War Mantle (Dancing with Death part 3)

What Now?

Ali stared at the ground as she thought through the prophecy again.

"A bond forged by the fires of war
Together their power is so much more" that had to be her and Tyler.

"A quest to test a fatal flaw" she had to accept Tyler's help.

"And journey into terrors maw" she had no clue what that meant. She'd originally thought it meant the guardians, but they'd faced the griffins instead.

"Child of Moon and Spawn of Sun" her and Tyler again.

"Must go where crimson rivers run" she could only think of one place with 'crimson rivers' and she really didn't want to go to Tartarus.

"There Dreamers wait, Enemy and Friend
Their rivalry must come to an end" that definitely referred to Morpheus and Phantasus, but... how was she supposed to end a sibling rivalry. Especially one between gods.

She sighed. She needed more information. She raised her gaze to the pair of gods, hoping to get some sort of clue, when the palace of Hypnos caught her eye. Hypnos - their father. He'd put this, quote on quote, curse on the brothers. He would have more information. And, hopefully, be easier to talk to than the squabbling dream bros.

"I know what we have to do." She sounded less than confident, but the others watched her expectantly. She faced Phantasus. "I need to speak with your father."
                                    *   *   *
It took Ali a solid ten minutes to convince the brothers to take them to see Hypnos. It seemed the only thing those two could agree on was their distaste for their father.

Finally, they agreed and led Ali and Tyler towards their father's palace. They crossed the well-trimmed lawn of striking green grass to reach a slim gravel path, which they followed along the river towards the low hill, which shouldered the towering castle.

As they drew nearer, the palace rippled with a rainbow sheen, making the whole structure look insubstantial, like a mirage.

Tyler gawked at his surroundings, unable to form a coherent sentence.

Ali cracked a small smile. "I know."

The path curved away from the water, trailing deeper into the breathtaking landscape. Their feet crunched on the rocks as they tread down the road. The illusory sky gleamed electric blue above them, casting a warm light across the realm with no apparent source.

Up ahead, the dream gates came into view, the ivory gate on the right and the horned gate to their left. The polished ivory shone in the unnatural light of the Dream Realm. It's swirling kaleidoscope of colors pulsing and beating as if they were alive. The interlocked horns of the opposing gate resembled an arch of bones opening into pitch blackness. Threatening points jutted out of place, curving towards the deceptive sky as if some skeletal creature were trying to break free.

Ali's breath caught in her throat as her eyes fell on the spot where she'd stumbled out of the river almost five years ago. The memories were all too vivid as she remembered the sheer terror of not knowing who she was, the chilling moment when she'd almost joined Morpheus, the shock of watching the two brothers fight. And now she knew they'd never made up. Why did she always ruin other people's relationships? Every time she got involved, someone got hurt or killed. Was that who she was? Was that her destiny?

She hadn't realized she'd stopped until Tyler placed a hand on her shoulder, making her jump. "Are you okay?"

She met his gaze. "I just... don't have the best memories of this place."

He nodded in understanding and gave her shoulder a quick squeeze. When she still didn't move, he grabbed her hand and gently pulled her away, walking quickly to catch up with their guides.
* * *
The palace was even more beautiful on the inside. The walls looked as if they'd been sculpted from rainbows, the multitude of colors shifting and twisting across ever surface of the castle. The vaulted ceilings curved twenty feet above them, a moving mosaic playing out the dreams of a young girl. Horned sconces on the walls lofted gems the size of baseballs that illuminated the vast hallways. The ivory floor was so smooth Ali could see her reflection in it.

Ali and Tyler tried to take it all in as Morpheus and Phantasus led them through the corridors to the throne room. The brothers knocked on the immense ivory doors. When no one answered, they grabbed the handles and, in unison, threw open the doors with a flourish.

Inside, the room was significantly darker. On a raised dais, instead of a throne, there was a bed, with too many feather pillows and a thick quilted blanket draped over a snoring figure.

Morpheus sighed and clapped his hands twice. The sound echoed through the chamber and the gems on the walls ignited like flames, flooding the room with light.

Phantasus knelt at the head of the bed. "Father?" He gently nudged the slumbering form.

Morpheus rolled his eyes, grabbed his father's blankets, and threw them aside, yanking them completely off the bed.

The figure startled awake and sat up, his midnight black hair sticking out in every direction. His bleary brown eyes wouldn't focus on anything in particular; and his skin was almost as pale as his rumpled, white, satin pajamas.

Morpheus dropped the blankets haphazardly on the floor. "Get up you old bag."

Phantasus glared vengefully at his brother. "We have guests, father."

The sleepy god blinked hard as his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness of the room. Finally, his gaze settled on Ali and Tyler. "Hah!" He swung his legs out of bed and stood, his pjs morphing into an elegant royal robe. "It's about time."

A/N
Yay! Another chapter. I have to admit this was SO fun to write. I LOVE the Dream Realm and I'm so happy I get to come back to it and expand on it. 😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆 Sorry.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. 😁
-Cheshire