The Obsidian Void

Six: Pure Imagination

"Are you okay, Art?"

After having woken up back beneath the tree in the warm midday sun, Artemis found herself getting concerned looks from Quinn and Moridaì.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm good."

"Really?" Quinn asked her, "Because I wouldn't describe at least five minutes of constant screaming as 'good'."

"Did you have a nightmare, Artemis?" Asked Moridaì.

"Maybe I did, what's it to you?"

Quinn slowly climbed to his feet, brushing a few fallen leaves off his tunic. "I definitely had some kind of weird dream, not sure if I'd call it a nightmare though."

"I did as well!" Moridaì said, "That is why I asked. If all of us had a nightmare at the same time, there may be some reason for it."

"You would know..." Artemis muttered, walking out onto the path and standing silently in the sunlight.

"I need to go."

Quinn looked at her, confused, as he rushed over to join her on the road.

"Go?" He asked, "Go where?"

"Home." She told him, "And you're coming with me."

"Woah, woah, hold on a minute." Quinn ran in front of her in an attempt to slow her down, "What? Why? What?"

"Why would you feel the need to leave?" Asked Moridaì, "We are getting close to finding an important clue, giving up now would be impractical for the mission..."

"Would you just keep out of this?" Artemis snapped, "This has nothing to do with you."

"Answer the question, Artie." Quinn persisted, "Why are you going home?"

"Tuviera needs me." She said, "This whole thing was a bad idea. I have a job to do."

"What the hell are you talking about? I thought you left Captain Monty in charge, what could possibly be happening that he can't handle?"

"Did you see something in your dream?" Moridaì once again tried to ask, "Something that has distressed you?"

Before Artemis had a chance to completely disregard them, the three of them were interrupted by an onlooking passer-by, a pretty young woman with a basket of baked goods.

"Oh!" She gasped, when she realised she had been spotted, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to intrude on your conversation."

"It's alright," Quinn said, "We probably shouldn't have been so loud out in public anyway."

The stranger laughed a little, extending a hand to him, "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you! My name is Pandora. Were you on your way somewhere?"

Artemis took a deep breath, trying to push down her concerns for long enough to hold a conversation. "We were heading toward Roxnola Caverns."

"I think the long journey is starting to get to us a little." Quinn added.

"I expect it would." Pandora said, "My home is not too far from here, you're welcome to stay and rest yourselves for a while if you'd like."

"That sounds great." Said Quinn, "What do you two think?"

"I am not sure..." Moridaì said, "Something about this seems wrong..."

"Well, that confirms it for me." Said Artemis, "We'd love to. A proper rest might be what we all need."

Pandora smiled, beckoning for the three of them to follow her along the road. Artemis obviously took the lead, all too happy to put as much distance between herself and Moridaì as possible.