Waking from the Dream

The Temple of Eluna

A blue-scaled sith-makar sits calmly, but worriedly at the side of his kin. His kin - namely Seldan, lays on a bunk in the temple of Eluna. Initially, Zeke had found Seldan laying on the floor with a strange statue in his bloodied hand. Unconscious, unresponsive. So Zeke brought him back to one of the rooms that are usually reserved for sleeping in and... Well there had been spells. Spells spent in the effort to awaken the paladin without any sign that they had done anything.

All that was left then, was prayer and patience. Zeke was good with both those things under normal circumstances, but it was difficult to wait and do nothing. Well, he was currently drinking tea and reading a book aloud to his unconscious companion, but that was not something _productive.

""No," he said to himssself bitterly, "the pitiful sssacrifice of thesse poor creaturesss wassss left out of the historiessss not because it did not happen. It was left out sssimply becausssse-" He pausssed, ssstaring grimly down at the ssmall, broken bodiesss. "No one cared..."" Zeke read aloud.

Still there is no response, although all signs are normal, and have been for the last day and a half since Zeke found Seldan. He seems for all the world asleep, and yet for nothing did he awaken.

A few more minutes, though, and his eyes slowly blink open. Blink rapidly, and a hand reaches up to remove sleep-sand from the corners of his eyes. It's a slow process, this awakening, and yet - for the first time in several months - he looks - better. There are no weary lines, no dark circles. No pinched or worried looks that he allowed so few to see.

The movement sparks an immediate reaction in Zeke as he sets his tea and the book carefully aside. This quickly taken care of, the sith-makar leans close to Seldan and looks at him worriedly. He looks... fine. Like someone who is at last well-rested and comfortable from sleep. Lingering on the edge of dreams. Zeke huffs. "Your goddesss kept you over-long kin, thisss one wass worried." It's said in a joking manner.

It takes Seldan a minute to realize that he's - in a bed. Surrounded by familiar walls. "Mmmm, even so?" He reaches out and stretches luxuriantly, tendons snapping a couple of times. It's about then that he twigs to both his state of undress, and where exactly he is. "Where am I?" he asks, although he is fairly certain that he knows the answer. "I - fell into dream when I attuned the statue. What is the day, and time?"

"Did you?" Zeke asks, humming to himself in thoughtfulness. "It isss Ceriday, around midday. You have been dreaming for a day and a half from what thisss one can tell." He looks at Seldan serously. "Thisss one tried every-thing to awaken you, but you would not sstirr from your ssslumber."

Several moments of silence ensue while Seldan sorts through his memories - those which are hazy and those which are clear. "I spoke to Her, or to Her servant, in my dream. She was clear, that she wished me to rest, to unburden myself of that which was not my concern," he says slowly. Clearly, he's not inclined to get up just yet. "It is - in my mind that I awakened when She deemed me rested, and not before."

Another stretch of silence follows, and he stares at the ceiling, recollecting. "The statue," he says suddenly, sitting up, "where is it?"

Zeke holds up a calming claw and then looks around Seldan a moment before picking up the statue from around the blanket. "You would not releassse it. Thisss one did not know if removing it would be bad, sso did not attempt to remove it by forsce." He looks at Seldan seriously. "Ssso you sssaw Her in your dreamsss? Or one of Her sservantss?"

"I did," Seldan answers, relaxing considerably at sight of the statue. He reaches to take it, then lies back, with it still in his hand. "It is well. The vision was - personal in nature." He sits up again, more slowly this time, allowing the blankets to fall around his waist. The statue, he rests on his blanketed leg, eyes lowered, studying it with a serious mien despite the definite increase in energy levels he displays. Seeing him now makes two things clear - that he is much the better for the rest, and that he has not had a proper, full night's rest in some time. Months. Maybe years. "She bids me leave the matter of the statues to another."

"Thisss one underssstandsss. Messsagesss from the godsss are often sso." Zeke would never pry, particularly not into a private message between a supplicant and a deity. No matter how curious he might be. Still, it seems that Seldan is comfortable explaining some of it, and that leaves him nodding thoughtfully. "Thisss isss wisssdom. You already have a lot to handle. Thisss one isss glad that Ssshe does not call on you for more."

He looks Seldan over briefly. "How are you feeling?"

If Seldan is ready to speak of some of it, he does not seem prepared to share all of it, but instead turns to the more immediate topic. "I am well," he answers seriously. "Seldom do I sleep in a bed, of late, and more seldom still do I sleep dusk to dawn, or near to it." He stretches again. "It is in my mind that She spoke wisdom to me, moreso than I knew."

"Thisss too isss the way of the godsss, and of their ssservantsss. To give usss knowledge that we require. You will likely realize later that there wassss more sssaid and to be underssstood than you realize now." He shifts his tail in amusement and looks at Seldan fondly. "Thisss one hasss your clothessss and armor here."

Zeke motions to the end of the bed, and shifts his tail again. "Thisss one knowsss that you are not truly comfortable with-out. But did not want to try and determine how to put it back on once it wasss off." He seems mildly embarrassed here, but it was his job as a healer to make sure that those around him were healthy. Thus he has no regret in his care of Seldan. Only that he had not tried to return what he had taken.

Seldan does not answer at once, instead standing and putting aside statue and blankets to go over to the pile of clothing and armor. "You have my thanks, for seeing to it, Zeke," he replies. He seems to be sorting through the armor, locating each piece in turn. When he is satisfied that all are accounted for, he sets about donning clothing and armor in turn. "Worry not for that. I slept the better for the lack of it, and it is in my mind that I would not have awoken no matter the threat. Come, I could use your aid, for it is so that I do not walk Alexandria without it, and even this temple is not truly safe."

Zeke rises slowly to his feet, but is quicker about helping Seldan into his armor. This is at least something that he is familiar with, and it is easier to help Seldan put on his armor than to put clothes and armor on an unconscious body. He says nothing as this is done, but when they have completed the task at hand he does offer a gentle querry in a tone that suggests that he does not expect an answer in the positive. "Would you like sssome tea?"

Once the armor and under padding is in place, the robe goes atop it. One clasped, as he has done so many times before, he speaks a word of power, and the pearlescent armor morphs into the appearance of a simple shirt, trousers, and boots. The robe remains as-is. "Nay, Zeke, not here," he shakes his head, as expected. "I would share tea with you, but even Her temple is not safe for me, not for any length of time, not if it is known that I come here. Mithralla spotted me here, some days past."

The blue-scale's gaze darkens somewhat and he shakes his head. "Truly it isss... unssettling that you are not sssafe in your own plasce of worssship. It ssshould not be! Thisss one undersstandss your caution kin. It isss well-earned, but thisss one doess not like that it isss necessssary." Zeke humps and thumps his tail softly, very softly. "We will ssshare tea another time, and another plassce. Thisss one will sssee you sssoon?"

"Nor I, and yet may I find Her holy places wherever I see Her face. Thus do I not regret, nor do I worry for my own worship." Seldan's smile is a very small ghost of a thing that attempts to be reassuring, even when every line of him says he doesn't like it either. "I shall return soon. I have a task that she bids me see to. I expect that it will be swift, and then shall I return to our camp."

For just a moment, Seldan stares off into the distance, then shakes himself and turns his attention back to Zeke, standing bright-eyed and tall. "I will return by nightfall."

Zeke shifts his own tail at Seldan's smile. His version of one. "Thissss one sshall sssee you ssssoon. Thisss one will have a meal ready, in cassse you hunger when you arrive. With tea." Amusement here. He seems satisfied now with Seldan's state of mind and state of being. So he lifts a claw in farewell before beginning to strip the bed of its linens and generally cleaning up. He hums as he does so, a bright and merry song that he hadn't even known that he knew.

A quick pack-up of statue and paraphernalia later, Seldan pulls Reunion from the bag and fastens the weapon to one of his multiple weapon belts, then turns to leave Zeke to his task, bright laughter following him down the hallway.

-End