The Empty World | The Empty World Sequence [complete | rewriting]

Twenty

"Interesting," Dream said, which was neither confirmation nor denial. "What about Raziel's Tears, the morning glory seeds?"

"Not that I know." Morpheus shook his head. "Daniel told me once, when I was in the other secret garden, that he had been told to watch over Thierry, who is a boy in the Empty world, and the son of someone named Amadeo."

"I am aware of this event."

"Daniel told me of it here, when I was...tripping."

"You ate cherries recently? In The Empty World?"

"He didn't take me with him," River said.

Dream nodded. "Morpheus, you cannot help River, if you do not also allow him to help you."

"I already apologized," Morpheus said. He looked down at River, "I did tell you I was sorry. Anyway," he looked to Dream again, "Don't I have affinity with opiates and hallucinogens? They're not going to hurt me."

"You are immune to opiates given the fact your body produces similar substances, Morpheus, but this is not, evidently, the case with hallucinogens, at least not all of them."

"It could just be that they were mixed with Vampyre blood, and it wasn't even-"

River cut him off. "Don't mix drugs!"

"Sacred substances are intended for ceremonies of communion," Maeve said.

Morpheus shrugged. They were getting off track.

Dream lifted River and lifted him on the palm of his hand close to eye-level, then whispered to him. When he set River down, he focused on Morpheus with shimmering eyes, "Walk with me."

Dream lead Morpheus to one of the hedge walls, where a partially overgrown wooden gate was revealed at a close distance. They passed through into one of the other secret gardens; the one with the swing and cherry tree. "I altered your memory," Dream confessed, "the cherries must have brought it back."

Morpheus walked away from him.

"Morpheus, I am willing to explain, why I, alone, acted without your knowledge and consent, and make amends if you wish, but first answer me: How much Vampyre blood did you drink and were there apparent effects?"

"My eyes changed," Morpheus admitted, remembering. He did not look directly at his grandfather as he answered. "It was Athen's blood - I knew when I tasted it, they were his eyes - in a bottle, pre-mixed with refined dream cherry. I drank, maybe, a pint. I could make my eyes change back, with a little effort."

"Do not do it again. I do not say Vampyre blood can harm or change you. Very likely it cannot. I only say, use caution, because the viral strains carried in their bloodlines are not Gabriel's genetics, but spontaneous mutation - fusion - of Eyrim and Human base codes."

"Meaning even the Archangel of the Cherubim cannot cure Vampirism." Morpheus turned to look at Dream. He stood, seemingly calm, near the swing. "That was why...the flood."

Dream nodded. "To prevent a greater biological disaster, the population - all populations - had to be reduced. Perhaps you see the importance of Shade to our people."

Morpheus was beginning to. He knew Lucifer had long claimed to have planned Shade to be his agent in The Empty World. He knew also Zerachiel, Death herself, considered Shade someone of special, maybe fated, birth and had personal fondness for the Vampyre. He knew also that Gabriel and Raziel, both archangels, as Zerachiel, had long had dealings with Shade. Gabriel had suggested that maybe Lucifer was not the only one to have planned him.