Dreamscape: Saving Alex (15 page)

“In theory?” he asked. To his credit, he didn’t
move, didn’t even flinch at the rest of my confession.

“Things are just a little different from how they
were in the game. That’s why I didn’t understand the history or the meaning
behind the boxes and stuff. In the game, you just kind of take the things you
need along the way.”

“I can believe you’re not from this world. That
much is a given. I knew that from the moment I saw you. But to hear that this
is just a game to you…that you don’t believe…” He rubbed his forehead and
tightened his lips.
“I don’t know what to say,”
he admitted.

“I know, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier.
I didn’t know how to explain it. I still don’t.”

“None of that really matters. Magic is magic. Even
if you don’t believe now, or understand why you’re here, I do. You were chosen
for a reason.”

“It’s not that easy, Arrow. I don’t think I can be
who you need me to be.”

“Goldy, you’re exactly who I think you are. I
don’t care where you’re from, you’re here now. You know things, and that’s what
we need.”

“But—”

“But nothing,” he said with finality.

“Don’t you care who I am?”

“I could ask you the same thing. Are you going to
leave us just because you aren’t from here? Because you don’t understand who we
are? Is that what you do in your world?”

“No, I, uh…” I stammered, shocked at harshness in
his words. They struck too close to home.

“Think about it, Goldy. It’s obvious you’re
different, but it never mattered to me, because you acted as if you were
committed to us and to our cause.”

“Then why are you acting this way now?” I asked,
hurt.

“How am I acting?”

“I-I don’t know!”

“Fed up? Angry? Hurt?” he asked, punctuating each
word with emotion. “I feel all those things. But most of all, I feel
responsibility for my people. I swore I would bring them the Golden Hero, and
that’s you.”

I looked at him and pressed my lips together.

“You’re our hero, Goldy. The rest doesn’t matter
to me.”

I looked down at the ground. What if it mattered
to me? I wasn’t sure I could do all that he expected of me. If they put their
faith in me, their lives in my hands, shouldn’t I be willing to do the same for
them? But I didn’t want control anymore. The moments of power weren’t worth
their cost.

“Now grab your stuff. We have to head to the
capital,” he said.

“To Lindle? No, I was just there, and trust me,
you don’t want to go there.”

“No, not Lindle,” he snapped. “We’re going to the
true capital, Flourin. You’d better learn that while you’re here for the
rebellion, you’re here on our terms. We’re still loyal to King Helio and our
history.”

“Okay,” I said, taken aback.

“Our time’s running short, and I want to make sure
we’re ready. Are you with me?”

I nodded and fell into step behind him. I was with
him, but I still didn’t know what that meant.

I stumbled into town, dragging my bag behind me.
I’d been reduced to incoherent mumbling, begging Arrow to slow down. My shorter
legs refused to keep up with his urgent pace. By the time we crossed into town,
they gave way, refusing to budge anymore. I slumped over and hung my head low,
avoiding his eyes. I’d had enough.

“It’s not much farther,” he said, pulling my arm.

“I can’t do it. I’m done. I can’t move. You go,
get your men, and do what you have to do. Just leave me here for a few
minutes.” I waved him along, keeping my gaze fixed on the dusty road.

Even though I refused to look up, his eyes burned
into me. “I was going to get food first. But if you’re too tired for that...”

My head jerked up, and my eyes met Arrow’s
mischievous smile.

“You better not be kidding,” I said, narrowing my
gaze. This wasn’t the time to mess with me. “Help me up.”

“It’ll be the best stew you’ve ever had, I
promise. Now Goldy, before we go any further…”

“I know, I know, hide my hair.” I started to twist
my ponytail, but he stopped me.

“No. This time, I want everyone to see who you
are.”

“I don’t understand.” I let my hair slide back
down my neck.

“We’ve passed the point of waging a silent battle.
When they see you, they’ll know the time has come for action. It’s time to take
back our kingdom.” His voice rang out triumphantly.

I rolled my eyes. I was not in the mood for a
speech.

“Whatever you say. Just get me something to eat.”
I reluctantly stood, leaning against his arm as a wave of lightheadedness
rolled over me. I hated the way my body—and attitude—deteriorated so quickly
without food.
Hangry
, as Natalie called it. All my other pains seemed
minor compared to the gnawing hole growing in my stomach.

My vision blurred, and I followed Arrow’s gentle
tugs. The brief glances I managed to take of my surroundings did not impress
me. I looked around, disheartened.

Flourin seemed to be a city of monotony, forgotten
under a layer of dust. The bones of the old capital were there, but I
recognized nothing else from Arrow’s stories.
Nothing
stood out to me in the deserted market. I didn’t see a single person. In fact,
everything Arrow had praised about this town seemed wrong. I only hoped he was
right about the food.

Cobblestones tripped me, and I stumbled, barely
finding enough energy to step over the broken edges.

“We’re almost there,” Arrow said, stopping to help
me up. “I promise you, this will be worth it.”

“It better be,” I mumbled, grabbing at his arm.

The farther into town we went, the more I began to
doubt where he was taking me. Cottages and storefronts appeared from behind the
wall of dust. Instead of comforting me, the evidence of disuse and neglect
added to my discomfort. Gusts of wind shrieked through the broken windows, signs
creaked, swinging from only one end, and dark corners lengthened into dark
buildings.

It was a shame, really. These cottages, if
repaired, could belong in one of my mom’s magazines. I sighed, watching half my
reflection disappear in the cracks. Neglect was a formidable enemy, always
underestimated.

A knot, bigger than hunger, twisted my stomach.
Who did Arrow hope to find here?

He stopped in front of a rundown building. The
faded sign had twisted on its hinges. The letters spun, indecipherable, but the
bread and bowl etched into the windows told me what it had once been.

“Arrow?” I hesitated as he pulled me forward. “I
don’t think we should go in there.”

He laughed and walked to the door. “I thought you
were hungry. Are you coming?”

I stood there, frozen in place. “I don’t think
it’s a good idea.”

“It’s fine. Trust me,” he said, shaking his head
as he disappeared into the dark abyss of the tavern. I bit the inside of my
cheek, cursing him. But I did trust him, even if this place gave me the chills.

“Wait for me!” I said, trying to catch him before
he disappeared. There was no way to know what lurked in the shadows. If it was
anything like what I had seen so far in Lockhorn, it couldn’t be good.

I blinked as I stepped through the door into the
dingy tavern, letting my eyes adjust to the dark. The smells knocked me off
guard. Thick smoke mixed with wine, choking me. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t
see, and I felt like I was going to get sick. The dim lighting only made things
worse. When I couldn’t see, my imagination worked overtime, giving me
nightmarish visions. Visions I didn’t want to meet for real.

It was too late. The loud thump of the door
closing behind me echoed in my soul. I swallowed hard and closed my eyes. I
didn’t need to see clearly to know that everyone stared at me. The moment the
door closed, all conversation stopped. Not in a casual, lull of conversation
way, but in an abrupt halt, where whispers sounded like echoes. They were all
staring at me. I no longer wore my nightshirt, but I felt just as exposed.

“It’s her,” one man whispered.

“She’s so young,” a woman said.

“What does this mean?” another piped in.

The silence grew into frenzied murmurs. I didn’t
know which was worse. Both twisted me up on the inside. I spun around, choking
back the instinct to be sick. My fingers slipped over the greasy door as I
groped for the handle. I had to get out of here.

“What did I tell you? She’s a showstopper.”
Arrow’s deep voice came out of nowhere, an instant comfort. I turned back
around and squinted through the tavern until I found his smile.

“I told you not to worry,” he said, taking my hand
and leading me away from the door. My gaze lingered on an etched window beside
the entrance that disappeared under the haze of freshly blown smoke.

“No, you didn’t!” I whispered.

“I didn’t? Must’ve been an oversight. There’s
nothing to worry about, we’re all friends in here.” He laughed as we walked
through the crowd.

I forced a smile, trying to ignore the stares as I
banged into tables. People stopped mid-sip to watch, glasses resting on their
lips. A man in the corner kept his eyes on me as smoke rings rose above him.
Every eye turned to me, even those that had been leering down the blouse of the
server moments earlier. The attention weighed on me. I hated that feeling.

“Arrow, get me out of here. I’m not that hungry
anymore,” I said, leaning in towards him.

“And miss all the fun? Alex, remember, I promised
to show you more highlights of Lockhorn. This, here, is one of them!” His voice
grew louder, commanding the crowd’s attention. “What do you say? Let’s give
Alex a warm welcome!”

I shrank under the attention. Around me, the room
erupted in cheers, and mugs clanked together in celebration.

“On the house,” the server called out over the
din, refilling the outstretched mugs, and with that, everyone returned to
normal as if nothing unusual had happened. Except the man blowing smoke rings
in the corner. His eyes never left me.

“That’s how you make friends here,” Arrow said,
pulling me over to the far corner. “Not that they wouldn’t have followed you
anyways. Now, you are guaranteed their devotion.”

I sat down beside him and leaned in over the
table. “I don’t understand. How is
this
possible? The town looked
deserted,” I asked, careful to keep my voice low.

Arrow laughed loud enough to draw the attention of
the table next to us. “Looks can be deceiving.”

“Obviously,” I said, glaring at him. Now that my
nerves had settled, my stomach growled, recognizing the smell of food. “So why
haven’t they rebuilt the outside? They’ve clearly reinforced the interiors.” I
traced the inside of the windows, void of any of the broken shards visible from
the road.

“If they did, Berkos would just return with more
men. This way, he thinks he’s won.”

“Hasn’t he?”

“No, we’re just letting him think he has. Besides,
if we fixed it, the memory of that battle would fade a little more every time
we looked at the new bricks. Newer supporters might be aware of the history,
but they wouldn’t see the full impact of what Berkos has done. No, leaving it
deserted and dilapidated is a good reminder to us too, and the fact that it
keeps him from coming back is a bonus.”

A light bulb went off in my mind. I smoothed down
my hair, tracing the small scar on my forehead. That’s why my mom had never
fixed that wall in our dining room. They hadn’t wanted me to forget, and it
worked. I shook my head, defeated. I had been played.

“I’m hungry,” I said, although that memory of my
parents soured my stomach.

Arrow tossed something to me and leaned back to
assess the room. I caught the hard roll and broke into it, looking more closely
at him. Something was different. Ever since we’d entered Flourin, he seemed to
have more confidence. His eyes had lightened as if the worries he’d carried all
day had disappeared, and a smile played at the edge of his lips. He seemed at
home with these people.

I opened my mouth to say something, and then
noticed the woman coming towards me with the steaming bowl in her hands. The
yells, stares, and stench all became inconsequential to me. I was desperate for
food.

When she dropped the bowl in front of me, I almost
wept. Arrow hadn’t underestimated the stew. I gave her the warmest smile my
hunger would allow before diving into the bread bowl full of chunks of potato,
beef, cheese, and carrots.

Spoonful after spoonful filled my mouth until none
remained, and then I broke into the bread until only the smallest of crumbs
flaked onto the table. I licked my fingers to pick up the last crumbs, and
cringed as they stuck to the table. It was gross, but not enough to keep me
from doing it again.

“Are you ready for another?” Arrow seemed amused.

I shot him a look, but nodded and handed him a
gold coin from the box. He slid it back to me. “Not this time, Goldy. This is
my treat.”

I didn’t argue. I watched him return to the bar
and took another look around the room. Maybe my first impression was unfair.
Sure, they were unruly, stained, and crude, but that didn’t make them bad
people. No one had insulted me, chased me, or tried to kill me. Compared to my
experience in the rest of Lockhorn, they seemed to be the good guys.

In fact, since I’d sat down, no one paid me much
attention. No one except the old man in the corner. Even in the dim light, I
saw his eyes gleam. We locked eyes.

Arrow broke through our stare by dropping two mugs
on the table, red foam frothing over the rim.

My heart plummeted. The few times I’d drank before
hadn’t ended up well. Hours of holding my hair back and embarrassing
confessions never seemed quite worth the effort. I looked at Arrow and then
beyond him, wishing for the distraction of food.

“It’s carrin root tea. A little bitter, I admit,
but it’s the best we have now. And there’s enough diced vines in it to heal a
village,” he said, as if he understood my discomfort.

“Thanks.” I sipped the tea, unsuccessfully hiding
my distaste.

Arrow’s deep laugh made me smile. “I take it you
haven’t had this before either?”

“No, nothing like this,” I admitted. Although as I
drank it, I couldn’t help but think it looked like the red healing potion I had
been searching for earlier.

“In that case, to new adventure—in drink and
more.” He winked and raised his mug. I hit his mug with mine and choked down
another sip.

The next bowl of food arrived, identical to the
first, and I grabbed it. It filled me to a new level. I was stuffed. Happy and
content, I leaned back and closed my eyes.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“Ready?

He looked at me expectantly.

“Sure, whatever.” I would have agreed to anything
at that moment.

I should have figured it out when the smile
widened on his face. Or when he stood and straightened his vest. But the
warning bells didn’t ring until he jumped on top of the table. What had I just
agreed to?

“Men, women,” Arrow called out, swinging his mug
through the air as he walked the narrow table. “You too, Boris,” he said. The
room erupted in laughter. I frowned as tea splattered my leggings.

“I don’t know if you noticed the woman I came in
with today.” He winked. “She’s quite remarkable.”

I blushed and straightened my hair as the rush of
attention flashed back to me. I hated it when people stared. It felt like
everyone knew something I didn’t. The air tightened around me, and my stomach
clenched with nerves. I shifted in the chair.

The rush of whispers escalated as they glanced
between Arrow, on top of our table, and me, slinking as far into the shadows as
possible. An uncomfortable lump settled in the pit of my stomach, and I tried
to keep from getting sick. I hoped Arrow knew what he was doing, because I was
in no position to stop him.

“But most remarkable is that we found her before
Berkos,” he said. The room shook with cheers. More carrin root tea spilled over
the rim of my cup as my grip tightened and my fingers shook. I wanted to
disappear into the shadows, but I couldn’t move.

“She’s given me quite the adventure so far. See, I
even have scars to prove it.” He raised his shirt, showing the scars crossing
his defined abs. The server howled with delight, and my heart raced. He winked
at the server before dropping his shirt. “But I have discovered something
interesting. Not only is she brave, and stubborn,” he looked at me, “but she
also has insider information about Berkos’ castle.”

I swallowed hard. What was he doing? I shuffled
uncomfortably as every person in the room turned to look at me. I wanted to
hide. My face paled; sweat beaded on my temples. My palms slid over my sleeves,
and I pulled the collar of my tunic away from my neck, hoping for fresh air.
Nothing worked to calm the anxiety clawing at me.