The Mark of Ilman

Chapter 2 - Nightmares

*unedited*

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Darkness had crept upon me and encased me in a soft, warm blanket. I fell for this soft and welcoming darkness, not knowing the nightmares it had hidden within.   

 I stood in a forest, my skin and clothes tattered, scraped, and bruised as if I had been beaten or in a terrible fight. The wind blew fiercely, slashing at my skin and sending sharp pains through my body. The rain fell in heavy, hard sheets, drenching me in it's frozen fingers.

It was not the weather that froze me where I stood but the fiery shadow that loomed over me. My eyes went wide as the creature stood before me, reeking of a horrid stench like death.

 The screams of dead souls came from it's wide mouth, flames and drops of lava sprayed from it’s mouth and  nostrils. The heat seared my bare skin. It roared loudly, waving its flaming sword. Fear suppressed me where I stood and I took the caustic blow. The sword that should be melted sliced into my side, deteriorating my skin.

I fell to my knees as I heard myself scream in agony. The pain seared through my very being, draining me of all life and hope. But for what?

The creature stood on it's back hooves. It resembled a bull and a wolf. It's body was massive, like that of a bulls, and it's head and mouth were like a wolf's muzzle with horns growing from it's head.

It laughed as I fell and raised it sword against me and as it swung to cut off my head it shouted, "Gurtha a' i' tari chil en' Ilman!"

I held my right arm up, then lunged to the side, screaming as I fell. I was trapped! It's smothering heat made it hard to breath and I gasped for air as I struggled against the heavy heat that encased me. But as I struggled I noticed a slight, white glow as the tattoo on my hand began to tingle.

   "Amarie?"

I sobbed suddenly as I heard my mother calling my name and the smothering heat fell away as she pulled my covers from around me. I gasped for the fresh, cool air that blew against my face as the blankets flew away from me.

    "Mom!" I sobbed as she kneeled down beside me. "Oh, mom."

 My mother brought me into her strong but delicate arms and started rocking me. I pressed my face into her light hair as I had done when I was a child. She shushed me as I sobbed, finding it easier to breath. Her familiar scent settled me, her hand running up and down my back.

After a few minutes of silence she pulled away to look at me. "Amarie, what's the matter? Did you have a nightmare?"

Tears sprung back into my eyes as I recounted the events of my dreams. A monster, a demon, had evolved in my mind. A shadow now lingered over me. I could feel the cold of death clinging as if I were it's lifeline.

I looked down for a moment, the tingling of my hand becoming less intense. The tattoo that had been like a birthmark had grown white in the dream and as I studied it it's glowing appearance lessened slowly.

  "Yes," I whispered. "I was encircled by death and it stood before me in the form of fire and a creature that could have been sent by evil itself. It scared me."

  "What happened?"

  "he had a swordof melting flames then as he swung at me a blow that would have killed me if I hadn't fallen."

 She made one of those relieved chuckling sounds. "I'm so glad you aren't hurt or anything. It was just a dream," she said, helping me back to bed and kissing my forehead. "Go back to sleep, honey. Everything will be alright. It was just a dream."