"Alright alright, but bare with me it was quite a while ago. Yes I know, I'm ancient, beat you to it. So, I believe it went something like this."
✧✧✧
It shouldn't be as difficult as it was turning out to be to regulate his breathing. He tried to get in under control, for he feared that if he were to make any noise, it would end up alerting his attacker of his whereabouts. That was the last thing he needed, for the other to find him where he was now, sitting right behind a tree, one that seemed to have fallen what must have been ages ago, if the nature consuming it was anything to go by.
He had only managed to reach this refuge thanks to a layer of dust that had risen, obscuring the area where he had been.
It had been a shame how the intruder had taken him by surprise while he was heading back towards his king. He had been looking forward to it, for there had been so many things that he had wanted to tell him, having wanted to reach his castle as soon as possible. He just wanted to share all the things that he had seen and experienced in a tiny village nearby.
Against his wishes, he suffered an attack, one that had been so fast that he couldn't dodge it as he would have normally done. He placed the blame on his armor, he hadn't had the chance to polish it in many days, the grime must have weighed his movements down. Technically, a clean one would have made much difference, the other had started playing dirty since the very moment he had stepped in his vicinity.
Who kicked their opponents right on the chest? You were supposed to ask for a duel first, it just missed the elegance of it all. This wasn't recess when the teacher wasn't looking.
He didn't voice any of these thoughts, considering that he doubted that the shadow of a creature would answer. Instead, he focused on the pattern that the other took with his steps, hoping it would say anything about who he was dealing with. Not wishing to be ambushed again, Hob reached towards his sheath, preparing to defend.
His hands came out empty, he tried not to panic.
Hob looked all around him, hoping to see where he could have misplaced his weapon. A few meters from his position, he saw it shining, it must have slipped out due to the sudden movement that occurred. Hoping the other wouldn't notice, he crawled towards it.
As he was about to reach for the deep black handle, a steel boot came into view, stepping right on top of the blade.
The only thing Hob could do was look up, soulless eyes looking down at him through a slit, "So this is the knight everyone has been talking about? How... disappointing."
"Sorry to hear that I wasn't what you imagined," Hob shrugged. "that's just what happens when you catch someone off guard."
He rambled on, hoping it would give him enough time to pry the sword from underneath the boot, "Since you seem to know of me, may I know who you are?"
The young boy considered his words, before taking off his helmet, "Let me introduce myself then, I am Jamie the Devourer."
Hob jumped to his feet, Jamie the Devourer? He was known for bringing villages to ruin by destroying their homes and burning their fields. It was also said that he even dared to go as low as to kidnap princesses.
There was no way it was him, it's impossible, he was known for being a..., "I see you have finally realized who I truly am."
His words became distorted as he started to take a new form, the young boy transforming into a dragon. Hob would not give the creature the satisfaction of seeing him tremble, he would show no fear. He placed himself in a fighting stance, holding the sword tightly.
"I will bring you down!"
The only answer he received was a huff of smoke before a wall of fire erupted from the dragon's mouth. His shield materialized itself, blocking the hit, warmth spilling from the edges. Hob spun around the lizard, studying it, seeing if it had any visible weaknesses.
The tail tried to slam into him a few times, he had to dodge by either jumping or bending down right in time. It was almost like jumping rope. He got some slashes in, but nothing could truly hurt the rough skin of the dragon.
How he wished to go back to the sorcerer he had met on the road, to buy any potions that could help him now, or for him to have turned his sword magical. At the time of meeting him, he hadn't done so, but mostly because he didn't have much money, it having gone to an ice cream he had eaten.
As if hearing his prayers, a small being appeared beside him, but he tried to push them aside. He didn't wish to hurt them in any way by having them get stuck between their fight. They still insisted on staying there, glowing brightly, hoping to catch his attention. Ok fine, he was looking now.
Oh, it's a fairy! He thought they were just a myth, but no, there was one right in front of him, he would have to tell his king all about it. The little creature pointed to the sword, asking to sprinkle some magical dust over it, glitter to be exact.
He could already feel the power it exuded. Hob thanked the small thing, before turning around. With a grinning smile, he charged towards the dragon.
✧✧✧
"And then I got woken up. Parents are quite prickly when it comes to getting to school in time in the morning."
With that, he brought his tale to an end, he was met by a silent classroom, seeming to be processing all that they had just heard. It must have been a miracle, for students weren't ones to stay quiet for long if his past few years of teaching experience were to be believed. Hob started to count mentally, 3...2...
"Are you telling me that it just ended like that? What even happened to the dragon?"
"A fairy just came to give you a magical sword out of nowhere? Talking about Deus ex Machina."
"What kind of name is Jamie for an enemy?"
All of the teens seemed to have an endless fountain of questions. They were fired one right after the other, making it hard to keep track of. If only they could be this interested when it came to the subjects seen.
Instead of answering, Hob leaned against his desk, moving his hand back to close the laptop that was still projecting the presentation he had originally prepared for today. It was too late now to continue it, him deciding that they could just return to it next Monday.
One would think that after so long of doing this, he would stop making normal length lesson plans for the first day of class. Especially when said class was in the early hours of the day. Either half of the students fell asleep, or they didn't pay any attention. If asked, many of them would most likely use the excuse that first day classes tended to just be a summary of what's to come throughout the year.
Either way, Hob couldn't completely blame them on this specific distraction, it being partially his fault. A student had just asked, out of curiosity, why he had majored in medieval history. He could have answered vaguely, gestured them away, but no, he had to go into a deep analysis of his childhood adventures.
So of course, after pouring his heart out, he was thanked with criticisms to his story, or his dream better said, that he had had as a child. He was six or seven at that time, what did you expect? He wasn't a storytelling expert.
He couldn't help but throw his head back in a laugh, "You all purposely sidetracked me with the goal of having me not leave you any assignments and yet you're still pushing it? You're all lucky that I'm the 'cool' professor that is too willing to talk anyone's ears off."
The stare, plus snickers he got made him wonder if his students didn't think that he would catch on to their tricks. They weren't the first ones to do such a thing, others having used even stronger subjects that they knew made him go off. This was child's play in comparison, he just gave in because he likes talking about his "origins".
"As I was saying before going into the most beautifully crafted story, my interest in medieval things has been with me since I was but a child. It affected me so much that I even dreamed about it frequently, I even thought I was going to be a knight once I grew up. That is how the pipeline goes at the end, you see a shiny steel sword once and you end up studying to get a diploma in medieval history."
His dreams proved his love for the subject more than what anything else could. He theorized that back then, the human brain recollected what you thought regularly about, and it would show it to you in a dream. It was like a small movie where you were the protagonist.
He could still see the silly sequence playing in his head. Clear as the day he first dreamed it. It still brought a deep feeling of delightfulness, if not nostalgia for who he was. It was also interlaced with sadness, knowing how dreams such as that were finite.
Hob let out a sigh, trying to take his mind off of that, deciding to finally offer an answer to some of the questions that were thrown his way.
He pointed as he gave cut replies, "As for the answers to your delightful questions, yes it ended like that, dreams tended to finish before the exciting part began. It was dream magic, you learn to not question it, it is normal there, things just appear as you need them. Jamie was my mortal enemy growing up, he stole all of my cookies and never returned my wooden stick. It was my sword!"
The students couldn't help but laugh at the idea of a tiny version of their professor pouting and crying at his own teacher over the behavior of a fellow kid. It must have affected him deeply if he still remembers him to this day. Others took the information freely given about dreams, they enjoyed hearing the stories that the mind used to make, it was almost impossible to think that that had been, at some point, the norm regarding them.
Hob raised his head, checking on the time that was behind him on top. Ten minutes to spare, he could let them go. No one would notice.
"If there are no other questions about this nor the class, then you're all dismissed! Hope you all enjoy your stay."
He turned around, preparing to stuff his own belongings into his bag. For quite a while now, Hob had been wishing for a coffee, but it seemed it would have to wait due to there not being any other noises following his. Spinning around slowly, he noticed how a single hand was up.
"Yes, back there!"
The student looked a bit unsure, perhaps not knowing how to ask what they wanted, "Was...were dreams truly like that back then?"
He opened his mouth before quickly closing it, giving the answer some thought instead. He tended to forget that this generation had never experienced what dreams could be like. Many people had never gotten a single grain of fantasy in their dreams.
The best way to describe how they were now, in his opinion, was with the word routine, they only dreamt of routine.
When he was younger, he blamed the loss of stories on growing up. From one moment to another, there was only darkness whenever he closed his eyes. It was as if the older you got, the less magical aspects of life became, as if his imagination had died off after a few years.
It wasn't until much later that he understood that humanity went through an event that they dubbed the "Dream Purge". If his research was to be correct, everyone stopped dreaming altogether for around ten years.
There was no explanation for it. Studies were made, minds tested, but there was just no logical reason for why they stopped. Why their minds skipped that night phase and went straight into waking up the next day.
It just proved that humanity had no understanding of said phenomena in the first place. Of the mind itself. Something that they all had taken for granted just disappeared.
But, as he mentioned, this went on for ten years. As fast as they had disappeared, they came back. This time though, it was just memories. A copy of their day to day.
It was to help process the information, some said, you saw a reconstruction of your everyday life. You saw your friends, family, coworkers, and they all just acted as they were meant to. No matter how hard one tried, nothing other than normalcy happened.
No more magic, creatures, space trips, movie or book plots, anything really.
It wasn't the easiest thing to get used to, many only being able to feel restless. Others were just born with it, it was their reality, they accepted it. All they could do was grow up hearing the tales of dreams, shared among family.
He moved his downturned face towards his student, hoping he could disguise part of this turmoil he felt, "They were. It was such a fascinating experience. Every day you would go to sleep, not knowing what you would get, the options were infinite."
Pushing himself off the desk, he added a much more joyful tinge to his movements, assuming the role of a lecturer once again.
"Dreams would recollect elements of your day, but nothing compared to what we see now. It would take memories, yes, but it also took ideas based on what you saw or read, even going as far as seeing your desires. It would take all of this and construct the most amazing of stories, ones that you wished to share with anyone that would listen. And do you know what their purpose was? Just for you to enjoy your sleep."
His students' eyes seemed to sparkle. The way he explained it, it brought excitement to their being. Hope of one day being able to have such a thing.
Voices rose softly now, talking between themselves. They compared dreams, searching for anything that alluded to what was said. To see if anyone had even the faintest trace of fiction.
A young girl broke from the others, piping in softly, "Professor Gadling, what do you think happened?"
He didn't know.
✧✧✧
Trying to get to the small coffee shop on campus had become a troublesome task, him somehow managing to walk right past the establishment, not noticing until he had gained quite a distance from it. He just couldn't concentrate properly on the walk, his mind returning to the exchange that had happened before. It seeming to plague his every move.
Hob hoped that no one had been paying attention to him as this happened, considering that now he had to do a shameful jog back.
As he opened the door of the place, a bell rang, announcing his presence. The worker waved at him, Hob returning it before walking up front, focusing on the menu. Perhaps all he needed to feel better was a hot drink in his system, and some food to go.
Not knowing what to choose, he asked the employee what he recommended, paying for just that. With the order set, it didn't take long for it to be prepared, his name being called after waiting for a small while. Hob took it with a deep thanks, turning around to leave.
Sparing a glance at his watch, he decided that he had just the right amount of time to be able to reach his next class.
Thankfully, this second one had gone smoothly, the coffee doing a decent job on keeping him on task. Well, it did for the most part, at times, when things got too quiet, it wasn't just his students who ended up distracted, him doing as well as his mind wandered off on its own. Even with those small inconveniences, they had a successful first day, with it ending up with only two kids passed out in the back.
After being dismissed, Hob made sure that they had all exited, before putting away his own things and joining them outside, himself heading to his office. He dodged the students as they passed by, a skill born from his fear of ending up trampled by the horde that they could become. They were useful like this though, for he could use them as shields to block himself from the view of his coworkers. As much as he would love to catch up with them, about anything really, he just wasn't in the mood to entertain them.
He just felt so annoyed, not understanding why the subject of dreams kept bothering him. Perhaps it was all due to this being the first time he had sat down and given the matter a proper thought, not just accepting it, if not truly seeing it. Thinking about the injustice of it all, how someone like him had had the privilege of dreaming, but none of his students did.
They have no fond memory to look back to, their childhood just consisting of darkness or memories. It was like losing a way to connect with yourself, with your interests. No longer could you dream of new ideas, of different ambitions that you would suddenly have the motivation to follow.
It took away a big part of the belief you had of getting to experience a better tomorrow. No longer being able to dream of yourself in a happier place. All you had was blind hope.
Great, now he felt more down than before, at least he had reached his office where no one would be able to see him as such. The idea of finishing his food had become less appealing, just like the one of napping, for obvious reasons. What was he meant to do in the next two hours that he had before his last class?
Sitting and fighting through his meal, he decided that maybe he should be productive and go over his lesson plans. A book crept into his vision, maybe that would be a better way to spend the rest of his time. He had been meaning to start it for a while now.
✧✧✧
A few hours later, he was out the door, or gates to be more accurate.
Hob made sure to check his bag once again as he walked, him not wishing to have left anything behind, especially in the classroom. It would be much more difficult to have it returned if so. His office was just a safer place in general.
Feeling somewhat secure that he had everything important, he proceeded to tap his pockets. It wouldn't do for his wallet to go missing, nothing to worry though, for it was in the place it should be. With it, he would be able to take a quick trip to the store, to buy some groceries for the rest of the week.
The weather was surprisingly agreeable today, making his journey pleasant, it having only lasted around fifteen minutes. He had even gotten to meet a small cat along the way, barely managing to give it a soft caress before it ran off to an alley. It had been too adorable, it made him want to get some treats for any other creatures that passed by him, the little things deserve it.
His day had improved marginally, especially when he didn't miss the entrance this time, instead taking out a short list from his pocket as he walked in. Scanning through it, Hob calculated the route that he would take around the supermarket. First and foremost, coffee, he had run out of it, and he didn't wish to lose all his salary on the little shop on campus. He had paid for his own coffee maker; he was going to use it until it couldn't physically be used anymore.
He went through the aisle that said it contained said product. It even included some tea selections as well, that may be nice, especially for afternoons at home. There were just so many flavors nowadays, way too many to keep count, he just went for the most normal looking one. Another day, when he felt more adventurous, he would give the others a try.
As he went to grab said tea, he noticed the marketing that some had, "Helps you sleep at night.", "For a restful night.", and many others. That was a common thing, wasn't it? To drink tea to help you feel rested, to sleep, to warm you up before the end of the night.
Something nice after a nightmare. He huffed in frustration, grabbing the innocent tea quickly, leaving the rest behind.
His progress went to waste, the thoughts flooding his mind again, he had foolishly thought he had forgotten about it. But no, nothing in life was that easy, part of the appeal really, he laughed mentally. Hob didn't bother taking much longer, grabbing the rest of the things, drinks, easy things to make, some healthy items, and yes, even some treats for the little ones.
The worker rang up his purchase, he nodded along, paying, and packing his items on the side. He had forgotten his bags at home, so he just ended up with paper ones instead. Hob thanked the kid, smiling warmly as he left the place. What he wouldn't do for one of those carts that elderly ladies used...
Not wishing to tire his arms out or having the bag accidentally break causing his food to roll into the ground mid walk, he called a cab. In just a few minutes, a nice man stopped by his side, helping him get in. With some quick directions, they headed towards his small flat.
There was nothing like coming back to one's home after a long day. He carefully balanced as he took his shoes off, leaving them by the door. With that done, he placed his groceries in the kitchen, his own work bag being left on the table nearby. Once free, he let himself stretch, his backbones cracking satisfyingly.
He took a remote that he had left lying around, turning on his tv for background noise as he worked in the kitchen. Hob washed his hands, thinking on what simple thing he could cook for tonight, considering he had no leftovers. Pasta it was then.
Falling into the comforting routine, he stored all the unneeded materials away, keeping just some veggies out. Afterwards, he turned the stove on, waiting for it to warm up as he added some water into a pot, the pasta following soon. On the side, he took a cutting board, preparing a quick sauce with what he bought, nothing was better than going all natural. At least in his opinion.
The tv kept doing a good job of distracting him at random times, causing him to almost overcook everything. Deciding everything was good enough, he left all the utensils he used to rinse in the sink, before sitting down on the couch to eat. He ended up restarting the movie to its beginning, it had successfully caught his interest, too bad he knows some spoilers though. Hob let out a laugh.
✧✧✧
His night routine didn't take overly long, even if he did end up washing all the dishes and storing them away. He was trying to preserve some of the cleanliness he had before work took over too much of his time. No need to have it all trashed from the beginning.
Hob rubbed his eyes, proceeding to wash his teeth after throwing his clothes on a laundry basket. Only changing into some comfortable bottoms. Once he felt somewhat refreshed, he laid down in bed, closing his eyes. He absolutely did not think about dreams, of what he could possibly dream of. He would be disappointed either way.
✧✧✧
"Yes Jane, what is it?"
"Could you repeat the last part? I didn't understand much."
"Yeah of course. Where did I lose you?" Hob looked between her and the screen, acknowledging it to see where she needed him to start from. The lost face on her basically answered him.
"Uhm..."
He laughed, "From the beginning, got it."
One of the things he had never understood was why some teachers got so mad when students made them repeat themselves. Like, that was what they were for, to teach and clear up any issues of comprehension they may have. Plus, it also gave him a chance to add to what he had last said, which was a blessing in disguise since sometimes he forgot to include some details because he would get distracted.
He got behind his desk, trying to read the material better through the laptop screen. Recap on the actual beginning, see how he should start. For some reason, it seemed to be a bit blurry, as if it was out of focus. That was peculiar. Did his students see it the same way?
He ignored it, walking to the front of the desk, he would just wing it. He prepared it, he knows what it says. To disguise his confusion, he tried to distract the class.
"Isn't it a bit warm?" He walked towards the window. "Let me get this open, then I will be right back with you."
There was no response, which was also weird, but he continued on. Perhaps they were just more asleep than what he thought. As he reached for the windowsill, he noticed how it was a bit difficult to budge. As he tried to force it open, something caught his eye in the distance.
What... what was that? It seemed like a spot or a stain, far out in the distance. It had an air of not meaning to be there, as if its presence was not intended. Hob squinted his eyes, trying to slowly make it out. Curiosity was always a weakness of his.
He couldn't be a hundred percent sure, but it seemed like a castle. Why was there a castle in the middle of...
His students called for him, eyes on his back, the sound fading as he stopped paying attention to them, only to the view. Someone ended up grabbing him from the back, pushing him away from the window. Hob could have almost sworn that some words were whispered next to him.