A Black Mask follows close behind

"Could I go in now?" Jack lifted his skull to interrupt the two birdmen. He had thought to sneak past them, but even as the two seem to be talking amongst themselves, he felt that they were still keenly aware of him. This caused him to toss the idea of slipping past them.

Nasht looked over, as he spoke, "Sure. You're a god, so that's enough to get in easily. You have the power to protect yourself-"

"Just don't let that go to your head." Finished Kamen-Thah.

"Well, then I would-"

"Jack..."

Jack heard a familiar voice behind him, as he also noticed the two bird brothers look over his head to the one behind him.

Spinning in place, Jack saw Leslie taking her last step from the stairs to approach him in the landing.

"Leslie?"

"Yes. Jordan, your prophet sent me to come to get you." Leslie approached, as she stood on the tips of her feet to extend her arm to caress Jack's skull face.

"Why... Why did he send you to fetch me?"

"He said you were going to head off into the land of dreams to get your memory as the first thing you did when you woke up..."

"I- Ummm..." Jack stumbled over his words.

"I, also, believed him when he told me." Leslie cooed as she stared into those flaming eyes, as she continued, "Why do you insist on worrying me?"

"Wait, I never m-"

"If a giant monkey isn't slapping you around, you come crashing down out of the sky, speaking mad libs."

"Now, that wasn't-"

"And then you start thinking about running off into some mysterious door guarded by a pair of..." Leslie leaned to the side to look at the two gatekeepers, as she articulated her words, "unreasonably strong fellows." Leslie leaned back into Jack, placing her hands around the back of his neck.

"..." Jack now didn't try to speak.

"Now, are you coming with me, or are you going to go gallivanting around?"

"...But I'm missing a piece of me... I just wanted to go get it back..." Jack sulked.

"My love... Think about it... There must have been a reason why we've gone through all the trouble to remove it, and it's only for now. Your prophet says we can come back... I'll come with you then. So, let's just go home, for now, okay?"

Jack looked back over his shoulder to the large gated doors, and then to the two gatekeepers, their long necks ruffled up to smooth down again.

"Alright. Haaaa~" Jack signed. He found it hard to resist Leslie. He felt in many ways she was his strength, but also his greatest weakness. Something he didn't want to think about.

Leslie removed her hands from around his neck, as she, with her right hand, grasped Jack's left hand, as she turned to take a few steps up the stairs. Jack took his first step, as he looked again over his shoulder, feeling he was leaving a part of himself behind... In truth, he was...

Step, step, step up he went...

*******

The double doors behind the twin gatekeepers opened slightly, as a hooded figure swayed from the doors with a feminine swagger.

The twin gatekeepers both ceased their chatter, as they turned their respective heads to see the hooded being that walked up behind them, as the door to the Dreamlands was left open with a slight crack.

"Oh? What brings the beloved daughter here?" Kamen-Thah squawked.

The hooded figure lifted her face to reveal a black pharaoh's mask, as she spoke, "He decided to not come in?"

"If by, He, you mean the Nihilum God-"

"Then yes. It seemed his lover came to escort him back to the awakened world." Nasht finished.

"How do you know it's his lover?" Kamen-Thah questioned his brother.

"Oh, come now. You saw how she held his face."

"Just being like that... Maybe that was his sister?"

"What kind of sister does that?"

"Cough." The Black-masked and hooded figure attracted the attention of the two birdmen.

""Oh, right, right, right, right, right"" Both gatekeepers chirped together.

"I take it he'll return." She went on to ask.

"We expect it to be so, his lover said she'll come back with him-"

"In fact, it was only then he gave up." Nasht spoke, as Kamen-Thah continued, "Yes, he was eyeing the gate with much fervor. If not for her, I'd say he'd make a break for it."

"It's not like we would have stopped him."

"Yeah, but it would have been fun to bully him a bit for trying to break the rules."

"True. We haven't bullied anyone since Amon... I liked that chap."

"He even remem-"

"Stuff it, bird brains!" The Black Masked woman growled.

"Oh!?" "Ah, my... Much sorrys." Both exclaimed as Nasht apologized.

"We miss him too. Do forgive us."

"It's not every day We get to meet other bird-men, you know. We felt the same..."

"Whatever... Can you guys just give me a heads up when he comes back? It'll be much fun to see if he'll pass my test or become another plaything."

"Does Lord Hypnos permit?" Kamen-Thah spoke, as he narrowed his eyes. He didn't have to fear from this daughter of the Daemon Sultan... For here, the gatekeepers were the masters, but outside of these halls... In the awakened world the master would be the Daemon Sultan and his children, inside the gate, that would be Hypnos, also a son of the Daemon Sultan, set on high by... You guess it... The Daemon Sultan...

"Hypnos allows me to do as I please, but yes. He said I could do whatever I wanted. That includes destroying the guy to piss off a certain brother." The Black mask of a pharaoh shined a baleful light, as its owner Hmphed.

"Still angry with your Elder Brother?" Nasht asked with a pitting tone.

"...I don't want to talk about it..." The black-masked woman angrily yelled, as she turned and left, as she muttered to herself, "Let's see why he's so interested in this bonehead... heh," slamming the large doors to the Dreamlands shut with an exaggerated bang.

"Yeah, she's still angry."

"No, kidding... Did you deduce that on your own?"

"I did, I thought you did, as well!"

"You know I'm being sarcastic..."

"Nooooo?!"

"...Want to play some more Senet...?

"Because you won't play hounds and Jackals..."

"We always draw in that!"

"Then back to Senet!"

"What are you betting?!"

"Err... How about priority who gets to spy upon the ladies of Tangle's Roast!"

"...How many years are we talking here, and whose years!? Last time you tricked me into a hundred years of Yig's Star! That was three thousand standard years!"

"Funny isn't it!" Nasht chirped in laughter.

"Fine! I'll take that bet! Set up the game. One hundred years of Yig's Star!" Burst out Kamen-Thah!

"Sure, sure!" Spoke Nasht, as he rubbed his hands together.

*******

Jack's vision slowly filtered, and the familiar ceiling slowly came into view.

As he was about to sit up, he found that laying on his right side was Leslie asleep. He then turned his head to see the marveled faces of Emily and Eris, while Jordan continuously nodded his head, with his wretched but meant-well smile.

"Ummm... The wheel-spins again? Haha... Ha..." Jack joked, before being slapped.

"Pop!" A dull popping sound of flesh meets bone sounded, as Jack shook his head in shock, having felt Emily's hand. Eris covered her mouth in shock.

Before Jack could air his grievance, he found that his head was firmly pressed between two well-developed breasts, not overly large, but just right...

"Will you stop making us worry about you!" Emily held onto Jack's head, as his flaming eyes snuffed. Jack turned off his vision briefly to attempt to feel the sensation of Emily.

Strange as it was... He could feel her! He could feel Emily as if he had a sense of touch! Just as if he was in Carcosa!

[What did Asstur do to me? Or... Did something happen to me, I can't remember!?] Jack cried in his mind.