Finally, we were out of the barrow, but we were mired in dimly glowing draugr blood, our own blood and the dust and filth that came from shooting and stabbing the undead hordes in close hallways. I was once again tired as we hauled that chest back to camp, putting it in the snow and then Ari used some of her spell-casting and turned some of the snow into water and dumping it into a metal bowl to use as a basin.
Ari once finished making the warm water by the fire, then let us wash before resting our weary bodies after such a fight through that hell of a tomb. None of us had the energy to open a can or cook so we took ourselves to bed after wishing a good night to one another.
It took a while before I closed my eyes and slept only to wake up in the Afterlife, Azerdan. I stood before a throne that seated Aeryhn Iceborn in her suit of magical armour as the gentle voice of the great mage said through her helmet which sounded like she spoke through a radio "Joseph Terrens, my son. I brought you here in the land of the great dead to enlighten you..."
She then stood up and came over to me and kneeled "Twenty-three... and you have experienced so much during your time as a scout with your blood sister, Arimia. Your world and realm need another hero to crush this new menace and restore peace. But it will be two heroes... You and Arimia, your veins running strong with my blood and that of many other heroes."
"Aeryhn, I hope you understand that I'm not made to be a hero, I'm just an adventurer and former soldier, the same for my sister..." I explain, fearful of this new and sudden news from my ancestor.
"Do you fear being a hero, Joseph? Is it because you fear that power corrupting you and Arimia as you two are just simple and humble blood twins?" She says cocking her head to the side curiously.
"Yes, I'm not made to be a hero, Aeryhn. I can't throw magic and cut down armies like the ones of yore. We're just adventurers." I explained.
"That nightmare last night, the one that was gruesome and hard to explain to your friends. Remember that?"
"What does that have to do with this?" I asked getting slightly annoyed at these trivial questions.
"Don't you realize what your mind is trying to tell you... maybe the gods themselves?" She asks as those burning sapphire eyes stared at my very soul and being which calmed my slightly panicked state.
"N-no." I stammered as she calmed me.
"Ari. Without you. Will suffer, her powers will wane and her strength will be that of a normal elf... You, blood twins, are meant to be the heroes in this war... you must cease the orcish pursuit of domination with the power. I know that deep within your spirit, you understand your duty but currently, you both don't want to be heroes as you have seen many fall during the war."
I was young, and I never really had the chance to enjoy my young adult life like many other conscripts, this was a thing that interested me, I thought we would never get dragged into the war again but in such a profound way. It left me in deep thought about my position before waking from my dream state and then gasping as my eyes narrowed as I shook my head free of that dream.
I got out of bed, getting new clothes and a coat on before putting my boots on and then leaving my tent as the sun rises, putting a pack on my shoulder with my rifle and heading out across the snow, left to my own thoughts and understanding what happened in that dream.
The crunch of snow and the soft blow of the wind kept me sane as I made an idle walk across the cliff edge. The sense of isolation and silence was a blessing for my mind as I find my mind more troubled, trying to discover what was going on with my dreams and nightmares, questioning if I am supposed to fulfil my destiny with my blood twin or the stress for the Elderian call to war.
I sat on a stump that was resting on a small hill and looked at the sunrise after my few miles walk to clear my head. I started crying as I rested my head in my hands, my mind muddled still even with the walk that freed my mind a tad, but my thoughts were still unclear on what I should believe, my dreams and nightmares or myself as both made points that made sense.