A/N: Ok, if you're reading this I just want to say thanks because that means that you didn't give up on me after last chapter. I would have understood if you had, seeing as it looked almost impossible for me to pull off a decent ending without the 'happily ever after in the after life' bit, but believe me I have every intention of doing so as this chapter will soon reveal.
This fic really has taken much longer than I had ever anticipated and I suppose that's due to the odd turns my life has taken throughout this summer. I never thought I'd count myself lucky to go back to school! Anyway, just thought I'd give you a brief explanation as to why my chapters are becoming so few, so I hope you understand. This fic should be done soon, though I can't make any promises as of now. I can promise however that as soon as its done I'll pick up writing the next Gallan Return chapter!
On last thing. I just got an anonymous review from Missy and I found it very entertaining. So Missy, this chapter is for you and please try not to bite my head off before you get all the way through it! lol...
Disclaimer: You know, I'm really getting sick of writing these. I don't own it. Get used to it. Don't sue me. Bla bla bla bla......
Death. It was an odd and incredibly complicated thing to properly describe. Most mortal beings, man and beast alike, could only take claim to dying once and thus only had one experience to go by. For Veralidaine Sarrasri it was quite another situation all together. She had experienced death twice in her life, and she could easily say that each experience was its own. The first time she had died had been an accident when she was only fifteen. She had been in Carthak along with the other Tortallan Diplomats in an attempt to make piece with the overly wealthy empire. She had been alone and had made a fatal mistake with her magic, which resulted in her death. To her good fortune, her friend and mentor the badger god had found it to be a simple task to return her to her body and let her on her way. One could hardly call it dying. But that was what it had been.
Now, as she faded into the vaguely familiar sense of never ending oblivion, Daine found her mind in a flurry of emotion. This was nothing like what it had been the first time around. Then, she had found herself awakening, as if from a light nap, in what appeared to be an enchanted forest that flowed into a perfect dirt path that led to the most peaceful little cottage she had ever set eyes on. Daine knew now that that cottage was the new residence of her late mother, the Green Lady. There was no forest and no cottage this time around, much to Daine's disappointment. When she had lay dying, it had been somewhat of an assurance to her that in a matter of moments she would be with her Ma and Da and hopefully her lover.
Numair. When she thought about it, she realized that above all that she longed for, her longing to see her lover and friend surpassed all else that she could possible want. As her thoughts raged wildly through her mind, one thing rang clearly to her, she needed to see Numair. That was all that mattered to Daine now. After all that she had been through these past few months of her life before her death, she wanted nothing more than to be reunited with her lover. The months she had spent without him had felt to her to be more like years. It seemed hardly real that the time in which the gods had allowed her to share her life with him had even been in this same life. It was almost like it was an alternate reality that was nothing more than a blissful, realistic fantasy.
She was so deep in her thoughts and expectations that Daine hardly noticed as her surroundings began to rapidly change. The swirls of different shades of purple mist began to mold together, forming a neutral, deep purple coloring all around. The mist solidified into wisps and puffs of clouds. The way the tiny sparks of light began to dim and slow in their constant rotation seemed almost like the settling of dust after a horse drawn carriage had just stormed past on a country road. Before her eyes, the expanse beneath her body began to take form, flattening and hardening until it was a sturdy, walkable surface. All of it was unlike anything Daine had ever witnessed and in an oddly familiar way it brought back to her memories and pictures of the mystical birds she had seen color the sky during her time spent in the Divine Realms with Numair.
It was not until the ground felt solid beneath her curled form that Daine began to take notice of her surroundings. Perhaps it was her expectations of immediately seeing Numair that caused her such a shock at what lay before her, or perhaps it was just the mystifying effect of the place all together, but whatever the reason, Daine felt as if she had a thousand chills running eerily down her spine. It was only then in her sudden state of unknown panic that Daine realized that she wore nothing but her claw necklace, a token from the badger god. This only pushed her panicked state farther along. As if finding herself in a seemingly unknown place after dying was not frightening enough, then perhaps finding herself there without a stitch of clothing would be.
Daine cursed at her recent discovery, lifting her body up to rest her weight on her elbows. From this position she could better survey her surroundings and perhaps detect the secrets of this bizarre but yet alluring place. Wrapping her arms around her upper torso to make herself feel less exposed, Daine allowed herself a moment to look the place over. She found first that there was an ever so light wind blowing, how Daine would never know. It began stirring her mass of smoky brown curls, lifting them to dance in its cool embrace. Daine let her eyes fall to the floor. What she found there did not even begin to ease the knot that was arising in her stomach but rather drew it tighter. The floor, if it could even be called that, appeared to Daine to be anything but solid. Though she sat quite firmly on it now, Daine did not dare move even an inch from where she sat for fear she would fall into that seemingly endless oblivion that surrounded her. It was a mass of deep purple mist that swirled delicately with tiny white lights that set off a faint glow around the 'room.'
Frozen where she sat, Daine thought she might die of sheer fright and deep sense of helplessness when she heard a voice from within these walls of swirling purple cloud. The voice held an oddly familiar tone, though she could not immediately put her finger on it. It was clearly male, though it was not rough as one might expect of a man. It was soft, almost melodic. It seemed cheerful, yet at the same time it was foreboding and melancholy. Daine could not begin to comprehend how it could possibly be all of these things at once. All that she knew was that it most definitely was those things.
"Veralidaine Sarrasri," the voice boomed once more. This time, Daine noticed that the room shook with vibration as the words played on the speakers tongue. The effect was immediate for the swirling of the mist grew faster and the shining of the lights grew brighter. As if by instinct, Daine found herself quickly snapping her head around this way and that, seeking out the owner of that mystifying voice. Turning all the way around on her right side, Daine found what she was looking for. Standing before her at the far end of the room was none other than the Dream King, Gainel.
Daine's mouth dropped open in obvious shock. How could it be that she was seeing Gainel? Shouldn't it be more fitting for her to be face to face with the Black God now considering she had just died? Though the fact that Gainel was a god did explain the odd qualities of his voice, it did not explain why he was here now. "You look puzzled, Veralidaine," Gainel's voice filled the chamber once more. This time, it seemed to be laced with a softness while it also boomed with authority at the same time.
"I had expected the Black God," Daine said frankly, not taking to mind that it was a great god, a divine being to which she was speaking to. Such things were never a high priority on her mind and she never questioned that it must truly irritate the majority of the Divine Realm's residents.
Daine felt her heart flutter as a feeling of pleasant relief washed over her when Gainel's misty lips curled into a smile of sorts. He stood from the cloud based throne on which he sat and took a few steps toward her cowering form. Though she had received many surprises in the past few moments, to her credit she had not moved an inch from where she had landed upon her arrival. As soon as Gainel stood close enough that he could touch her, he slipped off his intricately woven robe and offered it to Daine with an outstretched arm. With all that had went on these past moments, Daine had distinctly forgotten that she wore not a stitch of clothing. She felt her cheeks grow warm as she blushed fervently, taking the offered robe with gratitude.
As soon as the silk of Gainel's robe brushed the skin of her fingers, Daine felt as if she were stroking a cloud. There was simply no better way to describe that wondrous, pleasant texture of the robe's material. She had never before touched something so finely made. It was a deep purple color that seemed to swirl with life just as the walls and floor of this very chamber yet when Daine wrapped it around her shoulders it rested there securely. She fingered its intricately woven stitch patterns with longing. Her mind began to travel to its maker, wondering who could ever weave something so divine that it was fit for a great god such as the Dream King himself.
Gainel cleared his throat, pulling Daine back into the present. Her eyes snapped up to where the god stood now back at his throne. He looked towards her with an intensity that made her bones ache and burn with fire. Finally, the Dream King broke the silence that had fallen between them. "We have much to discuss, Veralidaine," he said, eyes dancing with a mist-like substance. "You must have an endless amount of questions for me."
Daine did not hesitate to admit to herself that the Dream King was right. She immediately voiced the first question that came to mind, feeling certain that Gainel had every intention of answering it. "Why am I here? Shouldn't I be with my Ma and Da and Numair?" Daine voiced her second question with a slight tinge of fear. The fact that her loved ones were not present when they should be was ever apparent in her mind.
"To receive admittance to the Black God's Realm or to that of your own father, you must not be among the living," Gainel's voice again filled the chamber, making Daine's skin crawl. She wondered if her Ma had had a difficult time growing accustomed to the Dream King's peculiar set oddly pleasant voice.
Daine was baffled straight off by Gainel's answer. She knew it was very much in the god's nature to speak in riddles and trick phrases, but she knew that he meant every word that he had spoken to her. But how could it be so? She had just died. No one, man or beast could survive the ordeal she had just faced. It was impossible! "You must be mistaken then, for I'm more than certain that I just died!" Daine said, voice laced with and emotion that was unidentifiable. She was perhaps the only mortal that would try to convince a god that their mortal life was over. The difference between her and other mortals was that she no longer wished to live. All she wanted was to be with her loved ones that had passed for she had nothing left in her mortal life for which to live.
"I have made no mistake," Gainel voiced, emphasizing his words by meeting Daine's gaze with a terrifyingly serious glare. Again, his voice boomed, shaking the chamber, "You are confused about the state of your life for you have been greatly deceived, but with good reason."
"I don't understand," Daine prompted, hoping that the god would makes things easier for her to comprehend. It almost sounded like Gainel had hinted that she was not dead, but that did not make sense at all. She had died, and it had only been less than an hour ago. But he had mentioned deception, hadn't he? But how could one be deceived into thinking themselves to be dead? Daine's mind stormed with this fury of thoughts, further confusing her.
"You're alive, Veralidaine, even if you do not think so," Gainel said, this time speaking in more simple terms. He had found of the late that if mortals were to ever learn anything, they must be told in straight, simple terms. The god always found this fact to be more than frustrating, but he supposed the mortals could not help being ungifted as far as wits went.
"How can that be?" Daine asked suddenly, feeling herself start to panic. She had to admit, she did wish herself dead now. She did not want to return to that horrible excuse for a life she had been living since the death of Numair. Life had been unfair to her and she had been glad that it had come to an end. "I was shot by the Royal Huntsmen in the woods. I remember everything that happened. No one was there that was able to save me...."
"You only think you remember, for that never happened," Gainel informed her, voice as mystifying as ever. His eyes bore down on her with a strange intensity that made Daine shift uncomfortably where she sat. Before she could open her lips to protest the dream king's statement or to ask a question of her own, Gainel began speaking again leaving her no room for interruption. "As I have already said; you have been greatly deceived, Veralidaine. Allow me to explain so you will understand. Being that I am a god, I can see into the future of all mortals to a certain extent. During the night as I worked through your dreams, your fate became very apparent to me. I saw you living the life that you think you just lived, but you are wrong. When I saw what lay ahead for you if things continued to play out as they did, I became greatly disturbed. I saw it unjust that a young woman who has done so much for her country and aided the great gods themselves on more than one occasion should be dealt such a difficult fate. And so I set out to change it in the only way that I could; through dreams."
Daine sat staring at the god in utter shock. It hardly seemed possible, what he was telling her, but she knew that it must be real for he was a great god. He was capable of bringing life to the impossible. Still, his explanation, though thorough, left her with many unanswered questions and even sparked a few new ones. "How much of my life has been real?" Daine asked, voice little more than a shaken whisper. What if all of her time with Numair had never been real? What if it had been nothing more than a dream, and now she would wake up and he would forever be gone to her? Thousands of possibilities raced through her mind, spreading like wildfire and causing further panic to arise within her.
"I've hardly changed any of it, dear mortal," Gainel said, eyes twinkling with favor. The gods often took favorites among the mortals that served them and Gainel had to admit that this young woman had definitely aroused his interest. She had gone so far with her life. What he had done for her was the least he could do. He only wished he could have done something more, something more solid and assuring. He may be a god, but that did not mean he always got things the way he wanted them. There certain laws, certain rules that even a great god could not break. "I've only made it possible for you to glimpse into your future. You see, Veralidaine, all that has happened to you since you drifted off to sleep that fateful night some months ago has been an illusion. It has been nothing more than a dream, woven intricately together by none other than myself."
Again, utter and complete shock was all that would register with Daine. A dream? It had all been a dream? If that was true and it had indeed been nothing more than a dream, then that meant that it had not been real at all. With the boundaries that Gainel had left that meant....he was alive! If she understood Gainel as she was certain she did, then her lover Numair Salmalin was alive again! Her heart and mind swam with a sudden joy, washing away all panic with its sudden wave of happiness. It was an emotion she had not felt since that fateful night, and emotion she had sworn to never feel again. But now all of her vows, all of her promises, they meant nothing. It was only after Gainel's words began echoing in her mind that Daine realized that she had made a great mistake in the way she had interpreted the god's words. He had said that he had given her a glimpse of her own future. That meant it was no ordinary dream, for it was partially reality. If that was true, then that meant that Numair was indeed alive, but also that she would merely have to relive that horrible night that had by far been the worst of her entire life.
A new emotion took hold of Daine. It was a mix of anger and confusion. She had been so certain that Gainel was here to help her, though he had certainly proven her to be wrong on that account. How could reliving that night help her? It would just further burn its contents into her memory, haunting her all the more with each new breath she took. "And you would have me live it again? How can that help me?" Daine's voice was no longer quiet and hushed. It now held a rough edge, cold as the metal tip of a huntsman's arrow. She was not afraid to speak to a great god in such a manner. She never had been afraid to say things the way the were. Perhaps it was stubbornness or bravery, or maybe even sheer foolishness that prompted her to speak with such a tone to a god. Whatever the reason, she did it.
"Listen to yourself, mortal," Gainel prompted, his voice both a whisper no louder than the squeak of a mouse and a constant booming that caused the very floor to shake with vibration. "Can you not see what I have done for you? When you live it this time, you will be armed with the knowledge of what is the consequence of every action you make. With such a weapon, you could change the events of time." Gainel gazed upon the young woman with such a fondness that he could not remember a mortal in all of history who had provided him with such interesting new dreams. To the Dream King's misfortune, most mortals had dreams of foolish squabbles or acts of bravery that they would never physically be able to commit. Daine though always had something new with each night that passed. Many times, she would dream of her lover and Gainel had always found that to be an excellent source of entertainment.
Daine thought for a moment, not entirely sure how she should respond to Gainel. She was not even sure that she completely understood what it was the god had done for her. Sighing and taking in a deep breath, Daine decided to probe him further so that she could better understand what exactly was going on. "So you have given me a chance at time travel?" Daine asked, voice soft. If Gainel was allowing her time travel, then certainly that would mean she could have Numair back with her again. The mere thought of Numair being back by her side sent chills of giddiness and excitement up Daine's spine. Her heart thumped madly within her chest, a passing which had not occurred since he had been taken from her.
"I have done no such thing, Veralidaine, for that would be in every way an infraction of the rules set down by Father Universe and Mother Flame," Gainel explained, chuckling lightly to himself. Her confusion enthralled the god, for since his only company was other superior being such as himself, one rarely caught sight of such misunderstandings. The life of a god could grow rather boring when it all came down to it. "I have merely granted you a vision of sorts in the form of a dream that has shown you what life you will live should you decide to do things as you did in the beginning of the vision. At this very moment, you are soundly sleeping in the very way you were just before I sent the vision to you."
It was as if a candle had been lit in Daine's mind. She understood completely now what Gainel had been trying to explain to her. It all made perfect sense. All of those torturous months that she had lived, they had all been fake. All of this time, she had been sound asleep and dreaming on the night that had haunted her dreams for what she had thought to be a long time. None of those terrible things had taken place yet and never would if she had any say in the matter. Daine's heart and mind screamed with excitement. She was getting another chance at having a happy ending. Though she had not lived the life she thought that she had, she soon would if she failed tonight. Gainel had indeed given her the best gift anyone ever could.
"Are you saying that I have another chance?" Daine squeaked, voice choked from shock. She had to be absolutely sure that she had understood Gainel correctly before she dared even hope that she was right. If she was, then the results of Gainel's gift could be so rewarding and great that she could never be more thankful for anything in her life.
"I would not call it that," Gainel voiced with some amusement at Daine's reaction. He had to admit, he enjoyed seeing her like this. After all that she had done to help along the plan of the gods, she deserved what he had given her and much more. If only she could realize that. "I would say that you have a better chance the first time around. Remember, what happened before was not real, but it can become a reality for you faster than you can ever know. If you make a single mistake, then all of my efforts to avoid your fate will have been in vain. I may be able to warn you of your fate, but I cannot save you from it by allowing you to do things over a second time. No god can grant such a thing to any mortal."
There was a long pause between the god and mortal as a deep silence befell the room. It was an eerie quiet that seemed to overtake the room and its very beings, even Daine herself. Daine always hated the quiet, for it always left her with a distinct feeling of uneasiness that she would not feel if there were some sort of sound to distract her. She was more than relieved when Gainel again spoke up, his voice echoing throughout the chamber, "Our time now is little, Veralidaine," Gainel's voice held a tone of complete warning and caution, and Daine found herself paying close attention to him. She would not lose the love of her life a second time just because she missed a tiny detail of what the Dream King had to say for advice. "In a moment, you will wake from this dream and your skill shall be put to the test. For your own sake, I hope that all works out in your forever. I wish you luck."
"I get the feeling I'll be needing it," Daine voiced, her lips twisting into perhaps the first genuine smile in months. Within her chest, she could feel her heart pounding wildly with excitement at the task before her. If she thought about it for a split moment, Daine realized that she was afraid. She was afraid that she would fail and that the life that she had lived in her dream would become a terrifying reality. I can't let that happen, she told herself firmly. In that moment, Daine silently made a promise to herself that no matter what happened, no matter what took place when she woke, she would not let time repeat itself. Numair Salmalin would not die, not again. "I'm ready." Daine spoke these words in a steadfast manner, though she could feel her voice shake ever so slightly. She hated to think that the fate of the man she loved more than life itself rested in her hands. She had not asked for such a responsibility or such a fate, but she had been given it all the same. She would not fail him, not a second time.
A/N: laughs in the face of everyone who didn't believe me Ha! I laugh at you all! I told you I had a plan....I guess I left a bit of a cliffy there. Hehehe... Perhaps you could bribe me to update sooner rather than later by giving me lots of reviews. Just a hint, though if you want the next chapter, you'll review! I'll TRY to update as soon as I can, though as I've already explained, times are a bit hectic for me at the moment.... REVIEW!!!
This fic really has taken much longer than I had ever anticipated and I suppose that's due to the odd turns my life has taken throughout this summer. I never thought I'd count myself lucky to go back to school! Anyway, just thought I'd give you a brief explanation as to why my chapters are becoming so few, so I hope you understand. This fic should be done soon, though I can't make any promises as of now. I can promise however that as soon as its done I'll pick up writing the next Gallan Return chapter!
On last thing. I just got an anonymous review from Missy and I found it very entertaining. So Missy, this chapter is for you and please try not to bite my head off before you get all the way through it! lol...
Disclaimer: You know, I'm really getting sick of writing these. I don't own it. Get used to it. Don't sue me. Bla bla bla bla......
Death. It was an odd and incredibly complicated thing to properly describe. Most mortal beings, man and beast alike, could only take claim to dying once and thus only had one experience to go by. For Veralidaine Sarrasri it was quite another situation all together. She had experienced death twice in her life, and she could easily say that each experience was its own. The first time she had died had been an accident when she was only fifteen. She had been in Carthak along with the other Tortallan Diplomats in an attempt to make piece with the overly wealthy empire. She had been alone and had made a fatal mistake with her magic, which resulted in her death. To her good fortune, her friend and mentor the badger god had found it to be a simple task to return her to her body and let her on her way. One could hardly call it dying. But that was what it had been.
Now, as she faded into the vaguely familiar sense of never ending oblivion, Daine found her mind in a flurry of emotion. This was nothing like what it had been the first time around. Then, she had found herself awakening, as if from a light nap, in what appeared to be an enchanted forest that flowed into a perfect dirt path that led to the most peaceful little cottage she had ever set eyes on. Daine knew now that that cottage was the new residence of her late mother, the Green Lady. There was no forest and no cottage this time around, much to Daine's disappointment. When she had lay dying, it had been somewhat of an assurance to her that in a matter of moments she would be with her Ma and Da and hopefully her lover.
Numair. When she thought about it, she realized that above all that she longed for, her longing to see her lover and friend surpassed all else that she could possible want. As her thoughts raged wildly through her mind, one thing rang clearly to her, she needed to see Numair. That was all that mattered to Daine now. After all that she had been through these past few months of her life before her death, she wanted nothing more than to be reunited with her lover. The months she had spent without him had felt to her to be more like years. It seemed hardly real that the time in which the gods had allowed her to share her life with him had even been in this same life. It was almost like it was an alternate reality that was nothing more than a blissful, realistic fantasy.
She was so deep in her thoughts and expectations that Daine hardly noticed as her surroundings began to rapidly change. The swirls of different shades of purple mist began to mold together, forming a neutral, deep purple coloring all around. The mist solidified into wisps and puffs of clouds. The way the tiny sparks of light began to dim and slow in their constant rotation seemed almost like the settling of dust after a horse drawn carriage had just stormed past on a country road. Before her eyes, the expanse beneath her body began to take form, flattening and hardening until it was a sturdy, walkable surface. All of it was unlike anything Daine had ever witnessed and in an oddly familiar way it brought back to her memories and pictures of the mystical birds she had seen color the sky during her time spent in the Divine Realms with Numair.
It was not until the ground felt solid beneath her curled form that Daine began to take notice of her surroundings. Perhaps it was her expectations of immediately seeing Numair that caused her such a shock at what lay before her, or perhaps it was just the mystifying effect of the place all together, but whatever the reason, Daine felt as if she had a thousand chills running eerily down her spine. It was only then in her sudden state of unknown panic that Daine realized that she wore nothing but her claw necklace, a token from the badger god. This only pushed her panicked state farther along. As if finding herself in a seemingly unknown place after dying was not frightening enough, then perhaps finding herself there without a stitch of clothing would be.
Daine cursed at her recent discovery, lifting her body up to rest her weight on her elbows. From this position she could better survey her surroundings and perhaps detect the secrets of this bizarre but yet alluring place. Wrapping her arms around her upper torso to make herself feel less exposed, Daine allowed herself a moment to look the place over. She found first that there was an ever so light wind blowing, how Daine would never know. It began stirring her mass of smoky brown curls, lifting them to dance in its cool embrace. Daine let her eyes fall to the floor. What she found there did not even begin to ease the knot that was arising in her stomach but rather drew it tighter. The floor, if it could even be called that, appeared to Daine to be anything but solid. Though she sat quite firmly on it now, Daine did not dare move even an inch from where she sat for fear she would fall into that seemingly endless oblivion that surrounded her. It was a mass of deep purple mist that swirled delicately with tiny white lights that set off a faint glow around the 'room.'
Frozen where she sat, Daine thought she might die of sheer fright and deep sense of helplessness when she heard a voice from within these walls of swirling purple cloud. The voice held an oddly familiar tone, though she could not immediately put her finger on it. It was clearly male, though it was not rough as one might expect of a man. It was soft, almost melodic. It seemed cheerful, yet at the same time it was foreboding and melancholy. Daine could not begin to comprehend how it could possibly be all of these things at once. All that she knew was that it most definitely was those things.
"Veralidaine Sarrasri," the voice boomed once more. This time, Daine noticed that the room shook with vibration as the words played on the speakers tongue. The effect was immediate for the swirling of the mist grew faster and the shining of the lights grew brighter. As if by instinct, Daine found herself quickly snapping her head around this way and that, seeking out the owner of that mystifying voice. Turning all the way around on her right side, Daine found what she was looking for. Standing before her at the far end of the room was none other than the Dream King, Gainel.
Daine's mouth dropped open in obvious shock. How could it be that she was seeing Gainel? Shouldn't it be more fitting for her to be face to face with the Black God now considering she had just died? Though the fact that Gainel was a god did explain the odd qualities of his voice, it did not explain why he was here now. "You look puzzled, Veralidaine," Gainel's voice filled the chamber once more. This time, it seemed to be laced with a softness while it also boomed with authority at the same time.
"I had expected the Black God," Daine said frankly, not taking to mind that it was a great god, a divine being to which she was speaking to. Such things were never a high priority on her mind and she never questioned that it must truly irritate the majority of the Divine Realm's residents.
Daine felt her heart flutter as a feeling of pleasant relief washed over her when Gainel's misty lips curled into a smile of sorts. He stood from the cloud based throne on which he sat and took a few steps toward her cowering form. Though she had received many surprises in the past few moments, to her credit she had not moved an inch from where she had landed upon her arrival. As soon as Gainel stood close enough that he could touch her, he slipped off his intricately woven robe and offered it to Daine with an outstretched arm. With all that had went on these past moments, Daine had distinctly forgotten that she wore not a stitch of clothing. She felt her cheeks grow warm as she blushed fervently, taking the offered robe with gratitude.
As soon as the silk of Gainel's robe brushed the skin of her fingers, Daine felt as if she were stroking a cloud. There was simply no better way to describe that wondrous, pleasant texture of the robe's material. She had never before touched something so finely made. It was a deep purple color that seemed to swirl with life just as the walls and floor of this very chamber yet when Daine wrapped it around her shoulders it rested there securely. She fingered its intricately woven stitch patterns with longing. Her mind began to travel to its maker, wondering who could ever weave something so divine that it was fit for a great god such as the Dream King himself.
Gainel cleared his throat, pulling Daine back into the present. Her eyes snapped up to where the god stood now back at his throne. He looked towards her with an intensity that made her bones ache and burn with fire. Finally, the Dream King broke the silence that had fallen between them. "We have much to discuss, Veralidaine," he said, eyes dancing with a mist-like substance. "You must have an endless amount of questions for me."
Daine did not hesitate to admit to herself that the Dream King was right. She immediately voiced the first question that came to mind, feeling certain that Gainel had every intention of answering it. "Why am I here? Shouldn't I be with my Ma and Da and Numair?" Daine voiced her second question with a slight tinge of fear. The fact that her loved ones were not present when they should be was ever apparent in her mind.
"To receive admittance to the Black God's Realm or to that of your own father, you must not be among the living," Gainel's voice again filled the chamber, making Daine's skin crawl. She wondered if her Ma had had a difficult time growing accustomed to the Dream King's peculiar set oddly pleasant voice.
Daine was baffled straight off by Gainel's answer. She knew it was very much in the god's nature to speak in riddles and trick phrases, but she knew that he meant every word that he had spoken to her. But how could it be so? She had just died. No one, man or beast could survive the ordeal she had just faced. It was impossible! "You must be mistaken then, for I'm more than certain that I just died!" Daine said, voice laced with and emotion that was unidentifiable. She was perhaps the only mortal that would try to convince a god that their mortal life was over. The difference between her and other mortals was that she no longer wished to live. All she wanted was to be with her loved ones that had passed for she had nothing left in her mortal life for which to live.
"I have made no mistake," Gainel voiced, emphasizing his words by meeting Daine's gaze with a terrifyingly serious glare. Again, his voice boomed, shaking the chamber, "You are confused about the state of your life for you have been greatly deceived, but with good reason."
"I don't understand," Daine prompted, hoping that the god would makes things easier for her to comprehend. It almost sounded like Gainel had hinted that she was not dead, but that did not make sense at all. She had died, and it had only been less than an hour ago. But he had mentioned deception, hadn't he? But how could one be deceived into thinking themselves to be dead? Daine's mind stormed with this fury of thoughts, further confusing her.
"You're alive, Veralidaine, even if you do not think so," Gainel said, this time speaking in more simple terms. He had found of the late that if mortals were to ever learn anything, they must be told in straight, simple terms. The god always found this fact to be more than frustrating, but he supposed the mortals could not help being ungifted as far as wits went.
"How can that be?" Daine asked suddenly, feeling herself start to panic. She had to admit, she did wish herself dead now. She did not want to return to that horrible excuse for a life she had been living since the death of Numair. Life had been unfair to her and she had been glad that it had come to an end. "I was shot by the Royal Huntsmen in the woods. I remember everything that happened. No one was there that was able to save me...."
"You only think you remember, for that never happened," Gainel informed her, voice as mystifying as ever. His eyes bore down on her with a strange intensity that made Daine shift uncomfortably where she sat. Before she could open her lips to protest the dream king's statement or to ask a question of her own, Gainel began speaking again leaving her no room for interruption. "As I have already said; you have been greatly deceived, Veralidaine. Allow me to explain so you will understand. Being that I am a god, I can see into the future of all mortals to a certain extent. During the night as I worked through your dreams, your fate became very apparent to me. I saw you living the life that you think you just lived, but you are wrong. When I saw what lay ahead for you if things continued to play out as they did, I became greatly disturbed. I saw it unjust that a young woman who has done so much for her country and aided the great gods themselves on more than one occasion should be dealt such a difficult fate. And so I set out to change it in the only way that I could; through dreams."
Daine sat staring at the god in utter shock. It hardly seemed possible, what he was telling her, but she knew that it must be real for he was a great god. He was capable of bringing life to the impossible. Still, his explanation, though thorough, left her with many unanswered questions and even sparked a few new ones. "How much of my life has been real?" Daine asked, voice little more than a shaken whisper. What if all of her time with Numair had never been real? What if it had been nothing more than a dream, and now she would wake up and he would forever be gone to her? Thousands of possibilities raced through her mind, spreading like wildfire and causing further panic to arise within her.
"I've hardly changed any of it, dear mortal," Gainel said, eyes twinkling with favor. The gods often took favorites among the mortals that served them and Gainel had to admit that this young woman had definitely aroused his interest. She had gone so far with her life. What he had done for her was the least he could do. He only wished he could have done something more, something more solid and assuring. He may be a god, but that did not mean he always got things the way he wanted them. There certain laws, certain rules that even a great god could not break. "I've only made it possible for you to glimpse into your future. You see, Veralidaine, all that has happened to you since you drifted off to sleep that fateful night some months ago has been an illusion. It has been nothing more than a dream, woven intricately together by none other than myself."
Again, utter and complete shock was all that would register with Daine. A dream? It had all been a dream? If that was true and it had indeed been nothing more than a dream, then that meant that it had not been real at all. With the boundaries that Gainel had left that meant....he was alive! If she understood Gainel as she was certain she did, then her lover Numair Salmalin was alive again! Her heart and mind swam with a sudden joy, washing away all panic with its sudden wave of happiness. It was an emotion she had not felt since that fateful night, and emotion she had sworn to never feel again. But now all of her vows, all of her promises, they meant nothing. It was only after Gainel's words began echoing in her mind that Daine realized that she had made a great mistake in the way she had interpreted the god's words. He had said that he had given her a glimpse of her own future. That meant it was no ordinary dream, for it was partially reality. If that was true, then that meant that Numair was indeed alive, but also that she would merely have to relive that horrible night that had by far been the worst of her entire life.
A new emotion took hold of Daine. It was a mix of anger and confusion. She had been so certain that Gainel was here to help her, though he had certainly proven her to be wrong on that account. How could reliving that night help her? It would just further burn its contents into her memory, haunting her all the more with each new breath she took. "And you would have me live it again? How can that help me?" Daine's voice was no longer quiet and hushed. It now held a rough edge, cold as the metal tip of a huntsman's arrow. She was not afraid to speak to a great god in such a manner. She never had been afraid to say things the way the were. Perhaps it was stubbornness or bravery, or maybe even sheer foolishness that prompted her to speak with such a tone to a god. Whatever the reason, she did it.
"Listen to yourself, mortal," Gainel prompted, his voice both a whisper no louder than the squeak of a mouse and a constant booming that caused the very floor to shake with vibration. "Can you not see what I have done for you? When you live it this time, you will be armed with the knowledge of what is the consequence of every action you make. With such a weapon, you could change the events of time." Gainel gazed upon the young woman with such a fondness that he could not remember a mortal in all of history who had provided him with such interesting new dreams. To the Dream King's misfortune, most mortals had dreams of foolish squabbles or acts of bravery that they would never physically be able to commit. Daine though always had something new with each night that passed. Many times, she would dream of her lover and Gainel had always found that to be an excellent source of entertainment.
Daine thought for a moment, not entirely sure how she should respond to Gainel. She was not even sure that she completely understood what it was the god had done for her. Sighing and taking in a deep breath, Daine decided to probe him further so that she could better understand what exactly was going on. "So you have given me a chance at time travel?" Daine asked, voice soft. If Gainel was allowing her time travel, then certainly that would mean she could have Numair back with her again. The mere thought of Numair being back by her side sent chills of giddiness and excitement up Daine's spine. Her heart thumped madly within her chest, a passing which had not occurred since he had been taken from her.
"I have done no such thing, Veralidaine, for that would be in every way an infraction of the rules set down by Father Universe and Mother Flame," Gainel explained, chuckling lightly to himself. Her confusion enthralled the god, for since his only company was other superior being such as himself, one rarely caught sight of such misunderstandings. The life of a god could grow rather boring when it all came down to it. "I have merely granted you a vision of sorts in the form of a dream that has shown you what life you will live should you decide to do things as you did in the beginning of the vision. At this very moment, you are soundly sleeping in the very way you were just before I sent the vision to you."
It was as if a candle had been lit in Daine's mind. She understood completely now what Gainel had been trying to explain to her. It all made perfect sense. All of those torturous months that she had lived, they had all been fake. All of this time, she had been sound asleep and dreaming on the night that had haunted her dreams for what she had thought to be a long time. None of those terrible things had taken place yet and never would if she had any say in the matter. Daine's heart and mind screamed with excitement. She was getting another chance at having a happy ending. Though she had not lived the life she thought that she had, she soon would if she failed tonight. Gainel had indeed given her the best gift anyone ever could.
"Are you saying that I have another chance?" Daine squeaked, voice choked from shock. She had to be absolutely sure that she had understood Gainel correctly before she dared even hope that she was right. If she was, then the results of Gainel's gift could be so rewarding and great that she could never be more thankful for anything in her life.
"I would not call it that," Gainel voiced with some amusement at Daine's reaction. He had to admit, he enjoyed seeing her like this. After all that she had done to help along the plan of the gods, she deserved what he had given her and much more. If only she could realize that. "I would say that you have a better chance the first time around. Remember, what happened before was not real, but it can become a reality for you faster than you can ever know. If you make a single mistake, then all of my efforts to avoid your fate will have been in vain. I may be able to warn you of your fate, but I cannot save you from it by allowing you to do things over a second time. No god can grant such a thing to any mortal."
There was a long pause between the god and mortal as a deep silence befell the room. It was an eerie quiet that seemed to overtake the room and its very beings, even Daine herself. Daine always hated the quiet, for it always left her with a distinct feeling of uneasiness that she would not feel if there were some sort of sound to distract her. She was more than relieved when Gainel again spoke up, his voice echoing throughout the chamber, "Our time now is little, Veralidaine," Gainel's voice held a tone of complete warning and caution, and Daine found herself paying close attention to him. She would not lose the love of her life a second time just because she missed a tiny detail of what the Dream King had to say for advice. "In a moment, you will wake from this dream and your skill shall be put to the test. For your own sake, I hope that all works out in your forever. I wish you luck."
"I get the feeling I'll be needing it," Daine voiced, her lips twisting into perhaps the first genuine smile in months. Within her chest, she could feel her heart pounding wildly with excitement at the task before her. If she thought about it for a split moment, Daine realized that she was afraid. She was afraid that she would fail and that the life that she had lived in her dream would become a terrifying reality. I can't let that happen, she told herself firmly. In that moment, Daine silently made a promise to herself that no matter what happened, no matter what took place when she woke, she would not let time repeat itself. Numair Salmalin would not die, not again. "I'm ready." Daine spoke these words in a steadfast manner, though she could feel her voice shake ever so slightly. She hated to think that the fate of the man she loved more than life itself rested in her hands. She had not asked for such a responsibility or such a fate, but she had been given it all the same. She would not fail him, not a second time.
A/N: laughs in the face of everyone who didn't believe me Ha! I laugh at you all! I told you I had a plan....I guess I left a bit of a cliffy there. Hehehe... Perhaps you could bribe me to update sooner rather than later by giving me lots of reviews. Just a hint, though if you want the next chapter, you'll review! I'll TRY to update as soon as I can, though as I've already explained, times are a bit hectic for me at the moment.... REVIEW!!!