Tell rocked backwards in the inky blackness, his meditative stance breaking as he pushed his arms out to his sides for stability. His eyes were open, but had adjusted to the light of the dream and could not penetrate the shadows but a few feet in front of him.
In this void, the only sound was Tell’s heavy breaths. He ruminated on the possible causes of the dream’s abrupt end, disliking each possibility for a vast multitude of reasons. It would not do for her to be discovered early. Tell looked down to the earth, recalling a time at which he had entered a dream only for its owner’s rude awaking to occur due to an earthquakes. The shockwaves had taken several seconds to reach him and assuage his confusion. Tell did not find it likely that this was to occur a second time. If the Puradynes were in control here, he did hope the girl hadn’t gone and blabbed about his visit. It simply would not do.
He shivered, for even as a puppet he could experience cold. The wizard’s eyes closed once more as he regained his posture and extended his consciousness over the dreamers of Marn, scanning for the girl’s next slumber. He was not looking forwards to explaining himself.
A Nightly Visitor
Re: A Nightly Visitor
How she had done it, she had no idea. But when Soneya saw the evidence pooling all over her parents’ bedroom floor, she was almost paralysed in fear. How could this have happened? Sure, the bathroom was linked to their bedroom and was just as flooded, it shouldn’t have happened. No, no, no, no, no! This could not be happening!
“Do you even realise the danger you’re putting us in?” Her mother’s voice was only just a hiss but Soneya understood the worst as clearly as though they had been shouted. Her father only looked at her with the old disdain resurfacing and it made her cringe. She had been good. For so many years, she had been good. No incidents, no leaking, no nothing! And then this! What if the battlemages were to descend on their house? What would happen if anyone found out what had happened here?
She was too scared even to consider all the implications of what this meant. This couldn’t have been her, could it?
“Make sure this doesn’t happen again. We’re going to mop it up and rip out the carpet tomorrow. But then I do not want to hear a single word about this ever again. Are we clear on that?” Her father’s voice was as normal as ever, maybe just a tad too low for comfort. Her mother merely nodded as she went to get old linens they could use to soak up the water and dump it in the tub to drain away again.
Soneya was terrified. Without a word, and forcing herself not to cry, she went to work in the bathroom, leaving her parents to dry off the bedroom floor. At least the whole room wasn’t carpeted, though the rug filled a rather large portion of it. By morning, it would hopefully have dried a little and thus be a little easier to transport down the stairs. As soon as the work was done, or rather as soon as the girl could excuse herself, she went back to her room to slip under her covers. Her head was pounding with a furious headache and silent tears kept streaming down her face. She was so confused and didn’t understand what had happened but despite all her inner turmoil, sleep soon claimed her again.
Soneya found herself back at the Ofriyu but this time there was nothing peaceful about the situation. The smile she had previously always had on her face and the calm she had previously always felt in this dream were gone, replaced by a roiling anger that was gnawing at her insides, and a deep frown was etched onto her features. Instead of feeling relieved to be able to escape to this dreamworld, she was frustrated and almost wary about what could possibly happen, but at the same time… she wanted to let go of her pent-up rage.
“Do you even realise the danger you’re putting us in?” Her mother’s voice was only just a hiss but Soneya understood the worst as clearly as though they had been shouted. Her father only looked at her with the old disdain resurfacing and it made her cringe. She had been good. For so many years, she had been good. No incidents, no leaking, no nothing! And then this! What if the battlemages were to descend on their house? What would happen if anyone found out what had happened here?
She was too scared even to consider all the implications of what this meant. This couldn’t have been her, could it?
“Make sure this doesn’t happen again. We’re going to mop it up and rip out the carpet tomorrow. But then I do not want to hear a single word about this ever again. Are we clear on that?” Her father’s voice was as normal as ever, maybe just a tad too low for comfort. Her mother merely nodded as she went to get old linens they could use to soak up the water and dump it in the tub to drain away again.
Soneya was terrified. Without a word, and forcing herself not to cry, she went to work in the bathroom, leaving her parents to dry off the bedroom floor. At least the whole room wasn’t carpeted, though the rug filled a rather large portion of it. By morning, it would hopefully have dried a little and thus be a little easier to transport down the stairs. As soon as the work was done, or rather as soon as the girl could excuse herself, she went back to her room to slip under her covers. Her head was pounding with a furious headache and silent tears kept streaming down her face. She was so confused and didn’t understand what had happened but despite all her inner turmoil, sleep soon claimed her again.
Soneya found herself back at the Ofriyu but this time there was nothing peaceful about the situation. The smile she had previously always had on her face and the calm she had previously always felt in this dream were gone, replaced by a roiling anger that was gnawing at her insides, and a deep frown was etched onto her features. Instead of feeling relieved to be able to escape to this dreamworld, she was frustrated and almost wary about what could possibly happen, but at the same time… she wanted to let go of her pent-up rage.
Re: A Nightly Visitor
Tell appeared behind the girl noiselessly, retaining her form yet dispensing with the usual theatrics of his entrance. This time Tell did not bother changing both their outfits. Soneya retained her blue dress while Tell wore a fashionable white outfit with an ivory top hat. He held a wand of dark wood in his hand, tipped by a red stone. He eyed her dress disapprovingly, but centuries of experience told him it would not be wise to change it.
A cold wind caught the rim of his clothing and caused it to make fluttering sounds, alerting the girl to his presence. He took a single stride in her direction. He briefly scowled at the waters, wondering when they might next prove an obstacle.
“Hello, little mage.” He said coldly, leaning forwards. He summoned a single crystal ball on the end of his wand. It was the red one, its interior filled with a writhing mass of tendrils. If a floating sphere could become enraged, this was the one to show it. “You were roused from your slumber, were you not? Tell me how this came to pass.” The red sphere detached from the wand and floated about Tell like a moth seeking a flame.
A cold wind caught the rim of his clothing and caused it to make fluttering sounds, alerting the girl to his presence. He took a single stride in her direction. He briefly scowled at the waters, wondering when they might next prove an obstacle.
“Hello, little mage.” He said coldly, leaning forwards. He summoned a single crystal ball on the end of his wand. It was the red one, its interior filled with a writhing mass of tendrils. If a floating sphere could become enraged, this was the one to show it. “You were roused from your slumber, were you not? Tell me how this came to pass.” The red sphere detached from the wand and floated about Tell like a moth seeking a flame.
Re: A Nightly Visitor
As soon as Soneya noticed the presence of someone else, her shoulders tensed and an even deeper frown etched itself onto her forehead. Not even bothering to ask how it was possible that an appearance from a dream remembered incidents from a previous dream, Soneya spat: “They woke me because they thought I was the reason for a foolish incident with a water tap. My wonderful parents are accusing me of magic, of intentionally having flooded their bedroom while they had been sleeping. How could I possibly have done that? Why would I even do that?”
Soneya didn’t stop to let the other being answer the questions before rattling on, her voice growing angrier with every word. “They think I’m a mage. They think I’m evil. They think I’m the reason for why our family hasn’t risen in status. They think I’m the reason why the battlemages are regularly scrying our house. They think I will bring doom upon their heads. It’s their fault. Everything is their fault. Everything!”
By the time the last word was spoken, the young woman had talked herself into such a rage that she was shaking all over. Her hands were balled into fists and the water was spraying furiously against the walls keeping the Ofriyu from spilling over into the city, showering them both with more and more droplets.
“What do you want from me?” she hissed as she suddenly turned towards the appearance, only now noticing the red sphere which seemed to perfectly represent her fury. “What is that thing?” Her anger died down a little with her curiosity but it didn’t subside completely, not by far, but she was more inclined to listen to anything the being had to offer while she was distracted by observing the erratic seeming flight of the sphere.
Soneya didn’t stop to let the other being answer the questions before rattling on, her voice growing angrier with every word. “They think I’m a mage. They think I’m evil. They think I’m the reason for why our family hasn’t risen in status. They think I’m the reason why the battlemages are regularly scrying our house. They think I will bring doom upon their heads. It’s their fault. Everything is their fault. Everything!”
By the time the last word was spoken, the young woman had talked herself into such a rage that she was shaking all over. Her hands were balled into fists and the water was spraying furiously against the walls keeping the Ofriyu from spilling over into the city, showering them both with more and more droplets.
“What do you want from me?” she hissed as she suddenly turned towards the appearance, only now noticing the red sphere which seemed to perfectly represent her fury. “What is that thing?” Her anger died down a little with her curiosity but it didn’t subside completely, not by far, but she was more inclined to listen to anything the being had to offer while she was distracted by observing the erratic seeming flight of the sphere.
Re: A Nightly Visitor
Tell put his right hand on his head, his left holding the wand. Such anger from this little one. Perhaps the most aggravating part of dealing in dreams was the repression he was routinely forced to face. He pushed his fingers through his hair until their tips brushed the white top hat’s interior. “A sleepcaster. Wonderful. It has become all the more imperative that you learn control. In the meantime,” He glowered, teeth shown and his features contracted. His centuries of practice with the various expressions of contempt dwarfed Soneya’s own attempts, “turn your thoughtless anger elsewhere, lest I be tempted to respond in kind.” His crystal orb sailed around him as if caught in a hurricane. The tendrils gnawed at the interior of the ball, begging for sweet, bloody release. The whole of the dream world took on an unhealthy red shade, the red light of the orb abruptly made ambient by Tell’s power. The river looked like blood.
He pointed to her feet, where the waters swirled, as he calmed. The world retained its red hue. “Try and avoid controlling the waters here. It seems your magic is more volatile than usual after all. Your power responds in the material world.” He recalled his crystal ball. “In fact... allow me.”
The mage lifted his hand skyward. The Ofriyu ceased flowing as if halted in time. The rolling waters began moving in serpentine forms over the banks in the direction of the pair on the shore. The red glare made them look like worms built from blood. His crystal ball swirled in a spiral around him as it moved upwards. The serpents slithered towards its pulsing light to coil and coalesce about it in a great mass, until the entire Ofriyu was surrounding the crystal in a perfect sphere of crimson water.
Tell’s hand glowed, and the tendrils on the inside of the crystal ball burst outwards. Like the roots of a tree, they grew throughout the liquid and drank. Upon touching the outer rim of the Ofriyu, they turned swiftly back inwards to search for more. The tendrils gradually drew in the water, and near the end consumed the Ofriyu more greedily. The remaining waters imploded into the crystal until only it remained, untouched and pristine.
Tell chuckled as the sphere floated lazily back down to him, the red hue of the world lessening but not disappearing altogether. “Be glad your affinity is water, child. I have met children who burned their parents alive in similar states.”
He pointed to her feet, where the waters swirled, as he calmed. The world retained its red hue. “Try and avoid controlling the waters here. It seems your magic is more volatile than usual after all. Your power responds in the material world.” He recalled his crystal ball. “In fact... allow me.”
The mage lifted his hand skyward. The Ofriyu ceased flowing as if halted in time. The rolling waters began moving in serpentine forms over the banks in the direction of the pair on the shore. The red glare made them look like worms built from blood. His crystal ball swirled in a spiral around him as it moved upwards. The serpents slithered towards its pulsing light to coil and coalesce about it in a great mass, until the entire Ofriyu was surrounding the crystal in a perfect sphere of crimson water.
Tell’s hand glowed, and the tendrils on the inside of the crystal ball burst outwards. Like the roots of a tree, they grew throughout the liquid and drank. Upon touching the outer rim of the Ofriyu, they turned swiftly back inwards to search for more. The tendrils gradually drew in the water, and near the end consumed the Ofriyu more greedily. The remaining waters imploded into the crystal until only it remained, untouched and pristine.
Tell chuckled as the sphere floated lazily back down to him, the red hue of the world lessening but not disappearing altogether. “Be glad your affinity is water, child. I have met children who burned their parents alive in similar states.”
Re: A Nightly Visitor
Sleepcaster? The word sent a shiver down Soneya’s spine and the girl stilled, her anger at everyone and the world as well as her curiosity at the reappearance of the being along with its fantastic orbs vanishing. This did not sound like it was a good thing. It sounded dangerous. The being seemed scarier somehow this time and her previous feelings were quickly beginning to be replaced by fear. Could something happen to her in a dream? Could she really be endangered?
She was in a dream, wasn’t she? This wasn’t real, was it?
Whatever else was on her mind was wiped away however when the dream-mage started teaching her again and she concentrated on what she was being told. She was mesmerised by the display of water tendrils worming their way all around them and seemingly doing exactly what the mage wanted them to do. It was amazing but a little scary at the same time, but Soneya couldn’t take her eyes off of the spectacle.
“Burnt them? Burnt them?” Soneya repeated and looked at the being in disbelief. “How could that be? I mean, how could such a thing happen?” For a brief moment, she was afraid that she had already attempted to kill her own parents, and considering all her repressed feelings, it might not be such a crazy idea, but suddenly she was glad that nothing worse had happened and that she had only flooded their bedroom, which was already bad enough, but nothing compared to burning people.
“So you think I’m a sleepcaster. So whatever I do in the dream is what happens in real life? Or how exactly does it work? I don’t think this was the first time I’ve used magic in a dream but it’s the first time that something has happened in reality at the same time.”
She was confused and she wanted answers but she was patient enough – for the time being – not to press the matter further. Plopping herself onto the ground in front of the other person, Soneya looked up expectantly, hoping for some more answers and explanations. That was also when another thought wrestled its way past all other thoughts again. “Are the battlemages going to find out that it was me who flooded my parents’ bedroom? Are they going to realise that I can do magic?” The thought chilled her to the bones and she was suddenly afraid that when she woke up the next morning, she might be dragged to the dungeons or to her death, or whatever it was that happened to magic users who didn’t have a license.
She was in a dream, wasn’t she? This wasn’t real, was it?
Whatever else was on her mind was wiped away however when the dream-mage started teaching her again and she concentrated on what she was being told. She was mesmerised by the display of water tendrils worming their way all around them and seemingly doing exactly what the mage wanted them to do. It was amazing but a little scary at the same time, but Soneya couldn’t take her eyes off of the spectacle.
“Burnt them? Burnt them?” Soneya repeated and looked at the being in disbelief. “How could that be? I mean, how could such a thing happen?” For a brief moment, she was afraid that she had already attempted to kill her own parents, and considering all her repressed feelings, it might not be such a crazy idea, but suddenly she was glad that nothing worse had happened and that she had only flooded their bedroom, which was already bad enough, but nothing compared to burning people.
“So you think I’m a sleepcaster. So whatever I do in the dream is what happens in real life? Or how exactly does it work? I don’t think this was the first time I’ve used magic in a dream but it’s the first time that something has happened in reality at the same time.”
She was confused and she wanted answers but she was patient enough – for the time being – not to press the matter further. Plopping herself onto the ground in front of the other person, Soneya looked up expectantly, hoping for some more answers and explanations. That was also when another thought wrestled its way past all other thoughts again. “Are the battlemages going to find out that it was me who flooded my parents’ bedroom? Are they going to realise that I can do magic?” The thought chilled her to the bones and she was suddenly afraid that when she woke up the next morning, she might be dragged to the dungeons or to her death, or whatever it was that happened to magic users who didn’t have a license.
Re: A Nightly Visitor
So many questions from this one. Tell supposed a certain amount of curiosity was to expected from a young mage, but this was outside of his expectations. Certainly she asked more than the common child. Truth be told, it was beginning to become tiresome. Worse still, she might start asking questions his obligations would force him to answer truthfully. If she asked the right questions, he might well be forced to flee. Tell grimaced. A distraction might be appropriate, but he had already wasted his theatrics on egotistical displays of power to entice the ignorant girl. Perhaps more subtlety was in order, at least for future visits.
Tell deigned to answer her questions in the meantime, for they were not yet harmful. Still using her feminine voice, he continued his tale. “There can be no malice assigned to the boy. He lit fire to his home in the dead of night and his parents perished, as mortals are prone to do, beneath the heat and smoke. The boy himself was unharmed, of course. It was his fire, and all it knew was that it loved him and wished to bask him in its radiance.” Tell looked at Soneya pointedly, his larger garments causing him to appear taller than she even while he wore her form. “As I have said to you, he did not know control. He left his brother behind to find it. What he found was me. And that... that was enough for him to learn.”
Tell paused at the mention of battlemages. The word was a fairly obvious portmanteau of battle and mage, but the way she referred to it implied some sort of organized body. The strange fellowship with the red gloves, perhaps? Even though he was wearing the form of another, he was unable to keep a expression of apprehension from his body’s features. Tell paused and looked downwards, letting the rim of his white top hat shade his eyes. He folded slender hands together before him and leaned backwards. As he lowered himself, the crystal ball swirled around him, its crimson glow playing with the shadows of Soneya’s copied features, before abruptly settling beneath him to serve as a seat. He supposed he could merely ask, but to do so... it would destroy certain illusions he enjoyed weaving. “These battlemages of yours.” He made a scoffing noise. “Are they omniscient? The boy with his flames has gone undetected last I observed him. He also lives within this city of yours.” Tell fixed his gaze upon her. “Unless you are suggesting your blood will betray you? Family can be so peculiar, claiming love beneath the sun only to reveal malice in the dark.”
Tell deigned to answer her questions in the meantime, for they were not yet harmful. Still using her feminine voice, he continued his tale. “There can be no malice assigned to the boy. He lit fire to his home in the dead of night and his parents perished, as mortals are prone to do, beneath the heat and smoke. The boy himself was unharmed, of course. It was his fire, and all it knew was that it loved him and wished to bask him in its radiance.” Tell looked at Soneya pointedly, his larger garments causing him to appear taller than she even while he wore her form. “As I have said to you, he did not know control. He left his brother behind to find it. What he found was me. And that... that was enough for him to learn.”
Tell paused at the mention of battlemages. The word was a fairly obvious portmanteau of battle and mage, but the way she referred to it implied some sort of organized body. The strange fellowship with the red gloves, perhaps? Even though he was wearing the form of another, he was unable to keep a expression of apprehension from his body’s features. Tell paused and looked downwards, letting the rim of his white top hat shade his eyes. He folded slender hands together before him and leaned backwards. As he lowered himself, the crystal ball swirled around him, its crimson glow playing with the shadows of Soneya’s copied features, before abruptly settling beneath him to serve as a seat. He supposed he could merely ask, but to do so... it would destroy certain illusions he enjoyed weaving. “These battlemages of yours.” He made a scoffing noise. “Are they omniscient? The boy with his flames has gone undetected last I observed him. He also lives within this city of yours.” Tell fixed his gaze upon her. “Unless you are suggesting your blood will betray you? Family can be so peculiar, claiming love beneath the sun only to reveal malice in the dark.”
Re: A Nightly Visitor
The appearance’s story about the boy lighting a fire harming everyone but him struck home. So did the pointed look she received, and suddenly her stomach clenched tight. This wasn’t good. This really, really wasn’t good. What if something like that happened to her? What if tonight had been a warning sign?
“Control, yes,” she whispered. She was still lost in her own musings, but she understood what he was trying to tell her, and she knew what she had to do. She didn’t want to suffer the same fate the boy had lived through. What a horrible thing to know! To be the cause of your family’s death. To even wield such a dangerous kind of magic. Water at least… No, who was she trying to kid? Water was just as dangerous, in its own way.
Her eyes fixed on her counterpart, just in time to notice a slight tension in the features before it was all wiped away again when the figure sat down – on the orb?!
“I wouldn’t exactly call them omniscient,” she mused, as she imitated the posture and sat down as well. “But they do always seem to appear whenever magic isn’t used the way it should be. Which is to say when it is used without a license and there isn’t an abundance of licensed magic users either. It is frowned upon after all.”
The next words however stilled Soneya. As calm as she had become in the being’s presence and with simply talking, those words were deeply unsettling. “Betrayal? By my own family?” Shaking her head, the girl looked at her mirror image. “No, they wouldn’t!”
But a nugget of doubt had crept into her heart even while she said it. Could she really be certain of that? Did they love her enough not to hand her over when they thought she might be a threat to them or to their position in society? After all, how could they claim to be puradyne if their own daughter was a mage?
Another notion was nagging at her, a thought she had buried deep inside her. It was the hint of a thought mostly, blossomed from something she had heard a long time ago. Involving her grandfather. But no, that couldn’t be true. That couldn’t possibly be what really happened.
Shaking her head again, Soneya looked at the person sitting opposite her. “I don’t think they would betray me. At least not in the near future. Not today. But I don’t think they’re going to allow this kind of thing to happen again before they’re taking some kind of action, no matter what kind.” After all, her father had beaten it into her that magic was evil, that magic was corrupting, that magic was not something to be touched or used – ever!
“Would you… I mean… Does your offer still stand?” Her eyes flickered, unsure where to look as she did not like asking for help, pleading almost, but after another moment’s hesitation, she finally looked back into the face hidden beneath the white hat. “What may I call you?” One thing seemed for certain. No matter how much the other being looked like her, it certainly wasn’t her, not even a part of her subconscious.
“Control, yes,” she whispered. She was still lost in her own musings, but she understood what he was trying to tell her, and she knew what she had to do. She didn’t want to suffer the same fate the boy had lived through. What a horrible thing to know! To be the cause of your family’s death. To even wield such a dangerous kind of magic. Water at least… No, who was she trying to kid? Water was just as dangerous, in its own way.
Her eyes fixed on her counterpart, just in time to notice a slight tension in the features before it was all wiped away again when the figure sat down – on the orb?!
“I wouldn’t exactly call them omniscient,” she mused, as she imitated the posture and sat down as well. “But they do always seem to appear whenever magic isn’t used the way it should be. Which is to say when it is used without a license and there isn’t an abundance of licensed magic users either. It is frowned upon after all.”
The next words however stilled Soneya. As calm as she had become in the being’s presence and with simply talking, those words were deeply unsettling. “Betrayal? By my own family?” Shaking her head, the girl looked at her mirror image. “No, they wouldn’t!”
But a nugget of doubt had crept into her heart even while she said it. Could she really be certain of that? Did they love her enough not to hand her over when they thought she might be a threat to them or to their position in society? After all, how could they claim to be puradyne if their own daughter was a mage?
Another notion was nagging at her, a thought she had buried deep inside her. It was the hint of a thought mostly, blossomed from something she had heard a long time ago. Involving her grandfather. But no, that couldn’t be true. That couldn’t possibly be what really happened.
Shaking her head again, Soneya looked at the person sitting opposite her. “I don’t think they would betray me. At least not in the near future. Not today. But I don’t think they’re going to allow this kind of thing to happen again before they’re taking some kind of action, no matter what kind.” After all, her father had beaten it into her that magic was evil, that magic was corrupting, that magic was not something to be touched or used – ever!
“Would you… I mean… Does your offer still stand?” Her eyes flickered, unsure where to look as she did not like asking for help, pleading almost, but after another moment’s hesitation, she finally looked back into the face hidden beneath the white hat. “What may I call you?” One thing seemed for certain. No matter how much the other being looked like her, it certainly wasn’t her, not even a part of her subconscious.
Re: A Nightly Visitor
Tell clapped his hands together with a delighted expression upon his face. The orb which served as his chair dropped slightly from the movement before rising slowly back into place. “Finally discovered me, did you? You may call me Tell.” He pulled his hands apart until his expression resembled that of a shrug.
“You’ll forgive me if I continue to wear your form,” He asked, but his tone made it more a demand than a question, “I find it oddly fitting, here in your mind. ‘Tis perhaps a later day we will meet face to face and you will greet the real me.” Tell giggled, doubting those battlemage fellows would enjoy that. Between those battlemages and the girl’s treacherous parents, Tell did not think his goals were to be easily achieved.
He frowned as the girl began her plead, but had giggled again by the time her entreaty was over. His perch upon the crystal sphere lifted to a greater vantage, spinning such that Tell leaned over Soneya at an impossible angle; were they anywhere but a dream, gravity would have done swift work upon him. From this ludicrous position he raised a finger. “Your worry is unfounded. I came here to tutor you in the mystic arts and the offer has not arbitrarily vanished. On that note....” He reached downwards with his drawn hand to point at the empty space in front of the girl. The pick and stone reappeared at his fingertip, floating a few inches downwards to rest easily in her lap. “You still must master the basics.”
He thought about his situation for a moment, under the distinct impression he was forgetting something. “Ah!” He snapped his fingers, “And though it may surprise you, I am presently ignorant as to your name, little mage. What is it that I should call you?”
“You’ll forgive me if I continue to wear your form,” He asked, but his tone made it more a demand than a question, “I find it oddly fitting, here in your mind. ‘Tis perhaps a later day we will meet face to face and you will greet the real me.” Tell giggled, doubting those battlemage fellows would enjoy that. Between those battlemages and the girl’s treacherous parents, Tell did not think his goals were to be easily achieved.
He frowned as the girl began her plead, but had giggled again by the time her entreaty was over. His perch upon the crystal sphere lifted to a greater vantage, spinning such that Tell leaned over Soneya at an impossible angle; were they anywhere but a dream, gravity would have done swift work upon him. From this ludicrous position he raised a finger. “Your worry is unfounded. I came here to tutor you in the mystic arts and the offer has not arbitrarily vanished. On that note....” He reached downwards with his drawn hand to point at the empty space in front of the girl. The pick and stone reappeared at his fingertip, floating a few inches downwards to rest easily in her lap. “You still must master the basics.”
He thought about his situation for a moment, under the distinct impression he was forgetting something. “Ah!” He snapped his fingers, “And though it may surprise you, I am presently ignorant as to your name, little mage. What is it that I should call you?”
Re: A Nightly Visitor
It was odd indeed, but Tell was right, it was oddly fitting that her form would be used in her dream. Though an involuntary shudder wound its way down her back when she thought about meeting this other magician face to face one day. Someone who could so easily invade her dreams could be dangerous, right? Of course, she had accepted to be tutored by exactly that person, so she really shouldn’t worry about such trivial matters. It was too late to back down now anyway, and she knew she had had this coming for a while.
In all honesty, she should be grateful to have found someone willing to take on the risk of teaching her a little something about magic. Who else was she going to turn to? Her parents? Not like they’d ever understand. They would never even be willing to help her. On the contrary, they might even go so far as to betray their own daughter to the battlemages. However, so far they had never done so, no matter how upset they had been about little incidents such as the flooded bedroom, thus a little hope remained and Soneya wasn’t going to let that slip through her fingers.
Tell’s presence seemed almost normal to her already and this was only the first – well, technically the second – they encountered each other. She should really stop worrying.
And in just such a gesture of good faith, she let the tools drift into her lap easily before she snatched them up, eager to keep practising like she was told.
“Oh, you don’t know?” Soneya was a bit surprised but at the same time, she thought she probably shouldn’t be. “My name is Soneya.” But when entering someone else’s dreams, shouldn’t names be something to be aware of right from the start? Not like she had asked for a name herself, but of course she had also thought she was talking to herself at first.
“What will happen if I wake up? I mean, is there any way I could find you or contact you if I have a question?” This oddly felt like being back at school on the very first day, not having a clue whatsoever what was happening and with so many new things to take in. “Would I recognise you if we happened to cross paths? Since you obviously don’t look like me in reality.”
All the while, Soneya obediently worked on scratching the rune into the surface of the stone, trying to make the work as decent as possible and without a mistake. This was important after all. She needed to learn to harness her skills so as not to cause yet another catastrophe. She might not be so lucky every time for the battlemages not to notice a surge of power. When she thought she was done, she held it up for inspection but deciding against asking the obvious question that would have gone with it. She didn’t want to sound desperately in need of approval – even though that was the case – so she just let the gesture speak for itself.
In all honesty, she should be grateful to have found someone willing to take on the risk of teaching her a little something about magic. Who else was she going to turn to? Her parents? Not like they’d ever understand. They would never even be willing to help her. On the contrary, they might even go so far as to betray their own daughter to the battlemages. However, so far they had never done so, no matter how upset they had been about little incidents such as the flooded bedroom, thus a little hope remained and Soneya wasn’t going to let that slip through her fingers.
Tell’s presence seemed almost normal to her already and this was only the first – well, technically the second – they encountered each other. She should really stop worrying.
And in just such a gesture of good faith, she let the tools drift into her lap easily before she snatched them up, eager to keep practising like she was told.
“Oh, you don’t know?” Soneya was a bit surprised but at the same time, she thought she probably shouldn’t be. “My name is Soneya.” But when entering someone else’s dreams, shouldn’t names be something to be aware of right from the start? Not like she had asked for a name herself, but of course she had also thought she was talking to herself at first.
“What will happen if I wake up? I mean, is there any way I could find you or contact you if I have a question?” This oddly felt like being back at school on the very first day, not having a clue whatsoever what was happening and with so many new things to take in. “Would I recognise you if we happened to cross paths? Since you obviously don’t look like me in reality.”
All the while, Soneya obediently worked on scratching the rune into the surface of the stone, trying to make the work as decent as possible and without a mistake. This was important after all. She needed to learn to harness her skills so as not to cause yet another catastrophe. She might not be so lucky every time for the battlemages not to notice a surge of power. When she thought she was done, she held it up for inspection but deciding against asking the obvious question that would have gone with it. She didn’t want to sound desperately in need of approval – even though that was the case – so she just let the gesture speak for itself.
Re: A Nightly Visitor
Tell thought about her question as he received the stone. Still sitting as if gravity applied to him horizontally, he inspected the rune. It was satisfactory. He smiled. “Well done.” He stated, “This should serve your purpose for many years to come. Even the mighty Ofriyu will be hard pressed to obscure the rune’s power.”
He moved to hand it back to her, but the question hung heavy in his mind. “There is a method by which you could contact me... but it is deep magic, and it requires more runes of greater complexity than the one I have taught you today. It also requires that the runes be in a stable position; they are more difficult to hide. Perhaps if you find yourself a safehouse someday, I will teach them to you.” He doubted this answer was satisfactory, and abruptly cancelled the force holding him sideways. He dropped to the ground in front of her, his wand tapping the ground before recovered his balance.
Tell dropped his knees to the stone beneath them, their pearly white remaining untouched by the dust and dirt. Thanks to their identical forms, Tell’s eyes looked directly across the distance to Soneya’s. He attempted to reassure her. “The next part of your journey you shall walk alone, but I will return in a week’s time.” His red crystal ball floated down beside him.
Tell smiled, nodded too her, and reached out to it. He reached out his arm towards the sphere and tapped the red crystal twice; the response was immediate. The water of the Ofriyu came gushing outwards in impossible droves of steam. Tell was rapidly overtaken, his gently smiling face the last piece of him visible in the dream. Very briefly, one could glimpse his true form as a silhouette through the fog.
The dream fragmented and fell apart, dissolving beneath the rushing water. Tell opened his eyes in the darkness. It had begun.
Finally.
He moved to hand it back to her, but the question hung heavy in his mind. “There is a method by which you could contact me... but it is deep magic, and it requires more runes of greater complexity than the one I have taught you today. It also requires that the runes be in a stable position; they are more difficult to hide. Perhaps if you find yourself a safehouse someday, I will teach them to you.” He doubted this answer was satisfactory, and abruptly cancelled the force holding him sideways. He dropped to the ground in front of her, his wand tapping the ground before recovered his balance.
Tell dropped his knees to the stone beneath them, their pearly white remaining untouched by the dust and dirt. Thanks to their identical forms, Tell’s eyes looked directly across the distance to Soneya’s. He attempted to reassure her. “The next part of your journey you shall walk alone, but I will return in a week’s time.” His red crystal ball floated down beside him.
Tell smiled, nodded too her, and reached out to it. He reached out his arm towards the sphere and tapped the red crystal twice; the response was immediate. The water of the Ofriyu came gushing outwards in impossible droves of steam. Tell was rapidly overtaken, his gently smiling face the last piece of him visible in the dream. Very briefly, one could glimpse his true form as a silhouette through the fog.
The dream fragmented and fell apart, dissolving beneath the rushing water. Tell opened his eyes in the darkness. It had begun.
Finally.
Re: A Nightly Visitor
Soneya wasn’t quite satisfied by the answer she received, but she also understood that it wasn’t going to be possible to teach her everything there was to know, or at least of the basics she needed to know, in just one night. This would take time.
However, the fact that she was aware of this wasn’t hindering her emotions from flowing freely as she almost began sulking. She caught herself however before she completely succumbed to acting like a little spoiled brat and looked at Tell instead. At least her rune had received praise, which she was grateful for.
“A week?” Soneya wasn’t sure whether that would be horribly long or horribly short, but she felt unsettled by the time frame Tell set for her. “What if something goes wrong? What if I need you earlier? What if I’m not ready by then?” Though ready for what? She didn’t know and she didn’t have time to ask as all of a sudden, the tiniest tap on the crystal ball sent the waters of the Ofriyu flying.
Instinctively, Soneya reached out a hand towards the rapidly disappearing mage, wanting to ask a million questions, wanting to beg the mage to stay but before she knew what was happening, her dream shattered into a million fragments and she woke with a start.
Sitting up in her bed, the girl looked around, panting and shivering from the aftereffects of the experience. This had been surreal. This couldn’t have been real, could it? Everything about this night had just been a dream, hadn’t it?
Or could it have been real?
No, it couldn’t have been real. It had all just been a dream. Just a very weird, very long dream.
And then she looked down at her hands and noticed the rune she was holding, which she had somehow brought back into reality with her. For several long heartbeats, Soneya just stared at the stone, feeling the urge to scream and throw it away, but she held on tightly nonetheless.
She knew now what she had to do.
However, the fact that she was aware of this wasn’t hindering her emotions from flowing freely as she almost began sulking. She caught herself however before she completely succumbed to acting like a little spoiled brat and looked at Tell instead. At least her rune had received praise, which she was grateful for.
“A week?” Soneya wasn’t sure whether that would be horribly long or horribly short, but she felt unsettled by the time frame Tell set for her. “What if something goes wrong? What if I need you earlier? What if I’m not ready by then?” Though ready for what? She didn’t know and she didn’t have time to ask as all of a sudden, the tiniest tap on the crystal ball sent the waters of the Ofriyu flying.
Instinctively, Soneya reached out a hand towards the rapidly disappearing mage, wanting to ask a million questions, wanting to beg the mage to stay but before she knew what was happening, her dream shattered into a million fragments and she woke with a start.
Sitting up in her bed, the girl looked around, panting and shivering from the aftereffects of the experience. This had been surreal. This couldn’t have been real, could it? Everything about this night had just been a dream, hadn’t it?
Or could it have been real?
No, it couldn’t have been real. It had all just been a dream. Just a very weird, very long dream.
And then she looked down at her hands and noticed the rune she was holding, which she had somehow brought back into reality with her. For several long heartbeats, Soneya just stared at the stone, feeling the urge to scream and throw it away, but she held on tightly nonetheless.
She knew now what she had to do.