Part VII -The Dream
Before his eyes stood the house that had been his home for 16 years. Flames sprouting out from its windows, fire licking the walls. Dread filled his heart, he knew, there was nothing he could do to save his home now.
With a jolt, he remembered who else lived in the house. Swearing, he dashed towards the blazing house. He kicked down the door, and rushed inside. He searched every room. Anything standing in his way was kicked, shoved or otherwise moved out of his way.
After searching evrey room on the lower floor, he suddenly remembered that Jax was supposed to be upstairs. Cursing his thoughtlessness, he scrambled up the crumbling stairs, burst through the door of Jax's room. There, he found the man that had been like a father to him. But, he found something else.
Standing there between them was a beast. It stood on four thick legs and had two muscular arms. Its tail swishing behind him. With every breath, it exhaled flames. It made no movement, but Xeno could feel the immense heat coming from it. Remembering where he had seen this beast before, he turned to the painting only to find it empty.
Paralyzed with fear, Xeno could do nothing but stare at the Ifrit. After a moment, the beast seemed to finally notice him there. It stared at him for what seemed to be an hour. And, with a roar, it lunged at Xeno and sunk its flaming fangs into Xeno. Finally regaining his senses, Xeno yelled with pain. In his mind, he thought, this was the end, there was nothing he could do.
As he felt death come to him, he heard somebody calling his name. The voice was oddly familiar. He knew he had heard it somewhere before, but he couldn't remember. But, the beast began to shake him.
"This must be how Ifrit kill their victims," he thought with a sigh.
"Xeno.... up... Xen..." the voice was yelling now though he could not hear what the person was saying.
Then something weird happened. The Ifrit put Xeno down then gave him a hard slap. With a start, Xeno opened his eyes and saw Lynn looking down at him. Her face was red and covered with a layer of sweat.
"Where have you been? Running? Why're you covered in sweat?" he asked.
"Look who's talkin', you're the one that's really covered in sweat!" she answered.
Touching his head with his hand, he found it to be wet. "Well whadaya know? I'm wetter than you!" he joked.
"What happened, Xeno? I woke up when u began screaming like a madman! I've been trying to wake you for ten minutes!" she said.
"Have you? Wonder why I didn't wake,"
"You were yelling something about fire and a monster, did you have a nightmare?"
"Naw, it was nothing," he replied in what he thought was his most convincing tone. "Dun worry bout it."
"If you say so," Lynn replied, trying to sound convinced.
They both knew they hadn't fooled each other. But Xeno didn't want to talk about it and Lynn knew it, so she didn't press him more.
"You hungry?" Xeno asked.
"Yeah, you go wash yourself first, I ain't goin into town with a guy lookin like you do"
"Hmph" was Xeno's reply and he went off to wash himself in the stream leaving Lynn alone in the clearing.
With a jolt, he remembered who else lived in the house. Swearing, he dashed towards the blazing house. He kicked down the door, and rushed inside. He searched every room. Anything standing in his way was kicked, shoved or otherwise moved out of his way.
After searching evrey room on the lower floor, he suddenly remembered that Jax was supposed to be upstairs. Cursing his thoughtlessness, he scrambled up the crumbling stairs, burst through the door of Jax's room. There, he found the man that had been like a father to him. But, he found something else.
Standing there between them was a beast. It stood on four thick legs and had two muscular arms. Its tail swishing behind him. With every breath, it exhaled flames. It made no movement, but Xeno could feel the immense heat coming from it. Remembering where he had seen this beast before, he turned to the painting only to find it empty.
Paralyzed with fear, Xeno could do nothing but stare at the Ifrit. After a moment, the beast seemed to finally notice him there. It stared at him for what seemed to be an hour. And, with a roar, it lunged at Xeno and sunk its flaming fangs into Xeno. Finally regaining his senses, Xeno yelled with pain. In his mind, he thought, this was the end, there was nothing he could do.
As he felt death come to him, he heard somebody calling his name. The voice was oddly familiar. He knew he had heard it somewhere before, but he couldn't remember. But, the beast began to shake him.
"This must be how Ifrit kill their victims," he thought with a sigh.
"Xeno.... up... Xen..." the voice was yelling now though he could not hear what the person was saying.
Then something weird happened. The Ifrit put Xeno down then gave him a hard slap. With a start, Xeno opened his eyes and saw Lynn looking down at him. Her face was red and covered with a layer of sweat.
"Where have you been? Running? Why're you covered in sweat?" he asked.
"Look who's talkin', you're the one that's really covered in sweat!" she answered.
Touching his head with his hand, he found it to be wet. "Well whadaya know? I'm wetter than you!" he joked.
"What happened, Xeno? I woke up when u began screaming like a madman! I've been trying to wake you for ten minutes!" she said.
"Have you? Wonder why I didn't wake,"
"You were yelling something about fire and a monster, did you have a nightmare?"
"Naw, it was nothing," he replied in what he thought was his most convincing tone. "Dun worry bout it."
"If you say so," Lynn replied, trying to sound convinced.
They both knew they hadn't fooled each other. But Xeno didn't want to talk about it and Lynn knew it, so she didn't press him more.
"You hungry?" Xeno asked.
"Yeah, you go wash yourself first, I ain't goin into town with a guy lookin like you do"
"Hmph" was Xeno's reply and he went off to wash himself in the stream leaving Lynn alone in the clearing.
Part VII -The Dream
