Dreamwalker

by J. A. Culican

  Noble waved his hand over the bowl and tried to use his energy to heal me, but nothing happened. He grabbed a pouch under his fur throw and pulled out some small green plant with stiff spikes. He squeezed the leaf, and the gel dripped onto my wound. Next, he pulled on several medical drawers until he found a bottle, a few drops of wolf oil to activate the gel, but again, nothing happened.

  Noble sat back for a moment as his eyes darted back and forth as he flipped through one of our healing books. He stood and opened a few drawers and mixed a concoction of herbs and applied them as a paste to my wound. After twenty minutes of waiting, he removed the paste, but the wound had more puss.

  “It’s not good.” Noble murmured to himself as he paced the room. “I have one thing left.” He left the room.

  I sat in silence as I waited for his return. I was getting groggy but feared going to sleep in case I went back into that horrible dream.

  “Where is she?” Mother Ofburg’s voice grew louder as they got closer to the door.

  I jumped off my chair and looked for an exit, but there wasn’t even a window in the little room.

  “In here. I made sure she’s away from the rest of them,” I heard Noble’s voice.

  “Aria. Is this true, what Noble has told me?” Mother Ofburg’s voice was calm, the opposite of the look on her face.

  “I didn’t fight. I bumped my hand on something while I slept.” I was practically tongue-tied as I tried to get the words out of my mouth. Why weren’t they fixing it? Who cared how it happened?

  “You were asleep when this happened?” Mother Ofburg’s face grew curious.

  “Just a clumsy move,” I averted my eyes, not because they were right but because I knew they wouldn’t believe me.

  “There was an ur’gel in your dream?” Mother Ofburg asked diligently.

  The look of shock on my face told her the answer. How did she know that?

  She reached for my hand and turned it over to the wound. “This happened when you were dreamwalking.”

  “I can’t dreamwalk.” I half laughed at her suggestion.

  “The healing gift that you have shouldn’t be played with.” Mother Ofburg tugged a little hard on my hand.

  “What does dreamwalking have to do with healing? And it’s news to me that I can dreamwalk. Shouldn’t you be trying to teach me how to use it?” If she knew I had the potential to dreamwalk, why hadn’t she told me?

  “You weren’t ready.” Mother Ofburg shook her head as she untied some bandages. Her hands shook as she tried to pull an end free. After about a minute, she threw them to the ground. “You never listen, and you don’t take anything seriously.”

  I sat still.

  “Bring me some calendula and comfrey. Make a paste with witch hazel and bring to boil. We don’t have much time before this infection spreads,” Mother Ofburg said to Noble, and he left the room.

  “I promised your parents I would keep you out of trouble.”

  I slouched lower in my seat, ready for whatever punishment she would give me.

  Noble entered the room with a bowl and the ingredients she had asked for.

  Mother Ofburg tended to me. It took a while, but my wound finally responded to one of their potions.

  “Thank you. I’m sorry that I haven’t been as attentive as I should. I’m going to try harder.”

  “They’re here.” Someone yelled in the main hall. Then people ran past the room we were in, screaming, heading toward the door.

  Mother Ofburg, Noble, and I made our way out to them. We stayed against the wall, to not get trampled.

  “What’s happening?” Noble called out into the crowd, but no one stopped.

  Noble grabbed one of the farmers who tried to run past us and picked him up off his feet to stop him. “Where is everyone going?”

  “They’re here! They’re here! The ur’gel. They’ve come for their revenge.” The man’s voice was shaky, and his hands wouldn't stay still.

  Noble placed him on the ground, and we all followed the farmers as they tried to get out of the hall.

  The sight before us was total chaos, bloodied bodies on the ground and large monsters swiftly killing the village people with their swords. We were indeed under attack.

  I ran to the little barn behind the hut, my hands steady as the adrenaline rushed through my veins. No one would take over my town. I grabbed a bow as my weapon of choice. The spear would be my backup and for closer encounters.

  I held the spear over my head and thrust it toward the ground to get my grip just right. My bow leaned against the wall with a quiver of arrows nearby. Everything was in check. How I wished I had my good bow, the one Gavin and I made me from a rare Antear tree, but that was at home, hidden.

  Without hesitation, I ran toward the fighting. I found a good location where I could attack from the side. I used the hay bales left out for the horses as a base and prayed to whatever god was listening the ur'gel hadn’t yet seen me. I’d only have a split second to do damage before they spotted my location and tried to end my life.

  I spread my feet apart, shoulder width, and exhaled as I lifted my bow in front of me. I relaxed my hand and pulled back on the bowstring. The string tickled my nose as I aimed down the arrow at my first ur’gel. Releasing the bowstring, I held my breath in anticipation as my arrow punctured the ur’gel through the back of the head.

  The ur’gel fell to the ground in a bloody heap, dead. I scanned for my next target, reminding myself to keep my cool as I didn’t want any false hope in clearing out these monsters.

  I notched another arrow in place. The arrow released, and I missed my target, which pulled me back to reality. I had to be accurate. I didn’t have time to think. I lifted my head and tried to gauge how many monsters were attacking. I observed at least twenty. Why were they here?

  The local baker took out an ur'gel with a knife to the eye.

  The blacksmith stuck a very hot iron in as many monsters as he could, but his rod wouldn’t stay hot for long.

  A seven-foot ur'gel approached him from behind, I steadied my bow and took a shot, missing by inches. I released a second one, and it grazed the side of the ur’gel’s cheek.

  “Aria! Behind you,” a male voice said.

  I flipped around and saw an ur'gel running toward me. I grabbed my spear, aiming for his gut. I pushed off and watched it land in his chest. Not my target, but it’d do. His large body fell to the ground.

  I yanked the spear, but it wouldn’t budge. I tried again, placing my foot on the dead monster, and heaving with all my weight to pull it out. It moved with a crack and came out minus the tip.

  “Are you all right?” Noble came to stand beside me.

  I didn’t have time to respond. The monsters just kept coming. It was impossible to even determine how many at this point. Village people ran, trying to hide, while others took whatever they could and battled for their lives.

  One woman threw books from her front door at anything that bothered to come near. Another man set fire to hay and threw it at the ur'gel.

  The persistence to defeat these attackers burrowed in our hearts and souls. People who had never fought before attacked the monsters as bravely as they could, fighting them with anything within hand’s reach.

  I grabbed my bow and readied it, aiming it at the closest monster to me. The options were plentiful, and I couldn’t risk missing and hitting someone instead of a monster.

  Noble gave my arm a shake and headed into the deep of it. I marveled to see him swing his sword and put down whatever monster was in his way. Noble the Warrior.

  I jumped over my fort and entered the fight. At first, I’d been able to clear a path, and a few village people surrounded me. We worked together. My arrow reserve was getting low. I needed to make them count. I had three left. Then I would need to rely on my broken spear.

  My first arrow made a kill. The second missed and made the ur'gel furious at my attempt. He came thrashing my way.

  The sweat from my forehead stung m
y eyes as I reached for my last arrow. I hesitated and shot my arrow and hit him in the thigh. I reached back for my broken spear.

  The monster ran toward me. I crouched low to the ground to swing my spear upward as he approached.

  He grabbed it and slammed me to the ground, causing me to lose my breath.

  I was not going to make this, but I wouldn’t die a coward.

  He brought his spear just over his head.

  I had to get the timing right. As he swung down, I rolled between his legs and ran as fast as I could to hide by the hut until I could get another resource to use. The ur'gel wasn’t too smart and spent some time swinging his arms about as he looked for me.

  “You’re lucky he’s got half a brain,” someone said from behind me, startling me.

  “Sade.” Thank goodness. I had dreamed of fighting alongside Sade Lemm, and now it was actually happening.

  Sade was a monster hunter, the most skilled slayer around. She followed them and then killed them, alone I may add. She made grown men cry just by giving them a saucy look. She became a monster hunter when her entire family had been murdered by vampires. People taunted her for running away that night, being a white wolf. Now she was respected and paid very well to keep the monsters at bay.

  “Here.” She handed me some of her arrows. “You’re not a bad shot. Pace the breathing and take the extra second you need.”

  I grabbed the arrows from her hand, trying to act nonchalantly about working side by side with her.

  “Stay behind me.” She moved forward.

  I stayed close to her side and shot at anything coming our way. Each arrow she pulled hit its target. She repeated the same action five times, not missing her marks, before I had readied my arrow.

  “That’s amazing.”

  “You see that man over there?” Sade pointed to a body on the ground.

  I nodded my head.

  “This isn’t a game, kid.”

  I could feel my cheeks burn at my childishness. I’d never be a great warrior like Noble or Sade.

  Sade reached over and lifted my chin so our eyes were level. “It’s in you. Don’t let arrogance steal the warrior inside.” She pounded two fingers into my chest at the rhythm of a heartbeat.

  A sudden burst of energy filled me, and I was ready to fight.

  Sade nodded for me to go right as she went left. I pulled my arrow out and placed it on the shelf of the arrow rest, aimed the arrow, took a large breath, and on my exhale, let the arrow fly.

  A shot just to the left of the chest. I wouldn’t let myself smile at or relish the moment. I went on and shot six more, all missing their targets.

  “Aria!” a male voice shouted.

  I turned my head as an ax swung by and scraped my cheek.

  Noble swung his spear right into the monster that attacked me.

  We took cover and caught our breath.

  “Are you okay?” Noble reached for my face to inspect my wound.

  “I’m fine.” I pushed his hand away. I didn’t want to be babied. I could take care of myself just fine.

  “Go to Mother Ofburg. Help her shield the weak ones from the ur’gel.”

  “I’m no use there.” I belonged in the fighting. I turned from him and headed back into battle.

  Bloodied bodies of humans and monsters lay intertwined.

  The ur’gel kept coming, no matter how many we killed. I focused on what my next target should be.

  “Back from your nap, kid?” Sade arrived beside me, her sleeve ripped and bloodied.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Just a warrior wound. Go for the blue ones. They tend to be slower. You’ll go further with your arrows.” Sade reached down and counted the arrows that I had left—five. She had run out of her arrows and had already ditched her bow. She had a spear in one hand and a small knife for upfront combat in the other.

  I nodded at her advice. Then she took off running and screaming into the town, hacking at the ur’gel. She made herself the target to help me. I couldn’t help but wonder if Sade would be the last person I ever spoke to.

  I readied my bow and peeked over the barricades to look for blue ur’gel. I spotted one about to attack the baker’s son and shot an arrow through its left arm. While the ur’gel tried to pull it out, the man was able to get away.

  I reached to grab another arrow, keeping my eye on my next target. My hand searched the ground, but all I could feel was grass. I turned to see where my arrows disappeared to.

  An ur’gel stood behind me with what little arrows I had left in his hands. He snapped them over his knee. Then he removed his sword from his side and slammed it toward me.

  A quick roll to the right saved me, but he was quicker. His hand grabbed my jacket and lifted me up. He had to be at least eight feet tall.

  I flailed my feet, hoping to knock him off balance.

  “Noble!” He was out of sight—out of earshot. The ur’gel flung me back, and I hit the ground, knocking the wind out of me.

  His large fist with small knives attached to his knuckles crashed beside me, first left, then right, taunting my death.

  This wasn’t how I’d envisioned being a fighter would be. An ur’gel ending my life. I needed to fight back.

  I gathered my energy and, with one leap, flipped back onto my feet. Now upright, I felt better than I had a few moments ago.

  The ur’gel growled and swung his big hands.

  I stepped back but not quickly enough. He elbowed me in the face, and again, I crumbled to the ground, this time coughing up blood.

  A spear was only a few feet in front of me. I made a leap for it and landed with the spear under my hand. I turned around as he lunged toward me. I squeezed my eyes shut in anticipation of the spear slicing through the ur’gel’s belly. Instead, the spear clashed with some sort of amour with a clang of metal.

  What kind of ur’gel was this? I rolled over again, missing his next hit, as his fist smashed against the dirt where my head used to be. I needed to be able to get to my feet. I could make a run for it. I tried my best, but he grabbed my foot and pulled me back toward him. I was his toy.

  “Leave me alone.” I dangled in the air in front of the ur’gel. I flailed my arms around, trying to knock myself free, when I remembered I had bits of pepper in my pouch for my soup. I grabbed the little bit I had and aimed for his eyes.

  The ur’gel dropped me to the ground as he rubbed his eyes. I scrambled to my feet and took off running. I didn’t dare look back. I ran as fast as I could until my breathing became shallow. I ran to the blacksmith shop and entered through the cracked door. The windows were broken, the once-immaculate shop in disarray. I leaned over the anvil and tried to catch my breath. My chest was killing me. I was covered in blood, and I wasn’t sure it was all mine.

  A large hand grabbed my shoulder and pulled me backward. The ur’gel had already found me again. Before I could think of anything to do, he lifted me up and threw me clear across the room. I hit a cabinet full of irons and fell to the ground. My body ached all over. I was in so much pain I didn’t know where it was coming from. This was the end.

  I heard him as he walked toward me. Each big foot crumbled whatever it walked over. He’d be here any second. I couldn’t move. My vision blurred to black, and I knew I was going to die, his face last thing I’d have seen in Low Forest.

  He leaned over me and knelt down. His breath made my eyes water. I managed to turn my head away from him. I closed my eyes and prayed for a quick end.

  Nothing happened.

  I opened my eyes again, and somehow, I was home. I stood next to the barn, which was on fire. My worst fear was coming true. My family was being attacked.

  My blood vessels hammered in my head, my heart pounded in my chest, and my ears heard no sounds. It took me a second to readjust, then I ran toward my hidden bow to retrieve it.

  I was exhausted and tired. Now I had to pull off a miracle to protect my family. They were farmers. Not fighters.

  My legs mov
ed much slower than I anticipated, but I made it to the barn without being seen. I dug through the hay as the straw poked and scratched my hands and arms. With each move, pain struck my body in a different way.

  I found my bow and quiver of arrows and planted myself in the loft by the window. I surveyed the land and the attackers. I recognized some of the monsters from town. They must have followed me home. However I got here.

  My eyes closed in on an ur’gel who had a knife stuck in his armpit, courtesy of the local baker. It didn’t faze him in any way. He walked toward the house. I grabbed an arrow and placed it in my bow. With a steady hand, I let it go. The arrow whizzed with decent speed but missed completely. I ducked by the window sill and cursed myself under my breath.

  I reloaded and went back to my position. I’d aim for the closest creature. Less precision needed.

  There was a creature not far from the barn door, his skin slimy and reminiscent of a slug.

  I took a shot. The arrow seemed to move in slow motion as it bounced off its head. The slug-like creature turned his dead, beady eyes my way.

  I slouched down under the window, but he had seen me. I grabbed another arrow and tried again. He ran toward the barn, toward me. He sure didn’t move like a slug. I let the arrow go but missed again.

  The slug man stopped and shook his head, unable to find the entrance. I tried again with an arrow. This time it slid deep into his side, and death was only a matter of time as he fell to the ground with an anguished scream.

  Dropping down again, I hid by the window and planned my next attack. Time wasted away, and I had to make a move now. A familiar scream stopped me from reloading.

  My head popped up in the window, and my eyes darted to my mom. “No. I won’t tell you.” She flailed her arms at the monster as he shook her in his hands. She was so thin and frail.

  I grabbed an arrow and shot him in the back.

  As he fell to the ground, his arm grabbed my mother and she fell on top of him. Her eyes filled with fright when she should have been relieved.