Dreamweaver

Chapter 11

Ganymede’s eyes widened in shock, and he dropped both of the girls. He fell to his knees, then, his widened eyes catching my own, slowly dropped to the ground. With a sickening jolt I realized that the knife tip was protruding from his back. The minion ran at Amirra, a sword materializing in her hand. Amirra dodged the first blow, then the second. The third swing grazed her arm. Amirra was fast, but unarmed. She wouldn’t last long. I didn’t think about what I did next, I just ran. I ran for all I was worth toward the minion, and tackled her.

Dumb idea, I know. But my stupidity took her by surprise, and she dropped the sword. At that point my luck ran out. She reacted like a wild beast, and with all the strength of one. Within a second it was she who had pinned me to the floor. I reached for the dropped sword, but she kicked it away fiercely and wrapped her hands around my neck. They felt like steel clamps, cutting off my airway.

My face was rolled to the side, allowing me to witness Amirra do something both laudable and repulsive. She rolled Ganymede’s body over, pulled the bloody knife free, and sprinted to us. The beast was too busy choking the life out of me to see her, and just as my vision began to blur, she reached around the minion’s neck and expertly slit her throat.

Immediately warm blood gushed onto my face and chest, and the steel hands loosened. I gasped for breath and pushed the thing off me. It rolled and laid with its hands clasped around its bloody neck, choking and gurgling noises issuing from its mouth. Then the minion started to fade. It grew increasingly transparent, and, as the pool of blood grew exponentially and the spasmic movement slowed, finally ceasing, it disappeared entirely. I sat, panting heavily, while Amirra stood calmly beside me, the dagger in her hand dripping a mixture of Ganymede and the minion’s blood.
Ganymede!
I rushed to his side and wiped the blood from his abdomen, looking for the wound. But there wasn’t one. Only a scar remained, and it was fading. Then surely he must be alive?

Amirra arrived, and started checking for a pulse. Desperately I slapped his face. “Wake up!” I shouted, “We can’t do this alone.” Amirra let go of his wrist, and bowed her head. She needn’t say anything else. I sat immobilized in shock. What would we do now? We were alone in this wasteland, with no one to guide us.

There was no sun here, just a constant dull light, but by some miracle my watch still worked, and the glowing hands said it was almost midnight. Only six days left. Six days! How would we… My mental rants were cut off abruptly when I looked back up at Ganymede’s face. Slowly, very slowly the deep green eyes opened. He took a deep, gasping breath.

“You’re alive!” I shouted, ecstatic.
Ganymede smiled, “It takes quite a bit to kill a god.”

He pushed himself into a sitting position, and, with Amirra’s help, struggled to his feet. He leaned heavily on her shoulder, he may be immortal, but he was still hurting. Despite this, his voice was steady.

“I must leave you.” He said quietly.
“No! No you don’t. You’re fine, you’ll be just fine.” He laughed, then winced at the pain. “I’m not dying, just leaving.”
“Why?” I asked frantically, “What are we supposed to do out here alone?”
“Oh, you won’t be alone.” He said. “I am only able to guide you for a day, Monday. When you wake tomorrow, Tiu, god of Tuesday, will visit you, and will send with you his own guide.” “Can’t you stay with us anyway?” I asked pleadingly.
"You don’t understand. Nicholas, I am a servant of the higher gods, and this is all a game to them. The dreamweaver will not affect their world, they simply think of you as pawns. Some gods will help you, some will hinder you, but the rules are set. Each god has one day, Selene, Tiu, Odin, Thor, Frigga and Freda, Saturn, and Helios. The first six mustn’t physically hurt you, nor can their guides. Helios is not a player, but will make the final judgement. If you have trapped or killed the dreamweaver, he will send you home with a blessing, but if you have failed, he will destroy you both.” Ganymede sighed, and moved away from Amirra, into the mist.

“I do pity you, my friends, and I wish you luck. Trust only each other, and take caution.” The mist suddenly entwined him, and he was gone.