Midnights: The Valley of Ogressia

Chapter 6

 I awoke in the most beautiful forrest I had ever seen. The kind of forrest that only exists in fairy tales told by mother's, to lull sleepy little girls to bed. The sky was a beautiful blue and pink, with white fluffy clouds, and the most beautiful birds I had ever seen flying through it. I brought my gaze forward, and saw a forrest full of life, I saw a bunny run next to my foot, I suddenly felt like Alice chasing her white rabbit, only upon closer look I noticed my bunny was in fact not white, but pink. I followed the bunny in to the woods, and was brought to a stop by the sights around me.

The trees were the most beautiful shade of green I had ever seen. It was lush, and vibrant  and the air smelled of a sweet fruit. I saw some movement to my right by one of the trees, but I wasn't close enough to see what it was. I began to walk a little closer, and I began to hear voices. I heard what I thought was a small boy laugh, but I couldn't be sure until I got closer.

As I approached the tree, I saw a very small boy with bright white hair, and as he turned to try to catch a small animal, I noticed his eyes. Silver, with just the slightest hint of violet, Nathanial. I started to move closer to him, but I heard a twig snap under someones boot, and I saw another figure approaching, it was Samuel. I knew it was him, he  like a younger version of the man I had just met. Was I still asleep? This felt to real to be a dream, I had to get closer to find out what was going on.

" Nat! Come here brother, I must speak with you at once." Samuel bent down onto the ground to catch the little boy who ran into his arms. Samuel scooped up the little boy and placed him playfully on his shoulders.

" Come Sammie and play with me. I dare say I almost caught a horn toad. I am not ready to go home yet, unless Mother has come home finally!" Nathanial was playing with Samuel's hair, trying to get him to lose the sullen look on his face. Samuel smiled a half smile, just to make his little brother giggle.

" Nat, my darling brother, I need you to try to listen to me." Samuel removed the boy from his shoulders, and sat him on a near by hollow log. Samuel turned his back on the little boy to contemplate his choice of words, and Nathanial saw this as the perfect time to chase after a bug. Samuel paced forward a few paces, and was beginning to turn around, when he looked directly to where I was standing. I thought for sure he had looked at me, but he continued to turn to face Nathanial.

" Don't ingest that!" Samuel moved towards his brother at a ridiculously fast seed and slapped the bug from his mouth. " Nat, please little one, I need you to listen to me. Mother has gone off to fight the Diamtri in the fire region, and I need to go to her. You will be staying in the temple with Talia, and I need you to listen to her. I know you and she do not get along, but little one, I need you to trust in me that this is the right thing for you. Can you please honor me and mind my bride?" Samuel looked heart broken as he knelled next to his little brother. He placed a hand on the boys shoulder, and smiled.

" Samuel, please do not leave me with Talia! She does not let me play inside the Temple walls, and I never get to leave my room. How long will you be gone? Why can you not send mother back to be with me?" Nathanial  cried at the feet of his big brother. As Samuel bent down and picked up Nathanial, Nathanial burried his head into his brother's shoulder. All of a sudden everything started to grow hazy. The winds began to pick up and I could feel the cold air envelope around me.

I closed my eyes for a second to keep the air from drying out my eyes. When I reopened them I saw that I was still in the same area, but something was different. The tree that had been right in front of me was no longer standing, all that was left was a lonely tree stump. I heard footsteps and I tried to move to a place where I could be hidden from whoever was coming my direction.

I saw the figure of a man I had only known a few days, but felt as if I had known for my whole life. Nathanial was walking down the pathway, grown up now, carrying a small book. He was lost in thought, delighting in what he was reading, when a second pair of footsteps came from the area in front of him.