As Dreamfinder had feared while abruptly pulling Rachel away to safety, the wild boar is chasing behind them. The boar runs faster, panting and snorting with sweat dripping and dropping through its fur and sprinkling into the air to be left behind. The loud sounds of its hooves galloping in a fast pace as it clomps against the stone floors, echoing throughout and bouncing off the walls in the hallways, has reached the same rhythm of the fast-beating hearts of our heroes in their attempts to escape.
With hands clasped tight, both Rachel and Dreamfinder are struggling to run over their maximum limit ahead of the boar. This is not what Rachel had imagined last night. They manage to catch up with Figment and Algar as they cut through more corners and run up and down several pairs of stairs. But the boar would not stop chasing them. The obstacles that would block its way don't stand a chance to hold it off. Every broken piece of stone wall or rubble would each burst into an explosion of flying rocks being cast aside. Whatever is making this creature possess such motivation inside, it means business. Like serious business! It tries to run faster, closer and closer to its prey with every step. It seems that it won't stop chasing them until it finally catches them.
"YIKES!" Figment screams.
"What is with that thing?" Rachel shouts. "Doesn't it know when to quit?"
" 'Let's go exploring,' he says." Dreamfinder grumbles angrily in a loud tone, enough for Figment to hear him. " 'Find food,' he says. 'Pet the pig,' he says! 'Throw a red curtain at it and blind it while we run away,' he says! Great idea, Figment! Those sure solved all of our problems!"
"Hey! I thought we could make friends with it!" Figment shouts back in defense.
"You wanted to make breakfast out of it!"
"So I was hungry! Sure, I'm not into killing and eating harmless animals, but we've got to survive out here, right?"
"That thing is anything but harmless, Figment! Couldn't you tell by the rugged teeth it has?"
"Teeth? I thought they were tusks!"
"SHUT UP! BOTH OF YOU! Less arguing, more running!" Rachel barks loudly, intervening on the ranting.
They continue to cut corners along the path, hoping to make another abrupt turn in time before the desperate creature would see them make their next move. But there is no way of outsmarting this beast. Its eyes are narrowing its supposed victims down, eager to catch them and tear them apart with everything its got. The windows on the walls are much too skinny for anyone to jump through. And even if they were wide enough or broken open, they are too high up to make the jump. Pathways are being blocked by fallen debris that may have previously fallen from the ceiling. They are running out of options. There is no escape. They have to hide!
Somewhere along the way, Algar spots a tall crack from within the wall. It is narrow in sight, but it is wide enough for him and his friends to slip into. For her protection, Dreamfinder pushes Rachel inside first, then Algar and Figment, and then himself. They struggle to step as far back away from the boar's reach as possible, but there is hardly enough room behind them to get away. The mad boar approaches the crack in the wall where our heroes are, squealing and crying as it tries to break in and get closer to them. Dreamfinder tries to kick the boar away but flinches back every time the boar chomps its jaws at him. Screams are being made as are the battle cries of that devilish animal. They squeeze themselves farther back to fill whatever room is left in their enclosure for safety, but it is no use. They are trapped inside and there is no way of getting out of the crack while this boorish nuisance is still around attacking them.
"Get back! Get away, you blasted devil you!" Dreamfinder heatedly shouts in a gruff British tone, as he kicks his feet at the creature. But with every blow he makes, it is only making the boar squeal angrier and angrier.
"What do we do?!" Rachel shouts from behind Dreamfinder. "That thing is not planning on leaving anytime soon if we don't do something."
Algar jumps upon Dreamfinder's head and starts growling and barking ferociously at the creature. At first, it seemed to work. The boar jump back a couple of feet in its shock, but the effect had soon died down as the boar barbarically charges and buts its head against the wall, making the crack crumble down piece by piece until the crack is wide enough for the boar to enter. Thus, having Algar retreat back behind his creator continuously barking at the monster.
"It's not working!" Dreamfinder shouts. "We've got to try something else!"
"Figment! Your fire breath!" Rachel call out.
"What? Me?" Figment cries, as he is taken aback by the sudden suggestion. "What good is that going to do?"
"Gee, I don't know. Perhaps it might scare it off! Maybe burn it? You're a dragon, aren't you?"
"Hey, you know what? I am! I am a mighty dragon! I can take on this guy. Stand back, guys!"
Figment takes Algar's place on top of Dreamfinder's head to get into position. The dragon breathes in deeply. His scales are tensing up. The claws in his hands press deeply through Dreamfinder's hair and into his head. Filled with a flaming fire in his heart he can feel it running up through his throat, ready to blast out a ferocious fire fiercer than he has ever blown before. With brave eyes shooting straight ahead, Figment thrusts his head right against the boars grunting face and lets out the most unimaginable...cough?
Instead of a beam of fire coming out of Figment's breath, a puff of smoke takes place. The impact of a hot smoke begin coughed out has Figment's big yellow eyes swelling with tears. He continues to cough maniacally, trying to cover his mouth to the best of his ability but it would not stop. The smoke just keeps coming out of the poor dragon and soon fills up the entire crack he and his friends are trapped in, causing everyone to cough uncontrollably. The smoke reaches upon the boar, too. Layer by layer the first breath of it is blown onto its eyes, blinding the creature with a hot stinging in the nerves and veins they are strung to its head with. The boar shakes its head violently. It turns away from its prey in the crack and starts running, bumping against everything it touches as it goes.
Just across from the crack there seems to be another crack under a window on the opposite side of the hallway's length. Small pebbles have crept and fallen from their previous positions and have tapped onto the stone floor soundlessly. The boar, in its blindness, runs up to the wall. It bashes its head against it and to everyone's surprise, the crack the boar hits breaks open from the inside and out into the nature of the medieval world! Clumps of stone and boulder and cut and broken into hundreds of rock pieces as they are being pushed away by the boar's force. Bewildered and unknowingly, the boar has forced itself to fall several feet above the ground along with its falling crumbling debris. The last thing our heroes hear out of that devil pig is its crying shrieks as it plummets down out of view and off the side of the castle. The boar hits the ground finally and it scares the wits of Basil's horse who is just standing nearby in his stable, traumatized by the sight of a newly blood-curdled pig.
Then all is quiet. The four friends, huddled together, all watch the wall gaped open with open jaws and widened eyes at this unexpected sight. They are safe at last, but they had not foreseen the way it would turn out to make it happen. They hear the sounds of the boar's unprecedented death, the horse's terrified whining, and the silent gentle breathing of the chilling soft morning wind. Their blood runs cold. Their minds are in a slight shocking blank slate of fear. Their hands are clenched onto whatever they can hold. Their muscles are tense and shivering by the cold yet sunny morning's touch. This may not have been the best morning they have ever woken up to, though all things considered, it could have been worse.
"...Dead or alive, I'm not eating that thing." said Rachel, the first to snap out of the shock of the boar's death. She receives a couple of nods of agreement from her friends. All of them are on the same page as she is.
"My word..." Dreamfinder breathes, "...in all my childhood years living in the countryside caring for livestock, that boar was by far the worse-tempered I have ever seen."
"Uh-huh. Uh-huh." Algar grunts, nodding.
"Some help I was!" groaned Figment. "I still can't make a good enough fiery breath. I can't even catch a pig!"
"Hey, at least you were able to scare it away." said Rachel with a tittering confidence.
"Only to get it killed! Yeah, I was hungry, too, but I didn't want to handle things like this. It's all my fault. I'm sorry, guys."
"There, there, Figment." said Dreamfinder with an assuring calmness, as he attempts to move his had from being squished to the side of the wall to pet his imaginary dragon friend. "There is no need for you to beat yourself up. You did what you thought was right. And you saved us in the end."
"Ro-ra-ri-wak-wakka-bark bark bark-bark wak." Algar said. In English, his remarks translates, "Though you did cause the boar to come chasing after us to begin with."
"Algar! Not helping!" Rachel barks.
"It's okay." said Figment with a reluctant gloom in his tone. "I know he doesn't mean badly. Let's just...forget it."
"Right then." said Dreamfinder, eagerly trying to change the subject. "I suppose the one thing to do now is to get out of this crack. Figment, Algar, you two can get out safely on your own, can you?"
"Ar-ar!" yipped Algar in his approval.
"Sure can!" exclaimed Figment, who had immediately put aside his guilt for the time being. "Come on, Algar!"
Both Algar and Figment squeeze out of the crack and flutter about in the hallway, waiting in the hallway and making sure there are no more possible threats to occur. Meanwhile, Dreamfinder and Rachel are the only two persons left stuck inside. They each struggle to move even a single step forward to get out. Their bodies are smooshed back-to-back with both of their heads face away. A couple of scratches have been made on them; Rachel has a few of them on her cheeks and arms with some of them having some peeled skin, while Dreamfinder's cheekbones have only cuts visible for anyone to see. There is more rock hanging over Dreamfinder on the way out, so he has to crouch down lower to Rachel's height on the way. This compact enclosure has been of great annoyance to the two of them as well as it served to protect them from the boar. They want so badly to get out of there. The sooner, the better.
"Uhh...Dreamfinder?" said Rachel.
"Yes, Rachel?" Dreamfinder struggles to reply, trying to turn his body into the right direction.
"This may sound a bit off topic for me to say, but...what would you...what you name your kids...if you have any? Had any? If you plan on having any?"
"Uhh...I don't really know." said Dreamfinder with a blush hidden away in his cheeks. "I don't have any kids and given that I'm completely indulged in our journey into imagination, I...I'm not so sure I'll ever get any."
"Whew." With such relief inside, Rachel sighs. At least now she feels that her dream last night may seem a lot less accurate and relieving to keep the dream as it is.
As they finally reach the plane level of the wall, they each try to turn their bodies around. As if that isn't stressful enough, there are a couple of stones sticking out of the walls where their heads are. So the two of them each have to turn their heads very carefully to face each other while trying to get scratched even more. Rachel tilts her head back to face the back of the crack in the wall, while Dreamfinder's head tilts outside. But as they both turn their heads back at the same time, their lips touch! Their lips have brushed across each other into a sudden kiss. Their eyes are growing larger by the second. They're not trying to kiss. Not now. Not this second. Dreamfinder had wanted to kiss this girl for a long while now. Though that has been among the many intentions he had always desired to do to her, he had not expected, nor given any thought, to do this now. This is all just an accident.
In Rachel's eyes, this is as she had both desired and feared at the same time from her dream last night. She had been helplessly kissed, smothered, slobbered, and loved by this beautiful-minded man in it. The shock of the sudden realization that Dreamfinder is kissing her now, accident or not, in the real world (as real as it gets considering their motive), just minutes after she had woken up from the most beautifully bewitching dream she had ever conjured has Rachel completely frozen.
Their eyes search each other's eyes and faces, not moving for another second. They each want to know what the heck the other is thinking. Why is this happening? Why are they doing this? Who did it first? And more importantly, why is this still going on? Still, this exhilaration building up between them is both most comforting and exciting. Both Dreamfinder and Rachel look deep into each other's eyes again, the same as they have first watched each other when Rachel first woke up to him after getting fired by Disney, when they were being taken prisoner in Fillidore, when Dreamfinder had taken the blow for Rachel from the Abiteth's goopy curse, when Dreamfinder had watched Rachel act so motherly to the little sparks back in Epcot, and finally when Dreamfinder had offered Rachel to stay with him for, to his greatest desires, forever. No matter what had come in their way, they somehow always manage to find a time to look at each other. Perhaps now, they are finally beginning to understand why.
What seems like several minutes had actually only been seconds by the time they both managed to finally slip out of the crack in the wall together. Their lips are still touching by then, but Rachel suddenly pulls hers away from Dreamfinder's and blushes. The sudden shock of this bond has them both staring each other down. Neither one of them wanted to stop this kiss, but it had to end. And when they did, they could not stop thinking mixed thoughts rampaging everywhere in their brains, affecting their imaginations. For Rachel, she stands there frozen, incapable of knowing what to do. She just kissed the Dreamfinder by accident. Accident! What the heck could he possibly be thinking about in all of this? She must have embarrassed him. She's obviously embarrassed herself. She's screwed!
Dreamfinder, on the other hand, has his heart and mind fluttering with beating hummingbird wings soaring higher and higher to the highest heights imaginable. His thoughts are both filling and fleeting with sunshine and rainbows, romantic music in the forms of various music notes bouncing about in rhythm, flowers dancing as humans would dance together in sync to the music, and much other material things that make him smile being multiplied over ten times over by the sweet tender touch of Rachel's lips. From Dreamfinder's thoughts alone, that is expected to come from him. But what could she be thinking, he thought to himself? Is she embarrassed by this? Is she upset? Did he make her unhappy? It doesn't look like it. She looks more shocked than upset.
Both minds are racing in circles, trying to comprehend what the other is thinking. No matter how hard they try, they cannot seem to rationalize the situation. What happened just happened. They just kissed! And by accident, as it occurred. Nothing more. They each try to hide away their blush, either looking down from the other or turning to the side. But neither maneuver is working out in their favor. All they can do is stare at each other again.
"I'm...I..." Poor Dreamfinder can not come up with an excuse, he can only stutter.
"...I'm sorry, I...I'm so sorry!" Rachel stutters also, trying to keep her cool together. "I didn't know you were-"
"I-I wasn't! I was trying to...and then you-"
"I was just trying to get out of the crack until...until...that."
"Yes...that."
They start staring at each other again. This time, Rachel almost smiles. Her dreams of Dreamfinder kissing her last night had unintentionally become a reality in a way she had not expected it. Especially not intending on being chased by a boar to make it happen. Her heart begins to flutter at the sight of Dreamfinder's face; his gorgeous deep blue eyes, the rosy pink blush in his cheeks, his rusted-ginger red hair, beard, and mustache all curled to match his whimsy fancy - the way they softly sway with the soft wind fanning into the castle from outside - his pursed lips slowly growing into a smile in revealing his teeth by a small sheer of glee he must be forming inside, and the fact of how much taller he is compared to her shows the possible dominance he would have over her.
Dreamfinder could be thinking the same thing about Rachel. Her long silk light-brown hair cascading down like a waterfall, her light-brown eyes to match added to brightening equivalence of milk chocolate swirling slowly in her irises, the small mouth he had just kissed he had only just realized are as rosy pink as the blush in her cheeks, and the potential smile Rachel would also give when it counts. All of which that has contributed to helping Dreamfinder fall in love with her in the first place. Dreamfinder takes another step closer to Rachel, allured by the girl's beauty. He lifts a hand to Rachel's face, sweeping his fingers to touch her cheeks.
"Blair?" Rachel gasps softly, blushing even more.
"You, um...you've got something on your cheek." said the embarrassed Dreamfinder. "Just a little dirt is all."
He was right. There was a small patch of dirt on Rachel's cheek. Dreamfinder gently rubs the dirt off clean, but for some reason, his hand can't stop rubbing. He had just realized he wasn't wearing his usual white gloves. He had taken them off last night and put them in his pocket to avoid them feeling sweaty overnight. So now Dreamfinder's bare hands are now touching Rachel's bare skin. His hand then cups her cheek as his thumb progresses in caressing her through his intimacy. Rachel, embracing the gentle sunlit brushing, cannot resist this sweet sensation. She has been dying to feel this for the longest time. No one in her life has ever felt her this way. And in trying to forget the events of what had happened in the Imagination Pavilion so many years ago, or years later considering the different time periods they are now in Medieval London, it's hard to remember whether or not Uncle Eli had done the same thing for her? From what she can tell in her experience so far, Dreamfinder has been the one providing her with such sweetness. Her eyes soothingly close, yearning desperately for Dreamfinder to not stop doing this. She wanted to take Dreamfinder's hand casually, the one that is rubbing her, and press it deeper upon her face, wanting so badly to take in every ounce of warmth he must have.
"Blair?" said Rachel softly.
"Yes?" said Dreamfinder with tenderness in his tone.
"I think you've got all the dirt off."
"Oh! Yes...so I have." snapping out of his little love spell, the Dreamfinder quickly pulls his hand back with an embarrassed chuckle.
This might be it. This might finally be the time for Dreamfinder to say something to Rachel once and for all. They are in the moment. He has her where he wants her to be. Her cheek was is in his hands. His heartbeats are pounding atrociously to the point where he might be making fast but silent breaths through his mouth and throat. She is so adorable, he thought; Adorable, childish, and beautiful overall! He can not take it anymore. It's time to speak up!
"...Blair?" Rachel mutters.
"...Rachel, I-" said Dreamfinder, who had just started to speak only be interrupted once again by an outside force.
"Hey guys!" Figment had called out all the way from the other side of the hall with Algar beside him. Dreamfinder and Rachel pull themselves away at the sound of Figment's voice, breaking them both this apparent spell of bondness between them. What a way to ruin the moment. "Are you two coming are not?"
"OH! Y-Yes, Figment! We're coming!" Dreamfinder called back, as multiple drops of sweat start forming and falling from his head.
"Whew! All is this running from that boar has made me thirsty."
In a nearby room a short distance away, the purple dragon spots a rusted gold chalice sitting on top of a wooden stool. It looks so old, though. It must have been sitting in here for many long years! The bowl of the chalice is already filled, however, with water. Eager to quench his thirst, Figment flutters on over to the chalice for a drink. He checks out the for any signs of rust inside the water, but there does not seem to be any. The outer detail of the cup is detailed with rubies encrusted with rings of gold to hold them in place and markings of a cross in between each of them. Seeing as how there seems to be nothing in the chalice's bowl, Figment consumes much of the beverage until there was nothing left. In an instant, his energy accelerates by twice as much. It's as if he had just consumed fifty cups of coffee all at once to where he is starting to feel some extra buzz.
"Wowie-wow-wow!" exclaimed Figment, flapping his tiny wings like crazy. "That felt great! I must have been a lot thirstier than I thought."
"Huh?" Algar peeks over Figment's shoulder and inspects the chalice. He stretches his head, smells it, sticks out his tongue, and tastes the last remaining drops in Figment had left behind in the chalice. Then he, too, starts to feel more energy rising up. It must be that even a small drop can do big wonders from this cup. "Rwow!" the gryphon exclaimed. He starts flying backflip loops with great excitement. Now both imaginary friends are completely energized and ready for the day.
"Wow! This is the best water I've ever tasted." said the happy Figment. "I don't know what this chalice is about, but I'm keeping it!" Hanging from the edge of a chair, the dragon spots a bag made of leather. It looks a bit worn, but might still be usable. Figment grabs it and puts the empty chalice inside.
With his chalice stuffed safely in his own bag, Figment flies off ahead with Algar, once again leaving his creator with Rachel for another brief moment. Unfortunately, the brief occasion they just had already passed. They were snapped out of this tender juncture and there was no way of getting it back.
"So..." Rachel drawls awkwardly.
"So..." Dreamfinder also drawls.
"I guess we ought to go and catch up with them, huh?"
"Yes...yes, of course."
Running ahead to join up with Figment and Algar, Rachel leaves Dreamfinder behind alone. A sudden shatter in Dreamfinder's heart begins to crack bigger than the crack in the wall he had hidden in that he had to clutch it. She was right here! Right in front of him! He felt her cheek and she embraced it! Gosh, darn it! He was so close! For crying out loud, even by accident, they just kissed! A cloud of gloom forms and starts raining down within Dreamfinder's mind. He had missed his opportunity once again. But at least he knows Rachel was feeling something from it, if not the same thing. Perhaps maybe...maybe...there is still hope. Dreamfinder shakes his head, clearing his mind of this sad feeling and runs to catch up to his friends.
*********************************************************************
"Good morning, Basil's horse!" Figment cheerfully greets. He flies over to the poor fear-stricken equestrian and gently pets him on the back.
With everyone outside, trying to their best to avoid any eye contact to the dead boar that had fallen from high up in the castle, they make themselves ready to continue their adventure in finding the missing king. At least the horse is fed, while everyone else's stomach is on the verge of growling. And all of their food is still within the busted-up Dream Machine. Their only hope in finding food is either to forage for things that are not in the least bit poisoned or come across a nearby town for a decent meal.
"ALGAR!"
Seeing as how Algar had opened his mouth to take a bite at the raw carnage of the pig, given that his nature as a gryphon to solely eat nothing else but meat and fish, Rachel shouts out to her imaginary gryphon in protest. Algar freezes with his beak open aimed at the boar's neck. His widened eyes tilt back towards Rachel's direction awkwardly without moving his face. Hoping she would not react again with his eyes still locked at his creator, Algar leans his further over the dead pig, sticking his tongue out closer and closer to taste it.
"Algar, don't!" Rachel barked. "I know you're hungry as I am, I know you only eat meat, and I know you want to eat that thing, but you can't! There's bound to be plenty of other better things to eat out there than this. Plus, we don't even know where that thing has been. Just leave it alone and let's go."
Defeated with his arms crossed, Algar pouts and returns to his creator grumbling, leaving the dead pig as it is for the flies to feed on.
Rachel had joined up with Dreamfinder again as he and Figment ready the horse to continue their adventure. Figment is of course in a happy statement, as is his given nature despite the recent disappointment he felt was his fault even though it saved his friends in the end. Dreamfinder, however trying to keep a straight face, cannot hide the blush that has blossomed upon his cheeks for the past ten minutes. Rachel has taken notice of it, blushing herself. She decided if they take the scenario they had found themselves even further, it would make things even more awkward. Letting it be, she tries to change the subject.
"Are we almost ready to go?" Figment giddily asks.
"Almost." said Dreamfinder. "I just need to tighten the saddle up a bit."
"Hey." said Rachel in a quiet, possibly embarrassed tone, as she walks up to Dreamfinder with a small wave.
"Hi."
"...How's it going? You...doing alright?"
"I'm fine, thank you."
"Cool!" Cool? Smooth, Rachel. Very smooth.
"Cool!...I guess. That is the right term, right?"
"Well, I mean, I just said 'cool' to you first just now, so yeah. You've got it right."
"Good, because you know how I- how Figment and I, we...we've been gone for a very long time, so we don't really know..."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. But you're fine. You did good."
"Good." Dreamfinder smiled.
"Good." Rachel smiled also.
"Good!"
"Goodie-goodie!"
"Um...are you two okay?" Figment asks, confused as to how and why his friends are reacting like this.
"What do you mean?" Dreamfinder asked, blushing brightly.
"You two are blushing and sweating pretty badly and you're talking so weirdly."
"I..."
"It's...it's the boar chase!" Rachel abruptly intervenes, trying her best not to spill the beans as to what happened. "All that running and fear-driving has gotten us looking beat and tired, added that we have just woken up. At least I have. You know how that is, Figment."
"Oh-ho-ho! Okay!" the dragon exclaims heartedly with relief. "I was afraid something else happened to you while I wasn't looking. You look like something came up at your face or something."
"No,whywouldyouthinkthat?" Dreamfinder quickly sputters with his eyes open wide and his face dripping with sweat. "Wedidn'tdoanything,didweRachel? No,ofcoursewedidn't,becausethere'snothingweirdgoingon. Youknowwhat'sweird? YOU!"
"Uh...Dreamfinder?" Rachel speaks up.
"What?!"
"You're sputtering really fast."
"I am?"
"You are!" Figment giggles, oblivious as to what his creator is really thinking. "You're saying a bunch of words without breathing like you normally do when you're feeling guilty of something."
"Oh...well then. Why don't we just, uh...head forth and continue this adventure? We've got a king to find after all?" Dreamfinder suggested in an awkward tone.
"Yippee!"
As Figment flutters away out of the stable and into the open world with Algar, both Dreamfinder and Rachel are left alone again. Once again, they stare at each other with some sort of sweet bewilderment building deep inside them. Though Rachel might be the only one of the two who is feeling the worst of it. The events that had taken place last night in her dreams compared to what had just happened this morning has brought her into a situation far too quickly than she would have prepared herself for. There has never been a moment in her life when either one of her parents has ever told her how to maneuver such circumstances. Her dad being a straight-up jerk and her mom is too cool and uneven to try to tell her on account of Rachel's dad being an ***hole. This is all too sudden. As for Dreamfinder, he had spent his life knowing the values of love given to him by his family so long ago, but have always been far too preoccupied to make the first move. He had been married to his own work, thus creating Figment, the Mesmonic Converter, and his current but highly-celebrated persona. Technology his life, his work is his wife, and his inventions are his children. He had never given himself the opportunity to spot a pretty girl, or even any real girl for that matter, and build up the confidence to share his feelings. Least of all until he had brought Rachel along for the ride. He had succeeded in accomplishing Phase One. Phase Two is the real test of commitment. And from what had just happened after dealing with the boar inside the castle, he's found a small glimpse of hope coming right out of the expression on Rachel's face.
They stare at one another for a moment. It feels like it has been hours since the kiss happened, though it has only been fifteen minutes. They can't keep standing around like this any longer. They have a mission weighing down on their shoulder and in their hands. They can't let something so silly as this distract them from finding the king and the geodesic sphere. Out of the two of them, only one steps up first.
"Blair," said Rachel, breaking the silence finally, "I...I really don't know what to say about what just happened. I don't know what you might be thinking now other than embarrassment and I'm sorry for that, too. I'm not trying to 'friend-zone' us or anything, but I-"
"No! Not at all, Rachel!" Dreamfinder interrupts hastily. "That's the last thing I want. I mean, I-I-I-I can tell you must be feeling embarrassed, too. For one, you're blushing and-"
"So are you."
"I know I am! But I...I..." His thoughts are racing with his words, overlapping each other in layers. Whatever he is thinking of is not coming out of his mouth. Instead, they bouncing and banging at each other all over inside his head, giving him an emotional migraine. "...I...you know how I want to make you comfortable throughout our journey together..." I love you. "...and protect you from all possible harm..." I love you, Rachel. "...and that's what I will continue to do. You are my responsibility after all..." Rachel, I love you so much! Please love me, too! "...and-and I can't afford you getting hurt or let anything happen to you even if I end up being the one who is causing you grief..." No, Rachel! I would never hurt you! You're too good to be hurt. I love you!"...though it has never been my intention to hurt you in any way, to begin with. I just..." Rachel, please love me! I beg you! "...I just want you to be..." RACHEL! PLEASE!
"I understand, Dreamfinder." Rachel finally says. "We're both in an awkward place that neither of us had seen coming...sort of...I guess. Still, I think we should just put this all aside for now and focus on what's important right now: the sphere and the king. Besides, even if either one of us were in love with the other, or if at least you were in love with me, I hardly believe I'd be the one to deserve the receiving end of your affections given with what I've put you through."
"DON'T SAY THAT, RACHEL!" Dreamfinder shouted in his thoughts with tears potentially beginning to form, "YOU ARE WORTHY OF ME! I LOVE YOU! "
"Dreamer?"
"What?"
"Are you okay?"
"Y-yes, I'm fine. Why?"
"You look like you're about to cry."
"Well, I'm not! I'm...I'm... Look, let's just get this adventure over with. Okay?" he said with great frustration. He turns his head to their imaginary companions and shouts out to them. "FIGMENT! ALGAR! LET'S GO!"
And that was it. That is all that remained of the conversation. From both sides, their hearts feel broken despite the firm composure they struggle to keep up. Still, it's for the best. Rachel is right: the king and the geodesic sphere are what's most important right now. This ever-prolonging journey the recently-received adventure has become a heavy weight on their shoulders since they had arrived. Perhaps the curse this witch had placed upon this land might have something to with it. It has been causing quite a bit of grief on the locals for some time and may likely be taking effect on the group right now. Regardless of this, they decide to shrug it off for the time being and focus on the task at hand.
Leaving their shelter of a castle finally, they continue west to the place called Camlann, the supposed death place of the missing king. It has been a straight-forward trip with no interruptions nor having any other stranger chasing after them, thankfully. Nobody had said anything since they left, it was a quiet trip. The only excitement being entertained is Figment and Algar turning their attention at either Rachel or Dreamfinder who both cannot help but glance at each other awkwardly. Neither the gryphon nor the dragon had any idea what this was all about nor realized what must have happened to them back at the castle when they were alone. In regards to this, they decided not to say anything further into the matter, fearing whatever they would say would only make things worse.
Through graying vast fields and lumping hills as the Dreamfinder rides upon the horse with all the rest of his friends flying about, they travel forth unharmed. The skies above are looking even duller than the previous day's, for all of the clouds keep growing darker and darker by the minute. The weaponsmith and Sister Gwen back in Amesbury have warned their supposed king and friends of the possible dangers that may come their way should they continue traveling upon their quest. These dark clouds colliding together appear as a very convincing omen that it may perhaps be the devilish work of the sorceress' curse. Feint sounds of thunder murmur in the clouds as tiny flashes of lightning can be hardly seen in small patches, a swift whirling whoosh is being blown by the wind's breath chilling our heroes and everything else in its path, and the trees and grass on the surface are roughly swaying chaotically pointing the direction the wind is heading, which is straight against where our heroes are coming from. But they are not stopped by all of this. They have already lost enough time in finding the missing king that they cannot afford to lose whatever time they have left. So long as they stick together with their weapons at hand and their imaginations ready for use in their minds, there is nothing that can stop all four of them from achieving their mission.
Soon, the Dreamfinder, Figment, Rachel, and Algar arrive near a coastal area. It was a machair; a very flat, serene-looking plain with the exceptions of a few bushels of trees standing together along the slopes of the hills that leads to a sea mouth to the North Atlantic Sea. Another lake sits by, surrounded by trees, calm and silent with not a single ripple to disturb it. The darkness of the sky is near to matching the color pigments of the water it touches throughout the horizon, one side in crinkled ripples and the other in gloomy fluff. The Sun cannot be seen, no sign of wildlife are found; everything is completely still as if time itself had been stopped at this precise location.
Just yards away, they notice a sign written in stone. Rachel lands safely back down to the ground and runs towards the stone to read it. She had finally come to accept the strange fact of her apparent gift in reading different texts and languages from home, at different times and in different worlds. If only she had known she could do this while she was still in college. It would have easily helped get through it much faster.
"H're ye standeth in the heart of Camlann, the final slumb'r of our king." said Rachel, as she reads through the faded stone. It seems the weather this curse has provided has made a number of rain and thunderstorms to smoothen the text, eroding the words out of existence as quickly as possible. "It looks like we finally made it."
"Hooray!" Figment cheers, as he flutters his tired wings and lands his whole self upon the grass.
"Excellent!" exclaimed Dreamfinder. "At least now we can finally take a breather. I think our equestrian friend here may be all tuckered out." And so it is. The horse they had borrowed from Basil had given a large nod and neighing in response to Dreamfinder's observation. Though it seems that Dreamfinder may have made that observation a little too late. The poor thing looks like it could topple over at any time with exhaustion and send Dreamfinder falling off to either side. "Let's find a spot to rest for a while before we get caught up in another storm like last night."
"And maybe find some food. I'm starving!"
"Ree-roo!" Algar groaned innocently. He can feel the constant grumbling in his little lion-halved tummy that can be heard by just about everyone.
"Aw buddy!" exclaimed Rachel with a sympathetic adoring awe. She reaches out to her little gryphon friend and hugs him in her arms. "My poor baby buddy boy."
"Waaa-aaa-aak!" Algar cries angrily.
"I don't think Algar likes being treated like a child, Rachel." Dreamfinder chuckles.
"Hey! He's mine! I get to coddle him." Rachel plays, not letting the squirming Algar leave her grasp.
"Aw...is wittle baby Algar being mommy's wittle baby boy?" Figment teases.
"BARK-BARK-BARK-BARK-BARK-BARK-BARK-BARK-BARK-BARK-BARK-WAAAAAAAAAK!" Poor Algar explodes. It's clear that Algar is definitely not into being treated like a baby at all.
"Yikes! Take it easy, Algar! I was just kidding!"
"Alright, alright. Let's all take it easy right now." suggested Dreamfinder. "Rachel, why don't you and Algar set up camp while Figment and I find some game to feed on."
"Woah! Dreamfinder, you hunt?" said Rachel with shock.
"Of course! Back in my days in living in the country as a boy, my father and I used to go camping and hunt for deer meat. Though, I was never really into killing harmless animals, or any animal for that matter. I would be the one to scout out for the prey while my father, well...he'd take care of the rest."
"Cool! Sad, but cool!"
"Now all we need to catch our prey is stealth, a keen eye, and...and..." Dreamfinder is searching frantically behind his back and begins to worry. "Oh no..." He checks back to the satchels strapped onto the horse and searches through it like crazy, pushing every other piece of material there is in the process, but nothing has come up to his satisfaction. "Oh no, no, no!"
"What's wrong, Dreamfinder?" Figment worryingly asks.
"My sword is gone!" said Dreamfinder. "I must have left it back at the castle!"
"Are you serious?" Rachel loudly groans. "How are you supposed to hunt now?" Then she chuckles, "Not that I'm game with...well, finding game. Can't you just use your imagination to make a new one?"
"Capital idea, Rachel! Give me some room."
Everyone steps back for Dreamfinder. Making himself ready and comfortable, Dreamfinder clears his mind and takes a deep breath. With eyes tightly closed, his imagination comes into effect. Sparks begin to form at his fingertips into a ball. The Dreamfinder then starts molding this spark ball of imagination like a handful of clay into a sword-like shape to his liking.
The sword appears in Dreamfinder's hands; a beautiful golden rimmed sword with a long heavenly-glowing silver blade and an intricate dragon design to hold on to with inserted rubies, emeralds, and sapphires. The perfect blade fit for a supposedly-kingly Dreamfinder.
But suddenly, in the instant the sword had formed it immediately disassembled in a dark purplish-black void, melting into a bubbling black puddle of goop at his feet.
"Wh-wh-what happened?!" stuttered Dreamfinder with disbelief. "My thoughts were clear and pure. It should have completely materialized without a problem by now."
"Blech!" Figment groans. "It's all goopy and bubbly."
Algar jumps off from Rachel's arms and approaches the puddle. He takes a couple of sniffs and within seconds he starts to growl at it. There is definitely something about it that is not only not of Dreamfinder's doing, but also very bad.
"Whoa, Algar's growling." said Rachel with semi-widened eyes. "This isn't good."
"Hmm...whatever has caused my spark of inspiration to literally melt away must be a very powerful enough source to wipe out anything. Something is trying to stop us, so we must be close."
"Do you think it might be the curse?" Figment points out in question.
"As always, there must be a very reasonable explanation for this." said Dreamfinder with a nod. "So it's possible. There may also be a chance that science may not work out in our favor in this world- uh, I mean time."
"But imagination isn't necessarily all about science." said Figment. "The power of imagination comes in all different kinds of way. And each one of them has their own ways of making those different kinds work."
"In other words, imagination can have as many themes as it wants while these themes can have multitudes of things to help inspire it, right?" said Rachel, trying to clarify.
"Precisely!" said Dreamfinder. "While invention lies on the side of science, imagination lies with magic. But for some reason, this place doesn't seem to want our powers of imagination to interfere. As Figment said, this curse that the sorceress had conjured up may be the cause of this. That is our only lead for now if nothing else. If it isn't, then something else must be causing it."
"Nebulus." she thought to herself, as her nerves begin to shiver in her arms.
"Well, I don't believe it." Figment argues. "I still think the power of imagination is more than enough to solve every problem that comes in our way, including this curse. So what if you don't have a sword anymore, Dreamfinder. You of all people would know by now that imagination is the greatest weapon of all."
"You are right, Figment." Dreamfinder smiled. "Still, it would be nice to have a sword to protect us with. "
"And just where are we going to find a sword in the middle of nowhere?" Rachel asks.
"Hmm...hey!" Figment shouts. "There's one over there!"
And so there was. Across the distance and into the lake there is, indeed, another sword most suitable for Dreamfinder to use. And by the looks of it, it looks even grander than what he had imagined just now. It is a sword of great length, a streak of blue steel shooting with an inch-wide blade of a silvery-gold, also made of steel. The helm is gold, intricately painted, and traced with a golden cross in the middle with a cobalt blue rounded triangle surrounding it and silver plates to fill in the gaps. The colors of the handle are of a contrasting pattern from dark blue to yellow and so forth. And finally, the orb at the very bottom also has a dark blue and yellow pattern, but this time they are flowing in a wavy curviness that could easily manipulate a man's awareness of sight if he would to stare at it long enough.
The strange thing, however, is that the sword is being held right in the middle of the lake hiding within a large vast mist, glowing brightly upon and below the watery surface. And even stranger there is a hand holding the sword from the water like someone is swimming underwater to hold the sword up for somebody. Astonished, the entire group looks ahead at this sight. If this is not the most bizarre phenomenon they have encountered out of everything else they have seen in their journeys, then what is? So much for the wild boar being the winning the award for "Most Strangest Occurrence of the Day." Each with arched eyebrows lifting up above one of their eyes, the Dreamfinder, Figment, Rachel, and Algar behold the sword of its magnificence and fantastic presence.
"Unbelievable!" exclaimed Dreamfinder.
"Okay, that's pretty neat!"
YOU ARE READING
One Little Spark: Part 2
AdventurePicking where we left off, the Dreamfinder and his friends continue their journey into imagination in search of the missing geodesic sphere with a new mystery in view: the Mystery of Fantasia and its presence in Rachel's being and of Eli Finder's di...
