Hurray. I have this chapter up. Danke to all those who reviewed, I'm really greatful. Wrote this one in the LATE afternoon, ch. seven in the morning . . . don't ask why, I'm thinking of putting them in the same chapter, but I don't really wanna.
No real notes on this one, it's terribly short but longer than the previous (I hope) and I hope you like.
Read.
Dark Dreams.
He knew this dream . . .
He was alone, all alone. There was no one beside him, no one behind him, no one ahead of him. All he could see was colorless, and yet a million colors at once. He looked down and saw that he was standing on nothing . . .
He was falling, falling through emptiness, nothingness, into a colorless void. Down, down, down, down. He was shrieking, but no one heard, no one would ever hear. At the sorner of his eye, he could see Caramon, Kitiara, Rosamun, Gilon, everyone he had ever met, everyone he had ever known, and he screamed out to them, reached out to them. But they could not hear him over the wailing of the wind, the wailing of the wind that was rushing, rushing over his feet and legs and hands and arms and face, up his chin, into his mouth, ripping the screams away from his tongue and flinging them away.
Up his nose, stifling his breath so that he gasped, gasped and choked painfully for air.
Into his eyes, flailing back his lids and hair and running through every single strand, standing it on end. And yet the wind rushed higher.
And it was not wind at all but water, cool water, calm water, terrifying, wonderful, dark, awful . . . awesome . . . horrible . . .
And then it was not water or wind but somewhere between mist and smoke, blacker than night. And, gleaming at the center of the awful mist-smoke, was a shining sapphire light
And still he screamed as, echoing in his ears, resounding in his very soul, a woman laughed darkly, triumphantly.
But the vision did not shatter or fade!
No!
This was wrong!
Wrong . . . wrong . . . wrong . .. what is true wrong, little Thing? Mageling? A voice pierced his mind, making him writhe.A darkness born ofvoice, or a voice born of darkness.What is true wrong? Maybe you are wrong, and this is right! Think of that, recognize that, see that, little mageling? Poor, puny mortal!
No . . . no . . . no . . . !
The black mist came around the sapphire light, encircling it, inprisioning it, etching upon it bone-white runes . . . hardening . . . water encircled the mist or fog or deep black smoke, whatever the unholy substance was . . . clear water . . . hardening into crystal . . . a scream, no, five screams, torn from five throats, eachoed in rage, rage, unholy, dangerous rage . .. thwarted rage . . .
Wrong . . . wrong . . . wrong . . .
He was falling into that crystal, that mist, that unholy, dark mist, falling past the grim runes into the clear sapphire . . .
Wrong . . .
Your salvation, Mageling . . . your death . . .
My salvation . . . my death . . . cruel . . . twisted . . . warped . . . no . . .
Raist, wake up! Raist!
He screamed as searing pain bit into his flesh, raced up is arm. Every nerve was aflame, every bone was ice, every sensation was pain . . . no . . .
Poor, puny mortal! The voice laughed, horrible, cold, mocking laughter that could have been no darker, and yet, was sweet, soft, sultry . . . Thus do the gods remind you of your mortality!
"Raist?!"
Raistlin's eyes flared open. He had no idea where he was or what was going on. A gentle voice called to him, called through him, two hands held his shoulders down, firmly, as he fought against them. Then the face moved closer, and Raistlin could see that it belonged to his twin. Crying out in thankfulness, Raistlin clutched at Caramon with fingers that bled.
"Caramon!" the cry was that of a terrified child.
"Shhh, Raist, you'll wake everyone up! Hey, don't cry . . . " Caramon began to twist his fingers into a form of a bunny, showing it to his frightened brother. Raistlin realizing that the water o his face was not that of his terrible dreams but that of his own tears, calmed down a little. Sighing, he relaxed his grip on his twin and fell back against the pillows, breathing hard.
"You OK, Raist?" Caramon watched him anxiously.
Raistlin would have shook his head at the idioticy of his twin, but that would require strength, and, presently, he had none. Sighing, he simply said, "Now I am. Thank you." the words stuck him his throat, but he forced them out.
Caramon, satified, nodded. "OK, if you say so, Raist.I'll go get you some soup. They have really good soup here, Raist, though the place's a bit weird . . . "
Raistlin listened to his brother leaving the room, chattering all the way. Sighing again, he closed his eyes, and tried to make some sense out of what had just happened.
However, that was hard to do, because he could still hear the evil laugh . . .
Ok . . . well, it's longer than the last one, at least!
Wow . . . eight chapters and this is only about one third of the story . . . this is going to be looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong.
Please review!