The Red Room

[Una Tanta]

x
x

Spring 1rst 514 AV

It was Una's first night in Wind Reach and as she settled into Flutter Cove she was kept awake by the whistling bubbles of the nearby seahorses. Bells ticked by before she was able to convince her minds tumble to cease. Tomorrow she would see her parents again, for the first time in seven years.

There was no respite from her anxiety in the womb of her dreams. Usually they curled around her bringing her her deepest desires. Her dreams had brought her flight, and Cy. But now the womb was small and weak. She could feel the darkness press against her limbs until they were tight against her body. The grainy sand beneath her became rougher, each tiny piece boring into her skin like a snails drill bored into the mollusc shells that littered the floor where she slept.

Opening her eyes, she gazed at the warm red room around her. The ceiling was so low even the short statured Charoda was forced to hunch. "Mom?" She murmured. The room was humid in its heat and smelled of sulfur. "Dad?" Una yelled louder. Slowly she felt her skin begin to shrink squishing her body until she was scratching at the walls gazing at the high roof. Had it grown? Or had she shrunk? The gusts of panic began to swell as the realization dawned before her, it's blood red rays obscuring her eyes. There was no way out....no way....

Una screamed. It was the shrill childish scream of a toddler. A scream that with all its simplicity echoed much. She didn't understand what was wrong, why she was here, who had put her here. The red room had done nothing to harm her, but the pure mystery that stretched before her was terrifying in the same way a crib is terrifying to a babe when it's mother leaves the room.

The floor squished beneath her feet as she tore from one end of the room to the other, feet banging gracelessly against it. A shadow on the floor halted her motion. Shaking from toe to finger to hair tip she looked up into the giant eye of her oppressor.

x
x

[Garret Sawyer]

Garret sat by the fire, its crackling flames bathing him in green light as he looked out into the endless forest, it's towering red trees stretching on for eternity much like the dirt road he was camped against. A blackened pot hung precariously over the fire, its content bubbling and boiling as Garret's stomach growled in response. He lit a single splint from one of the, watching it flicker and glow as it fought for life before he stuck it into the chamber of the pipe. The flame extinguished itself immediately as it attempted to set the weed alight only to make it smoulder and smoke. He brought the tip of the pipe to his mouth, sucking on it gently as the smoke seemed to flow into his mouth and there he held it, relishing in the dusty, sour taste of the smoke.

Sleep had never come easily to the mercenary, often it was a fight he struggled win and not come out with wounds but today as soon as his head had hit the pillow he was gone, lost to land of sleep and dreams, the land of the impossible and extraordinary. Behind him a chestnut horse snorted, swaying gently from side to side as its eyelids flickered quickly, lost in their own dreams. This bliss might have continued had a sudden shrill scream not shattered his fragile peace, its source radiating from his very own tent. What by the gods was that? He wondered as he peered over his own shoulder while Rockfall neighed in protest of being woken up suddenly.

Slowly Garret stood up, yanking his weapon along with him as he tentatively approached the tent. It was a simply thing truth be told, much like any travellers tent, dyed in crimson red. He reached down, his fingers clasping around the rough fabric as he readied his weapon "I'm comin' in there! You better not be armed" He warned as he tugged the folds back as yanked the figure out. "Well who the fuck are you?" He asked, looking down at smooth, webbed creature sprawled out on the forest floor "More to the point... What the fuck are you?" He asked again forcefully, sending a stream of hot, acrid smoke blowing into its face.

[Una Tanta]

x
x

Spring 1rst 514 AV

Choking on the smoke of the beast Una struggled to cover her eyes, the protective film not built to resist smoke. When the flap moved exposing the forest and fireplace relief flooded her. Bowling over the figure almost two feet taller than her she breathed the fresh moist air into her gasping lungs. As quickly as the terror had swamped her, relaxation wrapped warm wings around her shoulders. In the waking world a warm vent had erupted politely interrupting and calming her dream.

The man at the tents entrance was more rough and fierce than any she had met. The hunters of Avanthal were boyishly rough and ever jovial while the hunters in Wind Reach were arrogant and focused. None were stern. For the first time since bedding Jack she felt as if she were in the presence of a man. This time though, she met a man as a woman. Despite the pacifist nature and culture that resonated deep within her, killing Cy and running from Avanthal had birthed her anew.

Dreams needed no reason, but had their own reason. Kneeling down and crawling to the fire Una gazed through the flames at the man, her white skin scalding black, the yellow tips flickering in her eyes. "Burn anew with me...." She murmured to the man, her voice though a whisper carried to his ears easily. Her own Chavena pressing into his, swallowing it whole in her desire.

The flames licked higher when he appeared across from her. Though she had no notion of growing or him shrinking they were eye level. Reaching out Una ran a finger through the soot. Finger painted black she reached out toward the rugged face and pressed it gently to his forehead. Running her finger along his temple to his cheek a long line of black left in its wake. The black thrilled her, her touch had never left so visible and permanent a mark. A reminder of her presence one couldn't brush off, a reminder beyond her unique appearance.
.

x
x