Chapter 33: The Dreamwalkers’ Guild

Chapter 33: The Dreamwalkers’ Guild

The recent warning from the cop added another new problem to the already growing list of troubles for Xander and Leena.

During the night, they had to stay wary of Ethereal attacks, and during the day, they had to keep their eyes open for both the cultists as well as the Red Jackets from the Department of Mystical Affairs.

Keeping the Chief of Police on his side seemed like a good idea at this point, but Xander had learned not to trust cops and politicians.

The only man in uniform he could count on was Detective Locksley, but Xander had to be careful about divulging too many details to him or he could find himself in the interrogation room soon.

After speaking to Leena in private, Xander approached Tiva.

"I want you to listen to me very carefully," he said, getting down on his knees.

Tiva could tell by the serious expression on Xander's face that he was stressed about something. Though she was just a child, staying with Xander had taught her plenty about the world. Looking up at her uncle, she nodded silently.

"Alright," Xander began, "Leena and I are gonna be out for a while. We are...going to visit a group of old friends. While we are gone, I need you to keep all the doors and windows locked. If you hear anything weird or if a stranger comes knocking, go to the bathroom and lock yourself in. But before you do that, make sure you grab the phone from the table."

Tiva nodded again, her eyes gleaming with worry. n-(OvelbIn

"Good. In case of an emergency, call Detective Locksley. And if he doesn't pick up, send me a text on my pager. But no matter what happens, don't open the door for anyone except me or Leena."

All this was too much for little Tiva to take in. She looked into Xander's eyes and asked, "Are there bad people near our house?"

"Yes, very bad people. And..." Xander hesitated for a moment and looked at Leena. She shook her head, cautioning him about saying too much.

"Tiva, we're gonna be back soon. Just don't open the door for strangers," Leena intervened, handing a bracelet of green beads to her. "Wear this on your arm. It'll look good on you."

Tiva smiled and slipped the bracelet down her wrist. "It's so pretty. I love it!" she exclaimed with delight, fascinated by shiny beads.

"You're welcome, dear. Don't eat too many chocolates while we're gone," Leena replied, kissing her on the forehead.

Leaving Tiva all alone in the apartment was the last thing Xander wanted to do, but visiting the Guild House was crucial. That map Leena had mentioned was the only thing that could help them track down the cultists.

As Xander and Leena headed down the stairs, Xander couldn't help but ask about that bracelet she'd given Tiva.

"It's a holy relic empowered by Larosh's blessings. Most Ethereals avoid blessed objects like the plague," Leena explained.

Xander stopped at the foot of the staircase and turned around to look at Leena. "Do you think more portals will appear in Faros?"

"I'm not sure," Leena replied looking away. "But we can't take any chances with these cultists. It's better to stay safe."

"Where did you find that bracelet?" Xander asked.

"It was my mom's before. She gave it to me when I left the house. It's helped me avoid quite a few nasty Ethereals in the Dreamscape."

"Don't you need it anymore?"

"Tiva needs it more. I can manage without it," Leena answered without a hint of hesitation. Though she wasn't related to Tiva, the little girl had carved a special place in her heart. Even in the past, she had made it amply clear that she was more than willing to risk her own neck for Tiva's sake.

***

Despite it being a working day in Faros, most of the streets were deserted, and half the shops and restaurants had their shutters down. The cops had set up checkpoints at every major intersection and stepped up their patrols.

After waiting for over half an hour for a cab to show up, Xander and Leena eventually gave up and took the tram to Kolaris Square.

The Guild House stood at the other end of the square, bordered by rows of trimmed hedges and guarded by two stone statues, one holding a crescent moon in its left hand and the other holding the sun in its right.

These sculptures had been installed right after the construction of the building fifty years ago and depicted the Eternal Twins in their physical form. The man holding the moon was Nightmare, and the woman with the sun in her hand was Dream.

The passage of time had turned these sculptures from gleaming white to a cloudy shade of gray, and they had developed numerous tiny cracks as well, but the regular cleaning had prevented the build-up of any cobwebs.

"I never thought I'd walk past this gate again," Xander sighed as he approached the Guild House with Leena by his side.

The last time Xander had been inside this building, it was the middle of summer. Many springs and winters had passed since then, but he had never gone close to the Guild House even if his work brought him to Kolaris.

The Dreamwalkers stopped in front of the main gate to gaze at the elegant brickwork. Its symmetrical frontage was sprawled with nine bays facing the Old Temple of Larosh, and sported three arched windows and a central doorway supported by black pilasters that stood tall against the backdrop of the building's russet brown walls.

Out of all the Guild Houses in Faros, the Dreamwalkers' Guild was the largest, making it the ire of the other Mystics. However, things weren't really as pretty as they seemed from the outside.

Over the course of the last two years, the Dreamwalkers had split into several factions, each with their own agenda, and the once great Guild was now tottering on its last legs.

Brushing his memories aside, Xander marched up the granite steps and knocked on the door. When no reply came from the other side, he yelled Master Arwin's name, hoping against hope that someone would eventually answer.

A minute passed in anticipation, yet no voice was heard from the other side. Xander tried to push the door open, but it was locked.

"It's just like Riktor said. They've all left," Xander muttered and backed away. "We have to find another entrance."

Leena looked at him in confusion. "But the Guild House only has one door. There are no rear entrances."

"I know. But there are windows," Xander replied. "We'll go around the back. Come on."

Leena followed unquestioningly as Xander walked around the building and made his way to the stained glass window at the back of the Guild House.

"It's locked as well. Maybe we—

Before Leena could finish her thought, Xander picked up a flower pot from the porch and hurled it at the window, smashing its glass pane. It created an opening just big enough for Xander to slip his hand through and lift the latch securing the window frames.

Flinging the broken window panes open, Xander climbed into the Guild House and extended his hand to Leena. "Watch out for the glass. Step on the sill."

"I can't do this. We're not supposed to be breaking into the Guild House like this," she protested.

Xander shook his head in reply. "You can't always play by the rules, Leena. We need that map to find the cultists. Come on, it's gonna be dark soon."

Though Leena felt terrible about breaking into her Guild House, she gave Xander her hand and climbed inside. In all her life she'd never imagined she'd have to sneak into her second home like some common burglar, but these changed circumstances left her with no other choice.

Once inside the building, the two Dreamwalkers closed the window behind them and switched on their flashlights. What lay ahead was a long dark hallway lined with tall flowerpots and statues of the three founding members.

It was here that Xander had spent the five best years of his life. It was here that he'd met Leena and learned the secrets of his craft. And it was here that he'd argued with his mentors and cut all ties with his closest friends.