The Gods of Dream: An Epic Fantasy

by Daniel Arenson

  "Did you see that, Tash?" he whispered.

  Galgev hushed them. "Do not move! Do not speak."

  The fox god pushed himself away from the window, so as not to be seen. Cade did the same, pressing himself against a bookshelf out of sight. He stood, heart hammering, Tasha on his shoulder. The music of the trees died. He could hear the demon's snorts, could feel the heat from its body. It was close now. He could hear it scratching against the walls, hissing. Cade clutched a heavy geode on the shelf.

  Finally the demon moved on. He could hear it retreating, and Galgev breathed a sigh of relief. Cade let go of the stone.

  "What was that thing?" he demanded. It had seemed more powerful and evil than even the Crunge. It had radiated horror and malice.

  "He is called the Silent Man." Galgev sighed. "He is a scout and spy, and one of the six Incubi, dark knights of Nightmare. I don't think he saw us, but he saw the house. I must alert Yor. We must capture the demon before he returns to Phobetor. Go now. You cannot stay the night. This place is no longer safe."

  Galgev stepped into another chamber and emerged a moment later carrying a pile of clothes. "These will be more suitable for your journey." He placed the clothes into Cade's arms. Cade saw a dark green cloak and hood, soft yet sturdy boots, warm pants, a woolen tunic, and a backpack.

  "They are enchanted and will never tear," Galgev said. "They will remain sturdy, fresh, and warm forever. Now go. Seek Tam, the god of music, who wrote the Dreamsong. He lives in the Crystal Caves. Ask him to mold you a Dreamblade."

  Cade wanted to ask where the Crystal Caves were, but Galgev sprang into the garden and disappeared into the woods, following the demon's trail.

  Cade remained, holding the clothes, Tasha on his shoulder.

  "I'm scared," the mouse said and buried her face against Cade's neck.

  Me too, Cade thought, gazing out into the garden, still seeing the demon in his mind. Dark knights of Nightmare. He shuddered.

  Chapter Seven

  Harmony and Starlight

  Tasha wished she could have slept in Galgev's home, in a real bed with walls surrounding her. But she did not relish the thought of sleeping in a home Phobetor had scouted, and Galgev's warning lingered in her mind. She rode on Cade's shoulder as he walked across the Enchanted Garden, past its fountains, statues, and urns of flowers. They finally reached the far side and reentered the forest. The demon tracks lay across the land, smoking and stinking.

  I never knew mice had such a strong sense of smell, she thought. Since she had become a mouse, smells filled her world, both the sweet scents of Dream and the stench of evil.

  "So how do we find these Crystal Caves?" she asked as they walked between oaks and birches with rustling leaves. Twigs and acorns crunched beneath Cade's feet.

  They asked several birds about the caves, but the birds could only say, "Good morning!" or, "Tasty seeds for lunch!" and one kept repeating, "Berries and twigs and sunlight to you."

  "Birdbrains!" Tasha said with disgust. "Even in Dream they're stupid. All besides Windwhisper, that is."

  Cade pointed northwest. "See that tall hill? It's almost a mountain. You can probably see for miles from there. Let's climb."

  They spent several hours walking toward the mountain. They reached the foot of the mountain at nightfall and curled up in the cloak.

  "This cloak is soft as a bed," Cade said, kicking off the boots Galgev had given him.

  Tasha built herself a nest of leaves and grass inside her seashell. "I'm going to make this shell cozy like a bed too," she said. She paused, looked up at her brother, and suddenly felt tears in her eyes. She suddenly loved Cade so much. "I'm glad I came with you, Cade," she said. "I'm glad to be in Dream, even if it's dangerous and haunted, even if I had to come as a mouse. It'll always be our special place, Cade, and I'm happy here. I'm happy that we can do something to save it." Without waiting for his reply, she snuck into her shell.

  She lay in the darkness, the leaves and grass soft around her. She wished she could stay like this forever, a tiny mouse, hidden in her shell, hidden here in Dream. If she stayed here forever, she would be happy. Nightmare, she thought with a shiver. If there was anything she feared more than returning to Earth, it was entering that horrible land. But Cade will be with me, she thought. We'll do it together. For Dream. Our place. Weariness overcame her, and she fell asleep, the crickets chirping outside.

  In the morning, after a breakfast of berries and nuts, they began climbing the mountain. Scree and bushes covered the slopes, at times giving way to sheets of naked stone. Rowan and beech trees covered the mountainside, growing over cascading streams. Tubeflowers and Silver Queen shrubs grew between fallen branches and logs. The hill was steep and fallen logs hindered Cade's step.

  "If Nightmare has any spies around, we'll be clear in the open up here," Tasha warned.

  Cade nodded. "I'll stay beneath this maple. Why don't you climb that boulder and tell me what you see?" He pointed at a jagged boulder which rose into sunlight, perched like a sentinel on the hill's crest.

  Tasha scurried up the boulder, then returned a few moments later. "No caves that I can see," she said. "About ten miles southeast there seems to be a waterfall. Animals smarter than birds might come there to drink. Maybe we'll find someone who knows of this Tam."

  "Sounds like a plan," Cade said. "But first let's rest. Galgev's food gave me lots of energy, but it's gone now."

  They found strawberry bushes on the northern, sunny side of the hill. They ate many and packed more in the backpack Galgev had given them. Not far from the strawberries ran a stream where they drank and washed. In the afternoon they began descending the hill, moving toward the waterfall.

  "It's in the general direction of Phobetor," Cade said, checking his compass.

  Tasha shuddered. "Don't speak that name out loud. It gives me shivers. I didn't care much for his creatures here, and I hate to think what more he has in store for us."

  They hiked down the mountain for several hours, then alongside a stream which ran through a forest of maples. The trees rustled, casting dapples of light upon the ground. The leaves here seemed brighter green, like leaves of spring, and the air clearer. They were weary, but wanted to reach the waterfall by night.

  The sun had set, and the moon risen, when they finally heard water crashing ahead, felt a mist against them, and stepped around a copse of birch to find themselves on an outreaching shelf of stone. Standing between overhanging trees and vines, they gazed down into a bowl of mist. Ahead fell the waterfall, glistening in the moonlight between chalk walls bedecked with vines and trees.

  The waterfall was tall and thin, singing gently, feeding a clear pool. The spray wet their faces, scented of leaves. Glowing damselflies and fireflies hovered over the pool, dancing, and the water itself seemed to glow with them.

  "I see nobody here," Cade said.

  "Aside from the creatures hovering over the water, and I've yet to see insects speak here," Tasha agreed. "But look. Just by the waterfall there's a cave. Let's check it out."

  "Okay. I wonder if these are the Crystal Caves."

  "Let's investigate."

  Moving slowly in the moonlight, they climbed down to the pool below. Mist hovered around them between the trees. Walking alongside the pool, they saw that gems covered its floor. It's like a wishing well, Tasha thought, but instead of pennies on the bottom, there are emeralds and topazes and amethysts.

  By the waterfall, they climbed up to the cave and peered inside. They could see a golden light, and when she scurried in, Tasha found piles of gold coins. Atop the coins, Tasha found shed fur--some white, some black.

  "I can smell something," she said, twitching her whiskers. "An animal or two lives here, or did until recently. I don't like the smell. They smell like cats." She thought for a moment. "I can't say that I've ever smelled a cat before, but it seems mice can recognize the scent."

  Cade yawned and stretched. "Does it smell like Nightmare monsters?" he asked.

 
"Well, not as such. But all cats are monsters to me, now that I'm a mouse."

  Cade spread the coat under him. "It's started to rain again. This cave is good shelter. Let's sleep. If it doesn't smell like Nightmare, I'm happy. I don't think anything native to Dream is harmful."

  He lay down, kicked off his boots, and yawned. Tasha snuck into Cade's cloak, and with the rain pattering outside and the trees humming their ethereal tunes, they fell asleep.

  * * * * *

  In the morning, Cade woke up to find two strange animals cuddled up against him. They looked like cats, but had butterfly wings. One cat had midnight black fur strewn with white sparkles like stars. Her wings were silvery. The second cat had ivory fur and golden wings. Strawberries smeared the mouths of both animals, and Cade noticed that his backpack lay open, the strawberries consumed.

  Cade sat up. The winged cats stirred but did not wake.

  "Ack, cats!" Tasha called, waking from sleep. She leapt into Cade's collar. "Kick them away, Cade. Get rid of them!"

  Tasha's shrieks woke the winged cats. They opened their eyes, blinked several times, and stretched. Lazily, they rose to their paws.

  "Your shirt is talking," said the white one.

  "It's actually my sister," Cade said, admiring the winged cats. Both were beautiful, with bright eyes and thick fur. Their butterfly wings glimmered. "She only recently became a mouse, and is still a little shy." Only in Dream, he thought, can you say something like this and still seem normal.

  The black winged cat spoke loudly, "We are not cats, lady mouse! We are pegacats." The animal outstretched her butterfly wings and hovered into the air. The sparkles on her black fur shone like stars across a midnight sky.

  Tasha's voice came from inside Cade's shirt. "Do you eat mice?"

  The black pegacat licked her paw. "Only if they displease us. My name is Starlight. May I see your face?"

  Tasha climbed to Cade's collar and peeked out. Starlight smiled at her.

  "And I'm Harmony!" said the white pegacat, flying up to hover near Tasha. Harmony had a higher voice than Starlight and a lighter bounce to her movements.

  "Are you gods of Dream?" Cade asked.

  "Yor created us when Niv was a child, so that we could be her pets. He gave us the waterfall as our home. In fact...." Harmony puffed her fur. "You have invaded our bedroom! How rude of you. But we forgave you, when we saw that you had brought us strawberries."

  "They were our strawberries," Tasha said.

  "Not anymore," Harmony said, licking her paw.

  Cade crawled out of the cave, climbed down to the pool, and stretched. He drank from the water and looked around for breakfast, but could see nothing to eat. The pegacats followed him. The sunlight sparkled on their fur and butterfly wings.

  "Is there anything to eat around here?" Cade asked.

  The pegacats nodded. "Delicious gems!" Harmony said. She leapt into the pool, swam to the bottom, and returned to the surface with several gems in her mouth. She crunched them between her teeth. "Mmm-Mmm!"

  Cade sighed. "We'll have to find more fruit along the way," he told Tasha.

  "On the way?" Harmony asked, leaping up beside him, spraying him with water. "Are you leaving so soon? Where are you going?"

  Starlight nudged her sister. "Shh! Harmony, you silly dolt. He's on a quest. Don't you remember what Windwhisper told us?"

  Harmony opened her mouth wide and nodded. "Ah yes!" she called out. "The quest to destroy Phobe--"

  Starlight shoved her again, pushing her right into the pool. "Quiet, you bird!" she whispered. "It's a secret, and there are evil ears that listen everywhere. Don't you remember what Yor said?"

  Harmony emerged from the pool, walking straight as if trying to muster all the dignity left in her. "Well, Starlight, I'm sorry that I fall asleep during Old Twig Eater's sermons. He can be such a bore sometimes."

  Cade shook his head. It was hard to believe such silly, small beings were created by Yor, the King of Dream, the same god who created Galgev. Then again, he did create them to be Princess Niv's pets, not to be great scholars or warriors. He liked the animals.

  "I met a god named Galgev," Cade said. "He told me to seek the Crystal Caves. Can you tell me where they are?"

  "Sad Galgev," the pegacats said in unison and lowered their heads.

  "Why is he sad?" Cade asked.

  Starlight looked to the west, sadness and longing in her eyes. She said quietly, "He is Phobetor's father."

  Cade stood shocked. How could Galgev, the kindly woodsman and gardener, be father to the horrible God of Nightmare? As he stood bewildered, Harmony flapped her wings, hovered into the air, and began to sing. True to her name, she had a beautiful voice, a voice that could rival the lightdragons. Cade recognized the tune of the Dreamsong.

  Galgev

  fox-god of the Enchanted Garden

  set upon a journey

  He wandered the lands of Dream

  a walking stick in hand

  traversing mountains and rivers and forests

  exploring the outer reaches of beauty

  for many days

  In the distant fringes of Dream

  he came upon a cave

  where dwelled a mysterious ghost woman

  Winived, she called herself

  a cunning being of temptation and lies

  She lured the fox-god into her cave

  Pretending to be his wife

  she tricked him into lying with her

  and begetting a son with her

  When Galgev discovered the ruse

  he howled in sadness

  so loud that Yor

  atop his cliff in Hidden Valley Ridge

  heard and shed tears

  Cade and Tasha stood silently, lost in thought. The waterfall sang in the silence that followed, and the spray filled Cade's hair.

  "Is that how Phobetor was born?" he said quietly. He reached into his pocket and caressed the small golden bottle, the bottle which could imprison the God of Nightmare. "The ghost woman's son with Galgev?"

  But Harmony, the white pegacat, could sing no more. She landed on the earth and stood with her head lowered, overcome with emotion. Starlight stepped up quietly and began to sing. Her voice was lower than Harmony's, but just as beautiful.

  For her treachery

  Yor banished Winived from Dream

  and cast her away in shame

  Gravid with Galgev's child

  Winived wandered the cruel lands beyond Dream

  banished and alone

  and bore Galgev's son upon a desolate rock

  surrounded by nothingness

  Phobetor, she named her son

  Phobetor, banished god of Dream

  pale god with white burning eyes

  full of the magic of Galgev

  and the mystery of his mother

  O, Phobetor!

  How poets have wept for you

  O, Phobetor!

  Forgotten, lost god of Dream

  Starlight ended her song and stood by Harmony, her head lowered.

  Cade sat down on a log and gazed into the pool of gems. Tasha crawled down his shoulder and stood upon his knee. The twins stared at each other. A cold wind blew and the trees creaked.

  "I can almost smell the monsters," Tasha whispered.

  Cade shivered.

  * * * * *

  Phobetor stood in his hall between stone pillars and gazed upon Nightmare's horizons. Beyond fields of razor-sharp boulders, columns of fire crackled and black mountains soared. Red and black ash swirled in the sky, dragons screamed overhead, and slugs the size of elephants screeched in the distances.

  "You can stand forever, watching the view," came a voice behind him. "It's always the same, you know. No matter how often you examine it."

  He turned to face his wife, who stood, her clawed hands on her hips, smiling at him crookedly. Her hair was made of flame, crackling, and her eyes were as two lit coals, taunting.

  "I find my creation beautiful to be
hold," he told her. "I was born on a desolate rock, Eliven. Alone, in exile. It took me centuries to create this place, and I am proud of its beauty."

  She snarled, showing her fangs, and unfurled her great bat wings. She passed her clawed hands over her body, curvy and clad in wisps of flame, formed from the red clay of the earth. He himself had formed her, breathed life into her mouth, lit the flames that burned in her eyes and belly.

  "If you desire beauty, stare at me, my lord," she hissed and licked her full lips. "Stare at your wife, for she is beautiful beyond measure, and your proudest creation."

  He stepped toward the Demon Queen, placed a hand behind the small of her back, and pulled her to him. He kissed her cheek. "That is so, Eliven. You are the most beautiful creature alive. My proudest creation indeed."

  She pouted, pushing him back, her claws digging into his chest. "More beautiful than Moonmist?"

  He shrugged. "Her beauty is of innocence, yours is of fire and lust."

  She stepped closer to him. "Lust I do have, my lord. The lust of fire." Her fiery hair crackling, she put her hands behind his nape and licked his face. "Make love to me, my lord."

  He sighed. "Eliven, it's been only an hour since last time, and you are ready again?"

  She shrugged, her eyes aflame. "It is you who placed the fire within me, the fire that forever burns." She flapped her great leather wings, shot into the sky, and caught a bat that fluttered there. She landed before Phobetor upon the bloodred tiles, bit off the bat's head, and swallowed it. "A hunger for you, my lord, and for raw, bloody flesh." She licked his cheek, smearing it with bat's blood.

  He was about to reply, when a shadow fell upon the bloodred tiles, and a demon appeared at the edge of the hall. Black scales, hooks, and horns covered the creature, and his fangs dripped oozy drool. Upon black hoofs he stepped forward, hissing, his three red eyes burning.

  The Silent Man.

  "Welcome home," Phobetor said.

  The demon opened his dripping maw and creaked in response, a sound like an old, heavy oak door opened for the first time in a hundred years. His voice, a hiss like fire, came from deep within his maw. "My lord."