Jump to content


Dreams


  • Please log in to reply
No replies to this topic

#1 Guest_cprefect_*

Posted 22 October 2002 - 08:49 PM

"There is nothing sweet about my dreams".. Elrien, Paladin of Torm

Elrien stood in the center of the library, one she had been in several times, with her father. This
was a dream; she looked around the room as it melded, changed to the foyer to the library.
The resemblance to her former home was close, but over shadowed by darkness, an evil so old it
unnerved the paladin to her very core.

She walked forward, through the dusty corridors. She could smell the mustiness of old books
hanging in the stale air. "This is a dream," the paladin whispered with more conviction.

"I will not bow to you!" Elrien shouted to the empty halls, her voice strong. She knew what had
drawn her here into her memories. This was the only place the taint in her blood had any power
over her.

Imoen walked deliberately up to her a strange mask plastered on her normally jubilant features.
"Now you will see, see what I have to show you," the mage's voice seemed to reverberate darkly
as she paused to cast a spell.

The air shimmered in front of Elrien, opening several dimensional doors, shifting her companions in
to the room. They all appeared to be asleep and unharmed. Oblivious to the danger, and what was
happening around them.

"They are not part of this?" the paladin turned keeping her temper in check to the false mage.

"Oh but they are," the shadow that appeared as Imoen laughed, "you will take this gift I give you"

" And you are not Imoen!" the paladin spat staring down the dream figure.

"You are not Imoen"

The shadow shifted laughing darkly "no."

"What, by torm!" Elrien felt for her blade, that she carried on her belt, noticing for the first time,
she was wearing a nightshirt and not full armor.
A new twist to an already warped nightmare, never in all of her dreams was the paladin without
her armor, defenseless to the evil in her blood.

"Torm protect me," she prayed searching the Keeps library for anything she could use as a weapon.

"I am what is within!" the shadowy figure of the false Imoen chortled darkly.
"Now see what true power is!"

Elrien felt the pain rippling through her being, renting the shards of her tattered soul ripping her will
from what was left of her being.
Changing her senses, her sight lost all color save that of red, the heat of the bodies lying helpless
before her. She could hear the multiple beats of several hearts at once, pounding in her ears.
Her body melted, molding into the spiked creature of evil, the ravager.

"Noo!"

She felt herself scream only to her the roar of the beast.

"Now take what is yours!" The shadow laughed, "become what you are inside!"

Elrien watched through the creature's eyes, helpless to act against the evil of her soulless body. The
creature reached Anomen, as claws slashed the flesh of her friends one by one in their sleep.
Blood and gore splattered the bookcases dripping down the old tomes, blood pooling around their
broken bodies.

The shadow of her sire continued to laugh, reveling in the carnage and bloodshed.

Elrien could only watch the scene unfolding around her; unable to stop the creature she had
become. Her mind raced along; not again I can't go through this again. Torm let it all be a dream a
horrible, terrible dream.

"No!"

"Kelsey!"

The slayer picked up the body of the sorcerer in its claws. Tearing his flesh.

Blood so much blood.

"Torm!"

She struggled against the darkness, holding her prisoner in this dream, clutching tight to a shining
thread, her faith in Torm. Feeling the warmth of her faith enveloping her body, drawing her away
from the nightmare, back to the waking world.

"NO!"

Kelsey sat up; listening feverently, hoping that what woke him wasn't dangerous.
Since escaping from the Underdark and Irenicus, he was learning to be a light sleeper. People who
accompanied Elrien tended to live longer that way.

Elrien had refused to stay close during the night with him or any one else after the episode in
Spellhold, where she had changed into the slayer, severely wounding Minsc, and almost killing the
sorcerer.
She was afraid of that happening again, and losing all semblance of control. Truly, becoming the
fearsome avatar of the dead god of murder.

Kelsey couldn't say that he was upset with her decision, he did want to live long enough to exact a
little revenge on the arch -mage.

He just couldn't trust that the paladin would be able to stop her self next time, and waking up to
have the slayer breathing hot rancid breath down his neck, well lets just say that he couldn't do it.
The memory was still to fresh in his thoughts, the large armored creature looming over him, blood,
his blood dripping out of its mouth.

The sorcerer threw his legs over the side of the bed. He could hear someone crying out, "Waukeen
don't let it be Elrien," he prayed, getting out of bed and pulling his robe on, slipping feet into his
shoes.
The sorcerer knew even as he tied his belt that it could be none other than the paladin.
He moved to the hall looking both ways only to see torches burning, lighting the vacant hallway.
He crept out of his room and down the corridor, to where Elrien slept: a ball of fear slowly uncoiling
in his belly.
"Should just ignore it and go back to my room," he chided knowing in his heart that he couldn't go
back, he was in too deep. His life was now mixed up with this child of Bhaal, in such a way that the
sorcerer could not just walk away.
"Aw hells" he cursed under his breath, "I had to fall in love"

The nightmares were becoming a nightly thing with her. How she ever got enough rest was beyond
him. Since there return to Athkatla, Elrien had resorted to having the watcher cast powerful sleep
spells on her at night.

Only after she learned that the nightshade was not going to help, and was actually weakening her
body, allowing the darkness an even better foot hold.

Kelsey knew it was so the paladin would not dream. He could only imagine what horrors she relived
night after night of her time in Irenicus' care.

He knocked on the door lightly, "Elrien?" He rapt a second time still no answer.
He opened the door as the faint torchlight crept in past him illuminating the young paladin,
thrashing in the bed.

"Torm!" she screamed, piercing the quiet. The sorcerer moved in to her room quickly, afraid she
would injure herself.

"Elrien!" Kelsey reached out shaking her shoulder hard trying to wake the paladin before she woke
the whole damn keep.

"Elrien wake up!"

"NO!"
She sat up eyes wide staring around the room. Her heart pounded hard in her chest, breath coming
in short gasps as she realized it was another nightmare. The paladin shuddered with relief.

"It's all right," he sat on the edge of her bed wiping her hair out of her face.
"It's all right," He soothed quietly stroking her back.

"Kel…Kelsey," she whimpered pulling him forcefully in to a hug. Burying her head against his chest.

"Shh Elrien, I, your all right it was only a dream." The sorcerer wrapped his arms around her, "It
was only a dream."

Her shift was damp with perspiration and he could feel her heart hammering in her chest as she lay
shaking in his embrace.
This was the worst one yet; he actually heard her screaming in her sleep from his own room.
He combed through her hair, amazed that no one else was in here trying to wake her from the
nightmare. Resigning to the fact that his companions were exhausted from the last fight.
The sorcerer felt his power tingling under his skin; he had not had to wield his power against their
last foes. Elrien instructing him to guard the rear flank and watch their backs.

"Your alive," she cried, shaking as she reached to touch his face. To reassure her self that he wasn't
just another figment of her imagination.

He noticed that her hand didn't just tremble, it shook. "Gods!"

"Your alive."

He sighed smelling the fragrant scent of her hair; "I'm all right Elrien it was just a dream."

"All just a dream," he repeated laying his chin on her head, holding her tight.

"We have to stop this mad man once and for all." He thought rocking her gently. 'Before I lose her,'
he added silently.

"Are you all right now Elrien?"

She nodded sobbing quietly in his embrace, refusing to let the mage go.

"Will you stay with me Kelsey?" She asked softly, terrified to let go.

He breath caught in his throat, "what.. What did you say?"

"Stay with me?" She whispered again worried that he would say no.. Not blaming him if he did, but
by torm's grace she needed his strength right now.

Without a second thought, he sat back against the headboard of the bed drawing her in closer to his
protective embrace.
Elrien laid her head on his chest: listening to the steady beat of his heart, his hand rubbing her
back, that wonderful aroma of sandalwood he always smelled like. It felt right, by torm it felt so
right.

"Are you all right now?"
He looked down at her, when she didn't answer her eyes were closed. Her breathing was deep and
regular. Her face looked so peaceful, beautiful when she slept.

He didn't know how long he sat there in the most uncomfortable position watching her sleep, before
resigning himself that she was going to sleep peacefully the rest of the night. 'Waukeen, knows that
you have earned it.'

"I love you Elrien." The sorcerer murmured tenderly. He touched the top of her head with a light
kiss, before settling back to try and sleep a little longer, before the morning sun peeked through
the windows heralding a start to a new day.

She woke warm and to the steady beat of a heart against her ear. Torm!
And for a moment didn't know where she was, how she ended up laying on someone's chest, or
even worse who it was.

The memories from the night before flooded in; the blood, her comrades broken bodies.
The shadow of Imoen laughing demonically, melting in to the armored shell of her sire.

Kelsey.

She feared to move, and disturb his sleep, she lay as still as possible, enjoying the sensation of his
body next to hers. How it felt so right to lay next to him.
"He was so warm," She thought wrapping her arm across his chest.
"Thank you Torm"

Kelsey sighed, content and well rested; "ah you're awake then."

He smiled as she squeezed him a little tighter.

"Thank you Kelsey."




0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users

Skin Designed By Evanescence at IBSkin.com