The sleep came thick and heavy, falling upon me like a leaden anvil.
"Rucas…"
I was in the middle of a bare forest, with trees far in the distance, surrounded by corpses and more corpses of elves, mutilated and decapitated by my sword, which was buried in the ground beside me.
A crimson glow emanated from the stone in the center of the hilt, seeping through the bands as if it were drinking the blood of my enemies.
A light breeze carried a sweet scent, a blend of jasmine and honey. A scent that no longer existed, yet still terrified me in my deepest, most terrifying memories.
The pale moonlight turned the golden strands sliding through my fingers, and those eyes… those golden eyes that looked at me, that knew me so well.
She was there… Hel'lynnor, my dear Helena.
Her clothes were torn at the waist, and her back, studded with spells and arrow holes, was stained red. Blood dripped from her half-open mouth, sliding down her delicate chin. But she smiled.
"You're crying…" Her voice was a thread of life, a fragile breath about to fade away.
And it was too late.
Her hand touched my tear-stained face with overwhelming tenderness; her fingers trembled from weakness and also from my sobs.
My arms felt heavy, and my vision spun from the absurd amount of magic I had used to neutralize all the enemies and tried, unsuccessfully, to heal her wounds…
My tears fell on her face; I reached out to wipe them away and could feel her growing cold. She gathered her strength to speak and said:
"I just… wanted… more time…"
Her speech grew heavier and more slurred by the moment. She was slipping away…
My heart began to hurt, along with my head ache and that damn noise in my ears.
"No…"
My arm trembled as I held her tightly. As if that could somehow keep her here. As if that could really happen.
With her last ounce of strength, she pulled my face closer, and the taste of iron flooded my mouth as she kissed me. It was warm… wet… and the last.
Her blood mixed with mine, trickling between our lips. And then, her fingers lost their strength. Her body slid backward, her eyes still fixed on me, but without light… without life.
She was gone… again.
I opened my mouth and let out a scream with all my strength… but no sound came out. All around me, everything began to shake violently. The winds began to blow like a tornado, bodies began to lift, and a huge crater opened up where I stood.
The inscriptions on the sword and my body glowed fiercely in a vivid crimson, as if they were alive and trying to break free.
I remained holding her corpse, unable to let go.
Then suddenly the moon went dark, everything vanished, and silence swallowed everything. And when the void dissolved, the golden eyes appeared little by little as I opened mine.
But… wasn't that her?
Was it… someone else?
"Duncan…?"
My breathing was short and rapid. My heart felt like a hammer pounding against my ribs.
I squinted, trying to adjust my focus. What I saw was golden hair, a light brown shade, without the pure, moonlit glow of hers. The features were subtle, but they were there.
The same eyes, the same arch of her eyebrows. And a feeling that, in another life, I had seen her before.
It was like a waking nightmare.
Lurya.
I stared at her as if I were seeing a ghost. And, for a moment, I wasn't sure if it was…
Was I still in the dream?
No.
The smell of wet straw, the neighing of the horses in their stalls, and the cold of the early morning pulled me back to reality. But those golden eyes were still there. Watching me. Staring at me.
Lurya furrowed her brow, studying my face with a concern that wasn't hers to bear.
"Are you okay?"
I didn't answer right away.
My breathing was still uneven. My hands, trembling.
She looked like Helena.
I blinked a few times, forcing my body to react, to erase the images from the past. I pressed my fingers hard against my eyes, as if I wanted to push them deep into my head.
"Yes, I am. It was just a… just a dream." My voice came out hoarse.
Lurya didn't seem convinced.
"I see… you were murmuring a name." She tilted her head. "Helena."
My blood ran cold.
The memory of the taste of blood on my lips was still fresh in my mind.
I sat up, resting my forearms on my knees. I looked up at her and asked.
"So what?" My voice came out colder and sharper.
Lurya crossed her arms.
"So what is that, the way you were calling out her name, it sounded like you were in pain." Her gaze was inquisitive, but not hostile.
I didn't like that. I didn't like what I saw in her, much less what I was feeling.
I ran my hands over my face and let out a long sigh, trying to shake off the feeling that I was still trapped in that dream.
"So? What do you want?"
She hesitated for a moment, looking at me as if she were about to ask me something else at any moment, but then she spoke.
"It's time. Let's go."
I shook my head and rubbed the back of my neck, trying to shake off the drowsiness.
"Great. Give me a minute to try to pretend I got some rest last night."
Lurya watched for a moment as I massaged my temples.
"Was it a nightmare?"
I looked up at her, squinting slightly.
"Do you always ask so many questions first thing in the morning?"
She chuckled softly, as if amused by my irritation.
"Only when I'm curious."
So I rolled my eyes and jumped to my feet. I fumbled in my pocket for my cigarettes, pulled one out, and tucked it behind my ear.
"Then find something else to distract yourself with, because I'm not in the mood to be your morning pastime."
I stepped away from the stall, grabbing my backpack from the corner of the barn. My head was throbbing as if I'd been hit with a bottle.
ran my hands over my face and sighed deeply, trying to shake off the feeling that I was still trapped in this dream.
"So? What do you want?"
She hesitated for a moment and looked at me as if she were about to ask something else at any moment, but then she spoke.
"It's time. Let's go."
I shook my head and rubbed the back of my neck to shake off the drowsiness.
"Great. Give me a minute so I can pretend I got some sleep last night."
Lurya watched me for a moment as I massaged my temples.
"Was it a nightmare?"
I looked up at her and narrowed my eyes slightly.
"Do you always ask so many questions first thing in the morning?"
She giggled softly, as if amused by my annoyance.
"Only when I'm curious."
So I rolled my eyes and jumped up. I rummaged through my bag for my cigarettes, pulled one out, and tucked it behind my ear.
"Then find something else to distract yourself with, because I'm not in the mood to be your morning pastime."
I stepped back from the box and grabbed my backpack from the corner of the barn. My head was throbbing as if someone had hit me with a bottle.
I ran my hands over my face and sighed deeply, trying to shake off the feeling that I was still trapped in this dream.
"So? What do you want?"
She hesitated for a moment and looked at me as if she were about to ask something else at any moment, but then she spoke.
"It's time. Let's go."
I shook my head and rubbed the back of my neck to shake off the drowsiness.
"Great. Give me a minute so I can pretend I got some sleep last night."
Lurya watched me for a moment as I massaged my temples.
"Was it a nightmare?"
I looked up at her and narrowed my eyes slightly.
"Do you always ask so many questions first thing in the morning?"
She giggled softly, as if amused by my annoyance.
"Only when I'm curious."
So I rolled my eyes and jumped up. I rummaged through my bag for my cigarettes, pulled one out, and tucked it behind my ear.
"Then find something else to distract yourself with, because I'm not in the mood to be your morning pastime."
I stepped back from the box and grabbed my backpack from the corner of the barn. My head was throbbing as if someone had hit me with a bottle.