The Destiny of the Dreamer

Strewn Leaves and Strange Encounters

Ben knew of this place long before.  He knew of it, and yet knowing that he was venturing beyond made his heart skitter in his chest.  The glimmering green moss that padded his footsteps felt like it breathed anew, the dew glistening with glints of secrets.  He gripped the shell of his roly-poly creature a little harder as he rode it down along cobbled paths, looking all about as vines streamed down from the ceiling, the leaves covering the cracked marble stone of the unseen ceilings.

He marked the previous places where he discovered secrets as he passed them by, noting a spot by a couple of stones where he once discovered a carved charm and another place by a worn stone column where he found diary entries by a constructor who once helped design this road.  This worn-down path.

Greenpath.

He saw the remnants of the worn-down wires for the tram trailing down from the ceiling along vines and pipes, the cords blending in perfectly with thick briars, all weaving together into an inseparable net.

Finally, he came upon a bench that was present on a platform in a clearing.  He let out a soft sigh of relief, a small warmth spreading through his chest as he went and led his roly-poly to a column on the nearby platform, tying it to the column and patting it gently before leaping up to the bench.  He gazed up at the orbit-shaped lamp that seemed to bloom out of the ground like a flower, the flitting butterflies within the lantern glass casting a bright glow.

He breathed in a deep breath, the cool air filling his lungs as he took a seat, tilting his head up to better listen to the lapping water of the waterfalls nearby.  This was one of his favorite resting spots, and so he took time to enjoy it, just in case he wouldn't come by it again for a long time.

As he was relaxing, he heard a sudden splash of water, and he tensed, sitting up and looking around immediately.  His eyes scanned the waters below, tracing where the streaming waters tumbled down into pools below.

And that's when he spotted a figure he had never seen before.

And this was shocking because he had explored the Greenpath many, many times.  And he had continued to explore this place consistently at a regular time, turning over every stone and peeking around every corner.  And yet, in the many times he had visited, he had never seen this being before.

Never.  But she was here.

Or at least, they appeared to be a she.  Their back was facing him, and they were bowed over, kneeling in the waters as they seemed to search the depths of it.  Coral pink robes draped over their back, dipping into the waters and swirling around them.

Ben wavered, wondering if he should call out to this new stranger.  His intrigue thrummed fast under his chest, his heart jumping at the opportunity of speaking to someone new, possibly learning knowledge he had never acquired before.  And yet, he was afraid of scaring her, considering that she had also never seen him and was most likely not expecting to encounter him.  And well, how did one greet a person again?  He knew how, and yet his excitement and nerves made his thoughts skitter away from him, leaving him bewildered and scrambling to speak with even the most basic of formalities.

Before he could collect any thoughts, the stranger stood up, humming lightly as they looked at something they gathered in their hands.  Suddenly, her voice came out in an airy whisper, whistling through the wind like a flutter, the notes floating around in a lingering melody.

May the tales of time guide the souls of the lost,

Making a map to lead them beyond,

So that the guilt is erased at no cost,

Letting past and future become fond.

Ben stared in wonder and curiosity as the song met his ears.  Finally, the stranger turned around, met his stare, and jumped back, freezing on the spot.  Ben observed them for but a moment, his gaze catching on the crack that ran straight through the stranger's mask.  A copper mixture with rose gold hints pasted the mask together in a precise manner that he had never seen before.

He leaned forward, eager to greet this new stranger, but before he could say a word, the stranger threw out a rope and sword-sharp hook, reeling herself up to a higher platform.

"Wait!" He cried out.  The stranger didn't stop running, immediately sprinting off with something in her arms.  He ran up and jumped to her platform just in time to see her disappear around the corner, something clattering to the ground.

He caught his breath and decided to leave her alone for fear of intimidating her too much, stopping in his tracks.  He glanced down, searching for what he heard clatter on the floor.

His eyes caught on a couple of dark, navy blue pebbles that were scattered on the ground.  Kneeling down, he picked up one of them, holding it between his thumb and index finger and turning it around to better catch the light, observing the water's sheen on its surface.

Feeling the smoothness of the pebble's surface, he tossed it into his other hand.  Suddenly, he noticed that the pebble left a dark blue hue on his fingers, the pigment creating a glimmering, deep blue on his fingers.

He stared at it for a long moment, gazing into the rich color before standing up, gazing up into the gaping distance of the tunnel in front of him, the fluttering leaves of the draping vines seeming to tease him of the secrets that just escaped him.  Excitement burned in his chest as he gazed out beyond him.

"Fascinating..." He murmured, wavering for one more moment before turning around to return to the bench.

A mystery to explore in the near future, perhaps.

. . . . .

Turns out that the near future was much nearer than expected.  He needn't even wait for the next day to arrive.

Nightfall fell over the place, the vibrant green hues dulling into stark shadow as the light dimmed, sending the creatures of the place off to slumber.  Ben was resting, just about to fall into a sleep that was deeper than silent darkness when he suddenly sensed something.  Stirring away, he cracked open his eyes to meet the eyes of someone else.

The stranger, to be precise.

She was peering cautiously from behind a boulder, clearly observing him in his sleep for reasons unknown to him.  He observed her discreetly through half-open eyes, taking in her visage more properly this time before sitting up properly.

At his movement, she squeaked in shock, scrambling back and retreating, running away as fast as she could.  Determined this time, Ben wasted no time in following her, choosing on the fly to leave his trusty spear behind to strike up a conversation with her.

He needed to gain her trust and a peaceful truce.

So he followed her across platforms, weaving between haphazard stones and around old columns and pillars, his gaze fixated on her coral-pink cape as it flickered through the space.  Finally, she stopped short as her feet ran up to the edge of a platform that dropped off into an endless lake - a dead end.

She staggered back a bit before looking up and facing Ben, her small frame trembling as she saw that she was cornered.

"I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She cried out.

"You have nothing to apologize for, please," Ben responded.

"What do you want from me??"

"Please, calm down," Ben murmured gently, keeping a good amount of distance from her. "I don't seek anything besides knowledge.  I have no intentions of hurting you in the slightest."

"And yet, surely you know that knowledge is a tall order many a time, yes?" She shot back, still just as tense as before.  Ben paused for a moment, a little confused.

"I don't wish to know anything you don't know already, much less anything too secretive," He reassured her.  "I will only hear whatever you are willing to share."

This made her waver for a moment.  A moment of silence fell between them as they both caught their breath from running.  Slowly, she relaxed her posture, standing up a bit more properly as she met him with a pensive expression.

"Alright.  So it is knowledge you seek."