songerein | ☁ 001 | Under an Endless Sky

Entry tags:

☁ 001 | Under an Endless Sky

Who: Lyria and YOU
Which: ( Opened ) Passive + Interactive Dream
What: Lyria is experiencing a dream she's had many, many times before.
Warnings: Dark themes including slight mention of torture and imprisonment.

** [ OOC Note: Anyone is welcomed to interact with either parts of the dream, be it the passive or interactive! Should you choose to be apart of the interactive, you will have the option of appearing as your younger self or remaining the same. That is entirely up to the player! ]

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The sound of arguing opens the dream. At first there is muttering coming from an echoing room, and as the vision clears, the scene opens to a vast building of looming towers and dark infrastructure. The voices seem to be getting louder— more demanding.

Three figures stand prominent here, along with a line of soldiers blocking the entrance and exit. The man standing in the room overlooks it from above on a large pedestal, while a woman, her face hard, stands at his side.

"Go on, do it again."

"Stop this, Captain Pommern, she's had enough—!"

"—I said again!"

There is a flash of light from the man's hand, and a young girl screams from below, barreling over and cradling something at her chest. There is a sudden commotion of armor clattering, but eventually the noise goes quiet when Pommern raises his hand above his head, threatening to activate what appears to be a floating crystal cased within a tube. "This is for the Empire, lest you forget! We need these powers! Now, if you please..."

The girl on the ground hesitates, but wordlessly struggles to her knees. She turns her attention to the woman above, who only nods slowly yet solemnly. A frown appears, but eventually with the reluctant coaxing, the small girl will begin to close her eyes.

Suddenly a bright, omnipresent light suddenly glows from her chest, nearly encapsulating the previously dark room. The image of the girl is shown clearly now, as long blue hair appears mangled and unkept at her sides. She seems shuts her eyes tighter, extending her arms out in front of her, and through her sobs she mutters:

"Come forth and grant your power to me... Ifrit!"

The ground beneath her quakes, and as the light begins to dissipate, a large flaming beast appears at its center. Its chest bellowing with fires only to let out a hideous roar that shakes the entire room.

Lyria is seen to be struggling for control underneath, her hands trembling and eyes fluttering with a fresh new layer of tears. Eventually, exhaustion gives in completely just as the flames of Ifrit begin to lash out onto the floors and ceiling. The summon's body flickers with her consciousness dwindling, and soon completely fades out of existence as her body tumbles to the ground once again.

"Huh!? That was it!? Wake her up, we aren't done here!"

"Lyria? Lyria...!!"

And slowly... everything becomes dark.

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[ Darkness.

A cold, barely lightless room greets you as you step into this dream. Glancing around you quickly discover there is nothing to this place; no doors, no furnishing cept a small cot lying on the floor, and only a small square cut out from the ceiling with the night sky in full display.

There is a death-like silence here. The kind that crawls against your skin and slowly takes control.

And on top of all of this, you cannot seem to move from this place. Attached to your ankle is a cold, hard chain connecting you to the floor.

This place isn't without its visitors though, for seated a small distance away is Lyria. Her knees tightly pressed against her chest with arms wrapping around herself protectively. She doesn't seem to notice at first, as her eyes as cast upwards, staring up at the stars above.

Whether you are in the cell next to her, or perhaps in the same one, you soon you may realize ( should you have met Lyria in this world ) she seems younger, her features depicting a child no more than ten years old.

Eventually her gaze breaks away from the stars as she looks towards you, lifeless and void of emotion. When she speaks her words are soft, almost a whisper: ]

Who... are you?

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[ Hearing her name addressed from a voice she had never heard before jostles her greatly. She feels a physical shock run through her spine as her head turns fully to the direction of the sound.

A boy's voice... and he knew her name... ]

H- how do you— [ She tried to ask, but the sentence that followed caused her face to go sheet white.

Lyria whimpers as she unwraps her hands from her legs and places them on the cold floor, her eyes begging from a distance. ]

N-no, you can't...! They... they'll hear you—!

[There's only a pause as he looks at her before the two elements stop. Personally he's ready to just make this whole place explode, but perhaps discretion may be wiser for now.]

Who is "they"? Where are we?

[He has his suspicions from the reports he had read about her when he was first assigned to monitor her...but seeing it in person, or at least in memory, and from this perspective is a different matter.

And while he waits for Lyria to answer, he changes his method, the buzz of electricity quiet as it forms into a more needle like form, picking its way through the narrow lock.]

Th... the soldiers. The ones in charge of guarding this place. [ She drops her voice to a low whisper as her eyes dart around with an attempt to peer around the corner, but with very little movement at her disposal there was only so much she could do. Instead she keeps quiet for a moment to listen to any outside source of clattering plate mail or older voices.

After a few minutes go by with no other sounds, she finally seems to relax and turns her attention to the boy once again. She... can't quite figure out what he is doing, but the light that the electricity gives off makes her frown. ]

... Where? [ A pause. ] This... this is where I live.

...Here?

[He thought as much, but...

...]

Is this the Erste Empire?

[ ... he must have been brought from far away if he was asking that.

She only responds with a small but simple nod as her limbs retract back into the small ball from before. ]

At least, that's what I've heard them call it. They don't... let me go out...

[As his emotions temporarily flare up, there's a sharp crackle of electricity that he immediately manages to stifle it. And at that moment, there's a quiet click of the lock before the chain falls, freeing him.]

I'll get you out.

[For a kid his demeanor and the way he speaks sounds anything but childish, the heaviness in his tone not matching his smaller stature as he stands to walk over to the gate.

...In his adult body he could just kick this open easily... But he'll just have to do it similar to how he did now. At least his dreamotion works well, another bolt of electricity as thin as a needle immediately going to the lock.]

[ This boy clearly had his own set of very powerful abilities… perhaps he, too, was in the same situation as she was. Having possessed something an entire empire wished to claim as their own.

The electricity, while vanishing quickly still startle her enough to physically begin pushing herself up against the cell wall, the furthest she was able to distance herself from Eustace. Was he really planning to…!? ]

But why… why for me?

[His expression falls a little when he sees her shrink back so far away from him, but he can understand she's scared and uncertain. It's all the more reason for him to get her out and somehow out of this dream as fast as possible.]

Why wouldn't I?

[Just a simple question to throw back at her before the lock clicks. Carefully he listens, wondering if something will trigger the guards to appear... Well, whatever, he'll just "take care of them" if they should. So even as he casually opens the once locked door, he only glances down the corridor before crossing over to repeat the process, forming the "lightning lock pick."]

Do you want to stay here?

[ ... Ah—

The quick retort back honestly stuns her into silence. "Why wouldn't I?". She's never heard anyone say those words to her, or care for her even remotely close to try to help her, much less talk to her. Only the pitied looks she would receive from Katalina at brought her comfort in knowing that someone else was thinking about her... but this? She didn't know how to react.

Instead she focused what little attention she could muster to attempt to listen down the hallway. There were beginnings of soft mutters, likely stirred from the addition of a new sound that enter this stretched room.

A small jostle of "What was that?" broke a bit of the silence, but the voices were still a far distance away. At least, for now.

She casts a worried glance to Eustace, her frown deepening. ]

N-no, I don't, but— [ but she doesn't want you to get hurt, either. ]

[Hmmm, looks like things are about to get interesting. Well he continues without much care, the lightning pick working its way through the lock before it clicks and the door swings open. Without any hesitation, he walks right in so he can start working on her chains.]

Then that's all there is to it.

[ Lyria could only helplessly watch as Eustace tends to the door. When it opens a sense of flight-or-fight takes over her and as her back is now fully pressed against the wall, she will wrap her arms around herself and bury her head in between.

Knees pressed against chest and her legs tightly pressed against her body, she dares not to move. Only whispering... muttering something inaudible to keep her tone hushed but clearly shaken. ]

[...

He really doesn't like how she's cowering like that...nor the fact that he's not helping her fears. He should probably be a little gentler and try to coax her... But as he hears more sounds, he just continues to work on the chains, the locks soon coming undone.]

Hey.

[He looks at her, wanting to reach out and brush her hair or pat her head, but he's afraid she might flinch away instead.]

...It'll be all right. I might look like this now, but I'll protect you. I promise.

I won't let them hurt you anymore.

[ She wasn't sure how to react. She wasn't sure how to feel. No one had never done anything like this for her and confusion and sadness welled so deeply inside of her that even as Eustace moved to work on the clasp around her ankle, she couldn't bring herself to move, nearly parlayed with fear. He didn't even know her, and yet...

"I'll protect you."

Huh?

Something about those words... something about them felt so familiar. But how? And why? It was curiosity that finally drew her eyes up to make full contact with him for the first time. She could only stare for a moment as his words sank in.

She felt like... she could believe him... but why-

Just as she opens her mouth to speak, the shouts from down the hallway began to start up once again.

"The door, it's opened!"

"They're trying to escape!"

Now there was the clattering of armor as two or three of the guards began to surround the outside of the cell, blocking the two in from the inside. Their swords were already in their hands, and Lyria shoots Eustace a worried glance. ]

—... Watch out!

[Just as the clasp comes free, there's the commotion and a glance back is all he needs to see the guards. Immediately he takes Lyria's hand and pulls her up.]

Stay behind me.

[And as the guards start to step forward, he stretches out his hand and both lightning and ice erupt, the lightning shooting out to zap the soldiers, bouncing from one after the other as ice races over the floor to shove them back away from the bars—which also crash and fall over from the strength of the ice wave.]

[ Lyria gasps as she is pulled from the ground, and immediately follows the command as she cowers behind him. Her eyes shut close and hands going over her ears to shield herself from the sudden barrage of powers that erupt from Eustace.

She could hear the guards shouting, fumbling, and crashing around the entrance all around them; quickly falling prone to Eustace's relentless attacks. This seems to have pushed them far away enough from the opening, but hurried cries calling for backup blurred between the sounds of ice and lightening.

He was so powerful...

She could barely feel her feet from underneath her as he body shook, but this feeling... the feeling of being protected... had she truly experienced this before? ]

[With an opening momentarily created, Eustace looks back—

...]

Can you run?

[Would it be better if he carried her? If he were in his adult form it would be no issue, but he has a bit less confidence in his current form.]

[ Eustace's voice breaks through the shouting as Lyria finally opens her eyes to peer at him once again. Many of the soldiers were on the ground, and some were attempting to get onto their feet.

W- was she really going to get out? ]

I— [ a pause, her breath shaking ] —I can!

[ And then she'll nod, reaching down to take hold of the fabric against his arm with a tight squeeze. ]

[He's a little worried...but they have no choice. If they can get out over here at least then it might be easier if needs to carry her. So without much warning, he grabs her hand with a firm grip—why is it so much smaller??—and pulls her into a fast run, slamming his heel against one of the guards faces before leading her through the corridor.]

[ As much as she prepared herself for it, the sudden and firm yank caused a loud yelp to escape from the back of her throat.

She felt her feet resist at first. They were heavy. Unmoving. Should she go what would happen should she go she was scared— But before she could let the thoughts fully consume her, her legs were quickly pushed forward towards the cell door.

Further commotion spread throughout the hall as more guards began to file their way into the narrow hallway separating them from the exit. But she didn't think, all she could do was run as fast as her legs could carry her to try and keep up.

The hand that was so firmly around her hand, while slightly painful, felt secure. Lyria had never felt this way before.

Finally, shakily, she will tighten her grip around the hand. Slowly beginning to drop the small barrier in her mind. ]

[Eustace knows he's handling her a little roughly, but they have no choice in this situation. Instead he can only push them forward, and as soon as more guards appear he narrows his eyes and crackling lightning orbs appear, firing off to slam into their chests to shove them back into the walls before they slump to the ground, paralyzed.]

Which way?

[He can take a guess, but if she knows the way, the better. It might also help her think about something else than the clamor of the guards.]

[ She's trying to focus solely on her breathing as each step forward releases a shaky hitch of air from her chest. Each time her foot landed on the ground and kicked off it felt as though the ground was trying to keep her in place, forcing her to remain where she stood. Yet each time she would concentrate all of her strength to fight back and continue forward.

With each step she would leave this place behind. ]

Uh, it's- [ she tries to remain calm and control her breathing while looking around. She knows this place, she knows where it is!

Eventually, Lyria will point past him in the direction they are heading. ] -it's that way! The furthest door to the left!

Got it.

[He swings his arm to send loose another wave of ice as more soldiers appear, freezing their legs and arms in place as they rush past and towards the door.

He can feel her tiring, knowing how much he's straining what little endurance she might have. But they just need to get a little farther...just a little more...!]

[ This is perhaps the furthest she's ever run and the fastest she's ever pushed herself in her life. She could feel her lungs screaming inside of her, begging for her to stop and bare feet stinging with every hard press against the stone ground.

But they were so close, the exit was right th— ]

Ah!

[ —Suddenly, harshly, a firm hand broke through the thin layer of ice and swept at her ankle, causing her to lose what little balance she had left and came skidding to the ground beneath her. She screamed when she felt the pain of her arm being yanked as Eustace was still managing to press forward, but with that small window- that ever slight delay of their escape- more guards poured through the door as others were climbing back onto their feet.

Two were already rushing at Eustace, using their height as a sort of advantage to lunge and grab for his forearms, while another guard from the side wrestled to disarm Flamek from the boy's grasp. And still yet another, one dressed in fine armor that distinguished themself above the rest, claimed a large great sword at their side and held it out above Eustace's head at the ready. ]

No... [ Lyria peered up horrified at the scene around her, her vision blurring. ] St- stop this...!

[ The faceless guard did little in terms of heeding the warning as their head motioned for a few other guards to retrieve her. Her body was trembling when a few stepped forward, but her attention could only stay focused on the boy in front of her. The one who was trying to save her.

Th- this could end like this... she couldn't let this happen! ]

STOP IT!!

[ Clasping her hands tightly against her chest, Lyria shuts her eyes tight as a bright light began to illuminate from the center of her crystal. Quickly and entirely encapsulating the dark room with blinding white.

A loud, ear piercing roar is heard amongst the chaos, as well as the trembling of earth underneath them. There's too much shouting, too much commotion that occurred to fully understand what was happened. One moment there was silence; an audible pause that hung in the air as a large creature, barely able to fit inside the confines of this dungeon floated above him.

A creature known as Leviathan.

The next moment came water, and lots of it. A full, downpour stream of waves that hit the ground and pushed itself forward, sweeping and crashing into everyone in its wake as it forced all in the direction of the exit.

Lyria, sensing what was going to happen, quickly grabs for Eustace and presses herself tightly against his body, bracing for the sudden impact. ]

[Once again Eustace could only curse his current form. No matter how hard he tried to struggle against the guards, they were overpowering him. Even if this is just a dream, if he gets hurt here, the mental damage it could cause her...this could twist into a terrible nightmare—]

Lyria—!

[But just as he tries to call out to her, there's a blinding flash of light from her crystal and immediately he realizes she's summoning. What he has no idea until he sees the blue water serpent rise above him. As soon as he feels the grips of the guards loosen, he wrestles his way free, but it's then that he feels a small body slam into him. Immediately he's knocked to the floor, but he just wraps his arms around her instead, concentrating. Now that he didn't have to struggle against the guards, he could put his complete focus into one thought:

Protecting Lyria.

Just as the waters rush over them, ice erupts around them to create a thick, solid dome around them. It muffles the sound of the screams and water that batters against it, the walls shuddering under the impact of the raging torrents that flood through the halls. But Eustace just keeps Lyria pressed closed to his chest, his hand over her ear so she doesn't have to see or hear any of it. So that all she has to listen to is the sound of his beating heart and be embraced in his warmth.

Until at least there is nothing but silence.]

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