Help Me | Drew -- Archaleos

THERE'S A RECKONING A COMING, IT BURNS BEYOND THE GRAVE

Archaleos' gaze tracked the woman with the air of a wary cat as she stood up, evidently accepting both of their requests on dreams to view. The fact that she seemed to have that power— to manipulate this dream world freely, and to provide them a viewing seat —clued him in a bit more as to her identity but he was still having trouble placing a name. Was this woman really a Goddess? It seemed... grossly far fetched yet, after what had happened thus far, Archaleos was more willing to believe the truth in things that one would call "out of the ordinary". He'd have to investigate all this more when he woke up.

The Hunter's previously neutral expression twisted into a touchy scowl when she spoke of his request. Like it was predictable. Like it was anything but a whim, because it certainly hadn't been anything beyond something to say when he had no other ideas. Nothing else. Archaleos' bit of brooding was cut short as the rope shot up into the sky and (distracted by the object's sudden appearance) he had no time to react to being grabbed until he was slung over the Goddess' shoulder. 

...what. Archaleos simultaneously choked on his next inhale and tensed up all at once, evidently trying to process the position he now found himself in. Won't bite? Oh Gods that scarab thing was right next to his head and he had nowhere to grab how was he even expected to react to this?? Ghh. Giving up the ghost, Archaleos settled on remaining very still— eyes comically wide —and curled his arms in towards his chest in one big ball of tension. That was also how he remained through the ascension up into the sky (though his eyes ended up screwed shut) and the teen only seemed to actually breathe when he was set down on— a cloud?

He stared up at the monstrously tall woman when she made to speak her parting words and, still thoroughly shell shocked, there was no way he was getting out any kind of response before she was up and away. Consider leaving some tokens at one of my shrines. Uh huh, well, that cemented Archaleos suspicions on her being some sort of deity. Which was... not comforting. Alright, moving on, where was he now? The cloud's movement was what drew the young Hunter into looking around and (deciding to stay sitting) he swept his gaze about quizzically, finding a wave of familiarity rushing up to meet him. It was a place Archaleos hadn't seen in person in quite some time but, nonetheless, there was no way that he would forget his family's vacation home where they had spent many a summer. There was the house, the yard, the lake, and... oh.

It was him, and Caleb. Both as they'd appeared years ago, yet Archaleos' brain was very helpful in providing a slow trickle of memories to fit in with the scene like matching puzzle pieces as it went along. Was this going to be all he saw, then? A flashback? Archaleos looked away with a muted scoff as the ghosts of himself and his brother filled the air with the sound of childish laughter and, as if his thoughts on the scene had prompted it, the weather suddenly changed to prove to him that no— this was no mere memory. Thunder crashed loudly enough to startle him and he looked back sharply, finding the scene drastically changed.

The storm was... correct. They'd gone out too far one day, stayed out too late, and had to wander their way back through a downpour but what he recalled was nothing like this. The lake and the house had vanished and the apparition of himself and his brother were surrounded by forest, endless trees that never thinned. No matter how stubbornly Caleb pressed on. ...was that what he looked like now? True, it had only been about two years since Archaleos had last seen his brother but the young man looked older now, especially compared to the childish figment he was leading along. Caleb's intent to protect his brother in any way he could was obvious and it was nigh impossible to look away from the scene that was unfolding yet, wait, he couldn't hear what was being said over the storm. The roar of the falling rain— soaking the dream's inhabitants while leaving Archaleos untouched —overshadowed any words that were said and the Hunter was left to gather what was happening by what he saw. The younger version of himself was yelling, snarling at Caleb, ripping his hand free before running off into the pitch black of the surrounding woods. Caleb desperately called after him and Archaleos could just faintly hear the sounds of his own name said in that pained, pleading voice.

He opened his eyes to the sight of his bedroom ceiling.

A brief moment of silence ticked by before Archaleos was gasping and his muscles seized, jerking him upright into a sitting position with his fingers fisted in the sheets. His fingers. Bringing his hands up for investigation showed that, yes, the flesh and blood had been replaced with metal once more and Archaleos' surroundings were silent and calm, said silence only broken by the heavy beat of his pulse. He was awake. He made it out. Sitting still and waiting seemed to be the best fix for the electric tension still wired beneath his skin and, after a few minutes, the Hunter's adrenaline cooled off to leave a feeling of leaden heaviness behind. His mind was still buzzing over what he'd just experienced, but it was over now. Hah. Wordlessly, Archaleos drew his knees in towards his chest and crossed his arms atop them, pillowing his head at an angle to stare vacantly out the window. It wasn't as if he was going to get any more sleep tonight.