Nightmare Magic

“You know I wouldn’t be calling if I had another option.” Vollrath growled as his teeth ground. He looked around, hating to even have to be there meeting with Morpheus. How did he even get himself into this position. He was a fucking Master Warlock. Shouldn’t he be able to vanquish nightmares? YES! Yet here he was having to ask for help from a being that he hated, and who he was sure hated him.

“Would you prefer to negotiate with Melinoe?” Morpheus smirked, knowing the answer to that. While Melinoe was less of an asshole than he was, she also had never had a run in with Vollrath before. The other three men who sat at a table near them, obviously hating this as much as Vollrath was, would make her no less pleased than dealing with the jackass warlock in front of him. “So, what did you fuck up to need my help, warlock?” His eyebrows rose in amusement.

“I didn’t fuck anything up. Someone is coming after my wife through her dreams. My brother, and both of the warlocks who serve under me have tried figuring out what’s going on, and neither can. I’m worried, Morpheus. Nothing we can do through our magic is working. The goddess is not helping and even Sylvan seems unable to vanquish whatever is coming to torture her dreams. The ancestors don’t seem to be able or willing to help, they are not communicating which. I’ve never run into anything like this.” His jaw clenched and his hand ran through his auburn hair as Vollrath admitted that he was powerless to fix the problem. Mahala was already afraid to fall asleep and even had to be drugged most nights. Her fear kept her from being able to relax enough to sleep, so it was either drugs or she’d stay away until she passed out.

Morpheus sat back as his eyebrows drew together. That was not what he’d expected. The last time that he’d been called by Vollrath, it had been a witch who’d called a nightmare demon and couldn’t vanquish it. Of course, Morpheus had been able to take care of the problem easily. This situation was a lot more personal and touchy though. Vollrath requesting personal help from him was something that Morpheus knew was not something that the warlock would do lightly. It was one thing to ask for help for someone in the coven, or to undo something that had been done by someone in the coven, but this was different.

“Of course, both Melinoe and I will be glad to help. We also have another team we work with, that we have personally trained. No one should be tortured by nightmares that sound that powerful and violent.” He could see the powerful warlock before him relax, as did the three others at the other table, when they saw Vollrath relax. “I need to know how long it’s been going on and any details that you are able to tell me. That will give my team an idea of what we’re up against and how we want to take it on.” Anything or anyone taking on the wife of a Master Warlock had to be pretty ballsy. To withstand the powers of four powerful warlocks, like the ones before him, meant that they were going to have to call in help from Lorien and Rua as well; which is why he mentioned them. Morpheus had a sinking feeling that they were once again up against something new, or dark.

“About a month ago, it just started suddenly. It was a random nightmare unlike anything that she had ever had before. Mahala, my wife, had problems waking up from it even with me trying to help her using spells. When she did, she was disoriented and unlike herself; and kept falling back into the same nightmare. It was as if there was a tether to her even when she was awakened that pulled her back into sleep and into the dream. I had to give her a potion to stay awake. Then, every night since then, whenever she falls asleep, she falls back into the same nightmare. It is violent and dark….” Vollrath began with how the nightmares started.

From there, he gave details of how the nightmares involved witches that seemed to come from ancient times, chanting in ancient language that she didn’t understand. They were doing rituals that she did not understand, burning her, cutting her, poking her, hitting her, and even warlocks taking place trying to rape her. Vollrath had to pause at times, obviously becoming overcome by emotion at what his wife had gone through, the obvious emotional and physical toll it was taking on her. He did mention that he was always able to wake her up at least before the rapes took place. She would start screaming to please not rape her and he knew that is what was starting. He was afraid, though, that one day he would not be there, and that the emotional trauma would be too much. At times tears made slow rivers down his face, his hands fisted, he shook, and his voice cracked as he recounted all that had been taking place.

The more that Morpheus listened the more disturbed that he became at what he was hearing. His eyes scanned all four Warlocks and it seemed that they all shared the same emotions regarding the situation, which meant that most likely all had tried to help regarding it and failed. This wasn’t the situation that he had wanted, but rarely were you handed one you did.

There had to be some kind of tie in with Vollrath’s history, or that of Mahala. Maybe something in the past of their family, or of the coven. With them both being strong in power and married to one another, there could be no coincidence in what the nightmare was showing them. It didn’t mean that the dream agents couldn’t help her, but it would be more complicated than if it had just been a nightmare assassin of the normal kind that they dealt with her. He was sure by the end that all four of them as a team would be best, if for no other reason than to watch one another’s back.

“We will find out what is going on. All four of my team will help. We will end this. I vow it. We may have our differences, Vollrath, but no one should suffer like that. We begin tonight. I’ll go back and round my crew up. I’ll call you when we’ll meet again so everyone can become acquainted and you can learn what we’ll need from the four of you.” Morpheus was resolute, his voice firm. Whatever was going on with Mahala, he had no doubt that he and his crew could handle it. He just hoped that they were in time to prevent any lasting damage to Mahala.