"Do you know where we are?" I asked while trying to look over Duke's shoulder as he unfolded the map.
"We're close to Anaheim," he read while examining it, but also adjusting it to where I could look it over, "Though we have to pass by a smaller town or two along the way."
"That answers what's nearby," I said as I scanned the area around us now.
We'd come to a pause at the edge of a thick forest. In the distance we could see neither of these villages that Duke had mentioned, nor any other man-made structure or dwelling. Turning to the right, we could make out the outline of a mountain range through the mists seeping out from the woodland area.
"What's out that way?" I asked.
"Not sure, very little is jotted down about it," Duke informed while reading the notes, "There's said to be caverns in the mountains guarding Anaheim's East side. I guess this was before roads had been better made. There's a one around the forest to the left, but it's bit too well traveled for my comfort. It's out in the open too."
Catching onto his frustration, I said, "I'm enjoying our adventure, Duke. No matter the path we take."
A bit of a smile returned as he assured, "I am too, Heart."
"Through the forest then?" I asked.
"It seems so," he nodded while folding up the map and slipping it into his pack, "We're not exactly equipped for the mountains. If we can cut through here, we can reach the next town in a day or so."
"When we stop for the night, I need to practice my spells," I then mentioned while following alongside him, "Latha will be quite cross with me if I don't keep to my lessons as much as possible."
"You're probably right," Duke chuckled.
The entry to the forest was vastly overgrown with thick roots, hanging vines, and wide tree trunks barring the way. Luckily we were used to having to climb a bit, but in a much different terrain. Duke even commented, "It's not quite the same as in the city. At least there I have an idea of what's in the area I'm climbin' into."
"It's not too bad," I remarked while climbing up to a sturdy branch to try and get a better sense of direction.
"What do ya see?" Duke asked as I went further up to the canopy for an even better view.
Why did he sound so distant to me for a moment? Looking down, I made sure that my rogue companion was indeed still there. Seeing the bit of alarm in my eyes, he inquired, "Are ya alright, sweetheart?"
"Yeah," I nodded, "It just sounded as though you were further away for some reason?"
"I'm right behind ya," he assured, as he climbed up after me now.
When he did this, instinct forced me to reach a hand down to him to be certain. Despite the puzzlement in his remaining eye, he took it and finished his ascent beside me.
Then, looking out ahead together, we would both gasp at the sight before us. The midday sun had seemed to set in a matter of less than an hour, the forest before us now bathing in twilight. The green of the leaves among us seemed far more vibrant than they'd been just moments ago. Close by we could hear the fast running water of a stream. The air itself breathed serenity that we both welcomed.
Any lingering aches and pains that remained in me from Eilsana's spell seemed to instantly wash away in this calming dusk. Or was it...? Something else we could faintly hear trickling into earshot?
"Do you hear that?" I asked the now bewildered thief.
"Hear what?"
Through the breeze, it found us up in the tree, rustling the leaves with it's melody. The song of a flute, growing louder and louder.
"Do ya see the path? There should be one accordin' to the map?" Duke asked as I started to hop down, "Heart, wait!"
Too curious, I quickly climbed down and looked through the overgrown brush to try and find where the music was coming from. Thinking Duke was close behind me, I went ahead, compelled by that soothing tune.
"Heart?!" his voice would grow distant again, causing me to pause in my steps again.
Before I could start again, I felt a firm hand taking hold of mine. Looking up, I would see Duke looking rather perplexed by my reactions, "Heart, what's wrong?"
"Sorry, I don't know what came over me?" I realized as the music came to a fading stop.
Gazing up at the sky that we could see through the thick canopy, we could see the stretching of twilight spread overhead.
"Should we set up camp an' continue on when we have better light?" Duke asked.
"That might be a good idea," I replied while following him a bit further in.
We were able to find a small opening of trees, just big enough for the both of us to roll out our beds and build a fire. Yet no matter how much time passed, the sun didn't seem to be setting.
"So what was that all about back there?" Duke asked while cooking our dinner.
"I could have sworn I'd heard something," I mentioned, before wincing a bit as I tried to pick up a piece of wood to add to the fire for him.
"You're still a bit sore, aren't ya?" he inquired as he made quick note of me cradling my arm against myself.
"Yeah...it's odd, it seemed to go away just a little bit ago," I replied with lingering unease in my tone.
"Give it another day or so, I'm sure it'll ease up soon," he assured while offering me a cup of steaming soup, "This will help."
"Thank you," I answered a bit quietly while taking the cup from him.
"Of course, Heart," he replied with what looked like a tinge of regret showing on his face.
After filling up on soup and bread, I realized I was quite restless, as was the sky above it seemed still. This brought me to rummaging through my pack for my notes and Latha's written up schedule for me.
"Mind if I practice with you?" Duke asked cheerfully.
I shook my head, though it still surprised me a bit to get this sort of reaction in regards to magic. Yet the child-like wonder that touched his remaining eye would tug at my chest enough, causing my face to grow warm. Seeing this, he gave a bit of a smirk. This should have been my first clue of trouble from the rogue, before my book closed without anyone touching it. I raised a playful brow as I looked to him and focused a bit, trying to ask him without a voice,
"Are you having fun?"
To which he responded with confidence gleaming in his eye, "I'd say so."
Why did his smile just then make my heart skip? Shaking my head, I opened the book again, or rather tried to. Yet it would begin floating away from me, and I heard as he couldn't help but give a bit of a chuckle as he watched me try to reach for it.
"It's going to be difficult to read my notes without my book."
"I'd say you're gettin' good at your spells without needin' them?" he pointed out, before giving me back my book.
"Still, Latha worked hard on these for me before we left," I mentioned, "And it's nice to have those around that understand what I've gone through..."
To this, Duke looked to me as though trying to encourage more of an answer than that. With a sigh, I replied, "Reading some of what she went through when discovering her own powers, helps me know I wasn't alone in these feelings. While she didn't write down everything, there is a bit about how it felt just getting used to it, and finding places to practice without drawing attention from those that would either fear it, or be pushed away by it."
Duke gave a nod, "I guess I can see why that when ya find those that go through things like you did, even some of it, I imagine it's comfortin' in a way? Then again, I've always been fond of havin' a gang to look out for one another."
"Like you and Mister Bump?" I asked.
Duke gave a bit of a chuckle, "I'm surprised his fur hasn't thinned out or turned white from the stress of dealin' with me."
"He seems loyal to you still?" I mentioned,
"He is a good friend, an' the first person I turned to when I was tryin' to find ya after the attack," he said with a nod.
After thinking it over, looking into the fire as I did, I inquired, "How did you two meet?"
He gave another laugh, as though the memory were fresh in his head, "That's a fun story."
"Would you share it with me?" I prompted hopefully, getting up from my side of the fire and sitting on the log next to him to hear better.
*********Mister Bump Story***********
"It sounds like you two are a good team," I said with a light laugh as he finished his story.
"So far," he chuckled, "At least I can trust him to take care of everyone for us. Though I'd say he an' Miss Buttercup are formin' more of a duo these days."
"They're a good crew," I remarked, despite knowing them for a brief time.
"Even that clown?"
"I think so?" I replied.
For a little while, Duke pulled out another book, one a bit thinner, but seemed to have his interest.
"What's that?" I asked.
"Buttercup gave it to me, it's full of information on plants that can hurt an' heal. I figured it might be good to brush up on while we're in the forest," Duke replied while looking over some of the pages.
Duke then happened to glance up, and mentioned, "Strange? It doesn't look like it's gotten any darker out?"
"Do you think this forest is protected by some sort of field we were able to walk through? Perhaps it senses intent and let us pass?" I suggested.
"Maybe. We should probably go ahead an' get some sleep for now. After a good rest, we'll be able to figure things out a bit better," Duke advised.
"I'll take the first watch," I offered, "I'm not quite tired yet anyway."
"Ya sure?" Duke asked .
I nodded, "I'll just practice and study for now while I keep an eye open for trouble."
However, Duke found it was harder to get to sleep as well for quite a while. He would toss and turn a bit, before finally settling down and taking a deep breath, "Good night, Heart."
"Good night," I smiled while watching him turning on his side, and finally drifting off.
I'd noticed he kept his right side to the ground, and didn't move in his sleep. I imagined it was from years of a training to be on the ready that made him like that. What I hadn't caught in this, was that a low lullaby was whistling around us.
While he quietly slept on, I'd started to read over Latha's notes a bit more. Though after some several minutes of this, I found myself growing more and more restless. Looking over to my rogue companion, I wondered what was making my legs itch so much, as though they were yearning to move. So I got up, and started doing some fencing stretches.
Only now did I notice something trickling into ear shot once more. A different tune than before, this one was a bit more lively in nature. Welcoming in it's energetic melody, drawing me towards the trees away from the fire. For as I turned to look for where the music was coming from, I would spot someone this time. A lone figure among the roots, bushes, and tall grass of the forest floor, hiding his frame from the waist down. It was easy to make out that he was indeed holding some manner of flute up to his lips, it's music flowing naturally through it's pipes and over to us.
When I went to try and alert Duke, finding he was still sound asleep, a voice called out softly, "Easy, my lady; let your friend sleep. I bring you no harm."
Pausing with caution as I watched him, I would see him taking a careful step forward. His wind instrument returned to his lips, he continued with his lively tune. Still I wondered why this wasn't causing my companion to stir? Though before I could kneel down beside him to awaken him, the figure ventured closer with a friendly smile upon his face, "Welcome to my forest, my lady. Be at ease, for you and your friend are safe here."
"Who are you?" I asked, still defensive.
"Just a friend that saw you passing through. Do you like my songs?" he replied with a cheerful demeanor, "It seemed to help your companion anyway? He was having trouble getting to sleep."
This didn't help, and I tried to reach a hand to Duke's shoulder, but found this did little.
"He'll be out for a little bit, poor fellow seems exhausted," the stranger stated.
"That doesn't make me trust you any more than I do already," I warned with a hand beside the hilt of my sword.
"I assure you that I'm a friend to you, my lady," he insisted rather calmly.
"Then come out of the trees and show me who you are," I retorted, before he surprisingly obliged.
Standing before me was a rather tall young man of curled strawberry shaded hair and...fur? Yes, on his legs was indeed a coat of red fur, leading to a pair of the signature hooves of a satyr. The same shade of hair could be see in his goatee that grew a tad wildly from his chin. He wore no shirt or tunic, but did have a vest made of what looked like vines and leaves. His arms had bracers made of the same natural materials. From his temples, a pair of ram horns spiraled out. In hand was a panflute that he lifted to his peach shaded lips again, and began playing the energetic tune again, after introducing himself, "The name's Ilias. Now, may I ask who you are?"
Compelled to answer, I replied, "Heart."
Why were my legs itching so much again? Better yet, why was I now walking over to this stranger?
"Easy, my dear, don't be afraid," he then insisted when he saw my resisting of trying to pause in my steps, "I only wish to help ease that pain lingering in you."
"You...you can sense that?" I inquired.
He gave a nod while he played on. Seeing he had my curiosity, he paused and said, "I believe sensing that anguish is what drew me to you when you both entered my lovely dwelling. I wondered what poor creature could be feeling such pain in my domain?"
When I winced at the word creature, he quickly said, "Fret not, I only mean that I was unaware a person was feeling that pain. My home consists of wild animals and abundant plant life, as you can see for yourself."
He would gesture to a swiftly flying by bird overhead, it's exotic feather pattern catching blending with the bath of twilight the forest was still held in.
"Would you like to see more of it?" he asked while playing briefly again on his flute, spurring me to follow behind him.
"May I?" I asked, pausing briefly to look back as I remembered my still sleeping friend.
"He will be just fine, this spot is protected from any wandering beasts," he assured before continuing his song.
I found I didn't wish to decline his invitation, and thus continued to follow after him. As we walked along, wisps of light would float in and out of sight, guiding us down the path. Occasionally I would hear some manner of creature shifting in the leaves and grass around us, or birds calling out softly to one another. Especially as we passed through with his song still playing. With me barely hearing him whisper between the pitches played, "Now, let's start with some changes?"
Yet as we did, I would feel that itching in my legs continuing all the way down to my ankles, and I would eventually kick off my boots along the way. Then glancing down, I would pause with a rush of horror as I found my feet to be hooves once again. Though before I could cry out at all, he turned and said, his voice swift and sweet as he did, "Don't be afraid, my beautiful muse. You'll get used to them."
Why was that comforting to hear? His tune continued, convincing me further. This one quite lovely as it seemed to wrap around me in it's soothing melody. Again the pain lingering in my joints and bones would wash away. So much so, that I didn't notice him saying, "Let's add a pair of fetching horns?" As my own began to spiral out from my head.
"A lovely fawn might like having a tail?" he added as one not unlike a deer's emerged from my tailbone.
"Nearly done now," he whispered with a smile as he played on.
The tunic I'd been wearing felt constricting as I tried to slip it off, to replace it with a more natural in style top. One of leaves to hide my chest, along with my hair as I pulled it loose of the ribbon Duke had gifted me. Yet rather than letting that fall to the floor with my tunic and boots, I held it in the palm of my hand. Vague bewilderment caused me to pause and look at the simple white bit of silk. Instead of discarding it, I tucked it into the belt I still wore with my leggings and over-skirt.
"Quite beautiful," he remarked with a flute-less whistle chasing these words.
I thought back to the other night, as Duke's own similar remark echoed in my head. Yet it wasn't enough to make me turn back it seemed. Not as Ilias continued to play, gesturing for me to draw nearer with his free hand. There we stood beside a crystal clear lake, mirroring the twilight shaded heavens above. As I stepped up to him, he took me by the hand, and began pulling me close to him.
"I've been rather lonely," he then said, causing my heart to suddenly race, "When I saw you, I thought perhaps that could finally change?"
"I...I can't stay here," I tried to remember, realizing I couldn't think of as to why that was.
He gave a bit of a smile as he seemed to notice this, "Why is that, dear Heart? What binds you to a world that inflicted such horror and pain onto you?"
"I'm on a quest...I believe?" I attempted, fighting through the trance I couldn't seem to fully break through.
"Perhaps you were on a journey to bring us together? Crossing through the gateway even to reach me?" he ventured with a bit of a smirk crossing his lips, as he slid his hand from my hand to my back, "Why fight fate that's brought us together?"
He pulled me closer to him, letting his panflute drop to his chest, tied to the necklace holding it in place for him. Both hands at my hips now as he mused, "This form suits you nicely, doesn't it? It's as though you were meant to be one of my kind, perhaps to bind us together?"
"This isn't...You're not...?"
"I'm not going to hurt you," he assured while drawing closer to me, "We can be together, and you will be happy here in this new home, and with me."
A sudden alarm ripped through me as he slid his hand to my chin and drew even closer to me. Despite his charm, the disconnection I felt looking into his green eyes snapped me from the trance I'd been under.
"Please, let go!" I said while quickly pushing him away from me.
His other hand held my arm in a tight grip as he tried to insist, "My dear, what ever is the matter? Don't you want to be taken away from the pain of the outside world?"
He began playing his song, humming it as he brushed a hand along my hair, causing me to ease in my fight against him. Though some fear lingered in my eyes it seemed, for he then said more gently, "We'll take it slowly then?"
He began leading me further along the path, into a field of flowers. Their fragrance wrapped around us, making my memories hazy as I tried to remember...who was I with...before...?
Yet the pain of a recent bad memory made it easy to want to forget. It made me want to hear him say, "You are quite lovely."
I'd been walking along for quite a while, looking about in the dark of an ever lasting night it seemed. The moon above was full, guiding me in my search for a job it seemed. Though I didn't recognize the city I was in at all. Perhaps it was a new town to spread my name in? A good thief needed to keep his reputation, after all?
I quickly shook my head, refocusing quickly, "That's not...what I'm lookin' for, is it?"
Then, in the distance, I would find a mansion that seemed oddly familiar, but wasn't at the same time. It were as though two manors had merged into one building. A sense of curiosity tugged at me as I looked for a way in, eventually climbing my way up along the outside wall and to the balcony. Hopping over the stone carved rail, I looked ahead to see an open door to the inside room, with a veil of sheer curtains serving as a thin barrier. From within, I could hear two feminine voices, one teasing the other about something. While the other tried to insist that something wasn't so?
Though as I stepped forward, pushing aside the left curtain out of driving curiosity, I would find Heart alone. Dressed in the gown she'd worn the night of the ball.
"Heart?" I ventured, causing her to turn around to face me.
"Duke? What are you doing here?"
"I..." what could I tell her?
Standing before her now, I knelt down at the foot of her dress. Gazing up at the woman draped in velvet, meeting with her eyes of sapphire, I could feel my heart pounding against my chest.
"Lady Heart, I only wish to see ya smile," I finally said to her, trying to shove aside what I really wanted.
It wasn't my place to say more.
"Is that really all that you want?" she asked.
As I nodded my head, she would cause me to pause as she spoke, "It isn't really."
Unsure of what to say to her, I tried to leave. Getting up and heading back to the balcony, I was thrown off when Heart grabbed a hold of my hand. Looking back at her, I would find Heart dressed in her Black Viper attire.
"Lady Heart?"
"I asked you to just use my name, please?" she reminded me with a cheerful smile on her face.
"Heart, it's how I should treat ya," I protested, "With or without your crown."
Like clock work, her cheeks were touched with a deep pink from my remark. Yet she remained holding my hand. Finally she requested, "I want to adventure with you, under the moonlight, please? Like we did when we met?"
"Isn't your place here?" I questioned in surprise.
"I want to be with you," she replied, her voice and expression sincere.
My heart skipped at these genuine words, and I turned to face her. Her hand still in mine, I rested the other against her cheek. Brushing the hair, that had slipped loose of her ribbon, out of her eyes, I couldn't help but draw nearer to her.
"Heart, I lov-"
Yet then I paused just before our lips met, stopping my confession before I could reach too far.
"Duke?" she asked, "What's wrong? Don't you want to be together?"
"I want this, more than anythin' I've ever sought after an' stolen. I want to be with ya; but this dream...it can't happen like this," I told her as the room began to shift and form into a prison of some sort.
Turning around quickly on my heel, I would see an iron cell door slam shut before me. Locking in place, with Heart on the other side.
"I guess this is a better place for a thief, isn't it?" she said in a cruel tone while stepping back from me a bit as I reached through the bars to her.
"Heart?" I asked in alarm, not bothering to try and get free for some reason.
"You could have been trapped within a far sweeter dream. Why change it, I wonder?" a voice echoed through with a snickering curiosity.
I'd already begun working on the lock as Heart now had vanished from sight. At the question, however, I gave a brief pause and said, "It's crueler to be trapped in a lie, no matter how appealin' it is."
"Reality can cut so much deeper," the much older voice mused, "Just dream on, and I will take good care of you."
"I can't, I gave my word to look after her," I insisted as I heard a sudden click, and the door sprang open as if never locked.
I darted after where Heart had gone, finding the balcony to be a straight shot down a cliff-side. The palace gone behind me, I looked ahead to see the draconic blooded woman across the divide.
"Here, you can have what you want. If you push any further, you'll lose this chance," the voice warned as I turned around to give myself a running start.
"I would always know I didn't really have her," I stated softly, before darting forward and taking that leap.
I narrowly caught the ledge on the other side, and was able to climb up onto it. By now Heart had continued to run down the path, but was still in view.
"So then why chase after her like this?" the voice taunted as I continued on, as Heart went further and further from reach at first.
Running after her though, I found it easy to catch up. Then reaching out, I managed to grab a hold of her hand, bringing us both to a sudden pause. For she quickly looked back at me, her expression lost and afraid it seemed. Uncertainty clouded those sapphires of hers. As though she weren't sure what it was I was about to say or do. A pained sigh escaped through my teeth while I looked over her, before pulling her into my arms. Was that relief in her eyes as I did this?
"'Cause she's the key to escapin' this," I said as I hugged her tight, my eye closing as I did.
"Interesting...?" a far more youthful voice mused in my head.
Then my eye snapped open, and I found myself sitting up wide awake near the fire of our camp space.
"Heart?" I asked while looking around for her in vain.
"I told you, reality can cut much deeper than the sweet dream you could have had," a voice hissed out at me, "Go back to sleep, and you won't have to face it!"
Quite alert now, I was able to roll out of the way in time as a set of claws struck at me from the nowhere. I'd heard the steps drawing near through the grass, but couldn't see the owner of them. As I maneuvered out of the way, I hopped up to my feet and drew my rapier in a quick action.
"Where's Heart?" I demanded.
"By now, she's deep into the Feywild with my son," she snickered, "Such a pretty little thing, he had to have her. So I promised to do what I could about you to give him what he wants."
"Now," she beckoned with a wicked cackle in her throat, "Sleep, and I will spare you the pain to come from breaking your word."
She would drop her invisibility, and give me a glimpse of what I was dealing with. A hideous, gaunt woman with ragged white hair, goat-like horns protruding from her forehead, and wicked green eyes glowing in the darkness around us, stood before me. A greedy smile crossed her lips, showing that she was missing teeth, but this wouldn't be a problem as the ones she had were quite sharp if she were to bite into me.
"Don't worry about your companion. When my son grows bored with her, he'll make her into a lovely statue in his favorite spot in the forest, making her beautiful to behold forever."
She began to chant in a language unfamiliar to me. I shook my head, trying to fight the spell as it attempted to hold me in it's overwhelming grasp. My stance grew shaky as I fought to stand. Then, with my rapier in hand, I did all I could think to do. Holding it up over my forearm, I gave a single swift motion, cutting into the top of it a bit. The sudden pain snapped me to attention, enough to enable me to start running. As I did, I would begin following the articles of Heart's attire, along with swiping up our packs as I darted by them.
Behind me, I would hear the hag giving out a yowling cackle. This was followed by something far smaller swiftly giving chase, but I didn't turn around to look. I knew there was little time to waste as I tried to find Heart, hoping I wasn't too late.
I'd followed Ilias to a garden of wild flowers deep into the woods. The trees around it stood like a thick fence for the large field in the center of this already vast forest. The satyr stood at the edge beside one of the trees, pausing the tune he'd been playing. While I looked over the seemingly countless variety of vibrant colored flowers at our feet.
When he gave a pause to his song, I turned to face him. He was reaching up to one of the branches to retrieve a large, white flower. With it in hand, he gracefully walked over to me. Sweeping it into my hair, he said, "Beautiful."
He then took me by the hand again, pulling me closer to him once more, "Now then, let's try this again?"
"Ilias," I managed to try and push back again, at least in words, "You hardly know who I am?"
"That doesn't matter. Why fight it so?" he asked, "As soon as I saw you, and felt that pain, I knew I wanted to free you of it. Stay here with me, and I'll make you quite happy."
Yet still I pushed against him, my hand pressing against his chest to try and hold him back with some shred of my senses in tact, "I can't stay here."
"Do you want to go back to that realm outside? Treated like a monster, or even a beast to be kept in a pen?" he then questioned a bit sharply, "Remain here, and no one will inflict such cruelty on you again."
My will began to waver as he forced me to look up into his eyes, humming his song again to ease my attempts to fight back. Then he said more calmly, "Don't fight it. Stay here, and I will keep you content and lovely to behold."
Yet as he said this, we would both hear a rustling from down the path we'd walked. Something was drawing closer, and quickly. Ilias then pulled me against him with one arm, and played a quick note into his panflute as well.
"What are you-?"
"I am merely protecting you from whatever may be out there," he assured me.
"Now, where were we?" he then mused while cupping my chin with his hand, and starting to lean forward, "Ah, yes."
My head swam with an odd calm this time, with some part of me briefly trying to wake up from the trance. Then again, why fight it? Why go back to the nightmares the outside realm had put me through thus far? Wait...what nightmares? All I knew...was that I was here now, with Ilias drawing closer and closer to me.
"That's better," he whispered just before closing the distance between us.
Suddenly, before our lips could touch, we would hear the sharp groan of a voice calling out. Turning to look, I would see a figure stumbling to the ground, out from the barrier of thick trees. With this, everything came rushing back as I quickly recognized, "Duke?!"
He looked up from me calling out to him, pulling away from Ilias this time, and hurrying over to my companion. Though as I drew nearer to him, I would quickly notice him holding his arm that he'd been trying to bandage, and his teeth gritted in pain.
"What happened?" I asked while looking over his arm.
Then...I would also notice the punctures in his leggings, and the two small holes in his right leg.
"Heart, I want ya to run," he tried to insist through his gritted teeth.
"I'm not leaving you here!" I pushed back in growing alarm.
"You were supposed to enjoy a dream filled sleep, my friend," Ilias hissed, "That way you wouldn't be able to interrupt us!"
It was now that Duke noticed my new fawn like features. He let out a bit of a scoff at the satyr, "You're blind if ya think ya had to change Heart to make her beautiful."
"I was just making her better suited for staying here-"
"She isn't stayin' here!" Duke snapped through his gritted teeth as he kept his hand clamped over the wound on his arm, "Heart, run!"
"Not without you!" I insisted while trying to help him to his feet.
"You wish to travel back out into that cruel world?" Ilias mocked from behind me, "You would forsake my gifts and touch? And for what?!"
Yet I was paying little attention to his words, as I saw the pain Duke was hiding in his remaining eye. Still I tried to help him up, slipping my shoulder under his arm to give the support he needed to keep off that leg. However, with being this close to him, I could see the sweat upon his brow to show that the venom was starting to run through him.
"Heart...jus' run..."
"I won't leave you here to die!" I snapped while looking to Ilias now, "Please, let us go!"
The fury and confusion in his eyes, met with mine now filled with determination as I pressed on, "I can't stay here...no matter how beautiful it is. We have our home to keep safe. You must understand that at least?"
I knew there was a slim chance of this plea reaching the satyr, but we had little choice but to try.
"If I wait it out, he'll be gone, and I can keep you here," he mentioned.
"If he dies, I can't say what will happen," I warned, my tone firm and tense as I made sure Duke didn't slip from my grip, "but you will not get the outcome you think you will."
To add to this, I conjured up shocking grasp, being sure to not let it strike my friend in it's fierce warning to the satyr. He backed up in a bit of alarm.
"You could even try and kill me, but you will not keep me!" I promised.
"This is getting boring," he said while rolling his eyes, "I made you so beautiful, offered myself to you, tried to provide you with a sanctuary away from all the anguish you've suffered, including the memories that weighed you down. Yet you scorn my gifts!"
He grew angrier with every bit, until finally waving his hand towards me, "I don't want a creature such as you among my flowers anymore! You've forsaken my realm, and thus I will forsake you!"
I would nearly stumble as my hooves became bare feet once more. My horns receded, along with my fawn-like tail. I shivered a bit now from only the vest and my hair hiding my chest now.
"What a hideous creature you are now to me!" he scoffed, but I hardly cared at this point.
"Hideous, you say? I think they're sorta cute!" an excited voice chimed in abruptly.
By now the hag mother had caught up to us, and was beginning to try and weave her next spell. I gripped Duke's hand tightly to keep him from slipping out of my support. Electricity sparked around me in warning.
"I will have both of you enslaved in my dreamstones, but not before allowing you to see the beautiful dreams you once had turned into wonderful nightmares!" the crone cackled while weaving her hands with her magic.
"Let her go!" Duke attempted, "Take me if ya want, but let Heart go free!"
She paused for a moment, "What was that?"
"Ya heard me..." he pushed, but I didn't let him step away, "I...I can be a slave for ya, serve ya...jus' let Heart go to save our home."
"I shall never understand these odd whims of such beings," the satyr said while rolling his eyes, "Why offer yourself up so willingly, especially for something barely worth looking at-"
"Shut up!" Duke snapped when he felt me wince at this.
The satyr raised a brow at this, but closed his mouth all the same.
"Duke, I'm not leaving you here!" I then stated firmly while looking up at him.
"Don't worry, you won't be!" the witch then snickered, "I'm not in the business of making such bargains. Why settle for one slave when I can have you both?"
She began uttering the chant to try and put us to sleep. Duke, giving a sharp groan through the pain racing through him, started to shove me back behind him.
Yet before either of us could make a move, whether us or them, a gleaming light would nearly blind us as it shone from above us. Before we realized it was being focused and shot down to the Earth we stood on! Or rather, Duke and I realized, where the satyr and his mother stood. Causing them both to cry and out try to flee. The hag in particular, began to screech in pained horror as the light seemed to seer her very flesh. Much like had the shadow before had reacted to radiant energy.
While they tried to run, Duke and I could only brace ourselves for whatever happened next. Duke couldn't run, and I refused to without him. Energy sparked around me still in warning, before I heard the voice from a few moments ago ask,
"Surely, we can settle this without violence, can't we?"
"Who's there?" I asked while scanning the grove, and then the sky above.
I would just catch the sight of a glimmering wing darting over the moon's face, before vanishing. Before I could look a bit closer, Duke's hand slipped as his form grew heavy from the pain and fatigue washing over him. I just managed to slow his fall to keep him from hitting his head onto the ground, as I knelt in time for my lap to save him from this.
"Duke?!" I called to him urgently, "Duke, stay with me!"
He looked up at me, his voice weakened, but quite clear, "He's a blind cretin."
"It's fine," I insisted while trying to think of a way to help him as we remained there in that open field kissed by the moonlight.
Duke's skin tone had grown a bit pale from his body trying to fend off the poison running through his system now, and I would feel the fever rising in him when I placed a hand against his forehead. By now I'd cleaned and bandaged the wound on his arm, but while doing so I could feel how weak he was growing.
"Hang on!" I pleaded when I saw him fading from consciousness, "Duke, please!"
"Sorry...but at least I was able...to reach ya in time..." he attempted a tired smile.
"No! Don't you dare give up!" I snapped now, not daring to break down as I scoured our packs for that book from Buttercup.
Finding it, I began flipping through it's pages just as quickly, scanning it for anything that could help. Many curing plants were simply not available to us, and we were still a ways from any town we could buy them from. Until...I neared the end of the book, and found something quite odd. Reading it aloud, my heart began to race, "Lady Moira showed this to me once, due to it's rarity. A potent blossom with a healing nature. It's found in a realm said to be difficult to reach, making them hard to come by. If one is lucky enough to acquire such a plant, and is in need, all one need do is eat these petals to cure the injected venom or poison."
My eyes went wide as I pulled the flower from my hair and compared it to the sketch on the parchment. It's slender petals were an exact match, and the colors described in scribbled notes seemed to as well. With this, I quickly began plucking the pieces to bring over to him.
By this point, Duke's breathing was growing shallow as he fought to stay awake, focusing his strength on simply doing just that.
"Here," I offered quickly while feeding him one of the petals.
He gritted his teeth a bit at the taste of it, but swallowed them one by one as directed, "That's it, just hang on...please, don't..."
With the last petal gone, it then became a waiting game. By now, Duke's fever was spiking higher, and his breathing was in short gasps. I feared it was too late, even with the flower. All I could think to do was hold onto his chilled to the touch hand, and stay alert at his side.
"Duke, I'm sorry...I should have fought him back at the campsite. If I'd been able to ignore his song, you would be okay now...how can I save our home when I can't even make sure you're not hurt through all of this?"
"Shh...it's okay, Heart..." Duke whispered while looking up at me through the sliver of an opening of his remaining eye.
"This isn't okay!" I insisted, "I failed you, and you're the one paying for-"
"Like ya did for me?" he mentioned in a soft, but clearly heard voice.
When I fell silent at this reminder, I would feel him attempting to squeeze my hand with the one I was holding. Then he whispered, "He was very wrong,...Heart..."
"What?" I stammered as I looked over him, brushing his hair of his face to try and bring him some comfort.
His answer was a sweet smile as he looked to me, before giving in and closing his eye. When he did this, I tried in vain to call him back, "Duke? Duke, please! Don't leave!"
Holding onto him, I could feel a warmth lingering in him. So I carefully shifted him to where his head could rest in my lap. With the fire going beside us, I continued to hold onto him, praying for him to be okay, "Please...don't leave...!"
Several hours would pass, and the only response I got was his weak gasps of breath, and his body trembling as he fought. By now I'd pulled a blanket up over both of us, but kept it to where he wasn't overheating from his fever. I kept a cold cloth on his head to try and help him with this. Though exhaustion of my own was taking it's toll.
It was now that I felt a wave of drowsiness washing over me, no matter how I fought to stay awake. I couldn't close my eyes! If I did, his may never open again! He needed me! Yet try as I might, my eyelids grew too heavy to keep open, and I at last fell asleep.
"What an oddly stubborn girl?" the voice from before mused as I looked around.
I found myself in a sea of spiraling fog, trying in vain to part it so I could see where it was I was headed. Urgency shot through me when I realized I was alone, "Duke?! Duke, where are you?!"
"H-Heart?" his voice called out through the fog, causing me to run forward.
"Don't leave! I'm coming!" I begged.
Yet rather than the field we'd been in, I found an oddly glowing surface at my feet as I broke through the thick mists. Looking down to try and get an idea of what I was standing on, I would see my feet slightly sinking into the sand-like terrain I found myself in. Trying to step away, I found it only worsened. Until I was dragged down from the waist down! Again I thought I heard him calling me, and attempted to claw my way out. Until I found myself pulled in up to my shoulders.
"No! I can't give up! I have to save him!" I pleaded to no one.
"Wouldn't it have been easier to be with that fey?" she now asked me.
"Of course not!" I insisted.
"You could have forgotten the troubles back home, the pain you've endured, and those that dealt it to you," she pointed out.
"That doesn't mean I'd have been free of it all. Either way, I can't just forget it all. I have to save my home, I have to be there for my people!" I pushed back.
"Including this rogue you're trying so hard to save?" she asked.
"Yes," I answered before being swallowed by that sand, and then suddenly dropped to the space beneath it.
Landing in a heap of more sand, I coughed a bit to keep the particles from being injested by mistake. Then looking around, I found that I was within an odd cavern full of countless, but rather strange treasures. Yet despite all of them, what caught my attention so quickly, was Duke as he lie catching his breath while leaning back against a pile of pale silver. Immediately running over to him, I pulled him against me, allowing his head to rest against my chest as I tried to warm him somehow. As soon as I'd touched him, I'd vaguely noticed the world around is growing distorted briefly. Before stabilizing itself.
"Stay with me?" I begged the thief in my arms.
"Heart..."
A piercing gleam of light caught our attention, as we looked up to see an odd statue placed towards the center of the room. Beside it was a very pale skinned woman dressed in sheer materials that were draped over her in a mermaid styled gown. Her long platinum white hair was flowing over her shoulder in an endless waterfall fashion. In patches of her unearthly white skin were pearl like scales that caught the light that seemed to come from nowhere around us.
"Who are you?" I asked shakily.
"First," she began while gesturing towards the statue, "Tell me, how do they look to you?"
Looking upon the statue of the fairy like fae before us, I would see widened eyes with a closed set of lips trying not to quiver from shock.
"They...they're very much afraid," I replied, before looking back to Duke, and felt myself trying not to match the statue in it's expression.
"I see...?" she turned to Duke, "And you?"
"Please, he needs to save his strength," I pleaded, only for her to ask him again.
This time Duke, rested his hand over mine as he assured, "It's okay, Heart."
Then he looked up at the same statue, and answered softly after a long moment or so of studying it, "I see hope."
"Hope? Even as you lie there in your possible dream of death?" she questioned with a raised delicate brow.
"I've never been that predicatable," he chuckled weakly.
"As that hag learned," she replied, "You could have remained there in that sweet dream she was giving you."
"What fun would there be in that?" Duke asked, before allowing his head to rest against my chest again.
"How is it that we see different things in the same face?" I asked while looking up at the statue, only to see what I had before.
"I wonder how that is as well," she replied while walking up to us, "Such interesting creatures? Such high resolves, yet so delicate, especially if one threatens the other. Yet the resolve to keep a certain distance is stronger still?"
"A certain distance?" I asked.
"This thief, he admits to what he wants in his most vulnerable state, that of his dream, and yet he still pushed on to deny himself that happiness?" she somewhat explained, "Beings of the mortal plain are so befuddling."
"And then you, you could have let everything go, and yet here you are now with him dying in your arms?"
"Please, help me save him!" I suddenly begged, "Whoever you are, you must be able to do something!"
"You're quite bold to request such things without proper introductions!" she laughed a little in a surprised response, "Then again, I guess I'm like that too,-! Ooh, what's that?"
She was looking at the ribbon in my hair, "It's quite pretty! Is it to be part of your hoard?"
"My hoard?" I asked in bewilderment.
"You're a dragon, so you must have a hoard, or will have one!" she blurted out.
I shook my head, "Not that I know of?"
"Again, very strange!" she couldn't help but comment, before looking over at Duke as he tried to breath, "Both of you."
"You're a dragon too, aren't you?" I realized while taking in the sight of her scales.
"Hehe! I sure am!" she giggled while slipping around us and emerging from our other side in her true form.
Standing beside us, now looming over Duke and I, was a glistening scaled moonstone dragon. Her slender, elegant beauty was of the legends many poets and songwriters would gain inspiration from in their dreams. She was as otherworldly as her lair we were sitting within. She was awe inspiring indeed, after all these years of imagining a moment like this. Yet it was clouded by the very real fear overwhelming me.
"Why did you bring us here?" I asked now.
"I was simply curious," she replied with a bit of a shrug.
"Where is here?" I inquired next while looking to see the shifting tunnels changing here and there, but the central chamber remained the same.
"The plane of dreams, my domain," she replied with some pride in her tone, "I can travel as I please to the dreams of others, and bring back very unique treasures to add to my collection. Important things dreamed of throughout the planes, whether they exist in the physical plane or not."
"Wait, how are we here then?"
"I invited you here so I could feed my curiosity," she answered as though it were obvious, "I wanted to see what drives such off motivations. Why endure the pain when it would be easier to let go and forget? Why continue being so close to somone you are to keep a distance from?"
The world began to falter around us again as she said the last part. Infact, the very plane began to crumble, and yet remained stable where she stood.
"What's happening?" I asked.
"His part of the dream is fading," she stated calmly, "his final dream."
"No!" I begged while looking to Duke, "No, please! Don't leave! Your gang needs you to come back! I need you! Please!"
Yet the realm continued to grow unstable, no matter how I clutched his now still form against me.
"...Heart...?" he replied weakly, before his eye closed.
"Duke!" I pleaded to no avail this time.
"Still so odd..." the dragon mused while looking us over, "I'd have thought he would have taken his chance. Still he clings to his resolve like this?"
"What do you mean?" I questioned shakily.
"I was curious what he would do when confronted in a true dream with you. A shared dream. Yet even this part of him was weakened, perhaps a part of her spell began to affect him before I intervened?"
I thought back to when Duke had pushed me behind him while the hag cast her spell.
"She must have placed a curse upon him to weaken him here as well. It makes it easier to claim one into a dreamstone," the dragon explained.
"He was still trying to save me...?" I said while trying to keep him with me.
"Odd, isn't it?"
"Please, there must be something you can do!" I pleaded as his form grew icy to the touch, and his breathing slowed...until it stopped!
Pulling away just slightly from hugging him so close, I would find him looking up at me, but not moving.
"Duke?!" I exclaimed in vain.
"Wake up! Please!" I screamed, "Duke!"
"How curious?" she observed us still.
"Please! You must know some way to save him!" I begged her, "I've believed in the magic of our kind far longer than I knew I had any of it! There must be something you can do!"
"Such a bold dragonling," she commented, "though I'd be lying if I said I didn't understand to some degree. Even dragons understand such fleeting sensations such as these, companionship, fear, loss."
I looked over my companion, gently closing his eye before hugging him close to me as I wept. There wasn't a spell that I knew of that could save him, none that I'd learned. We were too far away from anyone else that may have been able to help. Had I fed him the wrong flower? Had I not gotten it in him in time? Either way, I could feel my dearest friend slipping away from me.
"Please..." I begged, not realizing that the dragon was drawing nearer.
She rested herself beside us, and cast a veil like wing over the two of us. Tears blurred my vision as I looked up at her briefly. The tunneled view would blend the light emerging around us with the more solid shapes I tried to make out. Then I gazed over him again, until my blurring vision darkened in a breaking apart dream. Only vaguely did I hear in my head,
"Revivify."
As morning broke the blanket of a starlit night above, I would still be holding onto him in a desperate attempt to keep him from slipping away. Opening my eyes, I would find that we were no longer in the open field of flowers, but now on the coast of a moonlit beach just outside of a town.
Only vaguely, did I realize he wasn't gasping for breath anymore, making me look over him again. His eye was still closed as I attempted, "Duke?"
When he didn't answer, I ran my hand against his forehead and through his premature white streak of bangs, feeling that his fever had gone down. In fact, he was rather cool to the touch. His hand I'd been holding, had held mine in turn through the night, but now his grip had weakened as well.
"...No...!...please no..." I begged while hugging him against me now, breaking down as I feared we'd been too late, "Not you too..."
"...I'm not goin' to leave ya...Heart..." his voice struck my core swiftly with it's warmth, causing me to gaze down over him with widened blue eyes.
"Duke?!" I exclaimed in near disbelief.
"...Hey...sweetheart..." he confirmed as he opened his eye to meet my own.
At this, I couldn't help but hug him tight, accidentally nearly strangling him as I was still holding his head in my lap, "I thought I'd lost you too!"
He reached up a shaky hand to my cheek, brushing away the tears that were escaping there, as he shook his head and said, "Nah...I gave my word to look after ya, an' I will. Leavin' ya alone jus' wasn't an option..."
I attempted to wipe away my tears, but this was in vain, still holding onto my dear friend... realizing more and more just why I'd been so afraid of losing him; and yet was too afraid to admit it, at least in words.
