Oh heavens..
Not this dream again.
Ramuna had been plagued by this dream since she was a little girl and yet every time she dreamt of it she could still never make sense of it. She had always thought it had been some divine intervention. Something trying to communicate with her.
How was she dreaming anyways? Wasn't she in Kemet? If she was in Kemet she would still be awake sitting at the table studying the journal the Jackal gave her and using the paper he had written to decipher all the stories within the journal. Has she finally fallen asleep for the first time in the lunar world? Maybe the journal really was boring her to death that she finally got to experience some rest. Even though this dream was always far from a peaceful rest.
It had been the same as it always was. She was surrounded by people in a luscious green field that was hidden inside the most luscious green forest she had seen. Nothing of the New World had any type of rainforest vegetation. A river ran across one side of the field making its way into the forest like a snake. Tables with white cloth over them spread out around her and everyone was feasting and celebrating out in the open. Celebrating… her pregnancy.
Ugh, this dream has always been so embarrassing. It was what happened later in the dream that turned it into a nightmare. As long as she found a way to wake herself up before she went inside the large white victorian house she would not have to relive the nightmare. Her hands trembled as she stood up from her seat. She was starting to lose control of her dream state. Soon she would be on autopilot. Unable to control her words, thoughts or movements.
I have to wake up.
Everything around her was almost like white noise. She could not understand any of the conversations that were happening around her. The only time she would be able to understand words in this dream is if someone was directly talking to her. She instinctively touched her stomach where the twins were barely grown yet inside of her. Soon she would make her way over to the river to sit by the water. Exhausted from sitting with everyone.
With no willpower to fight the dream from happening she did what she had always done in this occurrence and walked towards the river. She heard herself humming a song she had never heard before nor did she know the words. Ramuna always wondered what the song was. As she got to the river's edge she started to pick white lilies, putting them in the basket she was carrying.
As she continued to pick flowers and hum her mysterious tune she felt a slight change in her dream. Something was different this time. It felt like something new was about to happen. Something that she could not control on her own free will.
"Comest thou to kiss this child? I will not let thee kiss him. Comest thou to soothe him? I will not let thee soothe him. Comest thou to harm him? I will not let thee harm him." A deep voice said from next to her.
Still having no control of her own words and actions she let this new piece of the dream unfold. Dream state Ramuna gasped and jumped back almost falling into the river. The man quickly grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled him to her.
"Woah there sorry for the scare. I was just in awe of the song you were humming. Quite odd but fitting to sing about scaring off demons trying to harm unborn children when you are in a field full of loved ones."
Ramuna observed the man standing before her. He had bright golden eyes and tan skin, his black hair almost fell to his ears as if he was starting to grow it out long to braid it. It was usual custom for a man to grow out his hair and braid it once he reached manhood. The man was wearing a black uniform, with gold embroidment lining. There was a symbol on the right side of his chest that she didn't quite understand. A deep black obsidian scimitar hung from his belt on his left side. She felt vulnerable alone with a man that wasn't her husband when she was simply just in her white maternity gown but she also couldn't help but be stunned by how beautiful the man was. Surely he had to be harmless if he had just saved her.
"Thank you for not letting me fall into the river," she said, still having no control of her own words.
"Well it was my own fault. I seemed to have startled you," the man said quietly as if he was worried that anyone else would hear them. "What are you expecting?"
"Twins. The priestess said a boy and a girl. I guess I am getting the best of everything all in one run." Ramuna said with a faint smile. "I should get going. My husband would lose his mind if he caught me alone by the river with a man I have never met." Ramuna started to turn but the man grabbed her by the arm.
"Wait. I just want to ask a few more questions. Please. It is important."
Ramuna felt unwell. She did not like how urgent the man sounded as if he was in a hurry. On the other hand if Ramuna had control of the dream she would be begging this man to get her the hell out of here before she went into the white victorian home that was out of place in this field.
For an instant she had full control of herself and in a quick moment she looked back at the house and then at the man with complete fear. "Don't let me go in there with him! Please, I beg you! Wake me up!"
The man took a step back looking at her eyes wide with horror. "Excuse me, what did you just say?"
To her horror she lost control of herself again and her dream self went right back to how the dream should go and she started to hum and continue to pick lilies now ignoring the fact that the man was even there. It was almost as if someone 'reset' her so she would no longer talk to this new man in the dream.
Ramuna noticed out of the corner of her eye that the man was frantically looking over the people seated at the tables in the field as if he was looking for anything familiar. The man spun and looked back at her.
"All these people. They are Mesot people! The way they are dressed! Their language is Sumerian! Yet you are singing a tune from a time that came way after the fall of Mesot and right before the birth of Atann civilization! Do you know where you are!? When you are!? Who you are!?" The man exclaimed with absolute frustration.
Ramuna's dream self continued to ignore the man as she stood up and headed back towards the tables. Soon she would be led into the home by a man that had a blurred face that was supposed to be her husband. No matter how many times she had this dream she could never clearly see the man's face that turned this dream into a nightmare.
Ramuna could hear the other strange man that was new to this dream following her with quick strides. She sat the basket of flowers in front of the children sitting at one of the tables and kissed the top of their heads as they all thanked her for picking the flowers to make necklaces. She smiled at them and then started to make her way towards the house.
On the porch stood her husband standing by him were several guards. She no longer could hear the man following her. Instinctively she turned around as if this was now supposed to be a part of the dream. The man in black uniform was frozen near the table of children looking over at her husband with wide eyes as if he had been caught following her. Ramuna saw him back away slowly as he kept his eyes that showed absolute terror on her husband and in a quick flash of white light he was gone. As if he was never part of the dream.
Ramuna turned towards the porch where her husband stood and continued to make her way up the stairs. Her husband held out his arm and right as she was about to take it -
"Ma'am? Ma'am!"
Ramuna woke up jumping in her seat letting out a small yelp. She was back in the pub, the smell of spices once again infiltrated her nose and she took a deep sigh of gratitude glad that someone had woken her up before the horror began. She looked over to see a small boy not even ten years old yet looking at her with a mischievous smile.
"Mister told me he would give me another set of marbles if I came and woke you up! He told me to tell you that you are supposed to be studying, not snoozing!" The boy giggled.
Ramuna rolled her eyes. "Was it the ugly dog guy?"
The boy looked at her wide eyed as if not knowing how to respond but in some awkward relief both her and the boy burst into a fit of giggles over her question.