Nellea's Nightmare

*((This tale was written by Nellea. It contains graphic content, including violence against children and depicted death of children. If you can handle the subject matter, however, it is very good.))*

## Nellea's Nightmare

*“Lie down, my sweet, and rest your eyes.*

*And dream of fields where you can play,*

*With endless sunny skies.”*

Nellea sat in a rocking chair, cradling her infant son. She closed her eyes, the motion of the chair combined with her weariness from the day’s work was more than enough to put her to sleep. But she couldn’t rest her own eyes just yet. There were four little children that had to drift off to dreamland before she could even think of going to bed. She cracked open her eyes, looking at the small beds that her children lay in, smiling as she watched their heavy eyelids open and close slower and slower.

And then the front door of their humble one room shack swung open on it’s creaky hinges. All four sets of eyes popped open immediately, and a chorus of “Daddy!” rang out, followed by shrieks of happiness and then the exhausted wailing of little Max. Nellea sighed, but smiled as Malrick was mobbed by the three oldest children. “I made it before bedtime??” He laughed and scooped up Eva and Lenil, while Annie clung to his leg.

“Mama was singing to us,” Annie said as she looked up at her father.

“Oh was she?” Malrick looked at Nellea, his brown eyes offering her a silent apology. “Maybe if we lie down again, Mama will sing for us again.” He shuffled to the beds in the corner, carefully depositing each child in their respective places. “Shall we ask nicely?” He asked the children as he laid down amongst them.

“Please, Mama!”

“Sing, sing, sing!”

Nellea chuckled, still rocking with Max, “Alright, alright, quiet down.” She leaned her head back and waited for the children to settle down some, and once the room was mostly still –for what room is ever still when a toddler is present– she began to sing again in her low alto voice.

“When stars shine in the heavens dark,

Forever will I love thee.

Though rain and storms on us descend,

Forever will I love thee.

We travel onwards to find hope that sparks,

Forever will I love thee.

And at days end, when finally we rest our heads,

My love, forever will I hold thee.”

She trailed off and looked back to the beds. All three children had drifted off, and Malrick lay with them, his eyes on Nellea, and a soft smile on his lips. Even Max seemed to have drifted off at last, and so, with slow movements only a mother of an infant can manage, she lay the babe down on the big bed, and placed a few pillows on either side of him to keep him from rolling off the bed.

Malrick had extracted himself from the beds and wrapped his arms around Nellea’s waist, pressing his lips to her forehead, “You are amazing, have I told you that today?”

Nellea snickered at him and took his hand, leading him outside so that they could talk without waking the children. “No, that was the first time you’d said that to me today, seeing as you were gone before we all woke up this morning.”

“Sorry about that. Early patrol. And I didn’t want to risk waking the boy.” He sat down on the stoop, holding out his hand to Nellea. “But you are amazing.” She took his hand and allowed him to pull her into his lap.

“Patrol must have gone out far if you had to get up so early.” She commented, resting her head on Mal’s shoulder. He didn’t respond right away, so she lifted her head, “Anything we should be worried about?”

Mal turned his gaze to her and shook his head gently, “I don’t think so. Though…” He frowned a little, and Nellea felt her stomach do a small flip as anxiety began to bubble within her, “They might evacuate all civilians for a few days. The arcanists seem to think something is trying to get through the portal.”

“From the Outlands?” Nellea frowned as well.

“They aren’t sure. But it’s just a precaution. They don’t think anything will actually happen.” He rubbed her back gently in an attempt to soothe her, “Everything will be fine, Lea. Trust me. Light, I might even get to be in the small force that leads the civilians away. There’s nothing to worry about.”

She nodded a few times, resting her head on Mal’s shoulder again. The pair sat in silence for a time as the evening sky continued to darken and the air chilled. Nellea sighed, “I should go to bed. -Your- children seem to wake up earlier and earlier every day.” Mal chuckled and nodded, helping her stand. He followed her inside, and the pair carefully got into their bed, adjusting Max so that he lay spooned by Nellea. Mal wrapped an arm around Nellea, and with the lullaby of their children’s breaths, the pair quickly found sleep.

But the peace would not last. After what seemed only like the time it took for a heart to beat once, Nellea was pulled back to consciousness as their door slammed open. “Lennon! Get up! INVASION!!” Malrick jumped out of bed, leaving a stunned Nellea laying there with a now crying baby. She watched as her husband hurriedly put on a few pieces of armor. “Orcs. The portal’s gone red.” The man said to Mal, apparently in response to something he’d asked. “Report to the gate when you’re ready, I’ve got to wake up Smith and Benson too.” And with that, the man disappeared from the house.

Nellea, by this time, had gotten out of bed and was throwing things into a rucksack. She shook each of the children, who groggily woke up, obviously not aware of the fear that their mother was feeling. “Mal. Mal!” She tried to get his attention while he dressed, “Where are we to go? If there’s an invasion, we’ll never–”

The house was rocked by an explosion outside, and all the children cried out, immediately jumping out of their beds and running to their parents. “Light… no…” Mal looked out the door and his face paled. “The Southern gate is overrun. Lea…” He looked at her, fear plain on his face, “Lea, you have to go. To the beach, find one of the row boats. Anything. You have to take them!”

Tears sprang to her eyes, “What?! Mal, no! No, no, no, I can’t do that. Mal, come with us!” She grabbed Max off the bed, his cries easily drowned out by the sounds of battle that were raging outside. The children grabbed at her dress, confused and scared.

“Lea, you have to.” He grabbed her shoulders, looking her straight in the eye, “If you want them to survive, you have to do this. I know you can.” Mal pressed a kiss to her lips, “I’ll cover your exit, but you have to run. Now!” He grabbed his shield and sword, but hesitated and then pressed the sword into one of Nellea’s hands. “I love you.” And with that, he ran outside, grabbing a spear from a nearby rack.

Nellea stood stunned, fear refusing to let her move. Annie tugged at her arm, “Mama! Mama, we have to go, Daddy said!” She looked down at her eldest, and somehow she was able to move again.

“Stay right behind me. We have to run. Eva! Hold Annie’s hand.” She shifted Max so that he sat in a sling Nellea had grabbed from the table, so that she could hold the sword with one hand, and Lenil’s hand in the other. “Are you ready? Follow me, don’t look at anything but me!”

She stepped from their house into what seemed like a dream. Time seemed to have slowed as the fort swarmed with big brown and gray orcs. Bodies lay strewn about everywhere, blood running like a stream in the street. Nellea almost froze again, but somehow, she managed to start running. She looked back to Annie every few steps, making sure her daughters were following. They reached the blacksmith and turned a corner when she heard a scream. Eva’s scream. Nellea turned around and saw the stuff of nightmares. An orc with a blade in place of a hand held Annie’s decapitated head up in the air triumphantly.

Her blood ran cold, and Nellea was sure that her heart had just been ripped from her body. She couldn’t even form a scream before the orc thrust his blade-hand through Eva’s small trembling body. “NO!!” Nellea’s fear and grief snapped into harsh reality, “NO! NO, GODS NO!!” The orc turned it’s face to her and laughed; it laughed! She couldn’t cry, tears weren’t coming, Nellea knew she should be crying. Lenil was clinging to her, trying to climb up into her arms. The orc took a step towards Nellea, and despite the pull that she felt towards the bodies of her eldest children, she turned and ran, all but dragging Lenil behind her. She didn’t dare look back, but somehow, she made her way out the North gate and headed down the hill towards the beach. Her lungs burned, and her heart, oh gods, her heart. How was she still moving? Did she want to survive this? Her Annie, her Eva. They were gone. But no, Lenil and Max. She could still save them!

Nellea hoisted Lenil up onto her hip and waded into the waves. The boats were all gone. They were gone! She looked back towards the beach and felt fear grip her heart, a heart that she was sure had been ripped from her already. Orcs swarmed the beach, the keep, everywhere! There was nowhere for them to run! Nellea looked back to the ocean, and she waded out further. This was their only option. Someone would come for them. One of those boats out there would see them and would help. Lenil cried out as a wave washed over them, and Max spluttered.

“We’re ok. We’re ok.” She grabbed onto a piece of wood that drifted by them, putting Max up onto it, while she held him and the board with the same arm. Somehow, she hadn’t lost the sword in their flight; it rested under Max on the board. “We’re ok. We’re ok. We’re ok.” She and Lenil clung to each other. Sweet, spitfire, Lenil. Eighteen months old and full of joy. Where had she gone? The arm that had been wrapped around her youngest daughter was empty. Where had she gone?! Nellea cried out, looking frantically for any sign of the toe-headed little girl. She was gone…

“We’re ok. We’re ok.” Had hours passed? Minutes? Nellea shivered as she floated in the water, still clinging to the driftwood. She looked back towards the shore, so far away now. The keep, was that orange glow the keep? Nellea looked down at Max; he looked so peaceful, no longer crying. He’s just sleeping, she told herself. But his skin was blue. “We’re ok. We’re ok. We’re ok. We’re ok. We’re ok.”

Nellea looked to the east; the sun was beginning to come up. They were ok. They were all ok. The sun was coming. It was just a bad dream. They were ok. She cradled Mal’s sword, in her mind it was Max. They were ok.

———————-

With a tear-stained face, Nellea awoke, just as she did every morning. Not a night passed that she didn’t relive that night. Not a night passed that she didn’t see her children die. She pushed herself up and sat on the edge of her bunk. It was good that she was used to waking up before everyone else; she didn’t want to have to explain her tears.

Nellea took a few deep breaths, calming herself down, before wiping away the tears with the back of her hand. She looked at the sword that rested against the wall next to her armor. “I’m ok. I’m ok. I’m ok. I’m ok.” Nellea mumbled to herself. It was time to start her day.