So far, everything inside the Land of Nightmares seems like a negative projection of the Land of Dreams.
Except for the Black Desert.
Noong tinanong ito ni Dave kay Coco, the talking cactus just told him that there is a "glitch" in between the two lands. Naging dahilan ito para magkaroon ng isang butas o isang lugar kung saan iisa lang ito---walang katumbas sa Land of Dreams o sa Land of Nightmares. The Black Desert is simply the Black Desert, one of a kind.
"Pero mag-iingat kayo, Master Dave! Hindi natin alam kung mas magiging agresibo ba o hindi ang mga nilalang doon! Katakoooot!"
Coco started waving its thorny stems again, as if giving a warning.
Ayaw mang aminin ni Dave sa harap ng alagad niya, pero siya rin mismo ay kinakabahan.
"Say, if we go to the palace, will you be there? O ibang cactus ang sasalubong sa'min doon?"
Sandaling napaisip si Coco, his image danced in the dying embers of the flame.
"Iyan ang hindi ko sigurado, Master Dave... Pero kung may makikilala kayong evil version ni Coco o kahit ano pang halaman, ngayon pa lang sorry na. Alam mo namang hindi ko magagawang ipahamak ka 'di ba?"
Naalala bigla ni Dave ang mga panahong nagtatantrums pa ang cactus noong 'di nito nilagyan ng fertilizer ang paso niya at noong kinalimutan niya itong diligan ng tatlong linggo.
The memory of Coco's spikes made him wince. Paano na lang kaya kung mas masamang cactus ang makaharap niya?
"Sana talaga."
Muling tinitigan ni Dave ang imahe ng Black Desert sa carpet. It was a few kilometers away and they had no choice but to travel by foot or by a camel, assuming that they can find one in time. 'Pero paano kung wala talaga ang lampara doon? Paano kung wala talagang genie?' He pushed away those thoughts, knowing they don't really have any choice.
One problem at a time.
"We need a camel."
"Hmm."
"Pero saan naman tayo hahanap? I doubt anyone here would lend us one, anyway."
"Dave, may idea ako!"
"Ano?"
Cornelia rolled her eyes and grabbed the sides of his face, making him almost drop the carpet. Pero bago pa man siya makapag-react, pinihit nito ang ulo niya para tingnan ang ideya niya. Her brilliant idea turns out to be just sand, sand, and more sand.
"Natural na may buhangin kasi nasa disyerto tayo," he pointed out, already stating the obvious in case the desert thirst already affected her.
Pero nakangiti pa rin si Cornelia.
"Kung nakakaya mong gumawa ng mga damit at tent mula sa buhangin, bakit hindi mo subukan gumawa ng camel?"
He instantly dismissed the idea. "Hindi ako ganoon ka-creative."
"Hindi mo pa masusubukan," she encouraged him and waited, taking a step back after snatching the carpet from him. "My art teachers always tell me that creativity starts with a little bit of self-confidence."
Napabuntong-hininga na lang si Dave nang makita ang expectation sa mga mata nito. Despite being left in the middle of the market square for a couple of hours, kapansin-pansin pa ring buhay na buhay pa ang diwa nito.
He turned back to the sand and tried to concentrate on what a camel looks like. Aminado naman siyang iilang beses pa lang siyang nakakita ng camel sa Oasis at sa Waking World, but Dave silently hopes that his mental image of the weird-looking creature will be enough to mold it from sand.
Unti-unti, umangat ang kulay abong buhangin at umikot sa ere na para bang tinatangay ng isang ipu-ipo.
The particles started clinging together until they grew in number and formed a shape.
'This isn't working!'
"Konti pa, Dave! Kaya mo 'yan!"
"Easy for you to say. Tsk!"
"Isipin mo na lang na professional sculptor ka. Daming reklamo, eh!"
Maya-maya pa, napaluhod na lang sa panghihina si Dave. Nakakaubos ng enerhiya ang paglikha ng mga damit at tent, pero hindi niya aakalaing mas nakaka-drain pala kung isang living thing na ang ire-replicate niya sa buhangin. But his exhaustion finally paid off when he saw Cornelia walking up to the creature with a smile.
She turned her head towards him, the artificial sunlight making her look radiant.
"You did it."
Nag-iwas ng tingin ang Dreamcaster, tumayo at pinagpag ang damit. Wala na silang dapat pang sayanging oras.
"Tara na. We still have a long journey ahead."
*
Morpheus watched as the gray sand in his hourglass slowly fall, indicating the passing of time. Habang tumatagal, dumarami ang naiipong buhangin sa ilalim ng hourglass. Habang tumatagal, lalo lang siyang nauubusan ng pasensya sa paghahanap.
His eyes drifted to the photo of a boy taken 49 years ago, the same one Sandman kept inside his shirt all these years.
The picture of his apprentice.
Ngayong kumpirmado na niyang ang Dreamcaster ang naging mitya ng lahat ng ito, unti-unti nang nauuwaan ni Morpheus ang saysay ng kanyang gagawin.
After all, every ritual needs a sacrifice.
---
BINABASA MO ANG
✔ Dreamcaster
Fantasy"I am a Dreamcaster." "But you don't have any dreams?" "Does it matter?" He challenged. She glared back. "It does." After his mentor's retirement, tuluyan nang pinandigan ni Dave ang kanyang mga responsibilidad bilang isang Dreamcaster. As someone w...
