Queries

‘Run!’ That was the first thing that popped into my head, ‘Get as far away from these nut jobs as you can! Make a break for it, the door’s only two feet away! But where can I run to? I don’t have a clue which way leads to the exit... I could guess but with the amount of turns we took getting here... and what was it that Nera had said... “Last time I wanted...the library he got me there just as the clock chimed for midnight.”, If it took that long just to find a library... what chance do I have of ever finding my way out?!’ I was starting to realise that I’d just trapped myself with these strangers...
“You look whiter than a ghost,” Hertly murmured quietly then told Nera to get a small stool for me to sit on.
‘I don’t want to sit!’ I screamed with my mind putting such force behind the thought, Nera actually hesitated in bringing me the stool and started rubbing his temples.
“Nera, bring Ara the stool, now!” Hertly order him firmly, then turning to me stated, “You need to sit!” and it was like a switch went off in my head, my legs felt like jelly and the moment that stool was behind me, I collapsed onto it.
I became furious ‘No one ever orders me around like that!’ I was hissing stubbornly in my mind.
“Things change.” Hertly stated bitterness coating those words, “Your mother changed, couldn’t handle that one death, when there had been hundreds more seen by her very eyes!”
“No! That’s not true!” I screamed starting to cry, my next words barely getting through the knot forming in my throat, “It can’t be...”, ‘hundreds of deaths? And seen by her eyes, it wasn’t, it couldn’t be true...’
“Oh, but it i-” Hertly was saying when Nera suddenly cut in.
“Stop It!” He cried angrily, “Can’t you see what you are doing? You have to see through those past differences or you will destroy the plan! Think about our future you are putting into jeopardy. If you can’t keep yourself in check then you shouldn’t be in your position.”
“I- I don’t know what...” Hertly trailed off, “You’re right, I’m still getting into the habit of keeping myself under control.”
“Now can we get back to why we’re here?” Nera asked exasperated.
“Yes.” Hertly said not looking at me, “But not now, Nightmare can you please find Ara a room, she looks exhausted, and when was the last time you slept properly? Humans never seem to... Oh and Nightmare set up your bed on the floor of her room. Can’t let her get lost, now can we. You know how these rooms like to change...”
“Alright, I will.” Nera looked a little hesitant as though things hadn’t gone quite as he’d planned.

We walked in silence down the passageway until we reach the corner Paws had gone round.
“Here we are.” Nera announced as we reached a bright almost blood red door, “This is where we’ll be sleeping for tonight. Keep everything with you we aren’t coming back to this room again after tonight.”
I was still lost in thought about my mom and whoever the stranger was whose death she couldn’t handle... ‘Maybe I should ask Nera/Nightmare...’
“Ummm... Nera..?” I looked at him quizzically.
“Yeah. What is it?”
“Whose death couldn’t my mom handle?”
He seemed to be arguing with himself, unsure of what to do.
“Well it was about 15 to 16 years ago, a fight had broken out between the two enemy clans at the head meeting, the head meeting is where all the clan leaders meet up and discuss things, well your mom, being the leader of the Anahita clan, was at that meeting but because my clan and hers were both on the same side when the fight broke out her clan was right behind us to help with the fighting, and trust me we were grateful.” Nera continued after looking to see if I was keeping up, “Unfortunately the leader of the Appoloin clan, Dennam, was the strongest of all the clans, he had wings that were darker than black and a tail that was tipped with a blade; but that wasn’t what made him dangerous it was his Gift, when the fight broke out his clan was on the other side, it lasted for three hours with great losses to our clans, but his was still going strong with only five deaths...”
“What happened?” I asked, grabbing his shoulder gently to reassure him.
“She had her chance. Your mother was the only one with the power to stop him, but... she said she couldn’t... they had both stayed clear of fighting each other, and when she got her chance she hesitated, but so did he, that was when Bruno, one of my clan, went in, he had a knife which he stabbed right through Dennam’s heart, every body froze staring as the Appoloin lead collapsed, falling to his knees, the last words he cried were “Don’t let it die!”, after that your mother cried and mourned, she locked herself in a room for days, not letting anyone inside, then one day she just opt and left. She was running around these passage ways for hours when, and this was lucky for her, she ran into Paws. She ordered him to take her to a way out... Afterwards we never heard from nor saw her again.”
“Can I ask you one more question?” I asked quietly but then seeing his face and knowing he was uncertain, “I promise after this no more questions ever!”
“You will have more queries eventually.” He stated shortly, “But... You can ask me this question, as long as you know that I might not have the answer.”
“OK.” I gathered my thoughts a bit, “Do you know who my father is? Mom never spoke about him, plus no one else seemed to know anything and you seem to know more about my mom’s history and my history than I do...”
“I guess I’m no different because I haven’t a clue who your dad is.”
I was disappointed with his answer but I couldn’t be angry at him, no one else had known my dad either.
‘I have another inquiry actually quite a few, but I promised not to ask any other questions.’ I sighed, maybe tomorrow my queries will be answered but for now I needed to rest.
My last thought as I drifted towards sleep was, ‘I wander why Nera is known as Nightmare?’

...Nera or Nightmare?

“Well now that the introductions are out of the way-” Mindreader was saying when I cut him off.
“Wait! I don’t know your name...” I looked up, at him, but he wasn’t looking at me.
“My name isn’t important.” He said then facing Paws and was about to say something when I cut in again.
“Yes it is, other wise I won’t know what to call you.” I wasn’t leaving this spot until I knew his name, and that was that!
“Oh, alright, if it’ll get you moving, we do have to be somewhere, now.” He seemed to look for something long lost in his mind.
“If I remember correctly, my name is Nera...” He looked saddened after saying his name.
“Nera, it suits you.” I mused, “It sounds almost as mysterious as you act.”
He smiled solemnly looking at his feet for a second as though trying to keep down something bad he’d just eaten.
Looking up at Paws he commanded “Take us to Hertly, and no taking us on a round about route!”
Turning to me he whispered, “Last time I wanted to go to the information section i.e. the library he got me there just as the clock chimed for midnight.”
I laughed stifling it with my hand over my mouth.
Mindr-I mean Nera seemed pleased by my laughing; he smiled at me and then pulled off a really goofy grin which had me laughing uncontrollably.
He started telling jokes and pulling funny faces while I tried to guess some of the jokes answers and pulled funny faces as well.
By the time we arrived at our destination, a large; old Victorian; mahogany door, we were both in hissing balls of laughter and the funny thing was; I didn’t know what I was actually laughing about!
“We are here.” Paws announced, “Now may I take my dinner break, Nightmare?” He asked turning to face Nera, with a tired and hungry look about him.
‘Wait! What? Why did he just call Nera nightmare?’ I was confused and definitely wasn’t going to laugh anymore, not with what Paws had just said, ‘maybe he’d just called him that because Paws didn’t like him... Yeah that’s gotta be why. It has to; they must have some sort of grudge between them... Though with the way they act towards each other you could’ve sworn they were best friends! I need time to contemplate things.’ But where am I going to get time? I’m in a strange house with weird ceilings and lots of doors; that lead to...I have no clue where, not to mention that I’m with this guy ‘Nera’ whom I know little to nothing about, ‘No, I must be on my guard from now on!’ I ordered myself ‘No more fun and games, my mom is gone somewhere or forgot to pick me up, and I’m with a stranger in a very weird and creepy house, with a, I would guess, a ten year old cat boy.’ This is turning out to be one unusual day.
“Very well, then! Go ahead take your break... you lazy fur ball.” Nera teased pushing Paws softly as he went by, Paws was fully morphed into a cat, which was snow white and that had these big ears, by the time he rounded a corner down the hallway.
“Paws always was a sucker for milk and naps.” Nera stated to no one in particular, even though I was the only other person there.
Turning towards the door, he rapped lightly on it three times.
“Come in.” Somebody invited, with a burly yet some how comforting voice, from within the room beyond the door.
With a simple and light flick of Nera’s wrist towards the door, it swung open, sending out a gentle but warm gust of air.
“Who is it?” The voice asked of us.
This time I saw him, he was sitting behind a strangely large table, that I would have had to stand at for my eyes to even be able to see over it, he was wearing a red cardigan sweater, his hands looked like they could belong to a grizzly bear and his grey beard looked as though birds had tried but fail in making a nest there.
“It’s rude to stare!” Nera hissed at me, quietly, continuing with his answer to the question, “I am Nightmare of the Lunima clan.” He then bowed very low to this giant of a man, “And this is Ara Nickle, Daughter to the matriarch of the Anahita clan. Ara this is Hertly.” Nera, or is it really Nightmare, stated happily, introducing me.
I had been ready to curtsy or bow but now I was just shocked, staring straight ahead, my mind in a buzz, unsure of what I should do next...