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The sun felt warm on X'yahma's skin. The wind carried the scent of the sea upon it. He blocked the sun with his hand and scanned along the beach. Loonh Gah stood underneath a palm tree, turning over a coconut in her hand. "Hey!" he shouted as he ran towards her, kicking up sand as he went. He skid to a stop a yalm away. She smiled at him warmly and tossed the coconut behind her.
"About time you showed up."
He looked her up and down, fancying the color of her red bikini. "It's been too long. Sorry I kept you waiting overlong."
She grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him up the beach towards the rocks. "Stop talking and let's get on with it." She let go and broke into a run. He followed behind her, watching her tail sway to keep balance. They ran the whole way up the length of the beach and clambered over the rocks and continued still until they reached Hidden Falls. Loonh Gah stopped running first, doubling over, hands on her knees, until she caught her breath. X'yahma wasn't winded.
Before she caught her breath, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him suddenly. Their lips hardly left the other's for a moment as they kissed again and again. X'yahma was half-convinced she was trying to steal his breath. He closed his eyes and pulled her closer to him. After a moment more, he opened them again.
"Pshhh..." Thick, black lenses looked back at him. He let go and stumbled backwards, his lips trembling as he looked at the long, green, flopping ears. "Shkohhh..." It must be a mask. A hideous goblin mask covering Loonh Gah's head. "Pshhh... Shkohhh... Riseyshine, uplander!" It wasn't her voice. X'yahma scrambled back, trying to flee from this twisted vision in front of his eyes. "Make quickfeet to foodtable before sunupses all gone!"
His eyes snapped open, drawing a deep breath as he grasped the reality around him. He was in a bed at Idyllshire. Yes, the cold, cold hinterlands. And a goblin standing next to his bed. Breathing loudly. X'yahma stared at... him?
"Pshhh... Shkohhh..."
"Th-thank you, uh..."
"Close tongueflaps! Sunupses!" The goblin shouted before walking its strange gait out of the room and down the stairs.
X'yahma brought his hands to his face and pulled down, unable to get that frightening image out of his mind. Five moons since they last spoke. Five moons too long. If he could even have half a bell more of sleep, would he return to that dream? He sat up and swung his bare feet to the cold floor. He shook the pastthoughts from his head. With luck, the rubble would be cleared out soon. It wouldn't do to idle more than was necessary. Every minute he delayed was a minute longer before he could see her again. He straightened his pajamas and left the room with fastness.