Of Forgotten Dreams (Book 1) [NANOWRIMO 2022]

Chapter 3

"Yun, are you not asleep yet?"

Yun blinked, shaking her head slightly. She had been completely absorbed in her thoughts ever since she had come back from Governor Chin's manor. The day's events have been a little bit overwhelming for her, and since she was too tired to dance, but still too alert to sleep, she'd settle for her herbs.

"I'm still not sleepy yet, Father." Yun replied, putting down the pestle and mortar as Ling opened the doors for Lord Gu to step inside the room.

"Are the herbs working?" He asked, taking a look over at the dried herbs she had crushed into powder.

"It... doesn't stop the dreams, Father." Yun said dejectedly. "It does make me sleep longer, but longer sleep means longer dreams."

"Then stop taking them for a while. I'll try to ask around again to see if anyone can help. Don't go to bed too late still."

Yun nodded and escorted her father from her room, catching a glimpse of the stars outside in the clear night sky.

"Ling, thank you for accompanying me this late, but you still have chores tomorrow. Go to bed."

"Are you sure you are fine alone, Milady? You seem disturbed." She asked hesitantly.

"I'll be fine." She reassured Ling, smiling at her.

Ling nodded then, and left the room.

Yun retook her seat at the table and continue pounding the herbs until the dead of the night. She yawned then, covering her mouth and stretched after. The events of the day had begun to catch up with her, and soon, she found herself nodding off, and decided to just rest at the table for a little while.

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Yun soared through the air, gliding through the forests of the Viridescent Isle. The white and green robes that she wore flapped in the air, the basket on her back rustled. She was heading back to the small cave where the Healers of the Viridescent Isle used when they were out collecting herbs. It served as a place for them to rest and preserve herbs if needed.

A sudden breeze shook up her flight, and she kicked onto the branches, standing to one particularly thick one to balance herself.

The wind was never this way here. She thought to herself. Curious, she looked around, trying to find anything out of the ordinary.

She found something soon enough, and glided down from the branches to take a closer look at it. The patch of red was startling against the grass, and it led all the way up to a huge hole in an ancient tree.

Her instincts kicked in, and she rushed towards the tree. She swung her basket forwards around her shoulders as she did so, picking up a clay bottle from it.

She was about to step into the tree, when the entrance suddenly flared up in white and blue flames, searing her. She gasped and stumbled backwards, landing on her bottom. A jolt of pain travelled up her waist, but it quickly quelled down, and she was able to stand up shakily again after a few seconds.

The fire was dying down rapidly, and after a few moments of waiting Yun found herself being able to walk over the flames without being seared too badly. So, she kicked off from the ground again, gliding into the tree while narrowly avoiding the fire.

The space inside wasn't too big, and Yun thought that it only required ten steps from one side to the other. She landed in the middle, and saw directly in front of her a man lying against the tree bark.