Perchance to Dream (Drusilla)

[Zhol]

|.7th Autumn, 514

Tiredness tugged at the corner of Zhol's eyes, and fatigue plagued his muscles as he trudged through the weaving maze of subterranean tunnels. Since coming to Wind Reach, sleep had not come easily to the young man from Endrykas, but these last weeks it had been worse than ever. He missed the sound of the canvas and breeze more with every passing day; missed the soothing sound of rain to lull him to sleep; he missed the occasional braying of striders, the snorts and snores of his family. He was not ungrateful for his new life here, and for all the Inarta had done to welcome him; but that didn't stop him missing home.

The change in seasons was what had done it; or at least, that was what he suspected, and hoped. He had been restless, expecting the city to up and move; but it had not, and for reasons he couldn't fathom that frustrated him to no end. Every day, the walls of Wind Reach's tunnels and caves felt closer, closing in around him; even thinking about it made the breaths begin to catch in his lungs, each effort struggling to draw in enough air to sustain him. He stumbled, a hand catching hold of a wall just in time to arrest his descent towards the ground. He wheezed, summoning all the willpower he could to wrestle more air into his lungs. A vague numbness began to prickle at his skin, and eat away at the corners of his vision. He slumped his body against the wall; slid to the floor; hugged his arm around his knees, fists clenching and unclenching as he tried to wrestle his body under control.

The onslaught eased, marginally, and the urgent, anxious distress faded into a more sorrowful cascade of emotions. He let his breathing slow, but each breath still felt insufficient, as if someone had cursed his lungs to decrease in size.

He let his head loll to one side, staring down the tunnel in the direction of his destination. Someone had recommended the Dreaming Lady: somewhere to explore his dreams, and maybe find some clarity on the mysteries that were plaguing him. It sounded preposterous; but then so had the idea of oozing res from his skin and transforming it into fire, before he'd seen it with his own eyes and done it with his own hands for the first time. But what hope was there for him if he didn't even have the strength and force of will to even make it to the door?

Mustering what energy he could from his addled limbs, he forced himself to his feet, still a little unsteady, still relying on the wall to hold him up. "What is this?" he muttered under his breath, forcing himself to take a step forward, and then another. "What is this new route to failure that you have found?"

"Pavi" | "Common" | "Nari"
This template was made by Khara. She was bribed with coffee and jammy dodgers.

[Drusilla]

Drusilla gave a sigh, it had no real purpose or meaning. It had just simply escaped her mouth without permission. It was a day off from work. The kind of days she hated. Too much free time let her mind wander off to places it knew not to go. To Kalinor. To her web. To her father. To her long dead mother. To the surrogate that changed her life. All unpleasant things she pushed to the back of her mind only for them to fester and reemerge to be pushed back again. She walked the tunnels, after around 12 years of making her home here she knew these tunnels well. To human eyes they grew dim, however to Drusilla they were unchanging with light. She walked on, white hair a shade of white that seemed unearthly flowing eerily behind her. Amethyst eyes scanned the darkness ahead. She was seemingly alone. A smile graced her pale lips, before taking the form of song. The Symenos crawled and crept it's way down the tunnel way."When will the flowers bloom?" Much like a creature climbing about the ceiling and walls it became a being all it's own."And when the moths do fly away." Mournful and yet mysterious. "Cocoons for collecting." Startling but alluring. "To make the spider's silk." That was Symenos. "To make our spider's silk." Her song ended with another sigh. Damned song. Damned memories. The Symenestra continued down the hall in an almost floating manner in her long black dress. She had perfected walking this way, playing on the illusion her dress gave. She focused on that until a strange tongue caught her ear. It wasn't Nari. But what is was, Drusilla knew not... But would find out. Hurrying down the hall her eyes fell to a slumped creature. An Inarta? No, they had dark hair. Without thinking of the tongue she used she spoke, "Excuse me, are you alright? Did you make that strange noise? Hey..." Her voice carried concern, that much could be translated through.

[Zhol]

|.

Zhol had barely managed to muster himself half way back to composure when the eerie sound of mournful singing began to awaken his anxiety anew. First the walls closing in, and now singing monsters from the deep? Wind Reach was after him, fighting the unwanted outsider the way that the body fought off an infection, coming to get -

He wasn't sure if it was her sudden appearance, the sound of her voice, or the shock of seeing what she was that shattered his panic: but as his air-starved gaze managed to focus on her, he found himself paralysed by the oddest mix of emotions; awe, he supposed, was the word.

He'd heard there was a... Symenestra? He wasn't even sure if that was the correct word; he'd barely even heard the term spoken, let alone seen it written in a language he could comprehend. Whatever the word was, he was aware that one lived in Wind Reach, mostly through disparaging half-overheard comments comparing him to the city's other outsiders. She was a crafter or artisan maybe, but he'd not strayed to those parts of the city all that often, and hadn't ever seen her in person.

Until now. He wasn't sure how to react, or what to say. He was supposed to be afraid, but he found that sensation completely absent. He'd heard her referred to as if she were a monster, and that only served to deepen his confusion. She was different, yes; her snowy complexion and amethyst eyes made that strikingly obvious. But the way her face and voice were twisted in concern wasn't some nightmarish behavior: she was just a person, same as he. How could anyone respond with fear to that?

"I am okay," he replied, hoping that had been the question she had asked, and hoping that Common was a language she might understand. He dreaded to think what would happen if he did not; a conversation in his abysmal broken Nari seemed like a tall order at the moment.

"Pavi" | "Common" | "Nari"
This template was made by Khara. She was bribed with coffee and jammy dodgers.

[Drusilla]

Drusilla smiled, "My apologies, you caught me off guard and in Symenos." She was painfully aware of the horrid accent that coated her words. "I'm Drusilla Aster, seamstress of Wind Reach and resident Symenestra." She curtsied. "I hope my singing didn't startle you. I assumed I was alone... People... don't take well to me... I tend to keep to myself... It's better that way.. Umm... were you the one talking funny? What was that?" "Erm.. Are you lost? I'm heading to the Lady, myself. I'll drop you off where you need to go." She took a few steps closer, with a clawed hand she helped the man to his feet and lifted his chin up for a tick. "Human, you're simply human." Happy with her findings Drusilla stepped back, "Sorry, I had to check, we had a mutt mix come here, killed a good friend of mine...Arvo." "You're a stranger here too. Have you picked up Nari easily?" Drusilla began to walk onward, "Well, C'mon. Can't have you laying on the ground here." She giggled. "You know you can just call me Dru. The people who are more accepting of me call me that. So what do you do here?" As they walked Drusilla asked a flurry of questions to this newcomer. "Your hobbies? Favored things? How about a favorite color?"

[Zhol]

|.

Focus was still proving something of a problem, but Zhol struggled to attain it none the less. "Zhol," he replied, his voice a little unsteady; but fortunately his limbs were becoming slightly less so. "I'm a horse -" His voice trailed off, mind struggling to unearth the word from the depths of his memory. "- person," he finished, the closest approximation that he could find. Despite Common being the only way he'd been able to communicate with the Inarta for the last several seasons, suddenly he found wielding it difficult, his head swimming with words and thoughts that he struggled to discern. "I was speaking Pavi. I'm -" His voice trailed off again. Drykas, he'd almost said; that would have been the worst kind of lie had he uttered it. "- from Endrykas."

Drusilla's words washed over him, though he responded to what he could; he latched onto the fact that she was heading to the Dreaming Lady the same as he, and dutifully allowed her to lead the way after she'd helped him to his feet. There was something a little strange about her, but good strange; reassuring strange. She was different; certainly not a typical Inarta in the way she carried herself; and for now that was a balm, easing the anxiety that had been so intense back into a more background noise.

"I work in the stables," he explained, his speech growing a little more confident and steady with each step. "And no, I can barely even speak a word of Nari. I am -" Apparently even his ability to speak Common was suspect at this point; he winced a little as he found words that were close enough. "Very bad."

He fell silent as he contemplated her last salvo of questions, a frown deepening on his forehead. Hobbies, favourites; did he even have those? He had a favourite horse, he supposed; and a favourite Inartan; but he didn't really own enough items to have a favourite. He kept only what he required; only what he would be able to carry with him when the city moved. Of course, that was no longer necessary; but it was a mindset he had not broken himself of. He stopped in his tracks, suddenly overcome by the sad realisation.

"I don't think I have a favourite anything," he said quietly. "Not even a favourite colour. Is that -" He looked at her, his eyebrows tugged in an odd mix of sadness and confusion. He fumbled through his mind for a word to finish that thought. Normal? Strange? "- wrong?"

"Pavi" | "Common" | "Nari"
This template was made by Khara. She was bribed with coffee and jammy dodgers.

[Drusilla]

Drusilla made a face when Zhol said he was a horse, the look faded as he added person. She laughed, "I was going to say, you're a strange looking horse!" She cocked her head, "What is Pavi? Do horses speak it too? Endrykas, I see... What's it like there, anything like here?" "Well, I take it you like horses! I can't say I know much about them. They're big and could easily crush my Symenestra bones... In a sense I think they're kinda scary because of that... Pretty but scary." She admitted shyly. But getting crushed by a horse was a real fear. "Ah, having a hard time with it most do. I came here young so it was easier. I can try and help you with your Nari, if you want.." "No, it's not strange. But not even when it comes to food or a past time?" Drusilla questioned as they walked, "How about a favorite type of horse? Or coat color? You must have favorites for those!" Drusilla looked at the man named Zhol. He seemed nice enough. But why was he heading to the Lady? Was he having night terrors? Or maybe just looking to relax a bit? She'd asked enough questions for now. She didn't want to scare him off and have him get lost within the tunnels. That would be bad for everyone. "Don't worry we're almost there."

[Zhol]

|.

"Pavi is the language of the Drykas," he explained, finding an unexpected smile slowly beginning to tug at the corner of his lips. This girl - Dru, he forced himself to remember, since that was her preference - had nothing but questions; but they were lighthearted, pleasantly curious, and in no way an interrogation. He tried to explain as best he could, careful to avoid too many complicated words just in case her accent was a sign that she wasn't quite as comfortable speaking Common as he. "It's relatively simple, but we - they - use gestures and sign language to convey their emotions and add to their meaning. If I said 'hello' and made this sign -" His hand gestured appropriately. "It would mean that I was pleased to see you, whereas this -" Another gesture. "- might mean I have bad news."

It was strange how reassuring answering simple questions was; questions where the answers came easily, and where they were sought purely for information, and not to be judged. "I don't know if the horses understand Pavi, but I like to think they do. I speak to them in it most of the time; and if nothing else, the signs seem to help calm them down."

He thought about her suggestion of where his favourites might lie, but again his mind came up empty. "Where I come from, the Striders - a special kind of horse that the Drykas ride - don't have as much variety in colour as horses do in the rest of the world. Some colours I'd never seen on a horse until I came here, and I've been told there are many more. I suppose then that they're all my favourite; or maybe none of them are." He frowned, frustrated that he wasn't providing a very good answer. "I don't really notice the colours: I'm too busy looking at their personalities. People think that horses are big, simple-minded animals, but they're smart, and sensitive, and they can be just as stubborn, compassionate, or emotional as any person I've ever met." He let his whisper of a smile grow the slightest bit larger. "You should come to the stables some time and meet them. You'll see that there's nothing to be afraid of, once you get to know them."

As for the rest of her question, he avoided that. The idea that he might have a favourite memory twisted his gut into a knot; certainly, there were far too many past times that were the opposite of being his favourite, and that was somewhere that for now his mind didn't want to dwell. His smile stretched slightly, a little dismissive, a little sad. "I suppose I just haven't experienced enough of the world to have favourites yet."

As they proceeded through the warrens, Zhol took the opportunity to turn the tables, and learn more about his new acquaintance. "How did a young Symenestra," he began to ask, trying very carefully to pronounce the name right, "Find herself in Wind Reach? Or is that too personal a question?"

He hesitated, considering her explanation that they were nearing the Dreaming Lady, and suddenly realising that he would likely have to explain his dreams and nightmares to someone inside. A flicker of anxiety flared inside him again; he was not adverse to sharing facts about himself, no matter how personal they became, but when it came to his dreams and emotions, sharing those felt like an unfair burden to place on another person, and guilt kept them bottled up inside. A hypocritical arrangement perhaps, given how often he tried to decipher the emotions of others; but one he had not had much success overcoming.

"And also," he added, suddenly worried that he was about to breach some social taboo. "Is it okay if I ask why it is you're going to the Dreaming Lady? Or... is that too personal, too?"

"Pavi" | "Common" | "Nari"
This template was made by Khara. She was bribed with coffee and jammy dodgers.

[Drusilla]

"I see..." Drusilla said with interest. "The Drykas speak Pavi..." Curiosity flickered in her eyes. "How does one say 'hello'? So I may greet you properly next we meet." Her hands mimicked the hand signs Zhol had done. She went back and forth good greeting, bad greeting, good, bad, good, bad. "So if I do this," she made the good hand sign, "the horses will be happy? Huh, who'd of thought. Is there one that means 'don't crush me please'?" "Well, what are Striders like? What color are they? How big? Are-" She caught herself. "I apologize, but Papa told me to always take advantage of an opportunity to learn something new. And all of what you're saying is new to me, so I must ask questions and learn to better understand." She explained hoping Zhol would understand that she honestly just wanted to learn as much as she could. "They won't attack me, if I go to the stables? You're sure?" She bit her lip and after a tick or two nodded slowly, "Okay I'll visit. But you better be there! Just in case..." When Zhol began to question her a surprised smile came to her face, "Well, if you know what I am, you know what we do. Taking women for our own dangerous breeding and tossing them like garbage once done with them. I wholeheartedly disapprove of that and want nothing to do with such monstrous creatures! Plus, my Step-mother took delight in abusing me. That is why I'm here and not there. I work hard and pull my weight and for that I've gain some people's respect." She made sure to look and make sure she hadn't spooked Zhol with the Symenestra. "I like to relax there, that's all. The natural gases put you in a relaxed state, so I just like to sit around there and think. Maybe sketch a new clothing idea or two." Drusilla smiled.

[Zhol]

|.

Zhol smiled as her tirade of questions continued. Some people reacted negatively to those with insatiable curiosities; but Zhol merely saw a kindred spirit, as eager to learn and diminish their ignorance as he was; and so he answered her flurry of questions as best he could.

"Greetings," he said slowly, to allow Drusilla to hear the pronunciation, carefully showing her the shape that his hands made, "With this sign for respect would be the formal way of doing it, but to a friend you would say -" He repeated the same happy gesture from moments before. "- hi."

He cocked his head to the side, eyes narrowing slightly in hesitance. "There's a little more to appeasing horses than that; but it's a start. And I will certainly be there to make sure nothing bad happens." A slightly somber, bitter thought crossed his mind. I don't really have anywhere else to be.

He pushed that notion aside, and returned his attention to her questions. "Striders are very different to the horses you'll see in the stables. They aren't as big as some of the sleigh horses and pack animals down there; but they have long, flowing, multicoloured manes, that the Drykas usually plait and braid for convenience. They're usually grey, or tan, or palomino -" He stopped himself, tripping over that piece of niche terminology. Considering the possible examples, he slid up his sleeve, and brandished his own slightly suntanned arm. "Flesh tones, mostly," he summarised, glad that his examples had already echoed Drusilla's monochromatic complexion. "No matter what race you are, odds are there's a Strider out there that matches you." A quick frown formed. "Well, unless you're blue, I suppose."

Zhol fell silent as Drusilla explained her history, with such surprising nonchalance. If Zhol's own troubled past was bad, Drusilla's was far worse, and his paled into insignificance by comparison. She had been wrong, Zhol didn't know much about what the Symenestra were renowned for, and that small insight made him glad that he didn't. Next to that, the teething troubles between the Inarta castes that so frustrated him hardly seemed like anything at all.

He remained silent as Drusilla finished speaking; she seemed happy enough, but a small seed of guilt had already rooted itself, and it was too late for things like logic and external factors to abate it. "I'm sorry if I brought up any unpleasant memories," he said, with sincerity in his voice and eyes. It took a little effort, but he managed to muster a smile. "You'll have to show me if inspiration strikes this time around. The only drawings I've ever really seen were so that I could learn how to recognise the things that might kill me out in the Sea of Grass."

"Pavi" | "Common" | "Nari"
This template was made by Khara. She was bribed with coffee and jammy dodgers.

[Drusilla]

Drusilla nodded deciding to give this 'Pavi' a try, "G-gr-greet-ings. G-greet-ings. G-greetings. Greetings!" It may not of been perfect, but she was proud of herself. She tried again this time with the hand motion, "Greetings!" Drusilla smiled, she was getting better! She gave the lesser greeting a try "H-hi. Hi." She gave the hand sign again, "Hi!" She looked at Zhol to see if she had said it right. How amazing a new language! She doubted she would ever really use it but, Drusilla still wanted to learn it like it would be used everyday. "Here in return, Symeos of what you taught me. First a proper greeting 'Greetings.' Then a less formal 'Hello.' We don't have any hand motions to go with it. Oh, something more useful, 'Greetings.' That's formal Nari and then the less formal, 'Hi.'.Nari doesn't have hand motions either. I guess that must seem strange or even boring just using words." Drusilla smiled, "Okay, as long as you are there to keep the horses calm. I'll try and come by one day soon." Her voice still hinted a bit of fear. "So, the Striders are as varied as the races of the world? Do the horses like to have their manes braided? The Inarta like to braid their hair. Maybe it makes them feel pretty or fancy! Awww a blue horse sounds so pretty though.." She giggled. "I like that word palomino. It's fun to say. Pa-lo-mi-no. Palo-mino. "No hard feelings taken. The past is past. But it did shape me into who I am and I like who I am now, even if I can't change my race. I've made friends here found a profession I'm good at." Drusilla nodded to herself. "What creatures live in this sea of grass?" She was still unsure how a sea could be made of grass. A few ticks later Drusilla happily annouced, "Here we are!" She opened a door and the lucid fumes and moister hit them within the amber lit room. Pillows littered the floor along with rugs. Drusilla sighed, "I normally sit over there in the corner... But now that I'm here I might take a dip in the spa pools. Would you like to join me? You can get massages here too. Or did you come for something else? Spend a chime here and you'll sleep like a baby tonight."