City Of Dreams (3)

Cain questioned Orlin, "Always lurking below?"

"Yes, like dreams. Nightmares also exist. They have been banished to the abyss due to the Dream Lord, but still exist."

"What exactly are they?"

Orlin sighed, "Lost thoughts, people, dreams... anything, really. A person kills someone and is overcome with guilt and negative emotions. It eats away at you, leads you down a dark path, eventually... the mind breaks and gives way to the imagination of nightmares."

'So this place holds positives and negatives? I must run tests once I get the chance!'

"Are there ranks like there are for Dreams?"

"Ah yes, I forgot I was explaining the ranks. After a Soldier, I imagine you have advanced results, but I do not know them. All I know is that a Dream Master is the pinnacle, and the most powerful one is the Dream Lord."

"Yeah yeah, back to the Nightmares."

Orlin stared at Cain for a moment, then smacked his lips and created a tray of delicious food on the table. The smell was so captivating that even Cain couldn't resist.

As he ate, he spoke in between, "Nightmares... yum... also have three ranks... ohh, this is too good! First, there are shades... then the corrupt... finally, there is Horror... 'slurp!'... each more terrifying than the last."

"What exactly do they do?"

Orlin shrugged, "Never fought one, better ask someone in the lower parts; they fight them for a living and get paid a massive sum in Dream Pills."

'Seems I know where I'm going, but this old man is a treasure trove of information! Well, he did say there's lots of Dream Pills to be had down there.'

"Last question, old man."

"I'm not old! Can't you see I'm only in my thirties!"

Cain, like he did with his other half, ignored him and continued.

"How do I advance in the Dream ranks?"

"Oh, that? It's easy, just think of something new and different. Like I said, it's all about imagination. One of the things I did was make this dish I'm eating right now; I made a captivating new smell. Another thing I did was create a fork that enhanced taste; any food it touched became sweet or sour."

"So just... creating random things? I can't discover new things, just create my own?"

"Exactly! We always had the ability of imagination; now all we have to do is use it! Think outside the box, and the deeper the connection grows! Anything is possible!"

'This is going to be harder than I first thought.'

...

Cain walked in front of a rotting door; bugs and cobwebs infested the place, and it was poorly illuminated. Even the Green half-moon on his forehead glowed brighter than the lamps here.

'That Dreamer told me to come here, to join the ones who hunt Nightmares...'

He took a deep breath and knocked on the door three times. At first, he heard nothing, but then a large thud shook the ground and a sound he could only construe as running got louder and louder before the door opened.

Creaking open, a woman he would only call a mess was behind the door. That wasn't even the weirdest part. She had grass for a lower half—grass!

"Hey there! Are you here to drop off the Dream Pills?"

Cain couldn't even focus; he just stared at her legs, covered in weeds and flowers.

"Uh, sorry, I don't do maintenance. I usually lose them after a Nightmare takes a swipe or two."

"Sorry, just... why are they grass to begin with?"

She smiled, "Glad you asked! I lost my legs but instead of imagining them back, I thought plants would do better! You know they regrow and stuff! Plus I don't feel it much! Never thought they required so much maintenance though. Always growing and becoming messy... Anyway, why are you here? Are you not the drop-off guy?"

"N-No, I'm here to join. I want to fight Nightmares."

She tilted her head in confusion, "Join us? Wait, you wanna join us?!"

"Uh... yeah."

The girl turned, and Cain watched as her face turned to pure joy.

"Captain! We got another one who's insane! I thought the city was running out of them!"

She looked back at Cain, wrapping him around her arms, "Yippee! I hope you don't die as fast as Jess; he only lasted 2 missions!"

'What did I get myself into...' Cain's mouth twitched as he gazed past the door.

There was a... thing? It was walking up to him; the strange creature had no arms; its chest held a bright red gem, and it had four legs. Its head seemed to be a metal helmet, one that a knight would wear; was it his skin? Too strange!

The creature stared down at Cain; it then spoke, but Cain couldn't tell where the voice came from.

"You wish to join us?"

"Uh, yes."

"Do you have the ability to dream, to create things from nothing? Or at least an ability that you brought from reality?"

Cain lifted his palm; it quickly turned to red mist. However the mist itself seemed to irritate him.

'I'm not like him, not anymore.'

Focusing on imagining for the first time, Cain imagined changing himself. What did he change?

The color of the mist.

Once red, it quickly dyed white, like crushed bone.

Taking a moment, the 'captain' studied the mist.

"Good enough, it complements the dream. Welcome, I am Rex, the one hugging you is Evette."

Evette stopped burying her head, looking up at him, "Pleasure is all mine, welcome to the team! I hope you live long!"

...

Down in the lower levels, a man was running. His steps were light and quick, urgency burning away at him.

'It killed them, it killed them! I have to notify the Dreamers! I have to tell the other hunters!'

Turning down a hallway, the Dream Soldier continued to sprint down the decrepit corridors.

Down in this place close to Nightmare, dreams became twisted, corrupted, and wrong. The tile floor was riddled with black veins almost like roots. On the walls, black spores grew and spread through the air.

The man quickly covered his mouth, 'I lost my mask; I have to leave quickly, I don't want to turn into a shade!'

Behind him, a figure turned into the same hall as him. Almost at the same time, the figure began to whistle. It was a sharp tune that gave goosebumps.

Sweat poured down the hunted's face as his legs somehow began to move quicker and quicker.

"That sort of imagination will get you nowhere, you know. You'll never escape me..."

It was then the figure disappeared.

'Oh no, oh no, no!'

Fear, the fear of being hunted, the fear of an unknown enemy. The Soldier was drowning in his own fear.

Red mist converged, like a torrent of blood it rushed at him, quickly turning into a menacing figure.

Its harrowing appearance was... wrong, he looked human, two arms, two legs, yet how he carried himself, how he moved, ....that smile, that vicious maddening smile!

The figure caught the Soldier by the throat, trapping him in his grasp.

"Ah! It's been so long since I was free, or at least it feels like it's been a while... now, tell me what you feel. Is it fear? Sadness? Anger?"

The Soldier was already losing his mind, "Ah... AH! Monster monster! Stay away! Stay away!"

"Boring..."

CRACK!

Cain dropped the lifeless body; it slowly turned to a pink fog, the same pinkish gas that transported him here. The fog tried to escape, rising to the dreams above, but with a quick breath, Cain sucked it all in like a demon would a soul.

'Now for the prize.'

Looking down, the only thing that remained was a single pill.

'Ah, he has one. That makes 3 questions. How lucky am I that the mist is connected to the mind! I was made to hunt in this place!'

Cain walked up to a door in the hall. Opening it; there was nothing on the other side, just an infinite abyss.

'Scary.'

Raising his head, he slowly turned to mist and flew back to the upper reaches of the city, where civilization reigned.

'I like this place a lot, I don't even have to take over a body thanks to its properties! Ah, I bet that goody-two-shoes is having a blast as well; I'll bet a Dream Pill on it!'