Oren
Prologue: The Vision
No sunlight shone down through the leaves of the Ancient Forest of Roola. The forest floor was littered with dank, damp leaf mold and other undergrowth that created a very strong musky scent that rose up off the ground and spread out through the forest, seeming to cover it with an invisible mist of scent.
The place was devoid of all creatures except two, both wore long, hooded black cloaks and judging by the thin, bushy red tails protruding from the hems of their cloaks were squirrels. They were Marldiv and Fluad, the brother and sister Keepers of Roola, for they alone had the power to protect, and a deeper understanding of the Earth and it's ways than any other creature on it.
Fluad took off her hood first and showed her brother her Keeper's necklace, it was an azure blue swirled together with aquamire green embroidered by silver and attached to a metal chain. Marldiv went next, and as he took off his hood he smiled coyly to himself and showed his sister his Keeper's necklace, it was deep amber swirled together with deep hazel brown embroidered by gold and attached to a metal chain.
It was an ancient ritual they performed so that they could recognize each other in a Meeting, like now. Marldiv had called them together to discuss the Vision he had had late last night while visiting the Realm. All he had allowed his messenger to know was only enough to pique Fluad's curiosity. He knew that that would secure a Meeting.
For one Keeper to Meet with another Keeper, even if they were brother and sister. You see, Keepers were solitary creatures born and bred, their quiet understanding of the world and others made others uneasy, this they know and so separate themselves from others as much as possible. They can meld into crowds easily, but because of their solitary nature they decide to veer away.
"What's this Vision I've been hearing about, Marldiv? And it's useless to try and hide it from me!" Fluad chided her brother sharply as she caught his sly glance and the fumbling movement of his paws behind his back. "You know the penalty of trying to hide a Vision from your fellow Keeper. Really, brother, I thought you knew better!"
Marldiv shrank a bit and his voice adopted a slight whining tone as he said, "Now, really sis. To accuse me of such a thing! It's unspeakable!" he looked so hurt and pitiful that Fluad nearly broke into all out laughter before recovering fully to apologize to him.
"Sorry M-Marldiv." She tried not to laugh openly, but couldn't help cracking a grin all the same. "Now, to the Vision?" her grin had completely disappeared from her face and a twinge of impatient eagerness had crept into her sweet young voice, though she was quite old.
"Ah. Well now, let's see, the Vision." A strange wistfulness had stole over his voice and features as he spoke.
"I was sleeping peacefully on the Normal Dream Plane, when the Door to the Realm appeared between the vine doorway. You know how it is. The Door opened to infinite blackness beyond and I, nothing else, got sucked in. two jet black eyes 'shone' straight at me in the dark.
"I can tell you, Fluad, it near scared the life right out of me, that did! And it wasn't because those eyes were black and they were shining in the dark, it was because they were familiar.
"Remember my dear old Guardian, Melchaft? of course you would! He was, after all, the son of your own dear Guardian, Meldroesa.
"Anyway, the only thing I could see was Melchaft's eyes, until they had imprinted themselves in my mind. Then they sort of loomed in my mind's eye to depart their Vision.
"Now I can't say why, but even before I saw the Vision I sort of felt it. And it was bad. I was all nerves, not really anticipating the Vision, but it happened anyway.
"A blinding flash of light, a coldness that took the breath right out of me, deeper blackness than that around me, and an earsplitting howl so full of pain and loss it was all I could do not to scream. Throughout all this, from the flash of light to the horrific howl, I heard voices. But I couldn't make 'em out, you see, there were many voices, all mashed together. Ending, as usual, with a blackout, from which I awaken on the Normal Dream Plane."
After that there stretched a long silence. Then Marldiv and Fluad looked at each other and laughed uproariously. Some creature wasn't going to find the Vision quite so funny.