Swept

"If you sleep you need to be aware that you are asleep at all times."

Rachel had entered the formation and instantly began speaking to Smral.

"I understand Milana."

"Do you? This realm corrupted my grandmother through her dreams and she could not purify herself. I couldn't purify her either."

"But you would be able to now." Rebecca shrugged casually as she spoke.

Rachel did not respond. How could she? Rebecca was probably right, but should someone be potentially sacrificed on a probably. Rachel paused. 'Why am I so dang concerned about a being that was trying to destroy my home days ago?' She was perplexed at her own behavior.

Rachel thought about the situation. She became frustrated then angry with herself for putting her people in danger.

"Calm down Milana. I trust you. You will think of something."

Smral's words made Rachel feel even more frustrated with the situation.

"I have to think about it. Give me a few hours. Try not to sleep for that time."

Smral smiled brightly. "Excellent! I am not even the least bit sleepy. I can look at the herbs I collected. I am very interested in the two black herbs that you said would be beneficial to me."

Rachel nodded. That was a good idea. She was still a bit cautious because his behavior was suspicious. It didn't actually feel suspicious but he was a thrall and Shain was a stark reminder to always error on the side of caution.

"Cramnal, you're with me. Struns you're on watch for now. Rebecca relieve him in 8 hours."

"Yes Milana!" they all spoke in unison. She hated it. They loved when she behaved with authority.

Rachel sat and meditated. She connected with her realm and began seeking understanding in the matter. When doing this she did not need the realm to actively speak with her. As Milana she had access to all the knowledge of the realm. The realm could sense her interests and begin speaking to her if it wished. This is what it did now. As it spoke to her Rachel could hear the strength in its 'voice' as it spread through her being. She listened in silence and passive thought for a long while.

'Milana, you are in a young realm. Young, but strong, impulsive. You want to know how to resist its will? You are strong enough. Why do you fear such a thing? You have strong Antrunie as well. You are wise in your choices. Trust yourself Milana. I will need you for long eons to come. I will protect you and extend you. Learn my language and learn me. You and I are one Milana. Trust us.'

Rachel continued listened without interruption. She found she learned more when their conversations were one sided like this.

'I need to really learn the language of light fluently. The realm keeps talking about this so it has an importance that I don't understand.'

She continued thinking to herself in this manner until it came to her.

'I am one with the realm and I need to understand and trust "us". Hmmm… This is a young impetuous realm. Is it a Juvenile realm?'

Rachel smiled in understanding. Still she did not want to gamble with a life.

Nine hours later they all sat together. There was no real reason to maintain a watch. Rachel trusted the formations they created.

"What do you think of those black herbs?"

Smral smiled broadly. "I feel very fortunate to have met you." He looked about as if seeing his surroundings for the first time. "I do not think I would have been able to find this place on my own."

He elongated his snake like torso. "But I don't think I want to live here." His face was suddenly serious. "I will not be a hindrance to you Milana. Tell me what I need to do or leave me to my fate."

Rachel smiled. 'fate' This is why she made him here Antrunie. Her connection to the realm and her understanding of her fate and the fates of her Antrunie.

"This is what we will do. Smral will sleep and Rebecca's three dream weavers will help him. We will stay here and bring the realm under our control."

She looked at Smral. "You need to distract the realm in your dream. Realms are like gods in that they know everything that happens within them. It will be difficult to distract it."

Smral smiled knowingly and nodded.. "Yes and difficult to bring it under control as well."

Rachel nodded in affirmation. She looked at the others. "We will need to work fast. I will be with you but I will also leave a portion of my soul to monitor Smral. Our realm says that this one is young." She shrugged. "In terms of realms that could mean it's a thousand years old. But there are no records of this realm until Grandmother Lanncey found it. Let us assume it is no more than five hundred years old. In terms of a realm it is a child, maybe even a petulant adolescent."

Rebecca sigh. "Damn… this will be difficult."

Smral slept peacefully. Three beings dressed in indigo robes embroidered with swirling patterns of gold around the edges stood around him. One at his head and two at his feet.

Suddenly they stiffened and wavy lines of mist formed and created a peaked arch across the length of Smral's body. The arch fanned out in a three dimensional pattern and a globe formed around the four.

"He is no longer dreaming. He has been pulled into an illusion."

Rebecca's voice was laced with apprehension.

"Can you sense if he is aware or has been truly drawn into the illusion."

Rebecca shook her head, her eyes distant as if she were paying attention to a different conversation. "It is an intricate illusion Rach. You may need to wake him. We can not see through it."

Rachel nodded and closed her eyes. She entered her soul well and sought out the piece she delegated to Smral. It was in a swirling funnel of magic that was trying to keep her out. She sent a thread of knowledge into the funnel to find the tether connecting her to Smral.

Smral had not been a thrall for long, only a little more than fifty years. Considering he lived as a demon for more than two thousand years fifty years was nothing more than a few minutes for him.

Still he had always been more than proficient at soul and mental magic. Granted he was much better at alchemical type enchantments, spell work, and illusion magics but he could always manipulate even the most fortified mind.

And here he was sure he was forgetting something. Sure he was in danger. Sure he may be within an illusion. And nothing happened. The illusion didn't shatter. His defenses did not activate and, most importantly, he did not wake up.

He understood the key to the matter. He needed to remember why he would be in an illusion. Was he in a fight? Was someone after him surreptitiously? Did he anger someone? What did the person want from him, what was their agenda?

But he could tell his memory was somehow flawed. What he thought was truth seemed so wrong. For instance he doubted he was still in his home realm. He did not know why but he knew innately that it was an impossibility that he could be back in any demon realm.

Still the illusion didn't shatter. Why? All he needed was to pull on one thread and the illusion should be broken. Usually he just needed to be aware of half an aspect of the illusion for it to crumble.

Usually.

He needed to calm himself. Maybe it was his state of mind that was keeping him in the illusion.

Suddenly he stopped. Why was he assigning himself a gender? He was actually thinking of himself as a he. Since when did he do that? Was that a key to this illusion.

Smral refused to move, he refused to interact within an illusion that he could not break. Occasionally entities would appear and speak to him and he completely ignored all of them.

How long could he just sit here doing nothing? How long would the illusion allow him to be inactive? Was that the whole purpose of the illusion, simple immobilization?

Suddenly there was a whisper in his soul sea. He almost dove into it but something fiercely stopped him. He instantly paused and tried to casually understand. Slowly, subtly his mind cleared and buzzed at the same time. He was on some precipice of understanding, waking up, and being totally oblivious.

His mind continued to clear and buzz simultaneously over and over. He sensed that his soul energy was gradually depleting but something was feeding it at the same time.

What the hell type of illusion was this? In that moment he understood. Stop thinking about being in an illusion and just allow your soul to understand one thing.

What was the whisper in your soul sea?

'Can you hear me Smral?'

As soon as the words were understood a familiar ethereal shattering rang in his ears and everything came back to him like a crashing flood hitting his mind.

He was an Antrunie now. He had decided to follow Rachel, the Milana of the Trannisa realm. He was falling in love with the most beautiful being he had ever seen but she identified as female and so he was now male. He was in a realm that wanted to own him, to possess him.

Now he could sense Rebecca's dream weavers surrounding him and he knew that the whisper was Rachel. Yet he intrinsically knew he was still trapped in an illusion.

'Rachel this illusion is beyond me.'

'Yes. But it is not beyond us. Wait a minute. Let me help the dream weavers gain a better hold on you.'

There was silence for half a second and he felt four heavy pulls on his soul. He knew these were tethers. He knew he had lifelines but he wondered of they would be strong enough to pull him out if need be.

'Do you think you can move about now. I am pretty sure the realm is waiting for you to talk to it. But know that maybe how the corruption begins. Any simple action can cause a seed to be planted to tie you to this realm.'

'Okay, in that case I am sure you will save me.'

Smral shrugged, stood and began walking through the strongest illusion he had ever known. He was a little bit eager to learn some things.