The Journal of Dreams (The Tales of Tahana - Book One)

Chapter 14: The Dark Messenger

24-2-2-4012 DM, Takyanan Forest, Telama, Hilaraya

Hara tapped the fingers of his right hand impatiently on the wooden table in front of him. He had been waiting far too long inside a shabby little shack in the middle of the Takyanan Forest. He sent out his messenger earlier that day and had been expecting her to return since midday, but it was already dark and the messenger had not yet returned.

"Useless imbecile!" Hara growled as he slammed his fists on the table, sending dust flying into the air.

A strong gust of wind suddenly rushed from outside, shattering the wooden panes of the windows behind him and sending the dust away from Hara's nose. The wind moved straight across the shack and through the windows at the other end, leaving a huge hole in the wall where the windows were.

A whimpering sound suddenly issued from a babidu at the other end of the house. She was floating in mid-air, about ten fingers off the floor, unable to speak or move any of her limbs despite the absence of any visible restraints on her. Her clothes were torn in different places, and her exposed skin was covered in fresh bruises and gashes. Her long blonde hair was in tangles with bits of splintered wood from the shattered windows. Her eyes were closed, but a steady stream of tears fell from them as she wept silently.

Hara stood up from the rickety chair on which he was seated and started to walk on the wooden floor. The shack was very small, so it only took him a few creaking steps from the table to reach the other end of the house where the floating babidu was.

"Don't worry, my dear. I wasn't referring to you. You have been quite useful," Hara said with an indifferent tone.

The babidu opened her eyes with a pleading expression on her face.

"Now, what will I do with you? I can't simply let you go, can I? No, of course not. What would you have me do to you then?" Hara continued. He gracefully waved his right hand over the babidu's face, releasing the invisible gag that prevented her from speaking.

"P-please... L-let me go... I-I will not speak of this to anyone. I swear it!" the babidu said in a hoarse voice while tears continued to flow from her eyes.

"Let you go? Do you think me stupid? Foolish babidu," Hara said coldly. Suddenly a gust of wind came in from the nearby window and blew towards the babidu. She screamed with whatever was left of her voice as fresh gashes appeared on her skin.

"Now, I ask you again. What would you have me do to you?" Hara asked raising his left eye brow as he took the babidu by the chin and pulled her closer to his face. He felt her sticky skin on his fingers and the sensed the putrid smell of urine and stool that enveloped the babidu.

"K-k..." the babidu sputtered.

Hara saw that she didn't want to say what she was going to say, so he decided to encourage her.

"What? I don't understand you. Speak clearly now. I won't ask you again," Hara whispered in the babidu's left ear.

"K-k-kill m-m-me... n-n-now... P-p-please..." the babidu said in a trembling voice.

"Ah... There you go. A very wise decision. Very wise indeed," Hara said with cold satisfaction. "I will gladly do as you asked."

Hara slowly raised his right hand and was about to make the deadly blow when a cold high-pitched voice suddenly filled the room.

"Hara..." a shrill voice said as a shadow in the shape of a serpent slithered from the shattered windows towards the floating form of the sobbing babidu.