Ishbosheth was shaken awake. Torres looked him in the eyes with a wide smile drawn across his face. "Wake up, my lord!" Torres said, nearly jumping with joy.
Ishbosheth stood to his feet, and Torres threw a fur-lined robe over his shoulders. "We had no idea you were of royal blood, my lord," Torres said, kissing Ishbosheth's hand. "Please, forgive us our cruelty. May we get you anything?"
Ishbosheth felt the lining of his robe. It was very soft and was white with small black spots. "What about my cousin? Princess Ana, Princess of Nu. She is under your order as well. Will you do the same for her as you've done for me?"
Torres knelt to his knees, clutching Ishbosheth's hand tightly. "Yes, majesty, she is being tended to right now!"
Ishbosheth felt his face growing warm. "Come, let me bring you to my master."
Ishbosheth was led through the crowd of dirty men, all bowing down to him as he walked past. Torres opened doors before him and led him into the main corridor he was in last night when he met Antony for the first time. And there stood Ana, in a matching robe and a crown of feathers on her head. "Oh, Bo! I'm so happy they let you go too!" Ana ran to meet him and the two embraced each other.
Torres, excitedly ran up the spiral stairs to a large set of double doors. "And now," he said, barely able to hold in his excitement, "may I present to you, Princess and Lord of Nu, Antony, King of Heest!"
The doors flew open, pushed by a strong wind. The wind caught Ana's wings and they ruffled out behind her, the fur cape between them down her back. Ishbosheth looked at his cousin. The smile on her face stretched from ear to ear and was so wide, it forced her eyes shut. Her hair whipped around like she was in a whirlwind.
Suddenly, the wind stopped. Ishbosheth looked back up at the door. The spiral staircase looked as though years had struck it. It was rusted and falling apart. Where Torres once stood was nothing but bones in a blue tunic, clutching the handle of the giant door, behind which stood another set of bones, wearing Antony's clothes.
Ishbosheth ran up to where the stairs once began, but before he got there, the bones of Antony began to topple. The sword he held in his hand fell from the balcony and at Ishbosheth's feet. The bones fell in a scattered pile, some on the balcony, others falling to the floor below.
Ishbosheth reached down to touch the sword, but as soon as he put one finger on it, it crumbled like sand. He heard crying behind him, so he turned. As he turned he heard the creaking of armor. He was suddenly dressed in armor from neck to toe. As he turned, he saw Ana, no longer wearing her robe, but a black cloak. And her wings were no longer stretched out, but drooping all the way to the ground. And her face was no longer smiling, but stained with tear lines. She was sobbing, but she couldn't wipe her tears, as her hands were bound to her sides. "Bo..." she whispered through her tears, "Bo..."
"I'm here!" he called to her, but she didn't seem to hear. He started running toward her, when a giant black bird swooped down and caught her in its talons. She screamed as the bird flew away with her. Ishbosheth yelled as the bird flew away, then looked back to where Antony's bones once stood in the doorway, but now there stood a giant bull, which leapt from the balcony, landed on the floor below and began charging at Ishbosheth. He put his arms up and prepared for impact, but a giant lion jumped on top of the bull before it could reach him.
The lion and the bull fought each other, but the bull tackled the lion to the ground and ran again at Ishbosheth. Its massive head pounded into Ishbosheth's chest.
***
Ishbosheth was shaken awake. Torres's scowling face wasn't a very welcoming first sight, "Wake up," he said, as he passed on by to shake the next one awake. "All you slaves are to report to the main hall. Your master will assign you your duties. You will do the duties you are assigned, and obey your master's every word."
It was a dream. Ishbosheth could feel the sweat running down his back and his legs felt like they had no bones in them. His hands shook as he stood up and got in line with the others. As they walked to the main hall, Ishbosheth couldn't stop asking himself, "What did that mean?"
No comments:
Post a Comment