"Damn." Charolette began. "That kid's freaky."

"Y-y-y-y-ye." Zramazos began, practically blue in the face.

"COOOOL! THAT WAS COOL!" Michaus shouted. "HOW'D THEY DO THAT!? Charolette, did you do that?"

"No, I did not. Though, believe me, if I could do something like that I absolutely would." Charolette said. "Ah, looks like they grabbed S at some point, too."

"AH! He's gone! Awesome! Where'd they go? Are they still here?"

"No, they left. That's what that whole thing was about." 

"Oh. That's sad. Oh well! Wait! Then, where'd they go?" 

"We don't know, Michaus."

"Oh. Why'd they leave?" 

"P-p-p-probably the living nightmare coming o-out of his hands!" Said a still very terrified Zramazos. 

"I love nightmares!"

"Yeah, that's... That's probably it." Charolette said, ignoring Michaus. "Sheesh, what was that? It didn't even look like he was doing anything. Just started oozing out. Like piss from a leaky bladder."

"Yeah... A-and then he just left like it was nothing." Zramazos said. "Wasn't even concerned about it. Or anything, for that matter. Even when he's talking to you. I guess nothing's all that concerning when you pee nightmares."

"I guess. At least it looks like he has some control over it, but... Sheesh, I thought he was weird before, but that... That was somethin' else."

"Yeah! I've only seen it once- No, twice ever!" Michaus said. "Or, I guess, technically 3 times no-"

"That's great, Michaus."

"Ye- W-wait, what? Y-you've seen it before?" Zramazos said.

"Oh, yeah, that's actually pretty important. Sorry, Michaus."

"For what?"

"Nothing."

. . .

"Well, where was it?" Charolette asked.

"Oh! It was... A few years ago! I think! Or was it last year? 8 months? 5 years? No, I'd have been 3. Maybe..."

"We can talk about the time later." 

"Okay! I was across the bridge! Kinda far away! I forget why."

"You're not supposed to cross the bridge, Michaus." Zramazos said.

"I know! But I do anyways! Did! I meant did! Past!" 

"Get to the part where something starts oozing nightmare juice." Said Charolette. 

"Oh, right! Well... Uh, you ever seen a turtle?"

"No, actually." Said Zramazos. "They're the ones with shells, right?"

"Seen 'em In books. Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, I knew a guy that kept one as a pet. Was kind of a dick."

"A what?" 

"The turtle or the guy?" Asked Zramazos.

"Both."

"Cool! Anyways, there was this giant turtle! It was really weird! Some sort of mad beasty, probably!"

"A mad turtle? I'd like to see that." Charolette said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, it was awesome! It was like 3, 4, maybe 15 me's!"

"Oh, wow. Okay. That big, huh."

"Yeah! Also, it stood on two legs, had big, sharp teeth and claws, and it's eyes were like NYYYOOOM!" Michaus said, making a circle with his fingers around his eyes. "Also, there was blood dripping from it's teeth! Probably from the dead horses it was eating! Y'know, it was odd, the blood was fresh but the horses themselves looked like they'd been dead for a long time! Weird!"

Zramazos swallowed back a bit of vomit.

Charolette considered whether or not it was worth mentioning that turtles don't actually have teeth, instead they actually use more of a beak-like-

"Oh yeah, there was a cart by the way! Looked like a transport carriage, the one with the big cloth and stuff!" 

"Oh, shoot."

"Th-those are f-full of people, right? S-so was there-" Zramazos uneasily asked.  

"Not sure, didn't see! 'Cus of the turtle!"

"Reasonable. I probably wouldn't have even thought about it." Said Charolette. 

"But I bet anyone who was in there got away just fine! Or were crushed! Eaten, maybe! I don't know!"

"Oh my goodness gracious..." Said Zramazos.

Charolette winced. "Oh, uh, let's get back to the dark stuff, yeah?"

"Okay! Well, the big turtle thing looked over at me! And it didn't look happy, let me tell ya! It's eyes looked really weird, and it gave itself a hug and dug into itself with its own claws! It bled black!" 

"Was that the-" 

"Nope! Just some weird black liquid! And it screamed at me! It's funny, the noises it made, you'd almost think it was talking! I didn't understand it, though! After a bit, it stopped yelling and it's eyes got all different weird! And then it ran at me! It was on two legs, I don't know if I mentioned that!"

"I think you did. Though, I'm more concerned by the fact that it didn't immediately attack you. Also the talking thing."

"Yeah, I thought it was freaky, too! Anyways, once it charged me, it's limbs and mouth and eyes and... Everything, really, started oozing that same nightmare-y stuff! I figured I should probably kill it!"

"How? What happened?"

"I hit it was my sword and also fire and stuff!"

"Oh. That'll do it, I guess."

. . .

"Anything else?" 

"I'm fine with that description, actually." Zramazos said.

"That's the gist of it! After I won, it fell to the ground and kinda just disappeared, actually! Turned into some... Weird black dust. I think I swallowed some of it! Kinda weird!"

"Yeah, that is odd." Charolette asked. "Was that everything?"

"Mostly, yeah! The second time I saw that stuff was just in a dream! And the last time was, well, y'know." 

"A dream, huh? What kind? Were you in some weird bedroom you've never been in with furniture and technology and all sorts of stuff you've never seen before, and an ethereal presence that tells you how to make things?"

"No! Nothing like that, even!"

"I see. Carry on."

"It was basically just a bunch of nothingness! And the turtle guy! Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, it might have been a tortoise. I don't actually know the difference."

"The shell."

"Cool! Anyways, in the dream, it was alive and standing again, and it screamed something at me for a while! I didn't know what! I just stood there and looked up at it!"

"Probably smiling at it the entire time."

"Almost certainly." Zramazos said.

"Maybe! Anyways, after that it got real close and kneeled down and patted my head! which was strange! And then things got all swirly for a bit! And then I woke up! Weird! Ever since then, I haven't felt pain the same way!" 

"What? How so?"

"It's fuzzier!"

"What's that-"

"W-w-wait," Zramazos began. "Since then?' I-Is it still like that to this day?"

"Yep! Still like that today!"

"W-wha- A-a-and you never thought to tell anyone?!" Zramazos fearfully asked.

"Well, I'm not supposed to be across the bridge! I didn't wanna get in trouble!" Michaus reasoned. "I did tell mom, though. Oxt said I should after he healed me. I guess that was before the dream, though."

"Why didn't she mention this? Golly, our parents are messed up people! And I'm a terrible brother!" Zramazos said, shamefully pressing his head in his hands and starting to tear up.

"Oh, c'mon! You're a great brother!" Charolette consoled. "In fairness, Michaus comes back with war wounds a few times a week!" 

"That's not normal! That shouldn't be normal!" Zramazos said. "It... Sorry." 

Zramazos paused as he realized he was on the verge of shouting, and took a few deep breaths. 

"It's cool. Man, it's been a while since I've seen you that worked up." Charolette noted. "... Was kind of exciting, actually."

"W-wha? H-how so?"

"... I'm not sure. Weird."

. . .

"I don't get it!" Said Michaus.

---

The man in armor sat alone in the church.

He had been cleaning his mace and sharpened its edges, as he sat alone in thought.

It had been many days since the their town had been invaded. What happened to Zramazos was terrible, he knew, but he thanked the light that the damage wasn't worse. 

But even one man being harmed was a tragedy in his eyes. Worse, it was a terrible omen of things to come. He knew not when the town would be attacked again, but he swore that, by the light, he would be ready. He would do whatever it is he could to ensure-

His train of thought was interrupted by something terrible. His senses were utterly overwhelmed by a dark energy the likes of which he had never felt before in his life. He struck his hands to the side of his helmet and involuntarily began to scream.

He knelt to stop himself from falling to the ground as he adjusted to this overwhelming oppressive assault on his senses. 

'This... This power... It's not... It's not of this world! It must be-'

His thoughts were interrupted AGAIN by the church doors opened, both at exactly the same time.

"What is" "it, cap'n?" The twin guards asked. They had been passing by the church when the screaming started.

"You... You have to..." The armored man painfully began. "This power... Combat positions! Now! Evacuate the-"

And then it stopped. In an instant. It was gone.

. . . 

"Wait... No, it's... It's gone. Why is it gone? So's that other presence! By the light what is happening recently?"

"Cap'n..." The guards began in unison. "When was the" "last time you slept?"

"I've slept as much as I need to!" He said, not mentioning the fact that they called him captain. "Why, I got plenty of rest just the other night!" 

". . . Go to bed, captain."