It was a pleasant dream. Gleaming jewels adorned her hand, she was sat on a throne made of crystal in a glittering throne room. A vast court room expanded in front of her, decorated with golden chandeliers and colorful flowers.
In front of her, seated on a variety of seats, from huge leaves to mushrooms, were a race of beautiful people. Their shimmering wings looked delicate, each one resembling a different gemstone.
The Fayfolk in front of her cheered and performed all sorts of stunts. She saw pixies twirling about in the air, doing summersaults like carnival gymnasts.
As the books described, the Fayfolk were a cheerful bunch. They were all smiles and joy as a tiara made of twigs and branches and some fine flowers was placed on her head.
Lydia found herself caught up in their celebration. A wave of her hand brought forth a shower of flowers that settled everywhere and disintegrated like snow when touched.
However she didn't let herself be fooled. The nightmares always began like this, she would be a noble of one the races, then the terror would show up.
The shadows would stare at her, creeping and reaching to her past the thin windows of illusions. They would show her gruesome sights, cruel scenes of disaster and calamity.
Withered flowers, burning forests, bloody seas and their little shack in ruins. These images that she dared not carry when awake would dance, performing for her their own little twisted act.
Lydia felt the dream changing, reverting to the secrets she feared. They flashed around her. Carlos standing alone in a forest, his silhouette cloaked by a maddening moon and his broken bow coated in blood.
She tried to hold onto her throne, but no matter how hard she did, the darkness didn't let her. She slipped and it dragged her further down the lane of terrifying future. Dunst falling off a cliff, stab wounds all over and a huge claw mark running across his face. Rene in a black dress, mourning in front of three tombs. A flaming arrow shot our of nowhere, setting the trees on fire. Lydia reached her hand in a vain attempt to save her sister from the flaming hell. They shifted before she could reach her hand through the fire, now in front of her stood Raven.
His eyes had glazed over, filled with an icy aura cold enough to freeze hell ten times over. A storm of wolves prowled around him, forming a boundary to prevent him from escaping. Raven stabbed a rapier into the ground expelling a wave of frost that covered her vision. When it cleared, Aron was roaring like a wild beast. His gentle brown eyes replaced by two balls of orange light blazed with rage.
Lydia tried to calm herself through the painful passage of the nightmare. But they only grew worse. The last thing she saw was herself, trapped in a dark room. Water poured into the room from the sides, drowning her when it filled the chamber.
She screamed loudly, trying to dispel the dreams, but they attacked her again, stronger than before. Before she could be overwhelmed however, a hand reached out from the mist she was surrounded by.
It grabbed her, and a woman dressed in white pulled herself out. Light gushed back into her world as the scent of flowers in full bloom gently wrapped her in their embrace.
The woman hugged her and in a gentle voice consoled her, "It's okay sweetheart. Dreams and nightmares are simply that: dreams. Don't loose hope, not yet. All that happens, happens for a reason. Sleep well."
Her voice calmed the chaos swirling in Lydia's heart. The woman wiped her tears and placed a kiss on her forehead.
"Lyds?" A brusque but concerned voice woke her up.
Lydia woke up in cold sweat and felt Dunst's big warm hands on her foreheads.
"Hey Dunst" She replied weakly and got up from the only couch they had in their small shack.
Dunst quickly shuffled to sit beside Lydia. "More nightmares?" He asked as he checked her temperature again.
Lydia hesitated but gave him an awkward smile.
"Hmm" Dunst muttered. "You know, one day I want to be strong enough to fight against a dragon and protect you all from one."
"Uhh" Lydia mused, "Awesome big bro."
"What I mean is, I want to be someone strong enough to be relied on. Someone who you all can rely on and place your trust in, and share things with. Someone who'll be the knight and will never back down in face of danger." He pumped his fists in the air excitedly.
Lydia widened her eyes, a large smile spread across her face. "Thanks" she replied in an unusually quiet voice. Brother and sister shared in a moment of blissful silence before they were interrupted by a large knock.
Dunst sighed, then got up to open the door. His bear of a figure blocked the view, but Lydia smelled a faint and familiar scent of flowers from outside.
------------------------------------------------------
"Ahh, so this is your place?" Triana happily hummed the tune the performers on the street were singing. Aron tiredly trudged along her, his hands carrying all the groceries and sweets Triana had bought for them.
"I like it." She happily knocked on the door a few times. When it creaked open what greeted her was a bear of a boy with short hair, dressed in the trainee uniform of the knights, a grey shirt over a pair of olive pants.
"Oh my, you're huge." Triana muttered.
"Hey Dunst, I can explain." Aron hurriedly tried to explain that Triana was not hostile nor a stranger and knew their grandmother. Triana fondly recalled how the boy himself refused to accept the introduction himself but a few hours ago.
"Hello, young ones. I am Triana, for further introduction, await the return of your siblings."
As if on cue, Rene's gruff voice sounded loudly across the path. "Carlos, you carry this. Raven, you carry this." And the three figures crossed the path leisurely, excitedly chattering about the new year celebrations.
That is until Rene dropped the bag in hands in surprise. "A friend, Aron?" The hint of hostility in her voice all but hidden.
"Your grandma's, I'd say. Yes" Triana happily curtsied. "Oh boy, we've got a lot to talk about! Invite over that old dwarf and Ophelia too."