The Dreamer And The Deceiver (Book 1)

The Last Light Book 1:

The Dreamer and the Deceiver

Alex Villavasso

Prologue I: Forest to Flames

“Brother!” A young girl cried out from her room in the middle of the night, saturated with sweat as she clung to the ruffled blankets that once covered her body. Within seconds, a man rushed through the door to her aid, knife in hand.

“What? What is it?!” His uneasy breaths flared his chest with every sharp exhale as his eyes darted quickly around the room, anxious to find an intruder. “Are you hurt?”

“No,” she said as she began to calm down. “I’m not hurt.  I—I just had another dream. This time there was a burning village and a boy—no a man, fighting against another man.”

Her brother studied her skeptically, drawing time to construct an answer before responding to his troubled sister.

“Dreams are…just dreams, sister.”

“No…they’re not. Not with me. Last time it was the execution
, and before that it was the raid. Dreams are dreams, but these were no dreams. They were real. How many more can I let go unanswered? We have to do something!”

The mysterious man grew silent as he stared into the eyes of his determined sister. The fear that surrounded her was no more.
“Even if you are right, sister, I can’t risk it. Forgive me. If your premonition is just that, who are we to challenge fate? If the fire does come to pass, I will scout the area in the following days. Other than that, we need to remain safe and unnoticed.”

“But you can’t! You can save them all!”

“I am fully aware of the situation, sister.  We must all live with the choices that we make. Just know that I chose your safety.”

As he turned away to walk back to his quarters
, the familiar sting of guilt tore at his insides, causing him to question his words. 

Prologue II: For the Ones He Loved

Thirty…forty…how many people did I just kill?

Emil pondered as he sank his knees down to the ground in exhaustion. His breath was heavy
. His hands trembled. The once blackened night sky glowed blood red as the flames from the burning forest illuminated his surroundings. The place he once called home was no more.

A series of tears ran from his charred cheeks, carrying the smeared blood and ash as they fell to the ground. His clothes were tattered, his dagger bloody. The fire that once lit his eyes was no more. From his sunken position
, he released his last bit of will and fell to the ground face first, weakened from both the battle and the loss of his friends. The ambush was over, but once again, Emil was unable to save anyone.

Emil laid there motionless
, waiting for death to come, but the reaper never answered. He was tired of running, tired of fighting, and tired of the pain that followed him wherever he’d go. For some time he laid there until the sound of two distinctive pairs of feet raced towards him.

More?

With his body still against the ground, the sounds of the rapidly approaching entities grew louder.

“Ah! Help me! Somebody! Please!” A blood-cur
dling shriek echoed throughout the burning forest.

A woman? From…the village?

With new life, Emil opened his eyes and stood to his feet. He glanced over at his left hand, examining his palm as it dimly glowed before sparking out. Emil grasped at his arm, winching in pain as the light faded to a faint glow.

It’ll do.

Emil clenched his fist, harnessing whatever he had left into his palm, before running off into the forest.

With the constant screams as his guide
, Emil raced deeper into the woods until he gained eyes of the situation. It was a girl, not much younger than himself, backed into a tree by one of the ambushers.

Why is she here?

She didn’t look familiar. She was an outsider. By now she probably realized that coming here was a bad idea. Emil, still wounded, hid behind a tree not far from where they were waiting for his chance to ambush him. A direct fight wouldn’t be in his favor in his current condition.

The guard lowered his sword as he approached her steadily.

Move. Move!             

From the depths of his soul Emil wanted the girl to keep running
, but her nerves got the best of her, causing her to freeze.

“Well look what we have here!”
the guard said as he stroked his hand alongside her cheek. “What is a fine young lady like yourself doing out here in the middle of all this?” He came in closer to her, pressing his body against hers, pinning her to the tree. As he came in closer to her, her knee-jerk reaction was a swift punch to the nose that landed flush against her target. The guard stumbled back, momentarily stunned by her resistance to his advances. The girl then broke free from underneath him and attempted to run once again. While her escape was spirited, it wasn’t enough. Before she could put viable distance between her and her pursuer, his hand flung out grabbing her by the hair and raked her to the ground.

“You bitch!”
the guard yelled out in a fit as he cupped his bleeding nose with one hand and drew his sword with the other. From the ground, the girl crawled away, desperate to avoid what was to come as the guard slowly walked towards her.

“I tried to be nice
, but it seems like you’re the type of whore who likes it rough.  Fine by me.”

Emil watched from behind the foliage. He saw the twisted smile
grow across the guard’s face as he drew closer and closer to his victim.

“Leave me alone!” She drew a dagger that she hid in her boot but compared to
his sword and armor, her weapon was of minor threat.

The girl threw a composition of dirt
and leaves in the guards face, hoping that it would blind him, but it was to no avail. In a panic, she attempted to rise to her feet and run again, but her plan was thwarted by his blade laying across her chest.

“Drop your dagger.”  He said calmly as he raised the blade from her chest and lightly dragged it across her neck before sheathing his blade once again. “Now make one more move and
I’ll kill you.” He drew closer still, but this time the girl didn’t move.

“Take off your clothes.” He said with a chuckle.

“You’re a fucking monster!”

“But, yet, you still want me.” He grimaced. “Pathetic.”

The guard starred and waited while she stalled, reluctant to fully undress until he grew angry and drew his sword once again.

Shit.

The guard lunged out with his sword aiming for the young girl’s heart but was met by a glowing hand placed on top of his forehead. Emil, using the last of his strength, channeled his remaining energy into his left hand with a bellow that resonated from his soul. His palm ignited with a radiant burst of light that brightened the interior of the forest with a soft blue hue.

The sound of metal clanking against the ground was soon followed by the thud of a lifeless body. Emil stood solemnly in the same position
, panting heavily and barreling his right side with his free arm.

Wasn’t… fast…
enough.

As devastating as it seemed from the onlooker’s point of view, the death was painless. It would have
, in fact, been easier for Emil to stab him mercilessly to truly give him the death he deserved, but despite what they said, Emil still had a heart. Regardless of how they treated him he knew he was still human.

The young lady looked in shock at Emil standing before her. Though her eyes were open the whole time, she was not able to trace
what had just happened.

“Are…
are you ok?” she asked, not entirely sure what to believe.

“Is… there… anyone else?” Emil asked between his fleeting breaths.

“No.”

“Good.”

He collapsed face first once again to the ground. From where his hand lay, blood could be seen oozing between his fingertips, forming a puddle underneath him.

No…
survivors.

Chapter 1: A Past Life

Emil was a drifter and had been for as long as he could remember. For years he had been on the run, only stopping for supplies when necessary, avoiding the main roads and the ever looming Vanguards who were searching for him: either dead or alive. Only recently had he slipped up, causing the calamity that had fallen on the innocents in the town in which he stayed. After running for so long, he only wanted a place to call his own, a warm bed to rest his head on at night, and the laughter of a loving family. This is what he longed for, but it was something it seemed he could never have. As his life seeped into the ground through his drenched tunic, memories of times past flooded into his psyche. In his final recollection, there was no peace. No matter how good those times were, he knew in his heart that he had made the wrong decision.

“E! E!”

Emil was lying down, submerged in a bed of flowers, watching the clouds pass overhead in a nearby meadow on the edge of the village lines. It was nice where he was. The perfect spot. Peaceful. The sun warmed his body as the wind brushed over his coarse blond hair.

“Hm?” he sat up sluggishly and bent his arms over his knees. “What’s wrong, Serenity?”

“What are you doing down there? If you wanted a nap, you could have just gone back home. The guest room has been yours for awhile now.”

“Yeah…
so? It’s peaceful out here. I don’t have to deal with all the commotion going on in the village.”

He turned his head and looked past her red flowing hair at the village that lay behind where she stood.

“You know… everyone in the village loves you… especially after what you did for my mom. You’ve been here for more than a month already. You don’t always have to be alone all the time.”

Realizing what she said, her face flushed red but Emil didn’t seem to notice. Serenity folded her skirt and parted a path through the bed of flowers before sitting next to Emil. She looked over at him and noticed his sullen face. From the corner of his eye he saw her, but he continued to look forward, ignoring her sky-blue eyes. Instead, he picked up a few crinkled petals from beside him and held them in his palm until she looked away.

“So what are you looking at?” Serenity asked as she lined up her gaze with Emil’s. His eyes were also blue. But instead of reminding her of the sky like her own, his reminded her of crystals. They were deep. They were not hollow and vast like the sky, like hers, but layered. It was as if he was holding something in, afraid to tell the world what was really going on inside.

“The people.” Emil said as he opened his outstretched palm and watched the petals dance
elegantly as they were carried away by the blowing wind. “It’s nice.”

From where they sat
, they could clearly see the thriving village and all of its merit. Children playing, vendors, entertainers; the streets were alive and full of energy. Serenity looked at Emil once again. She wanted to feel the same way that he did, but when she looked there was nothing.

“Yeah
, it is nice.” he said as he exhaled out into the atmosphere, dispelling the faint smile he wore only seconds before.

“Yeah, it is.” Serenity answered for his sake.

After wandering for so long, Emil finally had a place where he could be at peace. A place to rest his head. A place to call his own. The change of pace was nice, but in the back of his mind, there was always the thought that they’d find him. Seldom did the thought of not leaving cross his mind. Daily, he struggled between the two courses of action. No matter how nice it was, he knew that as long as he was around, the village would never truly be safe. In all honesty, he liked the hustle and bustle of the townsfolk. He enjoyed the company of the clamoring and curious kids. He loved everything about the village of Nerai. He was only on the outskirts of the village because he knew that the further away he was from them, the safer they would all be.

“Well, I just came to tell you that dinner is ready. Just come on by whenever you’re ready
.  Just make it quick. You don’t want it to get cold.”

S
erenity stood, placing her palm on top of Emil’s, using it as a crutch to elevate herself. When she gained her balance, she slid her fingertips gently across his hand before walking away. Emil watched as her dress swayed hypnotically as she walked in front of him. Her flowing red hair, along with her symmetric figure, pulled him away from his wandering mind.

“Hey!”
he called out. “Wait up for me!”

“Oh, so now you decide to tag along?”
Serenity said as she laughed. Her face shinned like the sun whenever they were together. Given the life her family had lived, her happiness was well received. When she was happy, so was Emil. Like the warmth of the rising sun her joy seeped into him, making him come alive.

“I’m starving! I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I stopped and thought about it.”

He sprang up and jogged his way towards her through the meadow where she stood, arms folded, waiting for him. As they walked through the village, the town’s people watched him as he passed by and whispered amongst themselves. Even though he had been around for quite some time now, some of the town’s folk were not at ease. To most, he was considered a hero. To others, a monster. The latter, he was used to.

As they walked, Emil and Serenity passed beside a group of children playing in the street. They were relatively unnoticed until one of the smaller children stopped, snuck up from behind, and punched Emil in the hip.

“Ow! What’d you do that for?” He laughed and picked up the small child, hoisting him up on his shoulders.

“Taeo!” Serenity lashed out. “What did I tell you about hitting people!?”

“It’s cool, didn’t feel it…” Emil said with a shrug.

“Oh really? Well how do you like this
?! Hi-yah!”

A f
lurry of slaps rained down on top of Emil’s head as he walked, ruffling his choppy blond hair. After Taeo’s barrage of slapping ceased, Emil stopped and turned to Serenity with a blank look on his face.

“Did something just
…hit me?”

Serenity starred back at him, confused.

“No? Okay, didn’t think so.”

Taeo laughed in amusement while Serenity was off to the side
, shaking her head in disbelief.

“What am I going to do with you two?” As disappointed as she tried to sound, she couldn’t hide the smile that was radiating from her face.

“Oh, E! E! Do that thing you do with your hand again. Please!” Taeo called out from above.

“Okay
. But just for a second.”

Emil raised his left hand up to his chest and lightly channeled energy into his open palm as the three of them walked. The energy radiating off his hand was sky
-blue, dancing elegantly across the surface on which it resonated.

“Wow…it’s so pretty. How do you do that E?”
Taeo asked.

Emil heard the question
, but it remained unanswered. Instead, he was more occupied by the stares coming from some of the villagers. As the three of them continued walking, they received mixed reactions from the onlookers around them. Serenity spotted a child fascinated with what he just saw, but before he could come closer, his mother grabbed and pulled him in close. A few other parents with young children followed suit.

“Hey, E...”

“Yeah
, I got it.”

He clenched his hand into a fist
and the light radiating from his palm dissipated immediately after. As they continued walking, the three of them caught wind of the town folk’s whispers. There was silence between them until they reached their home.

“Hey, we’re home
,” Serenity announced as the three of them walked through the door. Serenity’s Mother, Grace, was just finishing setting the table when they arrived. At first sight of the meal before him, Taeo dove in and took his spot. The others sat down after him after assisting with the setup.

“You really didn’t have to help
, Emil. You’re our guest, after all,” Serenity’s Mother said from across the table.

“I’ve been here so long
. I feel bad not helping out when I can,” Emil responded.

“Nonsense!”
she retorted. “You’ve done so much for us here lately. You’ve ran errands for us and looked after Taeo for me. You’re always in the back chopping wood.  The list goes on. If anything, I should feel bad for not lending
you
a hand every now and then.”

“You gave me a place to stay
.  For that, I’m forever grateful.”

“But you saved my life, Emil. If you wouldn’t have shown up when you did, who knows where I’d be now?”

Emil grew silent as he remembered that day. It was raining; a cold and dreary night. He chose to move at nightfall so it would be harder to track his movements. For the past few days, the guards had been gaining ground on him and he was running low on places to stay. For some time now, it had been just him in the wilderness. So when he heard a plea for help coming from the main road, it drew his attention. Immediately, he strayed from his projected path towards the main road where he heard the distressed call. As he ran, his boots grated through the mud, driving his feet deeper and deeper into the saturated soil with every step. The ensuing winds blew back the hood he wore upon his head, granting clearance to the raindrops which pelted him along his face as he sped through the forest.

“Help!”

The lightning from above guided him as he navigated through the foliage closer to the origin of the cry he heard. The thunder’s boom gave him a sense of urgency. His legs burned. His breaths were sorely spaced. He ran until he found himself under the cover of one of the many trees in the forest and hid himself only a few feet away from the fray.

There were three of them
, each wielding daggers and inching closer to her as she backed away, pleading for her life. Her hand shook nervously as she firmly gripped her knife, shuffling it between the three of them as she treaded backwards.

“Move any closer a-and I’ll kill you!”

The bandits exchanged glances as they laughed, creeping closer still.

“Yeah right
, lady. Now give us the goods and we’ll be on our way.”

From the cover of the foliage
, Emil drew his dagger from his right side and slowly placed his hood back on top of his head. Soon after, the dagger began to faintly glow light-blue. Crackling sparks danced along the blade as the ignited metal dully hummed.

A flash of lightning. A thunderous roar. Their bodies fell with the thunderclap. Emil stood between the three of them, his dagger bloody, his face unmoved.

“Are you okay?” he calmly asked as the blood dripped from his blade and pooled together on the forest floor. Serenity’s mother gazed upon the corpses before Emil’s feet in disbelief as the ground turned crimson, drunk off the blood of her fallen attackers.

Her pale face became even paler as she slowly nodded her head, still in shock from what she had just witnessed.

“Good,” he said as he tucked his dagger away and began to move back into the cover of the forest.

“Hey
, wait! Where are you going? It’s raining outside!”

He turned around and looked at her. His pure eyes pierced her soul. No longer was she afraid nor was she shocked; only concerned. What she saw in front of her was no killer but a young man who was tired, hungry, and out in the elements. 

“Oh my God.  You’re not much older than my daughter.  Please stay with us; at least for tonight. You look tired. It’s the least I can do to thank you.”

Taken aback by her kind gesture, an unfamiliar emotion ran across his face.
An expression that he had long since forgotten; a smile. He had been with them ever since.

Emil’s stream of thought was severed, returning him to the waking world,
carried back from Taeo’s words.

“Mo
m, if Emil is such a good person, then why do they call him a monster?”

The words cut deep into him. After the initial pain, Emil’s breath escaped from his contracted lungs. The sigh was
brief and sharp but strong enough for everyone to momentarily feel his pain. In his younger days, Emil had asked himself that very same question. He looked like everyone else. He bled like everyone else. Aside from his abilities, there was no distinction that he was unlike anyone else. Still they labeled him.

“Taeo!” Serenity shouted angrily from across the table. Her scorn flushed across all of her face. The question was an innocent one, asked only from a young boy with little understanding. At his age, he was naïve of the cruelties that often fell upon the inhabitants of this world.

The room fell silent as all eyes shifted to Emil. His gaze never met theirs. Instead, his eyes drifted downward, hovering over his plate.

“Sometimes
people fear what they don’t understand. Emil is no monster… he’s family.” Taeo and Serenity’s mother broke the silence that hovered over the table, parting the fog that separated the four of them. The frown that had emerged on Emil’s face inverted slightly.

Family.