"Was it a vision, or a waking dream?

Fled is that music: -Do I wake or sleep?"

- John Keats, "Ode to a Nightingale"

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Soundtrack of the chapter: Nightmare's End, Dragon Age: Inquisition OST

Media: Myndleas

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Chapter Fourteen: Spirit and Shadow (Part I)

The deep chime of a bell mourned through the entire Hall, shaking the dust from the ceilings and causing an uproar among the Oracles.

Oracles dressed in white barged in and out of the chambers, panic distorting their faces. A loud and heart wrenching wail pierced the air, followed by moans of grief.

The rushing Starlets went through Cady's body like she was a ghost; or more like, they were the ghosts. Cady only knew too well this was another dream scene.

She decided to follow the stream of Oracles. Most had their heads bowed and their hands clasped. The younger ones were fidgety, their eyes darting to and fro like criminals under surveillance. It flowed toward the great entrance of the Hall of Spirits, and they fanned into a circle, watching the person kneeling on the steps, weeping her eyes out.

Cady took a step forward, separating herself from the whispering crowd.

It was a lady. Her sunshine golden hair was wild, and her bright blue eyes were streaked red with tears running down in an endless cascade. Cady's stomach lurched-she knew this lady, she was Capella Tithonus: the woman from Van's photo.

The Capella before her resembled nothing like the beautiful damsel in the photograph. Rage and anguish rolled off her in massive waves. Her nails dug into her skin, leaving behind scarlet crescents.

Cady's eyes fell upon Capella's trembling hands. Hot bile forced its way up her throat and she almost spewed her dinner onto the ground. Capella was stroking something red and raw with a most rubbery texture. Her eyes trailed down the flat object she was caressing and landed on the deflated shape of a hand.

It was...a human skin, flayed whole from the body with precision and skill.

"What is going on?" A deep voice rose from the crowd which immediately parted. It was a younger version of Raphine Sanguinis; a younger and happier version. The laughter around his eyes vanished and was replaced by a frown. He stopped before Capella in astonishment.

A whisper escaped his lips. "What is this?"

Capella didn't answer, but she held the skin close to her breast like how she would carry a child.

Raphine Sanguinis dropped to his knees, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"My son, my dearest son," he murmured, shaking his head to and fro. "Tithonus, why?"

His gaze shifted to the discarded dagger next to the flayed skin. With quivering fingers, he picked it up and turned it over in his palm. The unmistakable symbol of the Walkers flashed under the blood red sun.

With a furious howl, he drew his arm back and hurled the blade with full force at the ceiling. The dagger circled through the air and pierced the eye of Yana's statue transcending the wafted beams. It stood there erect and wobbling like a mocking finger.

He buried his head in his hands and released an ear-shattering cry. The sorrow and pain of the High Priest exploded, sending a blinding arc of light slicing outward. The Oracles immediately ducked for cover as the force his powers slammed into the walls, shattering them upon contact, sending angry cracks screaming across it.

"The Walkers," he breathed. "The Walkers shall pay for this!"

A man broke through the crowd and fell to his knees before the High Priest.

"Father, we need to investigate this!"

"There is no need for investigation!" he roared. "These bastards murdered your brother, and you're still speaking up for them?"

The man grabbed Raphine's sleeve. "Father, Capella is a Walker and family. Do you really think the Walkers would kill Tithonus?"

Raphine jabbed a finger at the skin. "Is this not enough proof?"

Before Raphine could utter another word, the man leapt forward and drew his father in a tight embrace.

"Father, please. Reconsider."

The High Priest bowed his head and wept.

"Toulouse, what should I do?"

The younger man only bowed his head, like his father. The Oracles did the same, sinking to the floor in silence, mourning for the death of Tithonus Sanguinis, heir of Raphine Sanguinis.

Only Cady remained standing. She stared at Capella, who was still weeping. A heavy white mist rolled out from the windows, dissolving the scene. Before she was jerked back to reality, Capella raised her head and their eyes met.

Cady sat up.

The bundle of red skin burned in her mind like a heated iron poker. No matter how many times she tried to banish it from her thoughts, it hung before her, refusing to fade.

Shivering, she checked the clock that ticked gormlessly at the corner of the dormitory.

It was six thirty in the morning. Eli should arrive any time soon.

Sliding out of bed, she tiptoed across the beds to the bathroom. After a hasty shower and brushing her teeth, she threw on her black robes and tried to pile up her hair into a nice hairstyle. It flopped over almost at once. She finally resolved to tie it up in a loose bun and applied some of Jo's blusher her pale cheeks to bring color to them.

Cady then waited outside the forms. As promised the other day, Eli was going to show her around the Hall library. Part of her was excited to discover new information about the Great War which might lead her to some clues of her heritage. But the other part of her dreaded the possible discoveries.

Her dream scenes repeated itself in her head, from the flayed skin to Toulouse Sanguinis. She shook her head violently, as if she could somehow jerk the nightmare from her mind.

The familiar heavy footsteps and the 'clack, clack, clack' of a staff against floor caught her attention. Eli Sanguinis stood at the mouth of the corridor, his golden hair and white robes swishing in the slight breeze.

"Come," he said. "Follow me."

Cady obliged. They did not exchange another word as they headed down the stairs with her trailing beside Eli at a slow speed to match his limps. After a tense moment, Eli spoke up.

"Sorry if I am rather slow," he said, flushing.

Cady shushed him. "Don't apologize."

Eli apologized for every little thing, from feeling for a pulse to the knocking over a vial. His politeness was to the point of being irritating, but Cady couldn't bring herself to hate him. Whenever the word gentle was brought up, she would automatically think of him.

No wonder Raphine Sanguinis loves him so much. She said to herself. He is the example of a perfect Oracle.

They soon came upon the Hall library. The great doors were flung open, and the faint smell of wood and old papers wafted out. Cady closed her eyes as she breathed it in, enjoying the calming scent of it.

"I can tell you like reading." Eli observed.

She cocked her head. "Oh yeah? How?"

He grinned. "You just stood there with your eyes closed and embraced the library. It's beyond obvious."

Cady punched him in the arm and stalked off into the library. The sight of the library was dizzying. Large ancient shelves were carved into the walls which spanned more than five floors. Wooden ladders crawled over the shelves and corridors, horizontally and vertically where Feorhs patrolled them. A massive Celestite chandelier dangled from the middle of the library below a round rose window, reflecting the early morning rays and casting a mosaic of lights to skitter across the marble floors. All around, Cady could hear the faint whispers of the books, ready to be opened and read.

She found herself at the loss of words. A warm, fuzzy feeling buzzed in her chest, her senses awakened by the call of knowledge.

"Cady?" Eli's voice was distant, lost in the sea of books. "Cady!"

She jerked out of her stupor. "Yeah?"

"The history section is that way." He pointed at the second floor with his staff.

"Let's go, then."

She contrived to follow Eli up the marble crystal staircases, slowly and painfully in his case. The railings were cool under her fingers as she slid them across it. She still couldn't tear her eyes away from the library as a whole. The large windows above and transcending the lower floors displayed the jagged pinnacles of the Savage Sea shores, twinkling under then entice of dawn.

Eli's staff clacked loudly against the wooden panels as they ascended to the corridor of the second floor. He exhaled and wiped his brow.

"I hate stairs," he muttered under his breath. "I really do."

He looked so forlorn, Cady wanted to give him a hug. But she remembered how embarrassed he would get at any contact so she took a step back.

A little owl Feorh fluttered up to the floor and perched on the railing, looking at them out of its huge amber eyes.

"Hello Myndleás." Eli stroked the owl. The owl hooted affectionately, closing its liquid golden eyes as he continued to scratch its little horns.

"He's adorable." Cady grinned as the owl rolled over on its back.

"She," Eli corrected. "Myndleás has been a librarian Feorh ever since I was a kid. She's often made fun of because of her small size. But trust me, she has the strength of a bull."

As if to emphasize on Eli's point, Myndleás jerked up and flapped her wings so swiftly it was a blur.

"Can you help us find Amueh's works?" he asked the owl.

She hooted once and took off into another corridor.

Eli knelt down before a rack. "I guess we can start here. You can check out the shelves at the right."

Cady nodded. She climbed up the wooden ladders so she could start from the very top of the shelves. She ran her eyes across the gilt spines of the books.

Amueh, where are you?

Queer names like Atricon, Alia, Arigon swept past her, but no sight of Amueh. Cady clambered down the ladder and reached from the scrolls. After much fumbling about, she still couldn't locate any of Amueh's works, except for a large hand-sketched map of Esvanira.

She stole a glance at Eli. He was still meticulously turning out every shelf with immense concentration. His stubborn hair fell over his eyes and with a terse swipe, he pushed it back only to fall forward a second later.

"Any luck?"

Eli shook his head. "This is weird. I swear I saw some of Amueh's works a few weeks ago."

"Maybe someone borrowed it?" Cady offered helpfully.

He laughed. "Nobody comes to this section. But you make a valid point. I can ask Gourda later."

"Who's Gourda?"

"Head librarian. He's a rather nice chap. Just don't offend him or the books."

She bobbed her head. "Gotcha."

A muffled hoot sounded from a far corner, followed by the fluttering of soft feathers. Myndleás flew out of a tall shelf and dropped a thick book at Eli's feet. It then perched on his staff and gestured at the book with its wing.

With great delight, Eli picked it up and tickled the owl on the breast. It hooted in contentment.

"Myndleás, you did a great job. I owe you one pint of honey."

The owl fluffed its breasts and flew off. Cady went over to Eli's side and sat down beside him.

He flipped the book over.

The title was embossed on the black leathery surface in elegant motives: A Compilation of Esvanira's Greatest Wars by Amueh of the Emareth.

Excitement pounded in Cady's chest. She scooted closer to Eli, so she could read its contents as well. She felt Eli tense when their heads came in contact, but he soon relaxed.

Eli smiled and flipped to the page of contents. "There we have it, the book of Esvanira's greatest wars."

*****

A/N

We're getting close to the answers of the Great War! (or maybe not ;)) Anymore theories? It seems that the nightmares are back to haunt Cady, which can be both good and bad. :O

Side note: I have extended the date for THoG fanart and fanfiction competition to April 2016 as THoG would soon be featured at 17 March. I have also upgraded the prizes! :D The winner for the fanart contest will get 100 DeviantArt points from me while the winner for the fanfiction contest either gets a graphic or a critique! What are you waiting for? Let's make some art!

Hash browns,

Stef