Vrtra rested his head on the ground and turned his eye to his very small older sister.
"I've had not a wink since the night of your sacrifice."
"Was that not millennia ago? Your rest is long overdue."
He turned his head slightly, as though avoiding her eyes.
"Your city will be fine. I am here now, am I not? Do you have no trust in Alzadal's descendants?"
He had an almost pleading look in his eye as he began to reply, but stopped, knowing she would have none of it. Even in her dragonet form she still knew how to be stern and intimidating, closer to a mother than an elder sister.
"The foundations you have built are strong and your people are clever. You have forged bonds spanning oceans, Radz-at-han will be fine. Even our father slumbers."
"Sister, time passes differently for mortals. Even a century is several generations…"
"And I shall be here to watch over them. You need your rest."
A sigh poured from his chest, so heavy that his guardsmen were nearly bowled over from the sudden gust. Dragon faces may not be very expressive to mortals, but it was clear he was pouting, which was quite childish for an ancient wyrm. Yet he relented all the same knowing that Azdaja would not budge on the matter. Eons apart had not changed how she viewed her younger brother.
"You sacrificed much and more for your people and for me. Sleep. Recover your strength that you may continue to guide and protect them. You have fretted long enough."
She flew over and nuzzled her forehead against his, a gentle show of affection he had so longed for.
"I am here now."
With his beloved sister's assurance, he allowed himself to finally drift into a peaceful slumber.
--
The full moon's glow was as clear as sunlight and nearly as bright, framed by a velvet blanket of night, embroidered with glittering stars. Though many pixies preferred to play in the day, there were those still who loved the calm of night, bathed in a silvery light rather than a golden one. Among those was the very King of the Fae herself.
This Titania was different from those who came before. For one, she was not a pixie, at first. She was born as a mortal, and hailed from the Source. Once known as the Warrior of Darkness, she had defeated the Lightwarden of Il Mheg, a former king. However, as she was not able to stay and watch over the fae, she made an agreement with a pixie who had given her their favor. They would become king in her place, on the condition that when her days adventuring were done, she would return to fulfill her role.
And now, many decades later, she ruled as their king. Rule, however, was a strong word. When the pixies adopted the title of king, a word borrowed from their long deceased mortal neighbors, they had a fundamental misunderstanding of what a king actually was. Titania was more of a caretaker, guardian to the denizens of Il Mheg.
Those unfamiliar with the fae often had no clue that pixies carried out a very important task. They were the wardens of dreams, oft protecting mortals, primarily children, from nightmares. One of Titania's many duties included overseeing this task, and stepping in when needed. Most adults were able to grapple and reconcile with bad dreams on their own, but on occasion and outside force was needed to intervene, usually in the cases of curses, harmful magics, or malevolent forces.
Within her personal realm, Titania, lovingly called the Night Flower or Moon Bloom by her subjects, night was a constant. While the physical areas of Il Mheg accessible to mortals had normal cycles of day and night, those that sought the king would find her castle always bathed in eternal night. This was by her own design, for her clan as a mortal preferred the darker hours.
So she sat upon her balcony, ever facing the moon, while specters of herself wandered the dream planes. She worked hard, but would always take the time to visit those she loved as they slept, including those of her home world. In spare moments she would slip away to visit one of her dearest friends, one who had known her since her youth.
"Thou hast come again, child. It hath been some time now."
Words spoken through the soul filled her senses, and with wings as delicate as a moth, she alighted on the shoulder of he who spoke, a near timeless dragon from lightyears away, the most powerful of all wyrms, and progenitor of the Dragons of Ethyris.
"I have. How is your recovery going?" She asked, her words in Dragonspeak rather than her native tongue.
"Peacefully." Midgardsormr replied, his deep voice laced with tender joy. The years continued to pass, but he no longer worried for Hydaelyn's children nor his own.
"That's good, would you like some stories from the waking world?" She asked. She had been acting as a messenger, bringing tales and news gleaned from the dreams and memories she observed. "There are some interesting things happening on the First. Or I could tell you of what is happening in the Far East. Or Alexandria, maybe?"
"Mayhap when we next meet. For now, I have a favor to ask." He stared out at his dreamscape, an old memory of his home on the Dragonstar.
"Anything I can do, I am happy to oblige."
"My youngest hath finally taken his slumber. I would ask that you check in on him."
She smiled, the tail she kept from her mortal form curled up against Midgardsormr's scales. It had been years since she last met with Vrtra. Their paths had diverged many long years ago, and she was excited to see him again.
"Think he may need help adjusting?"
"Yes. He hath been awake for much too long, he may need guidance."
"Alright. I'll save my tales for my next visit. Take care!"
He turned and nudged Titania with his snout, a gesture of love for one he considered an adopted daughter of sorts. With a flap of her vibrant pink wings, she was gone.
--
"Oh, he's not looking so well." Titania said aloud to herself, brow furrowed in worry. "Too worried about the waking world, I suppose."
Upon entering Vrtra's dream, she found herself in a room she had not set foot in for many, many years, the massive chamber in Meghaduta where Vrtra resided. She pushed past colorful silk curtains to find the great wyrm's sleeping form, curled with his massive tail encircling his enormous body. She was the size she had been as a mortal, but felt extra small beside him. His eyelids were closed, but his breathing seemed mildly distressed.
Yet, this was his dreamscape, not the physical realm. Was he so unaccustomed to sleep that he could not wake within his own dream?
She flitted over to him, landing atop his head, and saw his eye darting restlessly behind its closed lid. She smiled and gently pressed her lips to the scales of his forehead, her wings glowing as her power swirled around her.
'Wake up, sleepyhead.'
A bright light erupted from where she had kissed him, engulfing the room in a bright flash before dying back, revealing a sleeping Au Ra resting atop his scales.
Was this, perhaps, how he saw himself in his mind? Or was it how he longed to be? Her fingers rested upon his arm and found his skin warm and pulsing with life, quite different to his simulacrum.
Red eyes fluttered open to meet hers, and before he realized what was happening, he reached up to cup her cheek in his hand.
"Zel?"
"Good evening, Vrtra. It's nice to see you again."
"I thought I would never have the good fortune of seeing you again."
Vrtra, in a body that resembled one of his favorite simulacra, Varshan, stared up at Titania as she hovered over him, eyes darting across her face in disbelief, as though trying to determine if it was truly the miqo'te he knew. Her skin had a slight, otherworldly shimmer to it, and large, elegant pink wings sprouted from her back, yet she still had the he telltale scar on her cheek, and her soul felt the same. It was definitely her, he had no doubts.
"Surprise, I guess." She replied with a coy smile.
"A surprise indeed. How do you yet still live, appearing the same as when we first met?" He knew some mortals had ways of expanding their lifespan, but he had no knowledge of what Zel had done.
"Come now, Vrtra, surely I look a little different." She responded with a playful lilt in her voice, but she knew what he meant. How did she still look so young?
"I thought you had returned to the star."
"I had a few obligations I needed to fulfill."
It always was her style to tease and be cryptic when confronted with questions. And he had many, many questions. They swirled through his mind, as if fighting for which one got to rise to the surface to be voiced first.
At that moment, he realized he was still cupping her face with his hand, which he now pulled away. Still, her gentle smile never left her face.
"This is a poor location for catching up. Shall we take a stroll?"
--
Vrtra hoped that his mannerisms did not belie his bewilderment, and endeavored to maintain poise and an air of dignity as he and Zel made their way through the colorful streets of Radz-at-han.
"So…you're wondering how I'm here, right?"
Zel trotted beside him, her gown nearly touching the paving stones. He had never know her to wear such finery before, as she usually opted for practical clothing suited to travel, most often the white and red robes of a healer. It looked to be made of fine silk, somehow exceeding the quality of the finest silk in Thavnair, a lovely shade of sky blue that complimented her eyes.
"I am." He said, his wandering thoughts brought back into focus. "I presume it is related to your wings."
"Yep!" Despite having not seen her for over a century, she maintained her playful demeanor. "Before I came to Thavnair, I was brought over to another shard. I think I've told you this before?"
"Yes, your time in the first, if I am not mistaken?"
"Yeah. While I was there, I made a pact with the fae to return when my journey was over. I kinda killed their previous king, so technically I was supposed to take the crown, but that wasn't really possible at the time."
"And so now you have taken up the mantle?" He asked. He didn't want to question why she killed her predecessor, but he assumed she had good reason.
"Yeah. So I'm the King of the fae now."
"Not the queen?"
"Well, the fae don't really have a concept of gender. They took the title of king from a nearby kingdom, and thought it was just the title for the person with the highest level of authority, which technically, they aren't wrong."
Vrtra nodded. He could relate to having a different concept of gender than mortals did.
"How have you been since I last saw you?" Zel inquired.
"Quite well, thank you. Trade with Tuliyolal is stronger than ever, especially with the exchange of spices, and Garlemald has sent many people here to train under my alchemists."
"That's not what I asked, Vrtra, how are you?" She added emphasis on the last part.
Vrtra took a pause to consider his words carefully. His first instinct was to talk about his city and his people, but he knew that wasn't what she wanted to know. It felt a little strange to think of himself as an entity separate from his precious city, at least until the Warriors of Light and their party came into his life many, many years ago. On top of that, how was he to really measure time? He knew from the calendar that a couple hundred years have passed, but it could be difficult to piece together a timeline in a way comprehensible to mortals.
But she wasn't really mortal anymore, was she.
"I have been well. My alchemists have improved the sensations of my simulacra, allowing them more nuanced senses, such as the ability to taste, and more tactile feel. They are, however, still mere vessels. I also have made a point to visit with my brother, who claims he is not lonely, having his companion Shiva with him, but all the same, he seems pleased to see that Azdaja is thriving."
He trailed off a bit, lost in thought. Zel waited patiently for him to continue.
"We could both feel the acute pain of his loss. Our losses. I may not have known Nidhogg very well, but Ratotoskr and Azdaja were close, and she visited me every so often, until tragedy befell her. To think that only four of us remain, it brings sorrow I would not be able to bear were I alone."
She reached over and touched his arm to comfort him, and he closed his eyes for a few seconds. When he opened them, he finally realized something significant that he hadn't noticed. He was so focused on Zel that he had completely missed that there were no people around.
"The streets…they are empty." He choked out, a small pang of panic in his voice. He glanced down at Zel for reassurance, and was met again with her calming smile.
"We are in your dreamscape, Vrtra. You don't remember going to sleep?"
"I do. It has been so long for me, however, that it feels as though I barely remember how to dream."
Upon realizing he was dreaming he reached out to touch Zel's shoulder, uncertain.
"You…do not feel like a mere dream. Are you truly here, Zel?"
She stopped and turned to face him holding his hand in hers, gently rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb. They were so different in size, his hand large and hers very small in comparison. The warmth helped comfort him.
"Well, that's related to my duties as the King of the Fae. My pixies take care of the realm of dreams, and I am not exempt from this duty. While they can only manipulate dreams in small ways, I am able to actually visit the people whose dreams I enter."
"And you are here, truly, within my dream? How did you come to know I had begun my slumber?"
"Your sire told me." There was that cheeky smirk she often had. He knew that his father had guided her in the past, but was she truly able to visit his dreams?
Somehow, he wasn't surprised. This was far from the most fantastical and wondrous thing she had done in her long history as an adventurer. Knowing she now had the power to travel through dreams seemed fitting for a wanderer like her.
"He wanted me to make sure you were adjusting well to your sleep, and I'm glad I came. I know you would have adapted, in time, but I thought you could do with a little jumpstart."
"I appreciate it." He said before looking around. "So then, can my dreams have my people?"
"Well, not their souls, but copies based on your memories, yes."
"You can create them?"
"Actually, you have to do that. Seeing your memories of your people is beyond my power."
He felt warmth and courage wash over his heart as she held his hand, still gently rubbing. He closed his eyes, and thought about the citizens of his beloved city, each of them a precious child to him. When he opened his eyes once again, there were crowds bustling about, living their lives, just as he had observed when he walked the city streets in one of his many simulacra that he used over the years. The sounds of life and music filled the air, and even the scents of incense and various food vendor stalls stirred on his tongue. He marveled at the replicas of his citizens, completely overcome with emotion.
"Lets take a rest for a little bit, give you some time to take it all in." Zel tugged at his hand, gently leading him towards a small bench.
Vrtra nodded, his Au Ra tail swaying back and forth with his barely contained joy.
