Sweet Dreams | Dream Of The Endless

14 | Hob Gadling

*1389*

Death, Dream and Atia stood in front of a small tavern. The elder Endless wanted to venture into the waking world again, spend some time among the mortals.

As much as the King of the Dreaming didn't feel up for it, his wife wanted to accompany her, and she convinced him to go with them. Both her and his sister.

"Come on, then," Death smiled cheerly, as she walked towards the tavern, but when she saw her brother wasn't following, she turned back around. "What are you waiting for?"

"Very well," he grumbled.

Atia walked over to his side and hooked her arm through his. He glanced towards her and sighed. In return, she smiled, tugging him along.

"But I do not see what purpose this will serve," he complained.

"As least I get out and meet them," Death countered. "Besides, you celebrate the 100th anniversary of becoming Queen of Dreaming only once."

She sent a wink towards Atia, who only frowned in surprise.

"It has been already one-hundred years?" she glanced towards her husband, who shrugged.

When they looked back towards the older Endless, she was already pushing the doors to the tavern open and walking inside. They quickly followed after her.

"I just think maybe it would be good for you to see them on their terms, instead of yours," Death said over her shoulder.

"I see them just fine," Dream rolled his eyes.

"When was the last time you came down to the waking world?" his sister challenged.

He didn't answer, because last time he did was also when she made him go, but that was almost two-thousand years ago, when he met Atia. After the few weeks he spent among the mortals, he wasn't that eager to visit them again.

"Sir, penny ale for me, my brother and his wife, if it pleases you," Death said to the man passing by them with cups of alcohol.

"Certainly, lady," he agreed, passing her the cups.

With a smile, she passed them to both Atia and Dream. The younger Endless scowled at the liquid, not even bothering to act grateful. His wife, on the other hand, smiled politely at the man and brought the cup up to her lips to take a sip.

She grimaced at the taste and put it down the first chance she got.

"That's awful," she groaned. "Wine is, or at least was, much better."

"Agreed," Death laughed, but she kept her cup.

They walked deeper into the tavern, listening to people around them. They complained about their king, taxes, spilled gossip and made their predictions about where all of what was going on in the world was going to end.

"A delegation of Faerie came to see me last night," Dream finally spoke. "They're talking about abandoning this plane forever."

"I still don't understand why they stayed that long," Atia muttered.

"Listen to the people," Death told them, then glanced at the cup in her brother's hands. "Drink your drink."

He glanced at the cup, before looking at his sister's back, as she and his wife walked on. Then, he put the cup on the closest possible surface and followed after them.

"Look, I've seen death," was what caught their attention.

The three beings shared a look, before turning around. They saw a group of man, each sporting a cup of alcohol and they all listened to the same man.