YOU NAME YOURSELF SO HIGHLY? Death asked, while Marcus stared in bemused horror at the mania that wore Keithus’s body. YOU ARE MAD INDEED, TO CLAIM SO WEIGHTY A TITLE.
“Oh, no,” it said, “no, no, no. The wizard, he is mad, oh yes. So mad, he thinks he is sane, that he was able to wrap up all the shadows that crept through his mind when he learned the truth of his origins, put them in a little box where they wouldn’t be heard.. silly boy. What must he have thought, when they answered back? He left me there, trapped in that little shard of infinity from which all his magic came, and thought I wouldn’t be able to come back, to slide in on those streams.. but when I did, he welcomed me, and spoke to me, for he is me. The dreamer. And we grew, together. I showed him what lay beyond the constraints of his world, his vision, and he repaid me with life, life enough that, in time, I could begin to reach out, to answer all those calls.” Abruptly, the creature that named itself Dream broke away from Death’s stare, recoiling as if burnt. “I could do anything! All of the dreams I touched came true! All! But.. not his own? Why? I did everything right! We are here as we wished.. but the world ends around us? Why? Why does it not work?!”
The creature turned to face the sky, and cried out wordlessly, answered only by the thundering rage of the storm that was now sounding around them. Lightning forked down all around, shattering the roof of the temple and blasting random fighters across the garden. In the forest beyond the mountain, tornados had formed, and were tearing up trees and throwing them across the sky. “What is happening?!” Marcus yelled, buffeting himself against the roaring wind.
MORE THAN WE WERE AWARE, Death told him gravely. I SHOULD HAVE SEEN, REALLY. DAMAGE ON THIS SCALE.. IT WAS TOO MUCH FOR ONE WIZARD AND A HANDFUL OF ORCS. THIS WIZARD’S MADNESS HAS COME ALIVE, FED BY THE SHARD OF THE MIRRORLINE THAT HE HAS LONG HELD IN HIS HEAD, AUGMENTED BY THE MAGIC THAT FLOWS FROM IT. HE THINKS HE IS DREAM, THE BEING THAT COMMANDS POSSIBILITY AS I COMMAND LIFE, AND I FEAR HE MAY NOT BE WRONG.. YES, PERHAPS IT WAS INEVITABLE. A BEING WITH POWER OVER IMAGINATION IMAGINES ITSELF A LIFE. DAMNED ARE ALL THOSE WHO HEAR VOICES IN THEIR HEAD, BUT DAMNED THE MOST ARE THOSE FOR WHOM THE VOICES ARE REAL.
“Yes, that’s very poetic,” Marcus said, “but what happened to Keithus?!”
“He is here,” Dream said, smiling wanly and tapping on Keithus’s head. “The piece of him that isn’t quite me, the part that holds so tightly to humanity. I can hear him, screaming inside his own skull. He’s not happy that I’ve taken control. Neither am I, really.. but I can’t let him out, not now. Quiet guidance hasn’t been working.. I must fix this personally.. so that our dreams can come true.”
YOU CANNOT DO THIS, DREAM, Death said. YOU MUST STOP. LET ME TAKE YOU.
“No!” Dream roared, leaping away from Death as the Reaper stretched out his hand. Instead of coming down, the being in Keithus’s body floated up, and away from them. “Dreams of flight.. an idle fancy. But doable. I must make this work! Keep away!” it shrieked, as Death swung his sword at it. “I must hide! Return to the land of possibility, yes. Figure it out!” With a cackle, Dream shot away, flying over the remnants of the battle, which seemed mostly settled in Musk’s men’s favour, and away down the temple’s steps.
“What do we do?” Marcus asked Death desperately.
HE IS GOING TO THE MIRRORLINE, Death said. CHASE HIM.
Marcus groaned, and turned and ran after Dream. Behind him, a crack opened up in the earth, and the battered remains of Rashalamn’s temple finally gave up and collapsed into it. The force of this architectural surrender was enough to break up what was left of the fighting and send everyone running for their lives, leaving Marcus to fight his way through them, reach the steps and take them three at a time. Descending around their natural curve, he saw no sign of Dream, but Eira and Fervesce were there, and the mirror portal was still open. Eira was holding her head in her hands, groaning.
“What happened?” Marcus asked, gasping for breath.
“Keithus ran in.. he’s taken the control away, I can’t wrestle it back. He’s trying to close it!”
“That’s not Keithus,” Marcus said. “It’s something worse, apparently. His dreams have come alive, or something, and they’re what’s causing all of this destruction, it’s not just him being a wizard.” He turned to face the shimmering mirror, the patterns of which were fluctuating wildly. “I have to go in. Before he closes it.. we won’t get another chance.”
“I’m coming with you, then,” Eira said standing up and shaking off whatever was happening in her mind. “You walk in there without any control, he can crush you instantly. He’s trying it now.. You need me to try and counter him! Aaaaghhh!” She clenched her fists as her mind was attacked again.
“Okay, okay. Let’s do it! Fervesce! Don’t let anyone follow us!” Asleep though he appeared, the old man nodded, wafting them an absent thumbs up, and so Marcus and Eira shared a glance, and leapt through the mirror. The Mirrorline shuddered in rebellion and stole away their ground, leaving them to fall through the abyss for a moment before Eira was able to conjure up an imitation of a huge mattress to cushion their fall. They bounced upright on it, floating amidst the nothingness.
“Sorry,” Eira said, her eyes screwed up. “He’s so powerful.. I can’t hold out against him.”
“But if you lose control..” Marcus blanched. “Did you just come in here knowing you couldn’t win?”
“No,” Eira said, panting. “I’m not an idiot. Listen. Marcus. I need you to knock me out.”
“What?”
“I’m serious. Listen. Whilst you were away, we did some experiments. I have a much higher level of control when I’m unconscious. If you send me to sleep, I’ll be able to fight back. I can help.”
“This is insane,” Marcus said. “I’m not knocking you out.”
“If you don’t, we die,” Eira said. “Aaaaahhhhhh! Marcus! You have to do it NOW!”
Marcus closed his eyes and gripped his scythe tightly. “Fine! Just.. turn around, would you?”
Eira obliged. “Hurry up!”
“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Marcus said, and smashed her around the back of the head. Instantly, the mattress disappeared, and they were once more falling through the endless dimension. “Eira!” Marcus called out in panic, “this would be a good time to do something!”
This time, a bouncy castle appeared. Marcus and Eira hit it hard, bounced back up and landed safely, face first with a mouthful of rubber. It didn’t bother Eira so much, because she was still unconscious. Still, it must have worked, because they’d been saved..
Why have you followed me here? came a voice from all around. Why can’t you leave me be?
Maybe not, Marcus thought. “Dream?” he asked the air. “Keithus?”
You are a pest, and here without protection. I control here.. imagination is undefeatable. Whilst I think.. I will keep you busy. You are just like him, no? You want to live the life you lost?
Marcus’s vision shattered, and fell away piece by piece. It was replaced with blackness that faded away to a sepia-tinged vision of himself, watching himself from outside of his own body. Where was he? He was home, on the Mirrorworld. He was living a full and happy life in the small town where he had been born. His parents loved him. He was engaged to the girl next door, and she was lovely. For work, he ran a courier service between his town and the big city, nearby Portruss, but he didn’t like to spend much time there, because city life unnerved him. No sir, all he needed was this town, where he’d grown up and had such a wonderful life, and he was happy. There was a whole world out there, he reflected, as he sat in his quaint living room watching his fiancé play with their cat, but it didn’t have to mean anything to Marcus Chiallion. This is the life I’ve always wanted, he thought. It’s perfection. Thank goodness nothing ever happened to me that might have jeopardised this..
No, Marcus thought. No, this isn’t right. The image began to fade, being replaced with static.
Marcus.. came a different voice.
You don’t want that? For shame. I will give you love!
It was his wedding day. Kendra had told him several times that no matter how many times he objected, they were going to have a big ceremony. They were both prominent Viaggiatori, after all, and their love-story-partnership was famed throughout the city. Everyone who was anyone in Portruss was invited – the business owners, the politicians, the priests, the socialites; everyone was there, neatly arrayed in the aisles, waiting for the bride to arrive. Marcus stood nervously with the vicar, thankful that he’d been able to delegate all of his duties to his best man. Some thought it odd that he should have formed so strong of an intergenerational friendship with old Fervesce, but the elder man was to him not just mentor but closest friend, and despite the strong links he had formed with peers such as Musk and Helm, there was no-one else he’d rather have by his side. He loved the old oddball almost as much as he did Kendra, and oh god, the music was starting, she was coming..
This is ridiculous, a voice in the back of his head said.
Marcus..
You are difficult to please. I will give you answers!
Marcus relaxed. It was nice to be able to do so, to settle into the cushioned floor of his private rooms in the temple. He felt like he’d earned relaxation; after travelling over most of the known world, experimenting with many major religions and ways of life, he’d finally achieved a sort of satisfaction, and created his own philosophy for existence, a means of living that left him feeling utterly fulfilled. Now, he could relax in this temple, dedicated his time to thought while his acolytes tended to his earthly needs. He’d been considering woodpeckers, of late: a natural part of existence, yet by nature they destroyed other parts of it. How did they reconcile the warring philosophies of their existence and their actions? It was a poser. He resolved to put it to the next traveller who came by, in the hope that, while it didn’t matter to him, it might help them find what they were looking for. In the end, every man’s peace of mind was their own to discover, not a fact that could be told to them. For Marcus, that had been the final realisation, the thought that had put him at peace.
This is even more ridiculous, he thought. It’s never that easy, or trite.
Marcus!
Whose voice is that?! What is happening?!
Marcus, hang on! I’m coming!
The vision dissolved again, and this time, Marcus found himself standing on an endless plain, just as he had the very first time he’d consciously entered the Mirrorline. He looked all around, but there were no visions, no strange ideas creeping out of his head. It seemed that this was as real as it was going to get. The only notable landmark lay to the side, where Eira lay sleeping peacefully somewhere amongst the many blankets of an impressive four-poster bed.
Sorry, Marcus, it took me a while to get in the zone. But I beat him off.. for now. Are you okay?
“Yeah,” Marcus said, addressing Eira’s disembodied voice. “That was kind of trippy.. but I know who I am now. I wasn’t going to be fooled by idealistic visions.”
Are you sure? I think you liked that second one, there.
“Is that really important right now? Where is he?”
Ooh touchy. He’s out there. I can feel him. This way.. Though there was no gesture, Marcus somehow knew which way to turn. Flat white stairs rose out of the ground, leading up into the sky. The heart of the Mirrorline’s natural storm was beating above them, and Marcus sighed, because he knew that that was exactly where he was going to have to go. He’s fighting back, Eira continued. I might lose control again. If so, I’m sorry. So much power here! The Mirrorline is boiling, just like reality, but I can control it. He’s fighting the chaos too, so we’re on an even footing. But hurry, Marcus! I don’t know how long I can do this for!
“Alright, alright,” Marcus said. “I need a weapon. I dropped my scythe – oh, thanks,” he added, as one had appeared in his hands before he’d even finished speaking. He turned back to the staircase, and began to trudge along the last stretch of the long path towards destiny, and a date with Dream.
34
Strange things happened in the sky around Marcus as he climbed the endless staircase, gradually ascending into the vitriolic heavens. Lightning bolts flew out of nowhere towards him with intent to fry, and just as suddenly bounced away and impacted harmlessly on the ground below. The stairs turned to an escalator going down, leaving him running on the spot for a moment before their direction reversed dramatically and catapulted him several metres further up. A gigantic, many-tentacled monster shimmied into existence, reaching out to destroy him, and was distracted as a female version of the same monster appeared too. Marcus kept running as the two abominations went off to make babies and live happily ever after in a far corner of the Mirrorline.
This is fun, Eira’s voice informed him. Dreams are, well, as powerful as Dream, apparently!
“Don’t say confusing things,” Marcus said under his breath, ducking a pirate ship that came roaring out of the storm and was promptly torn apart by a giant squid. “Just get me there!”
Suddenly, he came to a halt, because someone was standing on the steps ahead of him. “Kendra?” he asked, for it did appear to be her.
“Hi Marcus,” she said, and then leapt at him with a shriek, her features melting into that of a Jabberwock. Caught off guard, Marcus fell backwards off the staircase, and landed back on it with a bump as Eira twisted its direction to be underneath him once more. Focus, damnit! she scolded.
“Okay, okay,” he said sheepishly, continuing on his way. Three more eldritch abominations and a banana skin later, the staircase ended before a giant wooden door. It had been carved into the side of the eye of the storm, which had taken the form of a gigantic human heart, pulsing and ominously beating out the rhythm of chaos. Marcus looked down. The ground was a long way away. The door creaked open. Marcus took a deep breath, and moved through it.
The room beyond was shrouded in darkness, but Marcus got an impression of incredible size. A musky haze, an aura of disuse, lay over what passed for air here, obscuring the space with shadow. But as he moved forward, low-level lighting flashed on, and overhead bulbs blinked into existence, streaming through the dust to reveal the nature of the room. He had stepped into a grand theatre, tall tiers stretching away above, velveted seats rolling down the floor’s gradient towards the grand stage. The seats were empty; the only other person in the room sat atop a throne on the stage, with the venue’s lights all trained upon him. Keithus’s eyes still flashed with colour, except now it was beginning to seep out, flickering tendrils of light leaking from his eyes like tears, flashing off into the darkness as Dream glared at Marcus.
“Why have you come here? Why can’t you just leave us be?”
“It looks like your body is beginning to fail,” Marcus said.
“It will last.. it must. I can’t fail. I must save this man!”
“You’ve already done enough damage to him,” Marcus said. “What did you do? Amplify his primal desires, turn him into a revenge-seeking monster? Did you drive him mad?”
“Foolish. I did no such thing. I have only ever advised. He made me, not the other way. You call it madness? Then he was mad from the start. Such magic in his head – a gift of this place, so volatile, always raging, just as was he. Room to grow, in there, in the missing parts of his mind. But only now do I carry his moves. To do more.. it hurt, for so long, so I spoke, instead. Through his instability, I could reach, guide, think, provide options, allow him to see as I did. And we both grew, in his dream. Power, desire, the chance to mould reality to work with our ideals.. It should have worked. Why didn’t it work?!”
The last was delivered in a shriek that echoed throughout the theatre’s endless height. Dream ran Keithus’s hands across his face, wiping away the tears of colour, and turned its now-empty gaze back to Marcus, furiously questing for an answer. But Marcus stood watching the colours fade away, remembered seeing
the same shades that he had seen behind his own eyes, and hardened his resolve. This creature that Keithus had made had touched his mind also, would have had him believe it was so easy to amend all the things for which he has suffered so hard. “Dream,” he said, angry now, “you can’t just make everyone’s dreams come true. It’s a nice thought, but it’s not the truth, and even if were, it would still be impossible. Dreams contradict, they don’t make sense, and they don’t tell a whole story. Don’t you see it? You’re not distinct of Keithus; you’re exactly the same. You and he stomped together all over the Mirrorworld, snuffing out lives and killing more dreams than you’ve made come right. You’re no saviour of dreams; you’re just a selfish man, out for himself, offering out pieces of happiness that are tainted by the stink of all the things they won’t ever be. You can’t just give people what they want,” he said again, remembering the wise words of a baritone voice that he had once heard in this place, “there has to be a balance. Look what you’ve done by trying! I don’t know much about the whole two worlds connection, but I know that Earth doesn’t have magic, so there’s no way you could have gone there, not as you are. Maybe we could have found another way, adapted your dreams, but instead you let them eat you, and now everything is falling apart!”
“Your words are ugly,” Dream said, “and yet.. he agrees with you. Why? Why would you choose that, over me? What use is your fragile, bound world, unable to be moulded, against me? No, I will not believe you. Anything is possible!! I can give people what they want! I can make a reality of the lives that are lived in my head! Why would I not use that power? Why would I be unable to use that power? I just want everyone to be happy! Don’t we all deserve long and true lives?”
“Yes,” Marcus said, “Of course we do. But not like this.”
“I know you,” Dream said suddenly, standing up. “Yes. I see what you are, see what you strive for with your brutal words. Ideas, and life.. all that we are, we are your antithesis. The big bad death monster wouldn’t want us going around, defying him, would he? My tomorrows will be infinite, Lord of Yesterdays! I will put you out of a job!”
Mirrorworld Page 44
