Janisa (short story/fantasy)

Have you ever wondered what the purpose for a dream is? Why do we have them? Are they just random thoughts that are stirred up as the mind reenergizes itself, or are they something more. Perhaps a fragmented glimpse into another reality?

#

She was screaming in agony. Teetering on the brink of unconsciousness, from over exertion, her suspiring breath quickened.

Beside her, a man urged, “Just give me one more push!”

The woman let out one last scream before she drifted away into a silent calm. As the cry of a newborn baby filled the room with life, the woman’s wide-open eyes slowly began to fade into darkness. Her pupils dilat­ed, as she exhaled her final breath.

The last thing she heard before she slipped from con­sciousness was a man announcing, “It’s a girl!”

#

As the sun set beyond the horizon of a great fortress, a terrified woman evaded capture, running through the elegant forest that environed the castle. Embracing her newborn daughter close to her chest with both arms, she ran as fast as she could. She was wearing a formal ball gown that was fit for a queen, but it had been soiled and tattered from racing through the brushes of the forest.

Behind her, a mysterious black shroud tormented the cas­tle, omnipotent bolts of lightning striking. Clouds of smoke rose from its ruins, as an inferno devoured the entire kingdom. The dark shroud began pursuing after the woman from above, as she continued to race through the perpetual forest. The black clouds expanded across the sky and a shadow was cast over the trees; a shadow that appeared to poison them all. The trees and plants dissolved into nothing, and began falling apart like crumbling leaves expiring to ash in the pit of a fire.

She turned to see the ominous clouds gaining on her, and she suddenly stumbled over the mas­sive overgrown roots of a nearby tree. She twisted her body, so not to harm her child as she fell to the ground and felt the bones in her ankle snap. The woman screamed, more in horror rather than pain, and the clouds blackened the sky above her.

Behind her a mythical creature leapt over her and landed on the other side. Its forelegs poured into the earth with such power they drove their hard hooves deep into the ground, pushing mounds of dirt forward. The beast brought down its muscular hind legs gently as it quickly spun around to face the woman. Its feathery tail waved in the air, blocking her vision only for a brief moment. When he whipped his tail clear from her sight she saw the torso of a strong man attached to the body of powerful horse. The silver haired centaur was sinewy from his thick neck down to his equine legs, and he was covered with unique tribal tattoos.

He offered his hand to the woman, and urged, “Come with me!”

The woman held up her daughter with both trembling arms and demanded, “You must take Faith, and leave!”

“I will take you both!” he insisted, as he took the child.

Tears welled in the woman’s eyes as she said, “We will never make it! You must take her away from this place. She is all that matters.”

Then all of the vegetation around them suddenly began to deteriorate as the clouds hovered over them.

“Leave me, Sabio!” she pleaded.

The centaur knelt down and gently kissed her full lips. His face contorting from doleful suffering, he said, “I love you Christina.”

“I love you too.”

He hesitated a moment as he glanced down at the infant’s innocent face. Stoic by nature, she was far too young to understand the threat that was now bearing down upon them, and appeared so peaceful there in his brawny arms. He looked up at the dark clouds as they imbued across the sky, extinguishing the light of the sun with a macabre wall of darkness. With the baby safe in his arms he turned and fled, disappearing deep into the forest.

The great firmament of Janisa turned black, and it seemed to move like a churning lake of undulate liquid. A massive funnel suddenly dropped down and landed before Christina. Lightning struck all around the spin­ning vortex, as it began to transform into a figure on all fours. A large female lion emerged, lunging out of the tornado and pounced on top of the quivering woman. The vicious creature snarled at her, showing it’s ferocious, razor sharp teeth as it pinned her down with its meaty paws. It had glis­tening gold fur, and it wore a long chain around its neck, that had dozens of small glowing orbs attached to it. There were massive wings that extended high above the trees from its back. The feathers of the wings were like steel blades that shimmered in the light, the edges of each feather sharpened like swords, and stained by remnants of past victim’s blood. She was a sphinx.

The creature transformed. Her fur seemed to dissolve, revealing smooth silky human flesh. The bones in her body shifted violently, moving under her skin like a figure twisting and turning against a veil of thin cloth. The monster’s beastly jaw morphed into a set of lushes human lips, as the sinuous shifting in her chest settled into a pair of full human breasts. The creature had become a beautiful young woman with flowing gold hair, and fierce eyes. She was still covered with metallic fur, and her giant wings remained outstretched over the trees. She had long golden hair that fell down her back , her long pointy ears stood straight up above her head like the horns of a demonic figure.

“Muerte!” Christina uttered the name with fear quivering through her voice.

The sphinx Muerte stared down at her, with its sinister, cat-like pupils probing, and said, her voice echoing deep into her bones., “Where is the girl?”

“You will never take her!” Christina said, her voice seething, bravery working through her, delaying so her daughter could be carried away.

The creature  could taste the fear that dwelled within her, and licked the air as if sampling fine cuisine. She pressed one of her claws against Christina’s throat, and laughed - it was a chilling sound.

“Oh, my dear sweet child… You should know by now…” She leaned in closer. “You all fall to me.” she said with a menacing grin, before slitting her throat with the claws of her right hand.

Muerte stood over her kill, and licked the blood clean off of her dripping nails. With a sinister smirk upon her face, she added, “And soon I shall claim her soul!” She held up the hanging chain around her neck, and peered through an empty chamber at the end of it.

#

“For thousands of generations...” The faint candlelight flickered upon Sabio's face as he spoke. “Janisa has existed as a peaceful planet... But it wasn’t always so peaceful.”

The second voice that chimed in came from a young woman somewhere in the shadows, “Why not?”

Sabio paused a moment as he stepped into the shadows. Then he answered, “There was a time - long ago, when the kingdom had been usurped by The Dark...”

A searing image flashed before the eyes of the woman whom Sabio was speaking to. She saw a young Latino woman. Her lips, full, and hungry for the taste of another, locked in an osculate kiss with a young Arabic gentleman, in the middle of an earthly, modern world. She saw architectural structures so great she swore they could touch the heavens - trees that lined with the busy roads that held brilliant candlelight above them. Black rope stretched high above and connected to each of the breathtaking spires, and below them were strange creatures of all shapes and sizes that were wrapped in heavy armor and rolled on the roads upon wheels like wagons or chariots.   

She shook her head, escaping the fantasy to focus again on her mentor. Sabio smiled proudly at the woman he was talking to, as she stepped into the light and sat down before him; a lissom young creature, the girl possessed a toned physique that could only suggest years of strenuous training. She was a Hispanic young lady, with beautiful hazel eyes, and braided brown hair..

“Where did it come from?” Faith, the young girl asked.

“It was spawned by beauty, when Destiny was summoned...” Sabio explained.

“Destiny?”

Again Sabio smiled, as he replied, “Destiny is why you are here... why you were born.”

Faith's eyes lit up, as she listened care­fully to his story.

“She is the most ethereal thing in all of Janisa, yet there is only one whom has ever seen her. Risen from the holy waters of The Temple of Life, Destiny has no worldly bearers.”

Faith seemed bewildered as she asked, “But without a mother or father, how was she ever conceived?”

“Because, Faith...” he said. “Destiny was not born…she was given; summoned by a grand master Sage named, Hiko. The Goddess above blessed his wisdom with a gift." he paused and sighed softly, "But like most great treasures, it came with a terrible price.” As he continued to tell the tale, Faith envisioned it in her mind.

“Hiko went to The Temple to plead to the Gods for a cure.”

Faith saw a tall elf that had traversed across a great sea, to reach a beautiful, desolate island. The elf wore a pointed black wizard hat, a black robe and cape, and held a long, wooden staff in his hands. Arriving at the sandy beaches of the island in a small wooden kayak, Hiko was overwhelmed by the sight of the mountainous range of the great Island where The Temple of Life resided. He scanned the length of Mount Fate, until it vanished beyond the clouds; concealing the temple beyond an obnubilate of ashen fog.

Hiko climbed for several days before reaching the top, but when he did, he was so taken by The Temple’s mastery that all of his fatigue and misery vanished from his conscience. Coated with sparkling snow, the godly temple resembled a great white sand castle that had been built on the breaking shoreline of a beach. A tow­ering statue of a nude woman holding an infant child in her arms stood at the threshold of the mystical for­tress.

The incessant frigid wind beat down upon him, turning his cheeks red, and his long scraggly beard was beginning to freeze with a webbing of coruscated ice. Though his toes were numb, and his body weak from malnutrition, he was jovial as he admired the statue before him.

“Oh dear, m...mother of the world! How I long for your healing touch!” Hiko praised, trembling from the cold.

When he entered the temple, he found himself still shivering profusely, but the moment the doors had shut behind him, he felt nothing but warmth and comfort. The frostbite and infected wounds—all over his body—suddenly vanished, instantly convalesced.

Sabio said, “The temple assuaged him of all his misery. Hiko felt replenished, reener­gized… reborn!”

Inside it was like a cave of ice. The walls were made of shimmering crystal, and at the center, spilling over a white marble wall adorned with countless statues of nude human figures, was a great waterfall that fell into a stream of glowing sparkling blue liquid. Rays of colorful light from the sun beamed into the tem­ple through stained glass windows, which surrounded the inner sanctum. Flowers, trees, and vines claimed nearly every inch of the temple’s inner workings. Other than he himself, the only other life inside were the plants.

“There are only a few who are worthy enough to set foot beyond the gates of The Temple... Most, who are not welcomed, never learn of it until the Guardian Gardens of Mount Fate have already begun to feast on their broken remains.” Said Sabio.

As Hiko cautiously progressed deeper into the temple, along­side the mystical stream of sparkling liquid, he kept a trained eye upon the ubiquitous shifting plants. The moment he entered through the gates of the temple, the millions of flow­ers within turned to face him, as though they were watching his every move.

He waved his staff in the air while facing the slithering vines, and announced, “I am Hiko, Sage of the north! I have come to call upon The Mother!”

There was a brief moment of silence as the vines and plants circled around him. They rose high toward the stained glass dome ceiling, but they recoiled, clearing a path to the transcendental waterfall. Hiko took a step into the knee-high stream and cautiously approached it. As he drew near he looked up to see where the water was coming from, and found that it was pouring out from the mouth of another nude female statue, that resembled the one standing outside.

When he reached the threshold of the waterfall, he dropped to his knees, allowing the liquid to come to his chest. Clasping his magical staff between his hands, he bowed his head and began to pray.

“With the Seed of Isis pouring down before him from The Mother of the World, he prayed to the Goddess, and pleaded for a cure...” Sabio continued. “He even offered his own life in exchange.”

When he finished his prayer, the entire temple suddenly began to tremble. Startled, Hiko quickly stood and quailed as he scanned his surroundings in a panic. Even the Guardians of the Gardens seem disoriented by fear, as they immediately withdrew themselves from the stream to hide behind the towering statues that filled the temple. When the quake finally came to an end, there was once again serene silence.

Hiko heard a strange bubbling sound coming from behind. He slowly turned to face the source. There before him, a black liquid substance surfaced and imbued throughout the stream. Proliferating within the blue liquid like smoke, it soon transformed one section of the stream into an inky black tar. Then something began moving, submerged at the center of the inky liquid.

Startled by the sight, Hiko jumped back and held his staff up beside him, as if to swing it like a club. He heard the faint squealing cry of a baby horse, as a tar cov­ered oval shaped head with a horn protruding, whipped out of the stream. Curious, Hiko set his staff aside, and quickly rushed to aid the helpless animal. He reached into the thick gooey black substance and pulled the crying animal free from its grasp. Holding the small tar covered creature in his arms, he turned to once again face the waterfall and proceeded toward it. He washed the infant horse’s soft white mane under the waterfall to reveal its beautiful equine face and neck. Its mysteri­ous horn began to glow a bright blue color, as it uttered another innocent cry.

“This may be the greatest gift ever received from the Gods above...” Hiko exclaimed, as he admired the aesthetic, otherworldly ani­mal with astonishment. “I shall name her… Destiny!”

As he continued to cleanse the animal, the black liquid behind him began to boil. Steam arose from the tar, as another figure surfaced. As if to be floating unconsciously on her back, the silhouette of a human woman pushed through the tar. She had the claws of a monster, and her feet were like lion’s paws. Her entire nude body was covered in metallic fur that was completely soiled by the steaming black substance. Unaware of the second creature materializing behind him, Hiko proceeded to attend to the baby unicorn. The black matter oozed off of her arm as she extend­ed it out of the tar. Then massive metal wings exploded out of the stream, and slammed into the floor on either sides of it, causing a thunderous sound that permeated a tremulous echo throughout the temple.

Startled, the unicorn struggled in Hiko’s arms. His quailing eyes grew wide and he slowly turned to look back at what had caused the sound. When the animal escaped his grasp, it jumped onto the floor and quickly raced off toward the gates of the temple. As the small creature ran off it seemed to have mysteriously disintegrated into a cloud of sil­ver dust that vanished through the crack in between the two entrance doors.

Hiko just stared at the macabre monster now rising before him in awe. The creature’s wings were like a massive shroud of large razors, which extended out of her back as she stood from the liquid. She opened her glowing cat-like eyes, and a sinister smile stretched across her lips. Suddenly the monster transformed into a beastly lion, and lunged at Hiko.

“What happened to him?” Faith asked.

Sabio shrugged and replied, “Nobody truly knows…Some think the beast killed him... others believe that The Dark consumed his soul. Whatever the answer may be, one thing is for certain… Hiko is lost forever, and only his bloodline can reverse this curse that he has summoned upon us.” He paused a moment as he approached her.

 Gazing down at her, he said in a tranquil tone, “Muerte possesses a chain of power. With this chain she can draw souls from her victims, and thus trap them within her Hell for all eternity. That is why she must be stopped - her prisoners must be released.”

“Who are they?” she asked

“Your family.”

She gasped in shock, her countenance exuding a hint of dolefulness

Faith gave Sabio a curious look as she asked, “But if Hiko is gone, how are we to stop her? How can we free them?”

“With you, Faith!” He answered, with a veritable proud smile.

“Me?”

“Yes. You are the last descendant of Hiko’s bloodline.” Sabio explained. “Muerte carries the imprisoned souls of Hiko’s children around her neck, and only you can capture Destiny, and forever rid Janisa of her curse...”

There was a long moment of silence between the two as Faith pondered what perilous journey now lay before her with this new knowledge that Sabio had just divulged. Then she asked, “And if I fail?”

He sighed with grief and answered, “Then I am afraid that you will be added to her collection, and all of Janisa shall be swallowed by her wrath.”

Suddenly two elfin creatures stormed into the room. Though possessing all of the qualities one would imagine an elf to have—beautiful, with perfect radiant skin, pointed ears, and a sense of all-knowing nobility—they were both very tall and lissom in nature. The one to the left had crimson hair tousled in spikes, and the other to the right had his long hair of shim­mering chrome pulled back in a ponytail; their names, Malo, and Bueno, and they were the loyal guardians of Janisa.

“Forgive us for this intrusion, sir...” Bueno, the chrome elf said. “But we have warning that Muerte is drawing near, and she brings with her… The Dark!”

Fraught with alarm, she stood and said, “The Dark?”

Sabio arose on his four hooves, and approached a sword rack that was mounted on the wall behind him in the dark room. He removed a blade and turned to offer it to Janisa. The weapon was pulsating with a blue luminance, and the hilt was made of a transparent blue crystal.

“What is this?” She asked as she admired the remarkable sword now in her hands.

“It is the only weapon that can defeat Muerte.” Sabio explained. “But you and only you can wield it.”

Outside the castle, dark clouds gathered, as thunder­ous lightning illuminated the contour of a creature falling from the shroud. Soldiers looked to the sky, with fear in their eyes, as the monster extended its massive wings. Three soldiers quickly turned their arrows on her, but it was too late. She landed on the watchtower directly in front of them. With a perfectly executed slice of her wings, she removed the heads clean from their necks. Then, she grabbed the skull of the man before her with both hands and twisted his head completely around, causing an audible crunch in his breaking spine.

The body fell off the edge of the tower and tumbled to the courtyard below. All of the frightened soldiers were now looking up from the battlement of the castle walls, quailing behind the merlon walls of the notched parapet.

The creature peered out and announced with vehement bloodthirsty passion, “People of Janisa! Prepare to DIE!”

Her otherworldly voice echoed from the walls of the fortress like the sounding of an ominous trumpet in a vacant world; a trumpet that would herald in the end of all things.

Inside, her war cry sent fear into the hearts of both Sabio and Faith.

“What should we do?” Bueno asked Faith. “Should we run…?”

“Or should we fight?” Malo finished eagerly.

Sabio immediately intervened, saying, “No! You must deliver Faith to Destiny!” Then he looked at her and said, “Only the unicorn can give you the power to defeat Muerte! Without her, even with that sword at hand, you will founder.”

Trembling with fear, she shook her head, as she embraced the glowing weapon close to her chest. Sabio caressed the side of her face with his gentle hand and said, “You must be strong. The fate of Janisa is in your hands now.”

He turned to look at the two elves and said, “Now go, and may the Gods be with you.”

#

In a quiet nearby forest, a beautiful creature was drinking water from a small, calm stream. The animal was a unicorn, with glistening silver fur, sky blue eyes that were almost human, and a long mysterious glowing horn that stuck out at the center of its long oval shaped head. As it continued to drink, birds of multiple breeds, and other flying creatures swarmed around it. The unique white horse suddenly stopped drinking from the stream, and began searching its surroundings, as though it sensed something was near; something malign. The creature turned around and began run­ning off into the forest, where it vanished into a mist of silver dust that was caught and carried away by the breeze. The trees began to bow, as the wind picked up from an approaching storm. Then in that very instant, they were all dead; all of the trees, all of the plants, all of the lush greens, yellows, and blues, were reduced to ashen, curling, dry, lifeless twigs, bare branches, and crumbled leaves. Thick dark clouds were forming above, and they were hovering over the forest, moving toward a guarded castle on the horizon.

#

All of the soldiers drew their bows, aiming their arrows carefully at the beast through the embrasures of the fortress walls. Wicked lightning poured from the pitch-black sky like streaks of fire, and the wind was beginning to blow fragments of the surrounding dead trees in every direction.

Faith, Malo, and Bueno hurried out of the castle and raced toward a massive gate that had been built into the barrier wall behind the castle. When they reached it, Bueno yelled out to one of the guards, “Open the gate!”

He replied with concern, “But my lord, the Dark is here! We cannot allow Faith to go out into the...”

“Open the gate, NOW!” Malo demanded.

The soldier hesitated a moment, and then gave the order. “Open!”

One of the soldiers who were positioned on the barrier wall answered his call and pulled down a lever to initiate the gears. The base of the gate was only two inches off the ground when suddenly a massive black shadowy figure stormed through, ripping the iron gate off of the barrier wall and hurl­ing it at the soldier who was standing on the ground level just before it. Blood sprayed everywhere as the ravished heap of twisted metal smashed into him and continued toward Faith. Bueno quickly dove into her, pulling her out of harms way. The flying debris just missed them by inches.  When they hit the ground, the phantom monster walked in through the opening, and belched an earth-shattering roar. The ghostly creature possessed the silhouette of a dragon, with extensive skeletal wings, and crushing talons. 

Malo  looked up at one of the towers of the castle and yelled, “WE HAVE A BREECH!”

All of the soldiers that were positioned on top of the castle immediately took action, training their arrows at the dragon, and firing at will. Malo stared at the creature with an eager smile upon his face, as he withdrew both of his sai’s from their holsters around his waste. He spun the sai’s in his hands, and  pointed them at the dragon. The monster’s eyes found him, and howled defiantly. As the raining arrows pierced right through the transparent body of the beast as though it wasn’t even there, it charged after him.

Bueno stood up and yelled, “Malo, NO! We can’t risk a confrontation with this foe! We must help Faith succeed!”

“Well then, ask Faith what she wants to do!” Malo said as the creature continued to close in on him.

Then one of the arrows pierced the creature between its eyes, sending it crashing into the dirt. When it hit the ground it shattered into a cloud of ash that extended around Malo. There was a brief moment of silence, when suddenly the ground started to tremble, and a distant rumbling began to grow. The huge cloud of ash rapidly spread before the castle, forming into a thick hazy fog that blanket the kingdom. It blinded them all from seeing anything in front of the castle. Still, a prescient of dread was foreshadowed by the sound of a proliferating army that was closing in around them.    

Bueno looked at Faith and asked, “It is your choice. What do you want to do?”

Faith scanned her surroundings a moment, as if to search for an escape from the horror. She slowly stood back up to her feet, and asked apprehensively, “What do you mean?” 

“Do we fight…?”

“Or do we run?” They asked, as the rampaging sound quickly grew louder.

“But I thought... Did we not just defeat the Dark? All that should remain is Muerte!”

“No! The Dark is not one...” Bueno explained, followed by Malo who added, “Muerte is many and none!”

“What are you saying?” She asked with a baffled look upon her face.

Then Malo glanced back at her and said, “Muerte is the Dark, and the Dark is forever!”

“So you’re telling me, there is no stopping it?”

“No, that is not true. You can stop it!” Bueno replied with an intense look in his eyes.

Frustrated, she asked, “Why me?” 

“Because you control it!” Malo explained, when suddenly the rumbling sound came to an abrupt halt, and there was a moment of complete silence.

Seven soldiers were standing in a line, side by side with their bows still aimed toward the rear entrance of the castle. They were standing on top of another tower waiting anxiously for something to come through the open gates. Then the sphinx suddenly appeared again in her human form, her wings stretching out over the fog. She swept down from behind them and sliced all of their heads clean from their necks with her metallic wings. When all seven bodies spilled over the battlement and crashed into the ground, she cried out, "I have come for the last daughter of JANISA!"

“Muerte...” Faith said as she stared at the creature with utter horror in her eyes.

Muerte saw her and smiled sadistically. At that very moment hundreds of black dragons crashed into the barrier wall, and began working with feral rage to tear their way through it. Like a pack of hungry dogs after a piece of fresh meat, they gathered at the opening and poured into the courtyard, ripping the barrier into pieces. Suddenly, one of the monsters exploded through the phalanx of ferocious wraiths, and came running directly after Malo.

“SHOULD WE FIGHT?” Malo asked in an urgent tone, fol­lowed by Bueno who asked, “OR SHOULD WE RUN?”

Faith looked at Malo who was waiting for his orders, and then over at the giant creature that was stalking them.

“WE WILL FIGHT!” She yelled, as she ran toward the dragon and drew her weapon from its sheath.

She jumped in the air, and plunged the sword into its head, vanquishing the beast and causing it to explode into ashes. When she landed on her feet, she shot a challenging glance up at Muerte who was still perched on top of the castle with her massive wings expanded, as she returned her gaze with a sinister smile. Beguiled by her dauntlessness, she licked her lips and transformed into her lion form. The chimera monster then leapt off of the tower after Faith, her razor sharp claws extended out of her powerful paws, like the talons of a diving eagle. As she lunged toward her, Sabio suddenly emerged from the lingering fog, and jumped in front of Faith, a sword drawn at Muerte. She countered the attack by striking the sword from his grasp with her right wing, and with momentum from the jump she intercepted the huge centaur in her clutch, bringing him to the ground. Bueno grabbed Faith and pulled her away, while the centaur slid across the ground with Muerte mount­ed on top of him.

“We must flee!” he urged.

“But how?! We are surrounded by Dark! How are we supposed to get passed them?” Bueno questioned with concern.

Faith stared at the exit, as thousands of dragons crowd­ed the barrier walls from the outside. Then she looked down at the mysterious sword, which was now pulsating with elec­tricity.

“We don’t..." She said. "We have to go through them!”

Malo smiled at his brother, as Bueno spun his long bo staff in a circular motion around his hands.

“Then we shall battle!” He said as he pointed the bo toward the exit.

“Well, it’s about fucking time! COME ON!” Malo exclaimed excitedly as he ran toward the exit, just as a dragon began to crawl in.

Bueno looked at Faith and said, “Stay close, we’ll take care of these demons!” 

Faith followed closely behind but her worried eyes fell on Sabio. He strained to look over at her, his defeated horse body lying helplessly across the cobblestone ground, as the powerful lion held him down. The sphinx transformed back into her human form on top of him, and her snarling fangs, dripping with spittle, turned into the victorious smirk of a beautiful young woman.

"Forget about that little girl! Come night fall, all that she is will belong to me!" Muerte taunted, staring intensely into his eyes.

“Come nightfall, you will be no more,” Sabio countered, as he looked up at her with disgust. “And your sick sadistic spirit will be vanquished forever.

Her slender clawed hands still pinning him down at his shoulders, Muerte dipped her upper body into him, pressing her full subtle breasts into his human ribs, and then pushing herself back up, she arched her back seductively. The motion accentuated all of her sinuous curves. It was a sight that could mesmerize the weak, but Sabio knew that her beautiful form was nothing more than an illusion, and to this beast, it was merely a farcical act to mock the human form. Raising her hand to her face, she playfully bit down on the claw of her left index finger. With her opposite hand, she ran her supple fingers down her own abs, sensually caressing the lines. Then she drove her hand down lower, and as if in a state of ecstasy, she moaned, titillated.   

"Yeah!" She said excitedly. "I am one bad pussy, aren't I!" She continued, as she brought the razor sharp blade that was attached to the end of her long tail to the side of his face, cutting him just slightly across his cheek. Her fur covered tail moved like a snake, and the blade that was attached to the end of it was shaped like a jagged S.

Sabio smacked it away from his face, and stared at her with fuming umbrage in his glare.

She pressed the blade up against his throat and said, "I am one who will not accept failure. So I must continue my quest..." She picked up the end of the mysterious glowing chain that hung from her neck, and looked through the round empty chamber at the end. "To collect, at any and all cost."

“You will not have her, and you will not manipulate me!” Sabio said, resolutely.

Again she leaned into him, her slender arms pushing with such power, Sabio feared she would break his bones. She began playing with his silver hair with her hand as she said, "Poor, poor Sabio - so wise, yet so blind."

Muerte smiled, sinisterly, as her giant metallic wings wrapped around them both. She licked his left ear, and whis­pered, "I already have."

“NOOOO!” Sabio screamed as the wings enclosed around them. Faith stopped and looked back at them when she heard Sabio scream. She then turned and started to run back toward the dome of steel feathers that have become of them.

“SABIO!” She cried out in distress.

“Faith, NO!” Bueno yelled out to her.

A funnel cloud extended from the thick clouds and engulfed the steel dome. As Faith ran toward the funnel, she drew her sword to her side, preparing to strike the spinning cloud. When she reached the vortex, she swung her weapon.

A dragon rammed through the wall and began running toward Bueno, roaring ferociously. The beast opened its mouth as it approached Bueno from behind.. Malo jumped in to intercept the foul creature’s attack. He kicked the skull of the dragon; the impact stunning the beast, causing it to stagger to its side. Malo spun into the air, and threw one of his sai’s through the beast’s right eye. As he landed on his feet, the phantom exploded into ashes.

The funnel cloud dissipated along with the thick dark clouds hovering above the castle, and all of the dragons seemed to disappear as well, along with Muerte, and Sabio. When the sky cleared, and the sun’s light had once again fell upon the castle, Faith’s sword sliced through nothing but swirls of vanishing black vapors. A few drops of blood fell from the sky, and landed on the ground before her. She looked down at the blood, and dropped to her knees crying.

A vision flashed before her eyes. The vision was of a woman coughing up blood into her hands. Upon seeing the blood she panicked, and said in a wavering voice, “Oh… my God! What’s happening to me?”

Before she could understand it all, the vision was gone, and Faith found herself wiping the tears from her eyes, as she looked up into the bright calm sky.

“MUERTE! This ends, TONIGHT!” Her scream rang clear, across the battlefield as silence fell.

After a few moments, she picked up her sword and walked back to the opening in the barrier wall.

Bueno approached Faith and grabbed her arm before she could leave.

“Anger will only make it stronger.” He said with a soft admonishment.  He reached out and stroked her arm, and she angrily shrugged it off.

“But...”

“Trust us... We will fight together.” Malo said, as he placed a friendly hand on her shoulder.

“Do not worry about Sabio. He is strong.” Bueno reassured.

“Come now, we must continue our journey.” Malo said as he continued toward the exit.

Faith looked back at the ravished castle, and saw the remains of the soldiers laying everywhere. With concern, she asked, “What about the oth­ers?” 

“They no longer matter.” Malo said as he exited the confines of the ruined castle.

“But these people are my family!...”

Malo stopped and looked back at her, as he said stoically, “And Janisa is your home!... If Muerte destroys our home, there will be no place for our family to exist.”

“We can’t just leave them like this...”

“He’s right!” Bueno agreed as he followed Malo. “We must leave them behind.”

Faith glanced back at the aftermath for a moment, and then with a doleful sigh, she followed them, as they head­ed toward the forest that surrounded the entire fortress and expanded over the horizon.

#

Later that night, the stars were glimmering bright as Faith, Bueno, and Malo continued their journey through the dark forest. They headed into the wilderness in search of the unseen beauty, known only as Destiny. When they found her, she was drinking from a calm stream, deep in the woods. Faith stood rigid, staring in awe at the breathtaking creature before her. It was fully-grown now, with a long, twisted chrome horn at the center of its head. Its mane was a shimmering silver, its legs were strong and graceful, and its eyes a captivating sky blue. As if paralyzed by its very presence, Faith stood there with her arms hanging by her side, barely gripping the handle of her sword.

“Is that... Destiny?” she asked, enamored by her beauty.

“Yes.” Bueno replied, standing next to her.

“She is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.”

“Well...” Malo said. “What are you wait­ing for? Go claim her!”

“Wait... Something doesn’t feel right.” Bueno said, his worry lining his eyes.

Malo shrugged his shoulders and said, “It is no longer our decision to make.”

Then they both looked at Faith, as Malo explained, “The fate of our people... The fate of Janisa, is in your hands now. This is where your task begins.”

“What do you mean? What am I supposed to do?” She asked, petrified.

“You must now decide on your own.” Malo explained.

“Go to her... She’s waiting.” Bueno said with a reassuring smile.

Faith slowly approached the creature. Destiny stood still, staring at her as though longing her presence.

A flash of a woman giving birth suddenly dawned. The image was followed by that of a man in his early fifties that was driving a metal chariot on four wheels that was much like the ones she saw in her visions before. It was late and he was driving down a dark black road in the middle of a great forest.

As she proceeded toward the unicorn, Malo felt an awkward breeze brush across his back. Curious, he looked up into the sky.

Another vision came of the mysterious woman she had seen before, laying in a bed of bright white linens, holding her newborn child in her arms. The woman smiled with overwhelming joy.

Then she again saw the man who was driving the chariot. His tired eyes were closing, and his chariot swerved across the black road, the light of the lamps attached to it pouring onto the trees of the forest.

Malo found that when he looked up the stars had mysteriously vanished into blackness.

“Faith, WAIT!!” He yelled out. But it was too late.

A sudden gust of wind swooped down from behind, and knocked Faith to her hands and knees.

She saw a vision of the man crashing the vehicle into a tree, where it came to a violent halt.

Then there was a man in white who had leaned in to tell the new mother something. The news he divulged brought tears of tremendous sorrow.

“No! Not my father!” She cried out, holding her child in her tremulous hands.

A ring of towering flames appeared and rapidly circled around her Faith, blocking Bueno, Malo, from her, and tearing her from her fantasy.

Faith quickly stood back up, weapon drawn, and shaking in her unsteady hands. A portion of the flames transformed into Muerte, who was straddling Sabio’s limp, massive frame, like the prize kill of a predator. She was holding Sabio’s head up by his chin, as the razor sharp edge of her left wing pressed hard against his throat.

“Throw it away!!” The creature demanded in an echoing voice.

She saw another vision of the handsome man that she saw in her dreams yelling at the strange woman. They were both arguing before a cradle that held a crying infant.

“You want to leave?!” The man yelled at her. “Go ahead! Your mom died when you were born, and your alcoholic father killed himself in a car accident! So where are you going to run to? You have nothing without me!”

When the vision disappeared, Faith found herself still holding on to the sword. She hesitated a moment, as she gripped white knuckling tight around the hilt with both hands.

“NOW!” The sphinx demanded.

Faith glanced down at the sword one last time, before she chucked it through the wall of flames. The glowing weapon landed at the hooves of the unicorn on the other side, as the creature stood up on her hind legs and heaved.

Muerte smiled, and she leapt off of Sabio, to tackle Faith to the ground. Sabio’s head  slumped into the dirt. He was struggling to keep his eyes open as he looked over at Faith.

Muerte mounted herself on top of Faith, and said, “Faith, the spawn of Christina. We final­ly meet... You know, your family has been like a thorn in my side for quite some time. But tonight, my quest ends. Tonight, I will spill the blood of destiny!” She paused, as she leaned in closer to peer deeper into her eyes. “After I take care of you, of course.”

Faith looked back at Sabio, who was lying motionless on the ground.

Then she saw another image of the mysterious woman yet again coughing blood into her hand. That very instant, Sabio’s entire body jerked. He was suffering. Something within was causing him pain, excruciating pain.

Faith turned to look up at the creature and asked, “What did you do to him?”

“Let’s just say, he’s got his own battle to fight right now.” Muerte replied, with a maniacal grin.

“What battle?”

“The battle for his life!" Muerte answered. "The same battle you will be fac­ing soon... Unless...”

“Unless what?”

“Give in to me.” Faith gave her a bewildered look, as Muerte explained, “Just give up, and all the pain, all of the suffering... It will all be over. Just let me have Destiny, and I shall give you anything you could possibly wish.”

“There’s nothing you can give me!” Faith hissed, taking umbrage by her offer.

Muerte closed in until their noses were almost touching; her demonic eyes boring into her’s. “I can give you pleasures beyond your wildest dreams." Then as if magic, she transformed into the handsome young Arabic man that Faith had seen before in her visions.

“W...WHAT?” She stammered. “Who are you?”

A stimulating rush suddenly ran through her body, as she peered into the man’s beautiful brown eyes. Adrenaline pumped through her veins like a drug, sending her into a world of overwhelming pleasure.

Then she heard Muerte’s voice echoing in her mind. She said, “I can release you from this place, and take you to a world of bliss. All you have to do... is let go!”

Faith arched her back, moaning with pleasure. Then her eyes caught a glimpse of Sabio struggling in pain. Using his last ounce of energy, he said, “Destiny...” A vision of a baby being born in a modern day world, in a modern day hospital flashed before her eyes, as he continued; “Only Destiny... can release you!”

She looked down at the chain that hung from the creature’s neck, and she saw something shifting inside one of the orbs. At first sight, she couldn’t make out what it was that was moving within. She squinted her eyes and looked closer. Then she saw it; her mother’s face. She was trapped inside the orb, screaming for help. Suddenly, pictures came pouring into her mind of the baby from her visions being born and growing up to become who she was now.

Then she was dreaming again. She saw the woman slapping the Arabic man across his face as she yelled out of defiant rage, “You can’t control me anymore, Aki!”

When the vision faded, Faith looked at the man on top of her, and said, “No...”

The man instantly transformed back into Muerte, and she screamed with rage, "Why not?"

There was a vision of a breathtaking young Hispanic/Arabic woman, with long flowing black hair, light brown skin, and beautiful bright blue eyes.

Faith suddenly grabbed Muerte by her throat, and seethed, “Because, all I want…, all I need, is destiny!”

The unicorn leapt through the wall of fire with the mystical sword clenched in its mouth. Before she landed on the other side, Faith pushed Muerte’s body into the air, and jumped back to her feet. The unicorn spat the sword out from its mouth. Faith quickly lunged after the airborne Muerte, as she caught the sword in mid-air. She plunged it into her chest, push­ing the blade through her heart and out her back. When Muerte collapsed, she began screaming and moaning in pain, as Faith landed behind her.

With her adversary defeated, there was only one thing left to do. When she had reached the unicorn, Faith stroked its glistening silver mane and said with tears in her eyes, “You are the only one I need.”

“No! Don’t do it!” Muerte pleaded. “I’ll give you any­thing!”

“I don’t want anything else... but you.” She said peering into the beautiful eyes of the unicorn. Then she climbed onto her back and mounted her. Mysterious bird-like wings  mag­ically appeared on the unicorn. Its horn began pulsating crimson red, as massive bolts of electricity shot from it, and flowed through the sword impaling Muerte’s body.

“NOOOO!!!” She screamed, as her body suddenly exploded into ash. As Muerte’s remains vanished in a gust of wind, a flowing white mist appeared and stretched out toward her. As the mist spiraled around her she could feel the presence of her mother passing through it. When it had vanished, the unicorn began flapping its massive wings and flew off into the sky like a graceful bird. A blinding light surrounded Faith until she could no longer see... A thought passed as the light consumed her; She was the last daughter of Janisa, the heir to the throne. She wondered who would take up the crown if she left, continuing onward into the mysterious light. But in a flash, the thought was gone… everything was gone.

#

A Hispanic woman in her mid-fifties awoke in a hospi­tal room with no recollection of how she got there. Strange devices surrounded her bed, and they were beeping along with her pulse. Her skin was aged, wrinkled, and her aching bones felt brittle, and fragile.

“Was it just a dream?” She asked herself, with a baffled look upon her face.

A nurse approached her bedside and said, “Oh, Janisa! Your awake!”

Her words seemed almost alien to her, as though she had just awoken into another world. The nurse smiled and walked away as she said, “I’ll leave you two alone.”

Then a beautiful young woman entered the room, with long black hair, light brown skin, and remarkable sky blue eyes. She was like an angel who had come to mitigating her pain.

Suddenly, like the break of a dam, the memories of her life came flooding back; her forsaken childhood, growing up without a mother, who had tragically passed away giving birth to her. Her fall as a woman, to a man who had once manipulated her into believing she was nothing. The loss of her father, whom had met his end by the very thing that took over his life since he lost his wife; his misery drove him to drink, and the drink drove his car off a road and into a tree. Her illness, a brain tumor which land­ed her where she was now, lying in a hospital bed with a fatal condition. And finally, her redemption, when she discovered her one and only true love…, her daughter.

The moment she looked into the young woman's eyes, she understood everything. There was no Kingdom of Janisa. She was Janisa. It was merely the subconscious view of herself, where The Dark existed as her demons. The demons she had conquered after she captured her Destiny. Malo, Bueno as her conscience, Faith as her soul, Sabio as her mind, and the young lady, who now took her lissome hand, and held it in her own… with those distinctive sky blue eyes, possessing the aura of a sanctuary, where in them she found hope. Eyes that even baffled the doctor the day she was born, but were praised as a miracle by her mother. Without a shred of doubt in her mind, she knew exactly who she was. She was the one she fought so hard to protect. She was the one she loved so, that she risked her life just to reach her. She was Destiny.

“Mama...” Her daughter said, eyes flooding with tears.

Using what little strength she had, Janisa reached out and caressed the side of her face, as she said, “My dear sweet Destiny. I love you so much... And there is nothing more I’d like, than to live on and be with you forever. But my time has come.”

“No mama!” The young woman pleaded, squeezing her hand with a grip that threatened never to let go. “Why? Why must you go now? It’s not fair!”

 “Sometimes, life is not fair. Sometimes we make mistakes, we can never correct... Like your father.” Janisa said as she thought of the man that Faith saw in her dreams. “Getting involved with him was one of the biggest mistakes I had ever made... But, he is also the man responsible for the most impor­tant thing in my life. And because of that, I never regret being with him; because of you.” She paused. She squinted her eyes as she moaned in pain. When it had subsided, she continued, “It’s moments like these that make you realize how much of a bless­ing life really is. You learn that, no matter how hard the road ahead may become, you must never give up... Not until you’ve reached the end. Because the reward that awaits you is worth every last painful step you took to get there. No matter what happens…, you can never give up—”

“Then why are you quitting on me!” Destiny heaved with sad­ness.

“I’m not! I have already accomplished my task. My pur­pose was you. I was destined to raise you…, to love you, and I have succeeded.”

“How can I go on without you?”

Janisa thought about Bueno, and Malo walking side by side, and said, “Just follow your conscience...” Then she thought of the centaur Sabio. “Trust your instincts...” A vision of Muerte standing on top of a tower, with her wings extending into the black sky. “Overcome your demons...” Then she saw a vision of Faith walking toward the unicorn, as she continued, “And your spirit will guide you to your destiny...”

Suddenly she began gasping, laboring to breathe. The heart monitor raced.

“No, mama... NO!” Destiny pleaded, as she continued to cry.

“Destiny Aki...” Her mother said in a raspy voice.

“Yes?”

“I... I love you...”

“I will love you forever, mama.” Destiny said, as she felt the life fading from her mother’s rigid hand.

She kissed her on the forehead, as the heart monitor flat lined.

Janisa had one last thought before she passed, My beautiful princess… Destiny, Queen of my world.

#

Perhaps dreams are an unconscious sense of a distant form of self-awareness; a supernatural perception of the world, where the mental state of our humanity resides. Perhaps dreams are like the reflections we see when we gaze into a mirror, only nobody knows which side of the mirror is the reflection, and which side is the reality... But what if both sides were a form of reality? Then in that case, perhaps dreams are the spirit’s view of a reality that we reflect.