Born To Hail

Chapter 19

Ceradell sat on her balcony step, bathed in silvery moonlight, watching Sebastian toss and turn. For over a week now his sleep has been fitful, she knows not the cause for he won't talk about it. Although his physical recovery from his injury is coming along well, and rapidly, his mental stability has shifted. These past several days he wakes up looking more haggard than the previous day. He hasn't eaten much and nary wants to leave her room, having abandoned his after his third restless night. Every night since then she had watching him in his slumber and in the ensuing days began to grow worried. As she watched he began to thrash more than he normally did. His sword belt lay atop a pile of his clothes just beside the bed. Ceradell watched as Sebastian rolled over, his right arm swinging wide and falling to rest on Mooncutter's hilt. Sebastian gripped the hilt and immediately calmed his thrashing, looking more peaceful in his sleep, more so than the past few nights.

Sebastian had been plagued by dreams. No... a single dream since he had been shot by that arrow. What he dreamt while unconscious from the poison is what he dreamt the night he'd gotten drunk with Lueken, making his hangover all the worst. The whole next day he only got out of bed to relieve himself. Ceradell had begged to show him around Entnahil, she was very enthusiastic about wanting to, showing a more whimsical side of herself. Sebastian was in no mood to oblige her, by the third day he was plagued by the night terror even while awake. Day four he was completely lost to the natural world around him, he didn't protest when Ceradell requested he sleep in her Family tree, nor did he take notice to his surroundings, breath-taking though they were, when she led him to her home tree.

Each night, while sleeping, he was in the frigid monstrous cavern with the bone white dragon. Each night the nightmare started the same, yet they would end differently each night. One time he had used his magic to set Eve ablaze and was forced to watch and wallow in torment at her blood curdling wails, and Brodie's broken-hearted sobs. One night instead of devouring his son the dragon breathed on him and laughed a bone chilling sadistic laugh as Sebastian watched his son's skin and tissue decay before his eyes, that particular night he hadn't waken until he all but drowned in his own lake of tears.

This evening's nightmare was crueler than the others, for it started differently. He found himself in a sunny field, the grass and wildflowers dancing in a light breeze, the smell of a fresh spring rain lingered in the air and the sound of a child's jubilant laughter filled his ears. Not just any child, his child. At first, he couldn't see Brodie but he knew his son's laugh well, excited and heart filling with joy he followed the sound to his son's location. Sebastian rounded a hill and finally caught sight of his boy; the man couldn't help but smile, one that stretched ear to ear.

Brodie turned in his direction and called out. "There you are Daddy; I knew I'd find you!" Then began running on his little five-year-old legs in Sebastian's direction.

Sebastian knelt on one knee and spread his arms waiting for his son's embrace. It did not come! Brodie zipped right on past him and leapt into the waiting arms of another man. They both giggled with glee as the man spun in circles, Brodie still in his arms and his little legs outstretched and flying through the air. After several moments of spinning they both tumbled to the soft grassy earth and burst into a raucous laughter. From atop another hill Eve lovingly called to them alerting them lunch was ready. She sat on a large blanket covered with various picnic foods. Sebastian's heart sank into an abyss deeper than the bowels of hell. She looked happier than he had ever remembered seeing her while she gingerly caressed a swollen belly. None of them seemed to notice that he was even there.

He watched as they ate, and told stories and jokes, and laughed all the more. Sebastian had always wanted to take them on a nice picnic, but he could never talk Eve into going. She was never one for the great outdoors and would always turn down his offers. Several times he had turned around and begun walking away only to find himself right back where he started. Emotional turmoil filled his mind. After what seemed like hours they finished eating, Brodie had done laid down and slipped into a serene slumber. Eve began packing up their picnic supplies. The man stopped her to give her a long passionate kiss.