Hylo nodded, trying to remind herself how crucial she was towards Nestres' downfall. The concept of failing and dying to Solqulo frightened her.
But she had to push through, to prove her worth as a Coros member. She crossed her legs again, then focused.
Ether watched her gesture to different things that hovered right over her lap. Yet he couldn't see what they were. It was like only she could grasp these concepts.
And she was.
Hylo catalogued everything she understood about her powers as the Dream Chaser into different menus. Which in turn would appear before her.
She reread one of the menu's options several times. 'Dreams,' it read. After understanding more about her power, Hylo grew curious if Solqulo held any secrets.
After a deep breath, Hylo activated the 'dream' aspect of her strengths. The world around her faded into a dark void.
Figures stood in different positions all around her. Hitirus and Befehlnadir seemed like they were about to pounce on each other. While Ether stood with Tellendor raised high, his eyes fixed on something falling from the sky.
Her eyes panned through different parts of the void. Fruzzy charged into a battle that didn't exist. And Ketra sat with her hands on her lap. Ventelu reached for Trez' non-existing body.
While Solqulo leaned against an invisible wall with his arms crossed. His lips frozen mid-sentence, while two small lights hovered over his left palm.
"This place must hold everyone who I know. Can I access their dreams even if I haven't entered their minds?" Hylo mumbled.
She reached up to Solqulo's forehead. Then the entire void became a long and winding road of dreams. Hylo looked all around her, noticing every single character disappeared.
The first dream she noticed took place in a bedroom. Which interested Hylo since Solqulo was just an Icicle in this one.
He was lying on his bed, candle burning on top of a nearby desk. Hylo stepped closer, triggering the dream.
"Inamus, accept gifts of fat Eteni meat and soft furs for winter." Solqulo recited.
Upon speaking, his bed transformed into a large Eteni. Its club-like tail became the pillow while its fur pretended to be the sheets.
Solqulo laughed, patting the strange creature. He seemed unbothered by what just happened, as if it was intentional. But it was clear Solqulo wasn't experienced with rituals yet.
Every time Thawed recited rituals, they'd have to sacrifice or offer something in return. Especially if the rituals were dedicated to Inamus, Zurrak, or Yatuki.
"Not sure what he's doing... this is him before he became inspired to be the Ritual Weaver," Hylo mumbled.
She turned away from the strange spectacle, choosing to look for any other strange dreams. Many stuck out to her.
Namely, one where Solqulo walked up to a strange figure with a bag in his hands. Except the bag wasn't focused, neither was the figure. Leaving their textures and shapes seem messy and glossy.
Hylo's eyes landed on Solqulo squatting over a flower bed. The scene caught her attention, inviting her over. Upon stepping closer, the dream activated.
She watched Solqulo study each flower there, leading her to realize they were all dead. Their petals wilted and shriveled, looking thirsty.
"Inamus, your fields grow vast with trees and flowers. Abaki travel to feast on the juicy fruits, while Sarorin nap on your flowerbeds," Solqulo recited.
He plucked a flower from the rest. A gentle hand cradled it, while he precisely plucked the petals one by one. Like feathers off a bird's plumage.
Each one taken floated back down to the rest, where those gained from this one's loss. It was one of the simpler rituals from Inamus' teachings, but something odd caught her attention.
"... And we grow durable, so that we may resist siege after siege."
"That's Yatuki's praise!" Hylo pointed out. She processed what everything meant before coming to the most likely conclusion. "He must've discovered dual-rituals."
Hylo thought about it more. And it was true. One doesn't dream big before doing what they're dreaming. Especially Thawed.
"Solqulo seems invested in rituals, has he ever thought of creating and teaching his own..? If he did, then I would know by now. He used to lecture me over dinner about the importance of dual-rituals."
Hylo stumbled back after realizing the dream started behaving strangely. The figures twitched and flowers moved. And then it all went still.
"That must mean the dream is over. Would it be possible to uncover what fragments piece together a dream? After all, a dream is relative to memory."
She looked around the long, winding road. Dreams spanned far beyond her sight, going for seemingly forever. The still frames told different stories.
Hylo raised her hands. She focused her sight in her palms, studying the lines within. The word 'dream' popped into her mind, causing a pulse of blinding blue energy to erupt from her hands. It careened throughout Solqulo's dreams.
Encasing each one and studying them thoroughly for any deeper meaning relating to dreams. And to her surprise, Solqulo didn't know anything about them.
"Its impossible for a Thawed, especially one so knowledgeable like Solqulo, to have never pondered what a dream meant. That must mean I can't see the full picture behind each memory here, just little snippets," Hylo mumbled.
She sighed, taking a moment to relax after attempting to tie it all back to her. Hylo looked around one more time, then she severed her connection to Solqulo's dreams.
Ether quickly turned to his daughter after hearing her gasp for air. "Hey, you okay?"
"Yeah -" Hylo continued to breathe harshly. She cleared her throat before sitting up straight. "Just looked around Solqulo's dreams for any sort of connection. I feel better now."
"Were you feeling nervous about fighting him?" Ether's tone suddenly became understanding.
"I was, yeah. He is very smart when dealing with rituals and that makes me uncomfortable. If he uses something destructive... I don't want to imagine," Hylo admitted.
Ether smiled. "I've got something that'll cheer you up, follow me."