It grew dark, the pair alongside their minder had been transported to an eery port where storage containers were shut off,
"I feel my Ruby." Morpheus hummed eagerly, walking towards a large warehouse.
"You can feel it?" Dahlia questioned,
"My tools are more a part of me then I of them. My helm allows me to see my Ruby even from a grand distance."
Morpheus had pushed open the large steel door which laid behind numerous containers and shelves.
Dahlia walked behind him, he had seen a red glow from a small box.
"My Ruby!" Morpheus exclaimed as he approached it, but a growing pit of dread grew in Dahlias stomach. As the pair walked closer, Dahlia grabbed his wrist stopping him from continuing to walk closer to the shiny object.
"I don't think we should, the person who stashed it probably placed a trap." Dahlia warned, though it went in vain as Morpheus ignored Dahlias caution.
"I've waited a hundred years, I will not wait any longer." Morpheus pulled his arm out of her grip the two walked hastily towards the Ruby.
The next thing both knew was the impact of the hard concrete floor, the darkness consumed. Morpheus his helm flew off landing probably a few feet away, unconscious as was Dahlia who would wake to her head pounding which was grazed and no doubt bleeding.
"Boss!" Matthew cawed, his master lying not alive nor dead on the concrete. His concern grew with every shout to awake Morpheus,
"Lia!" Matthew hopped tilting his head to face the unconscious women who didn't respond of course,
He heard groaning of Morpheus and flew, perching in front of his.
"Boss?"
"Someone's tampered with my ruby." Morpheus huffed sitting up, he looked around. And in the pit of his stomachs he felt a tense build up of relentless, his breathing caught up rapidly as his heart would beat out of his chest.
But a few feet ahead, he eyed Dahlia, crawling to her he felt that feeling not cease especially at the sight of the gashing wound apparent of her forehead.
Matthew could of sworn he heard Morpheus curse but wasn't sure, "She'll be fine." Morpheus sighed checking her pulse, he reached to stroke her cheek and for some reason Morpheus liked doing so.
Matthew watched tilted head in awe, but seconds later flew away not wanting to infiltrate a personal moment. Morpheus wanted her to wake up, not because they needed to find out what had happened to his ruby. But the longer she stayed comatose the longer Morpheus was remained her hurt. He would make John pay.
"How dare he tamper with such power." Morpheus seethed with hate and anger he didn't see Dahlia slowly wake, not until he heard her slurring her words. She was calling for him.
"Dream." Dahlia reached out, her vision slightly blurry as she stood up,
"Morph." An intense urge to throw up and she stood up, stumbling into a shelf, Morpheus ran to catch her from falling.
"I'm here." Morpheus hummed their hands clasped together his free hand around her waist as he steadied her balance.
Dahlias free hand clinging onto a steel shelf,
"That was one big energy shock." Dahlia hummed,
Morpheus waited and soon Dahlia showed signs she was going to be okay, he let go. But soon Dahlia missed his touch and craved for it.
But that would be weird,
Morpheus looked at her cut and purses his lips.
"I think we should get you checked out, Lucienne knows what to do." Morpheus assumed but Dahlia declined,
"No." Dahlia huffed, "I'll be fine." She didn't wanna be further troublesome, Morpheus wasn't convinced. "You are wounded, a head wound that could be fatal. Please." Morpheus persisted, however Dahlia just ripped off the sleeve of her shirt pressing it against her wound, the blood seeped and she knew she'd eventually need to get stitches.
Morpheus stuck on his helm, his eyes glowing a bright red as he spoke calmly and lowly. "The Ruby isn't here."
"So you're saying we've been duped and tricked." Dahlia huffed tiredly,
"Indeed." Morpheus reached for his pouch, grabbing a handful of sand,
"I'm assuming you know where the real one is." Dahlia stated reaching for Morpheus' hand which he warmly gave.
"Correct, Ethel Cripps son, John possesses it. He resides in a diner outside London." Morpheus tossed up his handful of golden sand, once again they were whirled away.
Morpheus stood a few metres from the outside of a rustic diner. "I will go inside, you wait here. He knows about you and who you are, give me ten minutes." Before Morpheus could protest she was running away.
Morpheus grunted, unable to move. Bewitched by his better judgement and her spitfire words.
"Tell me my future." An old man she had suspected to be John sat at table at the far end of the diner. A lady talking to him as they watched the television hanging up.
The news showing a tragic accident from earlier in the day.
"You come from dust and you leave back to dust." Dahlia sat a chair away listening to their conversation.
John looked immediately at her, and sound the lady whom he was talking to walked away. And the only thing now that stood between the two was a seat and an empty table.
"Anything to get you?" The waitress asked.
"Just tea, herbal if you got it otherwise water." Dahlia hummed watching John look at her with curiosity.
"Right away." The waitress wrote down the exactness of her order and smiled and waltz behind the counter.
"Bit nippy tonight isn't it?" Said John Dee who looked at Dahlia was a small smile, and one would suspect such to be criminally minded. No, to a mere passerby John seemed like an old man, with a endearing smile and a soft voice.
"Your tea, Miss." Spoke the waitress,
"Thank you." Dahlia kindly said, as she sipped at the warm liquid, it soothed her throat.
"So where are you from?" John asked,
"No, John that's not why we are here." Dahlia placed down her tea,
"We?" John inquired curious and confusion on his face. "Do we know one another?"
"No we do not, but you John Dee, son of Ethel Cripps have taken something to which belongs to someone else, someone who wants it back." Dahlia spat reverently,
John Dee looked down at his hands, the ruby in his pocket heating up. As it's owner was now in the diner awaiting its comfort, it's rightful place.
"There is no future for you John Dee, not in this life or the next." Dahlia hummed,
"Look again." John asked, no, it was more of a demand.
"You have stolen, taken away the power of Dreams and for that you've forsaken the gift of the gods, tell me John Dee did your mother teach you those manners?" Dahlia seethed getting out of her seat,
"You will crush the Dream Lords life, your hands."
This statement seemed to please John Dee, so much so that a small smirk formed on his lips.
Morpheus now came into sight surely it had be longer than instructed but nevertheless he showed,
"You're The Sandman." John exclaimed, "I'm John."
"We know who you are." Morpheus proclaimed his eyes on moving to Dahlia who now sat opposite the captor of the jewel.
"I'm saving the world from lies." John stated,
"The ruby wasn't made for that." Morpheus pointed out taking a seat next to Dahlia.
"My mother was right, she said you'd be coming for it." John admitted,
"Wise woman, so to speak. She did inherently steal, and so does her son." Dahlia seethed,
"Their lying to themselves." John stated looking directly at the waitress and another who were talking, Dahlia caught a few highlight words from lip reading but was clueless.
"They're not lying, they are dreams." Morpheus protested, "Kate dreams of running away where no one will find her." The group then looked at another, a male who was nearby sitting in quietly to himself. "Garry dreams, proving his father wrong about him. Bette dreams of creating something that matters to people, their dreams inspire them."
"Their dreams keep them alive, and for that you are robbing them." Dahlia chimes in, her voice now monotone, softer than before.
"The ruby is hurting you, John. It's power is too much within." Morpheus informed,
"It stole more when I tried to use it." John exclaimed, " then I shall use it again Dream lord for I shall take your powers and become King of Dreams."
"Then prehaps if you try to steal a dream lords powers, we shall consort in my own realm." Everyone knowingly feel asleep, and so it begun.
The Thief and The King.