Once he and the others entered the ziggurat, Siquioce looked around at the heavenly room he was in, his eyes wide with amazed awe. With the various, colorful flowers, the thick and lush fronds, and the sparkling, clear lake in the middle, the area looked like something straight out of a travel catalog.
Siquioce happily slid into the inviting lake and breathed in the natural scent of the division, sighing, "Ahh, this is heavenly…I can see why they call this a Paradise!"
Yuchauzh took his log, placed it next to a patch of flowers and placed his head on it, replying, "You said it, Siquioce. This is better than smoked pidgeors!"
Kantuta walked into the scene, glancing at the many fronds and ferns before saying, "Yes, yes, this is very…relaxing. But is that all that we are here for? To laze around?"
"Mmm…so what if we are?" Siquioce asked, "Don't we deserve a break after all that we've done?"
"Well…I see your point, but…" Kantuta sighed, "I can't help but feel like there's little to do here."
"Well, that's just how it is!" Siquioce replied, "This is our opportunity to just…wind down. No adventures, no battling, just…peacefulness."
So, Siquioce sunk his body deeper into the lake, allowing etting out a content sigh as he enjoyed the moisturizing feeling. Feeling as though his very soul was being cleansed, Siquioce experienced the sensation of his mind emptying itself of any and all worries and complex thoughts. As if he were put under a pacifying spell, Siquioce slowly closed his eyes and drifted away into a quiet slumber, with everything around him fading away as he was transported to the land of dreams.
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Siquioce opened his eyes and looked around, noticing that he was in an empty white room. Everything was silent; the only sound the Samanian heard was that of his own heartbeat.
Siquioce looked around some more, asking, "Hello? Is anyone here?"
However, nobody came.
Siquioce hugged his shoulders, feeling unsettled by just how little there was going on. Hoping to take his mind off his current situation, the Samanian laid down on his belly and placed his head into his arms to take a rest.
A few minutes later, Siquioce felt a powerful smack on his rear, causing him to jolt with surprise. "Hey, wake up, sleepyhead!" a gruff male voice exclaimed, "You're already sleepin', what's the point in takin' a nap?"
As Siquioce began to get up, a kinder, female voice spoke, "Abiro! Do not be so rude to our guest!"
"Ah, quit yer worryin', sis, I didn't hurt him too bad! It was just a teensy, little, big slap."
Feeling intrigued, Siquioce rose to his feet and turned around to notice two ethereal yet simplistic-looking beings. One of them, a green circle with glowing blue stripes looked at Siquioce with kind, purple eyes and said, "Oh, there you are! Do excuse my brother's behavior, he can be quite…impulsive."
The other entity, a red circle with orange triangles rotating around it laughed, its yellow eyes squinted in a mischievous smile as it retorted, "Hey, at least I take some initiative. This seafaring slacker would've still been snoozin' away if I didn't do somethin' about it!"
Rubbing his sore butt, Siquioce said, "Yeah, but…wait, who are you?"
The green circle blinked before responding, "Oh goodness, where are my manners? Yes, hello, Siquioce, I am Hara. This is my twin brother, Abiro. Together, we serve as servants for the Holy Three and aid in guiding all who come to this Dreamscape."
"Dreamscape?" Siquioce asked, "Is that what this place is called?"
"Yup!" Abiro answered, "Captivating, ain't it?"
Siquioce tilted his head, "Uh…no? This place is absolutely blank."
Abiro made a face, saying, "Er…not the brightest tentaspark in the ocean, are ya?"
Hara bumped Abiro to the side, "Oh, hush. Yes, Siquioce, this area is indeed blank…for now. You see, the Dreamscape is a vast, wide realm; it is nearly infinite in its scope. Your allowed section is but a drop in the ocean of spaces constructed specifically for those brave adventurers that may visit our Paradises. Like many of the 'rooms', if you will, yours is devoid of substance. But with every Paradise that you visit, your personalized area will be filled with more and more items and pleasing commodities."
"Think of it as a reward for goin' on this sightseein' trip!" Abiro added.
Hara rolled her eyes, "Yes, I suppose. Furthermore, for each Paradise that you visit, we will grant you an increase in a certain trait of yours, starting with this one. Abiro, will you do the honors?"
Abiro chuckled, "With pleasure."
Arranging his triangles in a line, Abiro sent all of them at Siquioce's chest, causing the Samanian to tingle with energy. Once all of the projectiles entered his body, Siquioce clenched and unclenched his hands, asking, "Woah…what happened?"
"That, my friend, was an increase to your vitality." Hara answered, "Should you ever find yourself in a dire situation, your enemies will now face greater difficulty in putting an end to your life."
"In other words," Abiro said, "Your health got buffed! Now you can tank all sorts of damage and give your foes a good ol' walloping in return! Neat, huh?"
Hara shot her brother a look, "But he will not have to give his foes a 'walloping' if he simply avoid danger, is that not right, Siquioce?"
Siquioce shrugged, "I mean, I'm not really a fighter…"
Hara smiled, "As you should be, young one. Anyhow, let me not delay in fulfilling my role…" Closing her eyes, the holy servant removed the blue stripes from her body, fusing them together to form a long ribbon that flowed around the area like a majestic dragon. It continued to fly around for a few more seconds before descending, swirling around something invisible, and ascending again, leaving a comfortable, red couch and rug in its place. Allowing the ribbon to reattach itself to her body, Hara stated, "It is done. I assure you, though only two objects were added to your safe space, more shall come very soon. Just stay dilligent in your travels and you shall have a fully developed home of your own. Does that sound satisfactory?"
Siquioce gazed at the items and nodded, "Yeah, it sounds cool!"
Hara smiled some more and nodded, "Very good. Well, that will be all for now. Do you have any questions before you go? I am glad to provide some knowledge regarding this realm."
Abiro leaned in, "And I could give you some tips about the real world, too! Particularly ones involving battlin'…"
Siquioce held his chin for a moment before shaking his head, "No, I'm fine. Thank you, anyway."
"Oh, it is fine!" Hara responded, "We understand that you must have much to do in the mortal realm. I just have one more nugget of knowledge to impart on you before you depart: never go past your limits. If you ever feel as though you are in over your head, there is no shame in taking a moment to regroup and refresh. Knowing when to back up could make the difference between life and death. Remember this well, Siquioce."
Siquioce nodded, "I will, Hara."
"Thank you. Now then…" Hara's body began to shine a bright white, "Farewell, young Samanian. May your future endeavors prove to be fruitful."
With that, Siquioce began to float in the air, being levitated by some mysterious force before being shifted away, giving a brief wave to his new helpers before leaving the premises.