Dilwen wasn't sure what to think of the sphinx walking around her slowly in a circle, as though to examine a strange specimen the other couldn't quite comprehend. She was only a little unnerved though by this.
"The storm wants to tell you your real name, Dilwen. Dilwen is your real name." the sphinx had told her, while looking at her with huge golden cat eyes. She then said it may not be the same one as at her birth, or her 'hatching' as the creature put it. Dilwen chose not to comment that humans and pretty much all humanoid races for that matter were not born from an egg, but rather their mother's womb. Instead the storm mage just walked on silently with the sphinx, taking the time to contemplate what she could.
The storm above could not harm either of them even if it struck, as this place only existed in the mind and subconscious understandings, a surreal sort of mirror image, yet not. The two tread on ground that was uncertain to both, the feeling of sadness and loss only getting stronger as they went onward into the gray nothing. Something had happened here, there was no doubt. The question was what, and why.
Looking down at her gown, Dilwen knew it too was just a figment of this place, and not real. This fact was further proven because it bore no dirt or stains on the bottom edges of it or anywhere else for that matter. It remained as pristine as ever. Sitting by Tanglemane's side, she got as comfortable as she could on the hard ground, and began speaking of her parents and her childhood. "My parents are very loving, they allowed me to do many things as I grew older. They taught me the basics that every Serenian should know. I was given an education, reading many a book on various topics. Subjects of math, history, culture, economy, reading and writing, literature, and other things as well. They taught me much about what I needed to know, what I needed to become a successful member of society. I had a mentor who taught me how to control and hone my magics, as well as a few friends and acquaintances too. It was a happy, normal Serenian life and I knew of no other way to be. Still, I wondered about that missing piece of my life, whether it was during happy times, sad times or somewhere in between, I would wonder all the same. The dream, this dream makes it so I cannot ever forget. Even though I never knew what it was to begin with." Dilwen paused for a second as she thought of what else to say.
"As I became of age, my parents wished for me to find someone to settle down with, but so far I haven't found anyone I can connect with on that level. It is like part of me is of the mortal plane while the other part of me is from somewhere else. But not the same as the fey peoples that my countrymen and women are descended from. So for now, I am content to just live my life and seek out what I can. Whether it will lead anywhere, I do not know."
They walked along some more and Dilwen sighed to herself. At least she had someone to talk to here.
"Daughter... Dilwen, honey..." A surreal voice from within Dilwen's mind spoke then, and she started, confused, looking around for the source of the voice. It sounded female to her, and the fact that it called her daughter made her wonder if her birth mother was here somewhere. However she saw nothing and no one, just her and Tanglemane walking alongside the other, the rock and dark clouds the only thing besides them present here.
Looking at her companion, she asked her if the sphinx too had heard the voice, although Dilwen somehow doubted it. It wasn't purely an external voice, but rather it seemed to come from both inside her as well as the stormy clouds above. "Did...did you hear that? A voice, calling out to me."
Listening again, she could hear the voice saying something faintly, but she couldn't understand what it was. Then all went quiet again and Dilwen frowned at this. "I don't understand!" she called out.
No answer.
Frowning again, she turned back to Tanglemane. "There's someone here, but I don't know where. I think...I think it is my mother..."
"I love you..." Then silence came, and the voice was heard no more after that.