Dreams and Dreamlings

Chapter 4- I Play Hack and Slash With Professor X

                We made for the back entrance the moment Amy grabbed my hand. We leapt over an old couch and sprinted into the kitchen. The kitchen had a scent of waffles and coffee that was circulating the room. How Nikolai got his hands on coffee in the Dream Realm was a mystery. The scent that was wafting through the air made my stomach grumble. I could almost hear it say: “Feed me!” I don’t know how much time had passed since I had something in my stomach. It was a good thing that my hunger didn’t take away my legs. I was still able to run normally despite my wounded leg. Nikolai’s ointment made my leg feel brand new. The throbbing was gone. It was as if it was begging me to test its limits.                

                We ran out the door and I found myself running through a field of golden dandelions; another good setting for a good ending. As we waded through the field, the dandelions scattered and formed a misty wall of fluffiness behind us which was so beautiful but unusual because of what was happening. The thing behind us was gaining on us. I could see the treetops that were close to the house shaking in unison.

                “What exactly is behind us?!” I asked while swatting a huge fly out of my face.

                “It’s an Ursungraw.” Nikolai said. The way his German accent slaughtered the word didn’t help at all.

                “Is that, uh, German for enormous-man-eating-forest-monster?”

                Nikolai stared daggers at me and said, “This is no joke, Remy. If it catches you, it’s all over. Forget about your spirit resting or getting reincarnated into a weapon. Once it engulfs you, your whole existence is devoured. There won’t be enough of you for the afterlife.”

                I couldn’t help but feel a tingle down my spine. For your existence to be erased just like that was really no joke.

                “The nearest exit is close by!” Amy said, “Nikolai, do you think you can open it?”

                “Of course.” Nikolai said proudly.

                “Where do we go next?” I asked.

                “Anywhere but here.” Amy replied, “Even with the three of us, we can’t take on an Ursungraw.”

                As I looked back, I saw trees flying in random directions. I saw trees being splintered mercilessly. Whatever was doing that was definitely not a happy camper.

                After a few minutes of running, we reached a really old stump that was around four meters in diameter and a little over a meter tall. Nikolai stopped and pressed his palm on the stump.

                “It’ll most likely take a few seconds to transport a person, but I think it can be done. We should hurry; you first Amy.”

                “Alright.” Amy said while getting on the stump.

                “This thing’s going to get us out of here?” I asked. I asked it with such a dumb expression that Amy just laughed.

                “Don’t worry Remy. It’s safe. I’ll be waiting for you on the other side.” Amy said reassuringly.

                “But it’s a stump.” I said.

                “We don’t have time to talk about this!” Nikolai reminded. He put on these bronze gauntlets that looked really cool. It had spikes an inch long where the knuckles were supposed to be. The surface was covered with black waves that snaked around the gauntlet.  The gauntlets covered his arms up to his elbows. His weapon looked really bad-ass.