Dreamscape

As the horse came running into the crowd with the blazing wagon, Carter's attention was split. Anne was freed, a fire was started. The crowd was starting to scatter and flee, and someone was starting to... growl?

He turned around to see the body of his father contorting, stretching, and transforming. His face turned monstrous, and fangs sprouted from his newly formed wolvish jaw. His fingers turned to claws. His eyes went dark. He grew bigger, taller, stronger, and all the while the "x" on his chest was leaking wisps of dark, black smoke. Behind his father, he could see his mother looking on with cool indifference.

Of course. Of course, his father would turn into the monster he really was in a dream.

As his father let out an ugly, deafening roar, Carter released a flurry of slashes, catching on his father's arms, legs, and sides. With each cut came more smoke - billowing out of his wounds like some out of a chimney.

Spoiler

i hope it's okay i got an idea from Cyr's post - i'm thinking once they slay Carter's dad and mom (wow that sounds weird typing out) they'll be brought to another memory? if that's ok? I want Carter to have to face his actual greatest fear and greatest enemy but not have the answer be violence (though that will definitely be Carter's first inclination, especially after this)

my brain coming up with a better idea after my hastily-put-together one: okay so what if
me, trying to backtrack so it makes sense: okay so hear me out. so the dream actually set it up so he has the Anne execution memory and parent slaughter first to catch him off guard and get him in a murdery mindset because it's designed to trn and make him fail when he sees james, the guy he hates and fears most

Spoiler

I already said this on Discord, but I'm down for that!

...That wasn't good.

Carter still hadn't given him any answers, but Second was beginning to think he wouldn't get them. All Carter was focused on was attacking the man-turned-wolf. Second's gut was telling him to help Carter - he had no idea how good Carter was with a sword, and didn't want to leave him when he needed help most.

But Second didn't have his darkness at his disposal. He couldn't even change his form.

He took advantage of the distraction the fire was causing and grabbed the woman Carter wanted to rescue by the arm. He didn't wait to see her reaction - or anyone's reaction, for that matter. He hurried down past the defeated guards and into the crowd, making sure never to lose his grip on her.

Spoiler

Whoops, been a while but I guess I'll continue this! Also, that idea works for me @soundofmind

Minra tried to make herself look inconspicuous while she fought her way through the crowd to the executioner's platform. If she'd wanted chaos and confusion, she'd succeeded.

All around her, people were screaming, shouting, pointing, and running every which way. The flames had spread to other buildings now, and it seemed that many of the townspeople were more concerned with protecting their homes than executing the hooded woman. Some of the soldiers had left their posts to help fight the fires, but others still circled the platform, swords bristling and expressions even more angry and murderous than before.

The burning cart had dispersed most of the crowd, and now it was easier to see what was happening on the platform.

Carter was fighting... something.

Carter was managing. It had been some time since he’d fought a beast, and never one on this scale. The smoking, bleeding mass of muscle and claws he was fighting didn’t even look like his father anymore. It looked like a hideous beast, fighting for its life.

Carter dodged a swing of its unsightly long arms, one after another, waiting for an opening. Vanya was somewhere in the mix, but he’d forgotten the little sword-bearing girl a while ago.

The slash of the beast’s claws clanged across his chest armor hard, but not piercing through. Carter got right back up and sank his sword into the beast’s chest and twisted.

Smoke sputtered out in his face like a bubbling spring. It stung his eyes and tasted like sulfur and blood. He coughed and pulled back hard, falling back with the force it took to pull the sword back. The beast fell backwards the other direction, tumbling off the platform of the gallows.

The flames were spreading across the town rapidly, like wildfire. The screams of the townspeople rang in his ears as he watched the beast that was once his father hit the ground and burst like a bomb - for a moment, a loud bang and a cloud of smoke, and then it dissipated into pitch black dust.

The area around the gallows had been cleared at this point. Anyone in their right mind was fleeing the fire, and any of the remaining soldiers who had been in his parent’s service started to flee once the beast had fallen, slain.

All that was left was his mother, still standing there like a statue of stone. Emotionless, even at her husband’s demise.

Carter stabbed her through and pushed her onto the heap of her father’s ashes. She didn’t turn into anything hideous. She just fell, limp.

Well, that meant the dream should end soon, right?

He looked up and around the platform, searching for Vanya, the green-haired kid, and Minra, but most of all Anne.

There was so much chaos. Second wasn't sure he had ever been in a situation as chaotic as this one before - it was almost like when a player attacked a group of mobs, but somehow even worse. Still, he kept his grip on the woman that Carter had wanted to rescue. He wasn't going to let her get separated from him.

He glanced back at the platform.

Carter had beaten everyone there. Going back to the platform was risky - there was nothing to say someone else wouldn't show up there now. Staying in the crowd was the best bet; it gave him the anonymity he needed.

He raised a free hand up into the air.

"Carter!" he shouted over the commotion in the crowd below the platform. "Over here!"

Minra heard a familiar voice shout from somewhere in the square and turned to see Second standing with the hooded woman less than twenty feet away. He was turned away from her, but the green hair was unmistakable.

She ran towards them, dodging a town guard hauling a bucket of water, and then grabbed the boy's shoulder.

"Second! What's happening? Why didn't Vanya and Carter leave with you?"

Vanya had escorted the formerly doomed woman from the gallows to an alley away from the near rioting crowd. A fire was spreading across the buildings on the other side of the square, sending screaming civilians dashing to join the chaos on the streets. Smoke billowed from the windows of the burning buildings, creating an ugly scar of black across the sky, and the flames like the spindly fingers of demons clawed for the heavens.

Vanya tore her eyes from the flame in time to see Carter finish off the monster his father had become.

She glanced between him and the former captive. Vanya didn't know who she was, but she seemed rather important to Carter.

"Stay here," she decided and dashed off to get Carter, update him on her side of the conflict as concisely as possible.

Second immediately spun around when he felt someone touch his shoulder, only to relax when he realized it was just Minra.

"I think Carter was fighting," he said. "And I don't know where-"

He caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye. His question was answered before he could even ask it: Vanya was going back to help Carter.

Carter saw Second in the distance, hearing his voice, faintly from afar. He started to walk down the steps, hopping over the bodies of fallen soldiers as he returned to the ground. That was when he saw Vanya, running over.

"Is Anne with you?" he asked, running to meet her.

Minra turned and approached the woman. Though she knew that it was only another of the dreamscape's illusions, the dazed expression on her plain features worried Minra. It all felt too real- the heat of the fires, the screaming, the panic.

Old instincts kicked in, and she felt her voice become low and soothing.

"You're alright now- we'll get you out of here. What's your name?"

The woman was trembling, eyes wide with confusion and fear, but she nodded at Minra.

"Anne," she whispered.

"Anne," Minra repeated. She carefully smoothed away any worry or fear in her expression and gave the woman a reassuring smile.

"I'm Minra. The boy with the green hair is Second- and I'm sure Carter and Vanya will be here soon."

She looked around at their surroundings. The three of them stood in the open, and though there were no soldiers in sight, it was an uncomfortable feeling.

A few more moments of scanning the square and she spotted Vanya and Carter at the foot of the platform.

"There they are- let's go."

Anne nodded, looking to Second for some kind of confirmation.

Spoiler

@TheMulticoloredCyr! Also, the moment they all reunite I’ll wrap up this chaos and move to what I’ve been planning!