On the highest mountain of Voldmoth Forest, a breeze drifted, causing the bell inserted within the hut to continuously ring about.
Under normalcy, this noise would peeve the retired general of the Voldmoth army: The Hitter. But his attention was elsewhere; his old eyes were moving from one point to another, trying to spot the exact source of the suffocating energy.
It was a nightmare's, and he was pretty sure, but after minutes of searching nothing seemed to be happening in the forest.
He frowned and directed his stare at a group of 4 fishermen going about their business near a shallow swamp.
"Hahaha," the full-figured one caught his shaking big stomach as he maniacally laughed.
He was sitting on a protruding root, a couple of meters away from the river that gracefully flowed from east to west. With him were three other Anger Emontarions, carrying out the fishing task.
"Can you believe that good-for-nothing, washed-up soldier was today spotted getting intimate in the open field?" He broke into his laughter again, with two of the fishermen who were pulling out the canoe joining him.
The silent one, with a red scarf, got annoyed and released his grip from the canoe, causing it to slip back into the river with a bang.
"You fools, are you trying to break my father's boat?" full-figured sneered, shooting a terrifying stare at the trio.
The duo who were laughing both dropped their heads in apology.
"Tsk. Just pull it out." He turned his attention to the stormy sky as he cleaned his teeth with a small stick.
The duo nodded, after which one of them, old in age, turned and using his gnarled hands asked the teenager with the red scarf, "Why did you do that?"
As the teenager prepared an answer, the other Emontarion, who looked rather shifty, scrunched his face before moving his hands in a fit, "Are you stupid, brat? Some of us have stomachs to fill. We need this job. Get it together or get lost…"
The old man patted Shifty's shoulder.
"No need for that, I will talk to him."
Shifty shrugged as he turned. He picked up a bucket full of fish and walked away.
The teenager watched Shifty with disdain before turning to the old man.
"Family? Doesn't he use the money just to drown himself in alcohol?"
"Don't say that, none of us are perfect. And you are yet to explain why you did that."
"Sigh, it's just that I don't understand why the likes of that fat pig get to live the high life whilst we do not, and as if that is not painful enough you two were laughing to God-knows-what he was talking about." The teenager's "tone" was full of pain; even his face could not hide it.
To his surprise, the old man suffused a smile.
"That is just the way of life, my boy. Some of us are born to suffer while others are not. Do not let this get to you. You still have a long way to go, and I'm sure you will one day make your little sister happy. So for now just persevere… even if it means licking the feet of that fat fool. He's the master's son, after all."
"Fat fool?" the boy repeated with a smile. "You saying that is… weird."
"Is it wrong?"
"Not really. In fact, I like it."
"Come on, let's pull." The old man smiled as he walked towards the section of the canoe that was on land.
The teenager, seconds later, knelt.
"Give the canoe three slaps to indicate you are ready to pull." After saying that, he moved closer to the canoe and looked at the river.
Its surface reflected the stormy clouds in perfect tranquility. He could clearly see the stormy clouds move about, some appearing to be warriors whilst others monsters.
He was so moved that he reached his hand into the calm sea.
His brow slightly knitted as he realized that the water was not just calm on sight but also touch.
It was not moving.
Baffling for the ever east-to-west flowing water current.
He moved his hands slowly to stir up a ripple, but nothing happened. The water remained still as though he passed his hand through air.
He repeated the process with more effort.
Nothing happened.
He repeated.
Nothing.
His surprised face soon turned to worry. Deciding to leave whatever in God's grace was happening, he stood up to leave.
But could not. His hand was stuck in the unmoving water.
He tried to pull, but it was futile.
He was stuck!
He was now terrified. Luckily the old man soon noticed the weird act. He hurried over and found the boy struggling to pull his hand from the water.
He did not ask why; it was obvious something was not right. He gripped the teenager by the waist and pulled.
But even their combined force was futile.
Behind them, the full-figured Emontarion started to shout about while Shifty just stared.
The duo trapped in an eerie state of silent despair suddenly, for the first time in their lives, heard sound.
Not the ideal one though.
It was of mourns. They echoed in their ears for a while before coming to a hault.
Soon after this, a black spot appeared on the mid-section of the river, then slowly started diffusing to all sections.
Noticing this, they pulled harder and harder, each slightly stealing a glance at the coming black, and fortunately, before the black waters touched him, his hand was released and he sprawled to the ground together with the old man.
Poom! Poom! Poom!
The teenager's heart raced, knowing full well he had just escaped a close call from whatever the hell that was… or did he?
He felt his rescued hand throb, and as he looked, found it wobbling like a bubble.
Then it burst.
Blood spewed around him like a shower.
He opened his mouth to scream, but nature had long taken that ability from him.
The old man, Shifty, and full-figured, at the occurrence, stared with an embellishment of emotions washing them.
Amid the scene of despair and confusion, a black figure emerged from the black waters. It was feminine, and on her stomach was a swelling that she, with her arms, caressed passionately.
The feminine looked at the teenager with her tear-soaked face, and instantly his body wobbled before it burst.
Blood splattered, tainting the canoe, ground, and the old man's terrified face.
The state of the situation hit the trio with a devastating blow: they were in the presence of a Nightmare.
'Oh God!'