The path that stretched out before her was cobbled and clearly well traveled. The scarred woman frowned gently as she touched the rather odd shaped bump beneath the fabric of her outfit. Tucked into her tunic, she carried a sleeping dove, resting gently against her heart, which she gently touched before beginning to jog further along the path. Her sandals clacked and clicked as she kept her head held high, staring forward.
The path simply kept stretching in front of her, her eyes squinting in the sunlight as cobble gave away to dirt and she suddenly found herself in vast plains, her head twisting to and from as she cupped the dove gently to her chest. The bird remained asleep, tucked happily against the warmth of the woman's skin and the cloth she wore.
Puffing out a breath, she picked up her pace once more, staring forward towards the horizon, watching as the sun began to set and the sky began to twist and contort with color. Reds, oranges, and yellows were streaked across the sky as if a painter had done so with a brush.
She took each step one at a time, not worrying about where the path was taking her, but keeping a steady pace nonetheless. Soon the dirt path shifted to one of marble oddly enough and she raised her head as she approached what appeared to be a fountain made of entirely of marble.
Other doves sat perched about the fountain, cooing gently and watching as the woman approached.
She stepped forward, kneeling before the edge of the fountain and gently coaxed the dove from out of her tunic and gently set the bird upon the water's edge before she caught a glimpse of her own reflection.
Sapphire eyes and scars aplenty covered her face, however, the crown of yellow carnations and blue roses that topped her head were what made her jolt back. Retrieving the crown of flowers from her head, the woman let out a tiny sigh and slouched back upon her legs, clutching her hands tightly over the stems of the flowers, wincing ever so slightly as the thorns dug into her palms.
The sound of wings flapping caused her to raise her head as she watched in astonishment as the doves rose into the air and seemed to join together to form a more humanoid like creature that sat down upon the rim of the fountain.
Hair that was not nearly blonde and not nearly white, eyes that were a deep green and yet nearly black. The creature cupped the woman's chin and gently raised it.
"You must rise. Your time is not yet come. Rise." The voice was most certainly feminine in nature, that she was sure of. The creature leaned down and took the crown from her hands, gliding a hand over each flower: the yellow carnations to red and the blue roses to orange. After this was done, the dove 'woman' set the crown upon her head and guided her to her feet.
"Go. Fight for what your heart desires."
The voice spoke again and as she began to move away from the fountain and the dove 'woman', her pace shifted from a walk to a jog and then to an all-out run as she moved towards the rising moon.
She settled a hand upon her lower stomach, wincing as pain surged through where she touched.
"Damn… That hurts…" She mumbled, wincing at the sound of her voice: scratchy and not at all smooth or warm as it usually was.
Slowly, she pulled herself from where she lay, holding a hand gently upon her bandaged stomach and rose to her feet. Taking in her surroundings, she finally understood where she was: her friend's living room.
Grunting and grimacing, she made her way towards the stairs, voices rising from below, both belonging to males.
Sera hobbled down the stairs slowly, rounding the corner as she stepped down into the kitchen.
Alexander looked up from the kettle and smiled brightly.
"Good morning. Glad to see you're finally awake. How are you feeling?"
"Like someone stabbed me."
A yelp came from the other occupant of the room and Nyth lowered their head in embarrassment, fiddling with a piece of cloth on their outfit.
Sera eyed the plant slightly before shuffling over to the table and depositing herself into a chair, grunting.
"How long was I out?"
"A day and a half…" Nyth replied softly, still avoiding eye contact.
Sera groaned and thumped her head down on the table. She rubbed at the back of her neck slightly as she closed her eyes.
Her fever had not lasted long, but the dream that came with it was still present in her mind. The words of the dove 'woman' repeated themselves in her head. Rise. Your time has not yet come. Fight for what your heart desires.
She was sure of what she spoke of, and within her heart of hearts, she hoped that she had the strength to do so. The strength and the physical power to do so.
Thanks to @Nesstro for making this look pretty.
