Chapter SIXTY: Lucid Dreams

...

Days later...

..

"...You were having a bad dream," the gentle familiar warm voice called to him. Aydan opened his eyes to Talia nudging him, in an unfamiliar place—a plain humble wooden cottage he had never been to before, while resting beside his beloved. His clothes were not his usual druid robes, but ordinary brown shades of commoner clothing. Talia wore an orange-brown and green wrap over a faded plain blue dress with patchwork that somehow matched her beautiful red hair and piercing eyes, giving her a brilliant contrast to the hazy and muted surroundings. The Sun Druid suddenly realized it was a dream.

"My love, we are in a dream..." he uttered as he rolled to his side to kiss her, pulling her close. "You look absolutely exquisite."

"Aye...It is a lucid dream. We are...well, 'normal' here," Talia explained as she hastily got up to finish getting ready for the day ahead, tying an apron around her mid. "...This dress I have on...Heavens, I wore it for so long. Even during my time at the Collegium and all my travels. I cannot believe it looks the same on me after carrying our son."

"You have not found me in the Dream before...This is elaborate...Indeed, quite extraordinary," he gawked as he also got up to get ready, throwing on a loose worn down blouse and more layers of plain brown clothing. "Why this place, my love?"

He went to her and held her, yet the feeling of touch did not seem as genuine, unlike when awake.

"I...I suppose it would have been the safe and quiet life I wanted to live before my prophecy...I wished to be a herbalist as a child, more than anything," Talia explained, knowing she had mentioned much of her desires before when telling the Sun Priest stories of her past, but never how profound her wish had been. "...If only I had been able to tell grandma ma all those years ago that I had been named a herbalist by the village oracle...If I could have told her a lie...Perhaps, all this would have been my destiny...I could not though...Besides, all the villagers already knew my fate was not chosen that day. Word spreads quickly in a small village, you know."

"Ah, yes, I recall your desire to be a herbalist. I'm grateful you chose to leave your village. We would have never met had you stayed there, my love...Though I suppose the fates would have brought us together, regardless," Aydan murmured as he looked over the plain cottage, happy that this was not her true fate. "You deserve to be the Dreamer, Talia...And much more, my love."

Talia sighed, having heard the same words from Devin all those years ago, "But...it is what I wished, Aydan."

"Indeed, Beloved...To be free of our duties as druids...it would be a happier fate in many respects," he acknowledged, as he reflected back to all the grief the gods had put them through; and how she needed to be away from him and her own son because of her endless obligations as Dreamer.

While still trying to sort out the meaning of this dream, Talia suddenly hurried to the next room. Aydan continued to look around this unreal dream-home when he saw the portrait of a very young girl, smiling, no more than a year old, with lilac colored hair and eyes on the shelf.

Upon inching closer to study it, Talia called warmly to him from the next room, interrupting his focus.

"Husband, please come eat with us. I have prepared warm tea," Talia happily called to him.

Walking through a short hallway, he passed a room he was sure was meant for Dameon as it contained a smaller bed, with a white cat—or bini from Teacup Town (he was not sure) —curled into tight ball, as he made his way into another room.

Hanging high up were fresh and dried flowers and many plants of all colors, textures and scents, covering a large part of the cottage walls and ceilings. The extravagant blend of herbs gave the cottage a comforting medicinal smell.

He entered the next room where Dameon held onto his mother's homemaker dress. The boy immediately recognized his father, and went to hold him next, but then he sat down on the wooden planked floor, sleepy, with a dreamy smile on his face, passively gazing at both parents.

Aydan went up to him and waved his hand in front of the boy's face. Dameon slowly reacted, smiling widely at him, before tranquilly staring off again at his mother in a blissful trance.

Letting his son be, he went back to sit beside Talia, drinking tea she had set for him, while still processing the unreal setting: This home—"their home"—though ordinary, was pleasant and dream-like at the same time. In this conjured dream-life, they were no longer forced to commit to unusual schedules or be separated. Here, they could sleep and wake at the same time and raise their son together. The tiresome difficulties were no more, Aydan realized, as he became more and more aware of this alternate dream reality his beloved Dreamer had summoned.

On a wall near where he and Talia sat, an elaborate set up of a stone goddess was placed along the wall, candles were lit close to it. Odd that such a display would be in such an ordinary cottage, the Sun Priest noted, as Talia got up and walked towards it.

"Come be enlightened with me, husband," Talia said eagerly as she kneeled before the Goddess. She held her palm out for him to join.

"Tal...must we pray in a dream, too?" he grumbled disconcertedly; at the same time, noticing Dameon appeared to also be praying now.

"Don't squabble with me right now!...We are here because the of the gods, husband," Talia retorted back, suddenly concerned at his resistance towards appeasing the Goddess. The room grew a shade darker. She stared blankly at him, realizing it was his hostile emotions towards the Goddess that now changed the ambiance in their dream. Her own mood changed as well, "So, you do intend to have a fit over this?"

"I do not...It's not that...I wish to not think of duties right now..." Aydan retorted back, still resisting, folding his arms.

They continued to quarrel, saying the same points over and over again in different phrases, for a short while. But then almost at the same time, both became aware that Dameon was still present and they put a stop to their tiff.

Aydan reluctantly sighed, then grabbed Talia's hand and kneeled as well—His hand never letting go of hers as they prayed.

After several minutes of peace, Talia began, "I...I know you are upset about Mysten Far. The land needed to be moved. There was no time to warn you...I spoke to the Elders after you left...You should have not been there...And you should have not lied to them...I had to explain you are my betrothed...our son...everything—Your dreams are tainted over this, husband." She finished, however, she dare not explain the same elder priestesses had also questioned her about Devin all those years ago, as they were present when she became the Dreamer.

"Talia...I nearly drowned in the ocean trying to get you...Where is Mysten Far? I intend to go to it once I wake. You cannot keep me from going to you," Aydan demanded.

Suddenly, cold water began to puddle throughout the cabin.

"Aydan, please, the last thing I need is another nightmare to deal with," the Dreamer pleaded. They rose from their place before the Goddess as the water continued to rise. "Mysten Far went to where it was most needed...It is far, far away...You won't be able to get to it with your... limitations." Talia looked away, pondering if she should tell him it was moved next to Thais, and risk spiking another fit of temper or jealousy, but decided against it—The island was too far for him to get to now.

"Oh...I am sorry, my love...I did not realize," Aydan said, closing his eyes and trying to calm himself. The rising water instantly went away and all became dry and comfortable again. He looked at his son who seemed unfazed, still with his eyes closed, appearing now to have dozed off. "I forgive you, Tal...Perhaps, you should consider forgivin—"

"—You are a healer and I am a herbalist," Talia interjected not allowing him to finish his sentence, needing to now move forward in this dream. She went to a table nearby and began to enjoy freshly toasted bread and sliced tender venison. "...We will be seeing many of the ailing villagers shortly."

"Are we in Elden, my love?" Aydan asked curiously, but Talia nodded, her eyes glazed with sadness upon hearing the name of her old home village.

"No, it is just a dream village. We can be commoners here and live simply...but happily," Talia answered carefully, while picking up a regular wooden staff. "It's the best I can do...for our son."

"Oh...Of course. Remarkable, my love," he said as he lifted her hand to his lips. He saw the new ring on her hand now had the image of a moon and stars engraved, and admired it long enough for Talia to notice.

"It is still night time, husband..." Talia said as she looked out of the front facing window where false morning light filled the room.

"Aye, my love, I understand... I did not have time to tell you that I had Father Time enchant your ring so you would always know when the sun has risen, but also when the stars light the darkness in our realm...However, I will continue looking for our true ring as promised."

Talia simply nodded as she got up to tend to what she had on the fire lit stove. Aydan followed her to the counter space where she had multiple herbs neatly spread, some already chopped and ground into powders.

Unsure of how to help, Aydan studied the cottage some more. There was a separate room with a row of beds.

"Do we have more of ours here, my love?" he asked, but right away regretted asking. Bringing up children after what had happened between them, and then after Thais, on top of having to spend all her time in the Dream now, was not a subject Talia seemed to tolerate well.

"No, the extra beds are for the ailing," Talia replied quietly, appearing crushed by the mention of children. "I would not want to confuse Dameon with another child...that does not exist..."

"Aye, of course," he said as he looked around the interior. Many vials of herbs and salves were neatly organized on several wooden shelves.

Talia was busy stirring the contents in a caldron and taking pinches of the different plants and unknown ingredients, mixing them expertly until they were perfect. The freshly made brew was then carefully poured into different vials, which she corked tightly.

Suddenly, Aydan's eyes caught sight of dark vials and jars placed very high up, almost out of reach. He reached up to grab a hold of the darkest container, which was bubbling and fizzing.

"Don't touch that!" Talia shouted loudly. "Those are dangerous...I use those for the worst nightmares."

"Oh..." Aydan murmured apologetically, but suddenly heard a knock on the door. A short line of citizens were starting to form outside their dream-cottage.

Dameon stirred awake by the commotion, followed his father to the door, but then ran outside past him, to play with the other village children in a vast garden chasing chickens.

"Silly, don't just stand there," Talia hinted, taking her wooden spoon and gesturing to heal the first villager waiting outside.

"Of course, my love," Aydan murmured quickly while grabbing a staff.

The first patient was a village elderly woman complaining of poor sleep and anxiety. The Sun Priest used various basic healing master symbols, then light magic, once realizing that the villager needed a stronger remedy.

One after another, each villager complained about different ailments. Talia would sometimes provide herbal medicine or a magic potion depending on the problem. If Aydan could not heal the illness, Talia would step in to heal the afflicted with her dream magic.

The Sun Priest soon realized that many of the villagers all complained of troubling symptoms in their sleep. He studied the line outside and discovered the villagers were indeed real citizens somewhere in Aia, and they were simply assisting them with their night terrors through Talia's powerful dream. Each person was clad in attire from different homelands, some were not human at all, but creatures such as pixies, centaurs, and even animals.

"Great thanks and blessings to the Maurvas for healing us," the last gentleman villager commended, as he paid them a small amount of dream-gold and then left.

"'Maurvas', huh?" Aydan retorted. "You do not bear my name in my own dream?"

"Aye, you're Mr. Maurva here too—forever. I still get to boss you around in your dreams, too," Talia smirked as she took a sip out of a clay mug.

She then got up to get Dameon in the garden. Aydan followed her to the grounds outside. They were in a farmland surrounded by high mountains with a vast forest only within a short distance. Other cottages were near, but spread far from theirs. In the distance, cows were slowly moving along the lower valley. In the higher pastures, sheep grazed on the high blades of grass. He could also hear the chatter of villagers. He made out the voice of a bothersome woman and child shouting something along the lines: 'Craig's not old enough!...Ryannn!" The nearly inaudible nonsense was then interrupted by the turbulent strikes of a blacksmith somewhere hitting metal hard, disrupting the quiet setting, much to Aydan's annoyance.

"We will need to collect herbs later," Talia mentioned as she picked up her son and stepped back inside. "But first, we need to get supper ready."

Aydan seemed to know exactly what to do without further explaining, as if he had done the same tasks before over and over again. He went to the field and selected a plump chicken, slaughtering it quickly. He then collected vegetables out of the field beside their home, then to a watering well where he retrieved a full bucket. He took the goods to Talia, who right away began preparing their meal.

Meanwhile, Dameon remained unusually calm. He simply went along with everything going on and mostly clung to his mother as she finished cooking. Odd, since normally their son would be actively running around and demanding a lot more attention, Aydan observed.

Talia picked up her son again, just as the food was ready. She sat down and began to hum lullabies for Dameon, making him yawn loudly.

Instead of eating the amazing meal his mother had made for him, Dameon quietly fell asleep in his mother's arms.

The Sun Priest devoured the food, feeling suddenly tired, too.

Talia carried the boy to his room, once he was fully asleep.

"We need to find herbs before the sun sets," Talia warned as she returned. "A good herbalist does this every day."

"Aye, my love," Aydan said as he grabbed her hand and then around her waist. He looked behind him about to get Dameon.

"Our son will be fine, husband! You won't be gone long," Talia exclaimed as she grabbed his hand again and led the way.

The two walked outside along a short dirt path. The forest he had seen earlier somehow appeared much closer now to the cottage, having moved almost right beside it.

They walked briskly into the shaded woods along a path lined with colorful mushrooms. The bright glowing yellow of the evening sun filtered through the trees as they wandered farther.

As they moved through the serene forest, Aydan raised Talia's hand to kiss it again; however, as he pulled away from it, he saw the image of the sun now scrawled on the ring. He made no mention of the obvious, wishing to forget this illusion was just a dream.

Talia let go of his hand once they arrived at a clearing between the trees to pick out different herbs growing near the tree trunks and beds of wild flora.

The sun was now low enough that the trees shadows seemed to dance as a gust of wind suddenly blew. The Dreamer turned around to face him.

"My love, have you forgiven me yet?" Aydan asked realizing their dream would be ending.

Talia stared at him, silent, her expression disappointed and displeased. The trees behind her rustled as she looked down to her side. She looked eerily stunning, shimmering from the mild light coming through the forest, yet her reserved icy stance instantly taunted him.

Suddenly, a large shadow in the form of fae wings unfurling, spread right behind her, giving her the illusion of having sets of wings. The Dreamer nodded for 'no'.

The dream ended.

..

The Sun Druid woke up in a sweat. The sunlight hit his face. He immediately got up to find Dameon.

...

The same dream occurred the following evening.

Then kept reoccurring. Over and over again.

There were slight variations as no dreams are ever exactly the same.

Together in a dream, but not in real life.

Wonderful dreams, but always bittersweet and unfair once they ended.