Her feet carried her senselessly through the slums, having a mind of their own as hers had wandered off into places long since forgotten. The masked woman's hands were still at her sides even as she tripped and fell into the earth, senses far too lost in her head to notice any of it. The Etosian squeezed her eyes closed and pulled her branded hand up to cover them even while they were already shielded. The air about her smelled of liquor and smoke, hinting to the cause of her situation.
The woman in her own mind was not lying on the ground, drunk out of her mind, but rather wander the lone and dark halls of her mind. Her feet continued to carry her forward when she hit a wall.
It wasn't a brick or stone wall, though it was sturdy. She lifted her hands up to see how high the wall was when she felt something other than the rough canvas that covered it, a face. A startled gasp escaped her but before she could pull away, hands grabbed her forearms and she paused to squint through the forboding darkness around them. It was Merek. She stared at her husband with a lofted brow, confusion clear on her face until suddenly she was being shoved backwards, stumbling at the suddenness and falling onto her knees. When her gaze lifted, there was only a brick wall. The Etosian pulled her to her feet unsteadily, her breathing shaky.
After several moments, she held in a breath and tuned to continued down the halls where she came from originally and in the opposite direction, trying to steady her heartbeat which was rushing in terror- not from the darkness, but front the horrifying vision of running into her husband again, the man would no doubt still hate her from the sin she committed. She paced the halls, darkness clinging to her shoulders like a shawl. Fingers of chill tapped her cheeks and the silence was suddenly interrupted by the sound of fluttering wings.
Her gaze turned away from the corridor in front of her, instead staring off at the side hall, a dim glow around the corner lighting up the stone walls. "Hello?" Called the woman, her voice echoing in response but no other sound returned. She twisted and continued down the new hall, her fingers dancing like the chill against the wall until she reached the end and peered around the corner.
The creature was sitting admiringly on the wall, clinging to it gracefully. She gave a sigh, familiarity washing over her as she reached out her hand to carefully pat the animal's head. The bat-like creature allowed her to pet him as always before lifting off the wall and diving with grace through the air and down the hallway, followed loyally by the Etosian. When she turned the next corner after the beast, she ran into any other figure. This one was dressed in blackness, peering at her curiously. Ryia stared into the eyes of her cloaked self, lifting her hand to touch the picture perfect image of her, only to brush her fingers against startling cold glass, realizing she was not looking at a twin but a reflection.
She opened her mouth to speak but the mirror spoke first, nightmares having their own ways of breaking the way of the world. "You have two choices, go back to him, or come with me," she said to herself. Without another answer, the reflection turned and moved farther down the hall and Ryia knew- far into her chest, cold knowledge pressed into her heart- that her cloaked image was headed for death. So she had two choices.
To follow herself to execution or return to the man that would murder her.
With a small grimace, the woman stepped forward, accepting her shadow and accepting the fate that would likely befall her.
In the slums, the Etosian woman peeled open her eyes, still lying in the recently rained on mud. Her elbows popped as she stretched and stood, giving a shake of her head. She knew dreams had the strangest ways of becoming true.
The woman in her own mind was not lying on the ground, drunk out of her mind, but rather wander the lone and dark halls of her mind. Her feet continued to carry her forward when she hit a wall.
It wasn't a brick or stone wall, though it was sturdy. She lifted her hands up to see how high the wall was when she felt something other than the rough canvas that covered it, a face. A startled gasp escaped her but before she could pull away, hands grabbed her forearms and she paused to squint through the forboding darkness around them. It was Merek. She stared at her husband with a lofted brow, confusion clear on her face until suddenly she was being shoved backwards, stumbling at the suddenness and falling onto her knees. When her gaze lifted, there was only a brick wall. The Etosian pulled her to her feet unsteadily, her breathing shaky.
After several moments, she held in a breath and tuned to continued down the halls where she came from originally and in the opposite direction, trying to steady her heartbeat which was rushing in terror- not from the darkness, but front the horrifying vision of running into her husband again, the man would no doubt still hate her from the sin she committed. She paced the halls, darkness clinging to her shoulders like a shawl. Fingers of chill tapped her cheeks and the silence was suddenly interrupted by the sound of fluttering wings.
Her gaze turned away from the corridor in front of her, instead staring off at the side hall, a dim glow around the corner lighting up the stone walls. "Hello?" Called the woman, her voice echoing in response but no other sound returned. She twisted and continued down the new hall, her fingers dancing like the chill against the wall until she reached the end and peered around the corner.
The creature was sitting admiringly on the wall, clinging to it gracefully. She gave a sigh, familiarity washing over her as she reached out her hand to carefully pat the animal's head. The bat-like creature allowed her to pet him as always before lifting off the wall and diving with grace through the air and down the hallway, followed loyally by the Etosian. When she turned the next corner after the beast, she ran into any other figure. This one was dressed in blackness, peering at her curiously. Ryia stared into the eyes of her cloaked self, lifting her hand to touch the picture perfect image of her, only to brush her fingers against startling cold glass, realizing she was not looking at a twin but a reflection.
She opened her mouth to speak but the mirror spoke first, nightmares having their own ways of breaking the way of the world. "You have two choices, go back to him, or come with me," she said to herself. Without another answer, the reflection turned and moved farther down the hall and Ryia knew- far into her chest, cold knowledge pressed into her heart- that her cloaked image was headed for death. So she had two choices.
To follow herself to execution or return to the man that would murder her.
With a small grimace, the woman stepped forward, accepting her shadow and accepting the fate that would likely befall her.
In the slums, the Etosian woman peeled open her eyes, still lying in the recently rained on mud. Her elbows popped as she stretched and stood, giving a shake of her head. She knew dreams had the strangest ways of becoming true.
