Under the Oak Tree Book 2 "Conquering hearts" ( Fan fiction)

Chapter 16 - Riftan

Trigger Warning:  This is written in a perspective of Riftan explaining his occurring nightmare. Has nightmares tend to be, there are a few gory and heartbreaking scenes. This Nightmare is important, because it gives us a bit of insight into what I think Riftans frame of mind is. Both Riftan and Maxi never fully received the chance to cope together after the battles, miscarriage, and her father's torment; before Maximillian left for the tower. Will Riftan recover from this, yes, however we are still at the beginning stages of their healing. Please remember that this is just a description of his nightmare, and nowhere close to the ending I have in mind for my version/telling of book 2. 

The day started the same as all of the others. I woke up panic stricken, and I found myself frantically reaching out to my left, half expecting to find my wife laying there fast asleep. To my dismay, I could not feel her there. I retracted my hands against my chest and tried to imagine that I was holding her close, her red hair tickling my nose as it always did. All was okay for a few minutes while I tried to still my frantically beating heart. After a few moments of fooling myself that she was here, I opened my eyes only to feel the emptiness of the room surrounding me. Rubbing my face, I wasn't surprised to feel the stubble forming on my jaw. The last few days have been rough. I had worked day and night to implement new training systems and brigade systems within the Knights factions and intensified their trainings.

Along with that, I increased the manpower in building the trading route and the security ramifications for Anatol while working off of a few hours of sleep. Sleep no longer came easily, and when it did, I was always plagued with the same nightmare. We would be walking between tents that were perched on the battle encampment. My arm would be draped over her shoulder in a protective manor, helping guide her in the direction of our tent. After a few steps, our passageway would be blocked, and we would divert closer to the line of the forest to go around the encampment. We would near the edge where the woods bordered the open field, that we were camped in. When we would near the edge, Maximillian would always stiffen her shoulders, which was something she always did when she was nervous. Her nervousness would transfer to me, and my body would respond with heightening my senses and move to a state of alertness.

With my body on high alert, something would always end up catching my attention to the left of us. Sometimes, it would be a flicker of a tail, a howl, or even a shadow. Whatever it was, it always caused me to momentarily divert my attention from Maxi, no matter how hard I tried to not look away. The moment I would give into the overwhelming threat of danger, everything would grow dark. Per muscle memory, my hand would always gravitate to the hilt of my sword. Feeling the comforting weight as I pulled it from its sheath, I would brace myself, eyes searching for any flicker of movement. Although no movement caught my eye, I could make out the shallow breathing of a beast, only a few yards in front of me. It would open its bright yellow eyes one at a time until we were both frozen in place. It would open its disfigured mouth and, without another thought, lunge forward.

Years of training under some of the most ruthless knights aided me in easily dodging its talons. The beast would continue moving forward, only to stop and lunge towards me again. This dance continued for a while, a game of cat and mouse, until my sword eventually pierces its chest. I could feel the resistance as my sword cut through the beasts scaled flesh. Its talons would grasp at the air around me, sometimes making contact with my upper arm or just barely missing my head. This would only make me sink my sword in deeper until the frantic thrashing stopped. Without hesitation, I would pull my sword out of the beast, and the moment it was free of the beast, the room would be lit by a lonely torch on the far wall. It wasn't much, but enough to see a few steps in front of me.

While my eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, I would hear a faint womans voice calling my name. It would increase in sound until it echoed off of the damp rocks surrounding me. The louder the voice got, the more recognizable it became. Maxi was calling my name, as if playing a game of hide and seek. Eventually, her voice would be filled with panic, and I would find myself desperately trying to find a way out of the dimly lit cave, my fingers scraping every damp and uneven surface of the surrounding cave walls. Maxi's carefree taunts eventually turned into screams of agony, my name still gracing her lips. Her screams would continue, getting louder and louder, until I stumbled upon a hidden door in the wall. The door was heavy, heavy enough to require me to use my full strength and weight to gain access. After a few failed attempts, the door would finally give way, swinging open enough for me to fit through it.