As tired as Atum was, sleep did not come to him easily. In part, it was because he was afraid to sleep. The thought of the nightmares returning more powerful than ever was more than just worrisome; it was terrifying. Tomorrow's adventure would also be terrifying, though far less than what he would face if he went to bed. At least the Untamed could be felled by a sword or fooled. Whatever plagued their dreams could not.
He sat up from his slouched position against the bags of grain with a sigh. It was a way to keep awake, and also because slouching like that was bad for his back. He was young, but not dumb. He glanced around the room before his eyes settled on Shireen. "Are you going to sleep?" He asked the sailor.
Shireen had been the coolest head in the storage building and he had a softer spot for her since she'd checked on him in Norcrest, when the nightmares had started. In a way, he was just returning the favor by checking on her. He wondered if she was as uneasy about sleeping as he was.
She was glad for the distraction of Atum's words. The confession of the man from the other group seemed to have caused a lot of tension. She could understand why, truly, but at this point in time she didn't think it made a difference whether he was part of the Untamed or not. For the time being, she figured they could keep a very wary eye on him until he proved himself trustworthy to those who felt they had misplaced their trust. At the most, if he was a threat, they could always end his life. A harsh sentence, truly, but these were harsh times, as the day and night has clearly shown them all.
She looked away from the others and headed over to where Atum was sitting. "Hm..." Thinking about it for a moment, she settled down on the ground next to the Tumaran, stretching out her legs and crossing them at the ankle. Despite the relaxed stance, she pulled her sword and laid it next to her on the ground, where it would be easy to grab if needed. "I think I'mma stay watch for a bit..." She bit her lip, not disliking the uncertainty she felt. "I'm worried 'bout these nightmares, y'know... if we go sleepin' at the same time... who knows what'll happen, eh? That girl- Catriona- there ain' no reason t'doubt what she said 'bout dreams seein' we know 'bout the Oracle."
Sighing, she leaned her head back, looking up and the storehouse's ceiling. "Really didn' think leavin' the ship for adventure was gonna get me caught up in all this sh*t."
"Well, in a way, you found adventure." Atum commented. It wasn't the kind of adventure she was expecting though, of that he was sure. There was no sense of fun or exploration in it, not for her, not for him or anyone else in the group he was sure. "I did not expect to stumble into this mess either." He had gone to Norcrest to hear the king speak and to get back on his feet.
" The Untamed, magic, these nightmares..." A dry chuckle left his throat as he shook his head softly. "The nightmares are the only reason I've yet to fall asleep myself." He told Shireen. "What she said worries me too. It worries me far more than the Untamed." They were a tangible threat, something that could be fought and killed or even escaped from. But the nightmares came from a personal place. They struck while you slept, something you couldn't avoid doing for long without dying. He could still remember the first one he had, his face curling up into a frown as he recalled it. "Maybe a watch isn't such a bad idea."
"Mhm…" Shireen let out a small yawn before shaking her head. "I won' be able t'sleep right away, what with all that's gone down here an' before…" She cast a glance in Rayela and Alana's direction, noting the two had secluded themselves. "You sleep first. If I see somethin', I'll wake you up."
"Alright, I'll sleep awhile." Atum didn't have much of an argument to make. He was exhausted from trying to heal Cassie earlier. "But you'll need some rest as well. Wake me after a bit if I'm not up myself, and I'll take watch while you rest up." He told Shireen. "Half an hour or so should do me good."
He lowered himself to the ground, using the bag of grain as a pillow to get as comfortable as he could. It wasn't a bed by any means, but he was accustomed to sleeping in worse conditions than this. "I'll see you in awhile, I suppose." He murmured, closing his eyes and letting sleep over take him.
"Sleep we-" Shireen stopped herself in mid word. Sleep well? It wasn't a possibility anymore, was it? She remained silent, watching over the Tumaran, though her eyes shifted as she looked at the others. What was going through the minds of those who were still awake? It was clear to her eyes that everyone knew the princess needed to be found and returned to her place in Norcrest. But what were they going to do about Wymond? Right now there was mistrust and discord, with too many people hurt and betrayed. It was impossible to think of a rational way to solve their dilemma.
Thoughts consumed by their plight for more than a moment, it took Shireen a little while before she realized how restless Atum seemed. Cussing under her breath, she reached out and patted his shoulder gently.
"Atum. Atum, it's a dream. Wake up."
The Tumaran didn't wake and began writhing in his sleep instead. His arms pinned to his sides by some invisible force. His teeth were clenched tightly together, groans of agony rising from his throat as he struggled against whatever it was that had him pinned. Sweat rolled down his face in general amounts but his eyes stayed shut. Slowly but surely, a cut began on Atum's temple and slowly extended down the side of his face, blood dribbling along his skin.
Shireen's eyes widened, seeing the trail of red. She sat up from her former relaxed stance immediately and shifted to her knees, hand no longer on his shoulder but forcefully patting at Atum's face. "Atum! Wake up!"
The wound stopped growing and Atum jolted awake, eyes opened wide and red. For a moment, he looked as though he didn't know where he was, but slowly everything came back to him and he rested a hand on his face, only to pull it back when he felt the blood. He stared at the crimson liquid for a moment before looking at Shireen. "Thank you...thank you." He breathed. He had started to recollect himself, but it was clear he was shook to the core from what he saw.
"I tried t'wake you up 'fore that cut…" Her voice trailed, a frown creasing her forehead as her eyes were drawn to the blood. Reaching over, she lightly touched at the blood, pulling her finger back when she felt the wetness. It was real, that much was certain. "Here, let's get you sittin' up."
Atum sat up slowly, a sigh escaping him. "I slept harder than I intended..." He mumbled, shaking his head. "It was way worse than the first time. The first nightmare was just personal. This one was so...real." He touched the wound on his head again and winced.
"I was back in Tumar again. Back in what was left of my home." His gaze turned to the floor as he recalled the dream. His body still felt like it was back in Tumar. He'd only just now stopped sweating, but his body was still hot as if he'd been in the desert again.
Shireen had been fiddling in her satchel whilst he had been talking. Unsure of whether he wished to continue or stop, she decided it would be best to take care of the wound. She held out some bandages for him, quiet but clearly concerned.
"I was tied up again, like in the first nightmare. My..." He paused for a moment and his eyes narrowed as he remembered, "My dad was there. He was almost like he was when I buried him. Burned and..." He swallowed and shook his head once more. "But he was practically made of fire. I could see the flames rising from his throat whenever he spoke. It was in his eyes, even. He was going to execute me, just like the last dream. You woke me up just as he was dragging his blade down my face, towards my throat." Before that, he'd been drug through the scorching sand and beaten. He felt like his torso was covered in bruises, and knowing that he was bleeding from his face, he probably was.
He looked to Shireen, taking the bandages with a thank you as he applied them to the wound. "He was really going to kill me." He knew it wasn't his father, not really, but it took his face and his voice. "I thought it'd be easier, I felt more prepared this time..." He muttered.
"Dunno how prepared we can be, Atum." It was probably not comforting to hear, but the fact of the matter was clear to her. "If I hadn' woken you..." Would he have been dead? She didn't know, but at the very least he would have been very injured. "All I know is we gotta be very vigilant." Her teeth ground against each other, upset and frustrated yet not willing to show it. "How we're ever gonna be able t'rest..."
And even then, with the current discord between everyone in the storehouse, how were they to even find the princess and stop all the nightmarish madness from spreading?
"I dunno how're we're gonna do it, Atum." Her voice was low. "Y'think we can all do it, the state we're in? Fix up all this sh*t?"
Atum was silent as he thought about what Shireen had said. The odds were against them, no doubt. The group was filled with people who didn't know each other. Half of them didn't trust each other and the Untamed had nearly every advantage. And now they couldn't even rest without risking death. It seemed hopeless, and he could hear in her voice that she knew it.
"I don't know how we're going to fix this problem..and I don't know that we can." He started, biting his lip for a moment. "But, I think we have a chance to fix it. None of us have died yet, we know where the princess is, and, for better or for worse, we have magic on our side." He reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder. "The odds are not in our favor. But they're not completely against us either. I have faith that we can do this."
He believed every word of what he said, but he was still worried. The second group they ran into brought up more problems than he cared to admit.
Shireen sighed softly. She knew what he was saying was true, but even for a person like her, who always tried her hardest to see the bright side, it was hard to see the light for all the shadows. Yet she knew giving up was no option here. She had to help bring the world back to how it was. Back to a peaceful state where nightmares were just things you saw when you slept and for the most part forgot when you woke up.
Giving Atum a ghost of a smile, she nodded. "Aye, gotta have faith… guess it's just kinda hard t'always be positive." Taking a deep breath, she slowly let it out, eyeing the others who were still asleep. So far they seemed fine… maybe a little shuteye would be worth it, even for a few minutes.
"I'mma close my eyes for a bit," she said. "Make sure t'wake me up, even if ya gotta kick me."
"Yes. A little faith can go a long way." Atum nodded his head and returned her smile the best he could. "I'll keep close watch, don't worry." He assured her. "Rest up as much as you can." They were going to need to be in good condition tomorrow.
"As much as I can, aye." Shireen cast a grateful glance in his direction before leaning back against the bags of grain. Half wishing she had her hat to cover her face, she closed her eyes.
Sleep did not waste its time in visiting her, and once again Shireen found herself on a rocking ship, wind blowing through her long auburn locks. Don' tell me… She didn't even have to turn away this time. Jarus was standing there before her, looking the same as ever, save for the expression on his face. It was hard and cold, as if all the warmth had been sucked from him.
"You're just a dream." The words came out harshly, but Shireen knew she had to harden herself. If she didn't, she would get hurt as well. She had to wake up-
"It's your fault we're dead, Shireen." Jarus took a step forward, and as he did she could see that it wasn't just his expression that seemed cold, but his eyes… in fact, they were completely black, like obsidian.
"You're… not real!" Shireen reached down to her waist to grab her sword but found herself simply reaching for air. It wasn't there, despite how careful she was at always keeping her blade close.
"If you hadn't been born, your mother would still be alive, Shireen." That voice- Shocked, Shireen could only watch as Jarus took another step towards her. Even as he did, she watched in horror as something seemed to grow out of his neck like an overgrown tumor, until features could be seen.
"P-Pa-" The words came out choked as she stumbled back, falling onto the wooden floor of the main deck. She tried to get up but any chance of that was put to a stop as Jarus reached her and slammed a foot against her chest, keeping her pinned in place. As she struggled to move another head was beginning to show, this one growing out of Jarus' chest, looking down at Shireen, though there were no features save for a large grinning mouth. From either side of the head dark limb-like tendrils burst out of Jarus' chest, each one wrapping themselves around Shireen's throat.
"I died bringing you to the world." The voice was raspy, unfamiliar. Even as the head spoke, the tendrils around her neck began to tighten.
"We died because of you," the three heads said in unison. "Now, you must die, Shireen!"
Unable to move, Shireen clawed at her neck, trying in vain to rid herself of the tendrils that were trying to suffocate her to death.
Atum was thinking about their next move when he caught notice of Shireen clawing at her throat. Cursing under his breath, he grabbed her by her shoulders and shook her. "Wake up Shireen, wake up!"
Her eyes burst open and she struggled to sit up, only to realize she was already sitting. Gasping for air, she gingerly touched her neck; though she was unable to see it, there were bruises that were beginning to show. Her hand lowered to her chest, feeling a sting of pain where the boot had slammed into her.
"Thanks," she managed, still trying to catch her breath. From the corner of her eyes, she could see the others. "Atum- we gotta wake them too!"
"Right!" Atum was quick to act, practically jumping to his feet as he rushed to wake the others. "Everyone, wake up!" He yelled as loudly as he could. Amal jolted awake from his owner's yell, trumpeting loudly in confusion and surprise.
Shireen got to her feet a little more slowly, wincing at both the pain from the bruises around her neck and to her chest. As she did, she made sure to pick up her sword as well. Who knew when she would need it. The way things were headed, she wouldn't be surprised seeing a multi-headed monsters stepping through the door towards them.
