Dream Walkers [NSFW]

[blazelust]

* * *



“So... where are we going?”
“Well... where would you like to be going?”
“How about a clearing? With lots of soft grass and flowers...”
“I think I know just the thing.”



“Do you like it?”



“It's perfect.”

[blazelust]

“What would you like to do now?”
“Hmmm. How about you tell one of your famous stories?”
“And what kind of story would my lovely guest like to hear?”
“A love story.”
“As you wish.”



“Once upon a time...



There was a great mechanical city with skies of red and rivers of oil ruled by a handsome and brilliant prince.



This prince was a technical savant and a genius architect, but he was distant and could be cruel; and he lived there in his spire behind a great tall door locked up tight with cogs and gears.

The door's lock was a complex and fascinating mechanation that only he really understood, and he had hidden the keys where he knew no one would ever find them.

For years he hid in the top of his tower, and only his books kept him company.”

[blazelust]

"But also within the tower there lived a lowly maid in a white cotton dress stained with oil and grease who cleaned and maintained the prince's spire. A mechanic, but certainly no savant.



Every night she would prepare his meals for him and leave them just before his door, and in they would go, guided along entirely by the machinery.

She had never seen the prince but once or twice, but she knew that she loved him terribly.

Every night she would sit outside his door and listen to him read aloud, his voice faint through six inches of steel but clear enough to reach her ears...



...and often she wondered if he knew she was listening."

[blazelust]

"One fated day the maid couldn't stand it anymore, and broke her long silence to beg the prince to open the door.



But the prince, kept stowed away so long and so high, had himself forgotten where the keys lay. For a long lonely night the prince and maid sat separated by his doors, and he read aloud to her, as he always did.

And in the morning, the maid packed her clothes and left into the mechanical city to find a way to open the doors herself.



She searched and searched and asked every living lapittus that she could find, but no lapittus was ever quite as brilliant as her prince--and only he knew how the machine-spire worked.

She was gone for seven days and seven nights, and every night, the prince read out loud, not knowing that his maid was not there to listen.



During the day, he looked out through the spire's window at the smokestacks and urban decay below. It was his only window to the outside world. And it was this window that was the solution to their problem."

[Corny]

The maid reasoned that she could not solve or trick the machine--so she would go around it. With her bare hands she scaled the side of the great spire. It took her days but her grim determination never faltered for a second, thinking of the loneliness in her prince's voice, and his beautiful rose-colored eyes.

She was so close that their fingers could brush when the grease on her fingers slides against the side of the spire...

And she slipped--



and the prince lunged out



terror in his eyes

and he grabbed her and pulled her into his room.





They kissed against the red sky, completely lost to each other; and the prince's fingers wandered down the maid's cheek and slim neck, finding the chain of the necklace she wears--



--and the three cogs on it--

the missing keys to his door, right where he left them years ago.

[blazelust]

”The prince’s laugh was grim. ‘How could I have forgotten that I gave them to you?’

‘Genius works in mysterious ways.’

The prince gently pulled the necklace up over her head and placed the cogs in the clockwork of the great door, and it creaked and moaned but ultimately slid open for the first time in years.



And they lived happily ever after.”

“So... were you worried that the maid would die?”

“Your stories always have happy endings!”

“But... maybe a little.”

“I’m glad they lived happily ever after.”

“So you liked it?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”



“I love you...”

“I love you, too.”

[Corny]

Vipana.



The Dream Realm. The World of Many Doors. The Domain of the Sapatri.



To Ophrys, it was just what he sees when he visits Dahlia. He never spent more time here than he needed to.



He had always assumed he was the only one who walks between dreams.





He was not.

* * *

[blazelust]

Waking up got harder and harder every day.

* * *

[Corny]

Ophrys had no trouble getting up in the morning.



He had responsibilities, beyond those of a namra.

Little did he know that outside the walls of his room, a predator hunted for him. There was very little more dangerous than a young noble with nothing to do. This particular young noble had made a favorite plaything out of the albino namra.



Young Divesi grew into an up-and-coming game hunter, and was very well-built with sharp steel eyes and even sharper reflexes. He serves as the namra’s perfect antithesis.

Just like a predator would, he knew exactly where to find his prey. He was not in the courtyard tending the kholakare or in the pen outside feeding the dhelpra, and he was not in the library hiding behind a massive, dusty old tome, thinking that it would protect him from outside interaction. So he must be in his room, sleeping in his bed, or cradling his meager and pitiful possessions to his chest to foster some sense of control in his tiny, aimless life.

And the least he owed Divesi was his rapt attention.



“Namra.”



”Y-yes?”
”Are you going to invite me in?”
“Oh.”



“Please come in, Master Divesi.”
”Hmph.”
“My father says that the property of a namra is rightly the property of any sundara, too.”
“So this room is just as much mine as yours.”
“Don't you think?”
“...I... I suppose.”



”A sad little room you have to offer me. You will show me around it.”
”... There is not much to show that you cannot already see, Master. I do not have many things.”



”Don't be cute.”
“You will show me all of the corners of this room, where you have hidden all of your things.”
“I know you, namra.”
” …”
“What do you want to see?”
”Show me underneath your bed.”

[blazelust]

”What are those scrolls, namra?”
“They're for the princess' lessons.”
”And the books?”
”Adventure stories I borrowed from the library.”
“Ah. Stolen, no doubt. Give them to me.”





”Show me your bureau, namra.”





”These are far too nice for you. I will have them replaced.”
”Ok.”
”Now, your closet.”
”...”

[Corny]

Ophrys was afraid. He hadn’t asked permission to keep the young kholakare in his closet. No matter what he said, he would get in trouble for taking it. But... he’d be in even more trouble if he lied about it. Maybe, just maybe, Divesi will allow him to keep it.





”What is this?”
”A baby kholakare. It-it couldn't survive in the courtyard... so I brought it in.”
“I was going to return it when it was old enough!”
”Ah, I see.”
”So you stole books from the library, and you stole a kholakare from the courtyard.”



”It would have died! And I said I was going to return it!”
”It is not for you, little namra. It was not your place.”
”Please just let me keep it a little longer. It's almost big enough for a shell like the others!”
”Anything that you want is mine by birthright, namra.”
”I will take it.”



“... What are you going to do with it?”

That ugly little smirk.



Ophrys knew that dishonest little smile extremely well. It’s the smile Divesi wore when he is feeling exceptionally cruel. And Divesi knew that he knew it.

He could do a little more target practice today.

”Put it back.”
”... Ok.”



“B-be careful with it!”
”Do my laundry today. Be quick with it.”
”Yes sir.”

[Corny]

There are not many people a namra can turn to within the palace. For Ophrys, like most namra, the most reliable shoulders to lean on are those of the gods.



“Ophrys? You’re here late again.”



“What’s wrong?”
“He... he killed it.”
“Killed what?”
“The kholakare. I’d... I’d been keeping a little one. It couldn’t live on its own and... and Divesi killed it.”
“Ah...”



“Canda will see to it that the kholakare is reborn.”
“Are you sure...?”
“Of course. If it was so young, then surely it will be sent back. Just as the tala are.”
“...”
“I hope so.”



“Everybody deserves a chance at a full life. No matter how small they are.”
“What about me...? And the other namra?”
“I’m sure there will be a path for you to follow eventually. It has just not been illuminated yet. You are still young.”
“... Thank you, Priestess Koljac.”

Ophrys bowed and left the high priestess to tend to the temple. Koljac remained, gazing at the tapestry of Canda.



Something seemed...



Familiar.

[blazelust]

Ophrys’s responsibilities swelled and compounded as he grew, and Dahlia dreamed.

Day after day she pushed herself to sleep longer and longer. She slept away starry nights and several warm morning hours. In the afternoon she nestled in her bed of straw and dozed, losing herself in her own mind. She dreamed of rolling meadows and strange derelict castles, filled with characters of her own fashion, marionettes acting out her stories. Sometimes she was stirred by starvation to feed and did so begrudgingly, as if resenting the act of keeping herself alive. She slept through the births of many litters of siblings and cousins and through many injuries and through many, many deaths.

At times she woke in the middle of the night to find her frail mother protectively curled around her strange cub’s prostrate body, and she tucked into her and fell asleep again.

She wandered through dream cycle after dream cycle, the stunning clarity of lucidity in between sporadic spurts of confusion in a blurry abstract painting between tranquil periods of black wherein there are no dreams, the ebb and flow of the waking dreamer. She slept even when there was no Ophrys to hold her and love her, as the sight of the wide empty veldt filled her with deep loneliness and she’d rather be lonely in a field of her own fashion.

Besides, there was always her blue butterfly.



"What are you going to do with all of those flowers, Dahlia?"

"Oh! I'm gonna put them back. I'm looking for a very special flower. I want to make a dress out of it."

"Don't you ever tire of wandering through meadows and fields and forests?"

"Well... I don't really know anything else."

"I suppose that's true. You won't have seen a town or city before, so there's no reason you'd dream of one."

"Tell me what a town is like!"



"Well. If things have not changed, it would still be a network of burrows under the ground, all interconnected. Dozens of families living close together, each helping each other to survive."

"Dozens...?"

"Yes. Sometimes, above ground, there are buildings, which I am sure you have seen in books, made out of wood or clay or mud. Alleyways covered with great awnings made of heavy cloth to protect merchants from Suraja's rays. People live underground, but they trade and conduct business above ground."

"I've never heard any of this."

"It seems to me that Ophrys tells you fiction primarily. Perhaps he does not want you to know about the real world."

"I want to know about the real world! I want to know all about it!"

"Oh?"

"I love my mother, but she can't talk back to me, or understand me when I speak. The dhelpra don't understand books or stories or clothing or loneliness!"



"I hate being awake. Whenever I'm awake I just think about sleeping. I wish I'd never wake up."

"Don't wish for that, Dahlia. There is a whole world outside of your veldt that you have not yet seen."

"I think it is about time that you went to see it."

"Went to see it..."

"You do really want to be with Ophrys, don't you?"

"I want to march right into the palace and steal him away from it. I want to grow old and have kits with him."

"You can do neither of those things in your sleep."

"But... even if I went to a town, what could I possibly have to offer to help anybody? I'm not good at anything..."

"You are a brave and imaginative girl. I'm sure you'll think of something. People are always looking for new stories."

"Then... then I'll do it! I'll leave tonight. No, I'll tell Ophrys tonight! And I'll leave tomorrow morning!"

"I'll find a town and be a real Lapittus!"

* * *

[blazelust]

The very next morning, Dahlia sprung to her feet refreshed and full of life, excited to face the day. The waking world no longer seemed so desolate and empty and alone. Out of her burrow she came on her hands and knees, and Suraja's light warmed her fur and her face. She was stiff and sleepy from having lain prone for so long, but after some time she was spiry and pouncing at her siblings and running about again. It was like old times.

She had so much to look forward to! Soon she would be playing with Ophrys just like this!

With her next great adventure in mind, Dahlia scouted the vast rolling expanse of the veldt for any supplies she could use for what would certainly be a long and trying journey. She would follow the rivers: she knew that Ophrys once mentioned that the palace was built over a large river that flowed into the blue vein. The tendrils of the blue vein that flowed down into the veldt criss-crossed and winded in on one another but with Suraja as her guide, there was no way she could get lost.

Her mother followed at her heels. Dahlia was sure that she thought of her cub as frail and sickly. She had never felt better, but she was glad for the company.

And as she scouted a shallow river, toes sinking into the cool, damp mud of the bank, her attention fell on a curious group of triangles sitting on the horizon.



Why, that had to be people! Other Lapitti, here in the veldt!

She couldn't run to explore fast enough!



The triangles were made of cloth and stretched tight over some sticks, hiding boxes and blankets. There seemed to be no one there, though the place was thick with the smell of hathfa and the sweat of man. They'd been here at some point. She probably just missed them!



And the things they brought with them!



Wonderful boxes with gently chiming music and small ceramic dolls that twirl in place, dancing for an unknown audience. She had never seen anything like this before, not even from Ophrys! Not even in books.



And to speak of books! They had so many with pictures that she had never seen and could hardly understand, but the ones that she could fill her with a sense of unerring pride. Surely Ophrys would be able to read these to her. He loved books. It would be a wonderful present for him.





She can come wearing real clothes made by real people, rather than the lost rags of some upriver civilization that happened to drift down into her waiting hands. She'll look like a real person!



And in the midst of her reverie, her mother came and tugged insistently on her skirt. Dahlia brushed her away at first but there was a whine and a growl and she tugged again, more fiercely than before, nearly knocking her over. She sighed, and tucked her new belongings under her arm, and reluctantly obeyed.



Mother knows best.





* * *

[Corny]

"Dahlia?"



"Aha! I see you!"
"Come get me!"









"Oof!”



“There you are...”
"Hi."

[blazelust]

"I have a gift for you today..."
"What kind of gift?"
"I can't just give it to you!"
"I'm a magical fairy that can grant any wish, but my magic needs a special ingredient to work."
"What is it? I'll find it."
"The petals of a white rose."
"But all of these roses are pink..."



"Not all of them."
"Somewhere in this field there is a single white rose. It is the most rare and beautiful of all of them."
"It contains a very special kind of magic: the magic of true love!"
"Then I'll find the white rose!"
"Don't forget your loyal companion!"



"Hm?"
"Oh, right. The butterfly."
"You should treat the familiar of a fairy with great respect!"
"Ah, of course."
"All apologies, madame butterfly."





"Now away with you!"
"As you wish, o fairy."

Off he went in a straight line, confident that his feet would lead him right where he needed to be. If it were truly Dahlia's desire that he find it, he wouldn't be able to keep from tripping over it at some point. And lo, after only minutes, he came upon a low hill with a bright white twinkle atop it, winking at him in the sunlight.



"Aha!"



"That wasn't so hard."
"It's almost as if she wanted you to find it."
"Who said that?"





"Must've been my imagination..."



"Dahlia! I found it!"



"For you, my fairy."



"Perfect."
"Exactly the magic I need."
"What do you wish for, Ophrys?"

[Corny]

"A kiss...?"



"Don't waste a wish on something I'd give you for free."
"You'd give me anything for free if I asked for it."
"Presumptuous!"
"Am I wrong?"
"Try me."
"What if I wanted your body, too?"



"That wouldn't require magic either."
"I don't know what I could possibly want for that requires magic."
"All I want is you."
"And I already have you."
"I know a special spell... one that could bind me to you forever."
"But only if that's what you want."
"It is."
"Do you want to be my mate, Ophrys?"
"Yes."
"I do."



"Dahlia..."
"This belongs to you."

[blazelust]

"I... I can feel it beating..."
"It beats for you."
"Thank you..."



"Wait..."





"I'll take good care of it."
"Don't lose it."
"I won't. I promise."



"Oh, I'm so happy!"



"Ophrys... where did you say the palace was?"
"It's across the desert, past the city, and beyond the great golden wall. Why?"
"North, right? Where Suraja rises up and touches the edge of the land?"
"...Right."
"That’s the second part of my gift!"
"I know how sad and alone you feel in the palace, and how terribly the sundara treat you. But you’ll never have to be alone ever again. I'm going to come find you!"
"Tomorrow!"
"What?"
"It’ll be great! You can show me around the library and I’ll feed the kholakare in the courtyard with you and we can steal away into the night when no one will be able to stop us! And-”
"Dahlia... no."
"You can't come to the palace."






























































"What?"

[Corny]

“You can’t come to the palace. You wouldn’t even make it across the desert!”

We'll still make preview posts here, so you know when there's an update! Click the image to go to the site :>

[blazelust]

"Go away."

[Corny]

"Dahlia."

“Dahlia, are you still here?”

[blazelust]

Ophrys could not contain his curiosity.

[Corny]

Dahlia waited.

[Corny]

Ophrys was busy being lost.

[Corny]