The Iron Badger

Chapter 7

A Dream within a Dream

1

Rye, my father, felt tired wandering around in the twisted forest created by a twisted god named Phreebious. With little to go on, Rye rested his feet and sat upon an ashy log, then buried his face within his shaky hands, feeling the need to cry as worry and doubt filled the insides of his heart. Fatigue and broken in spirit, my father, for the first time in his life, prayed. Never in my father's life was he ever forced to pray, to seek refuge in something he did not believe in. Mother had always told me that prayer is the last resort for a scoundrel--upon hearing my father's testimony--I sided with Isabela, my mother.

"Show me the way and I will follow!" Prayed my father, choking down his pride, hoping his prayers were not done in vain or fallen upon deaf ears to the gods that he swore did not exist. Then his greatest fears came to him, as he thought. Why should they help? I never believed in them.

"The feelings of helplessness came to me as I poured my heart out to Caz and to Lillian. I saw myself in a freshly dug grave only to see dirt being poured upon me, hearing the voices of the gods mocking me. If it was me, I would have done the same thing to myself." Explained my father.

I sat on the corner of my father's bed and scribed all he had uttered. I had never seen a man so frightened. He laid still on his deathbed describing what happen seven years after his absence.

The way he described the world to me as a world of soundless stillness, that he found uncomfortable and eerie. Not once had he had seen a tree sway, for there were no leaves or moving air, like a breeze. Instead, my father referred to the odd place as a holding cell, a prison of sorts. "It was a place to which even the bravest or the strongest of men would yield to madness." The words of my father, even to this day, sent a chill into the very marrow of my being. I grieved over every word that my father uttered!

While clouds of doubt swirled inside my father's mind, a bird gazed upon Rye, then tilted its head from side to side, looking at him from every angle, as my father continued to pray.

"As I prayed. I felt a pull, as if someone was staring at me. I reopened my eyes... To my disbelief, I saw a world of vibrant color. Not like the world I saw only moments ago."

With hands still clasped in prayer, Rye's eyes glazed over to the trees trying to get a glimpse of the on-looker, but my father was in awe of the vibrant colors of nature--a complete change of scenery since he first opened his eyes to a dull and ashy world. Now the trees sway with sounds of insects emerging for the first time since he awoke. But the raven gave a hallow cry, in getting my father's attention. Rye unclasped his hands, then stood firmly to his feet. "I walked cautiously towards the bird, for I knew not if it was friend or foe. I kept a safe distance. I asked the bird if it was there to guide me. It sat on the bow of the tree, cocking its head sideways, then hopped on a nearby branch, getting a closer look at me. I stepped back, unsure what to expect. Then the bird squawked and pointed its beak to the left of me. I looked and saw a large, black, oval-shaped hole that stood upward in the forest. It looked as if it could pull anything in that came close to it, but yet it did not. It appeared to be a doorway to somewhere. The bird continued to point and squawk towards the opening. I pointed towards the opening, then asked if I was supposed to go in there. All the bird did was poised itself on the branch, then squawk, pointing with its beak again."

Rye turned from the bird, then approached the portal. "I placed my hand in first. Then slowly up to my elbow. The bird then flapped its wings, encouraging me to enter the portal. If I wasn't dead already, I would soon be, so... There was not much of a choice in the matter. I must enter through the strange opening. I must see what is on the other side. And so, I did."

On the other side of the portal, my father saw a night sky covered with stars, along with a giant moon giving off an eerie glow. "The dark night sky looked like velvet as I passed through. And to my surprise, the bird flew through the oval opening just as I walked through. It then rested its feet on my shoulder. The bird gave me feelings of comfort. I drew out my sword, then marched towards the great unknown. The eerie glow of the moon revealed to me a dirt path with twisted trees on either side of the path. I did not understand the importance of it at first. I saw the Ce-Na, the twisted tree, then heard howls of wolves off in the distance, then a girl with a quilted blanket she carried with her. As I was trying to figure out what I was seeing, the wolves appeared before me with sobs that bellowed from inside the rotten, twisted tree. Then I began to tear up. I did not know why I became so emotional. I did not know who the girl was... Well, at least at first, I did not. Drying my eyes with the sleeves of my shirt, then saw a man with a sword. I cheered as the man slew the wolves, hearing the yelps of pain from the wolves. Then I felt pride as the wolves laid dead, creating a stream of blood in the moon's glow. The little girl came out of the old rotten tree with great trembling. The man with the sword knelt on one knee, then hugged the girl. What came next surprised me. I then mouthed the same words as the man did, as if... I knew what he was about to say, before he said them. Why? How? Would I have known this? I reasoned with myself. Never go out at night alone! Do you understand me? Was said by the man that killed the wolves saving his daughter's life. Then he hugged her, knowing full well she was his daughter. I knew this because it is how I would have reacted if I found my daughter alone at night--Then I felt my hands trembling, followed by shortness of breath. Then it happened. I remembered! I was that man! I slaughtered those wolves. I spoke those words to Tara, my daughter. I caught her alone at night. How did I forget?"

The greatest fear my father ever known was the thought of losing me (his daughter). Rye looked and saw glimpses of the past that had been forgotten. With a sword in hand, my father ran towards the dark shadows of the unknown. Shadows of memories of long ago created by Phreebious's illusions.

2

The great and powerful moon shone through the darkness, gave breath and life to a demonic warrior. Rye stopped with a sword drawn from his scabbard, taking in the size of his foe. There was no face, only a flame that blazed from within his helmet. The creature was massive in stature, blocking the dirt path, a path my father must journey on, a mission he must complete if he were ever to get to his home and life he once knew. But the massive creature was unyielding to my father's wants. The demonic creature with its oversized sword caused a spark behind him as it walked towards Rye.

"I pointed at the warrior dressed in black armor with my sword that looked more like a splinter. I knew I was outclassed and sized, despite that, I tried none the less."

My father shouted with a mortal cry. "Bid me safe passage!" Rye cried. "My daughter is in that twisted tree." My father pleaded.

The demonic warrior raised its terrible sword in a challenge with a terrifying laugh, then spoke in deep tones with low groans. "Let the darkness consume your thoughts and feel how weak you have become."

Rye heeded not the warrior's words, but he hoisted his sword up high, letting it down like how a blacksmith beats red hot steel. The violent blow was swift and true. Then Father opened his eyes with hopes to see damage he had caused to his foe. To my father's dismay, the terrible knight was unscathed by Rye's sword. Rye, a master swordsman, fell on his knees with a thud, feeling the weight of the sum of his fears quickly multiplying.

The demonic warrior showed no signs of sympathy as it quickly reached my father. "Darkness will consume thy very heart."

"I heard little and cared less, for I was tired, bruised, and defeated. The dark vines grew as sorrow weighed me down. The vines drained the very marrow of my being. I was completely tied and bound by the shadowy vines of woe."

The demon warrior stood aside, as my father was tied by the shadowy vines of darkness, forcing Rye to see the destruction of his daughter's body being shredded to pieces by the wolves. In my father's heart, he knew he had saved me from the twisted fate of the wolves, but Phreebious's cruel delusion showed his daughter being torn in pieces of the wolves doing.

"It was the most dreadful thing! I heard bones breaking and the wolves howling, but there was not a thing I could do. The dark vines prevented me from closing my eyes or turning my head away from the ghoulish display of gore. All I kept hearing was the voice of my daughter crying out for me, but I never came."

Thedemonic warrior melted and became as one with the thick darkness. Still, the dark vines bound my father tightly.