"Dreams are a powerful force, they flow through all sentient creatures and serve as a source of inward reflection and truth. Sometimes they can look outward, discovering the truth of things in the world and even the future. The Dreaming Sage is the caretaker of this powerful force, a being with a wispy form and strange words. She is a patient, caring yet aloof deity." ~ Nythalaea Sagedancer, Dreamwalker

It was surreal to be in a forest where she had once been in a strange room with nice people who gave her something sweet to drink, but Adelina didn't mind that little fact. The auburn-haired little witchling marveled at the forest clearing she had appeared in and felt only joy and peace in the unusual location. The trees were dark as their leaves blocked out the sun, but compared to the deep jungles and wretched swamps of her homeland this was peaceful. All around her small wisps of light, what her people would have called Will O' Wisps and warned her about chasing, floated around. Their glow further illuminated the flower-covered clearing and a moon that seemed to glow on the clearing shined in the night sky above her.

There was a very pretty young woman in the middle of the clearing, tending to the flowers. Her skin was the color of fresh grass and her hair was the color of daisies. Slanted eyes the color of emeralds glanced up at Adelina as she stopped at the edge of where the flowers began, the attention on delicate and cute flowers of different sizes and colors.

Several of the wisps fused into an animal that seemed to transform into different creatures before her eyes as the glowing lights traveled around the clearing. At one moment it could be an otter, swimming through the air as if it was water, and in the next it became a tiny bluebird flapping around Adelina and encouraging her to follow.

The six-year-old hesitated slightly, her green eyes alight with unease. If she stepped forward, she would crush the pretty little flowers and that was just sad.

"Do not be worried about the flowers. They will be unharmed." A wise, old voice that reminded Adelina of her grandma came from the bird and washed away her insecurities.

Taking that as a go-ahead to proceed, Adelina stepped into the flower bed. The flowers moved out of the way in subtle gestures, swaying as she walked and returned to how they were when she passed by. In a span of a handful of minutes, Adelina had reached the pretty pointy-eared lady.

Her grandma always told her to be careful of the fae and the multitude of races that descended from them but the young woman didn't look any different from a normal human. Fae, elf, dwarf, ogre, troll, or whatever she was didn't matter to her.

"You are not very bright, are you Adelina?" The woman before her asked, finally looking up from her task of carving a bland mask. It was practically featureless and made from greenwood. The scent of the morning dew spread around her as it reminded her of Spring.

Adelina frowned, her gaze downcast. It was something she knew all too well, and what had put her apart from her family outside of her mental illness. She had come from two lines of prestigious witches and wizards, and her great-grandfather even managed to get to the fourth stage of progress according to the Pantheons. His descendants carried on to varying degrees of power, but when it came to her, nothing she did work out.

No matter what spell she tried, it ended up backfiring or outright failing. Every potion she attempted exploded, becoming a failed and even poisonous product. The magic rituals passed down through her family never worked out when it came to her and she hated that more than anything else.

Not only did the villagers talk about her, but her own family didn't trust her for even the simplest of things. Even when it came to mundane things like shopping, something unusual and often terrible happened when she was doing the task.

"Perhaps she is not the brightest, but that does not mean she is without hope. No one is hopeless, not even The Dark Truth." The granny spirit said as it landed on her shoulder. She had shifted into a wispy squirrel who rubbed at its cheeks now and then.

"I would have expected Sorrow to spout such drivel about hope." The elven woman sighed heavily as if she was regretting this entire discussion. Despite the annoyance she clearly displayed, she didn't leave or ignore Adelina so the little girl felt things were progressing rather well. Or at least she wouldn't be turned into a frog or a toad.

Grandpa Leroy Jenkins used to turn her into toads and snakes to see if she could reverse it, but Adelina could never quite get it. Then again, she always liked being in the form of animals and even asked her family to change her.

It was small things like that which worried her kinsmen and made them think she was suited for something else.

"Doesn't look like she has much wisdom, sense of survival, or common sense either."

The squirrel chuffed once before reluctantly nodding in agreement. "We would have our work cut out for us, but we have worked with worse, Lady Spring."

Lady Spring's smile was bright and cheerful, though had a great deal of mockery to it. "Have we, Dreaming Sage? I would think I would have remembered that. My memory has not forsaken me as it has the rest."

The Dreaming Sage's fur puffed up in frustration, her hand motions moving rapidly in gestures. "I wouldn't be so certain. Do you remember your name? Your family? Where you were born and raised?" Lady Spring hesitated, her expression becoming bitter, and the Sage continued. "It is our duty to make sure our mistakes do not happen to those who have faith in us. And it doesn't matter if she is lacking in those regards. We would more than make up for that."

Adelina smiled happily at the two beings, having realized who or what they were. One was the Lady of Spring, a fickle celestial that was connected to growth, new life and new experiences. The other was the Dreaming Sage, a shifting entity who watched over dreams and divination.

They looked and acted just how my mommy told me!

For the young girl who was likely too dense to realize she could be snuffed out of existence with a lazy wave of their hands, meeting such beings was a wonderful occasion. Adelina was practically giddy with excitement and joy at meeting such people she only heard about from legends and myths.

The two celestials shared a long look filled with mutual suffering before beginning to discuss things like classes and how Adelina seemed suited to nature more than other magic types.

Adelina didn't know about that, but if she could learn to change herself into creatures, or even communicate with them, it would be amazing to her. The little girl beamed happily at the mere idea and the two celestials felt they were stuck with a real weirdo on their hands.