*1389*

Death, Dream and Atia stood in front of a small tavern. The elder Endless wanted to venture into the waking world again, spend some time among the mortals.

As much as the King of the Dreaming didn't feel up for it, his wife wanted to accompany her, and she convinced him to go with them. Both her and his sister.

"Come on, then," Death smiled cheerly, as she walked towards the tavern, but when she saw her brother wasn't following, she turned back around. "What are you waiting for?"

"Very well," he grumbled.

Atia walked over to his side and hooked her arm through his. He glanced towards her and sighed. In return, she smiled, tugging him along.

"But I do not see what purpose this will serve," he complained.

"As least I get out and meet them," Death countered. "Besides, you celebrate the 100th anniversary of becoming Queen of Dreaming only once."

She sent a wink towards Atia, who only frowned in surprise.

"It has been already one-hundred years?" she glanced towards her husband, who shrugged.

When they looked back towards the older Endless, she was already pushing the doors to the tavern open and walking inside. They quickly followed after her.

"I just think maybe it would be good for you to see them on their terms, instead of yours," Death said over her shoulder.

"I see them just fine," Dream rolled his eyes.

"When was the last time you came down to the waking world?" his sister challenged.

He didn't answer, because last time he did was also when she made him go, but that was almost two-thousand years ago, when he met Atia. After the few weeks he spent among the mortals, he wasn't that eager to visit them again.

"Sir, penny ale for me, my brother and his wife, if it pleases you," Death said to the man passing by them with cups of alcohol.

"Certainly, lady," he agreed, passing her the cups.

With a smile, she passed them to both Atia and Dream. The younger Endless scowled at the liquid, not even bothering to act grateful. His wife, on the other hand, smiled politely at the man and brought the cup up to her lips to take a sip.

She grimaced at the taste and put it down the first chance she got.

"That's awful," she groaned. "Wine is, or at least was, much better."

"Agreed," Death laughed, but she kept her cup.

They walked deeper into the tavern, listening to people around them. They complained about their king, taxes, spilled gossip and made their predictions about where all of what was going on in the world was going to end.

"A delegation of Faerie came to see me last night," Dream finally spoke. "They're talking about abandoning this plane forever."

"I still don't understand why they stayed that long," Atia muttered.

"Listen to the people," Death told them, then glanced at the cup in her brother's hands. "Drink your drink."

He glanced at the cup, before looking at his sister's back, as she and his wife walked on. Then, he put the cup on the closest possible surface and followed after them.

"Look, I've seen death," was what caught their attention.

The three beings shared a look, before turning around. They saw a group of man, each sporting a cup of alcohol and they all listened to the same man.

"I lost half of my village to the Black Death. I fought under Buckingham in Burgundy. It's not like I don't know what death is. Death is... stupid."

They all chuckled. The Endless sibling shared a look.

"You're a fool, Hob," one of the gathered told the man.

"Nobody has to die," Hob countered. "The only reason people die is... is 'cause everyone does it. You all just go along with it. But not me. I've made up my mind. I'm not going to die."

Once again, they all laughed. The three beings shared a look, mirth sparking in their eyes. They took it as a challenge. And Atia already could tell the two Endless are going to make some bet out of it.

"Hobs, death comes for every men," one of the men said.

"You don't know that. I might get lucky. There's always a first time."

"Sorry to disappoint, you wouldn't be the first," Atia muttered under her breath.

She was the first not to be actually reaped by Death after her mortal life ended. Or so they told her. Destiny, the eldest of the Endless, once told her that her fate wasn't supposed to go the way it did. And that was the reason she was, so far, the only exception.

"There's so much to do, so many things to see. Women to swive. Ale to drink. People to drink with," Hob raised a toast with his friends.

"Why would any sensible creature crave an eternity of this?" Dream asked.

"You could find out," Death suggested.

"How?"

"I could grant him his wish."

It seemed like there was going to be another creature that would not be reaped by Death.

"Do that, and he will be begging for death within a century, I assure you," Morpheus smirked.

"This will prove very interesting," his sister took the bet.

Atia chuckled quietly and rolled her eyes at the two. They all glanced towards the men again.

"Are you going to tell him, or should I?" Death asked.

Dream looked at her.

"I shall."

"Very well, little brother. Very well."

Then, he walked over to the table. The chatter between Hob and his friends slowly died out, as they all, one by one looked towards the new-comer.

"Did I hear you say you have no intention of ever dying?" Dream asked.

Hob glanced at his friends and chuckled. Then, he looked back on the stranger and took a sip of his drink.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, that's right," he confirmed.

"Then you must tell me what it's like. Let us meet here again, Robert Gadling," the man stopped chuckling, instead startled at the use of his full name. "In this tavern of the White Horse in one-hundred years."

The man around them laughed, but Hob was just looking up at Dream with a smile and curiosity. As they did, Dream and Death exchanged a nod, before the King of the Dreaming looked back towards the mortal.

"Don't mind them," Hob shook his head at his friends. "A hundred years' time, on this day?"

Dream nodded.

"I will see you in the year of our Lord 1489, then," the mortal declared.

*****

*1489*

And meet they did.

Dream and Atia went back a hundred years later, to meet the mortal who wished not to die. He, on the other hand, was more than suspicious and surprised to see them, especially Atia.

When he first saw her, she was sitting alone by one of the empty tables. It may have seemed like she was alone, but Dream was not far away, talking with a mortal he took interest in, or more like the mortal's dreams about life and future. The two were waiting for Hob, but the man was yet to come.

When he finally came, they both noticed he cut his hair and shaved his beard. At first, he seemed lost and unsure, until he saw her. He approached her table.

"Well, hello there, beautiful lady," the man sent her a flirtatious smile.

"Hello, Robert," she nodded with a small, polite smile on her own, as she saw the shock and confusion wash over his face.

"I'm sorry, how do you know my name? We haven't met before," he stated. "Otherwise, I would surely remember a lady that breathtaking, such as yourself."

"We haven't met personally," she shook her head with a small chuckle.

Then, she glanced at something over his shoulder.

"But you surely must have met my husband," she smiled, as the said being walked over to them, glaring at Hob.

The Endless slid into the seat beside his wife and put an arm around the back of her chair. She leaned a bit closer to him and smiled at him gently.

The man before them did a double-take. He blinked, as he looked between the two.

She was the most noticeable person on the room, with her white hair that was hidden beneath her outfit hundred years before. Back then, he hadn't noticed her. Now, he was wondering how was that possible to miss such beauty.

"How did you know... that I'd still be here?" Hob asked slowly, his gaze racking over the two immortals, but mostly Morpheus. "Who are you? A wizard? A... a saint? A demon?"

Atia let out a small chuckle. Beside her, the Endless glanced at her with a small hint of smile tugging at his lips but did his best to keep his face emotionless.

"Have I made a bargain with the devil?" the man continued.

"No," Morpheus denied.

"Then why aren't I dead long since?" Hob squinted at them. "Is this some kind of a game?"

The white-haired woman looked towards her husband with a meaningful look, that somehow went missed by Hob. Dream just kept looking at the man.

"No game," he declared.

"But why? Who are you? Why are you here?"

"My name is Atia. And this one... does not want to reveal his name, just yet," she rolled her eyes. "As for why we're here – isn't that what you agreed to, a hundred years ago? I believe your words were 'I will see you in the year of our Lord 1489, then'."

Hob raised a brow at her, then slowly nodded.

"I did say that, didn't I? But why did you want to meet?"

"I'm here because I'm interested," Morpheus stated.

"In me?"

"In your experience."

"What do I have to do?" Hob shifted in his seat.

"Nothing. You live your life as you choose. Then on this day, every one-hundred years, we will meet."

"Because you wanna know what it's like," Gadling guessed and the two nodded. "All right. I'll tell you what it's like."

Morpheus almost immediately turned his full attention towards the man. Atia also leaned a bit closer, but she wasn't all that interested. At least, not as much as her husband was. He had a bet to win.

"It's fucking brilliant," Hob declared and chuckled. "It's all changing."

"In what way?" Dream asked.

"Um..." the man looked around, then pointed towards the fireplace behind them. "Chimneys. Not having your eyes watering all the time from the smoke. And now we have these little cloth pieces for your nose. In old days, we just used our sleeves."

Then, they heard a man grunting and coin clinking.

"Oh. And playing cards."

"That's what mortals are into these days?" Atia almost scoffed and Hob sent her a confused look at her tone.

She knew what they had here was only a small glimpse of the humanity, but she remembered what her times were like. They seemed a lot more interesting and fun. Constant parties and games. Even plain farmers seemed to have more fun back then, than some nobles at present.

"What will you people think of next?" Dream asked.

"With any luck, something to get rid of fleas," the man shifted in his seat once again.

"But what have you been doing for the last hundred years?" Morpheus pressed.

"Um... Same as before. Soldiering, mainly. A little banditry here and there if I couldn't find a war. Um, but not, I've started in a new trade. It's called printing. Don't need to be a guild member, not yet. Uh, never be a real demand for it, and it's hard work, but it beats the hell out of rotting to maggots in the ground, eh?"

"So you still want to live?" Dream wondered.

"Oh, yes."

Then, the Rulers of the Dreaming stood up and looked at the man. Atia had a small smile on her face, while Morpheus still had the same, stone-cold expression on his own.

"A hundred years, then?" he suggested.

"Oh, yes," Hob breathed out with a smile.

As the two walked out, the white-haired woman nudged her husband in the side. He sent her a questioning look.

"Seems like you've lost your bet," she smirked.

He paused for a second.

"It seems like I did."

"So, when we get back, I expect to get my prize."

The Endless smirked and wrapper an arm around her waist.

"As you wish, my dear."