A hooded figure weeps quietly, alone in a forest. Crouched down by a soft
flowing stream, a hand dangling just below the surface. Her cheeks are sore
from the salty tears, and she wipes them away with the back of her sleeve. The
fear of being lost tears at the fabric of her sanity.
A figure flies above the trees causing them to rustle and the hooded figure to
be unmasked.
Illudria is revealed, her long brown hair gently falling back into place and
her soft brown eyes searching the sky, a severe pain wallowing in their depths.
The figure lands quietly behind Illudria, straight black hair framing his
worried face. He steps towards the woman accidentally snapping a stick.
The noise startles her, and she darts to her feet and whirls around the cloak
comes undone revealing a simple silver dress. She pants with fear, trying to
find the face of the one who startled her.
The moonlight grows stronger until the face of the man can be clearly seen and
a slight relief flashes across her face at the sight of Draco.
‘You're lost again.' Dide whispers simply.
‘Please… say you're real.' Illudria pleads, she ached to reach out and touch
what she thought was nothing but a dream.
‘What is this place? Why do you always come here?' He questions, wondering what
troubled her so.
A tainted elf appears from behind a tree malice permeating its hobbled walk,
darkness swirling around it. It races towards Illudria raising a mangled rod.
A scream escapes her lips as she turns to run. The thing shaped like Dide
shatters like broken glass, like a dream shattered by morning light.
Illudria runs through the forest her path becoming more twisted and overgrown.
It become thick and she forces her way through. Her skin scrapes and scratches
on the branches.
A golden ray of light shoots through the heavens, Illudria's path becomes
clearer as hope returns to her face. She begins to sprint, and soon she clears
the forest.
After a short run she realizes there is no ground beneath her feet. Dide flies
from the ray of light streaks of golden energy surrounding him, gripping his
broom tightly .
Dide speeds through the air, an arm reaching for Illudria. He soon catches her,
pulling her onto the broom with him.
She is scared, tense, thinking that he is nothing more than a dream again. When
the warmth revels that he is real, she relaxes in his embrace. She looks into
his eyes, they are deep but kind. Tears still falling, she leans forward to
kiss him gently as the air rushes passed them as they fall into soft oblivion.
Their fall slows until they gently land in a grove filled with flowers which
cover the ground like magickal carpet, still kissing all the awkwardness now
forgotten. They break apart smiling softly.
‘Isn't this a nicer place then that horrid forest, leannan?' Dide whispers to
her delicately.
‘Yes. It is new…' She paused and thought for a moment. "What did you call me?'
A gentle laugh escapes Dide's lips ‘Leannan… Sweetheart'
‘Ahh,' she sighs.
‘Though this place is beautiful, the real world awaits, the realms need us to
help fight the taint' he reminds her calmly.
‘I know but…' A flash of insecurity flashes across Illudria's face
‘I'll help you,' Dide whispers in her ear. He steps away from her spreading his
arms wide, motes of light spark into life around him slowly swirling until he is
surrounded by the golden light. He steps forward laying a gentle hand upon her
sending away the fears that bound her.
The energy falls from him like tiny droplets of rain, Dide asks her, ‘Are you
going to get on?'
With a slight giggle Illudria, insecurities long forgotten, she climbs on
Dides' broom wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. He spurs his broom
into a graceful take-off. Illudria lays her head over his shoulder, the her
hair moving like water in the air. Dide scans the area for some hint as to
where they can leave this dreamscape.
He notices the moon is strangely larger and brighter than it should be, he
begins to fly towards it, a sense of reality returning to him slowly and an
annoying feeling of moving while not.
Illudria's eyes flutter open as her spirit returns to her body, she places a
hand beside her and immediately lifts it up again, quietly she looks at the
blood. It takes her a few minutes to realize she is lying in a pool of blood,
her blood. As her senses return she notices Dide nearby in a meditative
position just outside the pool. His eyes fly open and he races over to her.
Dide kneels beside Illudria holding her hands.
She sits up quickly stammering ‘I was so lost, the forest just grew darker and
more twisted, then the shadow creatures came…' her sentence stopped as Dide
leaned in and kisses her.