Oh, yeah! Speaking of, I often have strange dreams about (Wait for it) cats. Before you wind up laughing at me, don't, because I often have nightmares about these cats.
In my dreams, there are these huge, black cats with piercing yellow eyes. They're always chasing me, and I can never seem to escape. It's like they're some sort of omen or something. Sometimes, when I wake up, I can still hear their eerie yowls echoing in my ears. It's unnerving, to say the least.
But tonight's nightmare was different. Sure, there were cats in it, but this time, there seemed to be only two giant cats fighting each other. But the strange part was, one was made of fire, the other made of ash.
The fire cat was sleek and agile, dodging and weaving around the ash cat's clumsy attacks. The ash cat, on the other hand, was slow and methodical, relentlessly pushing forward despite its injuries. Their battle raged on for what seemed like an eternity, leaving the landscape around them charred and blackened.
As I watched this surreal spectacle from a distance, I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread in the pit of my stomach. It was as if the fight between these two cats was a reflection of some greater conflict taking place within my subconscious. The fire cat represented something passionate and untamed, while the ash cat stood for something old and worn out. And yet, despite their differences, they were inextricably linked, forced to fight until one of them was left standing.
But things only got weirder. The fire cat looked straight at me, a pleading light in its eyes. It was then that it spoke.
"Help me," it hissed. "I cannot defeat him on my own."
I opened my mouth to reply, but no words came out. I tried to move, to do something, anything, but I was frozen in place. The fire cat let out a frustrated growl and turned its attention back to the ash cat, renewing its attack.
The battle raged on for what felt like an eternity, with neither cat gaining an advantage. Finally, with a mighty roar, the ash cat hurled the fire cat through the air, sending it flying into a nearby tree. The impact was so great that the tree exploded into a shower of sparks and ash.
But I didn't get to see what happened next, because right then and there, someone was shaking me awake.
It was Jason. His face was pale and his eyes were wide with concern. "Ryan," he whispered. "Ryan, wake up."
I sat up, still disoriented from the dream, my heart pounding. "Jason? Is everything okay?"
He nodded, his expression grave. "I'm sorry to wake you, but I need to talk to you. Something's come up, and I think you should know about it."
I sat up a little straighter, my heart still racing from the dream. "Okay, what's going on?"
Jason took a deep breath before speaking. "It's about the tensions between the camps. I've been doing some digging, and it turns out that there's more to it than just rivalries. There's a powerful force behind all of this, something that's been pulling the strings for years."
He leaned in closer, his voice barely above a whisper. "I think it's time we took matters into our own hands. We need to find out who or what is behind this, and stop them before they can cause any more damage."
I notched an eyebrow. "So what you're saying is, it's time for a quest?"
Jason nodded solemnly. "Something like that. I have a contact who can help us get started. He's not someone we can trust completely, but he knows enough to point us in the right direction. I was hoping you'd come with me. You've got an uncanny knack for getting people to open up, and I think that'll come in handy during our investigation."
I sighed. "I'm just wondering. Did the oracle have a prophecy about this that could 'help' us?" I asked, making quotation marks around help.
Jason smiled wryly. "Actually, that's where I was going with this. You see, the oracle didn't give us a prophecy per se. But she did leave us a riddle. It goes like this:
'In the darkest hour, when hope is lost, the key to the future lies within the unclaimed one's past. To unlock this mystery, he must be bold, and face the darkness head-on, heart and soul.'"
"You're basically the only unclaimed one around here," Jason said. "So I'd figured you'd be helpful."
I shrugged. "I guess I am. So what do we need to do? And how does my past figure into all of this?"
Jason leaned back against the tree, considering his words. "Our first step is to find out who or what is behind this. My contact has told me that there's a meeting taking place tonight, where some of the key players will be in attendance. We need to go there and gather information. As for your past, well, I think it might hold the key to unlocking the mystery."
He paused, looking at me intently. "You see, there are rumors about a group of people, known as the Children of the Ash, who were said to have lived in these woods long ago. They were a secretive group, dedicated to preserving the balance between the camps. Some say they were wiped out centuries ago, but others believe they left behind something important. Something that could help us put an end to this conflict once and for all."
I gasped, and blurted out, "Cats!' before I could stop myself. Jason raised an eyebrow at me. "What about cats?"
I blushed. I then told him about the fire cat and the ash cat dream.
Jason listened intently, his eyes never leaving mine. When I finished, he nodded thoughtfully. "It's possible that there's a connection between the Children of the Ash and your dream. Maybe the fire cat represents one of their leaders, and the ash cat is another member who went into hiding. Or perhaps it's something else entirely."
He took a deep breath. "Either way, we need to find out. The meeting tonight is our chance. I have a contact who can get us in, but we'll have to be careful. If anyone suspects that we're not who we say we are, it could be disastrous."
I swallowed hard, my heart racing at the thought of infiltrating such a dangerous gathering. But I knew that I couldn't shy away from this responsibility. I nodded, determination in my voice. "Let's do this."
