An echo of a dream, or a memory: The Kingdom of Albitia: The Manor of Lady Vitria

Nash sat beside Lissana as they sat across from a young Human woman. The Human had her head lowered, white bandages covered her eyes.

"There is no hope, then?" Lissana asked.

The Human nodded. "I will be dead before I am able to bear children." She said. "I am the last of my line."

Lissana stood, walked around the table between them, knelt in front of the young woman, and took her head in her hands and kissed her forehead. "Vitria, I watched your grandmother strive to undo the curse, I watched in sorrow as she struggled to give your mother the life she could never have, and I watched in sorrow as your mother struggled to give you the life she could never have." Her hands glowed as she channeled healing magic. "There is one thing I wish to try, one last desperate attempt, to give you the last hurrah your family deserves and not the faint echo to be lost."

"What can be done?" Vitria asked, the cloth in front of her eyes turned pink, then crimson as blood ran down her face like tears.

"There is a Human I know with magic weaker than mine, yet... It is different, it is as though it does not fit the context of magic as we know. It flows through him as though a river, I have no doubts that he is not burdened by a limited amount of spells..."

"But..?" Vitria asked.

"He is untrained, and he cannot use magic as we know. It is subtle, weak, yet I feel as though it may work."

"Truly we are desperate to trust a neophyte." Vitria stated. "And if my curse is to consume me?"

"A quick death, a gentle death, one not even your curse could defy." Lissana said.

"Tell me of this man." Vitria said.

"He has lived a soft life, but his eyes shine with ambition. His heart is heavy, and he wears a smile as a mask. Indeed, he suffers, silently, but he does not hesitate when he feels it important to help others." Lissana stated. "I believe he has lived so long for others, he has forgotten how to live for himself."

"Do you wish to fix him, Lissana?" Vitria asked.

"It would be a most callous lie to say no." Lissana replied. She let go of Vitria and the glow faded. "You should feel muted pain for another month, I will return with the Human when it is time, and if he cannot help..."

"To know I am taken care of is enough." Vitria said. "Do not hurt yourself for my sake."

Lissana nodded and left with Nash. They climbed into a carriage and rode away.

"Do you honestly think Rex can heal her?" He asked.

"It is a long shot." Lissana stated. "But that day, when he attempted to heal me, I could tell that was what he was attempting." She closed her eyes. "All living beings bear a degree of resistance toward magic, and it is usually dependent on their elemental affinity. Yet, his magic was so weak, it should not have overcome my relatively low resistance to healing." She opened her eyes, her expression stoic. "I believe, if able to strengthen this, he could become a very potent mage, a healer who could overcome Lady Vitria's absurdly high resistance to healing magic."

"Weak magic, but able to overcome resistances." Nash lightly scratched under his jaw. "To speak truly, when I sparred with him, I had him pegged as being stronger than he seemed, as he does expend some amount of magic when he strikes. If this is the case, then he is weaker than he seems, yet could become a powerful warrior if allowed to grow." He narrowed his eyes. "Yet, having the capability to heal as well, it should be exclusively one or the other. My Lady, I think it may be wise to register him as an Adventurer."

"What?!" Lissana asked. "I do not mean to offend your teaching him, but I do not think he is capable of fighting even a low ranked monster!"

"I do not intend on having him fight." Nash said. "I intend on having him learn from seasoned Adventurers, plus, an Appraisal would be an excellent way to determine how best to teach him."

Lissana nodded. "Of course. And having an official Adventurer License will function as legal identification."

Nash looked out the window, checking for any potential dangers. "If you were to classify him, what would you think he would be most cut out for?"

"His resistance to magic would make him an excellent force against evil mages." She said. "Being able to utterly resist powerful magic, to close the distance between himself and one, and then to use his strength against theirs... Do you think he is capable of killing?"

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Nash shrugged. "I don't know." He replied. "I will have to train him how to."

Lissana nodded. She closed her eyes and with a sigh, she fell onto her side and fell asleep. Nash carefully moved her into a more comfortable position and rested a blanket on her.

"My Lady." He said. "You need to be more careful. You do not need to expend all of your magic on one person." He leaned back into his seat and watched her carefully, looking away only to keep an eye on their surroundings...

An echo of a dream, or a memory: The Kingdom of Albitia: The Royal Palace in Telrand.

A shadow moved through dark, torch-lit halls. Ever-watchful guards carefully watched at their posts, waiting, anticipating anything from thieves to assassins. Loyal, they'd lay their lives down for their King.

The shadow moved past them, right before their eyes, but the guards did not react, they simply continued to stare ahead. One, bearing a meticulously maintained beard, began to snore, his eyes open and remaining completely still, save for his breathing.

The shadow moved through a large pair of doors, where upon a pile of glittering gold a Dragon raised its head.

"Who dares?" The Dragon spoke. The shadow pulled back its hood and held up his right hand. A ring, crimson as blood, gleamed brightly as the young man spoke. "Bow your head, Wyrm, acknowledge my Tyral authority."

The Dragon tensed before laying its head upon the pile. The man lowered his arm as he approached.

"Youngling Prince, where have you-?"

The ring flashed again. "Silence, you shall not bother me."

The Dragon went silent, he was unable to object, though he watched silently as the young Prince approached a glimmering crystal. The Prince reached his hand out and the crystal began to glow, he smirked, drawing from it sheer amounts of Mana.

There was a pulse of energy and the connection was abruptly cut off. The Prince spun around to see King Tarvek Tyral standing at the entrance to the treasure room.

"Eucene, my son... Have I not forbidden you from entering?"

Eucene pointed his left index finger at his father as he spoke an incantation. Lightning shot from it, streaking toward the King, who took the hit without issue. Wordlessly, he rushed at his son, who stepped on a scroll case and fell onto his back. Winded, he could not act to protect himself from his father's boot, which crashed violently against his side.

The sound of bone cracking was the only sound, as Eucene Tyral gave a silent scream. Tarvek wasted no words in grabbing a sword from a nearby rack, he held it over his son's throat, a mixture of pain and fury in his eyes.

Patricide, regicide, both punishable by death, and none would question their King as to why he killed his own son. He raised the sword up as Eucene caught his breath. The Prince uttered a single word and time and space rent around him. Tarvek stabbed forcefully, but Eucene was gone.

"Your majesty." A voice spoke from the treasury door. Tarvek faced them, a woman clad in a dark cloak wearing a black, wooden mask with a red smile pained upon it was bowing toward him.

"Unwelcome rogue, your warning held true." King Tarvek stated. "Your reward will be leaving this castle with your head, I deign you to not enter as a thief again." He returned the sword to its rack. "And find my son, that I may punish his treachery."

"Of course, my King." The woman said, standing tall. "I live only to serve your bloodline, and should you ever need my talents, I will come."

The King opened his mouth to call for his guards, but as she left, he looked at the spot where his son had once been.

"Dare you return, my ungrateful child, I will teach you that which I chose to spare you." He turned around, stopping briefly to rest his hand on the Dragon, who regarded him warmly. He left the vault...

An echo of a dream, or a memory: The Holy Empire of Bahrati: Vilton.

An Aelfan man in rich clothing turned down a seedy alleyway without any fear or hesitation. He walked forward, a bored expression on his face as he walked steadily toward a dead end.

From the shadows slinked a small, reptilian creature- almost Draconic in nature- approaching the nobleman, a hand held firmly on a dagger.

"The sneaking does get tiresome." The Aelfan stated. "I've an important contract, one that cannot wait."

"What is it?" The creature said irreverently.

"A vagrant is consorting with my sister, I need him removed posthaste." He faced the creature, "I do not know his name, only that he is Human, there are unsavory rumors regarding him bedding her, he must be eliminated. Is this understood?"

The creature nodded. "What's the price?"

The Aelfan wordlessly tossed a large sack to the creature, who caught it. "Your wish is my command, your Lordship."

The Aelfan grunted in response, watching the creature rush off to kill that which besmirched his family name.

After all, Lissana was not so desperate to be some Human's whore, no matter their supposed virility...

"A world of dreams and a world of wakefulness." Bahamut mused. "Your ability to visit other places, to see events that unfold, and then to promptly forget about them." He smirked. "And to visit me of your own power."

I was sat in a chair, having tea with the Dragon God. "I vaguely remember places I've never been to." I said. "I'd seen the Archdrake's inner sanctum before, but I didn't remember."

Bahamut nodded. "Elian knew you were there, yet he passed it off as a mere feeling. Had he looked harder, I believe he would have noticed you properly."

"I'm practically immune to magic, I can speak any language, and I can spy on people in my dreams." I said. "None of it makes any sense."

"Must it?" He asked. "Should you fully control these gifts, what would you do with them?"

I shrugged. "Use them to survive, probably." I replied. "That girl, the one Lissana was talking to... Could you heal her?"

Bahamut shook his head. "I cannot." He said. "But know her condition is not a curse, but a disease. She cannot be healed in much the same way you cannot be harmed."

"So, that's why Lissana wants me to heal her." I said. "Because apparently my weak magic can penetrate resistances."

He nodded. "You are more fortunate in that you can be healed, albeit at a reduced rate."

I was jostled by nothing, and for a moment, everything felt muted. After a few moments, everything became normal.

"That was weird." I remarked.

"It seemed Cier carried you out to the carriage rather than wake you." Bahamut stated. "It seems he tried, but you weren't willing to wake."

"I see." I said. "Thank you."

"For what?" He asked.

I looked at him. "For actually being what your believers say you are." I replied. "For being such a consistent symbol of good that they have no problem following your example."

He smiled. "Your faith is a welcome sight." He stated. "Many who behold me at my greatest pledge their faith, yet few truly mean it. You are the first to bear genuine faith in spite of this. You would have made an amazing Priest, and I have no doubt you would have become the greatest Archdrake." He reached out and rested his hand against my chest. "Call upon my power, and know that I will answer."

I felt warmth in my heart. "Did you just basically give me a divine spell to use?" I asked.

"Yes. Consider it like this, I have given you a quiver that may only ever have one arrow at a time, but it will not remain empty for long. Use this wisely."

"Thank you." I said, and then I was abruptly woken up by my falling onto the carriage floor...