This wasn't the Ricky he had known so briefly in their shared dream, that calm version of Zeltiva's harbor when his body and mind had been feverish. This was a dream-fever rather than a fever dream. He didn't recognize the lusting bear, nor the proud eagle of a woman, but, of the three, he seemed most aware that this was a construct on the chavena; had he been ignorant of that fact, he might not have tried to resist that siren song.
But the pair of them pushed the issue, pushed him against the door that wouldn't open. The woman was bolder than Kendall had been, at least until they had known each other better. He yelped at her touch. Even in his dreams, his body knew how long it had been neglected. They moved away, and he was dumbfounded by glyph that appeared, momentarily catching his interest.
It was familiar, but not familiar enough to be his own, surely.
Perhaps something was wrong with him, or his gnosis. He ought been able to escape unless there were another dreamwalker present, more gifted, more experienced. Perhaps that was where the glyph came from, familiar from his own subconscious, if only via a shared link to Lord Nysel. Whatever the case, he did not like to feel powerless.
But here his will was beset by the wills of two others, and his own traitorous mind had stripped him bare of emotional defenses before leading him here. Where there had been solace in the lie, here was something else entirely.
Hadrian didn't say no when the woman pulled him away from the door. He was a man who lived in his head moreso than his body, but here his body was just an emanation of his mind. It confused things, and though he looked back over his shoulder, wanting to investigate the glyph further.
"But..." He frowned, mind for the moment confounded by everything.
But the pair of them pushed the issue, pushed him against the door that wouldn't open. The woman was bolder than Kendall had been, at least until they had known each other better. He yelped at her touch. Even in his dreams, his body knew how long it had been neglected. They moved away, and he was dumbfounded by glyph that appeared, momentarily catching his interest.
It was familiar, but not familiar enough to be his own, surely.
Perhaps something was wrong with him, or his gnosis. He ought been able to escape unless there were another dreamwalker present, more gifted, more experienced. Perhaps that was where the glyph came from, familiar from his own subconscious, if only via a shared link to Lord Nysel. Whatever the case, he did not like to feel powerless.
But here his will was beset by the wills of two others, and his own traitorous mind had stripped him bare of emotional defenses before leading him here. Where there had been solace in the lie, here was something else entirely.
Hadrian didn't say no when the woman pulled him away from the door. He was a man who lived in his head moreso than his body, but here his body was just an emanation of his mind. It confused things, and though he looked back over his shoulder, wanting to investigate the glyph further.
"But..." He frowned, mind for the moment confounded by everything.