I do not own Chaotic nor anything related to it. It belongs to TCDigital.
-[]-[]-[]-
Act IV: Lucidity
The Nature of My Dreams
-[]-[]-[]-
Inside the Deepmines...
Everything looks like it's at the bottom of the ocean. Fish swim around, seaweed reaches up, coral sprouts from the ground. But it's not at the bottom of the ocean, there's air instead of water.
I'm inside a massive floating chariot with Phelphor. There are no wheels, it simply hovers over the ground. It's being pulled by a black, tuna-like fish the size of a car that swims through the air just like it was water. The chariot itself is a dull green and looks like it was carved from a mass of coral.
I'm completely immobilized, chains lifting my arms above my head and attaching them to the back of the chariot. My feet are locked against the back too, forcing me to kneel with my legs spread out, and a short chain wraps around my chest and presses my back against the chariot's wall.
Phelphor is sitting opposite me, one of the boots from my armor in his hands. He's staring at it intently. The rest of my armor is piled at my feet. In fact, everything I had been wearing is piled there, everything except my helmet, which he left on my head. The helmet really only serves to draw attention to the fact that, not counting it, I'm completely freaking naked.
Phelphor, on the other hand, is completely dressed, his kilt held up by his belt and his armor back on his arms, legs, and left shoulder. Well, as completely dressed as he usually is. He's half naked by Overworld commoner standards, for example, and overdressed by Danian mandiblor or Mipedian servant standards.
"Quit thinking so loudly!" Phelphor growls, his eyes darting up to look at me briefly before returning his attention to my boot.
No, I won't, Phelphor. As long as this gag is on my mouth I will think as loudly as I can manage.
Phelphor glances up at me again, then back down to my boot.
Oh please, Phelphor, sate my desire for conversation, why don't you?
Phelphor drops the boot and picks up my cuirass.
Cat got your tongue, toad?
Phelphor screams, throws down my cuirass, and stands. A sharp icicle forms around his fist as he storms towards me, and he presses the point against my throat. "Stop thinking at me!"
I've got a song for you. Prissy little Phelphor, crying like a baby, whining like a little brat, howling like a dog.
Phelphor grits his teeth, and I feel the icicle tremble against my skin. Then he growls loudly and pulls his hand away from my throat. "I know what you're trying to do, Michael," he mutters as the ice around his hand melts. "If you die, you wake up, and when you fall asleep again the world starts over."
Phelphor returns to his seat and picks up my cuirass again. I don't think he's actually interested in it. It seems a lot like he's staring at it so he doesn't look at me.
I wonder what he's thinking? He just learned that everything, all of Perim and everyone in it, is the result of my dreaming mind. What does one feel when he or she learns that?
Phelphor's eyes dart up to me again. "I wonder how you feel about everything," he growls. "Spending so many solans in this world, knowing all the while that none of it is real, that your mind is fabricating the entire experience." His eyes drop back to my cuirass. "Then again, I don't want to know."
...Good...
We travel in silence for a while longer. Then Phelphor looks at me. "I wonder..." His eyes lock with mine-
-[]-[]-[]-
After Time 12:
(Hey Z,) I type in the chat bar, (what would u do if you suddenly appeared in Perim? You have no warning, and you can't bring anything with you except the clothes you are wearing.) I hit enter, then turn my attention back to the game I'm playing.
About half a minutes later, my friend's reply pops up. (Hiya quazer. Where in perim?)
Good point. I keep appearing in different places in Perim each night. Let's see... (Say 1, 2, 3, or 4, and i'll tell u where u appear)
My friend's reply comes much quicker this time. (Ah, its random. Um, 2)
I was associating the numbers with the order that I've been visiting Perim in. (U appear in the Mipedim Oasis, in a dusty, nondescript road.)
It takes a while before my friend replies. I type, (Z?)
A minute later, he responds, (Sorry, got into combat. These new combat rules make it hard to talk)
(I know right?) I reply.
(Is anyone else with me?) my friend asks.
I close my eyes and envision the scene. (Nine other people. Eight are children, 1 is an adult.)
(Ok.) A pause. I get in a fight with a grotworm monster while I wait. (Do they know about perim?)
I switch to the chat bar. The grotworm isn't enough of a problem for me not to chat. (It doesn't look like it. The children are all scared, and the adult looks horribly confused.) I press enter and turn my attention back to the fight.
We continue to type back and forth as we play. He types his actions, while I try to follow the general flow of my dreams. When Z finishes with his meeting with King Theb-sarr, I type, (Congradulations, u survived ur first day in Perim.) Ugh, I don't think I spelled "congratulations" right. Oh well.
(Yay) comes Z's reply.
I type, (I sure as heck didn't survive that long -my- first day.) Stupid chat bar doesn't have a bold option.
There's a long pause. I accidentally get really low on health and decide to run from the fight I'm in. Then Z replies, (You went to perim? O_o )
(In my dream.) I clarify. (Actually, in my past twelve dreams.)
(Oooooh) Z responds. ( :D you have awesome dreams, quazer. Tell me about perim)
-[]-[]-[]-
Time 14:
Phelphor closes his eyes and shakes his head. "No, not possible," he mutters, but he doesn't sound sure.
I feel like ants are crawling on my skin. Phelphor just looked at a memory of my real life! That... what... how? I thought my real-life memories were safe from that kind of intrusion while I'm dreaming!
Wait, no, it makes sense. This dream features what is basically my real self. Well, it started with what was basically my real self. Not anymore, though, what with me aging around six years in here.
"How are you so calm?!" Phelphor shouts. "What, do you often go around completely destroying other creatures' beliefs about how reality works? Are all of your dream like this? Following a perfect logic until you drop this bombshell on everyone?" He stares at my eyes-
-[]-[]-[]-
Something Completely Different:
I shout, "Hey guys, watch this!"
Everyone turns to watch. I lift the shopping bag over my head, start running, then leap. The wind catches the bag exactly when I jump, and I'm lifted high into the air.
I can see the rooftops! I can see everyone cheering down below! I can see-!
Gah! Too high! Too high!
-[]-[]-[]-
Time 14:
Phelphor blinks. "What the hell was that?"
That was a dream from a year ago that reminded me that I'm still terrified of heights sometimes while I'm dreaming.
Phelphor shudders and looks away from me. "I'm not going to look inside your head anymore." Was... was that a whimper?
The chariot continues to travel through the Deepmines. I know where it's headed. Eventually we will arrive at the city of M'arr...
-[]-[]-[]-
Up next: The Hero of the Other Side
-[]-[]-[]-
Like I said before, Chaotic belongs to TCDigital.
If you like the story, please follow and leave a review!