msmoon | A Dream and a Storie all in one

Mood:

Creative

This morning I had a strange dream.

I dreamed of two kingdoms. One was a beautiful kingdom of men, with pristine white brick walls, and beautifully crafted homes. It had bathhouses, temples, and a gorgeous palace built for their beautiful Queen.

The other kingdom was a kingdom of the forest. It had no walls or buildings. It had no bathhouses or temples or palaces. The trees were the buildings, the cliffs were the walls, the rivers and streams were the bathhouses, the glens were the temples, and the mighty mountains were its palace. This kingdom too had a beautiful Queen. But she was descended from the line of Beast Men. Lithe and graceful, she was known among her kind as a Puma Feral. Her human form was beautiful and kind, but when her kingdom and its people needed defending, her Feral form was brutal and vicious.

The Queen of the human kingdom was wonderful and gracious to all her subject. But she hated the forest kingdom more than anything else. Every time she looked out to the East, she glared at the horizon. The great looming trees that wreathed the mighty mountain was abominable to her, because it was the only kingdom in the land that rivaled her own. Her hate became so great, that the sun appeared black to her, her food and water held no savor, and her sleep was no longer restful.

One day, the human Queen went in secret to a shaman. She had decreed that there were to be no practitioners of mysticism in her kingdom, so she had to travel far and in secret to find one. Finally she did, and the shaman woman did not recognize her because she was disguised. The Queen asked the shaman woman how she could be rid of the threat of the Forest Kingdom, as it was obviously a danger to the human settlements around it.

The shaman woman was no fool, and after using her powers, she quickly recognized the Queen’s identity. However, she did not show her discovery on her countenance. “There is only one path that you must take...” the woman said with a cryptic smile. “The Queen of the Forest Kingdom is a Feral. The only ones who could kill a Feral, are the vampires.”

The human Queen was very upset by this, because she did not have influence with any vampires. “I do not know any vampires.”

“You must become one then.” The shaman said.

The Queen was extremely upset by this! She did not wish to become one of the wretched undead.

“Take care when you consider...” the shaman began. “Those who possess this power...are well capable of causing the ruin of your kingdom.”

When the Queen considered the shaman’s warning, she realized that even if she did know any vampires it wouldn’t do to ask them for assistance. They could easily reduce her kingdom to rubble!

“How can I become a vampire? And how can you assure me of the power I need to topple my enemies?” the Queen demanded.

The Shaman smiled again. “You do not know all that I yet know. For I know that all creatures that are not human are welcome within the Forest Kingdom. Vampires are not entirely human, and as such are welcomed in the Forest Kingdom.”

“What must I do?” the Queen asked desperately.

“You must develop another kingdom beside the Forest Kingdom, to tempt the Forest Queen’s subjects away from her. Then, when she is vulnerable, you must strike at her.”

“I will do all you have said.” The Queen vowed. And so the Shaman turned the Queen into a vampire. But she gave her strength enough to walk about at all times.

“Do not rush your rise to power.” The shaman warned. “For it may be your undoing.”

Now, the human Queen had a daughter. A beautiful girl who did not hold her mother’s evil ambitions. The girl recognized the change in her mother and learned of the plans her mother had for their peaceful neighbors.

The princess fled into the forest to warn its inhabitants of the approaching threat. But her mother knew of the princess’s betrayal. She sent a man to follow her daughter and beat her. Then the man would bring her back home, and tell the kingdom of men that the princess had been assaulted by the inhabitants of the Forest Kingdom.

The girl was beset half way into the forest. Luckily, another young Wolf Feral was near by. He fell upon the man and killed him. The princess was distraught. Her clothes were in tatters, she was wounded, and nearly naked before this great wolf beast. The wolf tore away at the back of her clothes and began licking her biggest of wounds. She gasped. It burned! It stung! It itched!...and it was gone. The wolf-man gave her his shirt, and he undid his cloak and strapped is about her waist.

“You’re no longer safe here. I will take you to our Queen.” He said lifting her carefully into his arms. The Princess realized that she had nothing to fear from these people.

As she came before the Forest Queen, she felt insecure. But she told the Forest Queen of her status and of the changes that were occurring in her home kingdom. Of course the Forest and its creatures were distraught by this news, but the Forest Queen quickly took charge and commanded all her subjects to fall back to the safety of the mountain so that they would be safe.

When the Vampire who had been the human Queen entered the Forest, she was troubled to find no one there. The wood was silent. No creatures came to greet her. Then she saw the Forest Queen approaching her. The Forest Queen announced that she recognized the human’s Queen and she knew of all her plans.

The Vampire changed so that she was ready to fight and boasted to the Forest Queen. “I am now able to rid myself of you!”

The Forest Queen merely smirked. “You may be a vampire...and you may have the power...But you don’t have the knowledge and experience that I have gained.”

The battle began, and though the Vampire could hold off the Feral with the strength she had been granted, she was not experienced enough to wield that strength against her foe. She was beside herself at her progress or lack there of. A great gust of wind stopped the two opponents from attacking each other, and the shaman who had advised the Queen appeared before them.

The Vampire begged the Shaman to assist her. But the Shaman only smirked. “Should I help you who has banished me destroy my Queen?” The shaman mocked. The Feral attacked and killed the Vampire, freeing her from her darkness.

Upon returning home, the Feral gave the Princess back her kingdom on one condition. That she would allow the Wolf-Feral who had saved her to become her advisor and protector, for the Forest Queen had made him her second-in-command. The Princess—now Queen—agreed to these terms in hopes of uniting both kingdoms.

And the dream ended there.

I was thinking about flushing the story and characters out more. Maybe making a story out of it instead of just this fable format. I dunno. It’s one of the few times I’ve dreamed in a solid line and it actually all made sense to me. I’m still considering...