Almund, Sclvoris
15th of Ymiden, 720
15th of Ymiden, 720
Dreaming was a strange experience for Tio.
It hadn't always been that way. One upon a time he'd been a regular old yludih. His dreams, disconnected from Emea, had been empty and shallow, yet dreams all the same. They had been his and his alone.
Then he'd competed in Cassion's game on Delroth's behalf. He'd fought, ran and lucked his way through challenge after challenge, and had eventually made it through to the final round: the journey through Gilgarod. What a nightmare that had been. And it had been going so well right up until the whole murdering Cassion part too. Regardless ever since then his dreams had always featured Avacer in some capacity; always trapped behind some kind of barrier, and always silently watching him from a throne.
Things had changed once again after the whole Emea debacle. Perhaps it had been the destruction of Emea, or perhaps it had been the fact that being physically trapped there for so many arcs prevented him from dreaming in the way he had before, but Tio had not seen Avacer at all during that time. After returned to the world as an Immortal Tio had once again been able to dream, though his dreams no longer held the same variety. Now he always dreamt of a nebula of red and silver energy unless he made a deliberate effort to walk to a new area of Emea. Avacer was never present in the nebula, though appeared appeared behind barriers once again when in regular dreamscapes; as fresh and healthy as ever.
Recently however his dreams had changed again.
When his dreams of Avacer had began the ancient king had always appeared strong and healthy; bearing the punishment of the throne with stoic pride. In recent trials however his shoulders had began to sag, his muscles withered, and his cheeks became hollow and gaunt. Each night saw him growing weaker and weaker, and it was clear that the life-force that Tio had gifted him was close to running out. Avacer, whom Tio had sworn he would return to free, did not have much time left.
Tio had been delaying his promised return to Gilgarod before due to a lack of power. He'd been hoping to strengthen the power of his magical sparks first before storming the fortress of the golems that served the throne. Ironically becoming an Immortal had set him back in that regard, since he'd traded his sparks for the potential of greater power in the future. He'd had half an arc now to adjust to being a godling, yet in all that time had made little progress in unlocking his divine powers. He needed more time. Time that Avacer did not have.
Tio stared out of the window of his castle, watching the storm that swept through the night and churned the seas of Scalvoris below into a frenzy. He'd woken up after another trip through the world of dreams, in which he'd seen Avacer again. The ancient king had looked at his weakest yet, though for once his eyes had not stared back at Tio with his usual defiance. For the first time ever Avacer's eyes had been closed, and his chest rose and fell with the feverish panting of someone waiting at the doorstep of death. Avacer only had a couple of trials of life left at best. If he wanted to free him he had to do it now, or it would be too late.
But could he do it? Did he have the power? His mastery of dreamwalking would help, but other than that he had nothing but his own mortal skills to use against a dimension that devoured kingdoms and a small army of stone golems. Who knew what fate would await him if he was captured? If an Immortal was forced upon the throne of Gilgarod who knew how much life-force it could drain from him, or what disasters it might wreak with the power it stole? Yes he had sworn to save Avacer, but it wasn't like he hadn't broken his promises before. Maybe it would be best for everyone if he just allowed Avacer to perish once again and stayed where it was safe, forgetting Gilgarod for good?
All it would cost was a broken promise.
Tio scowled and stalked away from the window, over to a chest of drawers. From within he pulled out a key made of bone, the skeleton key that'd granted him access to Gilgarod before, and glared at it. Why did breaking this promise bother him so much? He was a liar and cheat down to the core, and had known Avacer for less than a trial. Sure Avacer had sacrificed himself to take the place on the throne intended for Tio, but he wouldn't have even been alive had Tio not sold him half of his life-force in the first place. Was whatever debt he owed to the man not already paid?
No. No it wasn't. He was under no illusion that Avacer had done what he had out of anything other than self interest, but the fact remained that he had saved Tio's life. If there was anything worth repaying someone for, surely it would be that?
He had to do it. Even if it was stupid and likely to fail, he at least had to try. That little part of him that still considered himself to be a good person would never forgive him otherwise.
Tio took the key from the chest and brandished it like a sword, wincing as its skeletal mouth bit into his skin. The air in front of him shimmered as a great door of thick grey stone, like the entrance to a mausoleum, faded into existence in the middle of his bedroom. With the groan of stone upon stone the doors swung open, and from out of it came a gust of chilly, stale wind. The wind of the underworld.
Tio took hold of the fabric of reality and wrapped it around himself, settling it across his shoulders like a cloak. It should, in theory, keep him hidden from Gilgarod itself, though probably wouldn't protect him from being physically seen. With a shaky breath, Tio did his best to leave his doubts behind him and stepped through the doors.
It was time to return to Gilgarod.
Notes
Powers Used:
Cloaking: Cloaking is the ability to hide a Dreamwalker both in Emea and Idalos. They become able to force themselves into a level of existence somewhere outside of reality, Cloaking themselves from the perceptions of those around them. They become effectively undetectable by all means beyond physical, as their physical body is still present and will still interact with the physical reality as normal (such as bumping into or touching other people or objects, including leaving tracks in sand or snow or stirring vegetation when it's passed through). Furthermore, they may elect to Cloak themselves in Emea, making them undetectable to other entities or Dreamwalkers. While in effect, this protection is absolute. However, it does prevent the Dreamwalker from leaving the plane of existence they are in while activated. This means that they must deactivate Cloaking if they wish to journey from Idalos to various sections of Emea, to the Beneath, etc and vice versa.
Cloaking: Cloaking is the ability to hide a Dreamwalker both in Emea and Idalos. They become able to force themselves into a level of existence somewhere outside of reality, Cloaking themselves from the perceptions of those around them. They become effectively undetectable by all means beyond physical, as their physical body is still present and will still interact with the physical reality as normal (such as bumping into or touching other people or objects, including leaving tracks in sand or snow or stirring vegetation when it's passed through). Furthermore, they may elect to Cloak themselves in Emea, making them undetectable to other entities or Dreamwalkers. While in effect, this protection is absolute. However, it does prevent the Dreamwalker from leaving the plane of existence they are in while activated. This means that they must deactivate Cloaking if they wish to journey from Idalos to various sections of Emea, to the Beneath, etc and vice versa.
