The sound of a thousand dying screams. Fire so hot it consumes the world. Rage so complete it leaves no room for compassion. And a woman. Chained to a broken gate, her lips parted in a silent outcry of despair and anguish. Her eyes cold and lifeless yet with a breath not her own she whispered...
"This is the way the world ends..."
Aoren jolted awake. His chest was heaving. His brow was covered in sweat. He propped himself up in his bed and shivered. He was shaking. The dim light provided by the embers still popping in his hearth was of little comfort in the overwhelming darkness of his apartment. Despite being in the bowels of Stormhold Citadel where the air was stifling and the heat was usually quite pleasant he couldn't have felt colder. Stumbling out of bed he felt as if he'd just run ten miles without rest. He braced himself by reaching out and leaning against the wall nearby for support.
"Another nightmare." He wheezed those words out more to steady himself than for any other reason. On uncertain legs he made his way over to the hearth and knelt before those crackling embers. Holding out his right hand he observed the glistening lily that shimmered in the dim light. It was somehow brighter than normal and Aoren knew exactly what that meant. A dream that wasn't a dream. A glimpse into the world that was.
Though there were several who believed he could, Aoren possessed not the ability to peer into the future. Nor could he see beyond the world around him in the present. The past however, that was an altogether different matter. It visited him in his dreams or when he was seeking to meditate. Often he would simply see the world as it once was. Before the Valterrian. Rolling hills and valley's. Breathtakingly beautiful mountains and forests. He would see grand cities. Impressive centers of society with structures so immaculate Aoren could scarcely believe they ever existed. He knew differently however. The visions, while obscure at times, never lied. Though Aoren could glean little from them aside from small history lessons as they hardly applied to his daily life he both enjoyed and dreaded them. Enjoyed them for the sole fact that in a way he could see the world for what it was and could be again some day. Dreaded for the horrors he stood witness to in the darkest depths of his nightmares.
Aoren flexed his hand as if to ward off any further visions. One nightmare was enough. But what did it mean? Who was the woman chained to that gate? These were things he didn't know. Opening the palm of his hand he took a deep breath and found the spark of life that burned within himself. He willed that spark to burn brighter and to manifest itself in the palm of his hand. Within moments an orb of luminous blue fire swirled there. For a moment Aoren simply stared into its depths, hypnotized by its beauty. He then flicked his wrist and sent that sphere into the dying embers of another fire brought to life by his magic.
The wood within the hearth caught fire quickly and soon a good flame illuminated the small living space. Rising from the floor Aoren rolled his shoulders and went to where he'd left his clothes out the night before. Simple linen clothing. He stared down at it before shaking his head to himself.
"I need to get out of the castle today." Going to his trunk he withdrew his more robust clothing. He proceeded to don a pair of leather pants, a vest, a grey cap, a belt with a few pouches to hold an item here or there and strapped his sword to his hip. The weight of the blade felt familiar. He hadn't carried it with him in a little while. He always felt a little bare without it. Pulling on his boots he grabbed his traveling pack and slung it over his shoulder.
With a few steady strides he was at the door. Before opening it he held out his hand toward the fire and concentrated. A sphere of bluish res rose up from his fingertips. The fire in the hearth drifted toward his hand wrapping around the sphere where it turned to the young man's signature royal blue. He closed the palm of his hand extinguishing the fire and departed his apartment.
Turning down the corridor he made his way toward the main gates of Syliras. He just needed fresh air and scenery beyond stone and walls.
"Evora said she lives outside the castle walls. Maybe I'll find her." With his mind made up Aoren set out.
Who knows what the day would bring? Perhaps one day Aoren would know the answer to that question. But not today.