The Captive Titan [ManxMan]

Chapter Fifteen: Dreaming in Color

~Chapter Fifteen: Dreaming in Color~

It is strange how detailed yet undetailed the dream is.

At first glance, everything looks prominent and almost exactly like I remember the outside of the Parthenon being in its earlier years before it fell to ruin at some point between then and the first time I visited it After. However, as I look around for the source of the dream, I start to notice that there are areas that look vaguely blurry that my mind wants to skip over, but the more I stare at them, the easier it becomes to pick them apart from the otherwise vivid temple. That does not really tell me why I am seeing such obvious breaks from reality, though, nor does it explain why I appear to be the only one here.

Whenever I dream walk, I usually have to take no more than a few steps to reach the source of the dream - or, at the very least, the person I am supposed to meet - but there is no one in sight, let alone within a few meters of me. There could just be a delay since there have been times where the connection does not match up perfectly, leaving one person waiting for a couple minutes, but...

Though I was looking around, which slightly alters my ability to tell how much time has passed, I believe it is safe to say that a couple of minutes has come and gone at this point. That should honestly be my cue to leave, as it is never smart to linger when the source is unknown - I still doubt it is Hypnos - but curiosity gets the better of me, so I linger and explore the temple's inner sanctum a bit.

Friend or foe, I would rather know than be left guessing.

The temple floor is smooth, so I pay little attention to where I step and instead look up at the tall ceiling that I could more easily admire in my true form, but at my current, more compact size, it towers too far above me, held up by carved walls and stone pillars, for me to pick out the details. The dias at the back of the room features - and my lips twitch down in a small frown - a large statue of Athena in a detailed, flowing peplos with a spear in one hand and a smaller statue of the winged goddess Nike in her other. Atlas always liked Athena's statues, but...

-

Atlas smiles up at the golden statue of his little cousin, and he might not realize it, I have always been more interested in watching him than looking at some fancy, ivory and gold-coated statue of someone I have scarcely spent any time with. "You seem awfully pleased for someone who was complaining about his baby cousin having such a big temple," I grumble after a moment, looking away from that soft smile, and though I try to keep it out of my tone, there is no hiding the tinge of jealousy in my words.

The Titan blinks, looking almost like my words broke him from a spell, before he turns to face me with a smile that is equal parts soft and smug. "Jealous, Ainmire? Worried my little cousin is going to steal my heart?" He teases, reaching out to take my hands in his.

I meet his gaze directly. "Hardly," I scoff, confident, even for all that that soft look he had on while looking at the statue made me want to resent Athena. "You spent too long courting me to change your mind now."

Stepping closer, Atlas grins, no longer soft, just smug. "I've captured my prize - my gift from the Fates themselves - and I have no intention of letting you go now," Atlas agrees, ducking his head to kiss my forehead. "But how about I tell you what I see?"

I glance over at the large statue of Athena before sighing and reluctantly asking, "What do you see?"

"Your enthusiasm is noted," Atlas replies dryly, though the second kiss to my forehead belies his tone. "Well, first, come here."

Atlas takes a step back, and this only increases my dislike for this stupid temple because I would much rather we stay close, even if it would be a bit embarrassing if someone walked in on us despite the fact that it is the middle of the night, which is when most mortals are asleep. If he notices my annoyance, however, he does not comment and instead continues to pull me closer to the statue so that we are no longer lingering near the doors.