Arulia's Vignette
Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2015 5:49 pm
Arulia is standing on the battlements of the wall surrounding the city of Haven. She used to patrol here regularly, when she was still with the Holy Guard. But she is not patrolling now. Rather, she is looking out to the horizon--to the west, at Haven Vale. The old highway winds up from the north and goes right up to the city's gate. The same road many refugees took to come here, seeking haven--but were instead turned away.
Far off, beyond the mountains, she spots a storm cloud approaching--big and black. She wonders if she should get indoors before it arrives, and she gets caught in the rain. But then she realizes that the cloud is approaching far quicker than it should. No...it's not approaching, it's spreading. From one end of the horizon to the other, it covers the entire region in darkness.
Within seconds, the darkness covers the entire city. The sudden change in lighting causes Arulia to blink and rub at her eyes. When she can see again, everything is different. The battlements are charred and and damaged. Stone debris lies at her feet, as well as dead bodies. The entire city is smoking from damage. Men in dark armor patrol the streets, separating families who cry and scream for each other as they are dragged away. And the sky...the sky is filled with horrible beasts--massive, flying lizard-like creatures that could easily swallow Arulia in one bite, without chewing.
The city has fallen to darkness. Arulia opens her mouth to call out for help--to anyone. But she hesitates. Is anyone even listening?
Suddenly, one of the beasts in the sky roars, catching her attention. This one is the biggest by far. And it has five heads--each one a different color. Red, blue, black, white and green heads snake about in a tangled mess. The beast lands on the battlements right beside her, the impact knocking over a tower and causing her to stumble and fall back on her rump. All five heads roar right at her, the noise deafening! The heads come at her, snaking around her body, entangling her so she can't move--!
With a start, Arulia sits up in bed. She's soaked in sweat and her sheets are tangled around her legs. Her pillow lies on the floor, having apparently been knocked over at some point.
She was home...in her room. Well, not her room. She shared it with her three sisters, so it was quite cramped most of the time. But all three were gone, likely having already started their day. It was morning now...glancing out the window told her it was probably around Second Watch or so.
The terror of the nightmare was still with her. It had seemed so real. She had never had such a dream before. Could it mean something? Or was it, as her step-father often said, 'just a dream?'
Far off, beyond the mountains, she spots a storm cloud approaching--big and black. She wonders if she should get indoors before it arrives, and she gets caught in the rain. But then she realizes that the cloud is approaching far quicker than it should. No...it's not approaching, it's spreading. From one end of the horizon to the other, it covers the entire region in darkness.
Within seconds, the darkness covers the entire city. The sudden change in lighting causes Arulia to blink and rub at her eyes. When she can see again, everything is different. The battlements are charred and and damaged. Stone debris lies at her feet, as well as dead bodies. The entire city is smoking from damage. Men in dark armor patrol the streets, separating families who cry and scream for each other as they are dragged away. And the sky...the sky is filled with horrible beasts--massive, flying lizard-like creatures that could easily swallow Arulia in one bite, without chewing.
The city has fallen to darkness. Arulia opens her mouth to call out for help--to anyone. But she hesitates. Is anyone even listening?
Suddenly, one of the beasts in the sky roars, catching her attention. This one is the biggest by far. And it has five heads--each one a different color. Red, blue, black, white and green heads snake about in a tangled mess. The beast lands on the battlements right beside her, the impact knocking over a tower and causing her to stumble and fall back on her rump. All five heads roar right at her, the noise deafening! The heads come at her, snaking around her body, entangling her so she can't move--!
With a start, Arulia sits up in bed. She's soaked in sweat and her sheets are tangled around her legs. Her pillow lies on the floor, having apparently been knocked over at some point.
She was home...in her room. Well, not her room. She shared it with her three sisters, so it was quite cramped most of the time. But all three were gone, likely having already started their day. It was morning now...glancing out the window told her it was probably around Second Watch or so.
The terror of the nightmare was still with her. It had seemed so real. She had never had such a dream before. Could it mean something? Or was it, as her step-father often said, 'just a dream?'