There was darkness, complete darkness. A nothingness that spanned for eternity. A place empty of sound, life, and emotion. All that existed in this darkness was one lonely drell.
Thane knew this place well. He had been here many times. Previous experiences had taught him not to struggle. This nightmare was inescapable.
The cold and dead place where Thane stood, shoulders drooping and head hung, was his soul. Since the moment he had avenged his wife's death he had ceased to dream. Instead, he had watched as his soul slowly died within him, and now wandered it's emptiness when the night fell. He would never again be whole. No tears fell, he had none left to cry.
With nothing better to do, he put one foot in front of the other and walked restless and aimlessly through the dark cold. For hours he dragged himself along, heart throbbing and feet aching. His despair was endless and he wanted nothing more than to end the pain. He had wanted to let go of life for so long. He had fought off those desires as best he could before, but now he had no fight left in him.
As he continued his staggered pace, he came to realize that, despite his desperation to free himself from his sorrowful life, he didn't know how. The confliction of his need and his inability to fulfill that need swelled up in his chest. It became unbearable as the pressure continued to grow, until, finally, Thane could take no more.
Throwing himself to his knees, he slammed his fists into the invisible material on which he had landed. Trembling as the shock of the intensity pulsed through his body, he cried out to his gods.
"Kalihira! Take me!" He screamed "Arashu! Why have you forsaken me!..."
His breath came in hard as he tried to regain control of himself. He began to sob.
"Arashu, why?"
As the words escaped his lips a blue light appeared in the distance. Thane stared in disbelief for several moments. Cautiously he pushed himself to his feet and blinked. When his eyes reopened he saw that the light still lingered proving it was no illusion.
He began to step forward, moving faster and faster until he was running full speed towards the light. He pushed himself to his limits, afraid the light might fade before he reached it. At last, after what had seemed like miles and a lifetime, he reached the source of the glow.
It was bright, too bright. Thane shielded his eyes. It pulsed, as if reacting to his presence, and faded until he could make out a form. The form was the source, and Thane slowly let his arm fall to his side.
He discerned that the form was female because of its slender and curvy shape. However, the light that surrounded her prevented him from seeing what species she was. She had wings that were as black as the emptiness in which they both stood, but let off a radiant blue as bright as the rest of her form. But, what captured his attention were her eyes, the only detail of her that he could see. They were of the most beautiful blue he had ever seen. They were intense, deep, and wore an expression of distress.
He could feel her presence radiating warmly through his being. A sense of comfort disbursed through him accompanied by a sadness he had never before felt. A tear fell from his eye. He knew the nature of his visitor. She was a Siha, come to rescue him from his pain. Perhaps a sign that it was okay to let go of the physical world.
She reached out her hand towards him, and, without hesitation, he took hold of it. Suddenly, light burst forth from her, blinding him. She vanished...
Thane jumped awake, breathing hard. He pressed his palms to his eyes, still blinded by the light from his dream. It was the first one he'd had in ten years...