'Til The Night Is Gone
(part 4 of my new serial inspired by the Smogust Story Hoard Writing Challenge)
If you’re new to The Môrdreigiau Chronicles, welcome! You might find the Glossary helpful for some of these words. Colons indicate the sea dragon’s thought communications.
Previously, Queen Heledd went on a perfectly marvellous picnic with her friends until they were entranced by a bright blue light. Her Prophet Llallogan dreamed about them circling a lighthouse deep in the giant kelp forest…
Read Part 1 / All Parts of “They Were Shining“
The dream. Llallogan remembered every part of it. He thanked the Lady and left the hot springs cave, tying his robe and calling out to Geraint. He jolted to a halt, almost sprawling across the heated pavement of the palace’s hot springs.
Arms windmilling, swirling hot water in all directions, Llallogan looked down. Black vines curled around his ankle and up his leg.
He loosed a shout, bubbles from mouth and gills obscuring his vision.
When he could see again, Llallogan hung suspended, no longer in the hot spring’s cave but in some sort of granite tower. The black vines bound him from head to tail, for now he was no longer in his human form but in dreigiau môr form.
He twisted and struggled but couldn’t free himself. The vines even muzzled him. At least his gills were free. How had he been taken from the caer? What was this?
He looked down, the twisted granite columns fading from sight into an inky black. He was outside the caer, but underwater and perhaps underground. Who had done this and how?
He twisted against, craned to look up, past his serpentine body and tail. Through the thrashing feathers on his tail’s tip he saw a bright light, pale blue in colour.
Llallogan hung loose, swinging the chamber’s swirling current. Was he still dreaming?
:Well, well.: The voice sounded extremely young and somehow aged over the two syllables, ending in a deep timbre. :You figured it out.:
:That I’m dreaming?: Terror seized his brain tighter than any black vine. :You’re controlling my dreams?:
The godling floated into view. He remained toddler-sized, but his face and body had aged. A golden beard concealed his cheeks and chin. :Mother thinks she’s helping you, but she’s wrong. She’s leading you to your doom!: The creature cackled.
:This is a dream. You can’t hurt me.: Llallogan canted his head. :Weren’t you a baby earlier?:
:I can appear however I like in dreams!: The bearded dwarf grew to a full size human male, perfectly proportioned. Purple lightning fragmented around the edges of his forms and he collapsed back into his dwarven form. :I can do whatever I like in dreams.: He grinned, baring his teeth. :I can kill you in this dream.:
This is a response to the Smogust Story Hoard writing challenge by Bradley Ramsey and The Circus Dragon for the month of August. And yes, as it often happens with these month long challenges (often being precisely once before), it’s going to be a serial.
Read Part 1 / All Parts of “They Were Shining“