I couldn't avert my mind from the events of yesterday. It was too lucid to be "just a dream." I attempted to converse with Daniel like an adult with a cool head, but he wasn't changing his mind. It was a nightmare to him and nothing more.
With anger as my motivation and the desire to prove Daniel wrong, I headed out in search of answers. My best option was to research dreams.
A mile down the street, around a few corners, and up two flights of stairs brought me to a purple wooden door. A small townhouse shop pointed skyward like an arrow with a purple roof and a sign that read "Evangeline, The Dreamweaver Extraordinaire." She sounded like a performer. I almost turned around but my desperation forced me inside.
The shop was infused with smoke from the burning spices. A pleasurable aroma filled my lungs and helped relax my worries, lavender. I sniffed deeply, a sharp citrusy smell hinted to lemon balm and maybe lemongrass.
"It's so dark in here." I stand amidst the smoke in the entrance making sense of shapes against her violet wall.
"Dreams flourish in the dark." An older lady said as she entered from the room hidden behind purple drapes lined with golden strings. I assumed she was my mother's age with deep wrinkles that stitched across her face. Her hair, makeup, and choice of clothing told a story about a young fox that couldn't let go of the fact that she lost her firmness.
"Evangeline." She did a slight bow of the head with a whimsical sleight of hand that went along with the introductions.
"Mae." I nodded my head in return. My whimsical nature was sucked out by the stress of my debt.
"How... may I help you?" She hesitated before saying "may" like she was trying to think of an alternate word to use. She snickered uncontrollably to herself. Saying "may" and "Mae" together was amusing to victims of small minds. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes but spoke with a faked chipper.
"I was hoping to have a dream interpreted?" I asked with high hopes to free her from her chuckle fit. She snapped out of it, thankfully.
"Not everything is free, my dear." Evangeline held a small brown box between her long fingers decorated with golden rings. A purple painted nail tapped against the edge of her "treasure chest," which, according to her revealing clothing, it wasn't the only chest she treasured.
I untied a small pouch concealed by my corset. We had a few silvers left from Daniels gambling that I hoped we could spend on food, but my disturbing dream caused me issues in my love life. This nagging voice in my head needed to be silenced. Hopefully, Evangeline could do that.
I displayed a couple silvers and waited for Evangeline's approval. She didn't decline and the coins tumbled from my hand with a very regretful ache in my heart.
I sighed when the box snapped shut.
She opened the drapes to reveal an even darker room, the smoke was heavier in here. Small little specks of orange light peeked through the darkness in random places but they didn't give light to the room. This must be where she burns the fragrance.
I could make out a circular table standing in the middle of the room. My toe hit something hard, I tumbled but caught myself before I landed on my nose. I hadn't seen the chairs.
"Uh, oops." I chuckled awkwardly.
"Sit." She commanded. She circled around me without explaining anything to me.
Dream weavers practiced soul seeking, giving them the ability to peek into ones being and determine how many lives they've lived. They could sense patterns, future karma from wrong doings in any previous lives, and they could discern if a dream was a memory of the past, or linked to our emotions. It was written that our dreams are fragmented memories about our previous lives, that daydreaming was said to be our souls desperately trying to remember. Older souls were more prone to feel depressed or lost if the birth home was in an alternate realm, it ignites a passion to work as an adventurer or an artisan.
"What happens when we do find home?" I recalled a conversation with my mother. "Will our souls find peace? Or will it not recognize its original home if we ever do find it, and eventually decline into darkness?"
I, myself, wondered how a soul coped if home was never found.
The silence was uncomfortable.
"My dream..."
"Shush!" She barked. Evangeline circled me again, like a vulture circling it's dying prey. She hovered her hand above my head. "I need to discover the age of your soul first. This will explain dreams about locations you aren't familiar with and the slight hints to different eras."
She stopped and stood in front of me to rub my braid, then sat and stared into my eyes. How could she see when there isn't a single ray of light?
"Don't blink." She instructed me. "Don't look anywhere but into my eyes."
I stared awkwardly at this woman. It was too dark to see the color of her iris, only the glimmer of the candle light against the pitch-black void inside her iris.
"An old soul." She said with excitement.
"A common find, I presume?" I asked with confusion as she leaned her head into her hand for rest.
"Not anymore, I used to see old souls all the time. A soul that has lived more lives is becoming rare." She sounded disturbed by this occurrence.
"Is it bad to be a new soul?" I asked.
"Not a new soul, no, but through my years of reading dreams and sensing souls the older souls are becoming more disturbed as time continues. Old souls are supposed to have their vices of their previous lives cleansed but it's as if they're carrying on guilt, fear, and hopelessness from their previous lives into this life. It's an unnerving feeling."
We paused for a second to contemplate the odd occurrence. Old souls becoming rare. An interesting thought to ponder on, but nothing of concern to the events that happened last night.
"So, tell me about this dream!" She broke her gaze on the floor and clapped her hands together.
"Yesterday my son went missing. He went hiding... I couldn't find him. I lied down on the ground out of exhaustion and slowly faded into this dream where I felt terror overwhelm me. My heart rate increased, my breathing became shallow due to a pressure inside my chest. It was as if something was sitting on me. When I fell asleep there was a candle lit, in my dream, it was still burning but it's light faded drastically, it became very dark. In my peripherals I could see this man standing behind me, he was a silhouette, a shadow with large horns. He didn't say anything and even though I couldn't see his face I could tell it was smiling. I tried to move but couldn't. I woke up, finally, to the sound of my son crying. I got up and held him but a different presence haunted the room. One of my lost father. I guess I truly woke up when my husband entered the room." I stopped for a second to swallow the fear that crept back into my heart. "It was so realistic it was almost like it actually happened. I'm frightened that it's not a dream."
I stared at her for a reaction. She listened with no expression.
"What does it mean?" I asked to prod for an answer since she remained silent.
"That doesn't sound like any dream I've interpreted. In dreams, symbols of guilt, anger, fear, and hatred are commonly seen as pitch black creatures, silhouettes as you say. Sometimes with flaming red eyes, sometimes without faces. In most of these dreams that creature is usually attacking either the dreamer or the dreamers loved ones. If it's a bear, it symbolizes your fear of your own anger. If it's a black dog it symbolizes depression. A dream about people, mostly men, that loom over you while you sleep symbolizes an overpowering person or abuse of someone who is larger in status or physical build. In your case, a pitch-black man with horns is something I've never heard of before. Are you experiencing a negative emotion that is more dominant than the others?"
"If there is, it isn't something I've recognized yet." I answered.
"What about your relationship?"
"Daniel is a good man. He isn't abusive at all." I stopped to think what the man in my dream symbolizes. Then it hit me. "My family is in crippling debt to a higher status lady?"
"That could be it. You fear the debt that's been hurting your family. Is there anything else about the dream that concerns you?" She asked.
"My son told me that we shared that dream."
"Ah! A very rare thing, more common amongst blood." I wanted to tell her that Dodger wasn't my blood, but that wasn't important. Dodger and I shared memories and that could still give us similar dreams.
"This is truly just a dream?" I pushed the question, I needed to hear it from her. She replied by nodding her head. "It didn't seem like a dream though. I felt terrified. Haunted almost!"
"If you still believe that it's not a dream and you were visited by something maniacal. I suggest going to the head librarian priest in The Marnettie Cathedral, Ade'cer. He's read every book that's ever been written. It's better to go to him and double check than live with this fear of yours."
I was hoping for more than this, an answer to prove Daniel wrong but it seemed he was right. Going to Ade'cer tonight was impossible, not to mention unnecessary when I have been proven wrong. I was upset, suffering from debt, no wonder my nightmare was so vivid.
~~
En route home I potted a plant from the plains; I lied to myself and said it was to liven up the room, but in all truthfulness, it was to prove myself wrong. I could take care of plants without them withering away into a brown crinkly mess. My experience at Lady Deinans garden angered me, it wasn't my fault her garden spontaneously perished. I did everything I could. This experiment will prove that I could take care of flowers and I was set up.
The Omni Star beamed through our window and was absorbed by the orange petaled flower. Specs of dust floated onto its luscious green leaves and gathered around the rim of the pot, dulling the color. I used the hem of my dress to wipe off the dust. This plant won't die, I was determined to make it live. My mind immediately shifted from my own self-worth and the image of sheer beauty before me to a blackened misshaped form that visited me last night.
Mnakaraneh, a friend of Dodgers or so the child believes.
Muffled by my fear, the name is repeated inside my head, I dared not utter it's name aloud.
Nothing but a nightmare. A fear of my own debt.
"Don't hit me!" I was brought back to reality by Daniel's sudden rise in tone. Daniel attemped to get Dodger to clean his things in the bedroom. Dodger didn't listen to him. Dodger still couldn't talk that well, he paused to think of what words to use and stuttered often, it's normal for a child his age. Considering that his first time speaking was yesterday, he spoke surprisingly well.
"Don't yell at me!" He screamed back. Dodger stood his ground without fear wavering his voice.
"If you ever desire to eat again I suggest you listen to me!" He scolded Dodger.
"You don't feed me! Mae feeds me!"
"I'm the one that pays for the food! I'm in control of who's mouth it feeds!"
"Then I don't want to stay here with you. My new friend will take care of me!" My heart scrambled with fear at such a serious threat.
"I'll have him hurt you!" Dodger wasn't afraid of Daniel; his threats were terrifying for someone his age.
"How dare you threaten me!" I could hear a muffled spanking, a few whines and whimpers but Dodger stubbornly held back the screams.
"You are to stay in this room! If I come back and it isn't cleaned you're in deep trouble." I don't agree with Daniels harsh behavior towards Dodger. He had become more impatient, his ways of doing things involved beatings and punishment. It doesn't work on Dodger, he needed to be shown that chores can be enjoyable if done right.
I was trapped between a rock and a hard place. I wanted to open the bedroom door and give Dodger a hug, explain to him that Daniel didn't mean the awful things he said. I wanted to explain the situation with Lady Deinans garden and that it's stressed us all out and we're all dealing with it differently, but its all too much for a child to understand. The other side of me wanted to stand firm, if I went in there I was picking a side against my husband. What message does that send Dodger? Dodger would expect me to aide him in his battles against Daniel, causing conflict in our marriage. I don't believe Daniel was right though... Standing idly by meant that I supported his rash actions.
Daniel closed the bedroom door and noticed me standing by the window frame, casting him a disapproving stare.
"Don't look at me like that." Daniel said and left the apartment for work. Other than the crying of a toddler in the other room, it was quiet.
I returned my focus back on the plant. Bright orange colors no longer painted the petals. The green leaves curved and yellowed as its life was sucked away. The stems were now fragile and stale, they easily broke to pieces when I touched it to believe it. Dodger was upset about the loss of Robber at Lady Deinan's manor the day those flowers died and I lost my job.
The horrible realization sent an awful feeling in my gut. I didn't want to believe that this was Dodgers doing. I fought with my thoughts until it became deathly silent.
I focused my attention on the bedroom door attempting to hear the slightest whimper from Dodger. In it's stead a slithering tongue spewed words from some language that I didn't understand. The name "Mnakaraneh" popped into my head as my peripherals darkened by a black mist.
"Dodger?" I called for him and the voice stopped. Silence again. I turned the knob to the bedroom door with difficulty; the beading sweat on my hands made them slip against the metal. The knob turned entirely, but the door remained closed when I pushed. I pushed, and pushed until my frustration took the better of me and I violently shook it. There wasn't a bolt on this door, someone was holding it shut from the other side.
"Dodger!" The deafening silence was interrupted as a foul smell was accompanied by a breath of wet air on my shoulder. A mocking laugh echoed in my ear.
"Mnakaraneh Ili'cuvera MnDodger." The raspy voice shook me into turning around out of instinct. A black blur pounced at me from the shadows. I released a blood curdling scream from my lips.
My back ached from the weight of a grown man jumping on me. Thick claws as sharp as nails shoved into my skin tearing flesh from bone, renting clothe into shreds. The gashes in my skin scourged hotter than coals. I swung my arms wildly to throw this thing off me, hitting it was like punching a blob of tar. They passed through it with no damage done. My swings were useless.
The weight was too heavy, I fell into the fetal position with no plan of attack. As my bottom hit the ground, the thing vanished without a trace. I peered between my knees into the living room. The light has livened up the room again without a trace of the darkness that attacked me. My hands caressed my skin, not a single drop of blood or ripped clothing that hung into shreds. Fear kept me on my bum, if I moved would it return? I waited just in case.
The confirmation that I wasn't responsible for the gardens destruction didn't give me any joy. Either Dodger had some influence on the plants and killed them with his fluctuating emotions or a demon is possessing me, causing the plants to rot.
I pushed through the bedroom door, no bolt or magical barrier kept me from entering. I found Dodger sulking in the corner. His puppy dog eyes lifted from the folds of his arms.
"Didn't you hear me?" He pondered as if there was another Dodger in the room.
"No?"
"Why didn't you open the door!"
"When?" He said with confusion.
"Just now! I wiggled the door and called for you! Why didn't you open it?" He looked more confused than he's ever been.
"Mae, you never called for me. I've been here by myself the entire time." He said with tears in his eyes. He began bawling hysterically. He's not lying, little kids his age are terrible liars. My fear was replaced with pity. I just yelled at him for no reason and he was spanked because Daniel was impatient. I tried to refrain myself from picking his side, but he was irresistible.
"I'm sorry I was short with you." I said as I knelt by his side. He barely peeked out of his hiding spot. I rubbed my hand against his shoulders.
"I'll make it up to you. Why don't I help you clean the room?"
"You won't yell?"
"Of course not."
Dodger happily obliged. Together we cleaned the room as I had done most the work. It didn't bother me, he could only carry so much with those tiny hands. I taught Dodger how to clean without hating it by turning it into a game. We took a few steps away from the hamper and tossed our balled-up clothes into the basket, and the toys into the bin.
"Three points if they land straight in the middle, one point if it droops from the rim, and zero if it hits the floor." I explained.
"Ok!" Dodgers sharp teeth gleamed underneath a wide smile. It's been so long since I've seen that beautiful smile. I memorized his dimples, the shape of his thin lips, and the way he squinted. I had an awful feeling in my gut that I wouldn't be seeing it as much.
The room was completely cleaned with Dodger five points ahead of me.
"I won!" He bounced around with joy. "Mae?"
"Yes, Dodger?"
"I love you the most." He said as he twiddled his fingers. He kept his eyes to the floor, as if he was scared to admit this.
"Why do you think so?"
"Grandma Ember never plays with me, and Daniel yells..." He stuttered. I couldn't believe this was the impression Dodger had on them both.
"Grandma is just busy and Daniel doesn't mean the things he says. He's going through a lot and he's just stressed out from work." I tried my best to explain.
"But he's nice to you." I paused to think through a response. "Is it because I'm adopted?"
"How do you know that?" Daniel, mother and I all agreed to keep it a secret until he was old enough to understand.
"Mnakaraneh told me." Mnakaraneh is trying to ruin my relationship with Dodger. Informing him about his past when I intended to do it when the time is right. This needed to stop now!
"Dodger, I don't want you listening to him anymore. He sounds very mean and not at all like the sort I would hang out with." I gave it to him very stern like while trying to mask the overwhelming surges of pure anger rising inside me.
"But..." He began.
"Don't question me! I don't want you talking to him anymore ok?" Dodger nodded. "Do you promise?"
"I promise." He whispered.
Just then a dark shiver traveled up my spine. I had to check the darkness behind me for reassurance that nobody was there. I couldn't see anything, but I felt the malicious smile of that creature and its hollow face staring at me from the shadows.
Something spoke to me, something attacked me earlier. I needed to talk with the priest Evangeline recommended, Ade'cer.
~~
The commandments of the god and goddess forbid spell books to be in libraries that haven't been blessed. Books on demonology must be held at Shi's demon hunter guild as certain scriptures can summon demons just by saying the wrong words; witches can use all forms of knowledge that books provide to summon creatures from the dark, this information must be protected.
Learning about my mysterious dream had dark elements to it. I would rather take the trip to the Marnettie Cathedral to acquire the information than to make a trip elsewhere to be directed to the Marnettie anyway.
I decided not to bring Dodger for two reasons: One, it's a ten mile walk round trip and two, if that thing I saw, Dodger's "friend," came back from wherever using Dodgers help, chances are that it was attached to Dodger and follows him everywhere.
I would prefer destroying it without it knowing.
In its entirety, The Marnettie Cathedral was three massive, black stone buildings with a gorgeous garden that wrapped around it. Around the outside is underpinning made from stone, a moat flowed around the cathedral and only had one bridge allowing people in and out of the establishment.
The library, a building for itself was six stories high and contained an ocean of books on each floor, neatly tucked away. Below, in the basement were records for officials of the church order only. I was intimidated by how many books there were.
"Excuse me?" I asked an old lady bent at the spine as she inspected the condition of returned items. Her long years of labor showed by a hunch in her spine. She stared at me through circular glasses, but didn't reply. "I'm looking for Ade'cer."
"Good luck," She scoffed. "Ade'cer is everywhere."
She continued flipping through pages.
"Um…" Must I climb up and down six flights of stairs just so I could talk to one man?
"He's a scrawny fellow with a brown cloak and glasses." She described him. "Bald, looks like a worm and a chipmunk had a baby."
The interesting details gave me the impression that she didn't hold him with high respects.
"…Thank you."
I asked around for Ade'cer. For those that had some idea pointed me in different directions until I was dizzy from the amount of twisting and turning. When I was at the end of my rope I decided to follow one last lead then call it a day.
I crawled down two flights from the fifth floor, my legs were weak from scrounging around several floors trying to find him. They begged to sit down but I ignored them. In the back of the third floor were piles of books stacked on top of each other creating a wall that was unpassable. Books were shuffled around behind this wall, someone was behind the mountain of books.
"Ade'cer?"
"Yes, yes that's me!" He stumbled out from the books knocking over a large pile. He stumbled to retrieve a few but tripped over a thick book. He jumped back up, his hands finicked with his glasses and studied me. "A-and you are?"
"Ember, Mae Ember." I answered. His geeky stature was everything I had imagined: scrawny, with big round glasses and skin that has seen one too many hours in a damp corner with his nose in old pages. With such a reputation as Ade'cer I wouldn't be surprised if he fed off books. Like a worm with dirt, except pages. A bookworm, that had big teeth like a… well, a chipmunk. The description the lady gave me was oddly accurate.
"What can I help you with, miss Ember?"
"Misses, and I'm wondering if you could help me decipher a name and tell me it's origins?" I slouched slightly to be on his eye level.
"Of course, of course!" He waved his hands as if it's a simple task. "What is the name?"
"Mnarakaneh..."
"Hmm. I have never heard of such a name. Come, let's sit." He lead me to a rectangular table big enough to fit four people. He pulled out a chair and I sat, relief flooded through me. My muscles could rest for a bit before traveling back home.
"Do you know the spelling of this name?" He asked.
"Unfortunately, I don't. I've only ever heard it spoken." The priest stood, his hands resting on the table.
"How come you by this name?" I couldn't tell him the truth. Since the war with the Akira over a hundred years ago the realm has grown with prejudice. My adopted son isn't human. Since I know nothing of this malicious black mist I don't want Ade'cer making assumptions, getting the demon hunter guild involved, then question Dodger to find that it's his "friend."
"I used to be a priestess here." I lied, "One of the priests told tall tales about his greatest exorcism. A little boy who had a black mist... apparition, thing haunt him. He said its name was Mnarakaneh." I stretched the story more than I was comfortable with.
"I will start interpreting. It'll take me a couple minutes. You can read, or… umm… Do something else."
"Spectators make you nervous." I said as a statement moreso than a question. His lips spread into an awkward smile.
"I'll find you." He said. I left the area so he could concentrate.
I sat in a different seating area, my legs ached from all the walking. I massaged them for a few minutes then relaxed.
Was he done yet? No, not yet. Time would go faster if I took a nap. I shuffled around on the soft couch until I was comfortable. My back rested against the arm chair, my legs draped over the other, and my neck kinked to the side, resting on the back. My neck would surely ache after this nap, regardless I closed my eyes.
I tried to think of nothing, but the blackness that covered the images I repressed brought shape to that damned creature. Its hallowed eyes stared at me and sharp teeth lined across a wicked smile. It stood before me as clear as the day it arrived in my household. I didn't want to think of that.
Maybe I could think of dinner? What should I make? What groceries should I pick up on my way home? I welcomed any images that weren't of that hellish thing but it forced itself into my thoughts.
I gave up on sleep. Maybe touring the garden would help clear my mind.
I stepped outside and let the pathway lead me deep inside the garden. The hedges were trimmed into little balls of leaves, they were a foot tall and created a small fence on each side of the trail. There were a few openings in the hedges that lead off in different directions. I followed the main path since I wasn't familiar to the area.
The Marnettie Garden was alike to lady Deinan's in the manner that certain sections had distinct types of plants. I walked along an area with tall sunflowers that stood higher than myself and others almost grew taller than the cathedral. The petals were as bright as the Godius sunlight but never outshone the sun god. Thin, seagreen vines twisted around the sunflowers stems, small buds hid in the shadows. I knew this small plant. They seemed plain during the day, but when the sun died down and the sunflowers close, the moonlight gives life to large white flowers that glow in the dark. They are the sunflowers counterpart, the moonflowers, each representing Godius and Goddessa.
Circling around the sunflower patch took about an hour. Ade'cer must be done.
I went back inside, he might be looking for me. To someone lost in their work a "couple minutes" seems but a few minutes. To me, waiting anxiously feels like it has been ten hours. I took a few turns about the main corridor, thinking it the easiest place for him to find me. I didn't hear my name being called. I returned to the seating area where we talked and relaxed on the cushioned seats. A few minutes lagged on and Ade'cer found me.
"Have you been sitting there this whole time?" He asked.
"No, I walked around the garden."
"Ah, yes, beautiful scenery. Anyway, I have interpreted the origins and meaning of the name, misses Ember." I looked at him with expectations that he'd continued talking without needing to answer, but he waited for a reply.
"Go on." I asked with severe annoyance in my voice. I'm too anxious to be kept in such a manner.
"Demons use hieroglyphics for a writing system. Just as I suspected at first, the sound at the beginning of the name Mneh- is spelled, in our text, as MN and is drawn as a demon kneeling on one knee. This sound, or as they call it the character means 'male demon.' With that being a lead, I looked further into his name and tried to match it to ancient lore, only demons that are well known have enough power to enter our world. With this being a fact, our demon hunter guild is able to make record of each demon known to us." Perspiration dotted his brow, I feared that this might have been too much for him. He opened an illustrated book and pointed at a picture of two types of demons, the demon on the right was a massive beast looking creature, a contortion concocted between a boar and cow. The demon to the left had other "adaptions" to itself. One resembled fire, the other water, one is made entirely of ice, and so continued demons of different elements. None were of a black mist like substance.
"When I research different elements of demons, a black mist was never under any classification of element nor was it signified underneath the beast group of demons. So, I assumed that the sound of Mneh- is spelled differently. I considered different sorts of ancient lore, no other interpretations make any sense. With no luck, I deciphered the rest of the name in demon tongue, and guess what it means?" He looked at me and I stared back thinking that was a sufficient enough of a response. He still demanded more than that for a reply.
"What?!" I responded, annoyed.
"His name means 'The One Who Accepted Rancor' in demon tongue, which doesn't make any sense. Whose rancor did he accept? And how do you accept something like that?"
"What is it then?" It still didn't answer my question, if there was no such thing as a "black mist element" for demons and the name didn't match up to any other lore, then what could it possibly be?
"This is why I am infuriated!" He stood with fury in his voice. "I don't know..." He plopped into the chair behind him, and slumped over in defeat. I sighed with mutual feelings.
"Thank you, for doing your best." I stood to leave but he stopped me.
"Misses Ember?" He called.
"Yes?" Now that I already got an answer from him I was less anxious to know what he had to say.
"Demon or not I highly suggest finding the person who brought it up originally and getting the guild involved, a new species means new trouble. A kind of trouble we are not prepared for."
I didn't like the worry I saw in his eyes, I didn't like the idea of a new species, I didn't like the idea of a saint finding out that a little boy calls this new species friend, and I don't like thinking of the terrible things they would do to Dodger if they found out. What I don't like above all, is regardless of the story I gave him, lie or not, he still warned me.