The Obsidian Void

Six: Pure Imagination

"You say something seems off, Mori?" Quinn asked them, falling back a little in an attempt to stay out of earshot.

"I am not certain." Moridaì answered, "There is every possibility that this may be a genuine kind-hearted offer. But I cannot help but feel that there may be too much good for this to be the truth..."

"Maybe... I'm just hopeful that Art might stop worrying about home. She must've seen something to cause this, there's no way she would doubt Monty otherwise."

"Monty is the Captain of the Royal Guard, yes? I would imagine somebody in such a role must be quite capable..."

The pair continued to quietly talk between each other as they all approached Pandora's little village, which was far closer than any of them expected, considering none of them could recall it showing up on any of the maps they'd brought with them.

The village was a quaint little place, with a small number of cottages dotted along the side of the street and atop the nearby hillside. There was a stream flowing through the centre, which upon closer look seemed to stem from a tiny lake on top of the hill creating a miniature waterfall. The roadside was lined with flowers in a number of bright colours, along with a couple of bees and butterflies, enjoying the warm golden sun.

"It's beautiful..." Quinn mumbled, dashing forward to join Artemis in admiring the view. Moridaì didn't stop him from running off, but refused to follow, still hesitant about going along with this.

Pandora led the three of them to a cottage at the foot of the hill and held the door open as they made their way inside.

The interior was as bright and colourful as anywhere else, assisted mostly by the sunlight pouring in from outside. Most of the house was made up of a single circular room, with only a separate room for the kitchen and a staircase leading to what must have been a bedroom upstairs. The whole room was filled with flowers, both in arrangements and naturally growing. The floor was covered in various colours of rugs, and the dining table to the side of the room was draped in similar patterns.

"You'll have to forgive me," Pandora said, "I would've had something prepared for you but I wasn't expecting company today. Have a seat, and I'll be back in a moment!" She trotted into the kitchen and shouted back to them, "Call me if you need anything!"

"I like her." Quinn smiled, making himself comfy at the dining table. "She seems nice."

"As much as I would love to agree with you..." Moridaì said, eyes darting around the room nervously, "...Something about this whole situation seems rather... suspicious."

"Yes, of course. Why wouldn't it?" Snapped Artemis, "Honestly, I dont think you've said anything this entire time that wasn't trying to dissuade me from whatever it is I'm currently doing." She leant back in her chair, glaring, "What's the matter? Afraid I'm getting too close to figuring out your double agent scheme?"

Moridaì was ready to try defending themselves when Pandora rushed back into the room with a lavishly decorated chocolate cake.

"Thankfully I had this little old thing half-finished on the counter." She laughed, setting it down on the table, "Well, you're welcome to as much as you can eat. Enjoy!"

Artemis didn't need to be told twice. It had been a while since she'd eaten something other than handfuls of wild berries; she was more than happy to take the first slice. Quinn followed suit, initially hesitant to accept food from someone who was still a stranger, until he had a bite of the cake, at which point he'd almost finished his first slice in a matter of moments. Moridaì was the only one to politely decline, not only because of their ever-mounting suspicions, but also because- if they were wrong in their assumptions- they weren't confident enough in their ability to eat human food in front of someone who didn't know what they were.

Before long, Artemis and Quinn had managed to eat a quarter of the cake between them, while neither Moridaì nor Pandora had touched a single slice.

"Okay..." Artemis sighed, "I think that's enough for me for today."

"Coward." Quinn said, reaching for another slice.

"It's been lovely meeting you Miss, but we really ought to be on our way now..."

"So soon?" Pandora asked, "But you've hardly rested! If you go out now, who's to say you won't fall asleep by the roadside again?"

Quinn looked up from his next bite to raise an eyebrow.

"How did you know we were-?"

"That's a good point actually." Artemis said, sitting back down again. "I suppose we could stay for a little bit longer."

"Wonderful!" Pandora squealed with delight, clapping her hands together. "I'll find you all somewhere comfy to rest your heads." Before long, she was once again out of the room.

"If it is not too much trouble with you two, I would like to step outside for a moment. I am in need of some fresh air."

"Fine." Artemis said, "Go for a nice relaxing walk if you're so inclined. Then, while you're at it, don't bother coming back."

Moridaì rose from their seat, leaving Quinn to glare at Artemis as they slipped outside, closed their eyes, and took a long, deep breath.

It was when they reopened their eyes that they noticed something. Something that both made them feel very proud of themselves, and simultaneously worried them out of their mind.

The rest of the village beyond the door still looked as idyllic as before, all blossoming flowers and clear blue streams, but the entirety of it was now coated in an indescribable fuzziness. It was as if the world was a painting that had had water spilt all over it, still vaguely identifiable yet noticeably wrong.

Moridaì immediately recognised this for what it meant. This was a tell-tale sign of a dream that wasn't being controlled properly. If they had to guess, the person responsible for trapping them all inside this dream was focusing so hard on the inside of the house feeling as lifelike as possible, they'd neglected to maintain the rest of the illusion.

Of course, now being aware that they were dreaming, Moridaì began noticing the feeling of their body waking up, closing their eyes in preparation for a return to reality.