Solstice, Book 1: A Prince, A Thief, Etcetera

Chapter 4: An Unexpected Visitor

Levi was running through a dark forest. All around him twisted, gnarled trees pressed in so close that the canopy completely blocked out the sky, and it was impossible to tell if it were night or day. He had no idea how he had ended up there, or why. The only thing he knew for certain was that he was in terrible danger. Something was chasing him, something huge and monstrous, and it was gaining.

He summoned an extra burst of speed, ducking under branches and jumping over exposed roots, but each stride only brought his pursuer nearer and nearer. Further into the woods, he became aware of another presence. There was a voice. It sounded like someone calling out to him from far off in the distance. It started off faint, but as Levi got closer, it became louder and clearer. The voice belonged to a woman, and she was clearly suffering. She was begging and pleading for someone to come help her. Somehow, through some instinct or other, Levi knew that if he did not come to her aid in time, she would die. The monster was not coming for him at all. It was coming for her.

He had to reach her first.

His legs screamed in protest, but he spurred them on harder and harder, desperate to outstrip the monster that was almost surely at his heels.

Before long a dense fog had crept through the trees, obscuring his vision even more. His legs grew weak, and his pace slowed, and the voice became quieter. He cried out, "Wait!" but the voice drifted off deeper into the gloom, deeper and deeper until it dissolved into nothing, and Levi could hear it no more.

The fog had now gotten so thick that Levi could barely even see his own hand in front of his nose. He tripped over a root sticking out of the ground and went down hard. There was a deafening roar from behind, and Levi knew that this was it... The woman was gone, and the beast would have him now. He braced himself for impact and squinted to look at its face, but saw only the wooden timbers of a ship cabin's ceiling.

With a violent jerk, he shook away the bleary forest scene still clouding his vision and found himself fully awake on the forecastle deck of the Crimson Lady.

Nightmare... just another nightmare.

He pushed himself shakily into a sitting position and groped in the darkness for his inhaler. His breath was coming in short bursts, as if he actually had been running for his life. Bringing the inhaler to his mouth, he saw that his hands were very white and glistened with cold sweat. In fact, his entire body was soaked with it.

He took several calming breaths.

Glancing over at the nightstand, Levi received a small shock when he spotted a vibrant green eye staring back at him. He almost screamed until he remembered who it belonged to.

"Atlas!" Levi adjusted to better look at him. "Don't scare me like that!"

The eye softened apologetically, and Atlas threw open his cover to reveal a fresh line of script. Terribly, terribly sorry, Your Grace. It certainly wasn't my intention to frighten you. Please, I beg your forgiveness! You won't have me shredded for this, will you?

Levi groaned. "No, of course not. It's alright, Atlas. But do you have to call me 'Your Grace'? I'd rather just be Levi."

But Your Grace, how indecorous! To address a royal on a first name basis, and a shortened first name at that! I shudder to think of the sluaghlications. To not use your proper title would be to show you great disrespect.

"Atlas, I don't care about titles, just... please, this is all happening so fast. Just please call me Levi for now. I promise I won't feel disrespected."

Atlas ruffled his pages uncertainly before responding. Very well then... er, Levi.

"Thank you."