Gainel stood with hands clasped behind him and head bowed. He arranged and ran through the dreams of the mortals below him, giving them the warped view of their daily lives, wishes and thoughts. A nightmare there, a running dream there, an erotic dream over there; dream after dream, floating and flowing through all those who slept deeply enough for his influence.
He heard his sister approaching slowly and lifted his head to watch Shakith. To him, she was beautiful and magnificent, wise and gentle. She knew the future better than all her divine siblings and she served them dutifully so that their plans for the mortals may be carried out. They lived in almost two different worlds, but despite that, he still loved her.
"Irnai?" she called out. Her voice was high and pure, lovely in its clarity. Her staff sunk in sand and she stopped. "Where are we, Gainel?"
"A beach, Shakith. With an ocean and sunlight, and a rainforest. Can you not hear the waves and the birds singing?" As the wordscame to his mindthe world around them formed completely and sound burst forth from nothingness.
She smiled, becoming a radiant picture of loveliness. "How you tease me. Those sounds were not there before." She walked swiftly across the sand toward the sound of his voice. "Where is Irnai?"
He touched her to let her know she reached him. His hand looked faded and translucent against her golden skin. "I could not bring her here; she was given a potion for dreamless sleep."
"Gainel, you're a god. A mere potion could not stop you." She frowned. "I saw that she would be here. What have you done, Gainel?"
"Shakith, we need to talk. I'm worried about you."
"Where is she? Bring her to me now, Gainel, we had an agreement. I expect you to uphold your end of the deal." She started to glow slightly like the moon shifted by clouds.
"This is not like you. Why are you so cross?" His dark eyes watched her face without expression, as always, but it made no difference to the blind Shakith. He sent his confusion through their mind connection. "You have always possessed a gentle nature," he added softly.
She slammed her staff deep into the sand. "Where is she? I need her!"
"Why don't you go down yourself and speak to her? You can leave the Divine Realms," the Dream King pointed out. Shakith clenched her staff tightly. Gainel knew of her fear of leaving the Divine Realms. Her blindness made her vulnerable in the mortal realms.
"Don't be silly, I can see it all clearly now. Weiryn's Daughter is watching over her." She began to walk away from Gainel before she twisted around. "Did you plan this with her? This isn't supposed to happen, I –"
"I wish you would speak with me, sister," Gainel interrupted.
Her staff patted the area around her before she formed the sand into a chair. She looked resigned. "Let us talk then. What have you done?"
The Dream King followed suit and formed a chair out of the sand. "You forget that I see the future sometimes too, though briefly. I caught glimpses of trouble, Irnai and you. I will not help you any further unless you care to explain." Despite the potion, Gainel entered the seer child's mind and gave her some peaceful dreams so that her fitfulness would cease.
"You know why, brother. The Black God fears I will become more powerful than he. He has petitioned to Father Universe and Mother Flame. If they believe I have not been treating the child as I should, he will take her from me." Her milky white eyes sought out his figure as if she could really see him, but soon her eyes grew tired and she stared down unseeingly at her staff. Her hands ran up and down the smooth and carved wood of the staff as though seeing every cut and knot, and her head tilted to the left.
"This is the result of your own doing, you know," Gainel said. "If you hadn't cared for her so much, he wouldn't have noticed her." He tried to make his voice gentle but it did no good.
She turned her head sharply away from him. "I know that, but he still has no right to take her from me! She's mine. My one gift from Father and Mother, and now they allow her to be taken from me? Can you do something? You have more right to her than he does. He doesn't need a messenger."
"All gods need a messenger, Shakith. Why do you think she was given to you initially? As one of the higher gods you have fallen back in favor if the people," he reminded her softly.
"I know all that!"
"But you have wasted her Gift on Elementals. What possible power could you derive from Elementals?"
She fingered her staff nervously. "More power than you realize brother…" She shook her head. "I will not explain now. But hear this: Irnai is dearer to me than my own children. We have to protect her."
Gainel shook his head sadly. "You have interfered too much. You have lost her trust."
"I was earning respect," she spat.
"And so you have it, through fear. Are you so blinded by your sight that you cannot see your own situation?"
"It is a curse all seers have," she looked more remorseful than Gainel had ever seen her. "I cannot tell you how many seers have died because of it. Please Gainel, that is why we must protect the child. She truly is a Gift. My… without my guidance and her fear of me she would become foolish, fearing nothing and it would lead to her death. As it has for so many others."
"Is that why you frighten her, to make her cautious?" He asked with wonder in his voice.
"Yes. And there is nothing like a fear of a god to make a mortal learn caution. I have seen it." She shook her head and blinked her eyes rapidly. "You may have ruined everything." She blinked again. "I can't see for certain now." Her face filled with a desperate expression, one that did not reach her blind eyes. "Death is on the line, Gainel, and it might be Irnai's. Please we must do something, a dream urging self sacrifice."
"I will not interfere with direct dreams, but I shall try my best. If the Goddess or Black God discover me, Irnai's life may be forfeit. We both know where they stand on this issue." He stood to leave then disappeared without a goodbye. As he moved away from the dream world, he heard Shakith muttering to herself.
"There is still hope left. A two in three chance of survival. Death lies in each direction. The Black God will triumph at first, but Shakith will conquer all in the end."