In Lost Dreams the Four Were Bound

20 - Davnian - Musings on Ohran

As Neris left him to his thoughts, Davnian closed his eyes and thought long and hard.

He had caught it just as his mood had shifted, noticing how different he approached Neris in their lovers' gambit over the finer details of the present. There was a direct shift in his voice, his words, his demeanor. He was awash with a familiarity that knew just the right phrases and the right cajoles to use when placating and coercing the obsidian spy. The way his personality changed had made the pit of his stomach turn as he mulled over the concepts and reasoning.

[You'd do much better just letting go,] the other said, his voice like rocks rumbling along the dreamscapes of Davnian's mental terrain. [Look not on your methods. Accept them and move forward.] The shadow tyrant had the right of it, better than Davnian could ever claim. All that was left was to see to the matters at hand: recovery and Ohran.

He had tried not to be spooked by the mere mention of the name, but the syllables that made up the namesake of Madrus Ohran echoed through his skull. Like many things of late, he could not recollect where and why he recognized the mage's calling. Yet deep in his gut, his innards revolted at the mere recollection. There was something terrible, regretful, and wrong about every utterance of those words. They were cursed and vile. Tainted like a poisoned well, dark as the endless depths of the ocean, and soulless as a corpse were but the first attempts at analogies that came to mind when trying to reconcile his hesitations.

[If it's the name of a mage, we should steer clear of it.] The other's voice was low, like the rumbling of the deepest depths of the earth. [Magic is a foul thing. Unpredictable. Unescapable. Cursed and overbearing.]

[I know not what the Virage knows of the arcane, but I know enough about that name to expect nothing good to come from a meeting,] Davnian replied. [Even then . . .]

[Even then, you're curious why this Nerin knows that name?]

[More than that, I need to know why he would come here,] Davnian replied, trying to understand the strange web in which he was caught.

The name "Hyunisti" was foreign and unheard of in his addled mind, but like "Delvori" and "Renai," he knew the name "Emri." His stores of esoteric knowledge painted the forest folk as skilled woodsmen and carvers, excellent hunters, and marvelous musicians. Dancing and singing were common in the camps of the ancient people. Yet aside from the architecture, he recognized nothing about his current residing place as wondrous. There was no music or dancing and no joy in the air. He detected a buzz of excitement. Overlaying it was a dense haze of desperation and fear that was almost palpable.

Complicating the mess, Elis Renai was a friend from his youth. That much he knew. She had feelings for him that ran deeper than friendship. He needed to know their history. He couldn't help but be on guard around her, not knowing what misstep he could make in his words or actions toward her. Adding to that, she had a child whom he could not place as hers by nature, but she nevertheless seemed enraptured with her.

Neris Delvori, on the other hand, felt all too familiar. Her banter, playfulness, sultry air, and dark machinations when she so chose were all well understood. Everything from her smell to her mannerisms was fresh in his mind. Despite his distanced words, he wanted more than to give in to her cravings. Thankfully, he was indisposed and could exercise restraint, but for how long was the question.

[Aren't you glad you're no longer dreaming?] the other said, snickering before returning to its hiding place.

[If I could remember the dream, I'd have to decide which is worse. All I see around me are twisted feelings and missing pieces. I'm not well enough to make sense of any of it.]

[Then rest, young one. You'll be roused and bothered more as the day goes on, and that's if you're lucky.]

The shadow was right. Davnian needed to rest. The morning had been eventful in more ways than one, and the day promised to provide more room for the dramatic and the strange as the sun waxed to its zenith. Relaxing his muscles, he forced himself to be still and calmed his breath. Clearing his mind, he took a deep breath, followed by another.

He needed his strength, just as Neris had said.

He also needed his sanity for the maddening road that lay ahead.