Chapter 47
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Isilla frowned at the strange play in front of her. A man spoke to a giant lizard over a cup of tea. A bird sounded in the distance, sweet chirps in between their nonsense chatter. She was sure that the dream was not a nightmare, the energy flowed like light but it confused her all the same. She enjoyed these strange places though, they made her trips more exciting.
The days since Arren had taken Elixabete as a consort passed in a haze of fever. The outing had cost her health dearly. Her body, weakened from the cold air clung to life weakly. She barely regained consciousness throughout the days and nights. When she woke there was Haribit's worried face begging her to eat. In her dreams she could feel Arren's fingers brushing back her hair, his lips brushing against her forehead but she never saw him while she was awake.
The world began to shimmer and she stood, beckoning Ilun to follow her out of the space, into the next dream. He followed obediently.
Ah, this is a nightmare, she thought as she stepped through into a room covered with strangely colored stones. It smelled of a market but they were inside. She walked, stepping between boxes, taking in the strange place but letting the energy remain, holding back her light.
"Hello, Isilla," Mireia called hopping down from a pile of boxes. In her element, the energy flowing freely she didn't look as frail. Her hair twisted about her body and even the rags she wore seemed somehow mysterious and powerful.
"Hello, Mireia. Are you making this?" she asked.
The girl shook her head, "Not really. I'm only twisting it a little. Is that alright?"
"Why are you asking me?" Isilla responded, curious.
"Because you're in charge of us now," the girl answered simply.
"What?" she pulled her eyebrows together, her face twisting in confusion.
"That's what Asier says. That you're in change of us," she explained looking up at the ceiling. Something crawled along it, just in the shadows. Isilla turned away from it, resisting the urge to change it.
"I am not!" Isilla replied. "We are connected but I don't rule over you at all. Please don't think of me that way."
"You're a princess though. You would rule over us even if you had never met us," the girl's tone matter of fact.
"I suppose you can look at it like that but I'm not really that sort of person. I don't have any duties or power over people. I'm just a normal woman," Isilla explained.
Mireia laughed, the sound clear and strong in the strange room. "You think that? You tied us all to you. If that's not power, I don't know what is!"
Embarrassed, Isilla stared down at her hands, "I am very sorry about that. It's just I needed you all to save my life. I didn't think before I acted. I hope that you can forgive me someday."
"No one's mad at you," the girl said wistfully, soaking in the essence of the nightmare around her.
"Really?" Isilla asked hopefully.
She nodded, "Even Asier is alright now. It's hard to stay mad, you're so nice! But do you really think you can get us outside?"
Mireia's face looked at her expectantly, her copper eyes bright with hope, a dangerous emotion for something of nightmares.
Isilla smiled, "Of course. As soon as I can leave my bed, I will find you."
The young girl smiled wide revealing her beauty to Isilla.
"I should go now," Isilla said, "Too much longer and I'll be changing things here."
Mireia smiled and nodded, waving her goodbyes as Isilla and Ilun slipped around a corner and back into her courtyard.
She sighed at the air, it shimmered and sparked around her, just subtly, the work of the darktellers in redirecting the energy no longer enough. I'm running out of time, she thought. I shouldn't feel so troubled by binding with Arren, he is my Prince, he wrote me but now. . . her thoughts trailed off, her mind refusing to fully accept what he had done.
"You sleep long enough," the shade's familiar voice filled her ears.
She turned to the woman, her fiery eyes, bead covered breasts and wild hair all familiar to Isilla. "I am not well," Isilla responded.
The shade motioned to the air around them, "Can see. When will you bind? When will you finish?"
She shook her head, "Soon. I don't have a choice. I'm just very sick right now."
"Sick? Bah!" the shade spit.
"I think you're not telling me many things," Isilla said touching her chest, the spot where she could feel that extra sense, pulsing and reaching. "It hurt when he pulled from you, do you remember that?"
The shade looked at her curiously before speaking, "It means nothing."
Isilla smiled, "I think it does. And I wonder why you are so set to have this done."
"So I can rest," the woman responded quickly.
Isilla shook her head, "I am not as unobservant as everyone thinks. I have just been very distracted. What will happen if I don't. What happens outside of me if I just let it take me?"
The shade sighed, "Clever Sorgia. The power will be lost again, for another thousand years."
"What does it matter? It's already been gone so long," Isilla asked.
"Magic, dark and light, will die with you, Sorgia. Our worlds will become like the Third Realm, without wonder until another Sorgia is born. Is that what you want?"
"You're lying," Isilla said.
The shade tilted her head to the side, "Am I? Is that what your blood says? That I lie?"
Isilla looked at her hands, the threads of light materializing of their own will, wrapping around her being. The truth of the shade's words thrummed through her, a low red feeling that made her stomach churn.
She stood, "I have to see my husband, to shed some of this."
The shade lifted an eyebrow, "Bind with him, end this, set things right."
She nodded as she left, taking Ilun with her.
She found Arren in the dreaming quickly, his energy like beacon, drawing her. She dropped in, her heart sinking further. Dank, ash filled air flowed around her. Through the haze she could make out the silhouettes of broken and burnt buildings. Why is he dreaming about this, she thought as she stepped forward, the ash turning to sludge as it met the wet ground under her feet.
She located him, the haze parting to reveal his form, sitting on the ground, covered in the same ash that fell from the sky. In his hands he held something small and bright, his body protecting it from the ruin around him.
I didn't bring anything, she thought. I just wanted to see him, she admitted to herself as she reaching out, touching his hair, knocking the ash from it. He looked up at her with tear streaked cheeks.
"Isilla," he breathed.
"Why are you dreaming this place?" she asked as he reached for her, grabbing her arm and pulling her body down to him. Still holding the light, he pressed his lips against hers, kissing her deeply, urgently.
"Arren, I didn't bring anything, I have to find something," she started before he kissed again.
"Don't go, my love, wake up," he said.
"I will wake but I need something, the light is almost too much to bear for me, I need," he stopped her again, covering her mouth with his kiss, holding her tightly against his body.
"I'll give you anything you need," his voice strained and hoarse against her from his tears, "just don't leave me."
She touched his face, his eyes green the shade of moss over stone flecked with brown stared back at her. In the dream they were alive with emotion, anxiety, fear, worry. She wiped his cheek, "Arren, what's wrong?"
"Take this," he said dropping the light into her hands. A glowing orb that pulsed in time with his heartbeat. He pulled her closer, with both arms now, the orb nestled against her chest as he kissed her.
What is this, she thought even as his mouth pulled at her neck sending a shock of pleasure through her. A strange feeling began in her, a sort of warm darkness, comfortable like falling asleep, stretched along her spine, spilling through her as his mouth moved over skin.
"I can't take this," she said, breathless from his touch. "This isn't something I should take from you, you have to keep it."
He brought his lips to her hand and opening it, swallowed the orb, his tongue catching her fingers as she closed his mouth.
"As you wish. My love, wake up, come back to me," he said bringing his lips back to hers.
"I'm so tired," she said as he lifted her so that his lips could brush against her breasts. "But I need," she started as the words were stolen by his touch on her skin.
He settled her against him, holding her body so that she straddled his. The tears that fell from his eyes were thick and black, they turned to mist as they fell away from his face.
"Take whatever you want, all that I am is yours," he responded gently
She shook her head, "Don't you remember? You made-"
He covered her mouth quickly with his hand, "Stop! Your words, they're dangerous. I remember. You are all I want, you are all I need. Everything I do, I do for you. That is all there is."
"Make something with me," she said gasping as his hands touched her more intimately, the strange darkness spreading in her.
"Don't doubt me," he whispered to her.
His touch chased away her thoughts, warmth flooded her.
She fought against the pleasure, holding an image in her head. A strange heat raced through her, rolling through her body from his touch, his kiss and gasping, she woke up.
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Isilla frowned at the strange play in front of her. A man spoke to a giant lizard over a cup of tea. A bird sounded in the distance, sweet chirps in between their nonsense chatter. She was sure that the dream was not a nightmare, the energy flowed like light but it confused her all the same. She enjoyed these strange places though, they made her trips more exciting.
The days since Arren had taken Elixabete as a consort passed in a haze of fever. The outing had cost her health dearly. Her body, weakened from the cold air clung to life weakly. She barely regained consciousness throughout the days and nights. When she woke there was Haribit's worried face begging her to eat. In her dreams she could feel Arren's fingers brushing back her hair, his lips brushing against her forehead but she never saw him while she was awake.
The world began to shimmer and she stood, beckoning Ilun to follow her out of the space, into the next dream. He followed obediently.
Ah, this is a nightmare, she thought as she stepped through into a room covered with strangely colored stones. It smelled of a market but they were inside. She walked, stepping between boxes, taking in the strange place but letting the energy remain, holding back her light.
"Hello, Isilla," Mireia called hopping down from a pile of boxes. In her element, the energy flowing freely she didn't look as frail. Her hair twisted about her body and even the rags she wore seemed somehow mysterious and powerful.
"Hello, Mireia. Are you making this?" she asked.
The girl shook her head, "Not really. I'm only twisting it a little. Is that alright?"
"Why are you asking me?" Isilla responded, curious.
"Because you're in charge of us now," the girl answered simply.
"What?" she pulled her eyebrows together, her face twisting in confusion.
"That's what Asier says. That you're in change of us," she explained looking up at the ceiling. Something crawled along it, just in the shadows. Isilla turned away from it, resisting the urge to change it.
"I am not!" Isilla replied. "We are connected but I don't rule over you at all. Please don't think of me that way."
"You're a princess though. You would rule over us even if you had never met us," the girl's tone matter of fact.
"I suppose you can look at it like that but I'm not really that sort of person. I don't have any duties or power over people. I'm just a normal woman," Isilla explained.
Mireia laughed, the sound clear and strong in the strange room. "You think that? You tied us all to you. If that's not power, I don't know what is!"
Embarrassed, Isilla stared down at her hands, "I am very sorry about that. It's just I needed you all to save my life. I didn't think before I acted. I hope that you can forgive me someday."
"No one's mad at you," the girl said wistfully, soaking in the essence of the nightmare around her.
"Really?" Isilla asked hopefully.
She nodded, "Even Asier is alright now. It's hard to stay mad, you're so nice! But do you really think you can get us outside?"
Mireia's face looked at her expectantly, her copper eyes bright with hope, a dangerous emotion for something of nightmares.
Isilla smiled, "Of course. As soon as I can leave my bed, I will find you."
The young girl smiled wide revealing her beauty to Isilla.
"I should go now," Isilla said, "Too much longer and I'll be changing things here."
Mireia smiled and nodded, waving her goodbyes as Isilla and Ilun slipped around a corner and back into her courtyard.
She sighed at the air, it shimmered and sparked around her, just subtly, the work of the darktellers in redirecting the energy no longer enough. I'm running out of time, she thought. I shouldn't feel so troubled by binding with Arren, he is my Prince, he wrote me but now. . . her thoughts trailed off, her mind refusing to fully accept what he had done.
"You sleep long enough," the shade's familiar voice filled her ears.
She turned to the woman, her fiery eyes, bead covered breasts and wild hair all familiar to Isilla. "I am not well," Isilla responded.
The shade motioned to the air around them, "Can see. When will you bind? When will you finish?"
She shook her head, "Soon. I don't have a choice. I'm just very sick right now."
"Sick? Bah!" the shade spit.
"I think you're not telling me many things," Isilla said touching her chest, the spot where she could feel that extra sense, pulsing and reaching. "It hurt when he pulled from you, do you remember that?"
The shade looked at her curiously before speaking, "It means nothing."
Isilla smiled, "I think it does. And I wonder why you are so set to have this done."
"So I can rest," the woman responded quickly.
Isilla shook her head, "I am not as unobservant as everyone thinks. I have just been very distracted. What will happen if I don't. What happens outside of me if I just let it take me?"
The shade sighed, "Clever Sorgia. The power will be lost again, for another thousand years."
"What does it matter? It's already been gone so long," Isilla asked.
"Magic, dark and light, will die with you, Sorgia. Our worlds will become like the Third Realm, without wonder until another Sorgia is born. Is that what you want?"
"You're lying," Isilla said.
The shade tilted her head to the side, "Am I? Is that what your blood says? That I lie?"
Isilla looked at her hands, the threads of light materializing of their own will, wrapping around her being. The truth of the shade's words thrummed through her, a low red feeling that made her stomach churn.
She stood, "I have to see my husband, to shed some of this."
The shade lifted an eyebrow, "Bind with him, end this, set things right."
She nodded as she left, taking Ilun with her.
She found Arren in the dreaming quickly, his energy like beacon, drawing her. She dropped in, her heart sinking further. Dank, ash filled air flowed around her. Through the haze she could make out the silhouettes of broken and burnt buildings. Why is he dreaming about this, she thought as she stepped forward, the ash turning to sludge as it met the wet ground under her feet.
She located him, the haze parting to reveal his form, sitting on the ground, covered in the same ash that fell from the sky. In his hands he held something small and bright, his body protecting it from the ruin around him.
I didn't bring anything, she thought. I just wanted to see him, she admitted to herself as she reaching out, touching his hair, knocking the ash from it. He looked up at her with tear streaked cheeks.
"Isilla," he breathed.
"Why are you dreaming this place?" she asked as he reached for her, grabbing her arm and pulling her body down to him. Still holding the light, he pressed his lips against hers, kissing her deeply, urgently.
"Arren, I didn't bring anything, I have to find something," she started before he kissed again.
"Don't go, my love, wake up," he said.
"I will wake but I need something, the light is almost too much to bear for me, I need," he stopped her again, covering her mouth with his kiss, holding her tightly against his body.
"I'll give you anything you need," his voice strained and hoarse against her from his tears, "just don't leave me."
She touched his face, his eyes green the shade of moss over stone flecked with brown stared back at her. In the dream they were alive with emotion, anxiety, fear, worry. She wiped his cheek, "Arren, what's wrong?"
"Take this," he said dropping the light into her hands. A glowing orb that pulsed in time with his heartbeat. He pulled her closer, with both arms now, the orb nestled against her chest as he kissed her.
What is this, she thought even as his mouth pulled at her neck sending a shock of pleasure through her. A strange feeling began in her, a sort of warm darkness, comfortable like falling asleep, stretched along her spine, spilling through her as his mouth moved over skin.
"I can't take this," she said, breathless from his touch. "This isn't something I should take from you, you have to keep it."
He brought his lips to her hand and opening it, swallowed the orb, his tongue catching her fingers as she closed his mouth.
"As you wish. My love, wake up, come back to me," he said bringing his lips back to hers.
"I'm so tired," she said as he lifted her so that his lips could brush against her breasts. "But I need," she started as the words were stolen by his touch on her skin.
He settled her against him, holding her body so that she straddled his. The tears that fell from his eyes were thick and black, they turned to mist as they fell away from his face.
"Take whatever you want, all that I am is yours," he responded gently
She shook her head, "Don't you remember? You made-"
He covered her mouth quickly with his hand, "Stop! Your words, they're dangerous. I remember. You are all I want, you are all I need. Everything I do, I do for you. That is all there is."
"Make something with me," she said gasping as his hands touched her more intimately, the strange darkness spreading in her.
"Don't doubt me," he whispered to her.
His touch chased away her thoughts, warmth flooded her.
She fought against the pleasure, holding an image in her head. A strange heat raced through her, rolling through her body from his touch, his kiss and gasping, she woke up.
Isilla frowned at the strange play in front of her. A man spoke to a giant lizard over a cup of tea. A bird sounded in the distance, sweet chirps in between their nonsense chatter. She was sure that the dream was not a nightmare, the energy flowed like light but it confused her all the same. She enjoyed these strange places though, they made her trips more exciting.The days since Arren had taken Elixabete as a consort passed in a haze of fever. The outing had cost her health dearly. Her body, weakened from the cold air clung to life weakly. She barely regained consciousness throughout the days and nights. When she woke there was Haribit's worried face begging her to eat. In her dreams she could feel Arren's fingers brushing back her hair, his lips brushing against her forehead but she never saw him while she was awake.The world began to shimmer and she stood, beckoning Ilun to follow her out of the space, into the next dream. He followed obediently.Ah, this is a nightmare, she thought as she stepped through into a room covered with strangely colored stones. It smelled of a market but they were inside. She walked, stepping between boxes, taking in the strange place but letting the energy remain, holding back her light."Hello, Isilla," Mireia called hopping down from a pile of boxes. In her element, the energy flowing freely she didn't look as frail. Her hair twisted about her body and even the rags she wore seemed somehow mysterious and powerful."Hello, Mireia. Are you making this?" she asked.The girl shook her head, "Not really. I'm only twisting it a little. Is that alright?""Why are you asking me?" Isilla responded, curious."Because you're in charge of us now," the girl answered simply."What?" she pulled her eyebrows together, her face twisting in confusion."That's what Asier says. That you're in change of us," she explained looking up at the ceiling. Something crawled along it, just in the shadows. Isilla turned away from it, resisting the urge to change it."I am not!" Isilla replied. "We are connected but I don't rule over you at all. Please don't think of me that way.""You're a princess though. You would rule over us even if you had never met us," the girl's tone matter of fact."I suppose you can look at it like that but I'm not really that sort of person. I don't have any duties or power over people. I'm just a normal woman," Isilla explained.Mireia laughed, the sound clear and strong in the strange room. "You think that? You tied us all to you. If that's not power, I don't know what is!"Embarrassed, Isilla stared down at her hands, "I am very sorry about that. It's just I needed you all to save my life. I didn't think before I acted. I hope that you can forgive me someday.""No one's mad at you," the girl said wistfully, soaking in the essence of the nightmare around her."Really?" Isilla asked hopefully.She nodded, "Even Asier is alright now. It's hard to stay mad, you're so nice! But do you really think you can get us outside?"Mireia's face looked at her expectantly, her copper eyes bright with hope, a dangerous emotion for something of nightmares.Isilla smiled, "Of course. As soon as I can leave my bed, I will find you."The young girl smiled wide revealing her beauty to Isilla."I should go now," Isilla said, "Too much longer and I'll be changing things here."Mireia smiled and nodded, waving her goodbyes as Isilla and Ilun slipped around a corner and back into her courtyard.She sighed at the air, it shimmered and sparked around her, just subtly, the work of the darktellers in redirecting the energy no longer enough. I'm running out of time, she thought. I shouldn't feel so troubled by binding with Arren, he is my Prince, he wrote me but now. . . her thoughts trailed off, her mind refusing to fully accept what he had done."You sleep long enough," the shade's familiar voice filled her ears.She turned to the woman, her fiery eyes, bead covered breasts and wild hair all familiar to Isilla. "I am not well," Isilla responded.The shade motioned to the air around them, "Can see. When will you bind? When will you finish?"She shook her head, "Soon. I don't have a choice. I'm just very sick right now.""Sick? Bah!" the shade spit."I think you're not telling me many things," Isilla said touching her chest, the spot where she could feel that extra sense, pulsing and reaching. "It hurt when he pulled from you, do you remember that?"The shade looked at her curiously before speaking, "It means nothing."Isilla smiled, "I think it does. And I wonder why you are so set to have this done.""So I can rest," the woman responded quickly.Isilla shook her head, "I am not as unobservant as everyone thinks. I have just been very distracted. What will happen if I don't. What happens outside of me if I just let it take me?"The shade sighed, "Clever Sorgia. The power will be lost again, for another thousand years.""What does it matter? It's already been gone so long," Isilla asked."Magic, dark and light, will die with you, Sorgia. Our worlds will become like the Third Realm, without wonder until another Sorgia is born. Is that what you want?""You're lying," Isilla said.The shade tilted her head to the side, "Am I? Is that what your blood says? That I lie?"Isilla looked at her hands, the threads of light materializing of their own will, wrapping around her being. The truth of the shade's words thrummed through her, a low red feeling that made her stomach churn.She stood, "I have to see my husband, to shed some of this."The shade lifted an eyebrow, "Bind with him, end this, set things right."She nodded as she left, taking Ilun with her.She found Arren in the dreaming quickly, his energy like beacon, drawing her. She dropped in, her heart sinking further. Dank, ash filled air flowed around her. Through the haze she could make out the silhouettes of broken and burnt buildings. Why is he dreaming about this, she thought as she stepped forward, the ash turning to sludge as it met the wet ground under her feet.She located him, the haze parting to reveal his form, sitting on the ground, covered in the same ash that fell from the sky. In his hands he held something small and bright, his body protecting it from the ruin around him.I didn't bring anything, she thought. I just wanted to see him, she admitted to herself as she reaching out, touching his hair, knocking the ash from it. He looked up at her with tear streaked cheeks."Isilla," he breathed."Why are you dreaming this place?" she asked as he reached for her, grabbing her arm and pulling her body down to him. Still holding the light, he pressed his lips against hers, kissing her deeply, urgently."Arren, I didn't bring anything, I have to find something," she started before he kissed again."Don't go, my love, wake up," he said."I will wake but I need something, the light is almost too much to bear for me, I need," he stopped her again, covering her mouth with his kiss, holding her tightly against his body."I'll give you anything you need," his voice strained and hoarse against her from his tears, "just don't leave me."She touched his face, his eyes green the shade of moss over stone flecked with brown stared back at her. In the dream they were alive with emotion, anxiety, fear, worry. She wiped his cheek, "Arren, what's wrong?""Take this," he said dropping the light into her hands. A glowing orb that pulsed in time with his heartbeat. He pulled her closer, with both arms now, the orb nestled against her chest as he kissed her.What is this, she thought even as his mouth pulled at her neck sending a shock of pleasure through her. A strange feeling began in her, a sort of warm darkness, comfortable like falling asleep, stretched along her spine, spilling through her as his mouth moved over skin."I can't take this," she said, breathless from his touch. "This isn't something I should take from you, you have to keep it."He brought his lips to her hand and opening it, swallowed the orb, his tongue catching her fingers as she closed his mouth."As you wish. My love, wake up, come back to me," he said bringing his lips back to hers."I'm so tired," she said as he lifted her so that his lips could brush against her breasts. "But I need," she started as the words were stolen by his touch on her skin.He settled her against him, holding her body so that she straddled his. The tears that fell from his eyes were thick and black, they turned to mist as they fell away from his face."Take whatever you want, all that I am is yours," he responded gentlyShe shook her head, "Don't you remember? You made-"He covered her mouth quickly with his hand, "Stop! Your words, they're dangerous. I remember. You are all I want, you are all I need. Everything I do, I do for you. That is all there is.""Make something with me," she said gasping as his hands touched her more intimately, the strange darkness spreading in her."Don't doubt me," he whispered to her.His touch chased away her thoughts, warmth flooded her.She fought against the pleasure, holding an image in her head. A strange heat raced through her, rolling through her body from his touch, his kiss and gasping, she woke up.
