Nightmare story Chapter three

Chapter 3

Max laughed as he watched the flames devour the temple.  Any moment Issa would come running out and he would be there, her savior.  Suddenly he heard hoof beats behind him and discovered Endymund galloping as quickly as he could towards him.  Max turned Drenich towards Endymund and Endymund drew Oberon to a halt.  Max didn't need to see Endymund's face to know that the Guardian was furious.  Max barked out a laugh.

“Get lost Endymund, Issa's mine.”  Endymund urged Oberon a step forwards.

“Why did you do this Max?  Do have any idea how many people are already dead due to this fire?”  Max laughed.

“No, but I don't care about them, only Issa.  She'll come out of there straight into my arms and love me and only me!”  Oberon jumped forwards in anger, his head tossing and snorting all the while.  Endymund threw a hand towards the burning temple.

“You idiot!  Issa is terrified of fire!  It was a fire that killed her parents and almost killed her!”  Max stopped laughing before turning Drenich towards the flames.

“Well then I suppose I had better go retrieve her, shouldn't I?”  Endymund scowled before spurring Oberon forwards to block Max's path.

“Are you insane?  Not even any of the Guardian's can go in there without injury, let alone you Max!”  Max shook his head.  By now the rest of the guardian's had gathered and were watching with interest.  Suddenly the flesh began to drip away from Drenich's face, revealing the skull filled with sharp teeth beneath.  Oberon backed up a few steps as the Guardian of Death urged his dragon closer.

“So you're the hell steeds rider.”  Max laughed.

“Indeed, now if you don't mind, I have to go and retrieve my future bride.”  Max had just turned Drenich when a horrid screech filled the air, shooting small tendrils of fear through everyone.  Standing amongst the flames was a horse unlike any they had seen before.  The body was the darkest black any of them had seen and it's mane and tail seemed to be made of fire.  Fire danced around it's hooves and within it's eyes, nose, ears, and mouth.  Once again it screeched before leaping into the burning buildings.  Less then a moment later the building collapsed in on itself, trapping anyone left inside.  A choked sound came from Endymund as he realized that was the building Issa had been in.  Openly he began crying as his armor dissolved.  The other Guardian's could only watch sympathetically.  Max was screaming in rage and soon he turned on Endymund, preparing for an attack.  Oberon leapt forwards and lowered his horn into an attack mode.  The Guardian of Death looked down at Max.

“Due to the murders you have committed you must be trained before you can become a Guardian.  Although I am beginning to think that you are no longer the only candidate.  Come, there is nothing we can do here.”  Max was about to object when a few of the other Guardian's grabbed Drenich's reins and began dragging him along.  Oberon calmly followed behind everyone else, allowing his rider to mourn the loss of his love in peace.



The nightmare had just barely managed to get the young woman out of the burning building before it had collapsed.  The moment the nightmare had touched the girl however she knew.  This person was the reason why she had felt the urge to travel north, she was the reason she had traveled so far from home.  The nightmare had managed to carry the unconscious girl to a nearby field.  The ground was covered in brightly colored flowers and soft patches of clover and grass.  A stream giddily bubbled nearby with fresh clean water.  The nightmare stood a ways away from the human she had saved, simply observing her.  The girls clothes were covered in soot and burn marks and her face dirtied to the point it was almost black.  At first her breathing had not been correct but after a few moments of breathing the clean air of the meadow it had returned to normal.  The nightmare glanced upwards towards the sky.  It was a clear night, but the stars above her were not the ones she was familiar with.  A small streak of light darted briefly across a small portion of the sky and the nightmare snorted.  This far north everything was strange and new, but it made her miss her desert home.  The nightmare's ears perked up as she heard the girl move and groan.  The nightmare stood attentively as the girl came around before she slowly sat up, rubbing her head.  When the girl opened her eyes, they seemed distant before quickly sharpening into focus.  She looked around and when she saw the nightmare she froze, her skin noticeably paling under all the dirt and soot it had acquired.  The nightmare took a cautious step towards the girl who scooted back a few feet.  The nightmare shook her head before speaking, her voice surprisingly gentle and calm.

“Do not fear me, for I will not harm you.”  The girls eyes were wide as she stared at the nightmare.

“What are you?”  The nightmare raised her head proudly, her chest swelling slightly as the fire which made up her mane and tail began to flicker slightly.

“I am whats known as a nightmare, and I am the last of my kind.  We are a long forgotten species, and I come from a desert far to the south.”  The girls eyes narrowed.

“You can speak?”  The nightmare bobbed her head.

“Indeed, although I have had no reason to in many years.”  Slowly the girls began to stand.

“Do you have a name?”  Again the nightmare bobbed it's head.

“My name is Nehkra, and may I know yours?”  The girls hesitated for a few moments before she spoke.

“My name is Issa.”  Nehkra bobbed her head in acknowledgment.

“Issa, some force led me to you and I believe it is because you are meant to be my rider.  Very few humans have ever had the honor of being a nightmare's rider, but I believe you are more than worthy of the title.”  Issa shook her head furiously.

“No, no I can't.”  Nehkra tilted her head slightly to one side.

“And why is that?”  Slowly Nehkra began walking towards Issa who began to tremble.

“You'll burn me.”  Nehkra was within touching distance of Issa now and Issa saw Nehkra's eyes narrow slightly.

“Are you referring to my flames?  As my rider they will never burn you, only others.”  Nehkra turned, brushing her tail across Issa's body to prove her point.  Issa shrieked and hurriedly backed away from Nehkra, her eyes filled with terror.  Nehkra looked at Issa with concern.

“What is it?”  Issa was trembling so hard and she could barely speak.

“Please, I'm terrified of fire, please.”  Nehkra suddenly felt pity for the girl before her.  For Issa to have such a reaction to fire meant that she must have truly had some horrific experiences in the past with the element.  Nehkra gracefully took a step back from the trembling girl.

“Alright then, for now I will not touch you, instead I will allow you to learn on your own that my fire will not harm you.”  Issa looked up in surprise as Nehkra began walking away.  Gently the flames which surrounded her hooves and made her mane and tail settled down until they appeared like the normal parts of a horse although they were still colored like fire.  Nehkra made her way to a rather large patch of clover before laying down and rolling in it.  The action was so like any normal horse that Issa found herself suppressing a few giggles.  Looking around Issa finally noticed the stream and approached it.  Once she was right next to it she crouched down and dipped her hands in.  The water was cool, but not too cold as she cupped her hands and brought the refreshing water to her lips.  She drank deeply before looking at what little she could see of her reflection.  Even in the moonlight reflecting off of the constantly moving water she could tell that she was filthy.  Issa dipped her hands in several times before splashing the water across her face, washing away the filth which had accumulated.  Once her face was relatively clean Issa reached back to remove the silver pin which she hadn't had time to remove from her hair before the fire.  Gently she tugged on it, expecting it to easily come out with perhaps a few strands tangled around it.  Nothing happened however and Issa felt her hair being pulled at her scalp.  Issa's hands flew up towards the pin and felt it.  Nehkra immediately became attentive when Issa gave a strangled shriek.  Nehkra stood up and walked closer to Issa.

“Issa?  What's wrong?”  Issa turned towards Nehkra, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

“I can't get it out.”  Nehkra looked at the pin in her hair and realized that the fire must have become just hot enough at some point to partially melt the silver enough for it to merge with her hair.  Nehkra shook her head sadly.

“I'm sorry Issa, the silver melted slightly and merged with your hair, the only way to remove it is to cut off your hair.”  Issa's hands flew up to her long hair.  The fire which had killed her parents had burned away a good chunk of her hair and it had taken years for it to grow as long as it was.  Now another fire had occurred and ruined her hair again.  Nehkra could see the conflict in Issa's eyes and sighed.

“You may find short hair to be beneficial Issa.  At times you'll be able to pass yourself off as a boy and short hair will keep you cooler when it is hot out.”  Issa bowed her head.

“I'll think about it.”  Nehkra bobbed her head before lightly nuzzling Issa's cheek.

“Go to sleep, you'll need it.”  Issa nodded, already feeling tired.  Issa looked around her in search of a prospective sleeping area.  A small grouping of trees caught her attention as she stood and approached them.  Pushing aside a few branches she discovered that there was a small, sheltered area within the small grouping.  Moss covered the ground thickly and went part way up the slender trucks of the trees.  In this small clearing Issa would be mostly sheltered from the wind and as she looked up she decided that rain wouldn't be a problem.  Laying down on her side Issa settled her body in a naturally formed trench between two roots and eventually settled down into a dreamless sleep.  Nehkra listened carefully as Issa's breathing settled into the rhythmic pattern that sleep brought.  Once Nehkra was certain Issa was deeply sleeping the nightmare walked out of the small meadow.  Silently she slipped through the shadows towards the nearby town.  Issa would need food, and a change of clothes.  Nehkra halted in her tracks as a distant sound caught her attention.  It was a distant whinny, but something about it unsettled Nehkra.  The sound seemed to carry a calming affect with it which gently spread across the land.  Nehkra shook her head as she continued onwards.  It wasn't long before the outer most houses of the village came into sight.  Immediately dogs began barking and their masters shouting at them to be quiet.  Nehkra waited patiently in the shadows, waiting for the dogs to be taken care of.  Eventually the canines masters became annoyed with the noise and took the dogs inside.  Once everything had settled down again, Nehkra continued on.  Her hooves left only a ghostly sound on the stone streets as she headed towards the village center.  Upon arrival she discovered a few humans throwing out the last of the food for the day.  None of the humans noticed her in the shadows as she watched what they were throwing out.  Once the humans had returned to their dwellings, Nehkra approached the piles of food thrown out.  Discovering a basket mixed in she nudged acceptable pieces of food into it, filling it about halfway.  She picked up the basket in her mouth and turned, speeding back to the meadow where she had left Issa.



Endymund sat in his room at the official temple for the Guardian's.  His room had entirely soft feels to it, like the gentlest of dreams.  His sapphire eyes were distant as they stared out of the window.  He didn't hear the knock on his door, but he heard the cough given by the one who entered his room.  Turning, Endymund found the Guardian of Death standing in his doorway, looking relaxed as he leaned against the doorway and crossed his arms.

“Tell me Dream, you lost someone dear to you in the fire, didn't you?”  Endymund bowed his head.

“Yes, her name was Issa.”  Death's interest was fully focused on Endymund now.

“Issa?  Isn't that the girl our possible Guardian of Nightmares was waiting for to come out of the fire?”  Endymund gave a small nod.

“Max has always had a thing for her, but he never knew that she was terrified of fire.  When Issa was little her parents were killed in a fire and she was left with scars on her back from the fire.  Issa would often have nightmares about that fire, I can't even begin to imagine what was going through her mind while she was trapped in the temple due to another fire.”  Death gave Endymund a sympathetic expression before approaching the Guardian of Dreams and sitting down on the bench next to him.

“Tomorrow night I'll be going to the remnants of the temple.  I would like for you to come with me since it was your sanctuary.  Besides, you'll probably be able to name all those who died and we can at least attempt to give them a decent burial.”  Endymund looked over at the other Guardian.

“That’s not all is it?”  Death shook his head.

“Of course not.  There is the matter of that, thing, that we saw in the fire.  We know that Max set the fire, but I can't help but think I've seen that thing before.”  Endymund frowned in confusion.

“It looked horse like, but you had said that the hell steed was the only dark equine left that could have a rider that could claim the title of Guardian of Nightmares?”  Death nodded.

“I did say that, but I'm no longer so certain that it's true.  I'm hoping that tomorrow night the creature will return.  I want you there since it could potentially be your opposite.”  Endymund nodded.

“I understand.  I'll let Oberon know later.”  Death smiled slightly.

“Get some sleep Dream, you need it.”  The Guardian of Death then left, leaving Endymund alone with his thoughts.



Issa slept until mid afternoon the next day.  She was surprised when she woke up to discover that she hadn't had a single nightmare the entire night and that she felt fully refreshed.  Issa crawled out of her small sheltered area and discovered Nehkra waiting down by the water with a basket.  Issa approached the nightmare cautiously.  Issa almost laughed when she realized that Nehkra was dozing in the bright and warm sun, her head was hanging low and relaxed and she had a hind leg cocked.  Issa gave Nehkra a bit of space as she knelt by the water and drank in a few handfuls.  Nehkra woke up and noticed that her rider was now awake as well.  Nehkra raised her head and had a gentle expression in her eyes.

“Good afternoon Issa, did you sleep well?”  Issa nodded as she looked over at the nightmare.

“Yes, surprisingly I had no nightmares.”  Nehkra tossed her head.

“But of course not, I kept them at bay Issa.”  A surprised expression crossed Issa's face.

“You prevented me from having any nightmares?”  Nehkra bobbed her head.

“Yes, you've gone through enough without needing the added stress of nightmares.”  Issa bowed her head slightly.

“Thank you Nehkra, I really do appreciate it.”  Nehkra bobbed her head again before pushing the basket at her feet towards Issa.

“I gathered you some food.”  Issa smiled before taking the basket and looking at it's contents.  A small smile played across Issa's lips.

“Thank you, I certainly am hungry.”  Issa then proceeded to tear a off a hunk of bread off of a slightly burned loaf and began eating.  There were also a few fruits within the basket for her to eat as well.  Nehkra walked over to a flat portion of land and rolled on it.  Issa looked skywards, wondering just what she was going to do.