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Griever: Chapter Four

Griever: Chapter Four

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Chapter FourShaeda could sense something…something soft, inviting, and endless. The quiet was an unnerving relief; she could almost taste the stillness and the gentle solitude … and then, she heard the voice.“Champion,” it whispered. “Champion, wake up. It’s begun … this is no time for lying around!”She opened her eyes and saw that she was back in the dream world, light pouring from all sides and warm breezes ruffling the silk draperies. This time, there was a luxurious lavender divan in the center of the room, and on it were perched two people.The one, a bright-haired woman with familiar, cobalt-blue eyes, got to her feet as soon as she met Shaeda’s gaze. The other, a pale-haired man with an impassive face, simply watched, unmoving.They were both dressed in hooded silken robes, shimmering in shades of lavender and cream. The woman wore large pearls in her ears, and the man had them sewn at the shoulders of his garment. They shone and shimmered with the kind of luxury that Shaeda would have expected from the greatest lords and ladies of Elsenere; people at the same level of wealth and freedom as the Rose family.“Lady Shaeda,” the woman breathed, “I’m so delighted to finally meet you! My name is Junith! Wait, is that too informal? It’s been so long since I’ve talked with one of you … with a human, I mean! Oh, this is SO exciting! What do you think? I mean, how do I look? Did I get the outfit right? I did spend so much time this morning working on creating the most effectively human-like ensemble that I could; Aistus INSISTED.”Junith did a little twirl, letting her skirts billow out around her.“Um,” Shaeda murmured, nonplussed. “Well, you … you certainly look human. I wouldn’t have known you weren’t, if you hadn’t told me.”Junith turned and gave the man a triumphant look.“Aistus,” she called. “Come over here and greet our champion!”He turned, smiled softly at Shaeda, and then walked over to join them.“Welcome,” he murmured, and his voice was a purr just as soft as velvet. “My name is Aistus, and I’m ever so pleased to make your acquaintance.”Junith rolled her eyes.“He’s so stuffy,” she sighed. “Oh, well. Are you ready?”Shaeda simply blinked at her.“I’m not sure,” she said honestly. “I don’t-!”“She couldn’t possibly be ready,” murmured Aistus. “You haven’t yet told her what to be ready for.”Junith shot him a frown“I was GETTING to that,” she hissed. “Ahem. Welcome, Lady Shaeda, to the … oh, Great Shuya, I’m not sure what to call it. I suppose you humans would refer to this as a refuge! That’s that, then; we’ll call it the Refuge. It’s a safe space; as long as you’re here, no one can harm your mind, body, or soul, and no one can find you unless you welcome them in. Aistus and I are here to help you in whatever way we can, although, of course, there are some things we absolutely can’t do. No cheating, you know?”“Cheating?” Shaeda found that not much of this was making sense. “I’m sorry; what exactly is happening?”Aistus clucked his tongue at Junith, and her eyes flashed.“You can’t cheat at the game,” sighed Junith, speaking a bit more sharply than she had at first. “That’s clear, isn’t it? You WILL win, of course, but you have to win FAIRLY. Otherwise, it doesn’t count. You can do that, can’t you? Of course you can. I have ALWAYS believed in you!”Ah, thought Shaeda. Alright, so she was going to play a game. That would be fine; she liked games. So did Migael; when they weren’t studying, or rushing out into the night to practice things they shouldn’t be learning yet, they often played table games in his dorm room. Judging by the looks they got when they separated at strange hours of the morning, several people in the dorm were under the impression that they were playing a VERY different kind of two-person game alone together, but Shaeda didn’t really care. She was getting very good at Siege and Shadow, and now she won more than she lost. Migael was surprisingly good at strategy, considering he really only studied when she cajoled or threatened him into it. Luckily for him, he was, apparently, a natural. If she could beat him fairly in the real world, then of course she’d be able to win a game in a dream.“Okay,” she said, nodding. “I understand. So, what are we playing?”Junith and Aistus looked momentarily stunned.“I’m not sure how to answer that,” murmured Aistus. “The game doesn’t have a name; not as such.”“Of course it does!” Junith’s eyes lit up with something alarming and slightly unfriendly. “It’s called WAR! We’re playing war. If you win, then the human race is saved! Yay! And if He wins … Well, that’ll be some very bad luck, I’m afraid. Very, VERY bad, Lady Shaeda, so that’s not really an option; not this time.”“But with our help,” Aistus assured Shaeda, “you’ll be safe. He’ll have no chance ...
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