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Dreams and Nightmares
As the lantern flared your role was cast
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2021
I realized I just posted the same chapter the first time, my apologies, here's the actual chapter 2:
Walking through the rain felt refreshing this time. Astar had a goal, a motivation, he wasn't just aimlessly wandering, with broken hope in his heart. The man didn't look back once, walking as if he knew exactly where to go, not even hesitating a little bit. Astar wished he could be like that someday. In a way, this moment, where they were just walking together in the rain, was the start of Astar's admiration, maybe even idolization, of Moon.
Eventually, Moon stopped. Astar bumped into his leg, which Moon didn't react to, and looked at what the man was looking at. It was a disheveled looking house, but a house nonetheless. Was it his? Astar's eyes lit up. A real house...He couldn't remember ever stepping foot into one. And now he was going to. It seemed in his daydreaming, he'd forgotten about his surroundings, because Moon's voice dragged him back to reality, calling: "Are you coming?", as he was now holding the door open for the child. Astar hurried inside. As the door closed, the sound of the rain became muffled. Distant. He was safe now, isolated from it, from the cold it brought. The house was...empty. No furniture, just a big open space for Astar to walk across. On the floor, there were 3 small mattresses with blankets on them. Or at least that's what the child thought it was. Upon closer inspection, it seemed that you could slip right in, and that it wasn't two seperate objects, but instead, had a hole in it for you to get in.
"Sorry, that's what you'll be sleeping in for now. We'll get mattresses soon enough, don't worry." Sorry? He was sorry? This was better than anything Astar had ever slept in, or at least looked like it. The child was grateful. Not disappointed.
"Alright, let's get you nice and dry, shall we?" Moon smoothly pointed a finger at the boy, drawing small circles in the air with it. Astar felt the rain slowly disappearing off his body, his clothes not clinging to him anymore. He looked at his limbs with a hanging mouth in the shape of a smile. "Is that...magic?!" The stars that came with the child's sense of wonder returned to his eyes as he looked up to Moon, giddy, and practically jumping in place. Astar could use magic, but only at the most basic level. He couldn't actually do anything useful with it. Moon chuckled, nodding in response. "It is. And you will be able to do much more impressive things in the future. I will personally teach you to hone your abilities, so that you can use them to your full potential. But first, perhaps you should meet your new roommates. They should be coming back right about...now."
As if on cue, the entrance door opened, as two strange figures walked in. Well, walked in was probably not the right word for it. Only one of them walked in. The other hovered in, to be more accurate.
"Ugh, is it always raining in this place? I'm gonna have to dry myself up." The first one said. As a response, Moon did the same thing he'd done for Astar, earning him a "Huh. Thanks" from the small person. Small was indeed the right word, for this person seemed to be as big as Astar, if not smaller than him. They were a devil, a red creature with horns protruding from the front of his head, ones that were the same red color as the rest of his body. His jaw was prominent, a feature that was almost as big as the rest of his head, with a few small fangs coming up from it. His eyes looked like they'd bored themselves of the world, but with their blood red coloration, they still looked sharp, and almost menacing, in some way. His body as well, tiny, hung up in the air by two small wings that quickly flapped, limbs hanging down with his body pulled so that it was aligned with his head. He was a devil. But to Astar, he was a creature he'd never seen before, nor even imagined. Something from another world.
"What are ya gawking at, kid?" His voice was rough, grave, and he talked with an accent that Astar had never heard. Quickly, he looked away, feeling heat rise up to his cheeks.
"Is this our new member, Moon?" The second person was a tall woman. Although there was an eerie tinge in her voice, it still had softness, and he preferred it over the man's voice. The way she was "dressed" was the strangest thing about her. Her whole body was wrapped up in white bandages, from head to toe, clinging tightly so that her figure was very clear, and it made Astar's cheeks redder than they were before, although he didn't fully understand why. The only exposed parts of her body were her long, white hair in a single braid hanging down all the way to her lower back, and her green eyes, ones that reminded him of a snake.
Both of these people were strange. But so was Moon. "Astar, this is Taliar." Moon gestured to the small, red devil, and then to the wrapped woman. "And this is Nora. They are good friends of mine, and they are fellow members of the "Eclipse Carnival". I'm sure you will get along." How could a man harbor a smile that was both reassuring and unsettling? Astar held his head down. He'd warmed up physically, but it would take longer for him to warm up to his new...partners? Coworkers? Roommates, as Moon had put it.
"I have things to take care of. In the meantime, make yourself at home, Astar." Moon made his way to one of the two doors that were held close inside the house, opening it and entering the room before Astar had time to get a look inside. He was now left with the strange duo. "So what's your story, kid?" Taliar asked, flying over to one of the sleeping bags (because that's what they are), slowly lowering himself so that he could sit onto it.
"Um..I..don't really have a story..." He quietly answered.
"Everyone has a story. Where d'you come from?"
"I...don't know." It was a shame, but it was true. Astar didn't remember where he came from. Not fully, anyways.
"An orphan, huh. So you just been surviving on the streets then? You're a tough kid." Taliar nodded in approval.
"You're making him uncomfortable, Taliar." The woman walked to her own makeshift bed, and sat down as well. "I was also saved by Moon. My life has been much better ever since then." Her voice was soft when she addressed him. It reassured Astar, although she sounded much younger than the man.
"Did Moon tell you anything about what the Eclipse Carnival is?" She continued.
"Not really..." He admitted. Although he'd eagerly followed the man, he had no idea what it was that they would be doing.
She rolled her eyes. "Typical. Do you know what a carnival is?" She asked. He shook his head. "The Eclipse Carnival is a traveling carnival. A circus. A place where we'll put on a show for others to see, and usually, stands as well. Food, games, things to look at...It's a place for people to come and have fun, to forget about their everyday worries. Usually, we'd have a much bigger crew, but...Moon insisted that we start with only us four." Her audible sigh made Astar giggle. A laugh. He'd forgotten he could laugh. It felt good. Joyful.
"Do you want to know what I'm gonna be doing?" Nora asked, lowering her head as she spoke to the child. He nodded. "You're a whole different person around kids, you know that?" Taliar exclaimed. Nora turned around, so that Astar couldn't tell what she was doing. When she turned to face him again, a long, green snake was slithering around her arms, making Astar back down in fear. She chuckled. "Don't worry, she doesn't bite. She's very friendly, in fact. Would you like to hold her?" Nora extended her arm, from which the snake curiously looked at the hesitant child. Although it scared him, he felt reassured by her presence, and so slowly extended his arm so that he could grab it or something. Obviously, Astar had no idea how to handle snakes. Instead, the snake slithered from her arm to his, coiling around painlessly, making its way from the back of his neck to his other arm. At first, Astar's body tensed up, but he slowly relaxed when he realized she was right. This snake didn't bite, nor did it seem interested in harming him. Fear was replaced by awe, as the curious child slowly turned his arm around both ways so that he could observe the snake. Was Nora smiling? It was hard to tell, since her mouth was covered, but she was observing him, pleased with his reaction. "Her name is Sally." She explained. "Hello Sally." He said, and the snake seemed to look at him.
After a while, he extended his arm towards her and she did the same, the snake coming back to her. "I have many more animals, you know. I can show them to you sometime. I'll be presenting them to people for the Carnival." She explained. He could understand why. Astar would gladly go to a place like that, where he could see animals as friendly as that snake. He wondered what kinds she had. If she had ones he'd never seen before. "What about you?" Astar turned to Taliar. He'd been fidgeting with some strange device and looked up with wide eyes, throwing it away. "Me? Ha, you'll see, kid." He seemed to laugh to himself, but stopped once Nora gave him a scolding look.
Astar yawned. He was exhausted. "You should go to sleep. When you'll wake up tomorrow, Moon will probably take you with him, and I'm sure it'll be an eventful day. Get some rest." The woman said. She was right, and so he slipped into the sleeping bag, marveling at how comfortable it felt around his body. Although there was no pillow, no mattress, it was the best he'd slept in. Plus, he had a roof over his head. And so he fell asleep with ease, not without doubting the reality of the situation, almost believing that he'd wake up tomorrow, and that this would all be a dream. And, in a way, it was. Although fortunately for him, this dream was his life.
And tomorrow, his training would start.
Walking through the rain felt refreshing this time. Astar had a goal, a motivation, he wasn't just aimlessly wandering, with broken hope in his heart. The man didn't look back once, walking as if he knew exactly where to go, not even hesitating a little bit. Astar wished he could be like that someday. In a way, this moment, where they were just walking together in the rain, was the start of Astar's admiration, maybe even idolization, of Moon.
Eventually, Moon stopped. Astar bumped into his leg, which Moon didn't react to, and looked at what the man was looking at. It was a disheveled looking house, but a house nonetheless. Was it his? Astar's eyes lit up. A real house...He couldn't remember ever stepping foot into one. And now he was going to. It seemed in his daydreaming, he'd forgotten about his surroundings, because Moon's voice dragged him back to reality, calling: "Are you coming?", as he was now holding the door open for the child. Astar hurried inside. As the door closed, the sound of the rain became muffled. Distant. He was safe now, isolated from it, from the cold it brought. The house was...empty. No furniture, just a big open space for Astar to walk across. On the floor, there were 3 small mattresses with blankets on them. Or at least that's what the child thought it was. Upon closer inspection, it seemed that you could slip right in, and that it wasn't two seperate objects, but instead, had a hole in it for you to get in.
"Sorry, that's what you'll be sleeping in for now. We'll get mattresses soon enough, don't worry." Sorry? He was sorry? This was better than anything Astar had ever slept in, or at least looked like it. The child was grateful. Not disappointed.
"Alright, let's get you nice and dry, shall we?" Moon smoothly pointed a finger at the boy, drawing small circles in the air with it. Astar felt the rain slowly disappearing off his body, his clothes not clinging to him anymore. He looked at his limbs with a hanging mouth in the shape of a smile. "Is that...magic?!" The stars that came with the child's sense of wonder returned to his eyes as he looked up to Moon, giddy, and practically jumping in place. Astar could use magic, but only at the most basic level. He couldn't actually do anything useful with it. Moon chuckled, nodding in response. "It is. And you will be able to do much more impressive things in the future. I will personally teach you to hone your abilities, so that you can use them to your full potential. But first, perhaps you should meet your new roommates. They should be coming back right about...now."
As if on cue, the entrance door opened, as two strange figures walked in. Well, walked in was probably not the right word for it. Only one of them walked in. The other hovered in, to be more accurate.
"Ugh, is it always raining in this place? I'm gonna have to dry myself up." The first one said. As a response, Moon did the same thing he'd done for Astar, earning him a "Huh. Thanks" from the small person. Small was indeed the right word, for this person seemed to be as big as Astar, if not smaller than him. They were a devil, a red creature with horns protruding from the front of his head, ones that were the same red color as the rest of his body. His jaw was prominent, a feature that was almost as big as the rest of his head, with a few small fangs coming up from it. His eyes looked like they'd bored themselves of the world, but with their blood red coloration, they still looked sharp, and almost menacing, in some way. His body as well, tiny, hung up in the air by two small wings that quickly flapped, limbs hanging down with his body pulled so that it was aligned with his head. He was a devil. But to Astar, he was a creature he'd never seen before, nor even imagined. Something from another world.
"What are ya gawking at, kid?" His voice was rough, grave, and he talked with an accent that Astar had never heard. Quickly, he looked away, feeling heat rise up to his cheeks.
"Is this our new member, Moon?" The second person was a tall woman. Although there was an eerie tinge in her voice, it still had softness, and he preferred it over the man's voice. The way she was "dressed" was the strangest thing about her. Her whole body was wrapped up in white bandages, from head to toe, clinging tightly so that her figure was very clear, and it made Astar's cheeks redder than they were before, although he didn't fully understand why. The only exposed parts of her body were her long, white hair in a single braid hanging down all the way to her lower back, and her green eyes, ones that reminded him of a snake.
Both of these people were strange. But so was Moon. "Astar, this is Taliar." Moon gestured to the small, red devil, and then to the wrapped woman. "And this is Nora. They are good friends of mine, and they are fellow members of the "Eclipse Carnival". I'm sure you will get along." How could a man harbor a smile that was both reassuring and unsettling? Astar held his head down. He'd warmed up physically, but it would take longer for him to warm up to his new...partners? Coworkers? Roommates, as Moon had put it.
"I have things to take care of. In the meantime, make yourself at home, Astar." Moon made his way to one of the two doors that were held close inside the house, opening it and entering the room before Astar had time to get a look inside. He was now left with the strange duo. "So what's your story, kid?" Taliar asked, flying over to one of the sleeping bags (because that's what they are), slowly lowering himself so that he could sit onto it.
"Um..I..don't really have a story..." He quietly answered.
"Everyone has a story. Where d'you come from?"
"I...don't know." It was a shame, but it was true. Astar didn't remember where he came from. Not fully, anyways.
"An orphan, huh. So you just been surviving on the streets then? You're a tough kid." Taliar nodded in approval.
"You're making him uncomfortable, Taliar." The woman walked to her own makeshift bed, and sat down as well. "I was also saved by Moon. My life has been much better ever since then." Her voice was soft when she addressed him. It reassured Astar, although she sounded much younger than the man.
"Did Moon tell you anything about what the Eclipse Carnival is?" She continued.
"Not really..." He admitted. Although he'd eagerly followed the man, he had no idea what it was that they would be doing.
She rolled her eyes. "Typical. Do you know what a carnival is?" She asked. He shook his head. "The Eclipse Carnival is a traveling carnival. A circus. A place where we'll put on a show for others to see, and usually, stands as well. Food, games, things to look at...It's a place for people to come and have fun, to forget about their everyday worries. Usually, we'd have a much bigger crew, but...Moon insisted that we start with only us four." Her audible sigh made Astar giggle. A laugh. He'd forgotten he could laugh. It felt good. Joyful.
"Do you want to know what I'm gonna be doing?" Nora asked, lowering her head as she spoke to the child. He nodded. "You're a whole different person around kids, you know that?" Taliar exclaimed. Nora turned around, so that Astar couldn't tell what she was doing. When she turned to face him again, a long, green snake was slithering around her arms, making Astar back down in fear. She chuckled. "Don't worry, she doesn't bite. She's very friendly, in fact. Would you like to hold her?" Nora extended her arm, from which the snake curiously looked at the hesitant child. Although it scared him, he felt reassured by her presence, and so slowly extended his arm so that he could grab it or something. Obviously, Astar had no idea how to handle snakes. Instead, the snake slithered from her arm to his, coiling around painlessly, making its way from the back of his neck to his other arm. At first, Astar's body tensed up, but he slowly relaxed when he realized she was right. This snake didn't bite, nor did it seem interested in harming him. Fear was replaced by awe, as the curious child slowly turned his arm around both ways so that he could observe the snake. Was Nora smiling? It was hard to tell, since her mouth was covered, but she was observing him, pleased with his reaction. "Her name is Sally." She explained. "Hello Sally." He said, and the snake seemed to look at him.
After a while, he extended his arm towards her and she did the same, the snake coming back to her. "I have many more animals, you know. I can show them to you sometime. I'll be presenting them to people for the Carnival." She explained. He could understand why. Astar would gladly go to a place like that, where he could see animals as friendly as that snake. He wondered what kinds she had. If she had ones he'd never seen before. "What about you?" Astar turned to Taliar. He'd been fidgeting with some strange device and looked up with wide eyes, throwing it away. "Me? Ha, you'll see, kid." He seemed to laugh to himself, but stopped once Nora gave him a scolding look.
Astar yawned. He was exhausted. "You should go to sleep. When you'll wake up tomorrow, Moon will probably take you with him, and I'm sure it'll be an eventful day. Get some rest." The woman said. She was right, and so he slipped into the sleeping bag, marveling at how comfortable it felt around his body. Although there was no pillow, no mattress, it was the best he'd slept in. Plus, he had a roof over his head. And so he fell asleep with ease, not without doubting the reality of the situation, almost believing that he'd wake up tomorrow, and that this would all be a dream. And, in a way, it was. Although fortunately for him, this dream was his life.
And tomorrow, his training would start.