A World With/Out Home

Chapter 39: The world at the end of the street. (Part 2)

"An illusion..., but why?" Estile eyes were wide and confused.

"Because she's scared," Arvel answered. "Remember when you were little and that wild dog chased you? In the end you stood your ground, you pretended to be something bigger than you were."

"I did that to protect Marisha, there was nowhere left to run." Estile understood, "And for the Sleeping God that was the same."

She took a step forward, on the borders of the carpeted floor that separated the darkness. A sudden pang lit up her mind. Days spent drawing, wishing and lonely in a sealed circular chamber. Then a light, a world and in it, life. That magical place where things happened, that place which was infinitely better, but to be there, to live there, it could only be a dream and to first dream, you needed to sleep.

"Estile?" Arvel quickly reached out for her as she suddenly swayed. "Are you crying?"

Estile straightened herself and wiped her cheek to find it wet, "I guess I am...."

"What do we do?" Arvel asked as he gazed into the frozen room. "We came here to end the Sleeping God, to break the fog and the demons forever. I can't kill a child Estile, no matter how old they really may be."

"Yeah neither can I," Estile sighed. The old her might have, but the her now couldn't fathom it. "So I guess there's only one thing we can do."

"What?"

"Save it," she smiled and without waiting for Arvel's agreement crossed the threshold of the room. Time came spiralling back into order. The frozen world ticked back into shape and as Estile made her way to the small God's side, so did the chaos return. At first it was slow but bit by bit the fragments of the world began to reassemble. By the time Estile stood by the Sleeping God the movements of their body were perceivable and so was the heat of Karen's blade. Even for her it would be hard to stop that weapon of power, so instead she stood between it and its target, her arms spread protectively as the illusion was dispelled.

"Estile-!" Arvel's voice caught her the same time as the rush collapsed towards them. The bout of movement became utter chaos. Estile winced as the God's scream awoke, the force of it crushing into her back which she refused to budge. Karen whose sole intention to end everything had been interrupted by the sudden appearance of her friend, and the God she was aiming for to suddenly become much smaller. Her swing instead went wide and released a tremendous arc of flame out to the abyss. Kyle who was the same halted his shattered sword and instead had to raise his shield protecting Estile from Sephie's spear of light. Edgar fell back to the floor, taking Sephie with him.

In an instant it ended. The Sleeping God full of fear gazed up with its large black eyes. Estile turned her head and smiled, "It's okay. I'm here." As if unable to cope any longer the childlike God, relieved and tired, sat where it was and began to cry.

"Shhh there there, you're alright," Estile gently cradled the strange being as everyone else in the room, with the exception of Arvel, stared incredibly confused. "I've got you. Rest and sleep, you must be tired."

Filled with comfort, the Sleeping God obeyed. It wasn't just the assault of the four members of the Ever-Garden but the 400 years of a twisted world born from its nightmares and to top it all off, a mislead man who tried to make its powers his. For the God, like its namesake, sleeping was easy.

"What is going on?" Kyle stepped forward only to be hushed back. He asked again, quietly, "Estile why are you here?"

"We're here to bring things to an end," Arvel said from behind him.