Fantasy Wherever the Wind Takes You

[Gary Sue]

His hand on top of hers... then she was also..? He waited and hearing her response, his heart admittedly sank for a moment. Then she thankfully proposed no more mercenary business- at least among themselves. From now on? "... Yeah. Being your partner sounds better.", he grumbled lowly and his smile became less melancholic as he pulled himself closer and touched shoulders with Laila, allowing her to lean onto him. The sepia tone was quickly alleviated from the scenery and everything looked normal again... happy.

"I really don't want to split. So I'll keep you safe, and you keep me safe too. Blind dragons or do your magic stuff that I never understand.", though the delivery was very confused, he figured it wouldn't be a bad idea to try and crack a joke while he could. His ability to speak was so limited, that usually throwing wisecracks was the last thing on the back of his mind.

"Whenever I can't talk... I trust you to do the talking for me. And whenever you can't, I'll find a way to do it for you. I'll watch your back and you watch mine. I'll try to do better, learn more things and be more useful without a sword too. But... I'll need some time. So uh... I know I don't have to say it, given you've stuck with a cursed mute bumpkin this whole time... But please be a bit more patient with me."

Such a charmer, really. The only issue right now was finding what else to say, but... there was a point when words were enough and he just had to enjoy the moment. Gods knew if there would ever be a moment like this again in the future, where they could just peacefully sit next to each other all alone and fully isolated from outside interferences.

The only noise they could hear aside from each other was the soft wind blowing the blades of grass, as clouds formed in the far off distance over the wooden house. It was naught but a drizzle, but they were still under a clear sky, sun shining warmly. It just felt... comfortable.

 

[Shreb]

What a deal! Friends stay together, and they handle the world! Laila wasn't sure if she could be any more excited than right now! She'd do the talking, he would watch her back, they learn and grow and develop-

Man. What a real fantasy, huh?

"Reeve, you're getting way better at smooth-talking."

Judging by Laila's increasingly flustered face, it was living proof that Reeve was learning how to really talk.

"Hey, listen, you're not a bumpkin. And uh. You're not cursed! You're just...Temporarily inhibited! And as per usual, I'll do my usual poorly-understood magic methods to keep you on your toes!"

More smiles and giggles by the great Laila...

She wrapped her arm around Reeve. "Just remember to be honest. When you start bottling stuff, it just gets even harder trying to read you. I mean, c'mon, you can't be mute AND a brick wall, that's like the perfect counter to me."

 

[Gary Sue]

Better at smooth talking..? Hah. He let out a small chuckle right after a snort. It was more than a little bit ironic given his predicament, but if she got so red... then that's how things were. Being more open with his thoughts though, especially since he was used to the scrappy yet knightly attitude and his disability... that'd take a while to overcome.

"I'll uh... I'll do my best. Just... make sure to talk to me often. Here, I mean. I'll figure something out with him.", Reeve tried to find a silver lining, and it'd be rough but... hopefully the curse would allow him as much. His thoughts echoed in the far off distance 'I'm glad we met.' as he wrapped another arm around Laila and relaxed in their warm embrace one more time. With a moment of silence while the two hugged, the soft wind kept blowing, albeit a bit harder.

Sounds of the faroff drizzle were starting to become louder too, pulling Reeve's attention away from the shrine maiden. He slowly pulled back from the hug and turned around to look towards the house, seeing more clouds having formed as drops of water splashed and ripples of color showed just far off in the distance, reflecting some of the murky sky. The man turned around to look at Laila over his shoulder again and frowned a bit as the sepia tone began to spread from the gloomy sky.

"... You can't stay here forever right? Are we going to talk again when we wake up..?", the way that he asked was a mix between worry and relief. He would tell her what all was up, but perhaps it'd be best to know if she'd stick around or not first.

 

[Shreb]

Honestly, Laila was perfectly happy with this. This was not just the silver lining, this was straight up the gold that would put them together. She was fine with this! A hug sealed their deal.

"I'm glad we met."

...

Man, Reeve was so easy to read in this kind of situation; why even bother talking when she could just look around her? All she did was stare and look on, perhaps looking forward to their future journey? Or maybe just thinking about their next meal when they woke up.

Laila turned her head back to Reeve with a pout. "Reeve, stop being so mopey. Of course we're gonna talk when we wake up. Just 'cause I leave doesn't mean we're not together. I'm like...An apparition! Oooo~!"

She hmphed. "I can't stay here forever, but I can still spare an hour or so for you."

 

[Gary Sue]

Her brighter and more carefree attitude made him feel a bit better, even in all the melancholy... perhaps it was because she didn't know, though. To be honest, he didn't know either. He didn't have the slightest clue of what would follow and how exactly figuring out his sword's situation would pan out. What would he be doing and how would he even learn anything in the first place? It was a tough challenge, but would it put him in any danger or at risk..? Because if so, he can't go doing that after this moment he shared with Laila.

A lot of questions, but before they overwhelmed him he took a deep breath and exhaled. It was almost like the clouds got pushed further away and the hue of the dreamscape became ever so slightly clearer again. Reeve just nodded, turning that frown upside down and putting a smile on his face again, though a tad smaller. "When we were talking with Alina, I... thought of a few things.", that was a nice way to put it. Unlike the thoughts that echoed 'I was freaking out.' in the far off distance, yet clearly enough to be heard.

"I was scared.", he blurted out where he otherwise wouldn't have, though he seemed rather hesitant to be that straightforward. It was definitely something new to him, but... he had to take more than just one first step this time. "I wasn't sure if I could protect you or me when I barely really know what's going on with my sword.", he grumbled and looked by his hip where the blade would normally rest, but... not this time. 'What if I bleed out? Or if I'm not enough. I don't even understand magic.'

"... But I can't let fear get the best of me. So I made a deal with my sword. That once I made up my mind, I would 'find out all there is to know' and manage to take things into my own hands. I... don't know how or what it had in mind. I'm clueless, honestly.", and as he let out an exhale, the echoes filled in his words. 'I'm worried and scared.', they said rather meekly, although it would be no more than an excuse to hide behind if Reeve were to truly believe so.

"I'm truly a mess. I don't know if I'll be in danger or not. So... if I don't wake up by tomorrow morning 'normally', please check on me.", the last part was a bit sudden but- maybe that was the reason he saw the drizzle start turning into a rain and slowly getting more violent in the distance. Or maybe that was just a passing dream, too abstract for him to interpret it anyhow else. "If I can't do it, I'll back out and try again another time. I promise.", he finally stopped looking into the far off distance again and gave a glance at Laila, turning his head just slightly and smiling, though it was a bit... bitter, too. The echoes didn't need to fill in for him this time- he didn't want to fail. It was basically plastered all over his face.

"So I'll take that hour until then."

 

[Shreb]

Reeve thought of a few things...Geez, Laila hoped Alina didn't give him a stern insulting session. Alina was a bit of a hard-ass, sure, but Laila knew her well enough...Probably. Alina was always a bit more...Iffy with people.

Scared. That was an okay feeling to admit. Laila had felt scared before too. Not knowing, being uncertain, having to figure out how to seize it all...Laila understood very well what it was like to be caught in that pit of nothing. The rain was catching on; gosh. Too easy to read. The way the entire dreamscape acted in accordance to his emotions, his thoughts, his certainties, his hesitations...To Laila, it was like standing inside the great reality of someone's internal core.

Laila's voice came back around again, smaller, softer. "You know. You really helped me with that cemetery trip. It didn't seem like it...Or maybe it did, but I was really was kind of terrified to know what was going to happen next. I...I don't think I could've made it in or out of there without you...Maybe I'd escape, but you know...It never leaves my head, the thought that I could've been just like Alina, trapped and...Maybe even...Yeah."

Laila understood well. "You know, Reeve, we're probably gonna be in danger." She leaned against Reeve just as well as he did too, a soft smile that went corner to corner crossing her face and happy eyes. "But that's kind of, like, in our job descriptions, you know? All that matters is that we go at it!"

 

[Gary Sue]

Hearing how upset Laila sounded when she was explaining the thoughts that had gone through her head when they ran into Alina, he wished he had been more able to do something. Maybe he felt the same when they saw her chained to the wall with a collection of her arms by the side. It was hard to tell given the disgust that churned his stomach, and the feeling of vomitting again and again just barely faded into his mouth before retreating again when picturing their vampiric ally.

"I wouldn't allow that to happen to you.", he tried to reassure her. That was the only thing he could do now. The same way that she reassured him with a return back to her peppy form. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders when she leaned into him, he sighed and looked at the more dire state of mind contained in a perimeter around the house and away from the two. There wasn't anything else he wanted to vocalize, honestly. Of course he loved talking with Laila, she was the only person who allowed for his voice to even sound, but...

Right now, he was happy to be here with her. Sitting down in a field and enjoying a calming moment under the sun, though as time passed the 'day' progressed unrealistically fast. Soon enough it was the sunset, and the starry sky didn't take long before revealing itself while the moon propped up in the sky. Reeve's eyes were growing heavier, although he knew he couldn't give in to tiredness right now. There was a fair bit more to come once Laila took her leave, and her time was fast approaching.

"... If I don't wake up in the morning, please check on me. I will stay as safe as I can.", the knight promised once again with a small smile on his face, looking at the shrine maiden and offering a reassuring nod, at least as reassuring as he could make it. Their time together was nothing out of the ordinary, but it was special all the same. Though he looked a bit on edge, he also looked relaxed whenever he was facing Laila or touching her- and so he hugged her tightly one last time, until they were both up once more.

 

[Shreb]

"I wouldn't allow that to happen to you."
"This like a hero story to you?" She said, snickering. Actual knight in shining armor statement, honestly, she couldn't even pretend to be moved by that just because how funny it was to hear Reeve say that.

Poor guy was getting tired too, his dreamscape was changing and Laila would soon have to follow after, what with Reeve doing a great job setting the sleeping mood.

Per his request, she nodded. "Absolutely, I'll make sure you're fine and dandy."

And like that, they ended off on a very heartwarming interaction. Until the day came.

 

[Gary Sue]

Watching Laila's conscious drift away, Reeve was soon enough left to his own devices once more. Sitting in a field of grass and little else, looking at the only other place of any note as the rain looming over it approached him slowly but steadily. With a deep breath, he remembered his last words to Laila about staying safe- he'd stay true to them as best as he could. And so, he wasn't the only one drawing nearer to the rain, as he started to make his way towards the faraway house.

​

I'll figure it out- what this sword is, who the curse is, how it works and how to use it.

With the gloomier hue having completely taken over, his smile had completely faded as he kept an expression more neutral than he ever kept around Laila. It was blank almost. He walked and walked in complete silence, as the wind blowing softly started to get more violent. It was as though it tried to push Reeve away, though it did little to deter the knight who kept on walking against the current. When he was close enough to the rain to observe the splashes on the grass much clearer, it became evident- what was coming down wasn't water.

A small frown took over his face as he saw a figure standing in the distance not too far away, waiting by the house. With splashes of red staining his clothes, it was as though his armor was emerging over his casual attire once more- the pads, the breastplate, all of it.

There's no going back, because I'm ready. Laila will be waiting for me, too. I can't let her down.

Despite how long the distance appeared to be initially, Reeve was already by the house within a minute or two of walking, standing before a black sludge that vaguely resembled a form. It shifted constantly between many different people, never taking any discerning characteristics. For most, he couldn't tell who they were- just that he had seen them. Some others he knew right away though. Himself, Laila, the two golems that attacked him and his companion a few days prior...

"So you came then. And you were quite talkative at that.", as soon as the sludge spoke in a much too familiar voice, red misty eyes appeared near what must have been its head. Just like that one time when the curse had presented itself as a fog hovering just out of reach of him and Laila last time. "I hope you're as determined as you think you are, because from here, it gets rough. Reach your arm out, boy."

And as he was instructed he did. Holding his arm out to the side, Reeve watched as drops of blood slowly gave form to the figure of a blade he was quite familiar with- the sword he had trained with for years and the sword that the cursed one took the form of. With a final melancholic smile, he sighed and turned to the black goo.

Wait for me, Laila.

No matter his struggles internally, the world moved on and it was soon daytime. As the sun rose, nature went through the movements and life had returned to everything, animal or plant. Everything was up and back to normal, and through the slightly opened paper screen some of the sun was shining right into Reeve's and Laila's quarters. The day had come in full, though with silence from the man who kept his eyes closed. His breathing was... well, what was expected from a sleeping man really. The only thing out of the ordinary was the lack of a blade in his sheath, which had been left by his side the last night.

 

[Shreb]

----

Reeve would wake up to the motions of a Laila shaking his shoulders.

"Wakey wakey! It's time to adventure! Well, breakfast first, and then other logistics stuff I know you don't care about!"

It seems that the two would get their sleep proper; though, yes, it seemed to be they were missing certain things, Laila didn't seem to notice...Or care, even. She looked right as rain, to be frank, and even more bubbly than usual on this bright morning day.

Laila was crisscross on Reeve's side, before she dug behind her, grabbing a healthy bowl of rice, teriyaki pork belly, a bowl of salted beef soup, and peppercorn-grinded eggs, their bulbous yolks actively solidifying as she spoke. She even had a spoon, fork, and chopsticks for him. She held up to pork belly for his sleeping face to sniff, like some sort of smelling salt.

"We're actually past breakfast time, but it's fine, as long as we get there in a nice amount of time!"

 

[Gary Sue]

​

The nightly sleep had been rougher on Reeve than not. Fighting for the whole night, he couldn't even count how many cuts had gone through his body time and time again in his sleep. Hell, he couldn't even tell how long he had been asleep for either, given his adrenaline was pumping the entire time. Stuck in a swordfight with the constantly shifting goo, the two's conflict raged on for hours- or was it days? "How many times do you assume you'll die?"

The knight was panting, his breath heavy as he looked at the shadow. It had taken the form of some nameless thief that Reeve once clashed with, and had promptly dispatched more peacefully than he was allowed here. His body was littered with wounds and he was struggling to fend off the barrage of slashes, swings and stabs towards him. But as the pain of every blow landed on him echoed throughout his body, the blood raining down from the clouds seemed to close his wounds right back up.

"I've told you since we started, I've lost track."

The shadow didn't like that. "No. You've lost your edge, in skill and in mind."

Reeve couldn't even question what that meant before the two were clashing blades once more, deflecting each other across the constantly shifting field. With every adversary he opposed, the environment changed to fit what he remembered of their encounter, accurate or not as it may have been- but there was always one thing persistent. The rain, which had gotten heavier and almost formed a red coat over everything surrounding them.

"... You've had enough for one day. You can't even tell the difference between me and you.", the shadow finally sighed after a moment and whipping its dark blade to the side, all the blood got splattered onto the ground. The rain slowed and slowed until it came to a complete halt, and that's when Reeve felt a familiar sensation tingling his nose. He understood- his curse had rejected his effort, for now. And that was fine.

Closing his eyes as his blood-formed blade melted away, he sighed and opened them slowly to see a perky Laila above him. He offered a smile and pushed the bowl she was holding rather weakly to the side for a moment, sitting up and holding his head with his gauntleted hand. "I'll just need a minute.", a low grumble throughout his whole body and his partner seemed rather understanding, offering a nod in response and humming as she waited.

As he felt the cold steel's touched, his eyes widened and he started hearing something in the far off distance- tip... tap... tip... tap... Tip tap. It was getting faster and faster, as though approaching. Within a moment, he threw the blanket off of himself and with his other hand, grazed and slightly cut his upper arm using his gauntlet's edges and corners. Laila smirked and within a second of the blood flowing out from Reeve's wound, he moved his hand back towards Laila and as though holding a blade, prepared to deflect an overhead blow.

​

"... Perhaps you're not as dull as you think.", the goo smirked as Laila began to lose her form, with the dark blade meeting his own- it had already formed, with that little blood and in that short time. The room that the two had slept in for the night began to melt from around them as the field returned. And that's when he realised what that familiar tapping sound was, getting closer and closer. As he got drenched in red once more, he swallowed and finally managed to throw the shadow away from him, breathing heavier than ever. It was not going to let up any time soon.

"You're not done until you can discern what belongs to me- and what belongs to you. Until our souls are truly one, we'll lock blades.", the curse commanded and so, Reeve listened. Come think of it, it was just now that he began to realise something. This whole time, the words... this wasn't the language he spoke his entire life. Hell, he didn't even understand what language it was, as he'd never heard anything remotely similar even in the most exotic of places. But he comprehended it regardless.

"Why do you assume you're incapable of landing blows on me?"

... Why was that? It was right, Reeve hadn't managed to lay his blade even once on his opponent for the entire scuffle, while his own body was riddled with a cut here, there and all over. "... My curse never gave me any heightened senses or swordsmanship.", the man thought while preparing his stance as the black goo he was standing up against was too, beginning to treat the enemy like a mirror of himself. Within a few seconds, it was almost like the shape of his opponent was the same as his own. Maybe- "Now you're getting it."

... No, definitely.

As the two lunged at each other, the vanguard quickly noticed how their movements were becoming more and more in sync. As his own patterns were predicted before, he could see them on full display before his eyes. Adjusting his movements and attacks similarly, the two's battle became much more... realistic, for lack of a better word. Their movements were hectic and one blow after the other, their blades clashed with both getting wounded every so often. Perhaps the gravest blow that he landed was a clean slice on the shadow's would-be arm, causing it to fall off.

Finally. Some room for a break. Stumbling back to catch his breath, the man wiped some sweat of his forehead and watched as the curse's form almost smiled before its legs stretched to absorb the fallen off part and it emerged anew once again. "I've landed so many on you and you're still standing. Why did you expect it would be any different for me? Don't kid yourself."

There was barely enough time to sigh before the fight did as expected- it raged on. The only difference was that now, it wasn't a one-sided pummeling. It was simply an uphill battle for his already weary state of mind, if not body too for how winded he was. And as for his actual body? Almost nothing had changed. Hell, if she didn't look for a heartbeat she wouldn't realise his heart was racing, but he didn't even react to the smell of fresh (and delicious) food at all. He was completely comatose, with a neutral look on his face. His fingers twitched a little under the blanket covering him, but... nothing else.

 

[Shreb]

He looked tired. Actually no, worse than that, he looked like he was dealing with something; with no other choice left, she put the bowl to the side with her face a mask of pure worry.

Was he getting a bad dream? Should I help?

"Uh...Okay. Hey, stay safe..."

She was pretty sure he didn't hear her. After all, Reeve hadn't moved from his position even with her shaking his shoulders. She was nothing if not a good samaritan. She decisively made the choice to break into his head and see what was going on.

Though...She thought to at least prepare something beforehand.

...

Following through with her setup, she slapped her cheeks together; dreamwalking was easy, but dreamwalking and bringing stuff with her was the tougher part, it was a bit like embedding a bit of memory into someone and that was more intrusive than dreamwalking, something Laila simply did not do because she wasn't that kind of person.

Reeve was sweating. A bad dream was a bad dream, but there was a different visual to someone who was actively having problems in their sleep, like they were choking in their sleep or getting attacked in the midst of their dreams. Laila wasn't keen enough to notice that, but she knew Reeve well enough that he wasn't just a late sleeper, he was a consistent sleeper and a usually peaceful one by the end of their dreamtalks.

"Alright, Reeve, I won't be asking for permission!"

She attempted to enter.

 

[Gary Sue]

​

Her attempt was successful, almost entirely unresisted at that too. He had given her permission earlier in the night, after all. When she was inside, what she was met with was unlike what she had left him to, as all was black. There was nothing at all, just a simple darkness, and no Reeve in sight. It felt as though the darkness was still, yet marching onwards. It was no different than the feeling of being at the uppermost deck of a ship, with a harsh breeze blowing against one's skin as they saw the vast ocean.

And soon enough, this ship reached its destination as the clearing where he and Laila had first met approached the woman and allowed her into its very center, like a train that just stopped for its next destination. The Laila from his memories wasn't there, as neither was Reeve himself. Instead, he was next to her in full armor as he gave a somber stare at the woman. "... I made you come back for me again, didn't I? Just like I did when we didn't even know each other and you saved me from a wyvern."

A soft laugh followed before the knight put his hands in his pants' pockets to rest them. And after the laugh, silence, only broken by a lonely sigh. Were the scratches and marks of battle surrounding them and on the trees since the environment had emerged, or did they just fade into view? "You've always been so... far. You know that?"

Quietly, he turned his head to look at Laila. "I would be history if it weren't for you on more than one occasion. And any time I almost catch up, the world reminds me you and me are nothing alike. You're leagues beyond where I usually stand, even when I make steps for the better.", and there it was, that lonely sigh again. "I won't lie, it has sucked. Being second place all the time, except for when you tell me what to do. Am I even doing better in that case? No matter what, I'm always lacking."

...

He looked away. "... I'm always lacking but you said you wanted to be with me. You were also... scared? To break apart. I know I was."

 

[Shreb]

Reeve never really stopped shocking her. Always something new, always something strange, intimidating, a little terrifying even. Laila was always a stickler for staying calm, but most things that happened to her to didn't lead to drastically altering consequences. One instance, everything was grass and peace, and now she was submerged in the abyss of darkness and coming back to when they first met.

Man. Reeve was really too much! Laila couldn't get over just how much pain and suffering he must've been...Maybe that sword really was more than just an obstacle, it almost seemed like the very catalyst for his troubles, an insufferable reflection of the man he isn't.

I've...Always been so far?

Words like that were not something Laila liked. It made her angry, even a bit irritated. She knew better than anyone that just because they were on different starting points, different paths, and different journeys; they were no more further away than the grass blade was to the tree.

Laila, in a similar way, put her hands on his shoulders. "Hey, hey, don't talk like that. If it wasn't for you, I would've been drake food the moment we had met. Or was it a wyvern? E-er, not the point- if it WASN'T for you, I'd be dead meat in that graveyard. Or would it be undead meat?"

Laila's really not good at giving talks, was she?

"A-and if it wasn't for you being there in that attack, I mean, I could've been kidnapped! Who knows what would've happened! The reason we're still here right now-"

She put her finger and prodded his chest. "Is because we worked together and made things happen, our way. Mom loves you, and Arioon, I mean, I know you don't like her, but she's taken an inkling to you. And Parilla, well, I know it seems like she doesn't like anyone, but I'm sure she thought of you just as well as she did me. People like me, I mean, it's more than necessary to help you when you fall down, you know? You're a good guy! I mean, maybe not good good-"

Holy shit, I might die right here, this is embarrassing.

She put her hand to her forehead. "Like- you have good intentions, and that's, you know...More than most people can say. So yeah, I'm a bit worried...I don't want to know if you'll change for the worse, especially with a sword that's always trying to stop you from doing better. If I break apart, I won't be able to help if you fall again...You're not second place, Reeve. You're running your own race!"

 

[Gary Sue]

Hearing Laila's response, Reeve simply stared at her and went quiet. She was... upset, huh? Of course she was. What else did he expect when he spoke of himself like that in front of the person that just agreed hours ago to stay by his side? Even though he was making her sad, something in what she said made him smile. It wasn't a cheeky grin or a happy one from ear to ear though. It looked... bitter, held back. But it was still a smile more than what he had to offer before, at least until it faded and his face was rather neutral again.

​

And the trees behind him distorted some, as though a scene was being painted before her eyes. She could see Reeve on his knees, covered in wounds and bleeding, though the red rain didn't make it clear if it was the cause or his injuries. A voice echoed from the mirror into what was transpiring on the other side of the dream- or had it happened already?

... This crushing weight... This is the reality of Laila's feelings. Beating myself up won't earn her favor, and I can't keep leaning on her like this.

A figure approached the kneeling man in the distance, having molten into the form of what almost looked like a wraith. The dark mist with the glowing red eyes that glared through one's soul, looking at Reeve. And despite it being formless, it was almost evident just how widely it sneered. "Stand up. I'm not done."

Raising his head as the wraith's corporeal form raised a blade, the man frowned and tightened his own grip on his chipped blade.

How long was I weighing her down for? Counting on her to fix me time and time again until I broke back down? I've been pathetic... disgusting.

Those were his last words before tears trickled down his cheeks and onto the bloody grass. "Then it's over.", an almost disappointed voice murmured as the blade began to come down on the knight. As though the dream was trying to hide the brutality behind what followed, the image froze before it was washed over with a brush fully.

"I know you've been worried. I'm sorry for causing it. And... I know I'd be happy hearing all of this, too.", the Reeve that stood there with the bitter smile said, placing a hand on Laila's shoulder. "You're an amazing person. Even though you're surrounded by people like me, people who pointlessly compare and put themselves down... you keep yourself up. You're true to yourself and you know who you are. That's how people like me can find who they are too, isn't it?"

And there it was, the landscape began to move once again until they were surrounded by a sea of complete darkness, though he stood before Laila all the same, until they had arrived to their next destination- the temple. It was quite accurate to how it looked in reality, but something was off.

. . .
​

Looking around, it didn't take long before realising what it was. There was a black, faint haze clinging onto the abyssal runes carved into the walls. Maybe it was the curse's way of not disclosing what Laila wouldn't normally be able to read, but Reeve could. "I've been holding you back for a while. I won't do it again though.", and as he finished speaking, he removed his hand from her shoulder, looking down at his own hand.

The distortion was starting to creep back into view behind his form again. The scene was exactly the same as before- except noone was there when the wraith cut down. No, rather- the scene became clearer as the deluge of red eased a little. The figure had never cut down. Reeve was standing with that familiar black armor covering his arm, having caught and blocked the blade with it as his voice echoed once more from the vision.

I won't ever do that to her again. She deserves someone to rely on too. I'll find my own strength and protect her.

The wraith and Reeve clashed blades as his foe's form began to mold back into a more familiar one. Now it was almost like there was two- no, three of him, counting for the one out of the vision. "Sick of bearing the responsibility?", the wraith asked as their blades clanged again and again, the knight's growing more chipped as the black armor expanded across his body, taking on a form no different than his own plating's.

I'm sick of throwing it all onto her. I've almost been exploiting that kindness and dragged her down to where you brought me.

"Perhaps beating you senseless for all this time yielded some result. But you still fail to understand one thing.", they had finally managed to deflect each other far away enough for a brief break, a moment to breathe, but before their conversation could be spied on further... it was gone. The vision had been painted over once more, and now they were in the same temple the two had camped in a while ago.

"You don't know how much I wanted this thing to not have happened. How much I regretted picking up the sword and 'sealing my fate' like that. You saw how it played out, so there's no point if I also tell you.", a soft chuckle followed as he looked towards the few steps at the end, where the sword's rest once laid. Were the marks of combat always decorating the room, or did those cuts just appear in the blink of an eye? And those small pools and splatters of blood, too.

"... maybe that's what I don't understand though.", it was like Reeve had murmured something under his breath, though he hadn't really. Instead, he just turned back to Laila and looked at her up and down. "Do you feel the same? That I shouldn't have picked up this curse? You talked about changing for the worse because of all of this."

 

[Shreb]

The trees were moving around. Reeve was on his knees, his thoughts echoing across the scape. And who was the figure appearing near him?? The sword?

She was only watching. She couldn't make a noise. How much pain Reeve could've been in outside of her world, and all the things she tried to do to help him...What can she do, really, when Reeve has so much holding him down?

As Laila gazed into the temple, staring into the obscured runes, she was reminded of his troubles, his time in Sesseth, his attempts to get closure, her attempts to get him closure...She hasn't done enough. She felt like she hadn't understood.

Laila got to touch up on his fate, his path. Enduring the pain of feeling inferior, the numb sensation of hopelessness, none of it was something Laila could patch up with a smile and a pep talk. It was something Reeve needed to understand himself...And all Laila could do was hold his hand along the way.

When he asked her the question, she hesitated. Rightfully so, she wasn't sure what the response should be. What would make him feel better, what would lead him down the right path...But she eventually turned her gaze, acknowledging something important.

"You did what you could."

...

She, again, smiled at him. "If you had known, maybe you would've done different. But you did what you could with what you had and with what you knew. And that's all I can ask for."

That was the end all, be all realization.

"Sometimes, you have to deal with what comes after, but we only really regret a decision after we make them. Until then, we do what we think is the best answer for us. We try, we fail, we lose, and we win. I...I can't say I feel the same. The only thing you can do is whatever you can. I just don't...Want you or me to lose something forever. You've already lost your voice. You know?"

 

[Gary Sue]

"... No. Even if I had known, I'd have done the same. I know as much.", he had no trouble acknowledging as much. But her answer was... indirect. The man's face remained neutral, his eyes fixed on her and paying full attention her words as she spoke despite the lack of any emotion. "My instinct wasn't enough to get by and I'm paying the price for it. It's only natural when I can't read between the lines, isn't it?", a small smirk appeared before it went away once more. Though he didn't seem touched... it was true that her words had resonated with him.

The sound of glass breaking echoed through the dream as a small window emerged near Reeve, and a part of the temple's image around them began to crumble apart, although Laila and knight were left unshaken. Through that small window, it looked like... the two reflections of the man were fighting, and things had gotten more muddied than before. Were they always wearing those armors, one like a paladin's and the other black and metallic, as if some dark knight?

​

They clashed blades and with the loud clang that sounded off, another loud echo of glass breaking filled the dreamscape. Breathing hard, the dark knight seemed to be struggling to hold the paladin at bay, though for the time being he was left unhurt. "You've taken a toll on her.", the paladin would call to the knight in black armor before hearing back "It's because of the toll you've taken on me.". The two's voices were equally impossible to distinguish as they brandished their swords and visions of the two's fight revealed themselves in full display.

"I lost my voice and I tried to cheat my way around getting it back for you. I was afraid I would be alone if I lost that too, but I knew I was just trying to cheat. Steal, con... anything to get my voice back from this curse.", Reeve looked down at his hand as another window appeared behind him. He smirked, clenching his fist tightly and exhaling. "I'm done not facing reality. For me and for you, I'll do better. Even if that means accepting the boy into my life."

. . .​

"How much more can you take?"

"However much I have to. How much more can you dish out?"
​

"As much as I need to bring you back to your senses."

The man's instincts and fighting prowess were sharper than usual, from what the display of sworsdmanship revealed. However long had this fight raged on all the time up to the point where they came back into the duo's view? And as for Reeve... had he always been talking about himself? It was muddy, if the man she was talking to was a representation of himself or the curse trying to speak directly to his companion.

The temple continued to crack and fall apart as the writings on the wall became blurrier, and a faint mist started to spread among the floor they were standing on. The blood rain on the battlefield appeared to rage harder than before too, as thunders even began to crackle in the distance. Whenever one of the two fighters got wounded and more blood was spilled, the wounds would quickly close and flesh would return, as did the armor.

"Let me ask you again. How many times have you died to get here?"
​

"Not a single one."

"And yet you still don't understand?"
​

The dark knight seemed shocked for a moment, and with a blinding flash from a lightning strike, it was as though the two had switched spots. And yet, the battlefield was perfectly mirrored all the same. Maybe he was beginning to connect the dots, judging by his expression. Then again, his opposition started to look much more confused and uncertain now.

​

The torrent raged on and on, echoing in the dead of the night that embraced the duo. And yet, Reeve seemed completely unbothered by it, like it weren't there for him. "I've done all I could for myself, and I've also helped him realise many things. I can't show you them, and there's no need for you to know- not like this. But when the time comes, you'll see just how much I grew his spirit.", the knight spoke once again as it became rather clear. Laila, much like Reeve, wasn't able to see through the lines all along.

"Hold onto that spirit and warmth and keep him near. What he needs is someone that understands him and you're the only other person that can provide that right now, girl.", the doppelganger spoke as his own form began to crack. With holes constantly punched through the dreamscape as if a mirror that displayed the fight raging on, the duel was slowly nearing its conclusion.

. . .
​

"Spotless and uninjured, you stand a victor. And yet you still know not why you fight."

...
​

"What drives you to keep struggling helplessly again and again, unable to wake up and get back to reality? That you can hide endlessly from your problems, or the fear of facing them if you finish this?"

The fight raged on and the black knight's words were now harsh, but the paladin's iron will remained tempered. Nothing hurt him, and the blade could hardly reach him. ​

"... I believe I understand now."
​

"If you do, then let your voice be heard."

With their next and last clash, a crack appeared on the man standing before Laila around his chest.​

"You refused to listen no matter how loudly I spoke."

"You separated me and you, no matter how similar we were."
​

"You accepted me, and yet you denied me."
​

Those words hurt. Hearing that must have pushed Reeve to the limit, seeing as his form broke. From what looked like perfect parries and an impenetrable stance, his will wavered and the black knight's blade reached him. As it pierced through his chest, the man standing before Laila saw a hole punctured through his heart, looking like no more than a statue.

"But now I know the answer.", the paladin's eyes lit up with a fiery confidence as he raised his hand and thrust it towards his adversary's form, letting him drive the blade in deeper and deeper. "You are my mirror and you do as I do- if I let you in and drop my guard, so will you."

For a glimpse of a moment, the dark knight smirked before his form began to melt into that same black goop as before. The red glow from his eyes was there once the form broke, but quickly faded as the thick sludge melted around Reeve's arm and slowly tried to crawl up the holy knight's armor. And then a blindingly bright lightning struck, the white light covering the whole room and making it impossible to see anything through the visions' windows or elsewhere.

. . .
​

When the lightning subsided, there was nothing but Reeve and Laila in those same fields. The man was fully encased by black armor as before, though its design mimicked that of the paladin's from the fight. Blood was smeared all over his equipment as he held a blade tightly, bearing a great resemblance to his cursed blade's original form from their first shared dream. Looking at Laila as he held his original artifact once more, he stayed silent for a moment before offering a small smile. "... Hey there."

The blade melted into sludge that dripped onto the floor and disappeared, and the rain was completely over. The clouds were even clearing up and it appeared to be the dawn of a new day within the dream that was crumbling until moments ago. "I don't think it was a curse.", he grumbled as he moved towards her, taking slow and steady steps. "I don't get it, but... I understand everything about it. My sword-", a cough followed as he groaned and tried to clear his throat. "My situation. I found its name."

Standing before her, Reeve opened his arms and tried to wrap them around her, his body heavy and his balance unsteady. "I'm sorry for doing this alone.", he apologised and looked at Laila as he pulled back ever so slightly, letting out a heavy sigh of relief. "No, rather... I had to do it alone. Thank you for trusting me with it."

 

[Shreb]

"My instinct wasn't enough to get by and I'm paying the price for it. It's only natural when I can't read between the lines, isn't it?"

"T...Technically, I'm not very good at reading between the lines, too..."

Bit of an off-hand comment, but Laila was the kind of person who didn't like tension, so it naturally suited her to try to lift the bottom-barrel atmosphere. The appearance of, what was now, two men clashing their blades via a window had her thrown for a loop; were these the two halves of Reeve, vying for control? Was this a constant clash during their times in reality?

Laila, contrary to her many expeditions, had never stepped foot in this kind of world; the type of plane that clashed the turmoil of one man against every part of themselves. Her dream walks were never that eventful; she didn't solve the nightmares, her mother did. All she did was tap into the dreams of a child and helped them through tougher times, to alleviate their worries and maybe offer them a miracle.

Through time and time again, she saw the world as something to look ahead to, the future that always held something for them. When she saw Reeve, however, she saw a man who only looked at his past, a collection of things that once was. Who was she to stop that? Not everyone can simply let go of their regrets, and it's not always the solution to what is a deep-rooted problem.

The more days you have ahead, the further the future you look to. The more days you have behind, the deeper you dream of the past.

When she was first taught to dreamwalk, she had stepped foot into her mother's dreams, of which she was told and offered the same advice the dark knight had done in their eternal battlefield.

To hold onto her spirit and to bring warmth. To understand and to empathize, and the world will yield to her good results.

Laila thought it little more than advice from a drunk mother who was still guilty over her times of the past. With Reeve, the context had been far different. Perhaps what the dark knight had told her was simply her own illusions bleeding into his dreams, perhaps it was coincidence.

And perhaps it was destiny.

In a blinding flash of light, and from nearly no contribution from her part, lightning had crossed their dream and brought to them another white space. Though she could barely perceive the fight that happened, the undulating emotion behind each swing, not even the meaning behind the sentences they spoke to each other, she felt a strange connection.

Because at the end of the day, it was a conversation that could have never happened without Laila's accompaniment.

---

What she got to see was Reeve. Again. Was he reborn anew? Enlightened? Elucidated? To her, it didn't matter all that much. What she saw was a man who took a step forward and became a little bit better today, just like he had done yesterday, the day before, and the day before.

"...Hey there."

She didn't say that, he did. She was still awestruck, and trying to open her mouth was like opening a can with her bare hands.

She hugged him back. "You know, you are really good at making me worried sick even when I'm right next to you."

"...Um. So...Do you feel...Better? Like...Does your head hurt or...Something? I feel like you should be really sore right now..."

 

[Gary Sue]

​

His hug tightened as she expressed her worry, and although he tried his best, she could definitely feel him leaning onto her more than just to hold her in his embrace. "Ahh... Things are a lot clearer, but... my body is killing me.", Reeve tried to laugh it off, though even that caused him to feel even more winded and lean onto Laila further. "I'm sorry for making you worry, Laila.", he uttered under his breath as he felt tears coming to his eyes. He really did feel 'better', things were much clearer now than they had been ever before.

But at the same time, he was feeling weighed down, beaten and sad. The weight of reality had caught up to him. "Laila...", the knight tried to take some of his own weight off of her, only to end up on his knees before he laid down on the blood-stained grass promptly. "... I don't think I can talk to you like this again.", and the tears finally squeezed themselves out of his eyes, trickling down his cheeks as he raised a hand to wipe them, feeling the cold metal on his face.

"Our game of playing tag with my curse's rules is over. It caught up to me, and I have to play by its rules now.", his voice tried to choke, though he persevered and managed to finish his sentence nonetheless. "If I never broke the rules in the first place, we would be able to sign a blood pact and talk freely to each other, but... it probably can't work anymore."

Those pesky tears were back once again as he let them flow, looking at his armored gauntlet. "... I will still be listening.", he clenched his hand and tried to push himself up, even if only to sit and look at her face to face. "I will still-", Reeve groaned and moved a hand to his stomach, holding it firmly. "- I will still be talking to you. There's still a way, even if I can't tell you all the things I want to and talk to you whenever we go to sleep."

The melancholy was starting to bleed into his own words as he sobbed and cried, looking at his partner on the field, and hopefully in life. "I'm sorry for losing my voice. I'm sorry for taking this away from you.", the man wailed loudly, forcing himself up from the pool of blood as much as he could and reaching out for the shrine maiden. Although he was in a good and stable condition, he hurt. His heart broke as it felt like he was forced to say goodbye to what he desperately wished could have been a permanent part of his life. He knew he wasn't losing Laila, but it felt like he was telling Laila that she was losing a part of him.

 

[Shreb]

"H-hey, Reeve, don't be sorry, you've been doing amazing even before we met...."

His chuckle made her uncomfortable, chilly even. So when he leaned into her, she kept him in a close embrace.

And again, he was on his knees, and Laila descended to match his height.

Was this her fault? Her fault for trying to get him to utter words, to play with the rules of the curse? Surely, it was, wasn't it?

"Hold on...Reeve, it's..."

It's not okay.

She couldn't tell a lie to him, not when it was so obvious that he was going to lose such a component of his being for the rest of his life. She could only blame herself.

A weight on the world often involved a real high stakes threat. A dragon that threatened the continents. A reality-bending construct. A wartorn lunatic.

But there was nothing more crushing than the feeling of being the cause of a permanent loss.

But with Reeve sobbing into her shoulder, what could she do? There was nothing.

She clutched his hair and rubbed his back. "Hey...Just breathe, okay..."

And though he promised to talk again, the primary point had never changed. He had tried to subvert the rules, and had he not met her, this wouldn't have happened.

...It was a crushing feeling.

"I'm...I'm going to do what I can for you. Okay, Reeve? So...Relax...We work with what we have, right?"

 

[Gary Sue]

"It's not... your fault Laila...", even in his sniveling and sobbing, he could tell what the dumbass was thinking. His weak grip around her tightened, even if ever so slightly as he held himself back from wailing even louder. "You're the reason I could accept myself... and you're-", it was getting hard to hold back. But he tried. "... you're the reason why... why I could talk in the first place..."

"Laila, you're the o- you're the one-", his tears didn't pull any punches as he wailed loudly, unable to even finish his own sentence. His grip around her only got more and more desperate as his sobbing became louder, and he wallowed, knowing these might be some of the last words he'd ever get to openly speak to her. The last words anyone would ever hear of him, and it would be just Laila. "I- I don't regret a single moment... If I cou- if I could go back and change my decisions...", he opened his red, watery eyes and looked at the woman as he sniffed.

"I would break th-... Kghh, break the rules every single time... I don't regret being heard whe- when I didn't listen to myself...", he closed his eyes and buried his face back into Laila, wailing away as the sun rose behind the two. With a new cycle beginning, another old one has to close. The same stood true for the real world, as it did for Reeve and his situation. "Every- every single time I'd break them... Just to be- to be able to- kkkfghh... To talk with you..."

No matter how much he repeated himself, he knew he couldn't be clear enough. "I can't say it again... Thank you, La- La-... Laila..!", it was like the clutch of his hands got tighter, more unwilling to let go as he spoke her name once again. "You're all I have left... So let's... Let's work together with what we have...", even concentrating on making that final promise to her was hard as he felt his consciousness struggling to rob him of this final goodbye, struggling against its vice-like-grip as much as he could.

 

[Shreb]

It’s very easy to critique in leisure what others had to do in haste.

Laila was panicking. The right answer for most people in these trying times when a man is crying in her shoulder is to pat him on the back and tell him everything will be okay, probably. But unlike a lot of people, Laila had never dealt with someone crying in her shoulder. She, also, didn't really cry a lot (she wasn't really a crying kind of person), so having someone confide in her like this was making her head spiral due to this odd unique occurrence.

"U-uh..."

She was flustered, she was rigid, and she was speechless. This would probably be considered all of the worst things to be when someone in front of her was bawling from face to chin.

"U-um, you're welcome...! I uh...It was...N-nothing? E-er, no, I was trying really hard to get you to voice yourself and...Um..."

Laila couldn't say much else.

"L-listen Reeve, just let me know when you're done...And things are gonna be different! You're amazing to last this far, and you're gonna last a hundred more years! Remember that...And...Uh..."

This was tough for her. Probably not as tough as it was for Reeve, but for Laila who was a bystander in Reeve's elucidating change and yet also a primary proponent to Reeve's growth, she was having a rough time trying to grasp this...

But she could at least grasp Reeve for this time.

 

[Gary Sue]

As his vision started to dull, the only thing he could feel was her warm embrace. "La-Laila, I... I don't...", his sob started to fade as his hearing dampened, and it wasn't long before his hold around her loosened and let go completely. With the man unconscious, the dreamscape started to fall apart. And yet two figures stuck out, staring quietly from the wooden house in the distance, one looking like Reeve at his youngest while the other mimicked the form of the paladin fighting earlier, holding the helmet against his hip and resting his other hand on the hilt of his blade.

He drew the sword with a thrust, planted it into the ground before laying the helmet right next to it. After that, he simply turned his back and began to walk away. His fight was done. Meanwhile, the younger Reeve was examining himself, leaning against one of the house's pillars and stopping only to smile bitterly at the sight of Laila holding Reeve now that he could rest. A changed man, like he could never imagine he'd become. Soon enough, the piece of land holding the house and the two distant silhouettes crumbled into nothingness, and Laila was forced out of the dream after a flood of black consumed all, leaving nothing behind.

Even so though, the man stayed asleep. Whatever went on in the dream, however long it took to resolve in his mind, it wore him out and exhausted him. He didn't just sleep for a few more minutes or hours, instead only starting to come around after two days had passed. Their time to get ready and set out was already strained, but he did this knowing fully well that he might never wake up either. The light seeping into the room was blinding when he finally managed to open his eyes. A groan as he put a hand in front of them weakly to cover them, and his blurry vision wasn't doing him any favors looking around to see Tomoe's shrine guestroom.

Once he understood where he had woken up, he instinctively moved a hand to his blade to grab it, but... it wasn't there. That jolted him to a much more conscious state as he looked around, seeing no sight of the blade or its sheath. It was gone. And yet, he didn't feel that panicked. Instead he sighed, trying to figure out where everyone was- how long had it even been? He managed to sit up, exhaling deeply and holding on to a nearby table to prop himself up. "Laila... Is she here? What were we doing..?"

 

[Shreb]

"Ah...Crap...Guess we've been here too long..."

Laila sighed; she wasn't sure how much they would remember considering so much happened in a single dream, but she would have to settle on this little brevity. Reeve was changing, and Laila saw nothing but positives in fairness.

She smiled.

"Guess you need a nap now."

Taking a glance back at the two that had dueled for so long, she wondered if her dreamscape would look like this one day, tackling something far beyond her conscious brain could even dissect.

Maybe, in some way, I'm just like Reeve. Lost, confused, and trying to get by.

But Laila, like Reeve had said, just seemed to be a few steps ahead of the curve. Maybe that was why Reeve had begun change so drastically; in all of the walking he did, he had decided to skip, just a little.

---

Reeve awoke to Laila again; early bird as per usual, but it seemed like Laila had also just woken up with how frazzled her hair looked. She had a bowl of rice with a single egg slowly cooking over the surface, and some green tea in an innocent bamboo cup.

"Hiya."

Suspecting how groggy Reeve looked, Laila assumed he felt like he slept for weeks. "You had a normal sleep."

Laila rubbed her chin. "As normal as it gets, I guess. Not much has happened. I'm just trying to organize a carriage ride to that city Alina mentioned. Bit of work since I have to walk to the town, but...Yeah, we're due to leave tomorrowish, so there's a bit of time to do something. Call it our own little date on the countryside! The...Townside, I mean. Yeah!"

 

[Gary Sue]

It took him a good moment or so to move his body again after he saw Laila was going about her day as per usual, almost lost in thought while she spoke. He got up and dusted himself, trying to not put too much weight on his somewhat numb and weak legs before he waddled closer to the shrine maiden. Once he was close enough, he offered her something she couldn't refuse- a hug, followed by a deep inhale and a long sigh of relief. Though he was tired and still feeling sad from what happened during their last discussion, he had a wide smile on his face.

Even though things would be different from now on, things would also be very much not that different. Nothing would change during most of their day and they could still see and be with each other. He let go and nodded, giving her some room and staring at the meal that she was making. It sounded like she stayed busy, even while he was knocked out. The man pondered just how many supplies they'd need ready to have a carriage ride, but then again... he was uncertain where the academy they were headed to even was.

Grim reminders of the magic-centric hierarchy and philosophy of the academy ran through his mind as he remembered his own weak affinity, but... they'd be dealing with that tomorrow, so there was no need to think about stuff like that. Instead, he looked forward to their trip by the town they'd be having soon, figuring he could help get more specialised tools if necessary, and get to stretch out his body to lose that looming stiffness from the last two days.

She did mention Alina though, right? He tried to mimic her resting bitch-face as much as he could, keeping it for a moment before tilting his head. While they still could, they really should have worked out some more specific keywords or communication method... "Has Laila been running everything on her own, or did anyone help her out with the preparations too? Where did she even keep all of the supplies..?"