Fly, Hermes, fly on the wings of air, evade the pursuit of scarlet blinded spearmen and archers. Leap over tigers, dodge past the lame reaching. Reaching. . . .
He sped on his way, ducking around corners, and down alleyways in the strange castel city. He spoke with one who could not be seen, but she couldn't hear their conversation.
An arrow pierced him, and his flight began to flounder. Ala hemmed him, the horsemen slowly closing around him.
He dashed between the hooves of one, and disappeared around a corner, only to fall down a deep mine shaft like hole.
He stopped, attempting to catch his breath, obviously in pain from his wounds.
She screamed, as an ogre rose from the stone behind him. He turned. . . .
"LOOK OUT!" Sylvana cried out hoarsely, tossing in her bunk. "NO!"
Hurriedly Arrek went to her bunk as quietly as possible. He saw his sister thrashing in the small bunk and immediately his heart wept for her. She had had these nightmares all her life, but for some reason, more recently, they were becoming thicker and faster as each week went by.
Kneeling down beside her, he shook her shoulder gently, trying to help her snap out of this trial of the mind she was going through. She whimpered as her head tossed from side to side.
Suddenly, she opened her eyes wide and sat up, gasping for breath in her fear. Quickly she received her bearings, and saw that she had, once again, been dreaming. She looked at her little brother in embarrassment. "Sorry," she said as she bit her lip.
"Syl," he spoke gently but with a firmness he wasn't accustomed to in his voice. "You had another nightmare, but it's okay." He enfolded her in a hug and clung to her tightly as she trembled from the fear that had caused her complexion to fall into a grey pallor. "I'm here now, you're safe, I'm here. I won't let anything bad happen to you, I promise." Arrek stroked her hair from her eyes, and wiped the cold sweat that had collected on his fingers on his trouser leg. Pulling her head into his shoulder, he embraced her once more, then pushed her back to arms length and gave her a tight smile.
She took a deep shuddering breath, returning his smile with a wan one of her own. "I know I'm safe, Arrek," she sighed, running a hand through her messy bangs. "Remember that dream I had the other night? The one with Hermes and Thor and all those things?"
"Yeah, I remember well. Look, I know how real they must be to you, but they are just dreams," he said the first thing that came to mind. He knew it wouldn't work.
"I . . . I had another one. Hermes, he looked like Captain Nolan, and he was being chased, and he couldn't escape. Then he fell down this pit, like a mine, and an ogre came, and. . ." she let out a shuddering sigh. "It was too real."
"Remember when we were kids? When you would dream that Orcs came for you? Did they ever get you? That was so real to you, but when can you honestly say that Orcs attacked? I know how real dreams, and especially nightmares, are. Don't think I've not seen you die a thousand times in my dreams, while I stood by helpless, but I promise you, the dreams won't get you. You're too strong for them, and you can fight them."
She nodded hesitantly. "They're just too real. Like that nightmare I kept having about Alisky, still do sometimes, and then Derek told me that she. . . she. . ." Sylvana took a deep breath to keep back the threatening tears. I'm stronger than this, she mentally berated herself. "Yeah, you're right. They're just dreams. Nobody ever got hurt because of a bad dream," she said firmly, as though trying to convince herself.
"That's true, but people can be hurt by their dreams. It's not physical pain, but mental pain and anguish that would consume a dreamer should they dwell on it - cause them to lose touch on reality."
"Right. Just gotta put it aside. . . ." Sylvana thought a moment. "D'you wanna watch Princess Bride? I saw Sci had a DVD of it in here, and I don't think I'll be going to sleep any time soon."
"You already know the answer to that, and if you fall asleep, it'll be with my arm around you and the knowledge that I'll make sure you are safe, no matter the cost."
"Too bad not every lady can have such a wonderful big little-brother," she smirked as she punched him in the arm.
As the two left the sleeping area for to watch the movie, Sci turned onto his back and looked at the ceiling. He had heard the entire exchange, and he just wasn't sure what to think of it. With a sigh, he decided to let sleeping dogs lie. . . and to join them. He turned over and quickly went back to sleep.