15th Trial of Cylus, 719
Phobius could remember falling asleep — he had been tired, and it hadn't taken him long. But now he was awake, fully dressed (save for his boots, which seemed to be missing), and standing in a place that looked nothing like his room. There weren't even any walls.
He looked down. Beneath his bare feet, clouds drifted by — big, fluffy, pink-and-purple clouds — and beneath those clouds, he caught a glimmer of something shiny. Metal, maybe? He wasn't sure. Suddenly, something else skittered past him, and he jumped, only to recognize it almost as soon as he saw its bluish-grey fur. "Mollie...?"
The cat's ears twitched, but she didn't stop to look at him; she was busy chasing something, pawing at the ground and making that sound she always made whenever she saw birds outside her favorite window. Stifling a giggle with his hand, Phobius watched her until another glimmer caught his eye; she seemed to see it, too, but whatever it was, it was quick — much quicker than a cat. It slipped out from under her, coming close enough to him that he could get a good look at it. He gasped.
It was a fish, covered in beautiful, glistening scales.
Somehow, they were standing on water.
No... an entire sea.
The realization made him feel lightheaded. Slowly, he sank to his knees, then tilted his head back so that he could stare at the sky. In it were the same pink-and-purple clouds; if there was a sun, it hadn't risen yet. That made it dawn.
A sea. He had only ever seen the sea once, when... well, when he'd been on a boat. And someone had been with him, but he couldn't remember who. Was it Mollie? Maybe, maybe not.
He didn't think that he could swim. As a matter of fact, he didn't think that he liked water very much, if at all. But he liked the sea, and this one was especially pretty with its rainbow-colored fish.
When he stood back up, he was more than a little surprised to see that things had changed. Now there was a small, round table in front of him; beyond it, a single door that seemed to stand all on its own. Mollie had noticed the latter and was calling to it, as though she expected someone to come through and feed her, but Phobius could only stare at it in a mixture of hope and wonder. If someone were to come through, then who would it be...?
Phobius could remember falling asleep — he had been tired, and it hadn't taken him long. But now he was awake, fully dressed (save for his boots, which seemed to be missing), and standing in a place that looked nothing like his room. There weren't even any walls.
He looked down. Beneath his bare feet, clouds drifted by — big, fluffy, pink-and-purple clouds — and beneath those clouds, he caught a glimmer of something shiny. Metal, maybe? He wasn't sure. Suddenly, something else skittered past him, and he jumped, only to recognize it almost as soon as he saw its bluish-grey fur. "Mollie...?"
The cat's ears twitched, but she didn't stop to look at him; she was busy chasing something, pawing at the ground and making that sound she always made whenever she saw birds outside her favorite window. Stifling a giggle with his hand, Phobius watched her until another glimmer caught his eye; she seemed to see it, too, but whatever it was, it was quick — much quicker than a cat. It slipped out from under her, coming close enough to him that he could get a good look at it. He gasped.
It was a fish, covered in beautiful, glistening scales.
Somehow, they were standing on water.
No... an entire sea.
The realization made him feel lightheaded. Slowly, he sank to his knees, then tilted his head back so that he could stare at the sky. In it were the same pink-and-purple clouds; if there was a sun, it hadn't risen yet. That made it dawn.
A sea. He had only ever seen the sea once, when... well, when he'd been on a boat. And someone had been with him, but he couldn't remember who. Was it Mollie? Maybe, maybe not.
He didn't think that he could swim. As a matter of fact, he didn't think that he liked water very much, if at all. But he liked the sea, and this one was especially pretty with its rainbow-colored fish.
When he stood back up, he was more than a little surprised to see that things had changed. Now there was a small, round table in front of him; beyond it, a single door that seemed to stand all on its own. Mollie had noticed the latter and was calling to it, as though she expected someone to come through and feed her, but Phobius could only stare at it in a mixture of hope and wonder. If someone were to come through, then who would it be...?