Dream's POV
Back within the tavern, Dream stared at her in silence as she finished her story. Her eyes were staring brightly into his, but when she got to the end…
Her demeanor changed…
"-Everything was dark for so long, I think my body was resting. Then, I woke up in a box. It was still dark. In the pitch black, I couldn't see anything, not even my hands in front of my face. I thought I really was dead, and in some form of hell… I was in a tightly cramped space, and I couldn't get out of it. My freedom was stripped from me. Everything I depended on was taken from me. Nothing but my bare hands to scrape at the wood till my fingers bleed when banging my fists wasn't enough. With only enough room to lay flat on my back. Stuck in one place without anything to do or anyone to talk to… All that was left was me and my thoughts… I never realized how much I hate cramped spaces, until that moment... It felt like forever. Every second in there was agonizing. I figured out it was Arthur's handywork. He made it well... too well… He was always a good widdler and apparently not a terrible coffin maker. He made it with thick ash wood. It was freshly made, too. I knew because the wood smelled so fresh… it gave me a headache after how long I was stuck in that box… It became the most maddening scent in the world… I realized I was very much alive after how hungry and thirsty I became. Slowly… the air was gone… No matter what though… I wasn't going to die... I needed to get out… So finally, after peeling the wood splinter by splinter… I made a hole big enough to fit through… Between suffocating and passing out multiple times…. With just barely enough time to wake up long enough to dig some more… After digging through six feet of dirt, I was finally free… I think I was there for a week or two… but it felt like years… The End…"
She stares off in the distance with an empty gaze by the end of her tale...
Her face was unreadable to him.
He was terrible with emotions…
Understanding them from their expressions was always difficult for him to master.
But, from what it looked like, it was a painful memory to recall...
Even her voice became less enthusiastic by the end of it….
In fact, it was almost like… she was afraid…
Scared to even remember what it felt like…
He could then see her eyes wander around the room, almost in a panicked motion…
She then looked down at her hands as she tried to calm her rapid breathing…
Maybe she was still afraid…
He then remembered she didn't use the past tense when she said-
'I never realized how much I hate cramped spaces, until that moment.'
If she lived through that much torment, just to live on tormented by fear…
From the way she described it, she would rather die than go through it again…
Then…
Why go on…?
Why did she want to be alive at all…?
What was so exciting about life when it gets her shot in the back for just living?
The most brutal way to end someone's life…
A coward's attack.
Not even gathering the courage to face them and let them fight for their own life…
He could admit he was very invested in her tale.
Her story… was different…
Almost like it was a dream…
Maybe that was why he couldn't detect a lie.
That could be how she remembered it.
But if it was her dream…
Wouldn't he know that…?
Then he gets this odd sense of something as he tries to delve deeper beneath the surface…
He couldn't believe he hadn't realized it sooner…
He did have many distractions in all that time…
He spent all these past 100 years focusing on the dreaming world. Any time he spared a moment to think of her it was overpowered by another problem.
It wasn't unusual for people to stop dreaming, whether they die or find a way to suppress some of their dreams.
But now that he recalled…
He didn't see a single dream for decades now that he thought about it. About 10 years after their first encounter, they stopped.
After that, she was completely silent to him. Everything she thought or did he couldn't see at all unless he came to her world.
It bothered him only for a moment, until he had to stop a war among his people…
When he was finally here, he was so eager to be right after all this time. Only to find out he was wrong, he was so busy getting over the fact he lost a bet with his sibling.
Then when she told her story, he got so comfortable in her presence he almost forgot the world around him.
She was so distracting, he didn't even think about it…
Now he could see why he couldn't see her dreams…
He was wondering how she was different from other humans, but now that he noticed it, it's all he could see.
She somehow has been gifted with a barrier…
He could feel the energy, faintly, but it's there. It wasn't noticeable until he tried to read her.
Dream has access to all stories ever told, including how the Omniverse was created and stories yet to be told…
And yet- he didn't know her story…
Everything about her story was exciting and new…
He had a hard time wrapping his head around it.
It was the first story he had never heard of.
Which should be impossible…
Dream has access to the sum total of human imagination…
Yet he couldn't see hers at all…
He couldn't even see her deepest desires…
This was the work of another god…
It had to be…
How could he be locked out of someone else's dreams?
No mere human could know of his gifts enough to go through the trouble to cast such a powerful barrier…
She didn't even know someone like him existed…
Or did she?
How else could she do this?
Why would she be chosen to be blessed by two immortal beings?
Who was her target?
Was she a part in a plan or the master at play?
He had so many questions he knew he shouldn't ask, they were better off being left in his head.
If she was the enemy…
She was better off not knowing he was onto her…
…But of all things…
Why was she so damn interesting?!
As much as he tried not to, he found her to be incredibly irresistible…
There were too many signs of her being a trap and yet he found himself wanting to know more…
Perhaps… There was something there…
It was something he was missing…
It couldn't have anything to do with that stone she found…
Could it?
A human should never be in possession of a dreamstone unless he deems them worthy.
Unfortunately, he won't know if it's possible unless he asks…
He knows completely nothing about this woman unless she tells him directly…
Which made her a mystery…
That perplexes him beyond belief…
He hated the silence, she didn't say a word…
He couldn't hold onto his curiosity any longer, he had to ask her questions that would give him answers but without giving his suspicions away.
So he went with-
"How could any of that be true?"
Her eyes returned to meet his, but this time her stare was cold and deadly. Almost as menacing as her voice.
"Are you calling me a liar?"
She looked ready for a fight…
Perhaps he shouldn't make her angrier…
"No… I'm just wondering if you know of what you speak."
Her stare cooled and her eyebrow rose as she stared at him curiously.
"Meaning?"
He sighed deeply as he wondered if he should clarify.
No human has ever known of the existence of Dreamstones…
So, she couldn't know what she had in her possession…
And it's the only thing that makes sense.
However, the red diamond should have been destroyed a long time ago.
He would know, Dream created all the dreamstones in existence after all.
He knew exactly where they all were too.
Well, he was supposed to…
One apparently slipped from his grasp…
He destroyed the rest that proved to be too much of a menace to leave lying around, the diamond was among them.
It couldn't even be given to someone he trusted, the stone itself became untrustworthy.
The red diamond was too much like him, and yet nothing like him at all. It formed its own personality and it wouldn't listen to him anymore. Its strength was too great to let it exist and end up in the wrong hands.
Once it was destroyed he felt the power return to him, so there should be nothing left of it.
It could be possible that a piece of it survived…
Something like that could be incredibly dangerous in the wrong hands…
But out of all the people in the world…
How did she find it?!
He then finally remembered that he discarded it in the most destructive thing known to man or gods.
He thought nothing could survive from its might or the journey to try to find its remains….
It just so happened that her story correlated with a fact instead of fiction.
Within the fiery depths of a volcano was where the red diamond was destroyed…
But apparently it did survive…
And she found it…
She did say so herself it was in the heart of a volcano…
Damn… This woman finds a way to walk herself right into trouble once she realizes she can't die…
How did she do it?
She didn't delve further into that topic enough for him to know how…
Or why…
If it is the case, and if it is that very diamond then perhaps it was safe for her to know…
It's the only thing that makes sense.
He needed to know for sure.
She wouldn't understand what he's talking about since she's never heard of it anyway.
No one will believe her stories if she told them, same as he did and he's the King of Dreams.
So what's the harm in telling her some of the truth if others will see it as a tall tale.
She waited patiently for his response, he then finally filled the silence with his next question.
"How could a human just stumble upon a dreamstone? Especially one that doesn't exist anymore…"
She looked even more confused…
He was beginning to understand her expressions.
She made them too obvious…
Her pale freckled face doesn't get any wrinkles from the rise of her one eyebrow…
The twist of her fair lips in an awkward smile…
The way her wild wavy red hair falls over one of her green eyes as she tilts her head.
The crinkle in her nose and the turn of her head reminded him of something…
A lot like a little curious deer perhaps…
Soft and gentle from the peaceful look in her gaze…
No…
She was definitely a fox…
He could see it in her eyes, how they wandered to search deep within his orbs for any sign of a lie. Then she looked around the room in caution…
She definitely didn't remind him of prey…
She was a predator.
Just by the way she holds herself, even from looking around on her guard.
He could see her mistrust in the other people around her.
There was the glimmer of one who has seen death...
A glimpse of something he has seen in many before…
In those who have taken a life, and won't hesitate to take another if necessary…
He knew that look way too well, it was the only one he cared to learn.
He could see the hard cold stare when her eyes returned to his…
Her face was expressionless…
He could see it in her gaze it was a form of defense…
To keep her mind unreadable, she was suddenly a master of locking her thoughts and emotions from outsiders.
When she was quiet, he could see her mind at work…
Foxes were always tricky to handle…
No one knows when they will strike…
They act dumb…
But they are actually smarter than everyone else in the forest…
They are clever because they learn from their opponents…
They are quiet because they are listening intently or evaluating their surroundings…
They are excellent hunters and masters of trickery…
If he wasn't too careful…
He won't even see her fangs and claws before it's too late.
Suddenly, he was starting to regret asking that question as she began to fill his ears with her own questions…
She whispers excitedly as if she believed that such a thing existed. Acting as if others would care if they listened in on their conversation.
"What is a 'dreamstone'? Are you talking about the red diamond? That's Shadowheart's heart! Are you saying that she's a dreamstone? What do they do? Is it magic?"
His eyes widened when the questions finally stopped.
She was staring at him eager for a response…
She is clever…
She asked every question that he probably should never answer, but he needed answers as well…
What a predicament…
She suddenly became less interesting and more annoying…
He took another big sigh, two more big breaths of air than he's had in a good while…
"Answer my question and I'll answer yours, one for each."
Her eyes almost glitter from her excitement…
He began to regret saying that as well…
but he was always true to his word…
She was eager with a smile, she didn't speak further as she extended her hand to gesture for him to continue.
He hesitates for a moment…
He should probably start slowly. Directing more attention to facts in her stories rather than being obvious on what he was really interested in.
He finally decides on a similar one that he asked before.
"How did you know Arthur's side of the story? You couldn't have known what he thought."
She then began to reach around and dig in the bag on her hip. She then lays a book flat on the table in front of her as she pushes it towards him.
She spoke quietly and confidently.
"I have his journal. I told him it was best to keep one in the time we spent together. It came into my possession conveniently since he buried it with me. Feel free to take a look…"
When she pulls her hand away he could see it has his name sketched across the front in brilliant cursive writing.
'Arthur's journal'
She waited patiently as he reached to grab it.
He opened the book, flipped through the pages, and read a few lines…
Describing similar details that she mentioned before.
The more he scanned through the book the less he began to believe if this was reality or if he was dreaming.
They were identical in every way, her story and his writing have the same events…
There were some pages of tales she hadn't told him yet..
But… somehow…
He never recalled hearing of this story until now…
How could there be evidence of a story he himself has never heard of?
Ember was in the center of all of it and the sword in fact existed if the writing within this journal was authentic.
He read as Arthur described the blade in detail. Even with an attempt to draw the sword in a corner of that page. Arthur obviously wasn't an artist or the ink was just terrible to draw with. It looked like a small stick with a blank circle in the center of it.
The more he read, the more Arthur started admiring the creator instead of the creation.
He knew Arthur's dreams and his entire story, the same as he recognized his handwriting.
But the entire year within these pages was entirely new to him…
It could be a fake… a good fake…
He became more confused with each page he read…
In other people's stories he could see Excalibur clear as day.
But, how come he couldn't see a black sword with a red diamond?
Not even within Arthur himself…
Anything involving Ember and the sword were completely erased from Dream's knowledge. It was like everything about them was wiped clean…
The only evidence is within the woman in front of him and the book in his hands…
Making her the only thing that could help him find it…
She has everything he needs to know and it was driving him insane that he couldn't just pull it out of her…
He hated this feeling…
The feeling that came with not knowing more than the person in front of him…
How could he not recall that it was this woman in front of him who became known as the lady Viviane?
This couldn't be real, it's not possible.
None of it should be…
He kept his expression blank and emotionless…
When he was actually not feeling the best…
But he wasn't going to let it show…
He wasn't going to let her know that she has all the power between them…
And that speaks volumes for a mortal…
He spoke just as calmly and confidently as she did before.
"This can't be real. There is no way you are the lady of the lake, it's not possible."
Instead of getting angry, she simply smiled to herself as she spoke softly.
"I've heard that name many times over the years. When I overheard Arthur's story being told by other travelers, I didn't think it could have been me at first. Their pictures of her were different from what I look like. She had either blonde hair or brown, she always had blue eyes though. Sometimes they were right on the nose, but I realized it couldn't be anyone else. Only I gave him Excalibur. Well, what actually happened… I wanted to wash off the blood in the water, said something in my mind, and ended up throwing the sword pretty hard… I had no idea where the strength came from, though. Only Guinevere, Arthur, and his mother knew me from that village. They never learned my real name… I didn't return or retrieve my other swords, they were nowhere to be found near the lake. Since I was 'dead', I thought it best I moved on… I would have stayed there if I didn't 'die'... It felt almost like a home… But since I don't age, it was the right decision to go. I couldn't risk having them see me again, I couldn't explain to myself why I was alive. So, why bother trying to tell them the lady of the lake is very much alive and well? It's not like anyone would believe me anyway…. They probably wouldn't have been happy to see me… Not many people admire the ones who can't die… Their view tends to change in a bad way from my experience…"
He didn't think of that…
Other people had a different imagination of her story and what she looked like. With their own versions, adding their own uniqueness to the tale to fit it to how they like it. None of them were the same or look exactly like her. Not even Arthur's imagination could hold the likeness of her face forever.
The only version of that story he didn't know…
was hers…
And apparently the contents within this book as well…
The entire year they spent together was a story he never knew. The pages in his hands held the only proof of its existence.
It tells it almost exactly like hers, but it was very obvious how much Arthur admired Ember in every sentence he wrote about her.
Ember didn't make up Arthur's fascination with her…
She was on every page…
She was almost perfect in his eyes…
Calling her a blessing of the gods…
How come Dream couldn't see it?
She looked like a normal human woman…
What made her so special?
What about her makes him feel things he doesn't understand?
Ember was quiet for a moment in her own mind just long enough for him to think. But then she perked up once again as she spoke.
"My turn - What is a dreamstone and where do they come from?"
Of course she jumps right back to topic before he could.
He rolled his eyes as he replied coolly. Only giving her half the truth since she didn't follow the rules. She didn't need to know he made them anyway.
"That is two questions, I will only answer one, so I'll pick the first. A dreamstone has more power than you could possibly comprehend. It has the ability to make dreams or wishes come into reality, but for a price or a curse. From what you described about this stone, if it matches with the stone I'm thinking of… It grants wishes for the price of blood-"
"Darkness…"
Was all she said in her interruption, his eyes bore into hers as he tried to comprehend what she meant.
"What did you say?..."
She took a sigh of her own and spoke as if it was the obvious answer.
"She didn't want blood, she wanted their darkness… The most evil parts of themselves that rise to the surface from deep inside. Her 'favorites' were serial killers… She sang the loudest when they were near, almost making my ears bleed at one point. She craved the souls that were trapped within their darkness, the loud sounds of pain and suffering of their victims that cling to killers. With every death the darkness grows. It flows in their blood, so it's understandable for it to be mistaken. It could only be silenced or freed by the host's death. I always thought it odd, but I felt like she was speaking to me somehow… Making it seem like their death was a good thing… Everything I said is what she told me… I thought I was crazy honestly… Now I see why…"She took a moment of silence as he got lost in his own…
That explains why the red diamond craved violence over mankind…
In the first moments of its creation it wanted to cause the death of so many humans.
From the way the diamond described, now it finally began to make more sense.
The hearts of men were tainted by greed and the suffering of others. It claimed that the host was creating evil within their souls…
Pumping a flow of darkness within the very essence of themselves…
The diamond demanded for what it craved, the spilling of their blood…
To kill them…
Deeming them unworthy of the life they were given…
Unworthy of dreams…
Believing they took all the good and pure dreams away…
He created that diamond, it was a personification of himself…
So, he should have known it from the start…
And yet he couldn't see what she could…
He didn't see what the stone really wanted….
He didn't give it the chance to explain itself. Just from what he came to understand it seemed too dangerous to have out in the world.
He just wasn't listening…
Now everything started to make sense…
But…
Why of all things did it have to be that diamond?
And why of all things did she make it into a sword?!?!
Now whoever gets their hands on it will become unstoppable…
His thoughts get interrupted as her voice bursts excitedly for a moment.
"I noticed that you spoke as if you weren't a human yourself. I kind of figured you weren't if you're still alive after all these years. I'm more than curious to know more about you. So, if you're not human, what are you?"
He stares at her blankly as he speaks.
"It wasn't your turn yet."
She only stares back with the same expression as she said coolly.
"Yes it is. You said- 'What did you say?'- and if I remember correctly, that is a question."
He gaped at her in disbelief, he couldn't believe he didn't even notice his own mistake…
He wasted a question and she was quicker to pick up on it than he did…
This woman was beyond infuriating now…
Asking the worst questions, making him give another answer he shouldn't be giving to anyone…
Knowing that a deal was a deal, even though he wanted it to end.
But it was his own fault in the first place…
Unfortunately he needed to know more, so he might as well satisfy her curiosity for now.
He grumbled as he spoke.
"A being such as myself is considered an 'Endless', I won't say anything more than that."
He knew nothing about her, it was best that he tried to give her the same courtesy.
For all he knew, she was dangerous.
She already knew more than any mortal before her….
And she happened to be immortal…
for now…
She looked rather disappointed by his answer, but surprisingly, she let it go and didn't pry further.
She was silent in fact, seeming to be in thought herself.
Her brain was impossible to read, everything within her head was completely hers and hers alone.
He hated it…
Everything about her was a complete mystery. Dream was completely clueless on who she really is, he couldn't find a way in to learn a single thing about her.
All he had was the knowledge of her life before the stone…
There was something about this barrier around her…
Its energy was familiar…
He couldn't help but use his other senses to try to read her, it was all he had left.
From what he could see her body language was firm and still as she leaned forward on her arms across the table, she was barely in her chair.
Out of all the things she could have her eyes on in the room, she was completely looking at him.
No loud noise from the bustling tavern could deter her gaze.
Her lips slowly form a smile as she stares deep into his eyes…
Is this some ploy or tactic?
It was making him feel strange…
What could she possibly be thinking in order to be looking at him like that?!
Because it somehow got him to think of odd things…
The table was big enough to make them close but not too close as they sat from each end of the table. There was distance between them as he was leant back in his chair…
But if he were leant up on the table like her…
They would be barely a distance between them…
He would be close enough to smell all of what he could only catch a whiff of from his distance.
The small hint of a sweet smell, he could learn its exact distinct scent if he were that close.
He could find the patterns in her eyes and count the freckles on her face…
He could get a small touch of her luscious red locks, they looked surprisingly soft in its wild mess…
Her hair was shoulder length when they met, she let her hair grow long in their time apart and didn't seem too worried about taming it.
It is somehow both flawed in the flawless waves of flaming hair that curve perfectly around her face…
He would be close enough to where he could taste-...
…
What was he thinking?!
Was he losing his mind?!
Why think of such things?...
He had no answer to give himself…
No, this was her doing!
It was all her fault!
Whatever that was, it's not nearly as important as this situation. He had to get to the bottom of this. He had to make this time productive, not to get caught daydreaming of such…
Ludicrous things…
He gathered himself together as he asked her what he needed to know.
"How did you come across the stone within a volcano? Why were you there?"
Her smile only grew wider as she continued to stare at him like she did.
"I believe that is two questions, I'll only answer one, so I pick the second…"
His eyes widened as he glared in her direction…
This was the second time he has been made a fool by this woman…
What was she doing to him?!
She even used his own words and out of spite chose the one question he wanted to know less than the other.
His expression didn't deter her in the slightest as she continued to smile brightly, leaning farther on the table as she spoke with a serious voice.
"It was an accident…"
That was all she said…
He sat there waiting, hoping, and practically wishing for more…
The silence meant he would have to pry the rest of the information out of her…
Is this payback?
Is this what she felt like when he wouldn't give her the full truth?
Was it supposed to feel this intense?
How could she do this to him?!
He needed to know more!
He wanted to know more…
But now he wasn't so sure as to why he wanted to know.
Was it for the dreamstone or the story?
She had to tell him more than that, it wasn't just about the story!
As if she was reading his mind, she did the worst thing she could do as she spoke confidently.
"I won't tell you more than that, you'll have to wait 100 more years to know that story."
He couldn't think rationally anymore. His rage was brought to an entire new level, but he somehow managed to keep his voice calm.
"Why?"
She only smiled with her vicious grin as she spoke.
"It's not your turn."
His anger began to show.
"I don't care… I want to know why you won't tell me."
"You won't tell me everything, so, neither will I. And It's not your turn."
In her statement her voice and demeanor was calm, while he was certain she knew he was getting ready to blow…
She was doing it on purpose to antagonize him.
He tried his best not to let her win, but he couldn't stand this feeling he was experiencing.
That began to fill him with unbridled rage, his voice was almost loud as he scolded.
"I demand to know more! You can't possibly understand the danger you put the world in if that sword exists! I can't wait 100 years! If all of what you say is true, you are the only one who can help me find it. If it ends up in the wrong hands- I can't even imagine what could be accomplished!"
Her smile slowly turned to a frown as she began to stare coldly in his eyes… Her voice was a lot more serious than before.
"Well I won't help you, if you won't tell me the truth. I don't even know who or what you really are. But if you think you can go around demanding me for anything - I don't care who you are - I will show you why you shouldn't…"
Her glare in his direction meant she was deadly serious, but over time she cooled down as she continued.
"But… I didn't say I wouldn't help. I just don't trust people that aren't fully honest with me… I will only give to you what you give to me, it's only fair."
She would help him?
She didn't want anything in return other than the truth?
Humans were always greedy and selfish creatures, surely she was the same as them.
He had no doubt that gold or riches were on her mind…
"What do you want in exchange for your help?"
She stared at him silently for a moment, but then her smile finally returned as she stated.
"Nothing much. I just want your story. If you're going to ask for stories of my life, I want to know your's too."
He was shocked by her answer, he stared at her wide eyed as she continued.
"But in all honesty, I don't think you have much to worry about. Shadowheart isn't as much of a threat as you think she is. She doesn't like people, only very few people can hold her. She's very picky, it took me 40 years to find Arthur. I was the only one who could hold her until he came along."
His body that was once tense began to relax, and his breathing slowed.
He felt better…
Somehow she eased away the harsh emotions.
He then realized why she was calm…
She didn't fear the diamond at all…
If she spent that long with the diamond, she would know it more than anyone.
He pondered on what she said for a moment.
If she was right, that is a lot of human years. With how many people she has met in her travels and only one could hold it in all that time besides her.
Maybe that gave him plenty of time to go look for it on his own.
Dream didn't need this mortal's help.
He could find it on his own. He didn't need her guidance or to tell her anything he didn't have to.
All he needed was a location on where he should look first.
He leveled his emotions and spoke calmly as he asked.
"You said the last place you saw it was at that lake. Where is it located?"
Just when he finally calmed down…
She didn't hesitate to irritate him once again.
"It's. Not. Your. Turn…"
Her smile never left it became the most obnoxious smile he ever laid eyes on…
He couldn't stand this woman!
Ember's POV
She could take it…
He was so dreamy…
As much as she tried she couldn't stop admiring everything about him in between her own ramped thoughts.
Her thoughts were all over the place…
After all this time, she thought she was insane or different…
No one liked either of them so she kept it to herself…
She didn't mind if no one listened to her tales or took them seriously.
It was her life and she loved every second of it…
She didn't mind sparing a moment to share her most precious memories.
Or even to recall the weakest moments in her life.
When in her moments of weakness she had thoughts of giving up…
Something eventually came along to take those thoughts away…
Something that made her treasure the beauty of life…
And surprisingly…
One of her motivations happened to be this man in front of her…
Even if he wasn't a man or human…
The thought of seeing him again always gave her hope…
He never left her mind, every time she wondered why she was alive after all this time…
He was there…
She could have sworn she saw traces of him in her dreams…
Until the day it all stopped…
The worst and best day of her life…
The day she no longer trusted the word of man…
And the day she found the one thing that truly understood her…
Something that didn't like her at first…
But came to protect Ember in her times of need…
And helped make her dreams come true…
Now it all made sense…
She knew everything she needed to know about Shadowheart. Ember knew the sword could not be easily swayed by anyone. Shadowheart was set in her ways, she hated men just as much as Ember did…
Only one man made that exception…
But if a woman ever wanted to hold it, that might be another story…
But there was something about this man that Ember couldn't find a reason to hate…
Or "Endless"… or whatever he may be…
He was someone she knew nothing about and yet found him to be familiar somehow.
Something about him that made him captivating.
He was mistrusting and cruel…
She could see the lack of empathy in his gaze, he could care less about her or anyone else…
But deep down she can sense that it wasn't true…
There was beauty in him she couldn't quite ignore…
He just didn't see it in himself…
She couldn't help but find him to be impossibly irresistible…
She could stare for hours in the raging sea that she could see in his mesmerizing eyes.
She could see the anger behind them but there was so much more to him than what was on the surface.
Behind the crystal blue irises she could see the wonder and adventure deep inside him.
The lonely man drifting in a boat, in a sea full of magical creatures and monsters, fighting waters that could swallow him whole.
She only saw him calm once. When she was telling her tale.
He was sitting in front of her without a care in the world, all his attention drawn into her story.
He almost seemed relaxed…
But then his worry and fears began to settle in, the monsters threatened to sink his ship.
He was worried about the future, he feared the stone and what it could do.
It was obvious, he might have been secretive and he didn't want to trust.
He would rather figure it out on his own, he didn't want to admit he needed help.
But she could see it…
In all her time observing others, learning their expressions and what they didn't want to express within them.
Somehow in her imagination his emotions were formed into large creatures of the darkest depths of an ocean in constant battle for survival.
Anger decided to join in and took his side in the fight.
A big red beast that held the nastiest look in its eyes, the sharp teeth in its mouth ready for a fight.
Aiming its menacing glare at his next target…
It looked like it was aimed at her, but it was something else…
Something he didn't want to admit or he won't say, either way it looks like he wasn't interested in forming an alliance in the end.
After a moment of silent glares he then spoke confidently…
"Fine, I don't need your help. I'll find it on my own."
She only raised her eyebrow in curiosity.
How could he?
It seems clear that he knew nothing about it, he wouldn't be here for as long as he's been if he did.
After all this time he spent trying to convince himself that her story couldn't be true.
He suddenly believes her, and he doesn't want to tell the truth.
Meaning there was more to him than he will say, he is keeping her in the dark for a reason.
But she wanted to know more…
She didn't want him to go…
She wanted to keep talking…
What if he won't come back?
What if he has no reason to see her now that he has a new mission?
If she had just left that diamond alone, he wouldn't have to worry like this…
It was all her fault…
Now because of her she became nothing more than a nuisance…
…. UNLESS ….
She spoke confidently as her face held a serious expression.
"How can you? You obviously don't know where it is. It seems to me that Shadowheart is trying to hide from you. And since I know her so well, if she wants to be hidden, she will stay that way. I think I have an idea of where she could be, but I don't think I will tell you. Since you don't need my help."
His eyes widened in response, his anger beginning to rise its head out of the waters. He didn't look too pleased by her, but she couldn't help but enjoy his grumpy look.
His voice then grumbles irritability, refusing to admit his lack of knowledge.
"You do not know of what you speak. I would know more than you could possibly conceive. I doubt even an immortal human could stumble upon it again before I do."
A small smile creeps on her face.
He was beginning to fall into her trap…
"Oh yeah… Well, I bet I can find Shadowheart before you can, and if I do, I get your story…"
Suddenly a small laugh escapes him, it was barely there with a hint of disbelief…
But it was the most wonderful sound she heard in a while…
Even if it wasn't a positive laugh…
Even if she barely heard it…
She wanted to hear more…
She needed to…
She needed to see him again…
She hoped that her bait would work…
All he needed to do was to take it…
The anger in his eyes slowly began to descend back to the depths, as another leered its head from the murky waters.
Its form is even larger than the last, tripling anger's size.
Pride gives its devilish gaze in her direction.
The white beast horns towering over the boat as its large eyes bore into hers. The boat rests in between the space from its eyes, the rest of its head submerged within the water.
His face gleaming in his own self confidence.
Her own smile began to find its way to her lips as he finally spoke.
"I highly doubt you could possibly find it before me. I will agree to your request if you win, but if you lose… I want to know your dream…"
Her smile disappeared, and her eyes widened...
Out of all the things he would ask for…
Why that?
Why would he want to know that?
That's the most embarrassing thing he could ask for…
But it was his terms…
So she had to do everything she could to win…
She smiled wide as she spoke softly.
"Deal."
Pride never left from where it floated within the water, its eyes still gleaming within the dim light.
He was ready for the hunt to begin, from what she could see.
He then said one last thing as he returned the book to her.
"I will meet you here again 100 years from now… Good luck - I know I won't need it, but you will."
"We shall see, may the search begin…"
Her smile never left as she gave him a playful look. It was hard to hide her excitement , but she did the best she could as she tried not to look overjoyed by what he just said…
From that moment on, he might never admit it, but from their rivalry…
Their friendship began…
Present day in the year 1989
She sat as patiently as she could at the usual table of the White Horse pub. The interior has changed so much over the years, but its name and location somehow always remained the same. She always sat at the table in the center of the room as she waited for the clock to strike twelve.
After so many birthdays it was hard to celebrate them, she could never tell anyone her real age.
Since she didn't age, she never bothered to count the years…
Not unless it was for one thing…
It was hard to make friends, but somehow there were ones that slipped through her walls…
And found a way to never leave her heart…
Only one became the most important of all…
The one she least expected to fall for…
Became her entire world, and the only reason she would ever really celebrate her birthday.
Somehow every 100 years became the only day she ever looked forward to.
But something was terribly wrong…
Her leg bounced and her hands kept fidgeting with her watch as she watched it tick on agonizingly.
Each noise it made became the only sound she heard, her heart racing faster with each second that passed.
Each minute that passed and he didn't come through that door right on time like he always did…
Became the longest minutes of her entire life…
Within the first hour she was in a full blown panic…
He was never late…
Never!
Where is he!?!
Did he hate her?!
He never went back on his word.
He promised he never would…
They still fought over the title of the stone, each of them only had their hands on it for a moment throughout the centuries.
They couldn't declare a winner but somehow it kept their relationship alive…
It made her fire burn hotter for him each time they met…
Only Morpheus could completely find a way to win her heart and she didn't know how.
Maybe it's because he didn't even try…
Every man did everything they could to sink their teeth into her. They found a way to manipulate, use, or torture her; mentally, physically, or emotionally.
He did none of those things…
In fact, he wasn't interested in her at all.
It was obvious how much he couldn't stand her, he hardly ever said a kind thing about her.
But when he did, those words never left her heart or her mind. She knew each word and could remember exactly how he said each one.
He meant them and he never lied, that's what made them so special…
That's why after all these years it's still hard to believe he would ever lie to her now…
He promised…
He should be here…
Something must have happened!
He couldn't still be angry about what she said…
Could he?...
Did he find Shadowheart and decided not to tell her?
Why would he?
He would love to rub it in her face…
Did he give up on her?
She couldn't blame him, she was a woman full of problems.
She was probably a lost cause to him…
But why would he ever go back on his word?...
He might be one of the coldest and most distant powerful entities of the universe.
And she might have nothing to offer him…
But if he was ever in any danger, she wouldn't hesitate to do everything within her power to save him…
She may only be a human, but she would never abandon the one she loved…
After her many years alive, she would know what love was…
What it should or shouldn't be…
What it really felt like…
And she never felt love like this with anyone else in all her life…
She never knew an ache in her chest like this…
Not with anyone…
How could this not be love?
He didn't do anything special, all he had to do was exist…
She thought she felt love once…
It wasn't real… it left her feeling empty
But nothing compared to this…
She could remember the moment she realized she liked him…
It wasn't long after their second encounter.
The year is 1492
The air here was different from a forest, it felt eerie and cold. The fog that settled in during the night time and made it harder for women to travel the city streets.
There were always drunk men whistling or cat calling for anything that moved.
She was lucky to catch men in the act before they did anything to them.
They couldn't even try with Ember, she was like a shadow in the streets. It was over before it started, she would beat them to a pulp or disappear in the darkness.
She adapted to her surroundings well, learning the way of their people and the environments they live in.
The value the men held for women was disgusting…
In moments like this she began to miss Shadowheart… Or at least a sword in her hands.
Unfortunately, she never made another sword since she lost her favorite swords. Ever since the fall of Joan of Arc before her second interaction with Morpheus, she hasn't touched a blade after that…
But that's another story…
Ember heard a rumor that Joan of Arc held Shadowheart before they met and ended up passing it on to someone she trusted. From all the deep diving for the past 4 years, she traced the rumors all the way to the city called Italy.
And so far she hated everything, the sights, the smells, and the people…
Everything about it was disappointing…
She couldn't wait to get back to the forest, but she had a feeling she wouldn't be getting back anytime soon. She had already spent a week in this city and hasn't found a trace of Shadowheart.
Just when she thought about moving on to the next town over, a group of men stumble together. She walks past them as they exit a tavern entrance, they were too focused on each other to notice she was a woman.They cheer with cups still in their hands as more of them exit the tavern.
One voice in particular said something rather intriguing as they crowd into the street.
"On the voyage beyond the far reaches of the sea, we shall find the land of India, and be richer beyond our wildest dreams. Everyone will know my name! On that day my dreams will come true, and there I will discover the secrets of the shadow sword!"
Her eyes widened at the name, she knew immediately what he was describing.
He has Shadowheart.
Not on him, but in his possession.
Where?
She turns around at the mention of it, then hides in a nearby alleyway to keep a good eye on them without them noticing her presence.
She watched them closely and kept her focus on them. She didn't get a good look at the man who shouted, he blurred in with the rest of the group as they yelled together.
The men cheer loudly after his speech, raising their cups, and then bringing them down to chug them empty. They began chattering among themselves…
But then, suddenly a large hand crept on her shoulder.
She was so focused on the group she didn't even hear whoever got the drop on her.
On instinct she tried to get out of the hand holding her, but they had a rather tight grip. Then came two hands as they spun her around and gripped her shoulders in place.
To be brought into view of a fat bald drunk idiot.
His nasty breath blew in her face as he heaved his shoulders to breathe like some perverted freak.
Drool left his disturbing yellow grin, as his dark eyes leered over her entire body.
She was covered in a dark cloak that slightly hovered over the ground, with a hood covering her face in the dark…
Only a small trace of her chin and mouth could be seen enough for the man to know she was a woman.
He could also see she had a black leather suit that fit rather nicely on her. It fully covered her arms and legs. Not much skin was visible other than in the front, it showed a little of her neck and cleavage in the dim light. She wore well made boots and gloves that match, they fully covered her hands and feet. Her bow still rapped on her back and front, only the string was visible, the rest hidden beneath the cloak. Her satchel carried all her daily essentials.
He looked at her as if she had all her clothes off… and was bare naked to the world…
Or that's the look that said he was about to make it happen…
His voice was just as disgusting as his face…
"What's a sweet thing like you doing in a place like this… all alone…"
How the hell could she not hear a man like this walking in the street behind her?
He was freakishly huge and strong…
He breathed loudly like he struggled to breathe, but in reality it was the heavy breathing of a horny pig…
How could a man this big have light feet?!
There should have been no way he could have snuck up behind her, but he did…
How the fuck could she not smell him at least?…
He smelled worse than the sewers…
Maybe thats why he blended in too well…
Either way she hated everything about this interaction…
Unfortunately, it was obvious, this man didn't ask for permission…
He does what he wants…
His body towered over her, and she couldn't find a way out of his tight grip.
All she had left was her fury and her fists.
Just when she reached back his large hand grips her wrist instead.
His voice began to become more sickly and dark as he spoke.
"Come now… There's no need to be so feisty… Let's go home to get a better look under those clothes…"
Her eyes glare at his hideous hungry stare, she let him have it.
But then, his other hand grabs her second attempt of using her fist. Then he grips both of her hands in one of his, squeezing them tightly together with an iron grip.
Her voice escapes her mouth slightly when it starts to hurt as he holds them in front of her.
His free hand reaches for her hood.
"First - let's see the face that matches those luscious lips…"
She was about ready to use her feet, but just when he gripped her hood, a voice interrupted the hostile interaction between them.
"Hey! What's going on over there?!"
The voice sounded a lot like the man who spoke before.
She watched the hungry pig's face turn angry as the footsteps got louder from up the street.
Her head turns to see a tall man striding right towards them. His face looked annoyed but he couldn't hide his drunken stumble.
She rolled her eyes as he started to shout. The man spoke as if he had all the power at this moment…
As if he were ten feet tall…
When he wasn't…
"I could see it from all the way over there - she doesn't want to go anywhere with the likes of you! Unhand the lady, immediately!"
The pig only growls with irritation, grumbling out his reply.
His sick and twisted voice sends cold chills throughout her body in his low raspy breath.
"Go away… She's mine…"
Ember's eyes widened as she struggled and fought for her own freedom. No matter what she did she couldn't get out of his grasp and began her own growl in anger. Both of her wrist were still trapped in one large hand as his other hand catches her leg that she tries to swing at his head.
Holding her in an awkward position forcing her to hop on one leg.
Just when he leered down at the opening he made between her legs, she managed to knee him in the chest as he held her in his grip. Knocking the wind from him momentarily as he released her leg but not enough to make him let go of her hands.
The ugly man catches his breath as he glares at her, their eyes meet in the dim light. The fire in both of them is about to explode.
Then his voice said something that brought her to the verge of breaking.
"You are so mean, I like them sweet… I will show you how you're supposed to act…"
She held back from screaming out as he squeezed her wrists tighter, lifted her arms up, dangled her off the ground, and forced her against a wall. His hand held forcing hers into the brick wall above her head. She tried to show no fear and focused on getting out of his tight grip. She couldn't kick him since he was using his other hand to try to force her legs open.
She had to fight with all her might to keep him closed.
The blonde gentleman had enough of the entire thing as he points angrily at the bigger man stepping closer to them and yells louder than before.
"Enough! One thing I will not stand for is-"
A loud thud echoed throughout the street, as the smaller man fell back from the hit to his cheek. The backhand of the large man sent the smaller man back a few steps.
Surprisingly he didn't fall to the ground, he managed to stay on his feet.
It was his own fault, he should have stayed out of it.
But luckily, it was just enough of a distraction to kick the pig in the dick.
He groans agonizingly and releases her hands to cover his groin.
Once her feet were firmly on the ground, she gave him no sympathy in her gaze.
He bends down and ends up meeting with her menacing stare. He was level enough to her for her to throw a mean uppercut to the grimy fat man's jaw. Just at the right spot to knock him out cold as his large body thuds loudly to the ground.
Ember took in a big sigh of relief as she shook her throbbing fist to release the pain. She then quickly dusted herself off. Trying hard to forget the feeling of this filth touching any part of her body. Ember didn't realize her hood was off until the man behind her said-
"W-Wow, Red… How did you… How did you do that?"
Red?
He saw her hair and that's the first thing that came to mind… Real original…
Luckily, he didn't see her face.
She rolled her eyes once again as she lifted her hood back over her head. She didn't turn to face him as she continued to dust herself off when she spoke.
"Live a day in my shoes and you'll know how to punch like that for a living. He's not the first man I had to knock out in this infernal city…"
The man groans as he touches the tender spot on his cheek before he spoke.
"Good thing he hit me instead of you, I didn't feel it since I'm pretty drunk. He hits very hard though, I don't think you could have handled it. I will feel it tomorrow for sure."
Before she disappeared into the shadows once more, she couldn't help but be curious…
"Why did you step in like that? He was bigger than both of us combined, you didn't stand a chance…"
She turned back slightly and caught a small glimpse of his smile as he eyed her with his own curiosity.
"I thought the same thing at first, but you looked like you needed a hand. You might not have needed my help in the end, but if I would have stayed quiet you probably wouldn't have had your chance to strike."
That is true…
Things could have gotten farther than she would have tolerated and he would be a dead pig, not a knocked out one.
But that didn't really answer her question…
"You still could have turned a blind eye, you didn't have to get punched in the face tonight… But you did… why?"
He stumbled back for a moment, the drinks finally hitting him harder than before or maybe he got a slight concussion from the blow…
Either way, he still continued with a smile on his face and managed to keep his words clear and direct.
"If I do nothing while a damsel is in distress, what kind of man does that make me? No man should ever let harm come to a single red hair on your pretty head. It is unjustified to turn a blind eye for anyone who is in trouble. But it would be an utter crime to ever watch a woman get treated like an object and not like a person…"
She stares silently at him for a moment, wondering if he means what he says…
Not a single man she has met in this city thought like him…
Or said anything like that to her…
Only once did her heart race like this but that man didn't have to say a word.
She wondered why this guy was different…
He had a kind face, one that wasn't rugged like a certain someone's… but, he could be considered handsome for his age.
It was hard to see the colors of his eyes in the light from the flame lit lamps in the streets.
He was definitely the man that spoke before, his voice couldn't be mistaken. Now that she knew what he looked like, it would be easier to tail him.
He then spoke once more as he turned to look back and point at his group.
"I'm here drinking with my crew, your more than welcome to join us inside. It would be safer than-"
He stopped talking after he noticed she was already gone. As soon as he turned his back she was now one with the night. Unseen by the human eye but just in view enough to watch as he looked around in disappointment…
He tried to peek down the alleyway to find a trace of her, but gave up after a moment of silence to himself. The smile on his face was still there, small and sweet. He returned to his crew who were too busy laughing among themselves to even notice their friend was missing. When he returned they either cheered or stared at him with drunken confusion, wondering if they remembered him leaving in the first place.
One of the guys that did notice his absence threw his arm around the gentlemen's shoulder as he spoke loudly in his ear with a drunken slur.
"Where did you go, Christopher? *Hic* You just disappeared all of a sudden…"
The man called Christopher was silent once again, he seemed lost in his own little world. But then he came back with an even brighter smile.
"I think I just found the love of my life... Unfortunately, she was the one who disappeared…"
She could feel her face getting warm from the statement…
How could he possibly think he knew enough about her to love her?
It's not possible to fall in love that fast…
Is it?
The man next to him laughed in response and spoke in disbelief.
"I never thought a woman would ever catch your eye. Too bad she was a ghost, eh?"
Christopher didn't change the look on his face, all he said was-
"The most beautiful ghost I ever got to see."
Her heart raced and her face grew hotter.
He didn't even see her face!
Did he?!
How could anyone say those words with a straight face like that and mean them?!
Was he insane?
Whoever this man was, he wasn't like the others…
He had the same spark of bravery as Arthur, but he wasn't nearly as strong.
She could see the longing for adventure in his eyes, the same as her own.
He seemed kind and straightforward.
When other people show that side of themselves they want something in return, but he asked for nothing…
Did he really mean the words he said about her?
Or was it all for show?...
She moved to a rooftop across the street from the tavern to keep a close eye on them.
They began to crowd back into the busy tavern to fill their tankards once more.
They spent the rest of their night within the pub, drinking until they couldn't hardly stand. Then as the moon begins to settle past its highest peak, they all exit the tavern and stumble slowly through the streets. They don't know which way they were going at first, until Christopher started to take the lead. He stumbles a lot, but manages to lead them closer to the peer. She follows them closely, jumping from roof to roof to keep her eyes on them as they try to walk themselves across a dock without falling into the water.
Loading themselves onto a large ship.
She sat on the roof and began to admire the beauty of the ship's craft.
This was the first time she has ever seen a ship of that size up close. She always wanted to be the captain of one. Ever since she learned about the sea when she was young, it didn't matter where it went, where she came from, or what it took to cross it. She always wanted to venture to the far reaches of the deep blue. To discover new land that has yet to be claimed, make herself a house that no one could take from her. Venture to land untouched by anyone else. Somewhere she could go when she needed a break from the adventurers.
A place to call her home.
All the people here started to drive her crazy, she was ready for a new life. She had 96 more years until she needed to come back to London anyway.
She explored all of England within 50 years. It was peaceful for a while, but then things got worse when she tried to keep sword- making as a business... being a woman and all...
After Arthur, she ventured to France for a while. Where she met a dear friend that was actually a person. Only to come back to London for a certain meeting with a certain entity.
She then returns to France on her search for Shadowheart. She hears a rumor that a man called Merlin hid the sword. Once she discovered the sword wasn't in England anymore, but back in France. She retraced her steps only to realize how close she was to the stone in all that time.
Both times she traveled back and forth was on her own small boat she managed to get a hold of.
She never got to see a ship like this one…
Let alone be on one…
It was huge!
She could feel the excitement begin to send shivers down her spine…
This was going to be one hell of an adventure…
That's all for this one folks! I wanted to get a little more into each of their POV's. I hope you liked it. I'm sorry for the short episode but I've been very busy lately. Working two jobs makes it a little difficult to focus on writing.
Until next time my lovelies!