“That is right, you vile piece of filth, scream as I tear you to shreds and your essence leaves you. Cry out to those who cannot come to your rescue,” an unknown being said from the shadows. Just as Derek tries to call out for help, a dark vine shaped mist shoots from the shadows and into Derek’s torso. He gasps as his body slumps over lifeless.

I shot up breathless, sweat pouring down my face, and tears streaming from my emerald green eyes. As soon as I could breathe, I got right up and stumbled off towards Samuel’s bedroom to explain what I had just dreamt of and figure out what in the hell it was and what it means.

Derek

“Ha-ha!” I laugh to get myself through the slow, aching pain that I am enduring. “Do what you want to me, but just know that you will pay for this. You think you are the biggest badass out there?” I laugh again causing blood to splatter from my mouth and the shackles around my wrists to dance and clatter. “You will see, you will all see.”

A deep and mysterious voice seeped from the shadows, “You assume that you can so easily defeat me? Defeat all of the hell and destruction that I brought to this miserable surface?” A deep chuckle bounces off the wall behind me. The sound we so blood-curdling that I could not help but shiver. Suddenly, a black vine shaped mist slithered its way from the shadows and wiped itself towards me and into my right shoulder.

“Is that all you have? You are wasting my time.” I say those untruthful words, trying to mask the fear that lies within. I laugh through the slight sting coming from my shoulder. Blaze, please find me soon, I thought.

“Ah, you would like some more pain and misery before your death, I see? Wish granted.” And just like that, two more vine shaped veils of mist come roaring themselves into different parts of my body.

“Ahh, fuck!” I scream through clenched teeth. “You really know how to tickle a man’s soul, don’t you?” I pick my head up and grin a blood-filled smile. It was in that moment that I knew that I had to try and escape somehow or I was going to die.

Blaze

“Sam! Wake up!” I whisper urgently as I rock his body back and forth in an attempt to wake him from his sleep. He stirs in his sleep but does not wake up. “Damn it, Sam, wake up!” I shake him harder causing his eyes to flicker open.

“What the….” He rubs his eyes and takes a good look at me, “Blaze? What are you doing here?” He yawns as he stretches his arms over his head and slightly bends backward to stretch. As he does this, the muscles in his arms tighten up causing some veins to protrude from his arm.

“Uh, I um.” I stutter as I regain composure. “I think that I may have had a vision of Derek and he is not alone.” I shudder thinking back to what I had seen.

Disregarding my off reaction, Samuel almost instantly becomes alert, straightening up his back. “Are you sure? Tell me what you saw, please.”

I take a deep breath to prepare myself to envision the horror that I dreamt. “He was shackled up to a stone, maybe marble wall. He was covered in blood, most of which I am sure is his. He was screaming and calling out for me to come save him. I could not see who was torturing him, but I could feel that he was not alone.” I stop, tears filling my eyes.

“Hey! Shh, everything is going to be alright, Blaze. We are going to do everything within our powers to find him and find him quickly.” Sam takes me into his arms and presses me against him in an attempt to comfort me. He rubs my back as his other hand rests on my head.

“I-I need to ask the Goddess for protection over our castle. We cannot let this happen to anyone else.” I mutter as I sit back and close my eyes.

“Oh, Great Goddess. The Power that binds all the elements. The source of all power. Come, be welcome in this sacred space. I ask that you stand firm to guard, protect, guide, and fill all the energy created here. May it be for the good of all!”

As soon as that chant was finished and I could feel the presence of the Goddess, I called upon water to help aid in healing Derek to help him push through this until we can find him.

“Hail Guardians of the West, I summon the powers of Water! Rushing rivers, calming streams, the poetry of the soul in motion. With intuition, feeling, and the power to Dare, I call upon you and ask that you fall upon Derek to aid in the healing of the wounds that he has and for the wounds that are to come. Please, Water, go to him!”

As I look up from calling upon water, I notice that Samuel is looking at me with a look of utter amazement. He gently grabs my face and looks me dead in the eyes, “Blaze, you never cease to amaze me.” He says as and softly presses his lips against mine, easing into a heartfelt kiss.

To be continued…