Dream a Little Dream (chapter 1 - Reality Check)

[Flann]

Vannis wakes and looks around. His small apartment in the Willowood looks no different. He can stiill see the looming, pale-skinned figures with sharp teeth, incisors as long as his thumb. And feel the burning as the foul concoction they make him drink slides down his throat.... vaguely... now they are gone.

Going to a corner, where he has set up figures representing the Sea God, Valinor and the Sea Goddess, Valirmiss, he prays.

"Yahsee'n it b'fore yah, me gods. Yahsee t'make t' dreme clear t'me, blessit an' if yahfeel't."

Dropping into a trance, completely superstitious and prone to flights of fancy, if it comes from a dream.. sees...

A young elven lass, fair skinned and fair hair, hair now soiled and dirty, face covered with streaks of sweat. Pale eyes looking upon the mess left behind by the few horses the New Tunarians keep. Grumbling and thinking to herself that this is not fair, that her friends who got on their knees and begged entrance to the High Keep were granted that, while she... SHE! the daughter of Ganarian and Koleranti, Sitters in the High Court and well respected... SHE was relegated to cleaning stables! FIE  on her unbent knees, FIE on her dreams of something missing, somethign better...

The entrance of the very pale, sharptoothed (incisors as long as any finger on her hand, and does that not seem wrong in itself? hmmm?) guards of the Keep bring her back to Norrath. She stifles her dreams, as she shovels a last... if it had been known then, she would have cheered... shovel of horse manure into the wheelbarrow. Larielle, as she is known to her mother and father but more used to "Stable Girl" now... watches the guards approach. She tries to make herself small, to "blend in".. she has, since her induction into the fine and odifereous world of horse manure found she has some small skills... alas. They are not enough. The guards see her.

Later, beseeching, enough to wring the heart of the most callous fiend, her pretty eyes filling with tears... on her knees begging "NO! I did nothing wrong! I did your work! I helped however I could! Why do you... *gags on a slimy substance forced down her throat* "I did nothing to undermine New Tunaria! Why do you do this? My parents will hear of it, I assure you!" Even after that, she knows her plight is terrible. She will be the next.

The next. How many times has she seen them? The young elves, brought before G'narinox, and, although they seem happier when the ceremony is done, does she see them again? Never, in her experience. They are gone. Her dreams call up images of screaming youths in... coffins!... and eventual decay, acceptance... and the freeing of a new spirit, a corrupted spirit, a new Vampire. Larielle, in desperation, throws her spirit out to the world. To whatever Gods and Goddesses are listening. There have to be some, surely. Please?

Vannis drops out of his trance. This is real. He feels it. And he knows what he has to do.

[Flann]

Vannis searches Castleview for Caladril and finds him at last in the Keepers of the Archive library. Of course. "Shoo hae lukked 'ere t'begginith" he mumblres.

The table Caladril sits at is strewn with books and rolls of parchment, some appearing very old. He looks up as Vannis approaches, carefullly marking his place with an emroidered cloth book mark. His robes are clean, of course, and to look at him you would never believe he rides into battle wearing armor and carrying a six foot long sword.

"I see from your expression you are troubled, friend. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Vannis blurts "T'gull, t'elf gull!Tur'ble!! T' ot'er elfs, t'ey huff teev lok vampar. T'ey BE vampar, blessit! Yahmuss 'elp t'gull, Cal!"

Caladril calms down Vannis and gets the basics of the story at last. Reminding himself once again to work with Vannis to help him get rid of that horrid accent, but not now, nay, now they have a task, he stops the babbling monk and says,

"We must find others. From what you say, I think we must hurry. If she is somehow sending dreams to you, more than likely this is something that is happening as we speak. This is a golden opportunity, Vannis! We must save this girl!Think what we could learn from her! Haste! Find Flann, and even better, Solerei. She has been to New Tunaria. I will prepare."

Caladril starts to bustle about, putting away books and scrolls carefully. Vannis stands there a moment, slightly miffed. Haste, is it? Look at him, taking his time putting away these old books! Who cares about the books! He knows it is Larielles's knowledge the sage wants. Probably to write down in some book! Saving her life, it seems, will simply be incidental. He opens his mouth to protest this, but decides it wont be worth the lecture. Deciding he doesn't need, or want, Caladril's help, Vannis swats a book from the table and dashes out, grinning as he hears Caladril's protest. Hah!