[center][h2]The Rise of The Sleepers -- Part 1[/h2][/center] [center][u]Please don’t skim this one.[/u][/center] A blood curdling scream broke the evening bird song. There was a flash of soft blue and the flourish of an elegant dress as a woman fell from the balcony, her body slamming into the garden walkway below with a loud crack. Screams clouded the gardens as guards came clunking over, dropping their polearms. An elderly servant came sprinting out from inside the palace, a ghastly horror in his eyes as he skidded over to the empress. Her scanned her still eyes, the look of betrayal frozen in her dead face, until finally his eyes snapped to her pregnant belly. “Knife!” He yelled, his voice shaking with adrenaline, “kniiiiiiiiiiife!” The guards seemed dumbstruck as the servant screamed, eventually wrenching a dagger from one of their belts. With an uncharacteristically steady hand he plunged the dagger into the side of the dead lady’s abdomen, summoning a gush of blood. Her pulled the blade down, creating a c-section before plunging his hands into the fresh gore. His eyes were blazed with determination as onlookers squealed and shouted and cried and vomited. He gingerly pulled his hands out of her ripped open stomach, a baby in his fingers. The small child gurgled angrily, coated in blood but otherwise unharmed. A grim smile, more of one of stress than relief cracked the old man’s face. He mouthed the prince’s name and the world seemed to freeze. Colours of bile and gore all over, he gingerly placed the screaming baby into Hermes’ hands. She was kneeling, her body stiff and frozen, her hands out and waiting as the weight was added to her shaking hands, her eyes wide with horror. She wanted to scream but her mouth was a straight line. Ahead the baby wriggled in her hands, but the scene was gone. She knelt in nothingness. It was just her, the baby, and the masked figure in the distance. It stood there silently, just a speck on the empty horizon, and yet she could feel its terrible gaze through its blank mask. The baby screamed and her ears throbbed, her heart matching. Slowly the baby melted in her hands, leaving her in a pool of fear. She blinked. The masked stranger was right in front of her. She could not move her head, but her eyes were stuck on its blank mask, a cold chill shocking her system. It felt as if a bottomless pit had replaced her stomach as it stared in supreme silence. A lump formed in Hermes throat and she choked on a tear. Slowly the warm flow of blood began to dribble from her eyes, sobs echoing in the emptiness. Runes began to dance behind the masked figure, but she couldn’t make them out. She cried, and she cried, red rivulets contrasting her pale skin as it drained from her sobbing eyes. [hr] Chagatai yelled, “Mom!?” His voice was a deep baritone as he came charging across the courtyard. His mother was kneeling in the center of the courtyard in complete silence, a gentle blue sky above. The man shook Hermes’ shoulder but she didn’t respond, her eyes wide with terror as she knelt, frozen. He could see the tears trapped behind her eyes and he bit his lip, “I’ll go get help.” He whispered to her before jumping to his feet and sprinting into one of the other buildings. In seconds he came bursting back out, his thick muscled arms pushing Xiaoli towards Hermes. “I just got here and she was like-” Chagatai began to explain hastily, “This.” “HERMES!” Xiaoli exclaimed and slid down next to her, quickly patting around on her body and face to inspect her for ailments with a desperate sheen in her eyes. “Hey, Hermes! Hermes, it’s me! It’s Xiaoli! Can you hear me? Hello?!” Like Chagatai had, Xiaoli began to shake her wife in an anxious attempt to stir life back into her, but she stayed frozen, her body bouncing back to its sitting position, eyes ever wide. [hr] Bubbles formed around Hermes as she stared at the figure. Muffled sounds panged against them, as if she were underwater. She knelt in a pool of her crimson tears, the flow of blood unending as she stared at the figure. It held out a hand and a blast of wind dried her eyes. Her baby twins appeared behind the figure, then the rest of her children, and their children, and then so many faces she didn’t recognize. Pyramiding into the distant horizon the army of Dreamers stood staring at her lifelessly, mouthing an ancient word. Her heart began to seize. [hr] “Mom!” Chagatai forced one of Hermes’ hands out of her lap, but it sprung back. He grabbed it again and held it close to his spun shirt, gripping it tight. He looked over at Xiaoli with worry and then suddenly Hermes sucked in a massive breath. Her fingers wrapped around his arm and she squeezed. She shut her eyes and blunk a few times, loose tears being pushed out from the blink. She looked over at Xiaoli, still in shock. Her wife's face blurred into view, as did the colorful buildings behind her, the crooked trees, and the azure blue sky. And yet, there was still a hole in her stomach and a chill in her veins. She went to speak but only croaked a dry breath. "Are you okay?" Chagatai slowly helped Hermes to her feet, "What happened?" "Y-yeah," She wrapped her cloak around herself, shivering. Xiaoli placed herself in front of her and grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her into a tight embrace. “Oh, Hermes, my love, what happened?!” She squeezed nearly to the point of suffocation. Hermes furrowed her brow, sinking into Xiaoli’s body in search of warmth, “I don’t know… is everyone okay?” A deep pang resounded in her chest and she shivered. Chagatai stared at his parents for a moment. “Everyone is fine, mom,” He cocked his head, “Altan is home with the boys, all healthy and plump, just as Mother Xiaoli ordered.” He pushed a smile and Hermes forced one in return. Her hand found Xiaoli’s and she squeezed it. “It’s probably just stress, I can feel it in my chest,” She rubbed her chest as if to punctuate her meaning, “I saw the masked man again.” Xiaoli pulled away with a mouth like a line and a pair of worried eyebrows. “The one from before?” “Yeah,” Hermes’ eyes turned serious. “Masked man?” Chagatai asked. “A figure I see in my dreams… well not usually. But off and on for decades now.” Hermes explained, “First when you and Wen-Wen were babies, again when you were little kids… and now. But these…” She looked at Chagatai’s worried expression and pushed his shoulder, “These you shouldn’t worry about, baby. It’s a dream, we are dreamers… it’s what we do.” Chagatai gave her an unsure smile, and Hermes forced a wide grin, “What did you need?” “Oh? Oh!” He looked over at the basket he had dropped when he ran over, “I was just getting some spices, Mother had already packed them and I was on my way out when I saw you-” “It’s okay,” Hermes smiled, “I think I’ll just have some water and relax for the rest of the day-- get home with those spices before Altan takes it as permission to do the cooking herself.” Chagatai grimaced and looked over at Xiaoli, who gave him an approving nod. Sucking in a breath he nodded. “Okay, but send Poppler the moment you need me.” He eyed both of them and Hermes shook her head. “Don’t worry, Chaggie, please,” Hermes went on tiptoes and kissed his blue-streaked cheek, “Go get home now.” She paused, “Safely!” “Now who’s worrying,” Chagatai smirked and backed away to his discarded basket of spices. He hooped it around his arm and pointed at his parents, “I’ll stop by tomorrow after the hunt, no more weird dreams!” As he exited the mansion, Xiaoli shook her head. “He’s our son, you know. He’ll be worried sick for the whole night.” Xiaoli wrapped her arms around Hermes’ waist from behind and rested her head against her back. “You sure it’s not something you’re eating? We could get Wenbo - he might know.” Hermes put her hands over Xiaoli’s and sighed, “For nearly forty years?” She shook her head, “They are getting worse, more vivid… I can still feel it. Almost like it-” She froze, a glimpse of white flickering outside the gate. “Like it followed me home.” Xiaoli sighed melancholically. “Is there no cause that you can think of? No mushrooms or anything?” She pulled away. “Is it a message from the Exalted Creators, you think?” “I don’t know,” Hermes scrunched her nose, “But I don’t feel very good, I can tell you that much.” Xiaoli leaned her face on a fist and huffed. “I’d tell you to go to sleep, but that probably wouldn’t do much… Have you tried to speak to Father K’nell?” “I-- no,” She admitted and squirmed, “I could try, maybe tomorrow? I’m already exhausted plenty over this.” She snuck forward a bit, creeping towards the gate. Xiaoli grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “H-hey, where are you going?” “I thought I saw something,” Hermes whispered and tugged Xiaoli against the wall. She peeked out. “I wish I had my club,” She muttered as she poked her head through the portal. Xiaoli furrowed her brow and sniffed. “Sweetgrass, your club is in your study - where you always put it.” “I know,” Hermes affirmed and slipped through the gate. She stopped, her body dropped in a sort of offensive stance, but nothing was there. Her brow furrowed and she looked back and forth, eyes scanning the trees. “Nothing.” “Hermes.” “What-” Hermes turned to face Xiaoli and yelped, a large masked face an inch from hers. She flung herself backwards to the ground, her heart pounding. She blinked, and Xiaoli was standing in front of her. “You- you spooked me,” Hermes stammered. Xiaoli recoiled a bit, too, then made a determined frown. “Alright, that’s it. You are -not- well. I don’t care what Father K’nell is doing. We are seeing him this instant.” She stormed towards Hermes and reached out to grab her hand. Hermes snapped her hand back, “I’m fine, really. I’m just a little shaken up is all; If you saw something stalking outside the walls after a bad dream, you’d check too.” “Hermes, you’re not fine - you just ran away from me as if I was a wild devil - me, your wife, a woman who loves you with all her heart and life.” She sniffed and cleared her throat. “No, no, we are going to see Him and I am -not- taking no for an answer.” Hermes seemed stalwart, “We are going to see him? How?” “W-well, prayer’s worked before, right? Let’s ask him to come over!” Xiaoli strolled in the direction of the northern side of the mansion, where they long ago had built a small shrine to K’nell. Hermes crossed her arms and followed Xiaoli reluctantly. “I’m telling you,” She said, “He will say I’m just stressed too, really should we bother a god over something like this?” They stopped in front of the shrine and Xiaoli came to an abrupt halt. She took an agitated breath of air through the nose and crossed her arms over her bosom. “What will do you if we don’t get help, hmm? Go back to sleep and experience the exact same thing? Hermes, this is like when Temüjin refused to get his foot checked because he could ‘just walk it off’. Thank the Gods we had wine to disinfect the wound…” She shook her head. “This is nothing to be stubborn about!” “But I [i]am[/i] stubborn,” Hermes gave Xiaoli a pleading face with big black eyes that suddenly grew sparkles of gold. “I know you are and that’s not a good thing!” Another breath. Xiaoli leaned her head on her hand and closed her eyes. “Just… Can we at least ask Him? You know how much it pains me to see you like this.” Hermes’ eyes switched back to their normal black and she sighed, “Fine… if it’ll help, then sure.” Xiaoli’s smile slowly grew back and she squeezed one of Hermes’ hands. “Okay, then.” The two knelt down before the shrine and Xiaoli went down on her hands as well. “O Holiest of Being, great Sovereign of Sleep, K’nell, dear Father - if it does not inconvenience You, we are in need of Your counsel.” A dark miasma seeped from the shrine and with a crack of thunder, a cloud formed over the pair. It’s rolling sheets of darkness turned white and plush, showering a certain favor down. A crow cawed in the distance and glided over to the shrine, landing on it with shadowy feathers. It cawed twice and as it went for a third, a grainy voice swirled instead. “Your words will not go unheard, my dears. Please… speak your mind.” Xiaoli let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank the Gods, You came. H-Hermes isn’t feeling well at all - she keeps talking about this masked man, and--... Well, it’s impacting her even when awake. Would you like to explain some more, dear?” Xiaoli squeezed Hermes’ shoulder affectionately. “I’m having terrible dreams, of a masked man who wears feathers and beads. I see runes, and scenes I could never imagine… I wake up feeling terrible, and the emotions I feel in my dreams stay with me when I’m awake… even now I feel a hole in my belly filled with gushing anxiety and curling-- I’m not even sure, sadness?” There was pause and the cloud dissipated into the sky, revealing nothing but the blue azure above. The crow cocked its head and pecked at the shrine, and just as they began to worry K’nell had left, his voice swirled around them. “You have had these dreams for many years, I know this. I did not exactly make these dreams for you, and I cannot exactly tell you who has -- I know how and who, do not mistake my hesitation for ignorance. My dear Hermes, I am sorry this ailment has befallen you, but know that it is… simply because there is more to you than most realize, more to all the dreamers.” The voice stopped for a moment, “With your permission, dears, I’d like to conduct a test-- to see if Hermes is ready to confront what has been growing alongside her all these years.” Hermes’ brow furrowed and she looked at Xiaoli, “O-of course!” Xiaoli frowned. “If-if I may ask, what does the test entail?” “I am simply going to show Hermes and you an image of the sky… but feel free to comfort each other as you see fit.” Hermes made a face, “Sounds easy enough.” But her hand betrayed her anxiety as it latched onto Xiaoli’s tightly. Xiaoli smiled reassuringly, but her hand was too sweaty to denote calmness. The crow cawed four times and suddenly flew away, leaving the pair all alone by the shrine. The wind blew over the walls and dragged its crisp cloak over the two as they waited. The sky above remained a plain blue, but the familiar yet distant smell of an autumn’s night shook from the trees that surrounded the estate. The leaves rustled a song that had no words, yet was more than nostalgic. A strange feeling grappled Xiaoli, similar to the first time she had entered the forest, and a glance over to Hermes showed that she wasn’t alone. The dreamer clutched her chest, a cracking cold filling her heart and causing her legs to shiver. The song of the leaves increased in volume, the wind adding its chorus, and then all at once the orchestra of the past clamored a great boom and the sky broke in half -- the dark black of a moonless midnight pushing the blue away. A nebula of stars winked down, covered only by the see-through winds and the chill of night. Hermes fingers crushed Xiaoli’s as her chest tightened and eyes widened. She stared upwards as if her very soul was threatening to spill from her eyes and be swallowed by the night sky above. Tears began to stain her cheek as she stared, mouth opened and muttering wordlessly. Slowly a strange accent broke from her throat. “Kuranell.” Her voice was shaky, threatening to scream. “Kuranell.” The fear radiating from her was palpable. Her voice pitched, about to crack. “Kuranell.” “H-hey, Hermes?” Xiaoli whispered and attempted to get closer to her and wrap her arms around her shoulders. A push of wind exited Hermes’ mouth and she turned to Xiaoli, eyes scanning the sky behind her, “They’re all gone.” Her words were cryptic and accented, “The trees took them away.” She began to cry, “They have to bite their tongues.” “Your Holiness, w-what is she saying?” Xiaoli demanded anxiously as she waved her hands in front of Hermes’ eyes. The sky cracked and the blue took it back from the night. Groaning erupted over the forest as the trees halted their swaying and the wind quickly hid away. All that was left was the timid chirp of confused birds, the two lovers, and one swirling voice. “I’m afraid [i]she[/i] hasn’t said much of anything,” K’nells voice answered, “Much is happening inside of her as we speak, and if she is to do away with it all… she must venture to Limbo, enter it, and confront what is causing her ailment. I cannot reveal too much to her nor you but I will say: her mortal mind has crossed thresholds it was not meant to in the dreamscape, a trait inherent to all dreamers and thus her sickness is not exclusive to her. To ensure--” “My children,” Hermes suddenly said, worry in her eyes as she seemed to snap from a trance. A sleeve came up to wipe her already drying tears, “They are in danger.” There was a pregnant pause and then K’nell continued. “Travel well into Limbo, and you will find all your answers and all your solutions… but it will not be easy, nor safe; however this is something that [i]you[/i] must do. You have my favor, and I will be at the end of every one of your prayers, doing all I can without intervening too heavily in this delicate situation.” Hermes held her head as she pondered the words. She pinched the bridge of her nose and looked over at Xiaoli, she went to say something but sucked in a stressed breath instead.” She looked back to where the voice had hung, “Will my children be safe while I do this?” “They will be.” The voice answered. Hermes let out a long breath, “Then I only have one thing to lose.” “You won’t lose me, dear,” Xiaoli said with a wink. “I’m much more durable than you, after all. But… Limbo...” Hermes put her hand on Xiaoli’s shoulder, “I meant… me.” She gave her a sad smile. [i]”POP!”[/i] A cloudling came rushing out of Hermes’ study’s window and crackled between the two. “Oh, Hermes, I know you did. Don’t worry - death will not claim you while I still exist. I’ll keep you safe.” She leaned her head on Hermes’ chest and let out a soft sigh that pushed Poppler away. “Always.” Hermes smiled and kissed the top of Xiaoli’s head, “I know, love.” [i]”Zzt!”[/i] “I-- uh.. Know Poppler,” Hermes made a face and looked back at the shrine, “Thank you. For everything.” “Do not thank me yet, dear.” The voice swirled, “A journey lays ahead of you, and while it may seem daunting, or even impossible at some turns, know that the goal is yours. Good luck, and do not despair at the mysteries of the gods, all will be made apparent.” With that, a certain weight seemed to leave the area, as if hinting at the absence of the god. “So… Limbo again, then?” Xiaoli said carefully. "There isn't much choice," Hermes tucked in her lower lip and chewed on it anxiously, staring into the distance, "I'll need my sandals, and my club. It's been a long time since I've been on such an adventure." She made a face, and Xiaoli could read the eagerness between her anxiety, "Very long time." “Well,” Xiaoli began with a smile. “Do you feel like you could reawaken that wanderlust of old?” "In the words of an old adventuring friend of mine," Hermes looked at Xiaoli sternly, optimism hidden in her eyes. "Pop." [Hider=Prestigio] It 25 bitch [/hider] [Hider=summary] A fuckin crazy dream grips Hermes and if you didn't read it then you should go back and read it because it's details are extremely important for this plot arc and you will not be able to follow it via summaries. She is found paralyzed in the courtyard, gripped by visions of the masked man by an adult Chagatai who quickly gets Xiaoli for help. After Hermes is freed from her mental prison Chagatai leaves and Xiaoli insists Hermes sees K'nell. She refuses and instead hunts a figure she swore she saw. Xiaoli doubly insists and they talk to K'nell. He reveals stuff that again, would do you well to read for yourself. Stating she has to travel into Limbo to confront what has been growing alongside her or her kids and herself will be put in great danger. They get the old adventure gang back together. Pop. Poppler, Xiaoli, and Hermes head out. [/hider]