Birds sung a song, and the suns' warmth caressed the surface of the fresh pasture stretched out a grand distance before me. And as the wind softly whispered nothings into my ear, I dropped myself. Landing on my back.
"Fun..." I wheezed, clenching my chest.
The rough sound of my panting and gasping made it hard to think clearly as to where I was and how to proceed.
I was just lying in nature's embrace. Suffering from extreme exhaustion and pain.
Now thinking back, I thought I was surely going to die despite having complete control over certain aspects of this place. Yet I lied on the soft grass, not using it to my advantage. I ultimately let the fairy fool me in a sea of exhaustion. And the sharp pain in my lungs made it seem all too real.
I held up my shakey hand, reaching out to block the sunlight. "Rest" was the only word I had obsessively floating around in my mind before I dropped my weak arm again. Losing myself to silence and eventually, my worries.
Humans were a race easily fooled into believing in pain had meaning. In other words, a connection to who they were as a person--worth. Even if it was caused by something fictional. That's why I picked up books and silly mangas. Consuming all forms of fiction to satisfy my wild imagination to give myself meaning.
During my youth, I liked to imagine myself as a hero that would change the world for the better. "How cute", were the words adults would say to young me as I showed them paintings of myself as a hero. But the more I witnessed the true side of the world as an adult, my dreams of heroism ended and in my moments of pain and suffering I turned to different types of imaginings. My dreams of heroism becoming more twisted.
Until I decided "not to give a shit" and press forward.
As the world ran and the further humans fought and killed each other, I wished to do something about it. Perhaps turn to those silly stories of humans with telekinesis or other types of powers. Things that would grant me the ability to grab all mankind's attention in order to bring change.
So when the nightmares happened more frequently, I was convinced it meant something. But the many times I've been rejected and dismissed as odd had me at the brink of feeling useless. I was angry, but mostly tired.
Perhaps all of this was a logical explanation to my wild dreams and nightmares. Perhaps I was in a coma and this was all just a long dream...
But no. I am telling a story--my story-- and this is not true. This happened and all the pain and thinking was very much reality. A reality I had both caused and ended. But that's for later.
This version of myself had yet to see everything this new world had to offer. And if I had to assume anything then, it was that the world was just as cruel as Earth. If not, ten times worse.
So I rolled to my side, fighting against the dizziness and the throbbing. Forcefully pushed myself to my knees, despite my severe shaking. Slowly rising at the same time as the wind began to pick up the pace.
Blood trickled from my nose faster than I could swipe it all off.
"Dry air." I muttered, having confirmed my suspicions but suddenly a soft growl rose behind me.
I turned only to find a creature lunging at me. It was large, with white fur and yellow stripes. Had six pairs of paws with sharp claws swiping for a piece of my flesh. And I dodged each swipe, fighting past my weakness. Carefully timing the beast's attacks before counter attacking with a punch to its large snout.
It jumped back, whimpering at the pain. Maybe I was too strong, or maybe it was too weak. I cared not and jumped forward for another blow. Perhaps a more fatal one. But more growls erupted around me.
Four more beasts of varying sizes but no shorter than I, lunged at me. Attempting to protect their whining companion.
It became increasingly tiring dodging the varied angles of swipes. Their hiss-barks haven't been an indication of their impatience as their attacks grew more quicker and desperate. This was a good sign for that the moment they lunged at me all at once, I fully dropped to my belly. Watching as paws almost struck their companions. And before they could recover their position to come after me, I took advantage of their recovery window to fight back.
With a stretched out hand, I summoned a weapon from the depths of this dream.
"Fighting for control won't do you good, foolish Fairy." I breathed, clenching my spear with a scowl. Spinning it in the space under my chest, building momentum before rolling to my back, striking at least 3 of the beasts with the spinning spear. And before all could react again for another attack, I chanted-
"Sphere of Relentless Strings."
A purple sphere consisting of many magical strings, wiggling like electrical currents, appeared in the palm of my free hand. Eventually becoming the size of a football. I then tossed it into the air and once it was far enough, I snapped my fingers.
"Release!"
The sphere tore open. Thousands of strings spreading out at an astounding speed. Slicing and piercing the beasts' flesh. By the time they realized their bodies have been cleanly sliced, it was too late. For one movement they made caused the cut pieces of their flesh to slip and plop onto the ground like a bundle of wet blankets.
My magic strings then landed in a circle around me. Slowly disappearing in a gush of purple light as all the bloody body pieces fell. Blood pooling, rushing to stain the tips of my shoes.
I took a closer look at them. Their gold colored eyes glaring at me with such shock and anger. Or so I imagined that was what they felt. No death was a joyful one, unless you wished for it from the start.
I turned my gaze to the sky and growled, "Fight me all you want but you won't succeed." Only to find the clear blue sky quickly replaced by a cloudy one cramped with tents and buildings. I turned to my new environment, holstering my spear to my back.
I stood in a cramped and damp vendor's street. A black market, maybe, filled with the smell of tabacco and crispy meat but also unsatisfyingly like wet dog.
"Oh my, a fresh face~" A distant female voice sang from behind me. Standing apart from the countless rough chattering pushing their way around me. Then the sound of many chimes rung in my ear.
Sweet aroma of roses, fruity fragrant body oil, and incense. It all filled my nostrils
Soon I realized I had my back turned to what I feared the most...
A brothel, which I was soon ushered into by tiny soft hands without further questions asked.
"Come now, dear. You're so tense and serious. All full of stress and pent up feelings." One woman began as she sat me down, running her hands up my back in a rather scanning manner. "We have drinks and snacks. Girls and soothing incantations to ease your broken soul."
I believe at this moment I was so flustered that I could not process my situation completely for the sight of both smoke and half naked bodies closed around me. Many different body shapes and even species. From elf to beast-man, to siren and down to dwarf. Many attending to blindfolded or near naked clients wearing wide grins and gripping their large jugs of wine whilst patting their bellies in satisfaction.
Another woman dressed in even more revealing clothes then walked into my view. I couldn't help but look away, almost in shame. But she grabbed my face rather gently, locking eyes with me. Her thin black hair dropping over her shoulders as she leaned forward. Pointed ears slightly twitching as she rested her other hand on my thigh.
"You have such a beautiful eye, little Dreamer." She whispered, her smile glued in place.
I never noticed, but in her completely black and glassy eyes, I saw myself. My reflection but more my eyes. The cracked one concealed by the blindfold and the other being a deep red with blue in the iris. I had forgotten about my appearance. Every turn I took in this world was a matter of action and precise planning that kept me from properly looking after myself. I haven't properly bathed, not even when I made it to the inn, where I then collapsed from the lack of proper sleep.
Now that I think about it, Sun definitely should have noticed and informed me as a servant should for their master. Unless they purposely didn't. That sly trickster.
The woman then rubbed her body up against mine. Working her way up wearing a rather innocent smile while whispering, "Dreamer, why do you hold such pain in your eyes?"
I groaned, squirming at the slightest touch of her bare skin. But I had to sit still, otherwise they would know. So when I felt someone slip my hair out of its tiny ponytail, I took action.
"I need to find the exit." I stammered, holding the lady on my lap, preventing her from sticking herself any closer to me. "I can't have your....entertaining personalities keep me for long."
"Ugh, men would kill to be in your position, you know." A half elf with white hair groaned from beside me, resting her arm between my horns on my head.
"Oh~ come on, sweetie~♪" The one on my lap sang, grabbing a hold of my horns.
"H-hey!" I snapped, standing up while pushing myself through the group of women. "Does consent not exist anymore?"
"Consent?" One laughed. "In a brothel?"
"Why would a man like you wish for consent?"
"Wait, was I always..." I wanted to cover my now bare body but one of the ladies kept me still.
"Oh look who's blushing."
"Since you're already naked, no need for consent. Right?"
Then I felt a sharp jab near my shoulder blade. And a superficial slice across my entire shoulder. I turned to the direction of the cuts, facing a now empty and dark room. The smoke now more heavy.
"Oh, c'mon. Why not stay and have some fun, cutie?"
Another voice giggled in agreement. "Sit back and close your eyes. Let our warm embrace erase your worries."
I reached out to my back, attempting to summon my spear again. Through a successful second attempt, I swung at every moving shadow I could see. "If there's anything I despise as much as liars, it's desperate vipers." I acknowledged, holding my spear still as I waited for noises.
"What? Do you not like women?" A ghostly voice asked.
I let a sigh escape.
"If you wish to lay with me so badly, Ezephyr, you could have just asked." I replied with a smirk. Scanning every inch of the smoke. "But then again, I would rather avoid the stench of desperation and ego." Which was basically everyone I had met thus far. Not counting the one forgotten character who might appear again.
Suddenly I stumbled into a new scene without any warning. It made me chuckle a bit.
"Like an old man changing pants after spoiling himself!"
"You're like a bug, Dream Warper." A voice, Ezephyr's, echoed from out of the blue. "Dangerous and hard to get rid of. No matter the poison you toss at it.
And out of nowhere, I was knocked off my feet by something with great strength.
I flew across wherever I was, not having touched ground for what seemed like a minute until I bounced off a sandy ground. Bouncing more than five times, my momentum dying.
Soon I landed, completely still on my back with my entire body heated and covered in sand. And the first thing I did when I picked myself up was kick the sand and fling my middle finger up at the night sky. Even though I held it for a second, I dropped it. A smile creeping on my sand covered face.
"You are tougher than I gave you credit for, Ezephyr of Solares." I whispered to the air, brushing my loose hair from my face.
My hand was empty, no longer gripping my spear. So I turned to the sea of sand and began my search. Watching as the shadows shifted around me like dancing jesters entertaining a king. Except these shadows had no real definitive form. Except when you took a peek at them from the corner of your eyes. This way you could catch a glimpse of their favorite form:
A bundle of struggling black feathers and glass beaks squawking out a noise reminiscing a dying old man. It was unsettling to a certain degree when I came to realize this beast's true identity.
"Onyx, Keeper of Nightmares. What did that foolish Fairy promise you?"
"HA HA HA..." The series of echoing raspy voices chuckled. "HE PROMISED US YOU, PRINCE."