1 Chapter 1: The Price

The messenger ran towards the throne room, clutching the scroll sealed by the general as if his life depended on it. He knew that the message must be conveyed immediately. A great disaster was about to befall on the Kingdom of Oneira and it was his duty as a messenger to deliver every message of great urgency in a timely order.

"I have a message from General Ludwig," yelled the messenger as he ran into the throne room. He was almost out of breath and was glad that he was now at the right place. The messenger kneeled in the middle of the hall and extended the scroll.

A guard with a military uniform took the scroll from him and presented it to the person sitting on a grand throne placed on the raised platform of the room. Then the guard was back on his post at the corner of the room.

King Vasilias, the 24th ruler of the great Kingdom of Oneira, looked at the scroll on his hand. To receive message meant that General must have something of great urgency. The king opened the scroll and read the message.

"The army from the Kingdom of Alogo has now been sighted on the western border of Oneira," said the king after putting this scroll aside. There was a loud gasp from the audience. "It says there are at least 10,000 soldiers making their way towards the border as we speak, mounted on their great horses." The king looked at his subordinates in the room.

"General Ischyros," said the king calling out one of his greatest military Generals and advisor. "What do you think?"

General Ischyros stood from his seat, walked to the middle of the room and made a bow to the king. He was a young and tall man in his late twenties. His strong build gave an aura of confidence and power intimidating many others who were even higher in social status than him. Born in a poor blacksmith family he made his way up the rank with his strength and strategy. He was considered one of the best military strategists throughout the kingdom and was respected by the soldiers of the kingdom.

"Your majesty," said the general, "we have 3000 soldiers in the West with General Ludwig as a commanding officer. And if the army of Alogo is 10,000 in numbers as it says, our soldiers are outnumbered more than three times." The general continued, "A head-on battle would be disadvantages for us."

One of the best qualities of Ischyros that the king liked was his honesty. He was never afraid to speak up his mind if it meant for the betterment of the kingdom. It has earned him some enemies at some point but it also got him where he was at the moment.

There was a murmur of agreement around the room.

"Then how do you suggest we deal with this?" asked the king.

"There is but one way, Sire," said the general. The king stared at him waiting for him to elaborate. "We must utilise the terrain to our advantage."

Half an hour later, the audiences of the great throne room walked out. The strategy was made. They each had a role to play. Preparations were to be made and quickly. The king slowly made his way to his mother's chamber. He had just received the request from his mother to visit her.

"Mother," said the king as he entered her chamber. Her maid bowed her head at him and walked out of the room. "You called for me?" He asked his mother.

She was standing near the great window, looking out at a distance.

"Vasilias," said the Queen Mother softly.

"Yes, mother."

"It will soon be time. Twelve years are almost up and the man will come back to collect his payment," said the Queen Mother as she turned to look at her son. There was worry and concern in her eyes.

The king knew what she meant. He was well aware of that. He had been thinking about it lately as well. He hadn't been even able to sleep well for the past few months. He had sacrificed many things for the peace of his kingdom and his people. Was he ready to sacrifice more now? He did not know.

Twelve years ago, Oneira was facing its toughest battle. It was a nightmare. The king did not know how to protect his kingdom. Everyone was dying. His people were dying- if not in battle then in hunger. He had to do something to save his kingdom and his people. And, so he made a promise with that man. It was not the king who seek the man. That person was just there on that day. He came there to the king first. Dressed in a simple manner, the man did not look anything than ordinary. He was neither old nor young. The king could not even guess what his age was. He just stood in front of the king.

"Do you seek to end this nightmare, Vasilias?" asked the man to the king.

The king was standing in a small meeting room with his generals when he heard the man speak for the first time. All the generals had their hand on the hilt of their swords, but nobody would even move. It was as if everyone of them was frozen. Nobody knew how the man was there. Nobody was allowed in the room unless and until they were part of the meeting. Young Ischyros was also there.

"Do you seek to end this nightmare, Vasilias?" asked the man again.

The initial shock was gone from the king. He doesn't know why but now he was more curious.

"Who are you? Can you end this?" asked the king, a hope initiating somewhere inside him.

"I can," replied the man. "But it comes with a price."

The generals looked around at the king. They have no idea who the man was and whether he really was capable of ending this nightmare.

"You still have not answer who you are," the king still had doubts.

"I am known by many names. Perhaps the common name that they use now is the Dream Catcher," replied the man.

The generals looked shocked. Yes, the king was shocked too. They have heard about the man called the Dream Catcher. It was a myth. Nobody ever believed because the man was supposed to be hundreds of years old, capable of things that were beyond the realm of a normal human.

"How can we believe you?" said one of the generals. The man looked at the general and then looked again at the king. Then something happened. In a blink of an eye, the man was infront of the king. The king took a step back. He knew something was wrong. It would not be possible for his generals to not move when the man made an attempt to step near him. If the man was able to be so close to the king, it meant that his generals were not able to move at the moment.

"Yes, you are right, Vasilias," said the man as if he can read what he was thinking. "But do not worry, they are not harmed in any way. It is just us who need to talk. So, I stopped them for a moment. The smaller number of people know about it, the better it would be for us. Now, do you want the nightmare to stop?" asked the man again.

The king of course wanted this nightmare to end. But as a negotiator, he knew that readily agreeing to such agreement meant something of great value needs to be given.

"Yes, you are right again, Vasilias," said the man. And this time the king could see a smile on his face. "There is a price for this war to end."

"And what is the price?" asked the king. He was not going to let this man lead him in anyway.

"Your heir to the throne, Vasilias, will be the price for this nightmare to end," said the man.

The king was confused.

"I have no child," replied the king.

"Not yet, Vasilias," said the man, "But you will. Your queen shall bear you a child in three years. And when that boy turns nine, I shall come to get him. That is your price."

"But how do you know that the child will be a boy?" asked the king. He was debating whether to trust him or not.

"Oh the great seers have seen him, Vasilias. A boy with extraordinary power beyond the imagination of the humans is about to be born. And he will be there as your eldest," explained the man as he moved around the room. The king looked at his generals; they were still not moving. He did not know whether to trust this man or not but he knew for the fact that he was extraordinary. It was not his imagination. And when the king realised this, somewhere in his heart he believed that this nightmare could end. But at what price?

He looked at the man again. This man claimed that his eldest will be a son and that he will yield a great power. What was the probability of this happening? And he did not know whether it would happen or not. The only fact at the moment was a war was going on and his priority was to save his people and his kingdom. The future will show itself when the time comes. He did not even know if his queen will bear a child that the man predicted. The physician has said the queen bearing a child was almost impossible. The ministers have even suggested the king to look for another wife because a heir was needed.

The king looked at the man again. He was waiting for the king to decide.

"Will he really have power?" asked the king.

"You have no idea, Vasilias and it is better that you do not," said the man.

The man could see a moment of hesitation in the king's eyes.

"Alright, I agree," said the king finally.

"Do not forget your payment, Vasilias. For you shall pay it and pay it on time. A promise made with a Dream Catcher is binding for the rest of your life as well as for the generations that will have your bloodline. You cannot go back," warned the man.

"A king shall never go back on his word," replied the king.

"Then I shall take this nightmare for you, Vasilias," said the man as he made his way towards the door.

However, he stopped and looked back at the king when he was at the door. "And you will also need a protector for your son."

The man looked at the corner of the room. The king followed his gaze and saw that the young Ischyros looking at them with wide eyes. The moment the eyes of the man laid on the young soldier, a bright mark seemed to be burned on his neck. He seemed to scream but no sound came from his mouth.

"Do not worry, young child," said the man to the young soldier. "You are to be a protector and so the mark will also protect you. A warning though, Vasilias," said the man to the king, "you must not let the power of your son fall under the wrong hands." And before the king could ask more, he was gone.

The generals seem to come back to life.

"Your majesty," said the generals.

"Where is the man?" asked someone.

The king looked at Ischyros, who seemed to be too frightened to speak.

"He is gone," said the king finally. "And the price has been agreed."

The man was indeed right. Oneira won the battle and the glory and bravery of the kingdom reach countries beyond the sea. The suffering ended. The queen also gave birth to a healthy boy after three years. The birth of the heir was celebrated throughout the kingdom. But the king knew better. The moment the heir was born, the king knew that the dream catcher was right. This boy was bound to a fate beyond that of a mere prince. The king has seen the mark on Ischyros neck burn brightly for the first time in three years when his son was born. And it made the king certain that Theos will have to go to the Dream Catcher one day. He could not let the kingdom to hope that the prince will be taking the throne one day. He did not want to give them false hope. He had to make the people forget about the prince.

His queen cried and protested when he decided that a year old Theos was to go away from the palace to live in a small village. The people of the kingdom were told that the prince was gravely ill. It was essential for him to recover and so he would be living in a temple until he recover completely. Everyone bought the story. Only the king, queen, Queen Mother and Ischyros knew the whole story.

And so Theos was sent to a small village on the south where he grew up not knowing that he was the crown prince of kingdom of Oneira.

No one in the village knew about his identity either expect the main priest of the temple there. Ischyros visited him from time to time and reported his growth to the king and the queen. Few years later, the queen gave birth to another son, Argus. And soon, many people forgot the sick elder son of the king.

But not the king. He knew that it was his decision and Theos had no choice. Even before his birth, Theos has saved the kingdom and there was no one better than him to succeed the throne.

The king returned from the Queen Mother's chamber. He called upon Ischyros as soon as he reached his room.

"Your Majesty," greeted Ischyros as he entered the king's chamber. The General could see that the king looked tired. And he knew what it was about. The mark on his neck has been burning for the past few months. He knew that the time was upon them.

"Ischyros," said the king. "Go to my son. Please tell him that his father will always love him."

The king said no more. But the general understood- he knew the king did everything to protect Theos. He knew that the king wanted Theos to be the next king as well.

But the price has to be paid. And he was sure that the Dream Catcher will be there to collect it.