9 | Dream Reading

“Rivana, can you pass me the prin mash?” Laharis asked, pointing across the table.

“Here you are,” she handed the wooden bowl over. “So, what are the plans for today? Shopping in the markets? Sightseeing? I really want to see the orchid up close.”

“If you’re going to be my teammates for the contest, there’s a lot of preparation to be done over the next moon-cycle. But first, paying a visit to a dream reader would do you some good, since you probably haven’t been before,” Laharis responded, shooting her tourist notions down.

The three sat at one of the many round tables set up across the Explorer Guild dining hall. They discussed their itinerary for the day while munching on their morning meal, alongside dozens of other travelers. Nito had not gotten much sleep with last night’s run-in and Laharis’s words clattering around in his head, but he forced his heavy eyelids to remain open.

“What would the visit do for us exactly? I feel like I know my dreams well enough,” he questioned. The memory of the dream he had that first night in Garden’s Gate surfaced in his pool of thoughts.

“Well, dream readers specialize in deciphering the elements of your mind. What your affinities and faults are, what the limits of your comprehension are, they can find out for you. It’s extremely important information to learn because how one controls ethereal energy is rooted in how one thinks,” Laharis explained. “Of course, they also reel in customers by promising to discover your future and fortune through your sleeping fantasies, but that’s not as accurate.”

“So, if we get our dreams read, we could learn to do what you did last night?” Rivana asked. “I’ve never even seen Father do anything beyond generating simple light and heat. To think that you can do so much more…”

“Everyone’s mind thinks differently, so maybe not exactly what I can do. However, you will be more equipped to develop your own ethereal art after the reading, yes. Don’t worry about it now, you need to go there first. I asked one of the Guild’s attendants, and she said there’s a reader shop two streets over. You guys should head there after you finish eating.”

“You’re not coming with us?”

“Me? No, I’ve got to prepare a rigorous training regimen for you after all. I’m also going to find out all I can about the contest events. Now hurry up, we don’t have any time to waste,” Laharis said before getting up from his chair.

◈◈◈

Nito and Rivana strolled down the lively city road towards the reader shop. Drake-pulled wagons passed by, and a group of kids was throwing around a glowing blue ball across the way. A shout rang out, followed by a woman jumping from the second-story window of the building on their right.

“Mistvall sure is more exciting than Garden’s Gate. Do you smell that Nito? There must be an open bakery nearby. It wouldn’t hurt to have a peek, right?”

“We just finished eating not long ago, though. How can you still want food?”

“Well, there’s always room in my stomach for some mig bread. I was only joking. Honestly, I’m much more excited to get my dreams read. We only had one dream reader in Garden’s Gate. My parents would never spare me some money so I could visit though. Who would have thought my dreams are key to unlocking my true potential!” Rivana said with passion burning in her eyes.

“Have you ever killed anyone Rivana? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, I’m just curious,” Nito suddenly asked.

“You… What kind of question is that? Of course, I haven’t killed any person before.”

“Could you, though? If you had to, I mean.”

“I don’t know… I guess it’s one of those things where you really can’t say until you’re in the moment. I even struggled to kill one of our torgas that we were going to cook up. Mother wanted me to do it so I’d toughen up or something, and Father got furious. Maybe if people I love are in danger, then...”

“Don’t worry about it, it was a ridiculous question anyway. Is this the street we turn on?” Nito indicated to the upcoming corner.

“Ah, yeah, that’s the second street I think.”

They turned the corner, entering a much quieter street with only a few pedestrians hustling by. Its shops were all much smaller and more dilapidated than those on other roads. Nito glanced right at a door with a blue bottle painted on it. The sign above told him it was some “Mystical Medicines” store. Looking left across the road, he saw another sign with “Puni’s Dream Readings” written on it. After guiding Rivana’s attention to it, the two crossed the cobbles and came up to the door. Now that they were closer, Nito could make out a star with an eye at its center carved into the door’s wood.

“This must be the place. Hopefully, we don’t need an appointment,” he turned the knob.

As they entered, a chime rang, and a soft voice greeted them, “Welcome to Puni’s reading shop, how may I help you?”

A girl wrapped in purple and green cloth sat behind the counter, staring at them with her deep hazel eyes as they stepped up. Yellow bulbs hung from the potted plant that rested on the countertop, and another doorway was on her left.

“I’m Puni, are you here for a fortune reading? Those are three Jen each for short-term fortunes and five each for long-term fortunes,” she got straight to business.

“Actually, we are here for something else. I’m not sure what it’s called,” Rivana told her.

“A mind test? That’s the only other thing I offer. You two look a bit old for that, though,” Puni said while sizing them up.

“Yeah, that’s what we want. How much is that?” Nito asked.

“Mind tests are ten Jen per person. And everything gets paid upfront.”

“Okay,” The two fished through the pouches Laharis had given them earlier and pulled out the required coins.

Puni slid the pay off the counter and into her own bag, “Alright, one of you can wait out here. Whoever wants to go first can come through that door.”

“Can we not do it at the same time? We are kind of in a hurry,” Nito said.

“If you trust each other enough to keep the outcomes confidential, then sure, I don’t care,” she got up and wadded through piles of books towards the back. “Both of you come on in then.”

They walked into the back room, closing the door behind them. It was completely dark except for the flickering light from the candles sitting on a table, no windows. Puni pulled an extra chair up to the round table, so there was room for everyone. She motioned for them to have a seat and took her place facing them.

“Is this setup really necessary?” Rivana asked.

“Sure it is. The darkness helps put you in the mood to recall your dreams. After all, what you tell me is all I have to work from. So, be open and honest. Who should I start with?”

“You can go first, Nito.”

“Are you sure? You seemed pretty excited on the way here, though.”

“Alright, I’ll start with you then, mister Nito,” Puni pulled her robes in around her and peered straight into his eyes. “Tell me what you see in this image,” She held up a piece of parchment with an odd symbol inked on it.

“It looks like… A bird maybe?” He said, squinting and tilting his head.

“Then, this coin. If I flip it, will it land on the side with the sun or the side with the moons on it?” Puni drew a metal disk from her pocket and flipped it in the air. Before it landed, she slapped it onto the table, hiding the outcome with her hand.

“Sun, definitely sun side,” he said with confidence.

Puni removed her hand, revealing the twin moon side, “Oops, you're wrong, but the accuracy of your guess doesn’t really matter. Next, I need you to explain your gate dream to me in as much detail as possible,” She picked up the ink brush from the table and began scribbling on a blank parchment sheet.

“Well, I was in this endless place like the night sky with dots of light all around. Some void, I think. I was standing on this platform, and every step I took flipped everything upside down,” Nito recounted the vivid experience.

“What was the platform like? Was it solid?”

“It seemed solid, but it was sort of translucent. And when I walked, it rippled like the surface of a pond. And then these giant stone doors appeared. I could barely see the tops, and there was a light shining from between them. It got blindingly bright, and then it was over. Oh, and I felt this urge to open the doors, which I guess was my ethereal gate wanting to open,” he told her.

“Yeah, that desire is pretty consistent across the board. That’s all the info I need from you. Here’s your assessment,” Puni handed him the parchment now covered in her notes.

“Really? That’s all? That went faster than I expected,” Rivana said with uncertainty.

“I am a professional, you know? Anyway, your mind seems to make the leap and combine things together without understanding the components,” she said to Nito. “You think you’re with the sun, but your fate is with the moons, and you envisioned an organic creature in the ink. Due to all this, your mindset leans toward the attribute of conjuring. Though, if you try to understand the components of what you fuse, condensation seems like a better focus. It’s all written on that paper which you can take with you,” Puni explained.

“You mean like the attributes of ethereal energy? Oh, this is pretty interesting! Then it’s my turn next,” Rivana said impatiently.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re next,” Puni held up a parchment piece with a different ink symbol, “Tell me what you see.”

“Ahh… It looks like a storm of some kind. There’s the thundercloud, and some rain here,” she pointed to various spots.

“Sun side up or moons side up? Pick one,” Puni flipped the coin once more.

“It has to be… The side with the moons!”

Puni lifted her hand, exposing the sun side of the coin, “Looks like you’re wrong too. But again, that doesn’t matter. Now, explain your gate dream to me in detail, just like he did,” she grabbed her brush and a fresh parchment to jot her findings on.

“When I started dreaming, I was in a small room, possibly inside a house. I could leave the room, and when I did, I found a long staircase leading to a closed door. The floors and walls were all made of wood, and there were some bookcases, tables, and other furniture. But everything was hazy like it was all made of mist. When I tried to climb the stairs, I never got any closer to the door even though the outside was calling me,” Rivana described.

“Hmm… Okay, I can draw my conclusions from that, thank you. Just give me a moment,” Puni wrote down the last words of her analysis before handing the paper over.

As Rivana looked over the assessment, Puni explained the results, “Firstly, you pictured a nonphysical image in the ink, forces of nature rather than nature itself. Your fate is with the blazing sun based on the coin flip, and your dream continued the link of false physicality. Your mind sees farther out, focusing on the big picture rather than what you can grasp in front of you. Because of these factors, your mindset has more affinity with the attribute of casting. You may find condensing difficult until you’re able to ground yourself.”

“Thanks so much, Puni, for telling us all this. Come on Nito, we’ve got to get back to Laharis and show him,” Rivana got up from her seat.

“Well, you paid me for it… Also, don’t go telling just anyone about this information, it can be used against you,” She warned, watching them head to the door.

They thanked Puni again and exited the shop, the chime ringing behind them. Returning to the quiet street, they passed the mystical medicines shop again and turned the corner to go back the way they came.

◈◈◈

A short while after Nito and Rivana left Puni’s dream reading shop, the bell rang once more, announcing the arrival of a third customer. A woman dressed in lavish deep-purple robes strutted in with her long dark hair flowing behind.

“Welcome to my dream reading shop, how may I help you?” Puni greeted from behind the counter.

“Oh, if you wouldn’t mind, I need you to whisper a bit of information to me. Those two cuties who left here a bit ago, you’re going to tell me everything you said to them,” the lady said coolly while stroking the leaves of Puni’s potted plant.

“Sorry, but the info of all my clients is strictly confidential. If they want you to know, they’ll tell you themselves,” Puni responded without hesitation.

“Now that’s not what I wanted to hear. I asked nicely, but if you don’t cooperate, I’ll have to get my babies to ask instead,” she snapped her fingers. A low growl rose from the shadows as two black-furred beasts padded up to her side, their pink eyes flashing.

“Don’t think you can threaten me! What kind of dream reader would I be if I couldn’t protect my clients’ privacy?” Amber lights sparked to life around Puni as she stood up.

“You're not going to make this easy for me, huh?”

____

Explorer Log:

Prinica

Danger Level - [Elfin] ☆

Appearance - A leafy crop plant; they grow as stalks that are 3 nanoleagues tall on average; the leaves are elliptic with crenate margins; their leaves bunch up at the tops from which two to three fruits, called prins, grow; the prins are oblong, oval shaped, and light orange; prins have an outer skin layer and a dense fleshy interior with small white seeds at the center

Behavior - A common crop plant that has been domesticated and selectively bred to withstand a variety of climates, though they still struggle to grow in colder regions; they are planted in early spring and bear fruit in the late summer; the prin fruit is used in numerous dishes and has a light, sweet and savory taste; prins are eaten fresh during harvest season, and the leftovers are dried to be eaten through the winter; they are usually eaten with a meal rather than alone

Habitat - Jabber Garden, Faron Fens, and Paradel Vega