Leonard woke up from a dream. His head hurting hard...
His hands felt sore. He looked around it looks like hell. The buildings destroyed, the surroundings destroyed, and the ground was dry and lifeless. The air has the smell of ash and brimstone. He looked up the sky is gray and there is a perpetual rain of ashes. He was silently digesting what he was seeing.
He looks around charred remains riddle the surroundings aged and brittle. The air is ashy and reeled of burned plants. Some charred corpses of the townsfolk. He felt some weight on his body. He looked down he was still disoriented his head still hurting. His eyes widening and his heart stopping...
There was Marinda. Now a Burnt. Dead. Corpse...
Still embracing him... It was quiet. Cold. The warm smile- charred and decomposing. That kind voice- dead and gone. The kind person- Cold and charred. A full on burnt person. She doesn't look emaciated. More like her flesh has turned to charcoal.
"Marinda?"
No response. He was talking to a burnt corpse looking like a mad man. He pulled the corpse closer to his face checking if his vision is playing tricks on him. Nothing it's just a corpse. He hugged her not shedding tears just silently embracing her. He hugs tighter but the force crushes her corpse. Turning it to ash. The corpse now looks like a broken statue.
He stood up then suddenly fell face first. He doesn't understand and tries to get up. He looks back and he's been cut in half horizontally. The attack didn't hurt and it was formless and sharp... What was that? Magic?
Before he could process his head was decapitated. It flies into the air in a blur of motion. Again it was painless. It felt like the world was at a standstill. All too wrong. Is this even reality?
"Leonard..." He heard it. It was Marinda's voice.
"What?"
His consciousness drifted. Oh. This is the end... His eyes slowly closed. The numbness sets in, he feels stiff, then it's hard to breathe... His eyes dry up and his thoughts silenced. Then he felt everything suddenly his nerves all over his body as if their being poked continuously by tiny sharp needles. Then his thoughts awoke.
His eyes opened suddenly. Bloodshot, dilated, and alsmost as if he didn't sleep. He felt the soft mattress of his bed. The old wood ceilin. He was back to his barracks. Marinda was still beside him. Alive and breathing. "Leonard... Mmm..." She murmurs as she pulls him closer in her sleep. The sun hasn't risen.
Leonard get a hold of yourself he reconciled.
He looked at his surroundings. It was still the same. No ruins, no ash, no corpses... He's still whole and alive.
He didn't know. What that was... Is he going crazy? He didn't know what was happening. Was he dreaming or is he in a dream right now? Is this his life flashing before his eyes? But... With Marinda by his side he felt grounded and alive. After Marinda left he checked his journal again trying to see if he was still dreaming. He wasn't. He tried to pinch himself. He feels it. "I'm grounded. I'm awake". He breathes.
That morning he went on his usual duties skipping on the market. Walking straight to the docks. Brutus wasn't there his boat was still in the lake and won't be back until noon. Leonard checked the docks checking if anything was amiss as usual. Nothing unsual the same fishermen, that same smell of fish and crustacean. He still remembered the feeling on not feeling his legs. He looks at his legs that dream replaying on his mind.
This wasn't like him. Now even the fishermen noticed. Leonard wasn't really the type to be this paranoid. Doing multiple laps of the docks to see if anything could be out of place. He looked all over from the their catch to the nails on the floor of the docks. One of the Fisher man, an old man fixing his nets noticed. He stopped and approached Leonard with a light tap on his shoulder. "Is something wrong?" An older fisherman asked in worried raspy voice.
"No- no sir. I'm... Fine. Nothing is wrong... I'll get going now." Leonard finally decided to leave. He doesn't know why he's like this. It's a lie. Of course he fucking knows. It's that nightmare. That nightmare that seemed too real. Like it's reality and the one he's in is the dream. He grits his teeth keeping it to himself. Outside he looks calm but on the inside. Is all of this even real? If I die here will I wake up again? But I felt that pinch... His thoughts ran wild. He looks around at the townsfolk Is any of this real? Was any of it real? Will I wake up in the in the dirt again. He questioned himself over and over.
He walked to the adventurers guild to check as usual. There's more adventurers than usual. An event? There was a bounty on an ogre. Although the ogre was far from the village it's still a danger. Leonard checked the guild. Nothing unsual. He leaves. Nothing was amiss as usual. No something must be wrong... He looks around a party of adventurers at the guild board. The guild receptionist's are doing their job as always. Wait, Leo. There has to be something wrong. He checks Leo's office and there he was buried in paper work.
"Oh. Is something wrong Leonard? You don't look alright..." Leo was worried since this was the first time Leonard had ever llooked for him. Leonard leaves his hands rubbing his face. And steadied himself leaving the guild. He walked through the night of the town... It's calming. It's alright everything is alright... Father Maverick Leonard bumped into him while he was lost in thought. "Hey child. Is something wrong? Your more out of it than usual... Did you and Marinda have a fight?" The old man asked worried as everyone else.
"It's nothing father. Just. A nightmare. I don't know what it was... It's been stressing me out... Am I real? I feel like I'm just s puppet made to suffer made by some sick minded being." Leonard said in a single breath.
"What?" A voice said form behind.
It was Marinda. She was there trying to surprise Leonard but she heard everything he said. "You we're having nightmares? Was it from your mercenary years? Is this about me?" Marinda asked tears forming in her eyes. Not for herself... But for Leonard. Leonard finally sees his reflection on the church window. Deep eye eyes, dilated eyes, and a gaut appearance. He hadn't eaten anything the whole day. And he's been restless since waking up. Is this what everyone saw? Why didn't they say anything? What. Why?
"I'm sorry-" Marinda cuts off his apology and hugged him tightly. Burying her face into his shoulder. Her tears dripping onto his chest plate, then to the ground. "Don't say sorry you dummy... Why didn't *Hic* you at least tell me..." She said tearfully. "Who told you..." He asked. "Leo... He told me because I didn't even see you... I was worried all day if anything happened to you!" She was furious that He kept the trouble to himself. He could only hug her back to at least calm her down.
"Child. Only a fool would not notice your appearance. You look like a ghoul. If something is that bad..." Father Maverick paused. Before reaching into his robes then handing him a silver cross necklace. "Take it child. Remember God protects this town... But you should also take care of yourself in order to live and be protected." Father Maverick left the two alone.
Leonard gripped the necklace tightly. His other hand rubs Marinda's back trying to comfort her sobs. "Thank you. Thank you Marinda... I really needed this..." They stayed inside each other's embrace. Marinda finally let's go. And pulls back "Don't do it again... Or... Or... I won't... Just don't do it again!" Despite her tone trying to be mean her earlier anger now of worry for him. Leonard at that moment. Put the silver necklace that Father Maverick gave on Marinda's neck. "Looks good on you." Leonard said with a smile. Not a forced one, a genuine but tired smile. "Leonard..." Leonard walked away. Now with a slight more hope on himself than ever before. Marinda is a blushing prefiusly. She covered her fave feeling the warmth of her skin.
That night Leonard ate dinner, took a bath, and laid down on his bed. "I'll be good. I'll be safe. And everthing is alright." Now he sounds more confident. He writes on his journal, prayed and slept. Wondering what the next day will have in store. The night was silent but not hostile anymore. His bed is softer for some reason. His body felt heavy from tiredness but his mind is clearer than ever before.
I can finally sleep...