PART 2

Chapter TEN: The Heart of Time -TALIA

...

Silence...

Her sleeping eyes remained firmly closed. Talia felt the gentle intensity of wind blowing over her skin, increasing more and more, as consciousness gradually stirred all her senses awake. However, she wanted to stay like this; never move or wake again.

I must be dreaming, she told herself; since all she felt underneath her was as weightless and as soft as a cloud of silk.

No...he was here...Devin was just here! Where is he? Where am I? the thoughts stormed into Talia's mind as she became cognizant.

She suddenly snapped her eyes open and stared straight ahead. Her head slowly tilted upright as she gazed at the unfamiliar surroundings; realizing that she really was laying on silk: lovely white silk sheets, for that matter. Slowly, she turned to her side, gazing at a large bed that was surrounded by a canopy of blue and white see-through cloth.

Feeling still fatigued, but confused at the same time, Talia immediately decided that she needed to get up at once. After a second, she realized where she was now, as if she were living her worst nightmare; she knew she was far from Mysten Far and Devin-this was the Dreamworld.

She crawled towards the bed's edge to peak outside where she saw snow falling. But before she went any further, Talia remembered her journal and was forced to look back through the canopy.

Every hair on her rose straight up, with goose bumps that formed from trembling at what she saw before her: In the same spot she had awoken, she saw a person-a girl-sleeping in her place.

It was her! But she was still sleeping and the journal was tightly wrapped in her arms!

She rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing double, but after a moment of watching the young woman asleep in the bed, she confirmed that it was indeed her.

Chills ran through all her limbs as she decided to take a closer look at her sleeping-self. Talia had no idea how to explain what was happening. Her sleeping-other was alive and breathing, she noticed, as she continued to observe from a short distance. And she was not hurt, but her sleeping-other had her beloved journal. Talia wanted her journal back badly, so she started trying to pry it out of her sleeping-self's arms.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Priestess!" Talia heard a strange man's voice frantically addressing her, and turned at once.

"Who are you?" she said, a little frightened towards the strange old man. Talia glared at the bearded old man standing a few feet from the canopy in the snow. He wore a fancy blue robe with gold and silver embroidery patterns etched randomly all over and held a gold pocket watch in his hand.

"Oh child, I did not mean to startle you. We are currently-at this moment in time-in the Dreamer's tabernacle in the edge of the Dreamlands. I am Vata, the Time Druid. I am also known as Father Time by most.

"We have much to do Dream Priestess. We must leave for the High Realm and meet with the Oracle," he stopped speaking when he saw Talia's look of alarm as she stared back at her sleeping form. He cleared his throat before he beginning again, "Now do you have any questions for me dear? I am sure you have many right now," Vata asked politely.

"How...how am I awake and asleep at the same time?" Talia asked anxiously waiting for an answer.

"Well, as you know, the Dreamer must stay asleep to protect mortals' dreams for an indefinite amount of time. However, as Dreamer, one must also perform duties that require her to be awake and moving. I certainly hope you did not think you would remain asleep forever?"

"I was never told how it was done," Talia answered, not knowing what to think anymore. Gevolda never really explained much about becoming the Dreamer. It was just one secret after another, requiring a lot of blind faith on her part.

"But, in order for a Dream Priestess to be able to remain awake, I as Druid of Time, must bend time so that there are two of you: one that sleeps and looks after the dreams; the other, awake and performing priestly duties here in the Dreamworld and also the High Realm. I will not get into any specific details. It is just far too complicated for most to understand the fabric of time. But as I was saying, you are both the same person, except your Sleeper is your past moments after you have been in the present. Everything that happens to you physically will happen to her, including death. It is important that she never be awoken. If the sleeping Dreamer where to be woken you would find yourself back in the Dreamer's tabernacle, awake as one, and would be unable to protect the dreams. That is why this is a secret that only certain priests, priestesses, and druids know and must protect."

It all made sense now, Talia thought; but she did not care about any of it. She just wanted to go back to Thais; back to Devin.

"I don't want to be the Dreamer!" she suddenly wailed. "Please, send me back to my world! Please Father Time...I was hoping since you are the Druid of Time, perhaps you can turn time back to before I came here. Please...I need to go back!" Talia pleaded and began to cry.

"I am sorry. I cannot turn time for you. There would be devastating consequences if your destiny were altered. I'm afraid that you are the Dreamer, my dear," he firmly finished speaking and looked away feeling a great deal of sympathy for her, but he knew that he could not perform this request for her.

"Now, dear, please save those tears. They are the only way I can get home back to my shrine in the world. It is a bit ironic and silly, I think, but it is how things work around here!" Vata said trying to cheer Talia up.

Talia smiled a little at the old man and wiped her eyes.

This was her destiny as the druid said and nothing could change the past now.

Vata opened his pocket watch and moved the hour hand inside. Immediately, they teleported to the High Realm.