Walk of Dreams

[visualspice]

tags to @MadEmperor 

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"I've... been having dreams....

... the images are vivid and bold... 

...sand falling backwards in an hour glass before it shatters at my feet and turns into a pool of blood. 

The blood then turns into two twin serpents that curl around me. 
They twist and press into my skin, curl around my throat and choke me of breath....

and then I am resting.... arms folded... and it's very cold. 
 can not open my eyes... 
and then I realize I am in a golden coffin that's floating up into the skies...."

The dreams persisted for weeks. Her scribes would be called, and they would furiously write down the Shah's words. Each day for weeks now.. the dream had been the same. Occasionally, she would see more. But the the pattern always remained.

An hour glass.

Blood.

Serpents...

and a golden coffin in the sky.

Today she had woke up screaming- afraid she was in that coffin as she threw herself out of bed and wept into her maidservants. The priests would come, as would the scribes, and they were beginning to denote each time the dreams happened.

Some nights she didn't dream at all, and those- thank Hakeshna, finally allowed her some peace.

But for the last few weeks...
It had been torture. And the dream kept moving forward, like a ship on the Niafi, the waters pulling.. moving.. always going in the same direction...

Towards the sea...

Towards the golden coffin in the sky.


Priests have been trying to puzzle over the meaning of her dream- clearly the Shah's dream had to be of some significance if she were to have it so many nights for so many weeks. Many tried to use the telling of ropes- a ceremony where priests would bind the dreamer in a series of different colored ropes and when the sleeper awoke- where she lay, what direction she was in- it all pointed to signs.. reasons.. logics that were calculated by the stars.

Her Telling made her belly grow cold when they spoke it-

That the great dual serpent Hakeshna was calling out to her to speak it's will...
And she would need to travel to the scared hot springs of O'dhavbarr.

Why did all of the rituals the priests perform point her to Hakeshna's will? Persea chewed her lip as she considered her goddess. Everything was to to the will of she. Was she doing something so wrong that the two-bodied god itself tried to communicate with her by her dreams?

So it was decided that the Shah make a pilgrimage to the hot springs of O'dhavbarr. 
And there was great fanfare on this day- a sacred pilgrimage by the Shah herself! None outside of the palace would understand the intricacies or reasons as to why the Shah was making such a journey- but it gave the city an excuse for lively music and dance, as the entire city was set to life, wishing blessings upon their Goddess as the Shah passed through the city towards the western gates.

Colorful flowers, ribbons and confetti were tossed as the entourage passed- and enthusiastic Essyrni and their children were outside ringing bells. As the procession continued, many would get down to their knees to bow in reverence to their Shah, as she sat on her cushioned chair inside her curtained palanquin. It was extravagant and ornate, featuring the lush colors of purples and golds- the colors of her kingdom, her country, her pride...

and many ornaments crowned the outside, as fan barers walked beside her, even they wearing elegant dresses or robes and were decorated in lavish gold trinkets from head to toe. None, clearly, were more grand than the Shah herself- who was wrapped in ornaments and colorful plush clothes from head to toe. Her gown was so long that it was layered well past her feet in a train her maid servants had to be on vigilant attendance of- lest the sacred clothing of their Shah become soiled on the dirts and sand.

But despite the fanfare going on inside the city, Persea was too anxious, hands fidgeting where they remained at rest to one side of her leg, the other across her lap. She was meant to sit in such a way to honor Hakeshna, and to bless the travels and keep them safe. Odd how a little thing such as the way the Shah would sit could affect their journey. Occasionally she would wonder how it possible,- but dare she question the will and might of the Gods?

She chewed on her lip, trying not to frown and keep herself in that air of indifference and serenity. It was times like this she had missed her mother.. missed her father. She had no one close to truly guide her. Sure, she had priests but...
It was not the same as those of flesh and blood, and ever since her rise to power, she felt that empty bite of mourning.

No, she needed to remain focused. She would have answers. She would. If Hakeshna was trying to communicate with her and the Telling Ropes foretold what she ought to do- then she would do it.

Perhaps it would be a good sign, nothing so ominous as what her imagination conjured up - for that she truly feared. Persea wasn't stupid enough not to see the signs of Mortality and Death from Blood... and an Hour Glass- for time... but the serpent...

That she still was uncertain.

But the coffin...
and the sky....

Was it a prophecy of her death?

She could only hope to find answers in O'dhavbarr.

[visualspice]

Part 2:

O'dhavbarr was no easy place to travel. It would take more than a day to reach the springs and find her answers. And a good portion of the trail curled around the outskirts of the desert, and could be prone to desert dangers just the same. Persea, although anxious, knew she had an impressive entourage escorting her- not unlike that of a small army. She would be safe. Would a sand storm kick up- they had double layered tents in which to wait it out, and many fan barers and maids would accompany her to ensure her comfort.

Even still, she was not much of a fan of travel, so sleep outside in the desert in such barbaric terrain. But...
Well, the Shah wanted answers to what plagued her at night.

An Hour Glass with Blood.

a golden coffin in the sky...

The day was growing late, and it was proposed they continue on for the hour so as to rest in the ideal plateaus of Ganvib. There, they would have natural barriers in case the sands rose up in storm, and shield them comfortably from the elements. The desert sun, after all, was frightfully hot, and even though she remained inside her palanquin for the duration of travel, she could still feel that desert heat- even through the gilded drapes.

When the party finally found their way to the plateaus, Persea waited comfortably as her servants and royal guard worked at constructing the camp.  They still had quite a bit of travel a head of them, the rest of it being far less comfortable, as there would be no out posts in the desert on their next three days journey through the desert, so it was discussed that they wait here and would need to take enough breaks over the next few days to get to O'dhavbarr safely.

But the Shah was still anxious- the night in Ganvib resulted in another dream- much the same but.. 
There was something more.

And it frightened her. She almost did not wish to speak it.
But as the golden coffin flew the way it did in previous dreams- a massive serpent rose up from the earth, ready to gobble the thing up whole. And when the serpent rose- it was so grand it blotted out the sun.


Persea had awoken in screams and sweat. Her attendants were immediately there to handle her, calming her and wiping her sweat slicked body down with calming sweet waters laced with perfume. It barely helped, her priests rushing over to calm as well, scribes also rushing to collect quill and ink to write down the dreams.

The priests debated if another telling was in order, but considered better of it. If her dreams were continuing to enhance as they neared the springs, then they were on the right track to finding answers. So the next day, right before the sun began to rise, the entourage broke camp and continued onto the road to  O'dhavbarr.

It was estimated to take about a week to reach the springs. And they continued on with little trouble. Not many traveled these roads, and the next establishment was a small village jut to the north of the springs, where they would elect to stay, at least in the outter shell of that oasis- but for now, they had to still traverse the long, long path that snaked beside the desert.

And as the sun was rising to high noon, calls to set up camp were sent like a wave throughout the servants, maids and escorts and their pace slowed to a halt. Persea was tired of sitting inside of her palanquin, her legs aching as she all but jumped out of the thing once her servants set it down to rest. Immediately, she was surrounded by her fan barers, and a set of women carrying parasols to protect her from the intensity of the sun.

She moved away from the main group, stepping out openly into the wide expanse of desert to her east, and paused a moment to enjoy the small breeze that lapped at the sweat upon her face. It was a dry heat, but was welcomed- as was the fresh air of the arid desert. It was dry, but she had plenty of water, carried with them all the way from the city in dried gourds and massive water bins pulled by animals.

Her servants follows along, the dry, hot sands puffing up as they walked. The sensation of sand in her sandals made her wrinkle her nose, but she'd tolerate it for the moment as she moved about to simply stretch her limbs. But as she did so.. something gaze her paused. An odd sight forming against the wavering heat of the desert's sky line.

Strange.. that looked like...


She began to hear men cursing back amongst her entourage's gathering. She frowned and looked towards them. Then a maid realized what it was and rushed closer to Persea.

"Oh great, Shah! We need to get back to the caravan! Out there,on the desert.."

Persea's eyes followed back- and now she could see the mass more clearly-
It looked like a lot of dust and...
She felt herself tense as she froze.

A sand storm. She was looking straight into the heart of a sand storm.

In a rush, she was guided back to the caravan, where servants of all kinds were rushing about, quickly erecting the tents as best they could..
Except the ground here was unforgiving, and it was hard to get any good footing to establish safe depths for the tent's poles. 

Only a few were erected before the winds suddenly swept up, the sky darkening as the storm advanced. Persea felt her heart racing anxiously as the massive swell of the storm reached up towards the sun- not unlike the great serpent from her dream.

"Great Shah.."

She was all but pulled along into the largest of tents, her few choice servants filing in behind her, along with any of the exalted priests. So it was a little over half a dozen who fit into the largest tent, while over a dozen were attempting to huddle into the other tents that got erected, while others rushed around to bind animals, cover them with heavy clothes to wait out the storm.

It was chaos, and it happened in a rush- and when it did, the sand and winds slammed into her tent side, causing the maid servants to scream in alarm. the whole thing rattled at the intensity, poles shaking at the great force.

Persea's heart was now hammering inside her ears. The sandstorm's wrath was intense, threatening every minute to tear the tent they all huddled in for safety, clean from the ground. It was wild, it was furious-
But then something else made a terrible noise within the howls of the winds- a much more hideous sound that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. And although much of the light was being suffocated by the sand storm- something moved alongside the camp in a massive silhouette....

Not unlike the snake from her dream.

A moment later, a bellowing call from a horn sounded an alarm and she could hear the sudden scurrying and cry of men. What was this? That was a battle cry! Surely...
But to her horror, she saw the massive move and strike with such fierce quickness, it froze the Shah into place.

What on earth.. what was...

A soldier suddenly dove into the tent, an explosion of wind and sand following after- he didnt' bother to fully secure the flap of the tent in his wake.

"Your greatness!" he said, face paled in fear and alarm. "We must move you to safety! A great beast attacks!"

Persea's heart sunk.
It was like the dream. The snake had come.
Numbly, she had sand robes tossed onto her, her women moving frantic for her quick supplies. And then they moved out the opposing tent flap, out into the elements, as she felt it pelt against her thick robes as she held her breath, despite being protected beneath the clothe from the elements.

She couldn't see, and had to trust the warrior was to lead them to safety. Another even joined in, flanking - from what she could hear, as the gaggle of women and priests all were ushered about within the crazy gales of the unforgiving storm.

They were moving for some time- the calls of fighting men growing more muffled int he winds-
And then another horn was wailing, and she began to hear a rushing, massive hiss over the sands. An ungodly scream came from behind her, one that she heard be carried clear into the air. What was going on? She was stumbling now, being ushered to move more quickly as the women around her all but screamed.

And then one did..
then another...
And then she could all but feel the looming shadow behind her of whatever foul beast aimed to attack them was gaining on her and her little group of huddled priests and serving girls.

And then she felt it- it sounded like a hundred swords hacking into the ground. The women and priests behind her screamed. Persea just continued to blindly run, and run and run and run against the unforgiving terrain until she realized...

Was she alone? She only heard silence and the terrifying sand clawing behind her at what she could only presume might be death to those that had fallen in their path.

No, no, no..
She had to keep running...
It was only a dream...



And then she fell, gasping as she went into a tumble- her body getting tangled into the thick clothe protecting her as she was falling down the side of a tall sand dune.

At the bottom, she lay, half exposed to the elements, while her face was eating sand. She quickly fought against the blanket, removing just enough from her face to peer up at the dune she had fallen down from-
Just in time to watch the massive moving form of a dire desert centipede gobble up a poor screaming maiden in it's thousand arm lock.

[MadEmperor]

Ghaej had weathered more storms than he could count. As such, he was quite skilled at tuning out the chaos outside of his meager tent. He was no longer fearful of what it might do, except for the nightmare scenario of being buried alive under the sand until such time as the winds released him. But as this storm neared, something unusual occurred.

Screaming.

A lot of screaming.

Against his better judgment, he pulled back the flap of his tent to investigate. Atop a dune in the near distance, he spotted the cause. The silhouette of a dire centipede thrashed within the storm. He watched as a person emerged from the whirling sand and rolled down the tall dune. Then another emerged, but was immediately followed by the massive arthropod, which pulled them screaming into it's snapping maw.

Normally, he would do nothing. If Hakeshna willed it to be their time, then so be it. Who was he, a cursed, forsaken soul, to interfere? But something was different about the one on the cusp of escaping the horror. Perhaps it was something about her clothes, for now he was certain they were at least dressed like a woman, that led him to suspect she was someone who was too important to allow to die. Or perhaps he was simply lonely enough that any social contact would do.

He rushed to his Kaadir, which was secured on the leeward side of his tent, and quickly freed her. He made a clicking sound with his tongue, and she rose. "Come, Luna, there is work to be done."

He smoothly mounted his one true companion and got her moving. Swift as the wind, he rode towards the fallen woman, praying to the gods that he would make it in time.

[visualspice]

Her instincts were screaming for her to run. But she remained, frozen in shock as the massive beast rolled after another person who attacked its flank. It's massive body rolled as each set of legs moved to trample over top of its prey, snapping its jaws towards the man as it stabbed upward with a spear.

Was this meant to be a foretelling from her dream? This massive beast was no snake. Her dream definitely had that beast preserved in obvious detail inside her head. But the way it had appeared....

[MadEmperor]

Finally near, the masked man leaped from his Kaadir. Commanding it to keep its distance, he left it and rushed to the woman's side. Now that he had a closer look, he couldn't help but note the opulence of her attire. Surely she couldn't be... No, what would be the odds of that?

Kneeling slightly, he held out a gloved hand. She might note that his arm is wrapped in bandages. "Please forgive the lack of etiquette, but it seems the situation is rather urgent. Surely we can forego formalities and beat a hasty retreat?" he asked, his voice deep and dignified.

[visualspice]

Persea just gaped at the man. He wasn't one of her men from the entourage.. was he? She had been bored enough she thought she knew them all... however...

She hesitated, hand reaching out for his- when she began to make a peculiar expression at his mask when her eyes went past him and they widened suddenly as she screamed. 

The massive beast was heading straight for them.

[MadEmperor]

The stranger whirled around, his cloak fluttering open as he drew a shimmering silver khopesh. "Luna will protect you to the best of her ability. I shall do my best to drive off the beast."

He cut a rather valiant figure as he strode fearlessly towards the monster. His blade shone with silvery light, the wrong color to merely be a reflection of the sun. Suddenly, he dashed forward and, with a whirl, slashed the air before the creature. A great crescent of light flew at the beast, aimed at one of it's vulnerable antennae. At high noon, it was the best his magic could do.

It released an unholy shriek as one of the thick, devilish antennae was all but sliced through. It thrashed, rearing back like an angry serpent. He took the opportunity that this bestowed to go for its underbelly. His plan was to sink his blade between its armored plates and dash to the side, tearing open its belly. However, he first needed to see what it would do.

[visualspice]

The creature had almost not seen the man approach in it's painfilled wrath, but once it did, it curled it's legs beneath itself and in a fury, began to lash out it's hundreds of pointed legs into the ground, aiming to shred the man into a thousand little pieces.

[MadEmperor]

The warrior danced between the stabbing legs, disappearing among them for a moment before a flash of silver cut through a nest of them all at once. He continued on his path to the creature's underside, slicing through leg joints until finally sinking his blade between its plates. With a battle cry, he dashed sideways, tearing a huge gash in the monster's belly.

[visualspice]

Persea watched in awe and horror as the man danced around the beast's deadly legs. Each pierce into the desert and near miss, she felt grip at her heart. And then the beast let out such a shriek, she nearly fell over from the sheer terror of it-
and then...
watched, in horror as the beast swayed- a blackness tumbling in her direction-
As the massive beast began to fall directly towards the unmoving form of the Shah.

[MadEmperor]

The man cursed and dashed for the Shah with a speed honed over a millennia. He swept her up without a word, just before, a mere instant later, the beast crashed into the sand. After the spray of sand finished peppering his back, he continued until they were a safe distance away before releasing her.

He prepared himself to be chastised for daring to manhandle his betters, but spoke anyway. "Are you unharmed, my..." Lady? Highness? He only knew she was likely royalty, judging from her finery. He had heard the Shah was young, but this was nought but a girl.  Surely this could not be her.

[visualspice]

Persea was too numb to react, and once scooped up into the man's protective arms, she clung to him without reserve. It wasn't until they were both on the ground, he protecting her with his back side from the wave of sands that kicked up from the monster's fall, did she begin to remind herself she knew not this man. However, she was too stunned to speak.

Years of training did not prepare her for this. And she simply stared at the man, tongue unable to move, before a loud, twitching noise in the sand drew her attention-
and slowly a large, black shadow painted over their figures- as the menacing monster rose viscously up from the sands, crying out in vicious pain from it's lack of limbs and bleeding side, arms raging wildly before suddenly-

It began to lurch over them!

[MadEmperor]

Ghaej chastised himself for leaving his back exposed to a threat. But he had already risked his safety for her; she was his responsibility now. He turned back to the beast and quickly calculated a plan of action.

Putting all of his current magical power into a final strike, he launched a large crescent of energy directly at the injury, hoping to slice clear through the monster. He knew he would feel drained afterwards and would have to use his cursed gaze on some poor animal if he was going to protect anyone. Though perhaps the beast would live long enough to top him off without alarming the girl.

[visualspice]

Persea let out a whimper when the man turned form her, she- remaining on her knees in the soft sands of the wild rage of t he storm. It was fading now, that at least they could be thankful for- but the beast was still very much a threat. 

She watched the strange man heroically raise his weapon, facing down the beast in a triumphant blast of mighty power from his blade. Persea's heart rose with the action, completely stunned as the blast of power lashed at the under belly of the beast- who let out another final cry of pure agony, before twisting away and topping in a twitch of monstrous arms in the sand.

And Persea could only stare, wide eyed in shock, as the storm - though waning, continued to rage and pelt all around them.

[MadEmperor]

Ghaej marched to where its head lay and took off his mask before staring into one of its eyes. He didn't know if it had enough life left, but at least he could ease its final moments. The connection was made, and slowly the beast became still as he drained what it had to give.

Putting his mask back on before she could see, he turned and walked back towards the girl. "We should go before the storm decides it isn't done."

He clicked his tongue and his golden Kaadir trotted over, cooing as it nuzzled him. "Yes, Luna," he chuckled as he stroked its neck. "I'm alright."

[visualspice]

Persea wasn't sure what to make of all of this. First the storm, then the beast...
And who was this strange man? She was too much in shock to question what he was doing or why he wore a mask- although reason dictated because of the storm.

But despite his suggestion they get moving, she found her legs neither worked nor wanted to obeyed- and she remained, still trembling as she stared towards where the beast remain- still as death..
but part of her dreaded it might rise again.

[MadEmperor]

"Believe me, it is quite dead," he assured her calmly.

He kneeled and offered his hand again. "Please allow me to help you up. I'm sure neither of us wants me to carry you like a sack of grain. I suspect you have more dignity than that. But if it means you live, I will do what I must."

[visualspice]

It wasn't until he fully confronted her was she broken from her stupor. 

"You.." she found herself asking, voice somehow crisp, despite the wild winds of rhe sand and storm. "Who are you to address your Shah? What is your name so that I can properly give thanks for rescuing me?"

[MadEmperor]

Ghaej was momentarily taken aback. He had been in denial that his path had finally brought him before a Shah once again, but he knew it to be the truth. In that moment, old training took over, and he bent the knee, bowing respectfully.

"I am but a simple traveler; my name is unimportant. But if you must call me something, I have been known as Ghaej."

[visualspice]

Persea was still trying to gather her wits about her. He knew well enough to bow before her majesty- and his name...
"Ghaej.." she repeated, wild winds still whipping at her clothing and hair. "For your bravery, I shall welcome you into my traveling guard- to protect my life until we reach our destination."