Shattered Remains
Raaja Frozenstar
A dream diary and catalog of events related, of the years 3827 and 3828
Burnday, Lastleaf 24, 3827
Raaja slowly opened her eyes and glanced around at an empty place reaching into oblivion. She couldn't see it, but she could feel it—that there was nothing in this place save for darkness, fog, and silence.
Kahn, the white-haired capuchin monkey, chirped near her feet. She scooped him into her arms and carefully crept forward. The Erudite's words hung in the forefront of her mind: when you fall asleep, you'll never wake up again... none of them have.
She wasn't sure how far or how long she walked—it could have been moments that took steps or hours spent on miles—before she saw the figure in the fog. A man's silhouette was slowly emerging. She hesitated only a moment and then moved closer.
His features became clear only when she was close enough to spit at him. A brigand's cut of long and spiky red-orange hair fell to his jaw and a full beard traced his jaw and mouth. And his eyes were blue—like the ocean, not the sky.
A serene expression remained on his face. His lips did not smile or frown and his eyes were not twinkling with even the slightest surprise. He seemed to be neither expecting her nor surprised to see her.
"Who are you?" Raaja asked, discarding formalities.
"Shouldn't you know me?" he countered, his voice deep.
She furrowed a brow. "Should I know you?" she asked as she moved Kahn up to perch on her left shoulder. "I've never seen you before in my life."
"This is your dream, isn't it?"
"It may be at that," she muttered, "but I have seen and known many strange things and I've sung of stranger still. This is no ordinary dream, Stranger, if it is one at all."
The smile that blossomed beneath prickly red hairs was gentle. "It is a dream," he confirmed, "but you're right. It is no ordinary dream."
"I know," she told him. "The Erudite warned me before I went to sleep."
"You knew?" he asked and she nodded. "You came here willingly?"
"I did."
"Why?"
"There's trouble. People falling asleep and not waking up... a sickness afflicting. I came to put an end to it. Or try."
He smiled in amusement. "You are brave," he said and she shook her head, but her denial only served to amuse him more.
"I have nothing more to be afraid of," she said. "Being brave counts for nothing if there is nothing to fear."
He gazed at her long and thoughtfully until she shifted uncomfortably.
"I'm not sure that's true anymore..." he said quietly. She twitched in annoyance and brought the topic full circle.
"Who are you?" she asked again.
"Thumore D'armer," he replied. "And you are, my lady?"
"Raaja," she told him and then pointed to the small monkey on her shoulder. "And this is Kahn."
"Well met. I'm surprised you haven't gone mad."
"Gone mad? Why would I?"
"It's what all the others have done after entering here."
"Ah... I see. I guess that explains why no one's waking up. What about you? Why haven't you gone mad?"
He didn't answer and instead began walking away, motioning for her to follow. She fell in step beside him.
"They're lost in this realm—their minds are," he explained. "They did not have the will nor," he glanced at her, "strength to come so far. But you... may be able to help them. Help all of them. Help me..."
Raaja stopped and waited until he turned to face her. "Help you," she repeated. "With what?"
"This realm is unstable. I cannot control it. I have no power over it—not as I am."
"This is your realm?"
"Not exactly. More like a cell."
"And who keeps the keys?"
"I don't know," he confessed, "but if I am to help these people, stop this affliction, I need that power back."
"And how do we get it back?"
"We?" he asked with a smirk. She shrugged the shoulder not occupied by a monkey.
"I've done this song and dance before. I can see where this is going."
"Very well..." he murmured, still grinning. He closed the distance between them. "I need you to wake up," he explained. "I need you to return to the world and find pieces of my shattered self. Return them to me here and I will help these people, stop the affliction."
"Pieces of you?" she echoed, reaching out to touch him even as she spoke. "What are you?"
Her hand met flesh, fingers rustling his beard, palm resting on his cheek. He chuckled at her surprised expression and brought his hand up to cover hers.
"I'm no ghost, as you can feel," he said. "I am real, but only a fragment of my true self." His voice softened even more. "I'm your dream."
"I do not think I could have dreamed you up..." she whispered before she realized what she was saying. He laughed softly and released her hand, which she snapped back to her side. She took an uncomfortable step away from him and cleared her throat. "You want me to bring them here. How? If this is a dream, how can I bring something from the physical world here?"
He pointed to Kahn. "You brought your monkey here," he observed. Raaja instinctively reached up to Kahn in a protective gesture and tiny monkey hands gripped her fingers.
"Kahn goes with me everywhere—dreams, planes, elemental dimensions, the void."
"A good friend."
"My best friend."
"It will be the same with my collected fragments. They will pass into this realm with you. Do not worry."
"And how do I get back to you?"
"Simply go to sleep..." he answered, gently touching her temple with two fingertips. She flinched back.
"Will you always be there when I go to sleep?"
"Would you like me to be?"
Raaja hesitated too long in answering and he chuckled again. She flushed in embarrassment.
"I'll be back," she said crisply, turning away. "So don't get too comfortable."
"I'll be waiting, Raaja. Good luck... and safe travels."
The world began to slip away. She glanced back but Thumore was already fading with the fog. The world went dark...
And she woke up.
The Erudite was gaping at her in shock. As she slowly sat up, she realized she had failed to ask him the most important question: where to start?
"You're awake!" the Erudite exclaimed in joy. "You're alive!"
"I'm a novice all over again," she groaned and buried her face in her hands.