Daydream (ONC 2024)

Chapter 9: Castle of Dreams

"You have to admit this place is sort of hilarious," Kearo said as we approached Xin's castle.

With his hands in his pockets and not even a pack on his back for provisions or weapons, he walked with the same confidence he always had. It had me wondering just what he'd been eating, and I shook the image of pinemapples and forest moss away. Kearo was more resourceful than I was and not a nut like Ray, so he'd probably left his stuff at the base of the mountain while he zipped up here like superman.

"To a point. It's not very funny for those people back in town," I said, skipping to catch up to him so his long hair stopped hitting me in the face. Pretty sure he was doing that on purpose.

"True enough." Kearo stopped and turned to face me, his long hair whirling with him as he partially bent his knees to match my height. "You have to choose your battles though, Heidi. You can care for those people back in town, but don't let dwelling on it drag you down. Take the time to laugh when the situation presents. How can you not laugh at that?" Kearo gestured to the crowbar thumping against my thigh. With the sun setting, it glinted in the fading light.

"Okay, okay, this is all ridiculous," I muttered, and his arm bumped into mine to push the laugh out. We walked side by side, and I stuffed my hands in my pockets to resist hanging onto him. "When did you wake up anyway?"

"Same time as you, though I was outside working a fake construction job. You should have seen those stylish shacks we were erecting. Very chic. I felt your power's call, but I was in a good position to do some exploring. Saw you walk into town, but the place wasn't dangerous, so I continued my scouting."

That was a practical approach, but I was still frustrated that he hadn't at least told me before he went gallivanting off into the wild. There would be time to kick him in the shins later for running off, but for now, we had to face the man in the castle.

Kearo and I came to a stop at a pair of double steel doors wide enough to allow a battalion, four-horse abreast, through the gates. Though they would all awkwardly tumble off the cliff edge. There was barely standing space between the castle walls and the cliff, and if those doors opened out, they would sweep anyone standing there right to their doom.

Earth rose up around the doors like the castle was built right into the mountainside, and I skittered to and fro looking for a handle or, knowing this world, a doorbell. When I came up empty, Kearo took a step forward and slammed his fist on the steel doors. The sound of his hand striking metal reminded me of the gong gong of the clock that had woken me, and I rubbed the goosebumps from my arms.

"Little pigs, little pigs, let me come in!" he hollered with his hands cupped around his mouth, and the groan of the door mechanisms drown out my would-be chastisement.

So many imagined visages of Xin flashed through my mind, from an old man hunched on a cane, to a sacred monk like Taro in the city, and even a nine-headed hydra with tentacles for hands. My eyes were peeled as the door swung open, and when I finally laid eyes on Xin, he did not fail to impress.

Xin stood like a warrior ready for battle, his shoulders squared, his feet shoulder width apart, and his right hand on the pommel of a dagger sheathed at his hips. The guy was decked out like he was heading off to war with a sixth or seventh century Chinese army. An ornate ivory breast plate covered Xin's chest and tied off with a golden sash at his waist, thick shoulder guards of polished pearl and gold trim shielded his upper arms, and loose white attire wrapped his extremities to give full range of mobility.

His black hair ran to near his ankles, slicked to his head like he'd glued it there and tied at the top to keep it out of the way should a scuffle break out. The unflinching and lightless pitch gaze emanated the same challenge, and a curved glaive in Xin's other hand kept me tucked behind Kearo. I didn't want this to be like the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland.