Arteius

They told me to fear one thing, in fact they told me to fear many things, like authoritative figures who bully you into stealing your money and belongings, fire, imprisonment, war, death. But there was one thing that was much worse. I wondered what could have been worse than death but then I realised that there are many things much worse than dying.
They told me to fear the night, but not just the night itself but the monster within the clouds, the monster that attacks people’s dreams and leaves them crippled and screaming, blind for the remainder of their lives.

It makes you too scared to sleep, afraid that you’ll dream something pleasant only for it to be burned and become monstrous.
They say it turns you mad, makes you run into walls and claw your eyes out. They say there is a screaming inside your head and it never stops.

There is a place hidden from the monster, a secret place. If the monster finds out about this place then I’m sure this whole world might turn mad.

A storm is brewing tonight and I must find shelter in the safe place. The monster has spies so I must be careful who I trust and that I am not followed.

The safe place is named The Dreamcatcher. It’s a quiet tavern with not many people around.
Since I’m young the bar maiden allows me a bed and a bowl of cabbage soup. The bed isn’t entirely comfortable and the soup is less than to be desired but I can’t complain, I have no home and nobody to call family.

I fall asleep that night and awake to the sounds of screaming and thunder loudly rumbling. I sit up, startled and I light a candle. I hear a man yelling, he sounds terrified. Though I cannot understand what he’s saying I want to help him.

As soon as I stand the door to my room slams open and the man looks down at me, anger in his bloodshot eyes. He reaches for a knife on his belt and demands that I give him my money. I tell him I don’t have any and that I’m homeless. He steps closer towards me, yelling that he won’t ask me again. I turn out my pockets to show him that I truly have nothing, but this does not lessen his anger. He picks me up by my collar and yells incomprehensible things at me.

The sky rumbles again and lightning strikes just outside my window, the man peers out the window and suddenly drops me to the floor and steps back. As I catch my breath, I look out the window to try and see what he saw.

Lightning struck again but closer this time and I saw it, for a split second I saw it. The monster that everyone talked about. My eyes widened as I saw its black wings, large and velvety like a bat. I saw its yellow eyes glaring into the window.
The man dropped to his knees and began begging for his life, hunching over and kissing the ground.

The monster let out a roar that sounded as if it was the thunder and the building shook as if there was an earthquake. The man cried harder and immediately got up and ran for the door. I ran after him, trying to tell him not to go outside. He didn’t listen to me, and he forced the entrance door open and fled into the rain. I ran after him.

Once I made it outside, I saw him standing there, frozen in fear looking at the sky.
He silently begged the monster not to kill him.
I could barely see the monster, but I could hear it. It’s sharp breaths and the flapping of its great wings.

The monster snarled at him. I decided if I was to save this man, I would need to confront this monster.
I ran up and stood in front of the man and yelled at the monster to not hurt him. The monster looked down at me, its yellow eyes glowing in the dark and spoke, “This man would have killed you, why save him?”
The monster’s voice was low and sounded as soft as a whisper.
“He was scared”, I told the monster. “He’s just scared.”
The monster looked at the man again, eyes glaring like daggers, but then he looked back to me, his eyes softening. “I’ll let him live but for a price”. The monster said with a growl.
“I don’t have any money.” I said to the monster.
“I don’t want your money, child. I want you.”

I was stunned for a moment. What could this monster want with me? Maybe he wants to eat me, I thought.
“Want me? What do you want with me? I won’t become a spy for you if that’s what you’re asking.”

The monster laughed and the sky rumbled.
“No, child. I want you to join me. You’re brave, braver than most humans. This world is yours, just come with me and I’ll give it to you. You’ll never go hungry, and you’ll never be alone.”

“I’ll go with you IF you promise to let this man go and never harm him or any person again.”

The monster nodded and perched himself onto the ground, his wings now on the ground beckoning me to climb onto his back.

I quickly turned around and told the man who still stood there trembling in fear, “You have to be good now or you’ll be in trouble next time and I won’t be there to get you out of it.”
The man nodded quickly and ran back inside The Dreamcatcher.

I climbed onto the monster’s back and asked for his name.

“Argyn”, He said. “My name is Argyn.”