The Book Of Secrets Long Begotten

XV

Jake found a nice patch in the forest that was perfect. He laid down and started to drift off into a shadowdream. He found himself in the white room. He got up and looked around. He spotted a tall man dressed in all black. He carried a cane and wore a top hat. His voice was as deep as thunder and his echo just as haunting. The man turned around. He looked like Jebediah Morningside from the Phantasm films. The man pointed at Jake in fear.

"You! You are the rotting one! You are the one who decays where she lays! You are the one who wears shame like a façade! You are rotting!" The man said in fear. He then buried his face in his hands. Jake was confused as to what was going on.

"Is there a problem, sir?" Jake asked. The man uncovered his face to display a deformed version of the previous fact with large sharp teeth like Nosferatu.

"You are living in a made up world. A world that does not exist. The more you eat, the more you sleep, the more you carry on with these imaginary tasks. You are rotting in your apartment. You are laying on the floor nothing more than skin and bones. You are dying. Dying I tell you. Dying! Dying! DYING! DYING! DYING! DYING! DYING! DYING!" The man yelled and then his jaw broke off and blood sprayed everywhere. The man that once stood before him was now decaying in front of him. Decaying right before his very eyes. Then, there was nothing but a puddle of blood that shapeshifted into Lord Zygor. Jake clenched his fist and was about to try and attack him but Lord Zygor stopped him.

"Now, just wait. Wait before you do anything. I know you have done shadowdreaming before. In fact, ever since you were a kid. But have you ever tried to attack someone during one of these sessions?" Lord Zygor asked. Jake thought about it and realized the answer was no. He hadn't tried to attempt it before. Not until now. He shook his head.

"Well, you can't." Lord Zygor said. Jake looked at him puzzled. What did that mean? Why was there a limit to what you could do in a shadowdream?

"Why is that?" Jake asked. Lord Zygor looked at Jake with absolute wonder in his eyes. His visage showed it all.

"Because you'll bleed. You will bleed for Christ's sake. Shadowdreaming takes a lot of power from you. Fighting takes power as well. So add two and two together. More power will be taken out of you by force. You will be drained of energy quicker than a vampire in the sunlight. That's why you can't." Lord Zygor explained. Jake nodded.

"I came to tell you that I got an army and I will take you down and end this fucking madness." Jake said. Lord Zygor laughed.

"If you can try." Lord Zygor said. Jake looked at him angrily.

"You don't scare me." Jake said. Lord Zygor looked at him impressed.

"Oh, I don't... do I? Fair enough. Then I guess I'll have to try HARDER!" Lord Zygor said and he transformed into various things like a giant dragon made out of fire and molten lava. Jake didn't flinch in fear. Zygor saw this and then transformed into a huge black serpent. Its teeth were sharp and venomous. Again, Jake showed no fear.

"Stop it, Zygor. You're not scary. I'm not going to back down. Not after all I've been through to get where I am right now." Jake said confidently. Lord Zygor transformed back to his normal self and laughed.

"I am the master of illusion and reality. I am the God you have worshipped for centuries and centuries vast. If you aren't the least bit terrified by me now, then you will be scared once the war commences. So good luck, Jake Collins. You claim to have come so far and been through so much... those were merely side quests compared to the battle that you and I will wage on each other. So, may the best one win." Lord Zygor said threateningly. Jake smirked.

"I'm sure I will." Jake said with a grin across his face. Lord Zygor rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Classic. Haven't heard that one before." He said annoyed. Then, he disappeared and Jake woke up. He was glad he had an army because he was going to need all the help he could get. Lord Zygor was strong but Jake had to be much more stronger.