The Call

Deeper

 A scene from a dream flashed through her mind. The evil warrior stood over her, reaching his massive hand toward her face as his face twisted with wicked mirth. Then, as suddenly as it came, it left. Serene looked up to Elyon.

"What of my dreams?" she asked.

"What about them?" he prodded.

"I've never dreamed like that before, but when Mother died, they started."

"Think again. They started before that."

Serene thought for a moment. Another scene entered her mind. Inimicus raised his sword over his head in a double-handed grip and brought it down straight for her head. Lord Elyon was right; that dream had come the day Romeni and his brother visited the castle. She looked at him, puzzled.

"Did something cause them?"

"What do you think caused them?"

Serene thought again. "My torque?"

Elyon nodded. "Your torque changed you, and since you were taught complacency concerning torques, it easily manipulated you. It started changing your thoughts with dreams."

Serene was silent for a long moment. "It really did change the way I thought," she said quietly, almost to herself. She looked up at Elyon to see his solemn nod.

"You see in pictures, and you will receive dreams to show you many things. You are a dreamer, but your torque sought to destroy your conception of dreams so that instead of embracing them, you feared them."

Serene nodded. "It made me afraid."

"That is one of Nijellian's favorite tactics–fear. It will cripple anyone who succumbs to it."

"It made me lose my zeal, too."

"Is it back?"

Serene's smile returned. "I think so."

"Your zeal has returned, but zeal without knowledge can lead to destruction. Now that you've stepped out of the lies you've lived in, you have to step into the truth. It doesn't matter how zealous you are if you don't know the truth; you will slowly destroy yourself. Much of what you have been taught is not the truth, and you have much to learn."

Serene watched his face intently, understanding the seriousness of his words. "I'm ready to learn."

"Very well. I will teach you, but first, there is something you must understand."

He led her to the oak tree about twenty paces from where they stood and helped her sit against the trunk. Having her lean back against the trunk, Elyon removed the golden crown from his head and placed it gently on Serene's head.

"What I'm about to show you is of extreme importance. Pay close attention and learn all you can, for if you cannot understand what I'm about to teach you, you will fail in everything else."

He paused to wait for Serene's nod. Then, he nodded and gently pushed her head to rest against the trunk of the tree. "Close your eyes and take a breath," he instructed in a calm, steady voice.

Serene was puzzled and a little apprehensive, but Elyon's voice allayed her fears. Slowly, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.