The dream and the monster

Chapter 1: The Dream and the Monster

The sun had barely risen, and Kael was already at the rickety wooden table, staring blankly at the weathered map on its surface. The dream from last night still clung to him—so vivid, so real, that he couldn't shake the feeling that something important was about to happen. A dark leather-bound book had appeared in the dream, etched with strange symbols that twisted and glowed like they were alive. He could still feel the pull of those symbols.

Clara entered the room, stretching as she glanced at him. "You're up early," she remarked, grabbing a handful of berries from the kitchen. "Let me guess, more dreams about joining the Territory Expansion Unit?"

Kael shot her a sideways look. "It wasn't about the TEU this time. It was... different."

Clara snorted and sat down at the table across from him. "Yeah, right. Every other day you're going on about how you're going to join the TEU. But you can't even make it past the preliminary rounds of the tournament. What makes you think you could survive even one day in the wild?"

Kael frowned. "This isn't about the tournament, Clara."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Because every time you come back from a fight, you're limping home with another bruise or broken bone. You've got the dream, Kael, but let's face it—you're nothing like Dorian."

Kael bristled at the comparison. Dorian's shadow loomed large over him, the friend who had been born a slave, fought his way out through the dueling tournaments, and won his freedom. Dorian hadn't stopped there. After earning his place, he joined the TEU, passing their grueling trials with flying colors. Kael knew all of this too well; it was why he was constantly striving, training, pushing himself harder. But he hadn't made it past the preliminaries.

"I'm not trying to be Dorian," Kael said, though the bitterness in his voice betrayed him. "I just need one chance. One real opportunity."

Clara leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "You think the TEU is going to hire you after you wander into the wilderness and stumble on a few monsters? You're better off focusing on the tournament. That's how Dorian got noticed, and that's how you'll get noticed—if you stop getting yourself knocked out before the real fights begin."

Kael didn't respond. He knew Clara was right. Every time he fought in the tournament, he'd come up short. But something about this dream felt different. The symbols, the book—it was like they were calling to him. It wasn't just some fantasy of joining the TEU; it was more than that. It felt like fate.

---

Kael spent the day in a haze, helping the elderly in the town with their daily chores, but his mind was elsewhere. As he walked through the fields and the village, he kept seeing signs—symbols like the ones from his dream. They appeared on tree trunks, in the dirt, and even in the shapes of the clouds overhead. It was like the world was guiding him, urging him toward something. He couldn't shake the feeling that it all meant something.

When he returned home later that afternoon, Clara was already there, sorting through the herbs she had gathered.

"You're back," she said without looking up. "How many visions did you have today?"

Kael ignored her jab. "I saw the symbols again. The ones from my dream."

Clara sighed and turned to face him. "What are you talking about? You're not still going on about that dream, are you?"

Kael walked past her, heading for the bookshelf in the corner. "I've been seeing them all day. On the trees, in the fields... even in the sky."

"And?" Clara asked, raising an eyebrow as she followed him. "You think it's some kind of sign?"

"I don't know," Kael admitted, pulling out a dusty old map from the shelf. "But it's like something's calling me. I need to find out what it is."

Clara crossed her arms, watching him as he laid the map on the table and began scanning its lines. "What are you looking for?"

"There," Kael said, pointing to a spot deep in the forest, beyond the town's borders. "That's where I need to go."

Clara leaned over the map, her frown deepening. "That's in the uninhabited lands. No guards, no patrols. It's dangerous out there, Kael. And you know what else? It's Territory Expansion Unit territory. You've heard the stories about what they're fighting out there—monsters. You're seriously thinking about walking into that?"

Kael straightened, his eyes hard. "I want to see it for myself. If I'm ever going to join the TEU, I need to see what's really out there. Maybe I'll even get hired. Then I won't have to keep competing in that dumb tournament."

Clara shook her head. "You're not thinking straight. You could die out there."

"I'm going," Kael said, his mind already made up. He moved to his room and pulled out the chest from beneath his bed, retrieving the sword he had saved up for the tournament. He had spent a year working odd jobs, scrimping and saving to buy this blade, and now he was going to use it.

"I'll be back," he said confidently, strapping the sword to his back.

Clara watched him from the doorway, her arms crossed. "You're an idiot," she muttered.

---

The journey took longer than Kael had expected. The sun was setting by the time he reached the edge of the forest, and soon, he was walking through the dense underbrush with only his torch to light the way. The map was almost useless now—he barely needed it. The symbols from his dream seemed to be guiding him, appearing on the trees and rocks as he moved deeper into the forest.

Three hours in, the noises started. At first, they were distant—a faint rumble, like thunder in the far-off mountains. But soon, the sounds became clearer: screams, crashes, and the unmistakable roar of something massive. Kael's heart pounded in his chest as he realized that the noise was coming from the direction he needed to go.

He pushed forward, gripping his sword tightly. The sounds of battle grew louder, and then, suddenly, he broke through the trees and into a clearing.

The scene before him was chaos.

Hundreds of soldiers, members of the Territory Expansion Unit, were locked in battle with a creature straight out of a nightmare. The monster towered above the treetops, its dark, slick skin glistening in the moonlight. Its face was a mass of writhing tentacles, each one dripping with a foul, thick substance. Massive wings unfurled from its back, beating the air with such force that trees were uprooted and flung aside. The ground trembled beneath its monstrous weight.

Kael watched in horror and awe as the TEU soldiers launched a coordinated attack. The first group rushed forward with spears, trying to pierce the beast's hide, but their weapons barely made a scratch.

"Archers!" came a commanding voice from behind the line.

Kael's eyes darted toward the source and landed on Dorian. He stood tall, calm, directing the soldiers with sharp, precise orders.

"Get the oil on it!" Dorian shouted. A group of soldiers dashed forward, throwing buckets of oil onto the creature's legs.

"Fire!" Dorian called out, and a volley of flaming arrows rained down from the sky, setting the beast ablaze.

The creature roared, its wings spreading as it lifted into the sky, sending a powerful gust of wind through the clearing. Several soldiers were knocked off their feet, crushed by the weight of the trees and debris scattered by the creature's ascent.

Kael stood frozen, watching the chaos unfold. He had never seen anything like it in his life.