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Nerissa began shoving things into her satchel. She packed a few rations, a small box of reagents and potions, and her spell tome. It was best to pack light, carrying too much would only slow her down. She picked up her staff from her bed and her cloak from her armoire. She was ready to leave but not without a goodbye. Her cat, Mittens, was sleeping on the windowsill. Nerissa walked up to her and gently petted her head.
“I’m sorry I have to go. Home is not a safe place for me anymore.” she whispered softly into the cat’s ear.
She kissed the cat on her forehead and she purred in response.
“Goodbye, Mittens...”
She walked to her door and took one last look at her friend before she left. She crossed through the door and pulled her hood over head. As she walked down the hallway towards the foyer, she raised her staff and dimmed the candlelights on the chandeliers. She opened the door to the foyer slightly and took a quick peek for guards. Between the stairs to the front door and the door itself was an arcane construct and pacing around the upper area were two swordsmen. Nerissa closed the door and drew her book. She began flipping through the pages trying to find a spell that would work for her. The “Paralysis Rune” caught her eye. She opened the door carefully and pointed her staff in front of the guards’ path. The orb on her staff glowed blue and white. The two guards spotted her. Before they could say or do anything, the two were put in a stasis. The arcane construct turned it’s head towards the mage. It lifted its rocky hand and casted a rune in front of it. It ran onto the rune and launched itself towards Nerissa. Nerissa blinked a few feet away from the incoming magic golem. She pointed her staff at it and shot ice spikes at its legs. The constructs legs were surrounded by ice and couldn’t move. Nerissa took the opportunity given to run down the steps and to the front door. The guards’ paralysis faded when she opened the door. One of them saw her and shouted.
“The Magister’s son is escaping!”
Anger flared in Nerissa.
“I hate it when they call me that.”
She turned around and shot a mini tornado at the two. The guards were tossed to the ground and their swords dropped from their hands. She continued on into the courtyard. The guards on the surrounding walls turned around. The watch guard captain scaled down the wall and walked up to the fleeing mage.
“Think about what you’re doing, do you really wish to hurt your family like this?”
Nerissa angrily squinted at the captain.
“My family doesn’t want anything to do with me!”
“Come now, that is not true.”
“They only want to cover me up so I don’t ruin their name.”
“They only want what’s best for you, Caleb.”
“That’s not my name!”
Nerissa slammed her staff into the ground and the surrounding green reached out tangled around the captain’s legs and arms. She scanned the surrounding guards and darted to the right, attempting to escape from the back of the estate. The captain turned his head and shouted.
“Corwin! Get her!”
A man with a dark blue coat and long black hair nodded at the captain. The other guards’ eyes widened and stepped out of his way. The man drew two hand crossbows. One had a dart with a vial containing green fluid and the other containing blue. The man began to sprint along the castle wall. Nerissa heard the shout for Corwin as she was running to the back of the estate. Fear struck her and she ran faster.
“Shite! Not him!”
The sound of a thwip was heard. She had a small cut on her arm from the dart that grazed her.
“Shite!”
She took a quick glance behind her and saw Corwin was catching up.
“The man’s obviously faster than you, why try and race him?” she muttered to herself.
She raised her staff and blinked a few feet forward. The back of the estate was near. Corwin took another shot at her. The blue dart connected. Nerissa felt drained.
“No...no! No! No!”
Corwin leaped from the wall and onto the windowsill of the building next to it. He grasped onto the sill with one hand and with the other rapid fired at the mage. The two of them missed and one of them grazed her leg. She reached the end, barely stopping herself from falling over. Behind the estate was a balcony connected to the cliff her home was built upon. The fatigue was setting in. Nerissa shambled to the rail of the balcony, looking down at the water. She heard a strange sound behind her. Corwin was walking up to her with one crossbow pointed at her. An old man wearing a purple and blue robe materialised right behind him.
“That’s enough Corwin, I don’t need you poisoning my son anymore. Your service is appreciated enough.”
Nerissa was leaning on her staff for support.
“I’m not your son and what did you shoot me with!?”
“It’s Corwin’s newest neutralizer. It’s meant for rendering mages powerless and also has a hint of his sleep dart to add a little weariness. I promise, I would do nothing to hurt my own flesh and blood.”
“You already have.” Nerissa’s voice began to shake.
“Please Caleb, you’re making this harder for me.”
“Go to hell!” She screamed.
Corwin pulled the trigger and the green dart was lodged into her collarbone. Nerissa fell back, hanging on the railing. She began feeling lightheaded and all energy from her was quickly fading.
“No…..I won’t let you take me...”
She leaned back falling over the railing and down towards the water.
“Shit!”
Nerissa’s father clenched his fists.
“Corwin go get him before he drowns!”
The man nodded and ran off towards the castle gate.
Nerissa woke up in a lightless area. She looked around despite seeing nothing but black.
“ Calm, child.”
She heard something that sounded like singing wine glasses but for a reason unknown, she could understand what the sound was saying.
“Who…?”
“ It’s okay, you’re merely sleeping.”
“Wait….sleeping? Was that all just a-”
“
It was all real, the fear, the escape, the falling.”
“I fell into the water! Am I dead?”
“ No, you are safe. I made sure you survived.”
“But….how…?”
Light emitted. A robed figure appeared in front of her. The figure glowed bright blue and appeared to be made of constellations. Nerissa’s eyes widened in surprise.
“ It’ll be difficult to explain, the best I could say to your understanding is that I am your guardian angel.”
“Guardian Angel..?”
“I suspect you have questions. Come with me and I shall answer them.”
The being raised their hand in front of Nerissa’s face and a white flash blinded her. When the flash faded away Nerissa saw she was in a tavern. There were creatures and people of different kinds at the tables. The celestial being walked behind the bar and got the mage a glass of water. Nerissa walked up and sat on the stool in front of the bar. She took a sip.
“Thank you.”
“Ask me anything, and I shall answer.”
“Okay….first off, who are you?”
“I am Celeste, I am from another plane that your kind does not know is real. I spectate mortals as they live their life, I can meet them in this dreamer realm, and more.”
A look of confusion could be seen on Nerissa’s face.
“You spectate mortals?”
“Yes, I’ve grown interested in mortals like you. Each one of you are different and have a different story, it’s fascinating.”
“We’re all a series of tales to you?”
“I didn’t mean any offense by that. I am interested in watching people grow and overcome struggles but I do not dismiss their importance or significance ”
“Fair enough, what about you saying you could only meet people in the dreamer world?”
“I hold unimaginable power. Of that power I am able to create an avatar of myself and shape worlds only accessible by dreaming. I’ve created this tavern as a way to connect characters from different realms and planes together. These people you see here are dreamers as well.”
Nerissa turned around and scanned the area.
“All these people are real?”
“Indeed they are.”
“Fascinating…..are there people from my world around here?”
“There are.”
“If whomever I met here knew we both lived in the same world, is it possible we could potentially come into contact knowing each other from this world?”
“It has happened before.”
“This is...a lot to take in.”
“It is, but that’s also a normal reaction to have. Learning this catches everyone off-guard.”
“If this is all a dream, does that mean you’re dreaming too?”
“I am, I’ve been dreaming since the creation of this tavern.”
“You don’t ever wake up?”
“It would not be ideal for you if I ever woke up. To put it simply, my kind’s slumber preserves your world and the worlds of many.”
“W-what do you mean…?”
“This entire plane is a rather large dream. If I were to wake up, everything would fade from existence. Let’s not continue on, I want to spare you the complex truth and all worry that will come with it. You’ve just survived a fatal fall that you shouldn’t have, anxiety is the last thing your heart needs.”
A look of shock and worry appeared on Nerissa’s face.
“All that is needed to know is that you’re safe, and is the world of yours and others. I will not be waking up anytime soon, and when I do, it will not be the end. My kind had a procedure to keep your existence continuing.”
“I suppose that is comforting. What about the part the fatal fall?”
“Preserving the existence of your world isn’t the only thing I can do. I have powers to make the land itself move however I’d like. I do so subtly and in moderation of course, I’d rather not intervene with everyone’s story.”
“So what did you with me?”
“I made the water move you towards land but not in a place where that bodyguard of your father’s will find you easily.”
“That’s very thoughtful of you, thank you.” A smile slowly rose on Nerissa’s face.
“Don’t mention it, I see the path that you are on and I do not want to see it end so soon.”
“What about Corwin?”
“The bodyguard is on his way to find you. He won’t find you easily but maybe it’s best if you don’t waste this opportune time I have given you.”
“I think that would be best, I don’t know if I could ever repay you.”
“There is nothing to repay. We shall meet again soon, child.”
Celeste raised their hand over Nerissa’s forehead and a white light grew. The white light blinded her.
Nerissa sat up quickly and gasped. She felt cold and was soaking wet. She looked around her and saw that her staff and satchel were with her still.
“Thanks, Celeste.” she muttered.
She picked up her belongings and scanned the area around her. She was at the shore with a clear line of sight at her what used to be her home. With one last look, she turned away and disappeared into the surrounding forest.