Ever since their mother died a few days ago Katie grew emotionally dependent on Ashes.
The two were now closer than ever before. His sister ceased blaming him for their misfortunes.
She was taking care of him and his injuries were healing steadily. Ashes had expected her anger towards him to increase after their mother's death but the opposite happened.
It seemed as if she took pity on him. As if she felt he was the most affected by the incident. As if she felt she had played a part in their mother's death. Perhaps she thought she should have done something to prevent it.
" The past few days have been very difficult for me. I should have stayed awake that night.
Why did I have to fall asleep when I knew how devastated mom was?
I should have comforted her that night. She wouldn't have taken her life in such a horrible manner had I done so "
She drenched his hair in tears.
Katie had rested Ashes' head on her lap. He got up and hugged her. He kept on telling her that it was not her fault while stroking her hair.
She embraced him tightly.
In the past few days Ashes kept on seeing his father in his dreams. Each time he always said the same thing.
' We need you to save us ' And every time the dream would end with his father in flames.
Luckily, Katie was always there to calm him down whenever he woke up.
She massaged his head and made the migraines vanish. He got them whenever he tried to comprehend the dreams.
" About the nightmares you get… Is it something to do with mom? " She asked with her face buried in his chest.
" No. Father is the one who has been troubling my sleep " she let go of him and stared into his eyes.
She was visibly shocked.
" Since when have you been dreaming about him? "
" He visited me the day you woke me up to inform me that Mom was dead. He has kept on visiting ever since "
Ashes noticed fresh tears in her eyes. She hugged him tightly.
" I really miss them a lot you know "
Ashes stroked her hair.
" Me too "
" What usually transpires in those dreams?"
Ashes went silent for a moment. He was not sure if he should tell her.
He decided to hide nothing from her. She deserved to know everything as she was also affected as much as he was.
After he was done narrating she did not say a word. She was lost deep in her thoughts.
" Do you think that Dad may be trying to pass a message from the grave?"
Ashes had initially thought the same thing but there did not appear to be any hidden message in his nightmares.
" I don't think so "
" There is. Come to think of it you began having those dreams the day mom took her life. I think dad is trying to warn us of an incoming danger. We shouldn't ignore the signs brother "
She squeezed him more, making his broken ribs hurt. She was too deep into her feelings to notice the pain she was causing him.
Ashes decided not to bring it to her attention.
He was thinking about her words. There was a possibility of them turning out to be true.
It was the only plausible explanation of why he never had such dreams before. The path ahead was dark. It would soon grow darker if he failed to take the necessary precautions.
There had to be a way to reach out to his father when he visits tonight.
He had to find a way to get him to talk.
" I have an idea " Katie was done crying. Ashes smiled faintly at her words.
She has always been a smart girl ever since they were kids.
Her ideas have saved the day on numerous occasions.
Whatever it was that would come out of her mouth Ashes made up his mind to follow it.
Even if she said he should stick an arrow through his skull.
" I suggest that today we sleep while holding hands. Perhaps I can use you as a channel to speak to dad. If it turns out they are not ordinary dreams we should be able to get his message. What do you think? "
It sounded dumb but Ashes agreed to it anyway. After all he had no alternative idea, leave alone a better one.
In such desperate situations he had to clutch to any straw available.
" At times I wonder why God let's evil men like the dark lord keep living but shows no mercy to the good ones like mom and dad "
Ashes wiped away the tears from her face. " Don't start crying again now "
She smiled at him weakly and patted his head.
Ashes also got such thoughts from time to time. It was very unfair how the wicked men seemed immune to the troubles of the world.
The ones supposed to lack sleep at night slept in comfy beds in the warms of pretty women while the good ones burned in their flames.
He couldn't help but wonder if his entire family would still be together if his parents had chosen to follow the dark path.
The path of monsters. The path of the wicked.
Ever since the day the dark lord's goons attacked their village Ashes grew a phobia of burnt meat.
The fear the smell of human flesh burning evoked in him got imprinted into his brain at a tender age.
The shrieks of all the men of his village. Even those of his father. Especially those of his father.
That day their youngest sister was separated from them. Only the heavens knew if she was still alive.
Ashes was always praying for her to be alive. He dreamt of meeting her someday when he was freed.
He knew he was being delusional but the dream of freedom was what kept him alive.
It was what prevented him from letting his head get detached from his body in the cage.
He closed his eyes and thought of all the loved ones he lost during the journey.
First it was his father, then his younger sister followed and now his mother too. Only Katie was left in his life.
He did not wish to lose her too. But who knew what fate had in store for him.
That old ugly hog must be seated somewhere laughing her foul mouth out at his demise.
She was probably cooking more trouble for him.
What if he made another mistake which would cost Katie's life?
He clenched his fists till his knuckles bled. He was now crying. Katie noticed his trouble. She must have figured out what he was thinking.
She hugged him and tried to calm him down.
" Please don't ever leave me too, " Ashes pleaded.
" I won't. I'm always going to be with you " she promised.
She knew it was a lie.
Ahriman's guards walked into the dungeon where they hid the body of the female prisoner who took he life three days ago after they raped her.
They needed to dispose of it. They should have disposed of it sooner but they were too lazy and preoccupied with other things to even bother.
But lord Ahriman wanted to use the dungeon today and a rotting body would do some serious damage to his mood.
They were too preoccupied in their thoughts to even notice that something was off.
They missed the fact that the dungeon lacked the awful smell of a decomposing dead body.
When they reached the spot where their body was supposed to be their jaws dropped literally.
There was a pile of ash in the place of her body. The ash was in the shape of a female body.
It was the same woman without doubt. An alien feeling sneaked into their bowels; fear.
They were sure that the dungeon had not been opened and there was no other way to get in.
How were they to explain to their master that the body had burnt on its own.
The fear of having their heads served for lunch made them decide to keep their mouths sealed.
They cleaned the Ash and swore on their members not to inform any soul of what they encountered there.
They wouldn't even be taking that secret to their graves.
It would be buried there and forgotten.
That was necessary for the safety of their lives and that of their mortal souls.
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