"What has gotten into you, Morty?" Morticia blinked as Ryerles's voice broke her daydream, screaming and stumbling backwards in the process. The pale skinned, deep teal haired face of a succubus was mere inches from the pixie's own. With a scowl, Morticia spread her wings and flew to a higher branch. Ryerles, not taking the hint, spread her own leather wings and followed. "Seriously, Morticia. You're freaking me out! Why are you spacing out all the time? Where is it you are going? What is on your mind?" However, Morticia just turned away from her, but Ryerles pulled on Morticia's shoulder, spinning her to face the succubus. "Talk to me!"

A small smile spread across her face. "I don't know if you'd understand." "I can't if you keep it to yourself," came the immediate retort, which was entirely too true. She weighed the options. "I'm sorry, Ryerles. Could I have some time alone?" Without waiting for an answer, Morticia took to the skies, flying to the highest tier of the Hanging Gardens. "Might as well follow her, Tenebrae. Keep her safe for me."

The air was sweet with the fragrance of the flowers, with a light breeze to keep the air comfortable. Morticia chose a splendid bright red flower to sit upon. She brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them as she starred out into the enchanted babbling brook. Tenebrae landed nearby and padded over to the flower, curling up around the stalk carefully. "We could have been happy here, Tene…" she whispered, her musical bell like voice lacking much of the usual ring of happiness. Sun was reflecting off the water, making it glitter like a diamond. No matter how hard she tried, this day would always be the hardest, every year.

Not too far away, the sound of a song carried on the winds. It was an unusual one, its tone a combination of melancholy and rhythmic chanting. The words of an unknown tongue ebbed and flowed together like a running spring, and it could be heard in the other parts of the floating garden. In a place with an open area just enough for several to stand, there was a fire-haired girl dancing. A blue-green fan iridescent like a peacock's feathers was in one hand, and a glittering sash like gossamer was around her shoulders. A phoenix and a sphinx were close by. Sidra had an old spellbook with worn script before her, and her voice rang out as it sung a ballad of a long-forgotten land lost to the sands. It rested on her paws, and as she sang colors would take the shapes depicting scenes of what the lyrics meant. Gale was performing a dance she had been taught by the nomads who often frequented Karkhata, in her own world. It was called the 'Courtship of the Heron', a festival rite that all performed to welcome the first rains of the year. Smooth movements with fluid and quick hand turns imitated the sweeping of the water birds' wings alongside the riverbanks, and were done in time with the sphinx's singing.

She had no bells or instruments to add accompaniment as she danced, but to the dream-walker it was no less of a performance. Her small audience of companions watched on as she turned and twirled. A pause in the music led her to draw both arms towards herself, and she lowered herself to the ground in preparation for the next verse of music. When the ballad resumed, Gale rose and spun–causing her sash to loosen and billow out behind her. Spreading her arms like the wings of a bird, she made the air around them dance along with the tempo. Leaves and loose flower petals were caught up in the breeze, settling to the ground with the next pause in music again. She was not aware of any others aside from her friends. It was often that she would become lost in her thoughts and drift away with her daydreams. Only during meditation and dances like these did she show a strong, unwavering focus that small distractions could not pull her away from.

The psuedo-wyvern lifted its head, staring out somewhere, yet Moticia paid it no attention. Instead, she was lost in bittersweet memories. A single tear escaped and began to roll down her face when a breeze picked up and rocked her floral perch. Morticia could now hear Tenebrae cooing at some sort of chanting in the flowing tune of song.

"What is it, Ten?" The one bad thing about this time of year is the fact that she tended to stray away from her pranks and undead practices and revert back to that ever inquisitive curiosity. It was that curiosity which created the mess she was in now. Spreading her wings, Morticia lifted herself off the flower and flew toward the breeze, Tenebrae quickly behind. What she hadn't expected is the closer she got to the source, the stronger the wind became.

She knew it wasn't strong according to some, but she was a mere six inches tall, and was affected similarly as a leaf. To her, it was strong. At the center of it all was a woman with beautiful red hair, gracefully moving about in a dance Morticia had never seen before. There were also some other creatures there, one singing with a songbook on its paws. A phoenix she had seen before, once long ago, but that other creature she no recollection of.

When Morticia stopped to hover,the enchanted wind swept her up. The pixie tumbled and rolled with the fallen leaves and petals of the surrounding garden. She had forgotten all about the wind, its strength against her, and the constant need to fight against it. Screeching, and yelling, her bell like voice did very little to pierce through the chanting voice of the sphinx, but hopefully as she rotated around the dancer, she could call attention to her predicament. Poor Tenebrae was trying to catch her.

Every time the wyvern went to help, the song would dip, and Morticia along with it. It was just enough to keep her from gaining control. "Hey! AHH! Stop!" She had screamed when a petal smacked her in the face. The problem with being a pixie trapped in the wind was the extra weight compared to everything else. "Tenebrae! Do something! No! Not me! Them!" Tenebrae flew over to the sphinx, hoping to get her attention. Stop the song, disturb the dance, and you have everyone's attention. Right?

Sidra noticed the little wyvern flying about her head, and was about to swat it out of the air when she heard…screaming? Stopping the ballad, the sphinx's wings stretched out as she stood up, eyes searching for the source. With the music brought to a halt, Gale was drawn out of her trance-like state. Noticing the sphinx was on guard, the young dream-walker inquired innocently. "Sidra, what is the matter?" The movement of the air ceased, and the pixie was freed from the whirling currents. Asha now had taken notice of the wyvern too, and of something small falling from being suspended in the air. "It seems we have company, child. Beside you, take care not to move lest you trample it underfoot."

Not moving from the place she stood, she looked about until she saw the fairy amidst the scattered leaves swept up by her dance. "Ah! Forgive my ignorance and inattention, efendi. I did not know you were flying so close by." Gale gave a bow to the pixie in apology. Folding her hands together, her sash draped loosely about her shoulders. Closing the spell book she had been reading from, Sidra sauntered over to take a better look at what Gale's wind had carried in. "A pixie…haven't seen one of you in a while. Though this is no surprise, typically your folk reside around sources of strong magical power." Laying down, the sphinx leaned her head upon her lion paws. "It has been years since I have been on the lesser continent. Have the fairies made these gardens their home now? Spending years testing the wits of mortals does dull the memory." 

Sitting down cross-legged, Gale looked to her companion. "A 'pixie'? I have never heard of such a thing. It is a kind of fairy, as you said, Sidra?" The sphinx passively inspected her claws as she gave the girl a reply. "Yes, a type of fairy. You didn't see one of those in that book of creatures your teacher had?" Thinking carefully, the young girl answered truthfully. "I did not see a creature with that name, but there was a picture that looked very much like her. It was a winged woman who could fly, called a peri. They are spirits borne of magic, as the book said. Sometimes they had wings of birds, other times they had wings of butterflies."

"Woah!" Morticia went falling, sprawled amidst the leaves and petals when the air finally stopped. She pushed herself up onto her knees and stood, brushing off the dress before pulling tiny, thin twigs from her hair. It was the word "efendi" that caused Morticia to halt her movements, looking up at the dancer with a quizzical look. "Don't worry, it was my fault for taking my attention off of flying properly." There were so many voices, and Morticia suddenly felt like she was on display, something to gawk at.

The sphinx made a comment, and asked questions of her while the human, or at least Morticia thought she was human, sat down. Having so many inquisitive faces looking in on her reinforced the fact that she was a mere six inches tall. Sensing her unease, Tenebrae flew down and half curled around her, pressing his head against her hand. Relieved, the pixie buried her face in the wyvern's skull. "Thanks, Ten." She, herself sat down, gazing up at the faces, listening to them talk about her race and similar ones the humanoid learned of in books. She decided it was time to address questions presented to her.

"I don't know what these gardens are home of, for…" 'I'm not of these lands.' She wanted to say it, but couldn't. It would only open the road of natural inquiries of her homeland, and of course to … them… "I'm a visitor, as yourself. A nomad, I think they're called? Though I don't know of these peri, I cannot recall how pixies are borne. However, never before have I seen bird winged people, and the wings of butterflies sound like fairies. Let me tell you, fairies may seem all nice and pretty, but do not follow them anywhere! We pixies are pranksters, but they are malicious to strangers!" While she was rambling, it was nice to finally speak to someone other than a succubus. This would be refreshing, if she could keep her mind from returning to what day this was.

It was then that Morticia noticed the phoenix and became very nervous. "Um… your bird… doesn't eat pixies, does it?" Pixies and birds do not get along. Especially since pixies have wings quite similar to dragonfly wings, they get mistaken for insects. Natural prey and hunter relationship. A bird nearly killed her once, and it was not something she desired to repeat… Especially without her husband there to reverse it.

Suddenly, she burst into tears at the thought of her family, her fears forgotten.

"Ah, I will keep that in mind should I meet any fairies. The book said they were capricious spirits, and that it was wise to keep away." The dream-walker placed her hands together as if to pray, and gave a bow to show her thanks. Sidra was watching comfortably basking in the rays of the sun as the girl and the pixie conversed. Tilting her head onto a paw, the sphinx's tail flicked. She was quick to note the pixie's unease, with the quiver of her wings and tense tone of voice. No doubt, Gale would be too absorbed with speaking to a new face to realize the winged being's apprehension. "Um… your bird… doesn't eat pixies, does it?" The bell-chime of a voice the pixie asked haltingly. Gale took a pause, then shook her head. "No, I do not believe that phoenixes eat other magical creatures, right Asha?" She turned to look back at the great bird with beautiful fiery plumage preening herself on a perch a few meters away.

"I have never done such a thing, have no fear. For us who are blessed with the essence of life and fated with rebirth, wresting away the life from others would be a sin against life itself." The firebird answered in return. "Perhaps you were thinking of those birds of prey, such as the roc or the thunder-bird. Though I doubt they would target prey less than a quarter than their size." The sphinx added, smoothing out the fallen leaves from her fur. "Please do not worry, efendi. You are safe here. I can attest to this, as they have guided and cared for me in our travels together." Gale reassured the pixie yet again. When she heard that the pixie was a nomad too, this made the young dream-walker very happy. Clasping her hands together, a light shone in the once placid and dreaming eyes. "Then you and I are of the same spirit, for I too am such. Master Rushaad told me that when I was young, I once lived moving from place to place across the desert before coming to live with him." Before she could ask more, the pixie then began to weep. With concern, she drew a bit closer to the crying pixie. "What is the matter? Where does it hurt?" She was not able to guess why the other had suddenly started crying, but was willing to help if there was anything within her power to do so.

Even with the woman trying to assure the pixie of her safety, it did not ease her apprehension. Asha's voice confirmed the woman's words. After a moment, she relaxed a bit. "I somehow doubt that all phoenixes think the same as you." She was sure she saw a similar creature such as the fiery avian before her consume a smaller life form. "And it's not just the big birds such as rocs. Owls, eagles, and other such "birds of prey". Bane of my existence they are. Nearly took my wings once, and another nearly took my… life…"

With her face in her hands, Morticia couldn't do much of anything other than shake her head as the weeping continued. Long minutes passed before the pixie began to calm down enough to speak, though her speech was ladened with heavy emotion. "I.. Was thinking of when I nearly died… If it hadn't have been for…" Once more, she broke down at the mere thought of his name. Even in this land, it was far easier to randomly travel than it was to think of the past. "I'm sorry… It's been so long… Since I thought of him… I… can't." The necromancer go up and walked over to the woman, climbed up onto her lap and curled herself up against the woman's stomach.

Her wings drooped with her spirits hitting rock bottom, her heart seemed to ache so much even the act of breathing hurt. It was a feeling she was familiar with, having experienced it long before she met Ryerles, when Morticia realized she was alone and unable to find her way back to DaeLuin. "Do you have someone you miss so much, your heart feels like stone? Unable to love? Smiles seem impossible, laughter a dream. Pain and misery become your friends. I broke the pixie mold when I met him…" They weren't meant to feel this way, for no pixie ever fell in love before. Usually, pixies were pranksters, nomads, but never do they befriend people. "Sometimes… I wish I hadn't left my brethren. Then I wouldn't have met him… I wouldn't have to feel this way…"

But… She wouldn't trade her love for them for anything in the world.

As the little pixie wept, the young dream-walker took her sparkling scarf and gently wrapped it about her. It was more like a blanket to the pixie's size, but at once a feeling of warmth and peace would diffuse over her. There wasn't anything Gale could do to help aside from this. At most, the little pixie's heart would feel better. The girl was quiet as she listened. Her words, they were familiar. She could hear a deep lingering sorrow within, like a heavy shroud that clung to her heart. "Do you have someone you miss so much, your heart feels like stone?" The pixie said. "Unable to love? Smiles seem impossible, laughter a dream. Pain and misery become your friends." They were words of regret and loneliness. And to that, Gale answered: "…Yes. That I know well."

Silence followed as the fire-haired girl looked out on the horizon wistfully. "I too have been searching, always–for a way back home. I wish to hear the laughter of the children of the streets, to talk with Master Rushaad about dreams and their meaning, to see him again. I miss Karkhata dearly, even in my dreams it feels so close yet so far away." Looking down at the heartbroken woman, she added. "Yet, I cannot claim that I understand in whole how deeply you grieve. The one I wish to see is like a father and a teacher. As difficult as things are, I still kept hoping that perhaps someday we would meet again. Dreams like ours are precious things. They are like pearls of glass, when we look upon them we see so many facets and colors when the light dances through. Even though happiness is fleeting and the joy of those days have long passed, if you hold them within your heart, those beautiful and precious moments–they will always be at your side." 

"In an old story, it was said that hope was the gods' last gift to the world. No matter how small, no matter how fragile, without a doubt this little flame can carry us through even the bleakest and darkest storms." With eyes half-closed, she held onto the ends of the sparkling sash as the soft fabric glittered in the afternoon sun. They were alike, her and the pixie.

Warmth and peace was such a comforting feeling as it enveloped her, holding her in a soft embrace to soothe her worries away. It was as if he had encircled his arms about her frail body, reassuring the fae that everything was going to be alright. Gale had her own grievances, always yearning for one place out of reach. Her somebody was a mentor, fatherly and kind as he guided the nomad. Yet, her words resonated with the pixie. "Beautiful and precious moments", yes… that's the most perfect way to describe her memories with her family.

A small, sad smile briefly graced Morticia's lips, fading as easily as fleeting moments of happiness. Hope… Hope of returning home… Hope of seeing them again… How long had it been since she has seen them? Still, Gale shared a story, it was only fair she was rewarded in time. "Today is his birthday… The most precious thing you ever saw. So small, and tiny. His heritage beautifully mixed. He has so much potential. How old would he be now? I've been stuck here for so long, I've lost track of time." Memories escaped as a flood now she allowed herself to speak of it.

Softly chuckling, the pixie shared her favorite past time. "I would wrap him nice and warm, tuck him in a basket with an extra blanket. Up in the sky of our floating fortress, the guild hall, it was winter, everything glistening in the sun as frost covered everything like crystal. He would be placed in a meadow, and I curl up over him in the shape of a dragon. We napped together, or watched clouds, or spied on birds." Wiping at a tear, Morticia pressed into Gale, giving her the smallest hug she possibly ever received. "Thank you."

Unbeknownst to the pixie, however, a miniature red headed demon sat in a tree. Far enough to be away from Asha, yet close enough to observe and hear everything the pixie said. "I see… Why didn't you ever tell me?" Ryerles whispered to herself, feeling quite sad for her friend.

"He is surely blessed to be loved so dearly." She quietly said, receiving the hug from the pixie with care. To hear someone thank her brought joy to the young daydreamer's eyes, brightening them from their usual drifting gaze. "I am glad I could be of help, efendi." She was sure if he saw her now, Master Rushaad would be proud. Leaning back to lie against the ground, Gale turned her gaze to the sky. Asking her new friend, the dream-walker asked aloud. "Would you like to dream with me? Sometimes whenever I feel unhappy or weary…I close my eyes and dream. Dreams are beautiful things, and they have so much to tell. They hide truths within their shifting sights and moving pictures, like a mirror of the waking world." There were small comforts in allowing oneself to immerse into the realm of dreams. Under the watchful guidance of her teacher, she had learned of many things that most children would not know until they were much older. 

But knowledge on its own was not the same as wisdom, and wisdom came with time and experience. Beings of magic like the pixie led long-lived lives compared to humans such as she."I remember walking in the dream of this place before. It was full of color, with stairs that bore no supports and clouds as the floors. The water that fed the garden beds would fall to the ground only to return as a shower of rain. It was a place like no other…but there was sadness within." Watching the clouds slowly change form in the blue sky overhead, she continued after a long pause. "Perhaps this is what draws people here. They feel the dream this tower holds, and knowingly or by chance they come. Hearts with hopes and memories of times past…wishes of love and happiness. They say this place was built out of love, and for love's sake it lingers." 

The sphinx stretched her wings and lounged in the warm rays of the sun. "Ah, it seems you don't know the tale behind these gardens do you?" Sidra rested her paws on top of each other as she cleared her throat. "There might be some rhyme and reason to that dreaming of yours, Gale. You're not too far off from the mark now. This grand testament to architecture was made by a man who was in love with a woman. He toiled and sought to earn her love, to prove himself worthy of her affections. Alas, you know how the tale went. He died of a broken heart in mind and body, yet his last gift to whom his love was unrequited remains to this day in all it's splendid glory."

Her eyes shadowed with sadness, the fire-haired girl replied in turn: "How sad…what a terrible tragedy for a place of beauty and serenity." Asha sat to rest on her perched place and nodded her head. "Indeed, a tragedy." Thoughtfully, Gale murmured. "If someone had been there to soothe his wounded heart, would he have lived a peaceful life?"