We Dream of Hope

Truth is Out There

Seraphine's message was received by Nadia and Odion like a rock is received by a pond. Words dropped like ripples echoing through their heads causing Nadia to keel over, her fingers digging into the sides of her skull knuckles white and shaking with pressure. 

Odion whimpered and knocked his head against the ground snarling at the power of the words.

"Make it stop!" screaming over and over "Stop stop stop!" Nadia felt like her head was going to split right open. 

Ma'at tapped her foot against Odion trying to knock sense into him as she threw her arms around Nadia. "Di? What's going on?"

"The voice!" trying to mutter out the words seemed impossible, she couldn't even tell if she was speaking, and then just as quickly as it began the ripples started to fade. Nadia's fingers relaxed and she was finally able to straighten herself up again. Taking a quick look around she noticed Odion was also breaking free from the traumatizing voice. 

What was that? Odion's head was still throbbing but he was able to mask the aching easier in his mind than Nadia with her voice.

"I don't know." looking at Ma'at Nadia noticed the confused and worried side glances. "Did you hear it too?"

"Hear what?" Ma'at threw her hands in the air, "I saw you and dogbreath crumble and then you were better. What happened?"

Nadia looked to Odion for some answer to relay but his mind was still a jumbled mess. "I heard something about the city near the setting sun?"

We need to get to the city where the sun always sets. It's a few days away, but I think I was told how to get there.

Nadia knew what he meant she couldn't quite understand how, but she knew where she needed to go. Never being away from camp and yet the directions were right in her mind, she knew it was important to get there, but that was just another event that she added to her to-do list. 

The trio continued to walk through the trees until the resemblance of a man-made clearing came into view and Odion trotted off quickly eager to get home. 

"Welcome ladies," the coughing voice of Warner grumbled behind a campfire as he wrapped himself in a large pelt most likely sewn from a group of random animals. "Happy Birthday Nadia." his smile was weak as he fought a grin before a cough disturbed his peace. 

"See, that's the thing, yesterday I thought I was having a bad day, but this day seems even worse. So no, it's not a happy birthday." crossing her arms and tapping her foot Nadia threw a stern look at everyone in attendance. "So let's start with you answering my questions and then I'll listen to what you have to say."

Warner nodded, but Nadia didn't need his approval.

Pacing a short distance back and forth Nadia plotted out several questions, "How can Odion talk to me through my mind? What did you and Ma'at talk about? Why can I see the smoke? What is the smoke exactly? Why is this happening now?" 

"Firstly," Warner tried to stand but gave up and just shuffled himself to be slightly more comfortable, "Odion's connection to you isn't something I know fully. It has something to do with your mother, but the complete story is beyond my understanding."

"My mother?" she turned to look at the others, "Ma'at did you know this?"

"Do you want me to answer your other questions?" Warner interrupted before Ma'at had time to open her mouth, she just continued to look down avoiding Nadia's gaze. "Ma'at and I talked extensively last night about what would happen today because the demon is no longer able to contain your power."

"What-" cutting herself off, Nadia continued to let Warner speak.

"Your mother is the reason you can see the smoke, which is a manifestation of sin. You're able to see it being manipulated and to some degree and manipulate it yourself, but that I imagine will need to be a learned skill in your future. What is happening now Nadia," he trailed off gathering more of his thoughts before continuing, "Nadia, your mother wasn't who you were told she was. She wasn't a warrior who could do no wrong."

I have a feeling I know where this is going... Nadia was sure this was going to end with some supernatural thing, clearly, it was gearing up for that. She wanted to hear it straight, hear others tell her so that she wouldn't be crazy.

"Your mother wasn't named after Hope. Your mother was Hope."

Like the angel, she was also called Ramiel. Odion sensed slight confusion and corrected it before it spiraled out of control.

"When-" coughing continued to force Warner to pause but luckily Ma'at was there to relieve him.

"When the last battle fought was won by the humans, Di, your mother had you. It was during the celebrations. She was so tired from it a demon attacked and killed her. You were brought to the mountain by someone who claimed to be your father, but was really a demon."

"My father? No he couldn't have been." My father was there to raise me, he was a human. I remember seeing him, he wasn't a monster.

Did you ever actually see him or are you just remembering that you saw him? 

"I saw him!" Nadia shouted retorting the circumstance Odion presented. "My father isn't a demon!"

"No Nadia," Warner spoke again, "Your real father wasn't, but your real father also died during the final fight. The demon was able to momentarily take human form, a feat most demons are able to have for a short while. Then he built up the memories that you saw him. No one has ever seen your father since the first night. When was the last time you had a real conversation with him? What was the conversation?"

Thinking back Nadia knew she had had conversations with him, but she couldn't remember specifics. She recalled them having dinner, but she only knew they ate together. She couldn't remember what they ate or talked about.

"This demon is what we call a hybrid. It is a sloth, greed demon. It's been collecting people for years. You know there are children in that camp, where are their parents? Shouldn't they have parents if they were born in the camp? Shouldn't there be more standing structures other than just Barren's cabin? This demon saw a chance to own special people in the world. He tried to own Odion, but was unable to control him since he is a war beast. I got wise to the demon and once I was free he wasn't able to control me anymore. Nadia, darling, why do you think you've been pressured to not do more?"

"Do more?" Nadia thought back, she was happy with what she did, but the feeling of weight was never something she noticed. "What about Ma'at?" She turned to her friend, "you came to us in a storm."

"Did I?" Ma'at placed her hands on her hips, "I was bought by the demon in a town west of here and a story was written where I was an orphan who lost my way. The demon can't control me so he kept me repressed through other means." the memories that haunted Ma'at were reaching back to grip her tight before she shook her head free of the nightmares. "I was planning my escape but Warner told me his plan to help you, and I couldn't leave you Di, I know what this monster is capable of, I wasn't able to help, but now I-no we, can do something."

"Ma'at," she had no idea her friend was going through so much, she looked to Odion who was keeping uncharacteristically quiet. "What's your story in this then?"

"Odion, as I said was kept but couldn't be controlled. He's a war beast."

"Last I checked, war beasts were supposed to be humans right?"

"Normally, yes, they were humans warped with the powers of creatures, but Odion was born like this."

My parents never taught me anything, so I've been stuck as a wolf my whole life. The reason we are able to communicate is that Hope, your mother, created the wolf war beasts so naturally, we are able to communicate across distances. You know because it's a war strategy I guess.

"So thousands of years ago, my mother created half wolves. Then thousands of years later she has me, dies, then a half-wolf is brought up near me unable to actually be anything more than an overgrown wolf? How do I know this is all true?"

The answer she was looking for didn't come from Ma'at, Odion, or Warner. There was a slither and a rumble in the trees as Nadia became very aware that they were surrounded. The people of the camp armed with bows, arrows pointed inward to the group. Between each tree stood a soldier ready to let loose the arrow and pierce anyone in their way. A shadow parted between two of the people standing tall, dressed cleanly with jewels dangling from tall horns stretching high into the sky. The creature's eyes glowed green in the night as he inched closer. "My darling cherished little angel. I've been so worried sick about you, and you, my powerful Medjay, why didn't you tell me you were so unhappy? You know I would do anything for you both my treasures."

"Ma'at" Nadia leaned over to her friend, "please tell me that I'm not seeing this."

"Nadia," the slither of the creature stopped Ma'at from answering, "My sweet girl, you are definitely seeing this."