~Bilana- in Wunerigohable, a small village~

I didn’t dream of Psetha that night, or in the nights after that. At first, I was concerned as to what the reason for that could be, but as dreamless and carefree nights continued to pass me by, that concern was replaced by relief. I was carefree in the thought that those dreams would never come back.

That night of Ğethape I had just bid farewell to my thamade and made it back home. I did the usual pre-bed preparations and snuggled into my bed, thinking it would be another dreamless night.

I was wrong.

Fire.

Fire is everywhere.

The villagers are on fire. My thamade is on fire.

Psetha. The god of souls.

“Well, hello there. So this time it is you.”

I woke up with a gasp and took deep breaths as I looked around, trying my best to orient myself- which wasn’t easy because there was a whirlpool in my room.

I scrambled out of bed and walked towards it slowly, holding my hands out in front of me protectively.

What was it? A whirlpool. I mean where did it come from?! I don’t know, don’t ask me!

I was talking to myself as I watched the whirlpool in my room— this had to be a dream— when someone whirled out of it.

I screamed.

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~Psetha- in who-knows-where, but there is a screaming woman here, send help~

I didn’t know what I expected when I jumped into yet another whirlpool, but it wasn’t a screaming woman.

She was screaming her life out, and she would be gathering people if she continued so I said, “Hush!” and she stopped screaming.

Then she narrowed her eyes at me— I think, it wasn’t easy to see in here— and said, “‘Hush’? Did you just shush me after coming into my room?”

I cleared my throat— oh great Tha, was I in her room?— and tried to apologize, “I’m sorry-” but she wouldn’t let me.

“Shush! Where did you come from?”

“I-uh…Good question, that one. Ahaha.”

She crossed her arms and started tapping one foot.

And I started backing away, but, the whirlpool was gone at this point so I only managed to back away into a wall. I laughed again, awkwardly, and said, “Well, hello there.”

She stopped the tapping, saying “Where did I hear that voice before-” and ending it with a gasp.

This time she was the one backing away.

“What’s wrong-”

“Don’t come closer!”

I stopped moving towards her, my hand frozen in the air, “Wha-”

“Don’t speak!”

I froze completely in place. What was going on? She was fluttering around, looking for something—oh, a candle. She managed to light it after several tries and slowly started walking towards me, after warning me to “Don’t move!”

This situation was almost comical so I did my best to not laugh as I watched her make her way towards me.

~Bilana- in Wunerigohable, a small village~

Oh dear Tha, oh dear Tha, oh dear Tha-

I held up the candle to his face and, “Oh dear Tha. It’s you.”

He lifted an eyebrow and, realizing what I had just said, I flushed hot from my head to my toes.

“I- I didn’t mean you-why did you come here? Did you- did you come to destroy my village? I won’t let you!”

“Wha-destroy your village? No! Why would you think that?”

“Because you’re Psetha,” I whispered, and his eyes grew wide.

“Did you- did you dream of me?”

I could only nod, too shocked to say anything.

~Psetha- in a village somewhere~

She had dreamed of me. This short woman had dreamed of me.

Time is running out.

“When did you first dream of me?”

“Wha-”

“When did you first dream of me?”

She looked at me thoughtfully, “It has been a few months.”

“Since you turned 21?” I asked, and she blinked.

“Please answer.” I urged.

She gulped and said, “Yes.”

“Time is running out,” I said again, this time out loud, and started pacing in her room. She put her candle down and watched me pace, “What time?”

I stopped pacing and looked her in the eyes, “Time before I go mad.”