Microsoft Zone Archive/Player Chronicles/Dream Visage

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Dream Visage

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by Shi Kaifu of the Ye Shu Yu Luan, Custodian of the Glorious Fire of Iiwah

Kaifu leaned over the fire as the embers burned hot and low. He could ill afford another patrol catching sight of his location, but the air had become colder every night since he'd begun his journey to the north. He rubbed his hands together and ate the hard-packed fruit that served as tonight's meal. Bitter berries gave little comfort when he could smell the cooking reed shark in the distance. The banderlings were nothing if not resourceful. He began to wonder how the mewling beasts tasted, but quickly pressed the thought from his mind.

If only he could step out into the night for just a moment and hunt for some rabbit! Only, he knew the meat would require a higher flame. He turned his back to the fire and adjusted his eyes once more to the night sky.

The stars had come back. For that, he was thankful. He lived by the stars and the sun. Their light was his messenger. Their wisdom was his insight. Without the sun, he was separated from Iiwah's spirit. Without the stars, he was without Her voice. The dreams were returning, but with their return, other things had also appeared.

Aub'arel and Rez'arel looked. . . different. They seemed clearer than he had imagined before. It was as if some strange mist had been wiped from their distant surface, revealing everything that composed their shape. They seemed naked. . . cold. Kaifu wondered if the pits and valleys he could see on the Pale Moon's face held any secrets for the times to come.

The dreams were right -- or at least some of them seemed dead-on. Unease washed over Kaifu as he considered things. So often the dream-speaking he and Iiwah shared was full of metaphor. The crimson sword, the plummeting seven stars. These visions had arrived into reality in their own way, but were not as literal as the prescient display of the two orbiting sentinels.

"The moons became bare like the bones of a beast, stripped of its meat after a kill. . ."

Still, the two moons were the least of his concerns. Aubereen was becoming unstable. Too many of the Soul Stones were shattered. Kaifu could feel the Hope Slayer in his mind's eye. The Herald of Darkness was perched and waiting, a seething rage mixed with jubilance. It was strong enough to seep past the barriers that had shut Him from the physical world for ages.

"In every way She has shown me, the Beast shall be freed from His cage."

Valoria had tried to comfort him in Rithwic after the dreams began to return. Kaifu recalled her jovial mood at the arrival of the stars and the way the loose fabric of her dress seemed to hug her form in all the places he feared. It had been some time since he'd even thought of her as "the opposite" sex and the shame of these suppressed emotions had overcome him in an unpleasing, almost incestuous blush. She had seen his faltering and laughed.

"Watch your gaze, friend, or I'll slide it sideways."

His unease immediately broke with her remark. It was delivered with a growl, but her voice and the twinkle of her eye told clearly that she thought his attention more of flattery than annoyance. It was true that she was a tough warrior, her wits and her skills with the sword hardened by the harsh life she'd lived since arriving on Dereth. Since he'd known her, she was more like a brother than a sister to him. He smiled his sideways smirk and winked at her. Taking a long draught of his ale he stared into the fire instead of her eyes.

"A field of hyssop, a field of mandrake, a lake of blood."

The images swirled in his mind as the thoughts of the last few days mixed with his attention on the present. His meal for tonight was gone and had hardly done its job. His stomach churned with the scent of the spit a short walk away and his mind returned to his neighbors. The banderlings had been assembling in larger groups lately. They almost seemed to be in the beginnings of an organized social structure. Very odd indeed considering the short time that had spanned since he'd first laid eyes upon one of the lanky green-skinned beasts. Never ones for any sort of gathering, the banderlings tended to haunt the remnants of Empyrean and Isparian fortifications alike. But they seldom gathered in such organized groups, dancing and carrying on as he'd seen. They even appeared to carry on a bit of conversation, though it was mere grunts and gargles to Kaifu. If he had not procured the disguise from Kagemata-san, his silent composure would have been insufficient to slip through their camp. With every step he took, his path was unfolding clearly, in a way that almost seemed too planned, too preordained. He had no idea when he began his trek that an encounter with the Sho craftsman would produce such a handy trinket.

"Follow the banks of the river to its source. There will you find the beasts that gather. Await the door."

Iiwah's message had been very strict as he meditated atop Iiwah's Tower that cold Dawnsong nearly a week ago. He knew from Her instructions that he should not stray and that he should travel by foot. The events would unfold themselves in time. Such was always the path to be undertaken when She was specific with him.

"Nature moves by instinct. Though it does not always do what is right, it does what is practical."

Almost instantly, his mind was touched by the familiar presence of Asaina. Always wise in council, the way the earth's energies moved and shifted affected her much in the same way as with him.

Her mind spoke to his, the sweet familiarity of her presence drifting just as quickly as it had come.

"The tides rise upon the high places. My own visions have come as well, old friend. Follow the twisting river from the sea to the north. Beasts gather and show the way. Await. . ."

". . . the door." His mind spoke as his voice formed the words. There was a feeling of semblance between the too of them. And then she was gone.

So, he traveled along the western shore of the peninsula until it opened wide and the fresh waters of the river spilled into the sea. A bedroll, his armor, and his single nekode were all that accompanied him, save for the small pack that held his flint and steel, hard tack, and writing box.

The sun shone brightly above. The pinkish haze that once covered the sky had lessened and he could clearly see the sun now. Kaifu paused in horror. A ball of flame, a trailing tail of fire. . . All of this seemed oddly familiar to him. What did the falling star shadowing the form of the sun mean? It seemed almost to chase the sun as it went, full of the same bright energy as its leader. Whatever its meaning, Kaifu felt deep within him that this was not a good omen. All the more reason to continue his voyage.

He stopped briefly in Hebian-to, but nothing struck him as noteworthy. The town was still waking and the business of trading and selling was starting to take place in the market square. A familiar clang of metal hitting metal rang out from the blacksmith was the only element of discord here. And so he pressed on.

Through Shoushi he went, and the town looked just as he had left it a few weeks ago, although a little happier with the return of the bright day's sky. It wasn't until he approached Sawato that things turned. . . strange.

It was commonplace to see Isparians hunting the local fauna of the outlying wilderness. This included some of the lesser beasts as well as the banderlings, mosswarts and drudges -- creatures not known for their intelligence but possessing the ability to communicate amongst themselves and establish their own sense of a social order, primitive as it may be. The deciduous forests gave way to murky swamplands on the road between Yanshi and Sawato, and it was there that Kaifu saw a fevered hunt unlike any he had ever seen before.

Dozens of archers and swordsmen ran in the distant swamps. Kaifu could hear their shouts as they sighted groups of mosswarts in the murky vegetation. Only having inhabited the isle of Dereth for a couple years now, Kaifu had never seen such sport made of killing, except perhaps in the case of the unfortunate rabbit. The swamps and roadside were littered with the corpses of fallen creatures. Most notably, many of them were headless. Bonfires were scattered about, burning the bodies of the fallen, filling the air with an oily stink. The smell and the sight were overpowering.

Kaifu felt a tinge of nausea swell from within him as the rooftops of Sawato became visible in the distance. Why this sudden act of carnage? Was it an act of revenge brought about by an attempt to invade the remote city surrounded by marsh and moss? Were the people of Sawato overcome with a surge of madness?

The town square of Sawato was, strangely, an eye among the storm of bloodshed outside. Kaifu looked about him at the bizarre calm that Sawato harbored. It was then that he noticed the origami of the phoenix. . .

Kaifu twisted the small piece of paper between his fingers. Such an intricate item for its fragility, it would be far too easy to let the embers of his campfire consume it. But Kagemata-san had been so friendly. He'd explained the reason behind the hunts and even offered a piece of his handiwork to Kaifu. A mask. At first, Kaifu refused because it was at the cost of life and for such a trivial thing. Then the red phoenix, its finely folded creases, twisted upon a caper above the grisly remnants of that unfortunate banderling. Kaifu chalked it up as an omen and accepted Kagemata's gift. After all, who was Kaifu to argue with the Bringer of Splendor? Did She not lead him here in the first place?

The gruesome visage sat beside Kaifu, its cold, lifeless face gazing into the fire. Kaifu kept mindful of the beasts nearby. Should they find him here now, with his fire and the manner in which he tricked them, he might not live long enough to see the vision reveal itself in full. The use of it had made Kaifu feel ashamed. Such a waste. . . But necessity and fate often make for interesting acts.

Kaifu was actually surprised that the ruse worked as well as it did. Without even a challenge or a shout, he'd slipped through their ranks in his monstrous visage, uttering not a single word. The art of mimicry was something Kaifu adored. During his studies to become a priest of Iiwah, he had watched and trained a bit with the masters of the Spiral Flame. He marveled at how they could move their bodies in fluid action, transforming themselves and their postures from virile young men to crippled old ones in a matter of seconds, with such exactness that their physical appearance seemed to be the forgery and not their movements. He laughed quietly to himself as he curled up next to the edge of the campfire, letting it and his armor keep him warm. It was getting so cold. Thank the Creator that the Endless Winter was not resurfacing, he thought silently to himself.

"Eyes like diamonds lure the hearts of men. A trade not soon forgotten will be collected."

It was a shame that his own people were bringing the prophecies to a head. He had such high hopes for those he called brother and sister. And yet they pranced around like such spoiled children -- killing that which was not like them, hoarding the material belongings of long-dead cultures like prized jewels. Of the first perilous step taken at Frore and the spoils that had come from it. . . the hammer and helm. Small steps down a steep, slippery hill. At the bottom, a beast lay waiting for its meal, the trap so simply placed, the bait so foolishly taken.

But he was not here to dwell upon the unpleasantness of the past few months. The door. The door waits. But what door, and to where? The questions swam about in his mind. He turned and looked into the embers for a moment, and hoped, perhaps, that the gleaming coals would offer some augury. The displacement of air moved his sense of sight in waves of warmth. His mind drifted and he saw the mocking grin of the Aluvian field lanterns.

He thought it odd that someone would fashion protection out of sticks and straws. Even stranger was the custom of placing a taper within the hollowed gourd. But strangest of all was the fact that the gourd was adorned with the features of a man. The more he thought of it, dozing sleepily under the canopy of pine trees, the less he understood the practicality. The image was menacing enough for the purpose, but who would be frightened over so much as straw and sticks? If it moved by means of magic or was given the life of speech, then perhaps. Now that would have made a grand trick!

Valoria had found his musing over the "lantern" -- which, in fact, offered very little light -- ample enough material for a jest. Even Quat-san, usually solemn, had to laugh at Kaifu's determined and focused attention on the old custom of hollowing out the orange squash.

"Eyes of fire, teeth of steel, a field of blood."

They only realized later that Kaifu had been pulled in by the flames, that his mind was one with Iiwah. She spoke to him in Her imagery and song. The waking dreams were becoming stronger and She spoke to him with ease. After all, the stars were visible again. The moons had been wiped clean of their garments. . .

"He stands atop the shoulders of a thousand men. They cry out for mercy, for a release from such pain. And, from their chests, the worm bursts forth and returns to the world of men."

A gust of wind ran up the hillside, causing him to break out of his drowsy contemplation. The paper phoenix that once adorned Kagemata-san's shop flew from his fingertips and danced above the dying fire, caught in a whirlwind of air. Flames shot unexpectedly from the embers, consuming the work of origami as they sent Kaifu flying backward into the trunk of a tree.

The wind exploded from his lungs as he fought to regain his breath. What in Iiwah's name had just occurred?! He worked to calm his mind so that he might be able to stand. Surely the banderlings down the hill had seen that strange display. It wouldn't be long before they ran up to investigate. Biting back tears from the pain that gripped his chest, he reached an arm out for his disguise. The origami, nothing more than orange embers and charcoal now, trembled to the ground in front of him, breaking into a dozen or more smaller pieces that quickly flickered away in every direction.

That is when Kaifu heard the sound. He felt the portal open before he even knew it was there, the small hairs on the back of his neck rising as the magical energies collected themselves near his location. This portal, unlike most dotting the landscape seemed different. He could almost see a vast hall beyond its swirling energies. Light danced off shining goblets in the distance. Ancient tapestries hung on smooth stone. The glimmering candlelight set everything aglow in a dance of color and reflection.

Kaifu reached his hand out to touch the churning energies. He looked up to see the image that had shone itself through the portal was now more than just a vision. But he had no idea where he was. . .

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