Kris shot up in bed. He was still in the Inn, with the elderly woman standing in the other corner now, seething in angry.
"I can't believe I fell for a Siphoner! Stupid!," Kris said flinging himself upward.
"Why you. Why do you have the mark of a Blessed one! WHY!" She squawked. Her appearance started to change into her features as a Siphoner. Her nose transformed into a beak, as her arms thinned but grew feathers and her eyes changed to a deep red.
"All the signs were there and I just didn't see it," Kris said pulling the dagger out of his belt.
"You shouldn't be blessed! I've crawled through your head, your thoughts, your past and you certainly SHOULDN'T become Blessed," she shouted again.
Siphoners did that. They often posed as Oneiromancers to get an easy meal. They ate by consuming the life force of people, and usually that was easier to do if they could trick someone and eat at a leisurely pace. Make the meal sleep and slowly eat away at them.
Something with the consumption of dreams and thoughts. Kris walked over to the window, looking out onto the capital city
"I got to hand it to you Siphoner, you had me convinced I was in that swamp town. I can't recall the name...," he said as he hoped snapping his fingers would bring the name to his mouth.
"Sofburrow," the Siphoner said.
"Yes, thank you. You had me convinced I was back out in Sofburrow. What was that, a year ago?" Kris said.
"Two years," the Siphoner chirped.
"Your pretty good, but tell me what is a Siphoner doing in the capital city. A little risky don't you think?" Kris asked.
The creature shook its head briefly then stood a bit taller, arms stretched.
"Do it now," it said. Kris looked to the Siphoner, then down to his dagger. After a moment he put it back into its sheath.
"If you didn't kill me the moment I woke up, you won't now. No need," Kris explained. He thought how even a Siphoner was able to pick apart his dream. This creature even knew what being Blessed meant, but also that it could see the signs too.
Siphoners and Oneiromancers weren't too different when one thought about it. If Oneiromancers werent monitored and regulated, they would probably get to the point of Siphoners. Some days, boundaries were good.
The creature fell to their knees, screeching and sobbing.
"Thank you! I am so damn old I knew I couldn't win a fight!" it cried out.
This took Kris aback. He felt awkward as this creature sobbed.
"It's fine really," he said.
It took a moment to pull itself off the ground, and compose itself. It brushed the dust off of its clothes and gave a big sniff.
Clearly it's beak was full of mucus. This made Kris queezy.
" What are you doing here," Kris asked again.
"Outside the capital walls, that miasma is getting worse. Sofburrow was consumed a month back, as for a few other small towns. The pyres don't work as they once did. The miasma acts like they weren't what was holding it back for the last century or two," the creature said approaching the window next to Kris to look out.
They stood in silence.
"Makes sense why we would have a blessing happen. The world crumbles, and it's needs a messiah. When was the last one?" Kris asked.
The Siphoner looked insulted.
"Why would you think that I would know"?
Kris gave a blank expression.
"You just said you were too old, and I know you creatures live a LONG time". The Siphoner chewed on that thought for a moment, before it replied.
"One hundred years ago," it said almost defeated.
"That's it??? I know the last recorded ones were at least two hundred years apart".
"There were two before that happened in the same month. The blessings arrive on their time, not ours," the Siphoner screeched.
"From what I recall, all the Blessed were great heroes, not an awful Oneiromancer". Kris shot the creature a glare.
"Trust me, I don't want it," he said.
The creatures beak was left agape. It ruffled it's feathers before squawking. "Don't want it? Are you mad? You received the enlightenment from, you know". It pointed toward the ceiling. "You can do whatever with that enlightenment. You basically are a...".
"Don't say it! I have NO interested," Kris snapped. The creature looked surprised. The silence that followed felt like it went on for too long.
"Do you have a name," Kris asked, hoping to change the topic.
"Milmilia," it said.
"Male, female? Do you even have genders?" Kris asked.
Milmilia gave him a glare.
"Female, I can't believe you can't see my natural beauty," she said attempting to fluff her feathers.
Siphoners were not attractive creatures.
"And you know me. Everything about me unfortunately," he said. "Welp, if I ain't killing you, buy me some food and ale," he said. "Repayment right"?
---------8----------
Kris order three pork steaks, a side of cranberry slaw with two mugs of ale and some type of salad. Milmilia looked on horror as the man consumed all this food in a very short amount of time. She had reverted to her elderly form, hiding the beak and feathers.
"Is this normal?" she said gesturing to his eating. "Do all humans eat like this". She scanned the room witnessing patrons eating with less furocity and more manners.
"The hungry ones yeah," Kris said shoveling half a pork steak into his mouth. He chewed obnoxiously, trying to eat too much at once. Milmilia winced and some of the sounds he made.
"Disgusting," she said. Kris shot her a glare as he downed his ale. This was followed by a long drawn out burp.
"I have to live it up. Focus on the present, because once 'that' happens, it's over for me," Kris said slowing down on his chewing.
Milmilia waited patiently as Kris finished his meal. After this the two exited the inn.
"Did you make me believe that I had a sword also? Insane" Kris said. His memories of his Dreamscape and reality were still organizing themselves in his head.
"I've been around for a while, you learn the tricks," she said.
"Welp, I am off to do whatever the hells I do," Kris said with force enthusiasm. He started to walk down the street. He noted the extra sent of feet following him. He glanced over his shoulder.
" You can go," Kris said. Milmilia continued to follow. "Hells woman. What do you want?".
The Siphoner looked downward at her hands.
"I must swallow my pride to ask this. Siphoners travel in twos. I've been on my own for a while. I would only follow, no words no nothing," Milmilia admitted.
Kris was shocked. A Siphoner, asking to accompany a Oneiromancer.
It was true, all things were ending.
"You know what Siphoner? Why the hells not! We will go on little adventures and tour what remains of Graediya," Kris said with force enthusiasm once again. "Sure do what you want".
And with that, the Siphoner followed the Oneiromancer to wherever he was heading.
"This is happening. I can't hide from it. I guess I will wake up now," Kris thought.