A gush of wind violently lashed at my face. The whistling sound that it made was painfully familiar to me. I didn't even need to open my eyes to know where I was again. Where I thought I was. 'Another bittersweet pill for me to swallow? Fantastic'. I cracked one of my eyes open, ever so slowly. And I was met with the same scenery that has been haunting my dreams for several nights now. It has become so well-known to me that somewhere along the way I had adopted lucidity of sorts. It wasn't perfect, but at least I didn't have to stand stark naked anymore. So when I was hit with another bout of wind that has become increasingly chilly with every night ('Not much room for comparison, but that's my guess'), I willed a simple outfit to clothe myself with. That's as much as I could do.
Night after night I would rush to the beach and the white waters. Each and every time I would have a few moments with her until she once again turned her face to the sea. In a blink of an eye, her movements blurry, she would be wading into the water and I would run after her. Her head would disappear under the surface, creating little waves that hit my neck as I rush forward. I would drown, without fail, the only difference being the increasing length of time before the waking world released me from the agony of my lungs filling with water, hands grasping at nothing until my airway closes up.
'I can make this different. I may not see her this time, but it's a price I must pay.'
I turn my back to the gigantic full moon, the looming trees, and the greater possibility of seeing Iris. I am met with a view not that much different from the last one, though now I am accompanied by my lanky shadow. 'Okay feet, we can do this.'
It turned out to be that one stride down my usual route would achieve a greater speed and cover more distance than walking down this new path. My legs suddenly felt heavy. 'Just like that first time when I tried on the heavy armour. Effective, yes, but the damn thing weights a ton.'
I trudged on, the wind changing direction and lashing at my face again. 'Bastard.' I squinted my eyes and saw a steep little hill in the distance. Looking around I noted that it was my obstacle and that the only possible way forward was to climb it. The hill seemed to grow bigger and steeper as I approached it, now resembling a tilted wall of dirt and grass.
Taking a quick breath, I began the arduous ascension. Halfway up, I lost the grip with one of my talons, dirt breaking off and raining down on me, and almost tumbled down. For a moment, I hung there with one arm before swinging up the other one with a grunt. The time seemed to stretch into eternity.
Finally, I dragged myself up to the top, slightly swaying as I stood up. Out there before me stretched… the sea? 'Wait a sec, is this an island?'. Straining to see, I noticed a few more small islands in the distance. I went down to greet the sea, my feet sliding slightly in the sand. The ground leveled out. 'The air here smells different. Slightly salty…'
Doing a 360 turn, I took in the landscape. 'So what now?'.
Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a humanoid creature to my left. It stood too far for me to make out any particular features. It didn't look like her, though.
I broke into a run, legs feeling slightly more lighter.
"Hey! You there!"
The creature seemed to hear me as it started running, from me, that is. I picked up the pace, trying my very best to catch up, but the sand slowed me down, sliding from my under my feet.
When I got close enough, the creature seemed oddly familiar. Wanting to put my curiosity to rest, I gave a burst of speed and tackled it to the ground. I got a mouthful of sand in the process, which I spat out not only in disgust, but also in surprise.
"Thane?" 'What the…'
I stood up, hesitating a little before I stretched out my hand to help him up. 'This is seriously messed up.'
"I'm just as surprised as you are, Garrus." He replied, smiling. "Though, I have a feeling of why you are here."
"Wha-. I don't… What is this mess?" I was at loss for words. 'This is probably as far as any weird dream has ever gotten.'
"You're here for Shepard, aren't you?" Thane went on, unfazed, despite his claims of being surprised. I only nodded, not sure what else to say.
""I will wait for you across the sea"" He said. After a brief pause, he continued, "I never got to tell her that."
'I didn't know he…Well, that explains a lot of things. But not this dream.'
"Is this a dream?" I suddenly asked, trying to set all the facts straight.
Thane looked at the sea, before replying "I can neither confirm nor disprove this. It is beyond my comprehension." He turned his eyes back on me, "All I can say is that you and Shepard shouldn't be here."
Thane started walking towards the water and I had a sinking feeling of what might happen next. However, he stood just a few inches from the edge. Placing his hands behind his back, one catching the wrist of the other, he simply said "The sea rejects you, but it calls to her. She's close to it, whereas you cannot pass on. He turned to me as he spoke the last words.
'Wait… I don't understand.'
Then it dawned on me. The most ridiculous thing – that everyone could have been telling the truth. That… 'She might be dead.'
I couldn't accept it. I was envious of the ease with which others managed to move on, leaving me there, the sole believer.
'No, this can't be right.'
I strode up to Thane, grabbed him by his shoulders and turned him to me. "If you are here, and she is here… Then- then she is dead, right?" my words carried a bit higher than a whisper. "But why am I here, then?"
"Her mind has forgotten what life is. Help her remember and you might have a chance of saving her. This I know."
"You are not Thane, are you?" I let go of him and stepped back.
"I am Thane Krios. But I have no way of proving it." He dipped a toe in the water. "Actually, it doesn't really matter."
'It doesn't.'
I focused my gaze on the sand. "How do I save her? How do I get Iris back, Thane?" I didn't care that my voice croaked, and that my limbs went weak.
"She needs resolve to live. The past is not worth living for if there is no future." Thane was now waist deep in water.
I felt my time running out, and called for one more question "But how do I find her? Outside this dream?"
A quiet splash was my only answer as Thane disappeared under the surface.
'Great. I should have asked this first.'
Nevertheless, I was both thankful and more than confused. If I believe Thane, then there is still hope. But it sounded too good to be true. How could I take this dream, or whatever the heck it was, as a real thing? When I wake up, the physics of the dream will die with my last bit of faith.
'I have nothing else to hope for, so I might as well take the leap. This has already exceeded the limits of a mere dream.'
Whew! This story will be all mystery and stuff. A lot of questions, not enough answers. And a bunch of dream sequences.
Hope you enjoyed!
