[Winds]

@Kaun

A few errors, yes, but whatever. The 'frame' for his flashback gives the work a more complete feel, and I like the hint of where his story is going.

As for me...



Nightmare Visions

Spoiler

When I awoke, Elle became...upset. The gear and power I was given for my return are not exactly comforting to sense. Still, it sounds like an excuse to me. The entire 'save the world' thing was something she only went with because it was better than where she was. I can hardly blame her for leaving. All that binds me to this quest now is hatred for the devils and sheer contrariness.
In any case, Kol and his new friend stuck around. Kol wants to see this through so he can find some way home, and Aileph, the paladin hellbred, wants to do this as penance for his past life.

I wonder if I will become hellbred when I die...

The compass points across the sea, now. So we went to the harbor. I managed to broker a deal with a ship captain who was docked here-we will crew and supply one of the larger ships moored here, and it will be his after he drops us at our destination. Kol went to look for supplies, while Aileph and I helped repair and ready the boat. Being that it is a metal creation similar to the cars Elle got us, that was an...interesting few hours. The old man has quite a tongue on him.

In any case, we're under way. Kol seems to have a military mindset, these journeys are rest time for him. But Aileph seems agitated. I suspect his holy powers are useless against the wrongness that pervades this area. I have only a limited time before he confirms his suspistions about my nature. He and Kol are useful. I would prefer to have them on my side...and come to that, if they work together, they may yet be able to kill me. That would be an embassingly swift end to my plans...

During the night, we had a dream. Looking out over the sea, there was a storm. And rising from the water was...a monster. You could describe it like a dragon, but only as you might describe the ocean as 'damp'. It had many heads, and it was large enough to blot out the sky, though we were miles distant. And I heard the voice of Asmodeus command it.

This I thought a welcome escape from my memories...until morning. My compatriots had this dream as well, in every detail save that they did not know whose voice it was. That, I kept to myself.

Aileph did describe one thing more than we saw. A woman in the mirror, with flaming red hair and no face.

Today however, the storm did come, the dragon rise, the voice command. The only thing missing was Aileph's red-haired woman.

Are we going mad? Or are we so involved in this world now that it shows us what it fears?

Which would be worse?