Open Chronicles Something Something more sleepwalking.

[Nilamani]

The moonlight shimmered across the small pond in the garden. A serpentine tail dipped into the water of the pond, it's scales casting iridescent reflections.
The moon casting the garden in a pale blue light as if the whole scene were underwater already. It might have been soothing.
If it weren't that Nilamani shouldn't have been seeing it at all. They came to their senses with a somewhat panicked expression.

It had finally happened. Their fear had come to pass. Breaking curfew was bad enough, but they had at some point removed their pendant.
They had no memory at all of how they had gotten to the ponds edge or what had woken them. Nilamani frowned at their own reflection in the pond. Their reflection always betrayed this form when it was upon water. But this time it was simply reflecting their current form.
Given their tail dipped into the water and the dream they had been having, they might have been about to take a dip in the pond had they not woken.
They were grateful for themself and the fish that lived there that it had not gone that far.

Nilamani drew the tip of their tail back from the waters edge. They closed their eyes as if quietly feeling for the connection of the pendant with their mind.
It was close by. Which was reassuring but it also meant that they probably hadn't left it back in the dorm. At least it was safe for now.
Now to recover it and sneak back to the dorm.

 

[Salak]

*Tac-tac-tac...*

Walking at night was one of the few pleasures Salak afforded himself. The stars above and the lake below reflecting. At such times as these his mind eased and his body hurt less, relief was a foreign country to him.

The lake was calm and deserted. It's daylight splendour left for the night creatures to enjoy. For the spiders and owls the pool made play it was the heavens and tempted them in and down to infinity.

Salak knew he would die and that his end would be painful. Life was painful in and out but sometimes when alone and in the dark of night he felt what might be akin to peaceful thoughts.

Tonight he was getting close as he walked about to the waters edge making his long ponderous way in a complete circuit around its perimeter, taking in details of trees, flagstones and the positions of stars.

Soon, he thought, he would leave the City of Magic and all it's wonders, he had some new spells to try and information to report. He would drag his weary body back to headquarters and make his assessments and recommendations to deaf ears yet again. They would huff and bluster and speak of destiny and "Aniria's Enemies", as if they would know them to see.

The vain effort he expelled in such meetings left him sour as did the thought but each soul under the sky shared the world. Humans and non-humans may yet learn what that means in Vel Anir before they destroy themselves through fear and ignorance.

Then, providence emerged before him. A surprise certainly for taking in the scene he spotted a figure which could only be the one he knew as Nilamani. Some nights ago they met, all but briefly and he dared not hope to see any of the Students from the great college ever again but here they were and then they moved away as if taking flight almost.

A sudden fear urged his limp steps onward to after them and a cry, hoarse and frail went from their mouth as if a plea to a god.

"Apprentice Nilamani!"
Words cut the spell of silence and suddenly all the sounds of night cascaded about him, the crick and crack of predators and prey and the rustle of wind as it stalked the trees.

He could not catch them if they fled but he approached anyway.
"Pardon my approach but, you seem alarmed. I hope it is not on my account. Is everything alright?"

What misadventure they were on he could not imagine but he was very curious to find out.

Nilamani