The Protector and the Peacemaker

Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Two

(Tick)

"Porter!" Tick cried, sitting upright in terror.

All seemed calm, but the frantic beating of his heart told him differently. Gray clouds obscured the morning sun, bringing a cold wind with it, but no rain yet.

Something was wrong with Porter. He didn't know what it was, but something horrible had happened to him. In his dreams, Tick had seen shadows and blood, and he'd felt a ghostlike pain, as if somebody was trying to pass their suffering from themselves to him. And he'd heard screams— Porter's screams. A cold sweat appeared on the little boy's brow, and he got shakily to his feet.

I've got to get to him, he thought, steadying himself on a nearby tree. He was weak and hungry, like he hadn't eaten in a week. Why? Closing his eyes, he thought back, trying to remember what had happened. In his mind's eye, he saw himself singing. Gwinn was searching for a rock he had hidden. Gwinn wasn't happy, and Tick had gotten angry. He'd sang very loudly, and Gwinn had collapsed...

Tick gasped, snapping his eyes back open. There was Gwinn, lying where he'd fallen. He stumbled his way over on wobbly legs and leaned against Gwinn's muscular shoulders.

"Dad, wake up!" he urged him, grabbing his shoulder and shaking it as hard as he could.

The wampus cat groaned, and shifted, but didn't open his eyes. Tick hesitated a moment, and then punched the cat-man's shoulder.

"Wha- what?" Gwinn asked thickly. He raised his head and opened his eyes. Tick could tell he wasn't actually seeing anything through them, or his sleeping brain wasn't interpreting it right.

"Dad, something's wrong with Porter!" he said loudly, trying to reach his father through his sleep-induced stupor. "We have to find him!"

Gwinn was silent, staring at his son in bewilderment.

"Get up!" Tick thought urgently. "We don't have much time!"

"What are you... talking about?" Gwinn mumbled, still trying to focus his sleepy eyes on his son.

"I just had a dream, Dad," Tick explained. "Porter's in trouble. We have to go help him!"

"Okay, just don't... get your tail caught in your... zipper," Gwinn agreed sluggishly, and tried to lay his head back down.

Oh no you don't, Tick thought, and kicked his father in the nose.

"Gah!" the wampus cat cried out, eyes flying open. He instinctively tried to stand up, but ended up hitting his head on a low branch. One handing clutching his nose, the other rubbing his head, he stumbled away from his son, promptly tripping over a root and landing on his back. "Wuzzat? What's going on?"

He paused, taking a few deep breaths, and then finally seemed to see his son.

"Tick?" he asked in bewilderment.

"We've got to go, Dad," he said again. "Porter's in trouble!"

Giving his nose one last rub, the cat-man stood up again. "What are you talking about?"

"I saw it in a dream," Tick explained for the second time. "Something's happened to Porter. He needs our help!"

At first, Tick expected his father to dismiss this as childish nonsense. Instead, he nodded.

"You believe me?" the chimera asked.

"I do," Gwinn answered. "Dreams can oftentimes be omens, especially to creatures that can use magic. If you think one told you that Porter is in trouble, then he probably is."