Chapter 8
It was late in the night before Garrett finally put down his quill, waiting for the ink he had just deposited on his page to dry before closing the account book quietly. He was a bit less than halfway through with the account, and if his sense of time was on track, had been working on it for nearly eighteen hours.
Two more full days should be sufficient to finish it up.
With that thought, he blew out his candle, causing the room to fall into deep darkness. The only light in the room was from faint glimmers that seeped through the small window, but even that seemed unusually gloomy tonight. Closing his eyes, Garrett entered the Dream, taking comfort in the glow from the throne that lit up his small room. His goal tonight was twofold, and after checking both the hall and the office with Observe the Dream to make sure there were no surprises wandering around, he got up and walked over to where Ryn slept.
The last time hed tried to interact with her, a pop-up told him he wasnt high enough level yet, but now he had reached level one and was interested in discovering what he could do. Pausing before he reached out, he closed his eyes and tried to sense the seed hed planted in Gorn. When he didnt focus on it, the seed drifted at the edge of his consciousness, but as soon as he gave it any attention, it jumped into stark relief, pouring information into his head. He saw flashes of what Gorn had done throughout the day, flickering by in a confusing mix of feelings, thoughts, and sensory inputs.
Though there was little he could do with the information he was getting, Garrett got the feeling that would all change once the Dream Seed bloomed. When hed first created it, the description had said that the seed would need the proper environment to grow, as well as nurturing. He wasnt sure what that actually meant, but he hoped to do some experiments today to figure it out. But first he wanted to understand how interacting with other peoples dreams worked.
This time when he reached out to touch Ryn there was no barrier to stop his hand, and he was able to touch her gray, inert body. It was clear she was still alive, but Garrett still had no clear sense of how the world of the Dream interacted with the real world, since she looked more like a piece of furniture than a living, breathing person. Attributing that to her lack of soul spark, he agreed with the pop-up asking him if he wanted to enter her dream and, with a whoosh, his surroundings changed.
Peeling away, the room he was in transformed into a city street that dripped with dreary rain. A lamp post that should have lit the corner of the cobblestones where Garrett appeared stood in defeated darkness, water pooling in the broken glass scattered around it. The street stretched into the gloom of leaning ramshackle buildings.
Ugh. I should have brought a coat.
No sooner had Garrett processed the thought than he was wearing a long overcoat, its oilskin surface repelling the rain that beat down on him. Blinking, he stared at it in shock before realization struck him. He was in a dream, not the real world. A moment later, he added a bowler hat and swapped his coat for a suit. An umbrella appeared in his hand, creating a steady tattoo as the falling rain bounced away. A moment of thought passed before he added a mask, covering his face with a smooth, white shell. Despite his face being covered, there was no obstruction to his sight, breathing, or speaking, proving that the dream didnt follow the rules of reality.
Pleased with the way he looked, he glanced at his reflection in a nearby window, only to grow slightly embarrassed by his own theatrics. His appearance in the Dream wasnt the same as his appearance in the real worldrather, he looked like he had back on Earth, so it wasnt as if anyone would recognize him.
On the other hand, even if people do see behind the mask, they wont know its me either.
Comforting himself with the thought that his theatrics wouldnt be traced back to him, he turned his attention to the more pressing issue. The streets were empty, completely devoid of anything but the steadily falling rain. Thick fog surrounded the street, and though the area he was standing in was mostly clear, he could feel his senses being dulled. Across from the corner he was standing on, he could see a building with a faint light in the window that flickered like a candle.
The room was on the second floor, but that proved to be no trouble for Garrett. As soon as he focused on the window he found himself standing outside of it, his white mask reflected in the glass as he looked in on the small bedroom. Trying not to think about the fact that there was nothing underneath his feet, he took in the shabby room. A small bed, a broken dresser, and a bowl with some water were the only things in the room, apart from the small girl curled up under the thin blanket. Updated from novelb(i)n.c(o)m
Laying on the narrow bed, his arm hanging off and dragging on the ground, Gorn slept, his rough snores so loud Garrett could see the air of the Dream shaking. Carefully closing the door behind him to try and avoid any nasty surprises, Garrett walked over to the bed and examined Gorn. He could see both the soul spark and the Dream Seed, one in Gorns chest and the other in his head. Reaching out, he tried to touch the Dream Seed, but before he could his hand brushed the glow of Gorns soul spark and the system prompted him to enter Gorns dream.
Hesitating for only a moment, Garrett agreed, and once again the world peeled back, depositing him in a familiar-looking office. He had been in this office a number of times and recognized it instantly. To his surprise, Gorn was actually sitting behind the desk, glaring at Henrick, who stood on the other side of the desk, his thick hands nervously kneading a hat. Standing in the corner, Garret froze, afraid the others would see him. He was still dressed like an Edwardian gentleman, and with a start he realized the mask was still on his face, while his umbrella was folded neatly by his side.
As flustered as he was, neither of the other two men responded to his presence at all, despite the fact that he stood out like a sore thumb. Lifting his hand to wave, he saw no response and walked forward. Even when he came to the desk, he found that neither of the two men reacted at all, making him wonder if he was invisible. Waving in front of Gorns head proved his musing to be true, and with a sigh of relief he settled back to watch the dream unfold.
What do you mean, you dont have the money? Gorn asked, his thick eyebrows squeezing together like two caterpillars.
Across the desk, Henrick grew more nervous, nearly twisting his cap apart.
The the other gangs took it.
Glaring at Henrick, Gorn tapped his hand on the desk, his mouth set in a sneer.
And how did they know about it in the first place, huh? Werent you supposed to ensure that it was kept quiet? No one knew about this job besides you and me, so how did the other gangs get wind of it?
I really dont know, sir! I was in the process of retrieving it when the Swamp Shark gang showed up, all of a sudden. It was both of the Shark twins, sir. There was no way I could fight against two Awakened by myself.
Gorns sneer just deepened as Henricks figure babbled on and his eyes drifted to the window. Following his gaze, Garrett noticed a small pot on the windowsill he hadnt seen before. It was fairly nondescript, but as soon as he looked at it Garrett knew it contained the Dream Seed. Walking over, he reached out to tap the pot, but there was no response. About to turn away, a small window popped up, causing his eyes to light up with happiness.
[Dream Seed] - Observation Seed (dormant)
You have discovered a Dream Seed. Dream Seeds will grow slowly by absorbing their hosts dream or by being fed mental energy, but this process can be sped up if the owner of the dream gives them attention.
Realizing what he needed to do, Garrett snapped his fingers, spending an experience point to create a small watering can. He was about to place it on the windowsill next to the pot but hesitated, remembering how hed knocked Ryn out of her dream with his abrupt action. Frowning, he stood there with the watering can in his hands as he watched Gorn and Henrick interact.
