The sun shone brightly through the trees, the green light reflected off the water of the creek. Eldrick glanced about himself, these were not the lands he was expecting, this was the Fae Wilds. Confusion about how he had gotten here was causing him to look at his world in a different light Nothing was as it seemed lately. Suddenly the world shifted, he was no longer in the fae wilds but standing in the ballroom of the castle wearing a sapphire gown, and being asked to dance by a member of the court. The cut of the gown accentuated her curves, with the bodice being a little tight across the chest. Looking down he noticed great mounds. It shouldn’t have surprised him considering all the dreams he had been having recently.
With a sudden “clang” of a gong the entire room shifted once again. This time Eldrick found himself standing in the center of an oak grove. Looking about he noticed, a single figure standing with their back to him.
“Life is never simple, and a time will come when you will have to work through things on your own,” the soft voice rang off the trees.
With the words still hanging in the air, the figure turned. Her ageless eyes looked directly into his soul. She had long blond hair hidden under the cowl of her robes, her lips pressed thinly in discomfort. With a shake of her head, the cowl fell away and her hair flowed free.
“Sometimes I hate giving the news I have. The truth cannot be denied, no matter how harsh.”
Eldrick just stood there, his jaw hanging somewhere around his knees. He recalled reading about the Eldritch in one of Sergei’s tomes. This could be none other than Alie. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he tried composing himself. He now had visits from two of the Eldritch. More than most people get in a lifetime and yet these two have been in less than a ten-day. Fearing what else she might say, he took a tentative breath.
“My lady, what would you have of me? I know you hold the threads of fate, and so my life is also in your hands.” The blood rushed to his face as he uttered those words.
“Young Eldrick, there is much you need to discover about yourself ere your journey is complete. I fear the road before you is fraught with danger. There will be those who wish to prevent you from becoming what you're meant to be. I may hold the threads of fate, but I do not dictate the outcomes. There are things that even I cannot see. Thus, I offer you what guidance I can.”
With a clap of thunder, she is gone, leaving Eldrick to wonder if she had even been there. Looking around he spotted a small pair of golden shears laying on the ground. Bending down to pick them up he noticed they were engraved. “To thine own self be TRUE.” Not sure what to make of this he attempted to place them in his pocket only to discover he was still in the ballgown. He stashed the shears in the belt around his waist.
