Dragonsoul

Chapter 41

Snuggling comfortably in her straw bed in the cave that had become her second home, Leonie wondered where to start her tale, something that she should have disclosed to him long ago. The best option was to start from the beginning, but it was becoming increasingly difficult for her to tell one day from another.

"Since I was a little girl, I used to have nightmares that I thought were the worst, but dad was always there to comfort me. He always managed to chase away the dread that spread around me after an especially awful nightmare. However, in recent days the nightmares have worsened. Those of my childhood seem like mere shadows of the ones I am experiencing now." Leonie said.

"What do you mean?" Toras asked.

What Leonie was telling him confused him, which was a rare emotion for the great Mage. He was accustomed to knowing everything, not knowing made him anxious.

He was aware that Leonie's Seer blood would speak louder the closer the threat was, but it sounded as if it was far worse than he had anticipated. It bothered him that he was not as good at predicting possible powers and weaknesses of people like Leonie, those who had two types of ancestry struggling for dominance.

"In the past, my nightmares were terrifying, but it was more about what I felt. I would usually feel a presence that terrified me without ever knowing why I was so scared of it. When I tried to look, all I could see were shadows, barely distinguishable outlines of people in the endless darkness." Leonie said, shivering.

Noticing her shivering, Rimar moved from his enormous straw bed to wrap his warm body around his friend, chasing away the shivers and giving her comfort at the same time.

"What has changed?" Toras asked.

"Recently, it starts like that. I am all alone, surrounded by utter darkness, and there is nothing I can do to escape it. I feel eyes watching me and the presence of those who wish me harm. Their eyes linger on me for so long that I try to scream, but no sound comes out. I am trapped in my own body, filled with the essence of evil, and I can't escape it." Leonie said, barely stopping her voice from breaking.

"Then what happens?" Toras asked, offering her a glass of water that he conjured out of nowhere.

Leonie sipped on the water slowly, gathering her thoughts, trying to find the courage to voice what she had never spoken about, not even to Rimar. Of course, he could sense her distress, and he helped her in her recovery from the nightmares, but she never shared details.

"Then, I start being able to see. Last year, it was like seeing things through the fog, but this year the images are getting clearer with every passing day. Also, my feeling of dread is increasing so much that I no longer know how to calm myself down. The presence of my family helps, but I've noticed that since I have fewer and fewer hours of nightmare-free sleep, my mood swings are getting worse with each passing day. I think the clearer I see, the closer it is." Leonie said.

Rimar put his head on her lap and looked at her with his mighty eyes. He was trying to give her the strength to go on. He knew that she should let out all that she had been holding in. She needed to do so before the time came to face the darkness.

"What about the nightmares themselves? What do you see once the fog lifts?" Toras asked cautiously.

It was clear to him that Leonie was far more fragile than she let on, and he tried to be as gentle as possible. However, there were things he needed to know. There were fears she needed to face.

"I see people who look human, but I know that they are anything but human. I can feel their dark essence approaching me. Even before they come close to me, I can sense something trying to grab me, trying to control me. As their eyes become completely black, I can see in them all the horrible things they want to do to me, to the world. I look at the face of evil, and it looks back at me. Suddenly, I see myself in their eyes, my own eyes changed, darkened, and that's when I usually wake up screaming." Leonie said.

"I am so sorry you have to go through something so horrible. No one should have to face something like this at such a young age, but if anyone can do it, it's you. After all, you are your father's daughter, and you both possess the same strength and determination." Toras said.

He was trying to comfort Leonie, but what he could not understand, because of his age, was how challenging being a child was. Leonie did not have a childhood because of the hard conditions of the land. Moreover, she had the responsibility of saving the world. Toras did not remember his childhood since it was so long ago, thus he could not comprehend that there were no words that could make everything better. What Leonie needed no one could bring her back, a happy childhood.  

"I know that this is difficult, but I need you to tell me if those people you saw looked familiar? Were they the villagers or someone you had never seen before?" Toras asked.

"I don't know, Toras! I was terrified! I couldn't think straight. I was so cold and scared that it was the only thing I could focus on." Leonie said, exasperated by the Mage's inquest.

"I understand, but it would help us understand what is coming if you managed to remember those details. It's important." Toras said.

"No, I can't. Not now. I am so tired of everything." Leonie said.

"But..." Toras started to say.

"That's enough," Rimar said firmly.

He used his snout to tuck Leonie into her bed, letting her rest from all the trials that life decided to put on her path.

"You should take some rest," he said to her.

"Don't leave me," she said, already yawning.

"Of course not. I will only go deeper into the cave to talk to Toras so that you can rest in peace. Okay?" Rimar asked.

"Okay. Thank you." Leonie said, barely audibly.

"Let's go. I need to talk with you in private." Rimar said to Toras.

Leonie was not sure what made her cling to the waking world after they went into the depths of the cave. Perhaps it was the way Rimar spoke to Toras, with authority. There was even a threatening note in his voice that Leonie had heard for the first time.

Whatever made her stay awake was what helped her overhear parts of the conversation that she was sure she was not meant to catch. However, the sound in the cave carried much farther than Toras and Rimar assumed, and she was far more interested in learning what they had to discuss than she was in having yet another nightmare.

"What do you think you are doing?" Rimar growled at Toras.

"What I've always done. I am trying to help." Toras said defensively.

"How is hurting her helping?" Rimar asked.

"I didn't mean to hurt her," Toras said.

"I know you didn't. However, Toras, although you don't have children of your own, you must understand how sensitive they can be. How didn't you realize that by now? After all, you have been with her since she was born. How is it possible that you still can't see when it is too much for her?" Rimar asked.

"I am sorry. You are right. She is so close to fulfilling her destiny that I want to prepare her, to prepare both of you for what is to come." Toras said.

"Don't you think I want the same for her! You know how much she means to me; she is my family. I will do anything in my power and beyond to protect her, but breaking her won't help." Rimar said.

"You are right. It's just that Amitola sent word that the Gatherers had reached out and if they are ready to talk with the Hunters, then the danger might be even greater than we predicted." Toras said.

Rimar's mood suddenly shifted, and Leonie could feel his anger for the first time since they had bonded. Had she not been awake and following the interaction closely, she might have mistaken it for her unpredictable bouts of anger, but as it was, she could tell the rage was coming from Rimar's heart.

"It's high time we talk about Amitola," Rimar said, fury lacing his words.