Path Of Dreams

Chapter Four: Absurd Skills

“This can't be real, a skill of the initiate rank can't just grant me access to a realm all of a sudden.”

Oberon said in confusion, and his confusion was not unfounded.

“A realm is supposed to be an independent plane of existence governed by its own laws, essence and inhabitants. This shouldn't be possible.”

He thought as he calmed himself down by taking deep breaths. He set the description for his first skill aside for a while and instead focused on his second skill so he could take his mind off the questions that now bugged him. 

“The ability to bring things back from the dream realm and into reality.”

Just thinking about it made Oberon gulp instinctively. It was too good to be true and yet, there it was on the record. Realms were places laden with opportunities and also dangers, there were a lot of things to be found and discovered within realms that perhaps nobody really knew anything about.

“If I could make a stable line of selling scavenged items from this realm then wouldn't I get rich rather quickly? And I could also use it to gain more essence right?”

Being an orphan, Oberon had grown up living in struggle and hardship, everything he had to his name had been gotten because he worked incredibly hard to get them and sometimes because Sam gifted him a few little things. It was only right that he would think about the benefits that came with having access to a realm almost nobody knew anything about.

“This is nice and very practical. I won't have any trouble finding a reliable group of people to party with in the void.”

Sam said and turned to Oberon who had closed his record.

 

“What skills did you get Oberon? My first skill has to do with understanding basic rune inscriptions and how they work and my second skill has to do with inscribing basic runic inscriptions on items, relics and artifacts.”

“You know you shouldn't tell people about your skills in full detail right? It could be used against you.”

Oberon replied even though he knew what Sam's reply was going to be. 

“You're not just anyone though, you're my best friend and I know you wouldn't do anything to bring harm to me.”

Oberon sighed and massaged his temple at the reply but still responded to Sam's earlier question. 

“My skills are not really reliable and are basically useless on the field. My first skill helps me understand dreams better and my second skill allows me a few things I dream about a reality although they can't be extraordinarily powerful or absurd things.”

There was a brief moment of silence between the duo as they both contemplated on the issue of Oberon's skills, Sam however soon broke the silence. 

“Don't beat yourself up over it, your skills aren't that bad. For example you can act as a sort of diviner with your first skill and help people understand the hidden meaning behind their dreams. And your second skill is not too bad either, you just need to dream of useful things.”

“I am sorry I lied to you Sam but my skills have to be kept a secret. If people know about them, those with ill intentions might harm both of us just to exploit my skills.

And I wasn't entirely lying, it's just my skills explained differently.”

Oberon thought as both of them began to prepare to leave the school premises, after all there was nothing to practice about their skills at the moment. Sam could practice rune inscription when he got back home and Oberon could try experimenting with his skills when he also got back home.

“Oh and also Sam, please don't tell anyone about my second skill, things may get tricky and I might get exploited.”

Oberon chipped in as they both walked out of the classroom. Sam turned his head at Oberon's plea and thought about it for a moment before nodding knowingly with a smile plastered on his face.

“Don't worry, I understand what you mean. I've got your back. I also want to visit the void tomorrow since we have the rest of the semester to prepare for the academy qualifications assessments.

I want to organize a party too so we can train as a team and work towards increasing our ranks. And I want you to join my party.”

“Really? Going to the void this early a day after awakening, shouldn't we slow things down a bit? I mean we wouldn't even have team synergy and might just end up risking our lives unnecessarily.”

Oberon said with worry and his worry was not unfounded, the void was after all a passageway that connected earth also known as the mortal realm to other realms. It was filled with unimaginable dangers and horrors but was also the fastest method to rise in rank known to man. 

“Don't worry about it, I have something in mind. I'll pick you up at your place tomorrow by eight.”

Sam said as the both parted ways. Sam entered the car that had been sent to bring him home and Oberon boarded a cab.

                  ****************

The sun had retreated, and the moon had taken its place accompanied by the starry silvery stars. The city was bustling with people even though it was still late at night, this was because there were those who preferred to work in the dead of night rather than in the morning when it was bright and the liveliest. 

In a rather old apartment building, filled with a little over a hundred separate rooms for a little over a hundred tenants, on the topmost floor within a rather small but livable room, a certain young boy walked out of the bathroom drying his damp black hair.

The boy was not short or tall, somewhere in between. His curly hair fell against the side of his head as he set the towel he had been using against a rack to dry. He licked his dry lips and walked over to a cracked mirror to look at himself. Although he was not earth shatteringly handsome, one would find him good looking if they cared to look closely enough.

Alas ….in a world ruled by the concepts of any form of strength ruled and any form of weakness groveled, no one really cared about the looks of an orphan without a valuable thing to his name.

Oberon sighed as he changed into his night clothes and made his way to bed. He closed his eyes to sleep after laying down but after a minute or two he opened them again with visible nervousness on his face.

“Would I really get pulled into the dream realm if I sleep? Or is it just a farce or play on words?”

He wondered. Although this was an opportunity that promised a lot of outstanding benefits for someone like him or anybody really, Oberon could not dismiss or ignore the dangers that came with it. 

There was no realm known to man that was a paradise, there was always a balance of sorts, it was always a balance of paradise and hell. He didn't know how he would get pulled into the dream realm to begin with, would he get pulled in there with his real body or not and, if he died within the dream realm was that the end of his journey that not even began?

“How much I wish I had a choice in all of these, I would have decided not to go until I knew more but I can't say I have a choice. I'll just have to go with fate’s plans for me.”

With that Oberon shut his eyes and before long he was soundly asleep, his chest rising and falling peacefully. 

Well that was before he opened his eyes once again…..this time to a surprise.