.

"Sir wyatt, What is your Report!" I ordered.
"My queen. Your enemies have been dealt with and slain." Sir Wyatt said to me.
"Great. I now can rule the kingdom without any dissidents in the shadows." I leaned back in my throne.

"What do you have to report, Lady Cleo?" I asked
" We finished construction on the bridge connecting east selesia to West Conuria, Milord." She stated.
"Ah. Good job." I thanked.
"The pleasure is all mine, Your majesty." Lady Cleo bowed to me.

"Finally, Duke Haydn. What is your report?"
"The preparations are complete for the banquet planned for next week." Duke Haydn said.
"Ah, Wonderful. Hopefully it will have food provided by you; Lady Joyce?" I asked.
"Of course, Queen skye." Lady joyce confirmed.

"That is wonderful. I can't wait to attend such an event." I briefly smiled.
I loved talking with my knights. Not only were they incredibly loyal to me, they were also reliable and compassionate just like I did. They were not only my knights but also my friends . If it wasn't for them, I'm not even sure I'd still be queen.

"Milord…. My I say something?" Joyce the Cavalier, said.
"Yes ...Of course, Kerry." I granted her passage to speak. Anyone could speak freely in my presence as long as they asked.
" I Just want to ask you a question. Though, It mind offend you" Joyce forewarned.
"Speak your mind." I simply replied back to her.
" Yes, Milady."

Cavalier Joyce stepped forward and cleared her throat.
The words she said next would haunt me.

" Why did you leave us to die ?"

"..." Words could not leave me mouth as I heard what Cavalier Joyce had just said.
"Excuse me?" I asked with a shaky voice.
"Why did you leave us to die? You know…. In the forest." She repeated herself.
"Ah…."

It was at this point, I started to realize that I was dreaming. Of course, I had wasn't a queen nor did I rule over any kind of kingdom. This was only a concoction of my whimsical mind.

"This is going to turn into Another nightmare, Huh?" I sharply realized. I had been having these nightmares ever since my friends had disappeared and now it looked like another one was about to start.
"Oh, It's much more than that, Dear Queen…" A devious smile formed onto Joyce's face as she began to laugh maniacally. Her arms began to bend themselves into unnatural angles like she was a doll. Her head began to do the same, With her head turning around in a 360 angle.

Wyatt,Haydn,Kerry and Cleo all disappeared from my sight as a thick fog began to surround the room. The fog was a purplish-black color and it infiltrated my lungs and immune system.

"J-Joyce?" Joyce's skin began turn a ghostly white color, Her hair began to turn a dark blackish color and her began to roll up into the back of her head. Her lips were chapped and her teeth were bleeding, She looked like she was barely alive.
"I'm…. Not… Joyce…. I'm Ghaslia ."
It was clear that this woman was not joyce but something else entirely. She almost looked like a ghoul…
"Is T-This still a dream?" I asked,Foolishly.

"You are asleep, And in a dream... but I am real." Ghaslia the ghoul replied.
"What? How is that possible?" I asked.
"I've… infiltrated your mind and entered your dream using ghoul magic." The ghoul replied.

"Ghoul magic?" I wondered.
"Yes. I am undead." She stated.

"None of this makes any sense! This dream is-"
"QUIET!" The ghost Yelled.

The ghoul then took a forward step, Dragging its sluggish leg behind herself she began to circle around me and then go back again. I stood still, Petrified of this dreamily monster. I had no idea what she was doing but it did scare the living daylights out of me.

"Listen up, I've come here to make you a deal." Ghaslia said.
"A-A-A deal?" I uttered.
"YES!" She yelled back.
"Eek!" I cried. I was deadly scared of the monstrosity in front of me.
The ghoul meanwhile, looked at me with impudentence.

"In the forest….About a week and a half ago, I stole your friend's souls." The ghoul said to me.
"What?" I cried,Shocked.

" I SAID-"
"I heard what you said! But-"
"If that's true then wyatt,joyce and haydn aren't in a coma but….!" I came to the shocking conclusion that my friends had been attacked and lost had their consciousness and their own will of life.

"You monster!" I began to ball up my fists and gritted my teeth.
"If you attack me, Your friends will be lost forever!" The ghoul threatened.
"..." I stopped for a moment as I glared at the ghoul with a disgusted and angry look.
"I have your friend's souls in my grasp"
Three balls of light appeared around her crusty hand. One was red, one was blue, and one was purple. They seemed to represent the souls of my lost friends.
" I can destroy or erase them from existence at any time." The ghoul fiendishly smiled.

"You…!" I was still angry but I restrained myself from hitting the ghastly ghoul.

"What exactly do you want?" I calmly asked.
"I want you…. To duel me."
"What?" I uttered in shock.
" I SAID-"
"I know what you said!" I yelled.
"Why do you want to duel me in particular? You're a ghoul, What could you gain from that?" It seemed strange that a supernatural creature would want to duel me, Instead of just killing me and keeping my friends souls.
"You could easily just keep my friends souls and-" I was cut off by the ghouls smug voice.
" I'm not some…. Hussie-Thug. I have a sense of honor." She insisted.
" So, As an honorable ghoul I'm going to give you the chance to fight for your friends souls." She explained while moaning.
"Honorable and ghoul' don't go together." I snarked.
"Enough of your jokes. Do you accept my challenge or not?" Ghaslia looked me in the eye with a dark intensity.

To be honest, I wasn't even sure if this was real or not…. It still felt like a dream to me. Nevertheless, If there was any chance of bringing back my friends I would take it. Even if it was from my imagination.
"Of course! I'll always stick up for my friends!" I Proclaimed with impunity!
"Great. I…. admire your determination." Ghaslia complemented.
"I'm determined to save my friends." I rebuffed.
"Hahaha!" Ghaslia laughed.
"Fine. Meet me in the forest to the west of the island." Ghaslia instructed.
"It's a date." I looked at her with intense eyes.
"Oh and one more thing…." Ghaslia walked towards me threateningly. Her bones chattled and rattled as she awkwardly toward sauntered me. She finally stopped just about 3 centimeters from my face, I could feel her soggy and gross breath come into my nose as she came closer.

"Ah!"
Ghaslia Grabbed my hand and cut it with her long disgusting fingernails, Leaving a symbol that resembled a rose. My hand bled from such an action but Of course, since this was a dream, I couldn't feel any pain.
"W-What are you doing."
"This mark…. Is how you know what I say is true. When you wake up, You will see this on your hand." She said.

"O-Ok." It was hard to believe that a physical mark in my dreams would transfer into the world but I had to accept it.

"Farewell." The ghoul evaporated into a thin white sheet of fog. Her face and body were no more as she was swept away into the ether. I wondered if ghaslia the ghoul was the creature who attacked my friends or was this all just a lie my mind was trying to tell myself?

Either way, I would find out when I woke up.