† Kohryn & Era †
Her heart stuttered in anticipation of feeling liquid upon her skin and then water was spraying between them, soaking fabric and chasing out all the oxygen around their bodies. Kohryn pulled in a surprised lung full of air right before she was sucked under and water filled her ears. The sharp sound of their splash becoming deep and baritone.
And in the next moment her head was breaking the surface, Era pulling her up as the world pitched forward beneath her. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as perception somersaulted and flipped on its end.
A series of small huffs, hoarse sputtering sounds of long dormant laughter, bubbled from her lips. They felt strange and unpracticed as they left her throat.
She peeked at Era from the corner of her eye, and odd embarrassment followed.
He paid no mind and giggled along with her, sweet masculine tolls contrasting against her parched squabs.
He grabbed her wrist, helping her balance as gravity righted itself. He had forgotten that being forcefully pulled through veils like the Still Sea was pleasantly exhilarating. The way it had Kohryn looking thrilled pleased him.
She stood half dazed for a moment, with flushed cheeks and wind torn hair. Her hands ran over dry nightclothes, impressed at their state, before her observant gaze was back to cataloging her new surroundings.
They stood on the surface of a shallow pool nestled in the center of a densely vegetated crater. Era watched as she scanned over lush ferns, fronds curling heavy with the weight of rusty beads ripe with spores. Then those luminous eyes lifted, trailing up massive trunks of giant coniferous trees, standing taller than any she had ever seen before. Their limbs full of shaggy green needles that bore sappy cones.
The air was wet and dappled in foggy patches.
"Where are we now?"
"This is one of the Forests of Moon."
"Forests of Moon?"
Era nodded. "Moon is an astral entity who enjoys crafting forests. He's always been very secretive so very few people know of the locations of his creations. We should be safe here for now."
Era began to guide them off the pond and into the lush undergrowth of the forest.
Droplets of moisture from the humidity began to speckle Kohryns legs. Dewy tears sitting on fronds and leaves soaked into her pants as she rustled them in passing.
She followed along, her feet carrying her confidently, hand still wrapped in his.
Era had thought hard in the time since he had last seen her. Attempting to formulate a plan. He had been just a little too confident before, certain that she would come as a child to the dream world and he would have plenty of time to teach her all she needed to know. But she hadn't. He could repair the situation, though. He had a fail safe just in case something unexpected like this did happen.
"I know a powerful being who lives in this forest. I want you to meet them." Era pulled Kohryn along small trails, the bottoms of their clothes soaking through and attracting forest debris. It wasn't cold, instead pleasantly warm, dampening and weighty. "It might take us a while to get to where she resides. The forests shift and the trees travel so all I can do is follow her trails and hope to find her."
"That sounds difficult." Kohryn kept pace, not too hurried but not entirely leisurely, steadily following Era as he guided them to a destination only he knew.
Era shook his head. "Not so much as long as you know how to follow trails. And like I said, magic and mental fortitude can be used to traverse the astral plane. As long as I can persevere in my belief that I will locate her, I will."
Kohryn nodded in contradiction to her next words, "I don't really understand what you mean."
"For now that is all right. It is going to take time to remember these dreams so getting too into the details isn't very important for the time being. Right now we should decide on a sign to send to the waking world to help you recall your visits here. Some little action or event that will ignite a sense of deja vu. It'll aid you in your ability to carry memories back and forth."
Kohryn absorbed this new information. The thought of being awake and she was suddenly too aware of her life beyond the mirage of the dream. Her form flickered.
"You're thinking too hard again. The connection used to enter the astral realm through dreams is fragile. It can be broken at any moment and send you awake, especially if you start to doubt your surroundings too much. Breathe in and breathe out, clear your mind."
"Okay…" Kohryn closed her eyes for a moment, coming back into her semi-relaxed state. "...okay."
"Good job." Era cooed, giving her an affectionate smile. He was impressed with her ability to stabilize herself. "I want you to think of some way to remember your time here. Keep taking note of it, study it, and commit it to your memory."
Kohryn looked at him, eyes becoming wet and then dry as her vision went in and out of focus. Viewing him and then seeing his image in the world around them. "Okay, I can do that."
Era smiled as she studied him. "Are you using me to remember?"
"Yes."
He blushed at her honest and blunt reply. Once again reminding him of his distant past and the eerily calm demeanor of a friend long gone. "I'm flattered."
"Well you're very pretty." She continued on, direct and unashamed of her intimate words. "You look so kind and happy and your presence feels very welcoming. Sweet and warm. Like caramel and spun sunshine." Maybe it was the odd connection she felt, or his cherubic like beauty, inviting and floraly angelic, but she was drawn into him. Undeniably infatuated with his comforting presence.
Era flashed her a pretty smile, dimples creasing in his cheeks, red cheeks deepening, pleased at how she thought of him. His experience so far had been nothing like he had imagined meeting her would be.
"You remind me of a man I once knew." Era told her. "He was just like you, very forthright and calm."
"Oh really?"
"Yes, so calm and open that some of the people in our lives found his directness intimidating. But I admired him. To me he seemed so strong." Era looked a little far away, his thoughts transporting him to the experiences of his past.
"What was his name?"
"His name was Nisha." The name rolled from his tongue with a familiarity that Kohryn somehow felt in her bones. As if it was a name she had known before. "We'll talk more about him later, for now let's find my acquaintance." He picked up his pace, moving them into a light jog, feeling the pull of the thick trail of who they were searching for. He tossed back one more smile at the woman whose hand was intertwined with his, "Remember to study me so you can remember our dream."
Kohryn nodded, her own blush matching his.