Chapter 8
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"So, how was it, as I told?" the shade asked appearing as she had appeared before, as if she had come from nowhere, in the same strange clothing.
Isilla looked up from her wilting flowers, a small frown on her face. "It wasn't anything. We didn't, well he didn't. I mean nothing happened," she finished at a loss to explain the event.
The shade frowned, "Could he not?" she pointed at her crouch. "Some men are like that too."
"No! I mean, I don't know but that wasn't the problem. His darkness, the nightmares, they filled the room. I've never seen anything like that before."
A smile spread across the other woman's face, "Oh he must be mighty. Must be a powerful one! Be happy, your husband is strong. Did you connect, draw the chain between you?
Isilla's eyes turned to slits, "Are you listening? I said nothing happened."
The shade waved her hand in front of her face, dismissing Isilla's response, "No need to meet as man and woman for that."
"I don't know what you're talking about but there wasn't time for anything. Not even to talk before he, before changed," Isilla turned back to the flower. "Why are these wilting? They shouldn't wilt. They're not real."
The shade joined her, her head tilted to the side, "You made with light in a land of dark."
Isilla brushed her fingers over the petals, the light touch causing them to break and fall to the ground. "Does that matter?" she asked more to herself than the shade, who she still wasn't sure was real at all.
"Matter? Of course, Sorgia! Everything, light or dark, hope or madness! You try to make dreams but you only have nightmares to spin from. But it's alright, it's alright. You know, Sorgia, you know you can change things."
Isilla spun her finger around the flower, bringing it back, "I need more light."
"Yes," the shade hissed in her ear. "Go back to him, tie him to you!"
"I don't understand you at all," Isilla replied.
The shade grabbed her arm, pulling her attention to her. "Connect with him, draw him to you! You can use his power as your own!"
She pulled her arm away from the woman's grasp, shivering at the unnatural feeling of her palm against her skin. It wasn't like a dreamer's hand at all. She hadn't noticed it before, the pain had masked it but now, she was sure, this woman was something that shouldn't be. Backing away she wiped the spot with her arm. "Don't touch me," she said slowly.
The woman held up her hands, "Sorgia, you see now, you see. I am not a dream. I know things, things you need know but not yet, not yet."
"Who are you?" Isilla asked, drawing the dreaming around herself for protection.
"Ah, I have moved too soon, too fast, A mistake. Your light cannot hurt me. I am a shade. No one. My name, lost. Here, I tell you something. Help you trust. If you find that one, out there," she pointed with her chin, gesturing to the greater expanse of the Veil, "Meet him and you can do greater things then you imagined, eyes closed and open."
Isilla blinked and the woman was gone, leaving nothing but her strange advice.
It's this place, or maybe being so close to him, the nightmares are driving me mad, she thought, shivering. Whatever the woman was or wasn't, Isilla knew that she was correct about her light. She could feel it in her being. The power that she drew around herself, found in endless amounts in her own lands was weak here. She needed more.
For the first time since arriving in the Dark Realm, she stepped through her courtyard gates and into someone else's dream.
She released a long, slow breath. Small stones dug into her feet, all around her, rocky hills dotted with thin grass rose and fell under a gray sky. "What a bleak place," she said as she began to walk, the ground turning to soft earth before her feet fell with each step.
"I wonder where the dreamer is," she said to the emptiness. The howl of some great beast answered her. It was an animal she had never heard before but it sounded vaguely like the dogs that wondered the Acropolis, her home, if those dogs were bigger and more wild.
She hummed to herself as she looked, her every step changing the landscape as she passed. Her influence was small, she didn't want to waste the energy before she found the dreamer but the terrain was becoming harder to navigate, the dogs that were not dogs louder and less distant.
She veered from the path and climbed up a hill. "Ah," she smiled, spotting a figure, walking among the rocks. She skipped down her hill and hurried after the person, their figure becoming clearer as she approached.
The woman in front of her wailed and sobbed, her long dress ripped and ruined by her endless walk. Isilla reached forward and gripped her sleeve. The woman looked back at her, her face familiar.
"Who are you?" she asked.
Isilla smiled and shook her head, "It doesn't matter. Why are you crying?"
"I'm lost," the woman answered. "I thought I knew where I was but I can't find my way home and," she stopped, her crying overtaking her.
"It's alright," Isilla said. "Isn't that your home right there?"
The woman looked up, following Isilla's pointing finger.
The small house resembled the cottages Isilla had seen on her journey to the palace. To the woman, it was exactly what Isilla said it was, it didn't matter that she had never seen it before, it was the thing she needed.
"Oh!" the woman cried out, hitching up her skirts as she began to stumble forward. Isilla took her arm and walked with her, overriding the nightmare, transforming it to what she needed, what the dreamer needed to be happy.
It fought her but Isilla moved forward, forcing it to change as the dreamer saw her goal grow larger before her. "Whatever you're looking for," Isilla said soothingly, "You can find in there. It's exactly what you need."
Grass came to the rocky hills, the sky above softened to blue. She smiled at the woman and opened the door, the smell of something baking wafting into the air.
"Thank you," the woman said and Isilla smiled as the dreamer walked into the house, shutting the door behind her. The fabric of the dream, changed from the nightmare, the energy of it filled her and she smiled. A start but she needed more.
"Better, but not enough," she said to herself. Isilla opened the door and stepped into a concert hall ready to find the next dreamer, to change the nightmare into something she could use. The strange woman and even the darkness of her husband pushed back by her task in front of her.
Someone played an off-key instrument and Isilla walked down the aisle towards the stage, the dreamer becoming clearer. Laughter filled the empty room and the music faltered for a moment before picking up. Closer now, she could see that it was another woman, a guitar in her hands.
Simple, Isilla thought. "Good job!" she cheered, clapping.
The person on the stage stared into the audience where Isilla stood.
"Hello?" the woman on stage called.
"Play me another song!" Isilla called back, her voice bubbly and friendly.
The dreamer did exactly as she was told, they all did. The music filled the room and under her fingers, Isilla could feel the air shifting, the nightmare swelling. She sent a ripple of power through it, bending it to her will and instead of laughter, there was applause.
The music changed, the notes flowed true and the woman sang, her voice clear and lovely. Isilla smiled and left by the side entrance, walking back into her own courtyard.
"Now, let's see about these flowers," she said to herself humming as she spread her light through the Veil.
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"So, how was it, as I told?" the shade asked appearing as she had appeared before, as if she had come from nowhere, in the same strange clothing.
Isilla looked up from her wilting flowers, a small frown on her face. "It wasn't anything. We didn't, well he didn't. I mean nothing happened," she finished at a loss to explain the event.
The shade frowned, "Could he not?" she pointed at her crouch. "Some men are like that too."
"No! I mean, I don't know but that wasn't the problem. His darkness, the nightmares, they filled the room. I've never seen anything like that before."
A smile spread across the other woman's face, "Oh he must be mighty. Must be a powerful one! Be happy, your husband is strong. Did you connect, draw the chain between you?
Isilla's eyes turned to slits, "Are you listening? I said nothing happened."
The shade waved her hand in front of her face, dismissing Isilla's response, "No need to meet as man and woman for that."
"I don't know what you're talking about but there wasn't time for anything. Not even to talk before he, before changed," Isilla turned back to the flower. "Why are these wilting? They shouldn't wilt. They're not real."
The shade joined her, her head tilted to the side, "You made with light in a land of dark."
Isilla brushed her fingers over the petals, the light touch causing them to break and fall to the ground. "Does that matter?" she asked more to herself than the shade, who she still wasn't sure was real at all.
"Matter? Of course, Sorgia! Everything, light or dark, hope or madness! You try to make dreams but you only have nightmares to spin from. But it's alright, it's alright. You know, Sorgia, you know you can change things."
Isilla spun her finger around the flower, bringing it back, "I need more light."
"Yes," the shade hissed in her ear. "Go back to him, tie him to you!"
"I don't understand you at all," Isilla replied.
The shade grabbed her arm, pulling her attention to her. "Connect with him, draw him to you! You can use his power as your own!"
She pulled her arm away from the woman's grasp, shivering at the unnatural feeling of her palm against her skin. It wasn't like a dreamer's hand at all. She hadn't noticed it before, the pain had masked it but now, she was sure, this woman was something that shouldn't be. Backing away she wiped the spot with her arm. "Don't touch me," she said slowly.
The woman held up her hands, "Sorgia, you see now, you see. I am not a dream. I know things, things you need know but not yet, not yet."
"Who are you?" Isilla asked, drawing the dreaming around herself for protection.
"Ah, I have moved too soon, too fast, A mistake. Your light cannot hurt me. I am a shade. No one. My name, lost. Here, I tell you something. Help you trust. If you find that one, out there," she pointed with her chin, gesturing to the greater expanse of the Veil, "Meet him and you can do greater things then you imagined, eyes closed and open."
Isilla blinked and the woman was gone, leaving nothing but her strange advice.
It's this place, or maybe being so close to him, the nightmares are driving me mad, she thought, shivering. Whatever the woman was or wasn't, Isilla knew that she was correct about her light. She could feel it in her being. The power that she drew around herself, found in endless amounts in her own lands was weak here. She needed more.
For the first time since arriving in the Dark Realm, she stepped through her courtyard gates and into someone else's dream.
She released a long, slow breath. Small stones dug into her feet, all around her, rocky hills dotted with thin grass rose and fell under a gray sky. "What a bleak place," she said as she began to walk, the ground turning to soft earth before her feet fell with each step.
"I wonder where the dreamer is," she said to the emptiness. The howl of some great beast answered her. It was an animal she had never heard before but it sounded vaguely like the dogs that wondered the Acropolis, her home, if those dogs were bigger and more wild.
She hummed to herself as she looked, her every step changing the landscape as she passed. Her influence was small, she didn't want to waste the energy before she found the dreamer but the terrain was becoming harder to navigate, the dogs that were not dogs louder and less distant.
She veered from the path and climbed up a hill. "Ah," she smiled, spotting a figure, walking among the rocks. She skipped down her hill and hurried after the person, their figure becoming clearer as she approached.
The woman in front of her wailed and sobbed, her long dress ripped and ruined by her endless walk. Isilla reached forward and gripped her sleeve. The woman looked back at her, her face familiar.
"Who are you?" she asked.
Isilla smiled and shook her head, "It doesn't matter. Why are you crying?"
"I'm lost," the woman answered. "I thought I knew where I was but I can't find my way home and," she stopped, her crying overtaking her.
"It's alright," Isilla said. "Isn't that your home right there?"
The woman looked up, following Isilla's pointing finger.
The small house resembled the cottages Isilla had seen on her journey to the palace. To the woman, it was exactly what Isilla said it was, it didn't matter that she had never seen it before, it was the thing she needed.
"Oh!" the woman cried out, hitching up her skirts as she began to stumble forward. Isilla took her arm and walked with her, overriding the nightmare, transforming it to what she needed, what the dreamer needed to be happy.
It fought her but Isilla moved forward, forcing it to change as the dreamer saw her goal grow larger before her. "Whatever you're looking for," Isilla said soothingly, "You can find in there. It's exactly what you need."
Grass came to the rocky hills, the sky above softened to blue. She smiled at the woman and opened the door, the smell of something baking wafting into the air.
"Thank you," the woman said and Isilla smiled as the dreamer walked into the house, shutting the door behind her. The fabric of the dream, changed from the nightmare, the energy of it filled her and she smiled. A start but she needed more.
"Better, but not enough," she said to herself. Isilla opened the door and stepped into a concert hall ready to find the next dreamer, to change the nightmare into something she could use. The strange woman and even the darkness of her husband pushed back by her task in front of her.
Someone played an off-key instrument and Isilla walked down the aisle towards the stage, the dreamer becoming clearer. Laughter filled the empty room and the music faltered for a moment before picking up. Closer now, she could see that it was another woman, a guitar in her hands.
Simple, Isilla thought. "Good job!" she cheered, clapping.
The person on the stage stared into the audience where Isilla stood.
"Hello?" the woman on stage called.
"Play me another song!" Isilla called back, her voice bubbly and friendly.
The dreamer did exactly as she was told, they all did. The music filled the room and under her fingers, Isilla could feel the air shifting, the nightmare swelling. She sent a ripple of power through it, bending it to her will and instead of laughter, there was applause.
The music changed, the notes flowed true and the woman sang, her voice clear and lovely. Isilla smiled and left by the side entrance, walking back into her own courtyard.
"Now, let's see about these flowers," she said to herself humming as she spread her light through the Veil.
"So, how was it, as I told?" the shade asked appearing as she had appeared before, as if she had come from nowhere, in the same strange clothing.Isilla looked up from her wilting flowers, a small frown on her face. "It wasn't anything. We didn't, well he didn't. I mean nothing happened," she finished at a loss to explain the event.The shade frowned, "Could he not?" she pointed at her crouch. "Some men are like that too.""No! I mean, I don't know but that wasn't the problem. His darkness, the nightmares, they filled the room. I've never seen anything like that before."A smile spread across the other woman's face, "Oh he must be mighty. Must be a powerful one! Be happy, your husband is strong. Did you connect, draw the chain between you?Isilla's eyes turned to slits, "Are you listening? I said nothing happened."The shade waved her hand in front of her face, dismissing Isilla's response, "No need to meet as man and woman for that.""I don't know what you're talking about but there wasn't time for anything. Not even to talk before he, before changed," Isilla turned back to the flower. "Why are these wilting? They shouldn't wilt. They're not real."The shade joined her, her head tilted to the side, "You made with light in a land of dark."Isilla brushed her fingers over the petals, the light touch causing them to break and fall to the ground. "Does that matter?" she asked more to herself than the shade, who she still wasn't sure was real at all."Matter? Of course, Sorgia! Everything, light or dark, hope or madness! You try to make dreams but you only have nightmares to spin from. But it's alright, it's alright. You know, Sorgia, you know you can change things."Isilla spun her finger around the flower, bringing it back, "I need more light.""Yes," the shade hissed in her ear. "Go back to him, tie him to you!""I don't understand you at all," Isilla replied.The shade grabbed her arm, pulling her attention to her. "Connect with him, draw him to you! You can use his power as your own!"She pulled her arm away from the woman's grasp, shivering at the unnatural feeling of her palm against her skin. It wasn't like a dreamer's hand at all. She hadn't noticed it before, the pain had masked it but now, she was sure, this woman was something that shouldn't be. Backing away she wiped the spot with her arm. "Don't touch me," she said slowly.The woman held up her hands, "Sorgia, you see now, you see. I am not a dream. I know things, things you need know but not yet, not yet.""Who are you?" Isilla asked, drawing the dreaming around herself for protection."Ah, I have moved too soon, too fast, A mistake. Your light cannot hurt me. I am a shade. No one. My name, lost. Here, I tell you something. Help you trust. If you find that one, out there," she pointed with her chin, gesturing to the greater expanse of the Veil, "Meet him and you can do greater things then you imagined, eyes closed and open."Isilla blinked and the woman was gone, leaving nothing but her strange advice.It's this place, or maybe being so close to him, the nightmares are driving me mad, she thought, shivering. Whatever the woman was or wasn't, Isilla knew that she was correct about her light. She could feel it in her being. The power that she drew around herself, found in endless amounts in her own lands was weak here. She needed more.For the first time since arriving in the Dark Realm, she stepped through her courtyard gates and into someone else's dream.She released a long, slow breath. Small stones dug into her feet, all around her, rocky hills dotted with thin grass rose and fell under a gray sky. "What a bleak place," she said as she began to walk, the ground turning to soft earth before her feet fell with each step."I wonder where the dreamer is," she said to the emptiness. The howl of some great beast answered her. It was an animal she had never heard before but it sounded vaguely like the dogs that wondered the Acropolis, her home, if those dogs were bigger and more wild.She hummed to herself as she looked, her every step changing the landscape as she passed. Her influence was small, she didn't want to waste the energy before she found the dreamer but the terrain was becoming harder to navigate, the dogs that were not dogs louder and less distant.She veered from the path and climbed up a hill. "Ah," she smiled, spotting a figure, walking among the rocks. She skipped down her hill and hurried after the person, their figure becoming clearer as she approached.The woman in front of her wailed and sobbed, her long dress ripped and ruined by her endless walk. Isilla reached forward and gripped her sleeve. The woman looked back at her, her face familiar."Who are you?" she asked.Isilla smiled and shook her head, "It doesn't matter. Why are you crying?""I'm lost," the woman answered. "I thought I knew where I was but I can't find my way home and," she stopped, her crying overtaking her."It's alright," Isilla said. "Isn't that your home right there?"The woman looked up, following Isilla's pointing finger.The small house resembled the cottages Isilla had seen on her journey to the palace. To the woman, it was exactly what Isilla said it was, it didn't matter that she had never seen it before, it was the thing she needed."Oh!" the woman cried out, hitching up her skirts as she began to stumble forward. Isilla took her arm and walked with her, overriding the nightmare, transforming it to what she needed, what the dreamer needed to be happy.It fought her but Isilla moved forward, forcing it to change as the dreamer saw her goal grow larger before her. "Whatever you're looking for," Isilla said soothingly, "You can find in there. It's exactly what you need."Grass came to the rocky hills, the sky above softened to blue. She smiled at the woman and opened the door, the smell of something baking wafting into the air."Thank you," the woman said and Isilla smiled as the dreamer walked into the house, shutting the door behind her. The fabric of the dream, changed from the nightmare, the energy of it filled her and she smiled. A start but she needed more."Better, but not enough," she said to herself. Isilla opened the door and stepped into a concert hall ready to find the next dreamer, to change the nightmare into something she could use. The strange woman and even the darkness of her husband pushed back by her task in front of her.Someone played an off-key instrument and Isilla walked down the aisle towards the stage, the dreamer becoming clearer. Laughter filled the empty room and the music faltered for a moment before picking up. Closer now, she could see that it was another woman, a guitar in her hands.Simple, Isilla thought. "Good job!" she cheered, clapping.The person on the stage stared into the audience where Isilla stood."Hello?" the woman on stage called."Play me another song!" Isilla called back, her voice bubbly and friendly.The dreamer did exactly as she was told, they all did. The music filled the room and under her fingers, Isilla could feel the air shifting, the nightmare swelling. She sent a ripple of power through it, bending it to her will and instead of laughter, there was applause.The music changed, the notes flowed true and the woman sang, her voice clear and lovely. Isilla smiled and left by the side entrance, walking back into her own courtyard."Now, let's see about these flowers," she said to herself humming as she spread her light through the Veil.
