[Act 1] [Scene 15] [Dreaming]

[thirtythr33]

Marco retires to his room to get a few hours of much needed sleep before dawn. The worries of the last week and what remains to be done all rattle around in his head as he drifts off to sleep.

Soon he finds himself falling through darkness; tumbling head over heel. Suddenly his decent is stopped when he lands flat on his stomach in a place he feels like a stranger in. Around him is a desert of golden sand and a strange purple sky.

"Hello Child." A vibrating voice like a gong rings out. Marco looks up to see standing before him an incredibly strange creature. She has the body of a woman and a face that constantly shifts form between that of a human, an ox, a lion and an eagle. From her back sprouts six red feathered wings and in her hands she wields a two handed sword made of pure flame. Marco recognizes her from his learning of scripture as the Seraphim Uriel.

[Korbel]

Marco tries to stand up, only to fall on his knees when he recognizes the figure before him.
"I am sorry, please forgive me, I... I just didn't know what to do... please have mercy" - he starts crying.

[thirtythr33]

She points her fiery blade to the ground before you and after a few moments you realize that she is using it's tip to write in the golden sand. You try to read it, but the letters wriggle like worms and form a language you don't understand. When she finishes what she has written she thrusts the flaming sword deep into the sand, as if to accentuate the final full stop.

Somehow through her shifting face you get the impression that she is sad, almost mournful even.

[Korbel]

Marco wipes his tears and stares at the letters.
"What do you want from me?"

[thirtythr33]

Slowly at first, the sand around where the blade punctured the ground begins to trickle away. It falls into the earth as if it were a whirlpool made of quicksand. It's speed and ferocity increases, capturing Marco in it's grasp; dragging him into the vortex. Helpless, Marco is sucked beneath the surface of the sand, the chasm expanding to encompass entire sand dunes. High above Marco is the Seraphim Uriel holding her weapon, floating perfectly stationary.

Marco falls through darkness again, this time landing in a place he recognizes. He is on top of a beautiful grassy hill in the small town of Cervia, overlooking the brilliant blue waters of the Adriatic Sea. Just as he is gathering his wits, the ground he is standing on begins to rumble.

[OOC Reminder: Cervia is one of the towns Blasio and Giocomo were working together to create a trade agreement with.]

[Korbel]

"I will do anything, just please forgive me! - Marco shouts in desperation, trying to keep his footing.

[thirtythr33]

The waters of the sea begin to churn. Bubbling up from the bottom of the ocean emerges a great three headed ogre as tall as a mountain. It is wearing black plate armor with golden trim and etchings decorating it. Atop it's three heads it wears a different piece. On it's central head it wears a golden crown, on it's right head it wears a sallet helmet and on the left it wears a red cloth mitre of the Catholic Church. Great waves rush up the countryside engulfing the small town below.

The monster turns it's gaze towards Marco, and licks it's lips hungrily.

[Korbel]

"No, no, no! Marco steps backwards, stumbles and falls on his back. NO, NOOO!

[thirtythr33]

As Marco falls, his hand lands on his sling that was sitting on the ground behind him. Next to it is a neatly stacked pile of sling bullets.

[Korbel]

Marco picks up the sling and looks up to the sky, seeking for an answer. Is he supposed to kill the beast? But he's just a mere mortal... No, he must trust in God. Marco stands up and faces the monster.

[thirtythr33]

The monster grins on all three of it's heads and begins reaching one of it's great arms out towards Marco to grab him.

[Korbel]

Marco loads a bullet and slings it, aiming at the hideous jaw of the head on the right.

[thirtythr33]

Marco let's fly the bullet with perfect accuracy. It strikes the beast on the jaw, only to bounce away harmlessly. The monster's grin cracks into a booming laughter that echoes around the hilltops. It's arm finishes reaching out to Marco and wraps his fingers around him, holding him tight. It brings Marco up towards it's face with it's mouth gaping wide.

A bolt of lightning streaks down from the Heavens, striking the hand that grasps Marco. The monster loosens it's grip and howls in pain. Where the lightning struck, the flaming two handed sword of Uriel stands, piercing the giant's wrist within Marco's reach.

[Korbel]

Marco grabs the flaming sword and starts swinging wildly. And when the beast is dead, he falls exhausted to the ground, looks up to sky again and closes his eyes.

[thirtythr33]

When Marco next opens his eyes he finds himself back in his bed with the sun of the new day leaking in through the windows.