Pulling my tiger close to me I felt the warmth of his body radiating outward lulling me into dream land. Just as my eye lids grew heavy, I heard a familiar beep then a new purple translucent screen appeared before me:
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Nightmare Detected!
Activate Dream Walk? Yes/No
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Suddenly alert I look down at my sleeping tiger, worried for him. But Tony was slumbering peacefully in my arms. Confused I selected “Yes” suddenly I am overcome by the feeling of vertigo as I land face first into a weird yellow goo. Looking up I find myself in a strange cavern, a mix of stone walls and yellow wax hexagons cover every square inch. As I look around, I find myself back in my human form, confused I suddenly hear a roar nearby. I stand up heading towards the noise. I find Ryker mid battle bruised and wounded. He stands before the bodies of four fallen adventurers with nearly a dozen Vespin flying around he fights trident in hand striking down those insects left and right. As the last bug falls, he rushes to the side of a fallen anthro hand outstretched blue healing light cascades over the body, but nothing happens, in frustration he lets out a roar. Then like a damaged movie the scene skips back, and the fight replays each time the same thing happening.
Fight, attempt to heal, fail, repeat. I watch the scene play out multiple times unable to do anything, the space slowly grows dark and cold. As the scene gets swallowed up by the darkness, I find myself transported to a new place. A decrepit church, unfamiliar marine iconography hangs a cross the walls fraying and dirty, damaged pews and rubble cover the floor looking up I see a vast hole in the ceiling but instead of a sky I see the vast ocean above me dark and unwelcoming. A familiar figure prays before the figure of what looks like a mermaid. As a I approach the stooped form of Ryker, he stops mid prayer acknowledging me.
“What kind of demon are you?”
Confused and a little concerned that demons might exist in this world. I try to elaborate, “I'm not a demon, I'm just a human. I didn't mean to intrude; I just used my Dream Walk spell because I saw someone was having a nightmare.”
“So first you trick me into letting you control my body then you sneak you way into my mind?” Ryker stands before me baring his sharp teeth.
“Yea, well it certainly looks like that huh….” I laugh nervously “Honestly I didn't do it to hurt you I just wanted to have a little fun.”
Ryker takes a menacing step towards me, and I attempt to take a step back only to slip on a piece of rubble landing on my backside I look up half expecting to see approaching shark teeth about to take a chomp outta me. Instead, I see a look of worry cross Rykers face, and instead of returning to anger I just see a deep exhaustion overcome him. “You smell not of fiend nor celestial, despite your similar appearance to the goddess. Tell me dream walker of the nightmare you saw.” Ryker helps me up then takes a seat in the damaged pews looking at me expectantly.
Now standing I give the statue of the mermaid a better look, despite the damage in the room she alone looks brand new, polished of a blue stone a very clearly human top half sits above a fish tail. Looking back at Ryker I tell him of the nightmare I witnessed, at the description of him failing to heal the fallen adventurer's visible tears start to streak down his face. I rush to his side rubbing his back, “Hey it's okay it's just a dream”. Suddenly I'm pushed back crashing into the statue of the goddess. I felt all the air escape my lungs and what feels like two ribs breaking as the shark now visible furious walks towards me trident in hand, a familiar darkness now snakes around the trident. Rykers eyes were now pitch black and a new voice was intwined with his own, I felt a familiar presence in this room the Hunger.
“A dream?! A dream! maybe for you but that was a nightmare for me, I couldn't save them, I couldn't heal them they died because of me!
He stalked towards me his trident ready to strike, I try to get up, to run, but the pain was too immense I couldn't move. Caught like a fish in a net, panicking. I feel a sudden calmness as cold stone hand touches my face and pulls me so that all I can see is the stone face of the goddess. Smiling she's says, “It's time to wake up now”. I suddenly feel like I am being pulled away like someone pushed an emergency eject button. As the church zips away, I hear the goddesses voice once more, “please help him”.
I feel a rough tongue licking at my face, bleary-eyed I see a naked Tony hovering over me. “It's time to wake up now” he sing songs, getting off of me and the bed he turns back to face me wearing a smug look. “What's the matter, you were crying in your sleep, did you miss me in your dreams?”
Suddenly with an anger that came from nowhere I yell back, “Hell no, like I'd miss you”.
Tony looks back at me a little scared and hurt.
Swallowing that anger, I get back control, “Tony I'm so sorry, I, I mean Ryker was having a nightmare I lost control of his emotions for a bit.” I walk over to hold him. Tony puts an arm out to block me, in a serious tone he asks. “Who am I talking to? My friend or Ryker?
Worried that I might not be in control. I reach out to Ryker; I confirm that his soul was fast asleep. In my check I noticed a new darkness in his soul, formed from the nightmare its inky darkness stained the vast ocean that was Rykers soul, and it was growing. I look up at Tony, “It's me, but something's wrong with Ryker”. I stretch out my hands asking for a hug, my tiger drops his initial concern and rushes to give it to me. Despite my massive frame in this moment, I feel small remembering what the goddess asked I feel lost and confused. Tony hugging me tightly says “Hey it's okay whatever it is we'll figure it out, okay?”