Dreamscape: Saving Alex (5 page)

Two cloaked men passed by with their faces hidden
in the shadows of their hoods. Swinging from their hips, a collection of
weapons flashed as they marched in unison. Axes, knives, and pipes hung from
the rope belts around their waists. That’s where the similarities between them
ended. The dark, woven cloak devoured the taller man, excess fabric twisting
around his exposed calves. The second man’s stocky frame filled the breadth of
the fabric but hung low, dragging behind his feet. He paraded forward with his
hands on his hips, exposing a multi-colored suit and exaggerated collar. I
exhaled as all the pieces of their costumes came together in my mind. Armored
jugglers.

“Hold up,” the shorter man said, grabbing his
friend’s dark sleeve. “Someone’s back there.”

“You couldn’t have heard anything,” the tall man
said in a wiry voice, reading my mind. I had barely moved.

“My ears,” the first man said, pushing back his
hood. His shaved head and rigid face contradicted the jovial outfit he wore. A
scowl pressed his eyebrows together, highlighting the dark circles beneath his
eyes. On his right ear, a mechanical wheel rotated. He turned in my direction,
and I bolted behind the tree, pressing back into the grooves.

“There! Someone’s hiding.”

I couldn’t see his arm, but I assumed it pointed
at me. Suddenly, the axes and knives hanging from their belts seemed very
sharp.

The knots in my stomach tightened, pulled taut at
the ominously slow jingle and shuffling bushes that revealed the men were
drawing closer. And I’d been afraid of poisonous flowers and pecking birds. My
chest burned with terror. I closed my eyes. The crunching of leaves and
thumping of my heart deafened me. Puff birds scurried by on the path.

“Are you sure, Deakon?” the tall man asked in the
same wiry voice. “We don’t have much time to waste here.”

“If I’m right, it won’t be a waste of time. You
know we can’t risk any more spies,” he said. He was on the other side of my
tree.

“Hurry with it, then. I don’t want to be late
again.” His words matched the pace of my heart. “The trip north to Berkin took
longer than you thought.”

“Yes, but it was worth it. Just think if we hadn’t
gone. We’d never know… we’d never’ve seen…”

“Maybe that wouldn’t have been such a bad thing.”

“Hush, Pipes. You know that’s not true. No matter
what, we needed to get the word out. You know this is serious now. Without King
Helio…”

“You’re right. You always are. I don’t want to
talk about it anymore. It just brings back that awful memory. I hope to never
see something like that again. Hurry with this so we can be on our way.”

“It shouldn’t take long,” he said, and then his
gruff laugh assaulted me from behind. His breath warmed my neck, sending chills
down my spine. “They’re not all that skilled at hiding.” Deakon pulled me out
from behind the tree and threw me to the ground.

I cried out as my knees struck the gravel and my
palms ripped open. Red drops appeared on the ground, and I bit back my tears.
This wasn’t in the game. All my previous worries about getting hurt or being
found disappeared as my survival instincts kicked in. I needed to get out of
there.

“Who’s that?” the taller man squeaked.

I crawled away while the shorter man answered.
“She’s our spy. Who knows how long she’s been following us or what she’s heard.
You’re not getting away that easily.” He lunged forward and yanked my legs
back. Fresh wounds tore open next to the dragon weed blisters along my shins. I
screamed and kicked, twisting out of his grasp.

He silenced my yelp by curling a rough hand around
my face, covering my mouth with sweat and dirt. The other hand pressed me down.
Rocks dug into my thighs. I shrunk under his strength.

“I swear, I’m not a spy,” I pleaded in a muffled
voice, gagging between short breaths of air. My eyes shifted from the weapons
swinging at his hip to the rotten teeth poking out from beneath his sneer. “I
haven’t heard a word, I promise. Just let me go. You have the wrong person!” I
struggled to break free.

“Deakon!” the taller man yelled, his voice
suddenly strong as he lifted a shaking hand to cover his mouth. “Let her go.”

“Are you crazy? We can’t let a spy go, even if
she’s a girl. She’s dangerous, and besides, the cause can use the money, you
know that.”

“Deakon, look at her. Her hair…” His voice trailed
off and his eyes widened.

My hair? I lifted a hand to it out of reflex,
wincing as it stuck in a tangled heap. I pulled a branch out and looked at the
tall man again. Surely my hair wasn’t messed up enough to scare him. I’d take
it though. Any excuse to escape.

Deakon shook his head and leaned closer. “I don’t
know what you’re talking about.”

“Pull out your glass,” Pipes said. “Now! What have
you done?”

The exchange between them startled me. Pipes
obviously knew something the other guy didn’t. I just didn’t know what it had
to do with me, or how I could use it to my advantage.

The shorter man fumbled with his pocket and pulled
out a large sphere of glass. With one hand still pressing me down, he used the
other to lift it to his eyes.

“In the queen’s name, it can’t be!” he said,
dropping the glass. The pressure on my shoulders released, and I fell back to
the ground, staring at the men. What just happened?

“Please forgive me,” Deakon said, dropping to his
knees, pressing his forehead to the dirt.

I shuffled back and my heart slowed. “Forgive
you?” I repeated, watching him grovel on the ground.

“We didn’t know it was you,” the taller man said,
pressing his hood back and bowing at the waist.

“Good grief man, show some respect,” Deakon said,
knocking out the back of the taller man’s knees. “She’s not royalty,
she’s…she’s…” Every time his eyes darted to me, they sped back towards the
ground.

His friend fell with a grunt and shook his head,
regaining composure before he looked at me and joined his friend with his
forehead to the ground. “I meant no disrespect, my lady. We just didn’t
expect—”

“Didn’t expect what?” I asked, afraid of their
response. Who or what did they think I was? I ran through the list of
characters in my mind, holding my breath. Was I the princess, a rogue, another
juggler—

“The Golden Hero.”

An image of the game’s opening sequence popped
into my mind, a little green man shooting an arrow. The Golden Hero, of course.
Why would I think I could go through this world unnoticed?

“Of course. Yes, I’m here,” I said, pulling my
shirt straight and brushing away the dust while I tried to settle my mind.
“Please, there’s no need for that.” I pointed to their prolonged bowing and
then flipped my hand over, gesturing for help up. If they thought I was the
Golden Hero, I was going to work it to my advantage.

The taller man scrambled to his feet and helped me
up. “My lady.” He bowed again.

“Thank you…” I stalled and raised an eyebrow in
question.

“Pipes, my lady. My name’s Pipes, and this here is
Deakon. And we’re humbly at your service.” As a quieter aside to his friend, he
said, “Can you believe it? She’s here. She’s really here. Do you know what this
means?” His eyes lit up.

Deakon turned to his friend and opened his mouth
to speak.

“What does this mean?” I interrupted their private
conversation.

“Nothing,” Deakon answered softly.

“Nothing?” Pipes cried, his excitement
overflowing. “Deakon, this means everything! Everything we saw done is no
longer a waste. King Helio’s death can be avenged, and Queen Elin can be saved!
The rebellion has a chance.”

I smiled in reassurance, desperately trying to
figure out what he meant. For playing this game my whole life, I felt like this
was my first time. Nothing made sense. None of these names were familiar, but
Queen Elin had to be the pink princess the hero always saved.

“There’s a chance now, right, my lady?” Pipes
asked again. The hope in his eyes was palpable. My heart raced again. Smashing
his hopes would be almost as bad as trampling the bird.

“Yes,” I mumbled, avoiding his eyes. “Of course
there’s a chance now. That’s why I’m here.” I brushed the last bits of dust off
my shirt and unhooked the box from my wrist. Indentations marked my forearm
where the corner had hit me during my fall.

Pipes inhaled sharply. “That…you…box…” he
stammered, pointing to the broken box in my hand.

“This?” I asked, walking closer to him. “What do
you know about these boxes?”

“That the prophecy is true,” he whispered, biting
down on a fist. Deakon dropped to his knees and pressed his forehead to the
ground again.

I rolled my eyes. This was going to take more
finesse than I’d thought. I had to change directions. “Deakon?” I asked
sweetly. “Do you think I can borrow your glass?”

“Of course, my lady, whatever I can do to help.”
He fumbled around the ground in front of him where it had dropped and handed it
to me.

“Thank you, my friends. You surprised me, and I
dropped most of the coins from the box. Do you think you could help me find
them? I will of course pay you for your efforts. I think that’ll help the
cause, right?” I asked innocently.

Deakon scratched his forehead. “We can’t take that
money, my lady. We need to make sure it gets to where it’s needed.”

“W-well, of course I’ll get the money where it’s
needed. I just thought you might need some as well,” I stammered.

Deakon stood by my side and held out his hand in
offering. “You’ll have our help regardless, my lady. We’re humbly at your
service. Just tell us where to go.”

I smiled and pointed to the tree from which he’d
grabbed me. “I’m afraid it’s not very far, just difficult to see in the dim
light and overgrown brush. I appreciate your kindness.” I batted my eyes and
walked purposefully to the back of the tree.

The sunken impression of my fall marked the soft
ground. I stood in front of it, hoping to block their view of my clumsiness.
The Golden Hero shouldn’t make mistakes.

“Here?” he asked, pointing to the ruffled leaves
and debris.

I nodded and knelt by his side. Before long, a
third pair of hands helped clear the ground and uncover the dark coins. I heard
them whistle as the box filled.

“Thank you,” I said, breaking the silence between
us. “So, I gather you’re on your way somewhere special?”

Deakon blushed and continued shuffling while Pipes
took the opportunity to stop searching through the leaves.

“Yes, we’re on our way to the new capital for
tonight’s demonstration,” he said, checking to make sure all his weapons and
tools were secured on his belt.

“Hmm?”

Pipes took the invitation and continued: “We were
called away when we got word of the execution. We barely made it there in
time.”

“Or out in time,” Deakon said.

“Yes, or out in time,” he admitted, lowering his
head and covering his heart. “Bless the king. I wish he didn’t have to go the
way he did.”

“How was that?” I asked, already knowing I didn’t
want to hear the answer.

“Berkos,” he answered grimly. “He had him killed.
Publicly, no less.” He hung his head. “It’s a travesty.”

I looked between the men. I still had no idea who
these people were or how this information could help me get home. “Is there
anything we can do?” I asked.

Both their heads jerked up as they looked at me,
then each other. Deakon responded, “Of course, my lady. That’s why we’re in
such a hurry to get to the capital. We have to spread the word and make our
plans. You already have something in mind, no doubt.”

I nodded and looked back to the ground. Ideas ran
through my mind, but they had nothing to do with these men or their cause, and
that unsettled me. “I think we’ve found all the money we’re going to. Thank
you,” I said, flipping a coin to each of them. Their faces registered a range
of extreme emotions until settling on grateful tears.

“My lady, we’re forever in your debt,” Deakon
said, touching the ground with his forehead once more.

“No,” I said, laying my hand atop Deakon’s. “I am
in yours. And I’m afraid I still need your help.”

Deakon exhaled and lowered his eyes. “Of course,
my lady, whatever you need. It’s just—” He pursed his lips and looked back at
Pipes.

“Just what?” I asked with an exasperated sigh.

“It’s just that we need to get to Lindle before
nightfall. We’re the entertainment,” he said, exposing the bright clothing
beneath his cloak proudly.

I smiled at the exaggerated costume, and then
glanced at the growing shadows in the forest around us. “You’re right. Of
course, we’ll need to be on our way then.”

“We?” Pipes asked.

“Yes. We. I’m coming too. I need to know more, and
you need to get to Lindle. It seems we can do both at once. Do you suppose
there’s a market there?”

They exchanged looks again and burst into
laughter. “Oh yes, my lady. Only the most extravagant market you’ll ever see.
The new capital is full of shops, food, entertainment, and more luxury than
you’ll find anywhere else in the kingdom.”

“Well then, it’s settled. We’ll go to Lindle, and
you can tell me more along the way.”

“But my lady, I don’t think we should,” Pipes
said, running his fingers through his hair. “Lindle’s not…”

“Not what?”

“It’s not…” He hesitated and looked to Deakon for
support.

“It’s not that we don’t want to help, my lady, but
the capital may not be what you’re expecting,” Deakon said.

I looked between the two, wondering what they were
leaving out. Danger or not, I needed that marketplace. “I think I know where I
need to be,” I said, hardening my gaze.

They averted their eyes. Pipes dragged his feet
through the pebbles, and Deakon sighed. He looked up and shrugged. “I suppose
you know what’s best.”

“I do know what’s best. Thank you.”

Pipes held out his hand with a slight bow. “Then
we are humbled to be your guides.”

With that, I took his hand as he led the way.

Their stories of the world and familiarity with
the woods sped the remaining journey. They flushed out the puff birds and
trampled the dragon weeds without concern as we marched down the path. By the
time Pipes finished his tale, I had more details of King Helio’s execution and
their trip than I wanted. Worse, after hearing about Queen Elin’s extended
confinement, I had no doubts about what they wanted me to do as the Golden
Hero. They expected me to save the queen. I shouldn’t have been surprised; I
had played this game for years. But knowing something intuitively and hearing
it aloud can be different.

We walked the rest of the way in silence, but
inside, my mind screamed. How could I give them what they wanted when it risked
my life and my chance at getting home? Besides, I wasn’t exactly hero material.
I glanced between my companions and bit my upper lip.

Pipes opened his mouth, and the lightest trilling
poured out. A trail of birds crowded behind us, streaking above our heads.
Blended together, his voice and the birds grew to a symphony. I heard the
familiar theme song burst through the hidden notes.

“We’re almost there,” Pipes said.

I nodded and smiled, hunched over to regain my
breath.

The forest ended sooner than I expected. The
canopy opened, and the distance between trees grew. Cobblestones formed in the
dirt, creating a modest road. The stones curved around the thinning trees until
flag posts replaced the trunks. A heavily fortified fortress of wood dominated
the landscape, more imposing than the simple market I had expected. I scooted
close to Deakon and peeked over his shoulders. Planks of knotted wood
alternated in a pattern up the broad face of the building. At the top, a wide
pathway guarded with armored men marked the space between the decorated towers.

“Welcome to Lindle,” Deakon said. “Everyone, put
on your happy face. It’s entertaining time.”

My companions removed their cloaks, draping them
over their left arms, revealing the bright outfits I had glimpsed earlier. They
touched their right hand to their chin, then forehead, and then reached out in
a strange salute to the guards.

A guard’s gaze drifted over to me, and I froze. A
lazy, yet expectant stare met my confusion. My heart choked me. What was I
supposed to do? The guard narrowed his gaze and barked an order to another
guard at his side. My fingers twitched. I didn’t know what move to make next.

Pipes whistled and broke through my hesitation. I
heard the beginning of the theme and hastily followed his previous gestures. I
held my breath. Had I done it in the right order? It was like punching in the
code all over again. Everything depended on the right combination.