by Mario Routi
“Thank you, Father, for shedding what little light you could on our troubles,” Felicia said. “I miss your wisdom so much in Utopia. At least I get to visit you both every now and then.”
“It is always a joy for us to see you, Felicia,” Lord Life took her hands. “But you had better be off now. I will go and find Morpheus and we will talk again soon.”
Once they were both safely back on Pegasus, Felicia patted his neck and he spread his wings as he galloped across the grass and soared into the air with powerful strokes. Leylah couldn’t help but smile as she felt the power of the Flame blowing her problems away on the wind.
22
Earth, Shanghai
Ricky wore a doctor’s mask to hide his face as he answered the door to his hotel suite in Shanghai. The deliverymen did not seem surprised that they weren’t able to see the face of their customer. They had no idea how fast his heart was beating as he signed for the order and took it into the suite, slamming the door in their faces. The floor was strewn with equipment and chemicals, all of which would soon be put to good use.
It took several trips in the rented van to move all the necessary equipment across to the unoccupied building beside the oil company. Most of the infrastructure of the building was in place, including working lift shafts, but fortunately for him, on-site security was lax and he had been able to find a way in under the cover of night. Once inside the building, he used a giant cart to roll everything into the service elevator and headed for the top floor in the darkness.
He felt like spy on a mission and enjoyed the sensation of adrenaline flowing through his veins as he was rocketed up towards the sky. A fierce wind blew across the roof of the building, drowning out all other noise from the streets of the city far below. The wind would make his job far more dangerous but he was determined to go through with it. He couldn’t risk not being able to get back into the building another night.
Ricky shot the harpoon across to the roof of the oil company several times before he was successful in catching one of the legs of the radio tower, turning the harpoon into an anchor. Now was the moment of truth as he prepared to slide the first load across the man-made canyon on the harpoon wire. Attaching the clasp to the wire, he lowered the elevation machine he had brought with him and watched the first delivery jerk out over the abyss, rocking from side to side in the wind and gradually picking up speed as it slid along.
Once he had sent everything across, Ricky hooked himself onto the wire and took the joy ride of his life to the other side while shouting out loud with sheer delight, his voice masked by the sound of the wind whistling around the newly built towers of the city. It was the most exhilarating sensation he had ever experienced.
Once everything was in place, he unhooked the harpoon wire and wrapped it around his waist. Then he opened the small parachute strapped to his back. Bracing himself for what could possibly be his death, he pushed the button for the reverse pull on the harpoon wire and zipped out into the open air. The parachute slowed him down as he hurtled towards the other building. Seconds before impact, he thrust the device into his pocket.
The landing left him stunned and he hung there for a few minutes to regain his senses before pressing the button again and making his way to the roof. He unhooked everything, headed back down to the floor level where his rented van was parked and drove back to the hotel to prepare for the next stage of the operation.
***
The next day, Ricky showed up at the oil company’s building wearing a home made janitorial suit that was identical to the ones the building maintenance team wore. He walked brazenly past the security guard and went straight to the service elevator in the back. When he reached the top floor he turned the corner outside the elevator and went up the final flight of steps to the roof, quickly setting to work with the equipment he had stored there the night before.
He soldered holes into the sides of the ventilation shafts and inserted the plastic tubes. Then he removed the covers of the out ducts and soldered on the solid metal coverings. Taking his gas mask out from one of the supply crates, he pulled it over his face before he began removing the lids of the chemicals. First, he poured the baking soda into the nozzle of the tub-like container that he had made. Then he added the bleach and drain cleaner, waiting to see the mixture turn into an unpleasant brown colour.
Hearing distant sirens, he checked over the side of the structure and was surprised to see that a crowd had started to gather in front of the building. He felt a flash of panic. He had meticulously planned how he would distribute the chemicals but he now realised he hadn’t given proper thought to how he, himself, would escape.
Heavy rain clouds started to gather and swirl around him, suddenly making the air cold and threatening. A hard rain poured as the sirens fell silent and stopped in front of the building. He was already drenched through, caught like a rat in a trap. He squinted up at the sky and saw a black shadow speed across like a veil.
In a giant explosion of gravel and hail, the shadow landed in front of him. Ricky was knocked to the ground by the impact and lay there, staring up into the swirling black mass. It was like smoke apart from the burning red eyes that were staring straight at him. The black mist seemed to overwhelm him and he lost consciousness.
***
Ricky’s head hurt as the light from the lamp cut into his eyeballs. Everything around him was silent and he struggled to wake up. He tried to raise a hand to cover his eyes but neither of them would move. Looking down, he saw that he was tied to a chair in a circle of bright light.
“Ricky Soblett...” a voice rasped from the darkness outside the circle of light. The dark shadow he had thought was a dream exploded into the pool of light, its red eyes bearing down on him.
“My... my Lord?” Ricky trembled in horror, having no idea how he knew but being quite certain that he was talking to the Devil.
“My creations - the Sartani - used to take pride in being discreet. What has happened since those glorious times, I wonder...”
“But... my Lord, I... I was discreet. I planned everything with extra care.”
“Discreet you were not, but you wanted to get my attention. Well, you’ve got it and I have already done you a favour.”
Ricky leaned away from the shadow, certain he was going to be struck down at any second. “What favour, if I may ask, my Lord?”
“You left fingerprints on the equipment you used. And you had no actual escape plan. You were told that I would get you out of any situation you might get into, so I did. The real question is, what can you offer me in return, Ricky Soblett?”
The Devil looked down at Ricky with eyes that seethed like burning coals. Ricky could sense the murderous desire like a knife point pressing into his chest and his mouth went dry as he struggled to find words.
“I’m going to tell you a little story, Ricky Soblett. Long ago, when the Earth began to see new entities on the face of this desert-infested fleabag world, there lived pathetic, stupid beings. The Gods had no concept of intelligence, unlike the Titans. In that time, however, there was also a race of warriors so superior that even the Gods were jealous of them. Do you know what happened to these great warriors?”
Ricky shook his head, rendered dumb by fear but fascinated nonetheless.
“The Gods saw fit to stick them into Tartarus because these creatures were sentient beings that looked like humans and it was difficult for other humans to see them for what they really were. However, these creatures didn’t need the Gods in order to live and when the Gods came to collect them, they stood alongside the Sartani of that era. This happened in a place called Thermopylae and the Gods sent the best they had to battle these creatures.”
The black mist that formed the Devil’s body began to transform into a human-like shape, glowing with dark energy.
“The creatures all died during this attack because of an Orizo
n named Leonidas who was the King of Sparta back then. Not a single soul was left on the battlefield that day. But very recently, Cronus gathered the Titans together and they decided to bring those legendary warriors back into existence. Yes! The Persian Immortals shall return!
“So, this is what you can do for me, Ricky Soblett: I want you to collaborate with the other Sartani leaders in order to launch a global scale fear pandemic. The Orizons may be able to save a few humans at a time, but they cannot possibly hope to save everyone on Earth from the attacks we will execute simultaneously. You will also be responsible for hiding the Sceptomorphs from the sight of the Orizons. Once they are fed, panic will erupt on Earth and the Orizons will do their best to stop them. Meanwhile, the demons, together with the Immortals, will attack Utopia and steal the Sacred Flame - the source of their power - which will then be used to free our Masters, the Titans!”
Ricky nodded in silence, his jaw hanging slackly open as the Devil continued to pace around him, intoxicated with the power of his own triumphant rhetoric.
“Since this most recent grand scale attack here in Shanghai, the Orizons will be looking elsewhere for other such aggressions. Shanghai has built a large part of its city on cement stilts, which can be blown apart by Sartani underlings. To the Orizons, this will appear as a natural disaster because it will cause a large portion of the city to shake and tremble, imitating the effects of an earthquake. While the Orizons are busy dealing with the other travesties, this Sartani-made earthquake will instill absolute fear in the residents of one of the world’s most populated cities. You will lead the Sceptomorphs in so that they may feed on this fear. That’s the plan and I’ll let you know when it is time for you to implement it.”
The Devil screeched an ear-splitting laugh and disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. Ricky was left alone, shaking like a puppy lost in a storm.
23
Utopia
A knock rang through the house as Leylah finished her breakfast with Bebi. Rebecca pulled her chair out and went to answer the door. Turgoth turned to his daughter and smiled a concerned look on his face.
“How do you feel, sweetheart?”
Leylah poked at the last bit of her food as Bebi licked his lips eagerly, clearly yearning for another bite. “Other than the nightmares, I am more than fine Dad, really.”
Turgoth leaned over and gripped his daughter’s slim shoulder firmly. “And why wouldn’t you be? But, Leylah, please remember what we’ve said. Dreams are not out to hurt you. They can even be a compilation of memories from within our lifespan, meaning not just in this life, but from lives before this one. I had dreams about your mother for thousands of years and - behold! - I found her again. I couldn’t have predicted that and I wasn’t expecting to do so, but the dream gave me hope to keep going, to keep searching. We dream of our desires, but also of our fears.”
Leylah smiled reassuringly at her father. “I know Dad, I know. Really, I’m okay.”
Rebecca came back in with Lady Felicia in tow.
“Leylah,” Felicia said, “I have some good news for you. It seems that Morpheus will see you now! And, if you’re lucky enough, maybe you’ll get the chance to meet more Gods too. My father has requested that we try to be there promptly and your parents may come with us as well. So, are you ready for another ride trip to the Elysian Fields, my dear?”
“Oh, yes! Definitely!” Leylah replied, her face shining with excitement.
Pegasus waited outside, this time harnessed to a golden chariot studded with ruby gems along each side. It glowed like the sun itself.
“Whenever there are more than two riders going to the Elysian Fields - especially to the Palace of the Gods - Apollo allows the use of one of his magical chariots,” Felicia explained, seeing the look of wonder on Leylah’s face. “It provides Pegasus with a viable way of getting us there, as the magic that it is imbued with makes it as light as a feather, regardless of the weight of those inside it.”
Leylah climbed into the chariot as Bebi headed back to the porch where Larry the Lion was already stretched out. The bulldog sat down, tongue hanging out of his mouth as usual, and Leylah giggled when he took a guard’s stance in front of the door. Moments later they were streaking through the air and Leylah watched the clouds go by, holding her hand out to their soft caresses.
24
The Elysian Fields
Before she knew it, the chariot had landed in front of the Palace of the Gods. The walls towered above them, disappearing into the clear blue skies and way beyond their field of vision. The entire palace shone and sparkled so brightly that it looked like a giant crystal flame. The architecture was Ancient Greek, with mighty columns and pediments soaring above the visitors. The doors were made of solid gold, with diamond handles. The walls themselves were a mix of every gemstone imaginable, all coming together to create a powerful brilliance of harmonic colours which flared in the light like a thousand little flames. The floors and pillars were constructed of polished woods and marble in every colour under the sun.
As they walked through the halls, Leylah saw that each door had guards that were made of titanium and were nearly four times her size. There were no living beings inside the metal, but the suits of armor moved as if there were occupied. Leylah was so dazzled and amazed by the magnificence of everything they walked past that she was late to realise they were already inside Morpheus’s private chambers.
These chambers were different from all those they had passed, featuring immense walls lined with endless rows of beautifully bound books and surfaces covered with strange and complicated inventions and devices.
“Welcome Lady Felicia, Princess Rebecca, King Turgoth, and young princess Leylah to my chambers.”
Leylah looked around to see where the voice was coming from, and there he was: God Morpheus himself. He was wearing an ancient Greek tunic which was a mixture of blues and greens. He was tall and thin, with long white hair and a matching beard. Leylah thought he resembled the great wizard Gandalf from The Hobbit. He was sitting in a corner, reading a thick book. As he closed it and stood up she saw that it was the Mahabharata. He leant forward, squinting slightly, and examined Leylah as if she were a new invention being presented to him for the first time. She bowed slightly out of respect and smiled up at him.
“So,” he said with a slow smile, “my dear young Orizon, Lord Life has told me about your very interesting dreams.” His voice was as deep as a giant’s and filled her with serenity. “I do not have much to offer at this point, but I can give you some ideas of what might be happening. I have debated the dream with the other Gods at some length and we’ve all come to the same conclusion. Although what you speak of sounds like it is happening in the present - with a few memories from the past mixed in - your dreams may also be revealing things that have not yet occurred.”
“So,” Felicia stepped forward, “what you’re suggesting, oh Morpheus, is that parts of what she saw have already happened, others are happening as she sees them, and still others will probably happen in the future?”
“Exactly!” said Morpheus clapping his hands triumphantly, delighted to have such bright students before him.
“And what could these predictions mean?” Rebecca asked.
“When I created dreams, I designed them to work like the flowing waters of a river,” Morpheus explained. “In the beginning, they were meant to be a tool for evaluating and choosing the best path in your life but, as the years passed, they changed in function, almost as if they had a will of their own, to where even I don’t know how the change actually happened.”
Leylah nodded, straining to follow the God’s words and absorb what he was trying to tell her.
“So, you see,” Morpheus continued, “we have an issue with understanding what dreams tell us about the future. However, I am pretty sure this dream concerns the future because it doesn’t seem like any known event that has
happened yet, and we are aware of nearly everything that goes on in all the Dimensions.”
Leylah glanced at her father and mother and she could see that they were having as much trouble following what was being said as she was.
“Now, your description of the soldiers that you saw amassed is very clear.” Morpheus paused to let his words sink in and to build dramatic suspense. He was enjoying leading his rapt audience forward. “I’m sure you all know the story of the Persian King named Xerxes, who fancied himself a God. He ruled a vast empire that was constantly expanding. At one time, Xerxes had an elite group of soldiers called the Immortals who were sworn to carry out whatever orders he gave them without question. The King saw fit to declare war on the Spartans, the mightiest warriors that the Earth had to offer, and pitted them against his Persian Immortals, who wore all black with gold masks that hid their faces in combat. During this battle, all of his men were slaughtered by the Spartans, whose King was Leonidas, an appointed Orizon. The Persian King became worried that they might lose the war and sent all his remaining forces after the Spartans. Some of the other Gods can provide more details, but it seems to us that what we feared during the recent peaceful period is currently happening. Now, King Turgoth and Princess Rebecca, I need a word with you in private please. Would you like to follow me to the Chamber Hall?”
Rebecca and Turgoth exchanged glances and silently followed the God to the Chamber Hall. On her way out, Rebecca shot Leylah a look of encouragement over her shoulder.
Morpheus face was serious and his voice a low rumble as he spoke to them alone. “Now that I have seen your daughter in person, I can confirm to you the suspicion I had about her the moment that Lord Life told me of her dreams. She is a gifted child. She has the same unique power as Pythia, the last Oracle of Delphi in Apollo’s Temple, so please - you need to take her dreams very seriously and always inform us of them. Furthermore, please know that in the near future these dreams will turn into visions and this means that she may start seeing them even when she’s awake. Most importantly, parts of these dreams may be experienced by her as real events, meaning that if someone tries to hurt her within her dream, she might actually suffer a real physical wound. You mustn’t panic if this happens, but treat each case differently and with extra care, depending on the situation.”
