Coming of the Darkstar

Ch6-2 Opal

Ben rarely slept.

And when he did, it was never for a long period of time. He didn't exactly know why... just that he had always been that way since waking from Zeromus' control. It was possible that this had been part of the alterations that were built into him. Afterall, a creature that could function on minimal sleep was much more valuable than one that required hours of rest every night.

No matter how it happened, Ben rarely slept.

It's better that way. It's better than facing the dreams...

Dreams of darkness. Of shadows that reached choking, ghastly tendrils around him, only to cast him beneath the waves of murky terror within his mind. And then came the flashes of what might have been his lost memory.

Memory of Zot? Memory of a time before that? Memory of things that had never really happened? He could never tell.

The last thing he wanted to do was remain asleep long enough to make sense of it all.

So when the rest of the party had collapsed in exhaustion at the root of the great tree, Ben remained awake. Watchful... with Lunar-green eyes that glittered in the pale light that drifted down through the branches above.

A child lay on either side of him, curled up within the folds of his heavy green cloak.

Chase's face was serene as he slept. One little arm had sprawled across Ben's chest, the boy's hand clutching at the hem of the cloak much like he would during the waking hours. A halo of gold seemed to reflect from the sheen of his sandy-brown hair.

Poor child... he should not have come to see such terrible things as he has on this journey. But what could I do? I didn't know he had stowed away on the ship.

Porom seemed a little more troubled in her sleep. Her round face squinted, even with eyes closed. Though she didn't hold fast to Ben like Chase did, she lay very close to the Master Wizard, the shape of her body curled into a tight ball at his side. Her breathing stirred in strange patterns from time to time.

Maybe she has bad dreams, too?

Scattered along uneven rows in the grass, Ben could make out the unmoving lumps of the others who were sleeping. There was Captain Silver... and King Edge... and Cecil... though he couldn't tell who was who in the tricks of the shadow. They had all been so tired at the closing of the meeting that most of them had fallen asleep under the comfort of their cloaks the moment their head touched the ground.

How peaceful it must be... to sleep like they do.

All that was left for Ben to do, like he did every night, was await the rising sun.

Do not dare to move...

Until then, he had to lie very still.

Do not dare to breathe...

Then maybe his dark thoughts would not discover him from where they stalked in the overhanging shadows.

Or else you may find that nightmares come true...

The sound of Porom turning and murmuring in her sleep drew Ben out of the depths of his mind. The Half-Lunar peered down at the girl, and seeing that her feet had come uncovered, he rearranged the cloak to secure her warmth.

Strange human child. A White Mage -- she should have no liking for a once Dark Lord. Yet...

There she was curled up at his side. Just as trusting as the young Page boy. And Ben couldn't fathom it. Not even for a moment.