Fear of the Dark
There's nothing but darkness. Above, below, and all around. It's a soft darkness, like the darkness in a dream should be, and just like that, Dolan knows he's dreaming. There's nothing around him though. No portents or visions. No wolves or other things to stalk this endless night. Just emptiness like a pure void around him. Nothing.
The Dream Realm. It's become all too familiar to Dolan, of late, and indeed, tonight that was where he was hoping to end up. He studies the darkness around him. The Dolan that appears in the Dream Realm is a curious amalgam - shirt and trousers and boots not so different from that of a farmer, but with his holy symbol and greatsword over his back, but no armor. The right side of his face is indistinct, but ruined, with no eye where the eye should be.
_To work, then_ he decides. _What else do I need to know about this totem, made by the Knight himself? What else can I do with it? Do I need to do anything else to help restrain that beast?_
The darkness shudders in response to Dolan's thoughts, and it's then that he might realize that the totem is in his hand. It's as if his thought draws his focus to him in that moment. Then there's something out there in the dark. A shimmer. A light. A red light that grows into a pair of eyes. Burning red eyes that watch Dolan from the formless nothing. There's a rattle of chains, unseen but there. Present but somehow out of focus. There's no sound at all but that of Dolan's own breathing.
GAME: Dolan rolls will: (5)+10: 15 GAME: Dolan rolls will: (16)+10: 26
It takes Dolan a second to master the urge to turn and run for all he is worth. He's halfway to it when he realizes just what he is doing. He straightens up, stares at the totem in his hand, and pushes the urge _down_. Stuffs it in a corner. Instead, he bears his mind down on _focusing_ on those chains. Making them clearer. More present. Stronger.
The statue in his hand responds to his focus. Warming up but not becoming too hot to handle. The chains respond as well, becoming more 'real' in the dream. The red eyes narrow, and a voice whispers out into the dark. A sibilant voice that crawls along the skin and up the spine like a shiver. "You can not bind Me any more than I have already been bound."
It doesn't take much to realize just what it is to whom Dolan speaks, and an involuntary shudder takes him, rippling up his spine. The answer he wanted has been provided, and there are others to get. His remaining eye narrows at the red eyes in turn, his mind ruling his animal brain with an iron fist - for the moment. "Yet your servants would unbind you," he challenges. "Tell me of those who wield power enough to undo what has been done."
The darkness hisses. "Why would I tell you anything? Did you come here to bargain with the Dark little mortal? I can not imagine anything you could offer that would convince Me to give up My followers." There's a moment of silence. "I can feel your fear. You will not last long."
_Didn't think that would work._ "No bargains. I get it from you, or I get it another way." Instead, he focuses _hard_ on changing the scene around him. Not to the darkness. Not to the chains. But, to the totems not yet attuned. To where they are. To being an observer of their location, and the faces and places around.
The eyes fade into the dark, the chains last to leave. Until once again darkness surrounds Dolan. The totem in his hand grows inert yet again. No longer responding to his will which is now focused in a different direction. One that leaves the world a thing of shadows around him and nothing more.
There's suddenly a clink in the dark. A familiar sound to Dolan. The sound of armor. After a moment a figure resolves. One wearing a full set of armor including a helmet so that the face can not be seen. The figure is large, thick-chested and broad through the shoulders. The armor is gleaming bright, with gold and argent robes beneath it. The person, whoever it is, is so covered by the mail that it is impossible to determine anything about them save that they are very large in stature compared to Dolan.
Immediately and without question, Dolan drops to one knee, staring at the darkness "floor" before him. He knows who that is - who it has to be, and his heart pounds once again, but with a different emotion this time. Fear he knows, and knows well. He is its master, for the most part. Reverence and awe is another matter.
"Um-" Brain go flaily.
There's lots of things he'd like to ask, but all of it seems to have magically disappeared into the aether. He's left silent, not entirely sure what to say.
"Rise, Brydion Donnelly." A voice says, and yet... Dolan hears no actual words. Instead he simply and completely understands that this being before him wants him on his feet. And that it knows intimately who he is.
Well. Um. He has his instructions, and anyone who thinks Dolan won't obey knows nothing. He stands as bid, slowly, and his gaze comes up. At least a little. No, he's not looking directly at the figure, but - he's closer, at least? "Uh -" Questions swim in his head like dragonflies in a jar. "Yes, sir," is all he manages at first, but there are other questions in his head. Some of them relate to the matter at hand, and some do not. Things like -
- What am I going to do about that vampire? - Do I need to get the other four totems? - What else do I do with the totem? - How the hell do I ask all this stuff? I'm going to sound like a fool.
The knight in shinning armor turns, and points out into the darkness. The darkness beyond him resolves into an image. People take form there, people that for the most part Dolan doesn't recognize, but he does recognize the fountain that they stand in the midst of. One of the figures that Dolan doesn't recognize is clearly a paladin of Eluna. A man with shining eyes and hair of ginger-blonde. Standing across the fountain from this paladin is a man that Dolan certainly does recognize.
It's Kol. Kol is holding a lucht in his arms, biting her on the neck. The paladin murmurs something to those closest to him, and Dolan can just hear it. "Tackle him into the water."
Then the paladin speaks up more loudly. "Kol Demontry, why the lucht? You know as well as I what it is you truly wish. Come, then. Face me, and perhaps you will get what you truly desire." With that the paladin slits his arm open with his blade and the vampire rushes across the open area to attack him.
GAME: Dolan rolls intelligence: (20)+2: 22
It takes Dolan a minute of trying to figure out what to say before he realizes that - he's being shown something. Something about Kol. This could be important - he recognizes no one present except the vampire. His questions melt away into nothingness, eyes intent on Kol -
-And then the words hit his ears. Bright and shining days, it's a trap! And Kol _fell_ for it! He sucks in a breath, a sense of danger flooding him. _That vampire'll kill him-_
The image slows. The memory? Whatever it is, it reacts to his thought, and the vampire latches onto the paladin's arm. The knight, still standing to the side turns toward Dolan, a warning reverberating through the space of the dream before everything vanishes. The image, the knight. Gone. Replaced by Kol alone, licking his lips clean of blood and turning his bright eyes on Dolan. "Hello." He purrs the word, his long-fingered hands rising to his lips to chase the last bit of blood into his mouth. "You again..."
The warning is well-taken, but barely registers before he is faced with the reality of it - and Kol. _Shit!_ He immediately backpedals several steps, the thought of _that man has balls of solid rock to do that_ turning into a stone wall, mentally conjured and put between him and Kol. He turns and runs, then. _I need to learn more about the statues. Do I need the others? I'm not going to find anything out like this!_
The stone wall does not stop Kol. Not for long. He moves around it in a blur of motion. So fast! The vampire flits through the shadows like a nightmare given flesh. "Come! Play with me, my amber-eye!" He laughs as he chases Dolan down. He seems to be enjoying the hunt, flashing forward and appearing in front of Dolan quite suddenly so that the other man is forced to deal with him yet again. The dream has taken on a different feeling to it now. One that has the dark feeling like a weight around Dolan. Fear leaks from the shadows, but the reality of that fear stands before Dolan with a wicked smile and green eyes.
GAME: Dolan rolls will: (4)+10: 14
This time, the darkness closes in on him, and with it icy fear that clutches at a pounding heart, seeking to inexorably grip it into stillness.
He remembers, then - this is a dream! He can end it! Forcing himself, willing himself to snap awake, and if there's a scream that goes with it, it can't be helped.
-End