Chapter 1: A Monster has a Beef With Me

Chapter Index

Dreams are funny things. Sometimes they show you what you wish the world to be. Other times, they show you your worst nightmare. There are also other times where they show you things that happened that you forgot, and may not want to remember.

My dreams? They just suck. Period.

Case in point: The earliest dreams I remember, there is a lot of fire. By a lot, I mean like when you take a look into a forge, and you see those flames. Now imagine them everywhere, and you might get a hint, just a hint, of how much fire I am talking about.

My dreams showed violence. There was an arena filled with skulls, and chains, and a diaper. A man with a scar across his chest and burns on his arms and one cheek. A bird made of fire, and a man in black army fatigues with a sword that absorbing light stuck in his chest.

I also saw other people in my dreams. A woman with a scar on her arm, arguing with a wolf. To kids who seemed really familiar to me arguing with another guy in red who I disliked on sight. One of them was shaking what looked like a golden chain in the guy in reds face, the other had eyes that looked like pearl with a gold center, her irises were so small from pent up rage. Another boy with what looked like a golden arm throwing rocks at a red building, causing minimal damage.

A man with a beard that smoldered, smiling down at me, comforting somehow, yet a little frightening with the red welts on his face and a leg that needed oil.

Then I woke up. I don’t know what it was that brought me out of my sleep. It wasn’t the strange rubbing I felt on my cheek. Strange rubbing?

I looked over, and by my face was a little golden mechanical dragon. Yes, dragon. I somehow, in the fog of not knowing anything, knew his name was Growlz. It seemed to fit.

“Hey little buddy,” I mumbled semi coherently. I was tired and wanted to go back to sleep, but I have to tell you something. New York subway benches - not a great place to sleep. My neck, arms, and legs hurt from bending in strange ways to fit on the bench. Other parts of my body hurt too, but not from being held in unnatural poses for what felt like hours, they hurt like muscles do after extensive use.

I got up, and noticed that a jacket was covering me. More accurately, I noticed that it slipped down to my waist. I lifted it up, got off the bench, and checked it out. It was a sleeveless black trench coat, four pockets on the inside that looked empty. On the back was a logo of a slanted ball-peen hammer who’s head seemed to burn. Over the hammer was a phrase in Latin “Vendi Pango Offendo Verus.” May your hammer strike true? What was that supposed to mean.

Then I noticed my arms. On the left was a bracer that had a shield design on the top and a gladius on the bottom, and what looked like snowflakes speckled in between. My mind provided a name - Glacius, Ice. No idea where that came from. The right arm had another bracer that mirrored Glacius, but instead of snowflakes, it was fire. Ignus. Strange. I could not remember where I came from, how I got where I was, why I was sleeping on the bench, nor why I had these items, but I could remember that I apparently named my bracers, I had a pet named Growlz.

I wasn’t even sure what my name was. When I thought about it my mind kept coming up with three words. Mark, Jabberwokk, and Uwriy. In that order. No idea which was my name, I just hoped it wasn't Jabberwokk, weird name. Anyways I was wondering what to do when that strange feeling that woke me up rang in my head again. I closed my eyes and tried to listen.

From what I think was behind me, its hard to tell in the echo’s of the subway, came a roar and the sound of something big crashing into something that was not supposed to move. It came again. I opened my eyes and turned around.

The wall behind me exploded in a burst of brick, cement, and mortar. With it, came a bull-man-thing. That is the only way I can describe it, its feet ended were like a beasts, ending in hoofs, its upper body was like a mans, but its head was that of a bull. It slowed in confusion and pain, shaking its head. Growlz sprang into action, flying at increadible speeds, the dragon like automaton breathed fire into the beasts face and slashing at the eyes with his dagger tail. I could not let my friend do this on his own. But I was too afraid to do anything.

The fear was so great, my mind blanked. Luckily, my body was able to take over. Chapter 2