Defying Equilibrium: Book II

Epilogue

His dreamscape was a castle. He'd always fancied the idea of himself as a king.

The castle was made of rough black stone, and was larger than anything he had ever seen in real life. The flags that flew from the turrets were blood red, and he stood at the doors. They were large, heavy and wooden, and he knew that he would not be able to open them. Wasn't that just a metaphor for his whole life; Standing at the foot of a magnificent castle, unable to open the doors.

Silas looked around himself, at the magnificent castle that stood in front of him, and he swore an oath that would have raised sailor's eyebrows. Not again, not again, not again.

Damnit, not this shit again.

Suddenly, he was no longer in front of the doors. He was inside. He now stood in a throne room, regally and extravagantly adorned. He walked up the stairs and sat down on the throne. He guess that he would probably be here a while, so he made himself comfortable. He wished he had a crown though. That would have made it perfect.

"Long live the king!" he shouted, to imaginary courtiers, and he laughed to himself.

He wondered briefly what kind of dreamscape he would have if he had lived a normal life, if he had remained Riess Lirafas. But there was no use dwelling on what he wished could happen.

"If wishes were horses, beggars would ride," he muttered.

"Yes, they would," said a voice, and Silas winced. It was him. The voice that haunted his sleep. The voice that haunted his waking hours too. Oh yes, the terrors did not end when he woke anymore. He tried hard to keep his posture relaxed, his expression nonchalant, his voice carefree. But beneath the facade he was seizing up in fear.

"And if wishes were palaces, we would all be kings. Isn't that right?" The voice chuckled. Silas could hear the voice moving closer, but he heard no footsteps. How does he walk so silently? Silas wondered. Silas saw the owner of the voice, but not his face. The man was always shrouded in shadow. "But they are not, and there are no true kings in this world. Not even me."

The air shimmered, and two other forms appeared beside him, one male and one female. Both with pale skin, grey eyes and wine-red hair.

"Mayard. Marcella." It sounded like he was smiling, but Silas couldn't tell. "My children. How good of you to join us. I was educating Silas here on the frivolity of wishing. For example, it was useless of you to wish that by bringing this boy to me, you would save yourself from my wrath, Marcella." It was impossible to mistake the cold threat in his voice.

Marcella winced and dropped to her knees in a gesture of submission. "I am truly sorry, sir. It will never happen again. I will be better next time."

"Rise, child. You are lucky that I am merciful." She rose and nodded, but did not dare meet his eyes.

"Is there a reason that I'm here?" Silas sounded bored, but in reality he was terrified. The dream with Oscar was supposed to be a plea for help, was supposed to bring them running back for him, but he couldn't do it. For all of his blustering, he couldn't ask them to risk their lives for him again. After all, he had chosen this. And it was no less than he deserved. He couldn't ask anyone to save him now, and he had even endangered Oscar's life by bringing him into a dreamscape when he was in such an unstable state. That was why he couldn't maintain the dream. But now. He forced himself to project an air of nonchalance. "I mean this is my dreamscape, unless someone else has as many delusions of grandeur as I do. So you must have summoned me for a reason, not just to witness this truly touching reunion."

"Shut your mouth!" snarled Marcella. "Don't you dare speak to our leader that way!"

The shadowed man spoke. "Marcella."

With that, she quietened instantly. Just one word, but it contained so much power. Silas stood and forced himself to look the shadowed man in the eye. His sight could not pierce the shadows, however, although he could feel the man's gaze. He froze.

"You are here, Silas Frasier, because you possess certain talents that could prove useful to me. There are certain people that are destined to strive for my downfall, I believe you know some of them. You will be my weapon. I will use you to destroy them."

Silas couldn't help it, he shivered. The shadowed man raised his voice slightly.

"You are here, Silas Frasier, because your name is written into destiny. You are the fortune teller's child, and it is your destiny to bloody your hands for fate."

Silas began to feel himself falling to his knees, but he couldn't stop it. It was like he was a marionette, moving at the will of the master. The man raised his voice again.

"You are here, Silas Frasier, because I wished it to be. And, unlike you, my wishes do carry weight in this world. What I wish to be so, becomes so. I am the closest to a true king that there will ever be."

Suddenly there were shadows, like those around the man's face, encircling Silas's body. They bound his limbs and he could not move at all.

"I am Yauraileh," the shadowed man said. "And this world is mine."

~END OF BOOK II~