To say that finding the Lord of Light's temple was difficult would be an understatement. Not only was the Scar a treacherous place on its own merits, with the reclusive citizens and dangerous nights, but the temple itself refused to stay constant. Its grounds were continuously flickering in and out of Aarek's vision, the only indication that he had reached the domain being the unnatural coolness that didn't quite fit in the Scar. Truthfully, Naota would not have been his first choice to approach for help. Angela would've been much more capable with this particular situation; even the Keeper of Keys might have had a solution for him. But, as he glanced down at the shivering songbird in his gentle grasp, he knew that he needed to find the closest deity. The gods were his last resort. Besides, he'd heard tell of the Northern Light's prowess in holy magic. Perhaps he could delay the symptoms, even if he couldn't get rid of the curse.

Steeling his nerves, Aarek began to enter the temple, careful not to loose his grip of Kassia in the process. Although he put on a brave front, the overwhelming concern and exhaustion in his eyes gave away his collapsing emotions. He wasn't sure what brought the sickness on, exactly, but he was certain that the illness was a result of her being stuck as a bird for too long. After all, she was merely a child when she was cursed; the girl wasn't meant to survive as a bird. Still, her condition had steadily become worse over the past few weeks, and now she barely held a shred of life within her. Kassia's breathing was shallow, her tiny body still as stone. The bird had been asleep since the morning before. Every time Aarek saw her motionless form nestled in his palm, a pang of guilt struck his heart, and he felt as if he could break down right then. They'd been together for about two years, though it felt like much longer. He had come to think of her as more his child than a companion. If she were to die, he wouldn't be able to accept the void she'd leave behind.

When the sensation of being ripped from his body overtook him, the half-elf's first thought was to panic. But then, the familiar warmth of sleep surrounded him, and he understood. This was his test. Lucid dreaming was a strange feeling. His surroundings were incredibly detailed. He was in a field. A storm disturbed the tall grass around him, wind whipping at his hair and rain spraying his glasses. Thunder cracked somewhere to his right, startling him from the trance in which he'd found himself. In the near distance, he saw a break in the clouds, and in the small dry patch were five floating stones. Aarek, without questioning, went forward and stood in the center of the circle for a moment. Eventually, he was drawn to the boxy iridescence of Bismuth.

As soon as his fingertips landed on the stone, the field and storm dissipated like ash, and he was alone in the middle of nothing. Silence encased him on all sides. Before he could start to panic, a small voice spoke from behind him. "You seem anxious, sir." Aarek spun around, his gaze locking with another pair of copper eyes behind oversized spectacles. Messy black hair fell loosely down to the child's waist, and it was clear from his bony figure that he was malnourished, though not incredibly so. His breath hitched, mind screeching to a halt. The boy tilted his head. "It's alright. I get like that too, sometimes. Helps to talk, I think." A bewildered chuckle escaped Aarek's throat at how much more practical he was as a kid. Time had not been kind, it seemed.

Smiling gently, Aarek kneeled in front of himself and fixed a hand on the child's shoulder. "Don't worry so much about other people, kid," he stated calmly, observing the confused expression on his own younger face. "It's okay to think about yourself, too. People want you to be happy. Trust me." A small smile appeared on the child's lips, and he nodded in understanding. Then, as if the entire encounter had never happened, he felt his consciousness return to his body. He gasped at the sudden rush of life, but the weight in his left palm reminded him of his task.

Aarek struggled to recall where the throne room resided, but luckily, there were helpful signs above the doors on each floor. After ruling out the first and second floors, the third floor was all that remained. Hesitantly, the half-elf stood before the door labeled "Sazanami". He entered the floating door, immediately bowing his head in respect. "Lord of Light, sir, I thank you for… for your time. I don't have much to off– offer, but - " His voice broke on the last syllable, and the hopelessness of the situation finally took its toll. The man dropped to his knees in the middle of the altar room, his body shaking violently with each sob. With his forehead still pressed to the floor, Aarek fought to get the last words out. "Please, help me." They were hardly a whisper, yet they echoed throughout the stone room, accompanied by his muffled cries.

It was good to be home, but each time he returned he was met with the same internal struggle of which he’d been dealing with since this new realm had been bestowed upon him. Namely that with the surge of previously repressed memories from his former life, his power had been harder to control than ever. With the knowledge of a new continent, he had found a bit of hope: this place could be a fresh start as far as the mind was concerned. Sometimes going somewhere new and alien to what you were used to was just the jumpstart you needed. Yes, he’d need to plan for a visit soon.

But that wouldn’t be for at least another week, minimum. Which meant right now he needed to focus, meditate, ground himself. These days his throne room was the only place where he didn’t feel dangerous. While the entirety of the temple was attuned to him, this one room was the most tethered to his soul. The tourmaline of his floating throne transmuted his negative energy to positivity, and likewise the addition of amethyst calmed his mind. More often than not he found himself in the dream realm, which was so easy to do from this spot.

His previously white and golden robes now had compliments of black and rich purple. The woven designs matched the currently dormant ones that lit his skin. For now, his skin was left golden tan and smooth, which was one of the advantages of having centuries of life restored to his mind: he knew how to hide the markings on his skin. While he wasn’t ashamed of them, since they were a physical manifestation of his holy prowess, they were a dead give away as to who he was which made going out in public hard to do before.

For now, he had his main robe removed and draped over the arm of his throne, leaving him in a simple black undershirt with no sleeves. His legs were pulled up and criss-crossed with his palms resting flat on his knees. Someone new was approaching. He could sense them as they went through their trial, could catch a flicker of their copper eyes, the stress and anxiety rolling off of them. There was also the faintest light of life, struggling to keep said life. His eyes closed tighter, trying to figure out who this newcomer was.

While he had gone unseen, he was able to watch the interaction this new person had gone through when it came to their trial. For that brief moment they were calm, but the worry was back in full force once their trial was finished. Naota’s glowing emerald eyes opened just as the door did, and he saw the young man go to his knees. His lips parted in surprise and he straightened in his floating throne as he listened to the other man’s plea.

He was bent so low that his forehead was to the floor, a position of desperation Naota had seen many times growing up. The sobs echoed coldly throughout the room, each one wrenching at his heart. He disappeared silently in a flash of rainbow light and reappeared knelt in front of the young man. His voice was calm, and hopefully comforting, as he gently rested a hand on his shoulder, “Let me see who you’ve brought with you.” He said nothing in regards to offerings since he never truly expected any from anyone.

“I can already tell their life force is much weaker,” he admitted quietly, “But it is there. Tell me what’s happened.” Since he’d chosen to come to him and not Angela, he had to wonder if it had anything to do with poisons, curses, an unholy jab; these were the things usually brought to his attention after all.

Even when the god had appeared before him, Aarek couldn't bring himself to look up until his tears ceased. His body still trembling, the man brought his eyes up to lock with those of brilliant green. Naota's presence was comforting. Warmth seemed to radiate from his entire being, quite the contrast to the stiff crystals lining the room. Of course, he was the god of light, so that, at least, made sense. The hand on his shoulder did well to calm Aarek's nerves enough for him to explain the situation. Maybe he still looked like a wreck, with his glasses askew and long strands of hair stuck to the lingering wetness of his cheeks, but he gave a firm nod in response to Naota's question.

Though he remained on his knees, partly from respect and partly because he knew his legs wouldn't support him, Aarek pulled himself to sit upright. Sadly, he uncurled his left hand to reveal a tiny, motionless songbird. Taking a deep breath, he began to speak. "My bird, Kassia, she's not… she's cursed, from what I understand. She was a human, but about three years ago, a witch, a dark mage of some kind trapped her like this." That much, he'd been able to confirm. A few clerics had informed him of the nature of the curse, tracing it back to unholy magic. But that wasn't what concerned him.

He squeezed his eyes shut once more, unable to look at Kassia anymore. "But– but she was just a child." Venom laced his tone, and anger began to mix with his anxiety. His heartbeats were steadily increasing, the first sign of a panic attack. But he just shoved the feelings down. He could deal with them once Kass was safe. "Whoever did this was either stupid or spiteful. I don't really care which." The hateful words felt foreign on his tongue. Aarek couldn't remember the last time he'd spoken with such rage. "The curse is– it's killing her. I don't know why or how or any of that, but I know that's what it is. And no priest or healer has been able to do a damn thing about it!"

His eyes flew open, suddenly very aware of his surroundings. Kassia in his hand, Naota before him, and the otherwise fairly empty throne room. Aarek felt tired. He'd probably been tired for a long time, given the nights without sleep and long days that seemed to stretch on forever. His voice was quieter when he spoke again. "She's like my daughter, sir, and she doesn't have much time left. Not if she stays like this. I…" Faltering a bit, Aarek tried not to think about the numbness creeping into his mind. "I don't think I could continue in this world without her."

Head bowed, his copper gaze bore heavily onto his bird. What would he have left, if she died? He supposed there was music, but no one was in dire need to hear him play. Kassia loved to listen to him play. The orphanage was still expecting him back. All of the children there liked Kass better than him, anyways. Other than that, there was no constant in his life. Traveling would be so lonely without her.

"Sorry," Aarek apologized softly. "The request may be selfish, and all I can offer in exchange is my gratitude and devotion, but…" Eyes glinting red with hope, he glanced back up at the deity. "I would ask that you help her."

Naota held back the urge to smooth back the young man’s hair. He knew that not everyone was comfortable with so much touch when under so much stress, so he made sure to keep his hand gently rested on his shoulder instead as he listened. The light in his eyes glinted despite himself at the mention of witches. Over the years he’d found himself in more tangles with them than he would have expected, and while he knew that they couldn’t all be judged equally, it was hard to hold back the rise of prejudice against them.

The bird in his cupped palm looked so much smaller and more fragile than he would have expected, and his eyes weakened with a surprised exhale when he revealed that the little one was only a child. He then imagined one of his own children suffering the same fate and rage swirled his stomach sour. The young man’s voice had grown bitter, acidic, and Naota tried to urge some calming warmth through his body from the palm of his hand on his shoulder. It was only a small push, but he didn’t want him to stress himself even further than he already had.

There was no further explanation needed, and certainly no offering expected as Naota shook his head. “You aren’t selfish,” he said reassuringly, “Not in the way that you’re likely thinking, at least. You aren’t trying to keep her alive in a way that would prolong her suffering: you’re trying to take away her suffering. And I’m glad that you’ve come to me.”

He offered a soft smile and moved his other hand to cup underneath the young man’s so that he was cradling his. “Believe me, gratitude is more than enough. Let’s see what I can do,” he said with a voice as gentle as his smile. With the other’s permission, he gently took the tiny bird into his own hands. She was so light it was like holding air, her breathing so spare and weak that even with his attuned fingers he could barely feel it.

One of his hands closed over the other with her nestled and hidden safely between his palms. “What’s your name?” he asked, attempting to distract his mind. When all of this was said and done, he’d need some therapeutic help as well. His eyebrows rose in question and he kept his eyes locked with his, but even so he was feeling through the life force and inner light of the little one between his hands. He could barely even sense if her mind was strong enough to act subconsciously in her sleep.

“It’s noble of you to have gone to such lengths to bring her to me, but I can tell it’s been way too long since you’ve slept. I could definitely help you with that,” his smile turned to a playful one as he brought his hands up to his lips. Light escaped between his fingers and he blew softly into his hands. Crystal as clear as ice but stronger than diamond slowly encased Kassia until she was in her own pointed chamber hovering above Naota’s palm. Brilliant holy light surrounded her in soft pulsating wisps. Rich amethyst spread up the little chamber until the whole of it was a deep calming purple. The glow, however, never diminished.

“I’m going to keep her like this for a few hours. It’s going to cleanse her, give her much needed rest, and purge her of all unholy attachments,” he advised. “Your little one will be just fine, but it’s very good that you brought her as quickly as you did,” he said just before the chamber disappeared completely.

“Don’t worry, I have her in what just may be the holiest place in all of Revaliir: she’s safe,” he said gently. “Now then,” his back straightened but he stayed kneeling, “We have to take care of you.”

Part of him wanted to pull back when the god went to take Kassia from his hold. At least when he held her, he could feel her faint heartbeat and know she still clung to life. Otherwise, the sight of her stillness in Naota's palm crushed him almost back to the point of tears. But he steeled himself, for who was he to keep her from being healed? Aarek watched breathlessly as the god created a chamber for her to rest in. It was beautiful, and he smiled a bit, knowing that if Kassia were awake to experience it consciously, she'd absolutely adore the crystal. The brightness forced him to blink his gaze away after a while. 

It took a moment for him to realize Naota had addressed him. A minor blush warmed his neck, but he merely chuckled. Slipping a hand beneath the cracked lens of his glasses to rub at the bags under his eyes, he brought his eyes to the man's face. "I'm Aarek." The statement was simple, but there really wasn't any more he could think to add. He moved to tuck any stray strands of hair back into his bun. Runes decorating his hands and forearms glowed faintly in the dim; they were helping to keep him awake and focused. "Thank you," he added, and he knew that he'd never be able to thank him enough.

As the god explained the process of cleansing Kassia, he found himself nodding along to the words. Of course, he still worried for her safety, but moreso, he felt relief that there was finally something to be done about her condition. This was so much better than blindly searching for answers. That didn't stall the initial panic when she seemingly disappeared into thin air. His heartbeat sped up, his eyes frantically scanned the room. Naota's words eventually registered, and he settled down once more. Still, he was certain that this much stress wouldn't be very good for his health. 

His eyebrows scrunched together. Take care of me? Did he mean sleep? "Oh. No, no, it's okay," he stuttered while waving his hands in front of him. He really wanted to say more than that, but words were beginning to jumble in his brain. So he just kept repeating variants of 'no thanks'.

"Really, I'm fine, my lord," Aarek stated, using the god's proper title for emphasis. As if to solidify his point, he pushed himself off of the ground. However, as soon as his legs had to support his weight, they began wobbling uncontrollably. He stumbled a few paces back but did manage to regain his balance after a few steps. Copper eyes glanced back at the god. Resigned, he let out a sigh of defeat.

"Okay," he murmured. The bracelets at his wrists jingled as he adjusted his glasses. A tiny smile found its way to his lips. "Maybe I could use some rest." Just as the admission left his mouth, he exhaled and felt the thrumming magic in his arms dull. Exhaustion weighed on his head like a sack of rocks, but he was able to keep focused for at least a little longer.

Aarek. He locked the name away, but now his eyes were constantly drawn to the broken lens of his glasses. How long had they been that way? Did they need repairing? Now that the little one was in a safer position, there were many things about Aarek he was noticing: the markings on his skin; how his hair kept stranding in a persistent mess; the circles around his arms; the bags under the eyes he kept rubbing. Again, he had to resist the urge to push his hair back, everything about this man screamed that he needed some kind of break.

Naota smiled, but showed no teeth with it as he slowly nodded. He knew what needed done. When Aarek stood and stumbled it only solidified his decision. He stood up and his smile broadened, “I’d say more than merely some rest.” Aarek would be fine, of that he was sure. While there were parts of himself he was still trying to piece together and strengthen, there were essentials that came naturally due to the realms he had hold over.

So, when Naota tilted his head to the side in a seemingly casual gesture, it felt all too easy to send out the gentle unseen tendrils of sleep. They slid along Aarek’s skin, his clothes, up to his temples, until he was pushed into a deep state of slumber. Naota walked forward and simply held out his arm in time to catch behind his back before he could fall to the floor, and nodded, “There we go, much better.” The man felt like he weighed nothing to him as he held him over his shoulder and teleported them both to one of the many rooms guests could stay in while they were within the temple.

After settling Aarek down into a bed, leaving him as he was and only moving him under the thick comforter, Naota went to the other side of the room and sat on the floor. He closed his eyes and reached out to him in his sleep, and when next he opened his eyes he was within Aarek’s dream. If nothing else, the other man would get the much needed rest his body craved: runes could only do so much. And maybe they could get to the bottom of some other things.

“Now then,” he said, “I think we can talk a little more freely.” Like this Naota was dressed simply in the garb he had worn in his days of being a vampire hunter: black pants, black vest with a simple short sleeved undershirt, and Torinasu fastened to his hip. It was a dream after all, a realm he understood well, but in places like this anyone had the potential to do and be what or whomever they wanted and that included Aarek.

He had half a mind to start arguing with the deity. True, he'd need to catch up on sleep eventually, but there would be plenty of time for that later. If it were up to him, even an hour of sleep would be too long; he needed to be awake in case something changed with Kass. But of course, Naota was the god of dreams and knew better than to let him rest naturally. Aarek couldn't resist when the cool wisps of sleep dragged his eyelids closed.

All at once, he was falling and floating, as though surrounded by both stars and water. A warm pressure wrapped against his body, and he grappled a moment for air, clutching at his throat and frantically swimming through the atmosphere. Drowning. I'm drowning. Before he could understand where he was or why he couldn't escape, something was pulling him upwards. Up and up and up, until his head broke through the surface. Gravity shifted. He fell onto something soft, still breathing heavily. "What…?" he mumbled, blinking his eyes open. 

Above him, the sun peeked through tree branches, illuminating the clearing he'd landed in. Aarek sat up. From where he sat on a small hill, he could see a small cottage settled further in the clearing. Trees surrounded the area. He vaguely recognized the place as somewhere in the Virens forest, though he couldn't place when he'd seen it. Yet, he remembered how pretty it was, how, if he had to choose a place to settle, this would definitely be it. He dreamed of the cottage often.

Realization dawned on him, and everything made sense. "I'm dreaming." His voice echoed in the calm forest. Standing to his feet, he took notice of his appearance. The first, most obvious change was the bareness of his face. No glasses to hide behind. Faintly, his lips curled into a smile. Aarek reached a hand up to feel at his hair. It fell loosely over his shoulders, neat and combed. Head tilted, he peered down at his clothes. They, at least, were unchanged. He still wore his simple gray tunic. Though, his pants seemed to fit a little better; they didn't bunch up so much around his boots, anyways.

A voice spoke. Aarek lifted his head, catching sight of Naota. Compared to the clothes he wore in the waking world, the man was dressed in relatively simple garments. Eyes glinting in amusement, he thought that they suited him better than anything too fancy. In fact, had it not been a dream, Aarek would've turned red. As it was, however, he could get by with a smile and a nod.

"Of course," was his response. Butterflies lazily drifted around the flowers at their feet. Aarek reached a hand out and observed as one perched on his finger. Its blazing red wings contrasted with the serene green of the forest, but it fluttered off before he could focus too long on it. "What would you like to talk about?"

“Well, for starters,” Naota said as he walked towards him, “I think you have a little too much going on up here.” As he said this, he reached out an gently touched the middle of Aarek’s forehead. There was so much stress coming off of him that he wouldn’t have been surprised if his own limbs started to shake.

“I don’t know you well,” he started, “But you strike me as the kind of person that takes on a little too much burden. Am I wrong?” His eyebrows rose in question. True that the idea of one’s child dying was worth more than a lifetime of stress, there was something else stirring. He could sense it, or maybe there was something else going on.

Naota watched as a flurry of butterflies danced through the grass and he wondered briefly whose psyche had brought them up: his own, or Aarek’s. Things like that kept being the ruler of the dream realm interesting: there were things even he was still discovering and figuring out.

“For instance, your glasses,” he tapped the side of his own face since Aarek’s glasses were now gone, “You don’t have them on here, why is that? Your hair is free, you seem more at peace. Tell me what goes on in there.” One side of his lips curled up into a curious grin. “Why are they left broken? Or is that more recent?” There were so many things about this other person that he didn’t know, but so many curious things just about him physically, that it was like interacting with a breathing puzzle.

A minor flinch came from the poke to his forehead, but Aarek kept a calm appearance. It was easier to do that outside of reality, apparently. The touch wasn't unwelcome, though he did wonder what Naota meant by too much. The deity couldn't possibly have discovered his anxiety so quickly… well, maybe he could. Even the thought was unnerving, given Aarek had only ever spoken about his problems to a handful of people.

With each statement, a slight frown grew on his face. Scattered clouds floated along and marred the nearly perfect day. We should go inside, he thought instinctively, only to find that they were already inside the wooden walls of the cabin. Confused, he shook his head and leaned against a counter. For a few moments, he pursed his lips. There were no easy answers, and truthfully, a lot about his mind still remained a mystery to him.

"It's easy, I guess," was the eventual reply. His hand reached to the back of his neck. That habit had carried over, it seemed. "Easier to take the blame than force it onto someone else." Aarek heard the first drops of spring rain outside the window. A storm enveloped the sky too quickly. Time moved too fast.

Copper eyes scanned over Naota, considering the second part of his question. "I don't know." The truth would be the best option. "I'm basically blind without my glasses, but it'd be nice not to have to adjust 'em all the time. And my hair's always too much of a mess to bother with." One hand absentmindedly ran through his locks, their smoothness foreign to him. "The lens was cracked years ago. Costs a lot of silver to get it replaced– specific strength and all that– an' I just don't make that kind of coin." He didn't tell him how he didn't deserve to spend that much on himself, not when others needed it more. That was the same reason he wouldn't accept more pay from Madame Pauline at the orphanage.

"This place is calm," but the storm continued to rumble while wind whipped the red curtains, "and why should I be worried in my own dream?" His voice wavered a bit, but he squeezed his eyes shut and willed the stress away. When he opened them again, they were on a plateau above the gray clouds. Moonlight illuminated the landscape, and pure white butterflies flew about like stars.

Aarek tilted his head with a smirk. "Your turn, my lord. Do you invade people's dreams often?" But a nervous laugh left his throat. "Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean it in a negative way, just–" He knew when to stop talking.