On My Way To You

Chapter 1

Anzaviar woke slowly, fighting consciousness and instead clinging to his dream. He pulled the blanket up over his head, desperate to clutch to the already fading threads of his subconsiousness. He had dreamed once again of the woman.

The dreams started a few months ago. At first, it was mere glimpses of her or the impression of her presence, then he gradually began to see her more and more. The dreams turned more coherent, less blurry, or broken. She haunted his every dream with her mesmerizing smiles and contageous laugh. He didn't know her name, but he always got the impression that he was meant to be around her.

He sighed, mournful of the dream that slipped away. Ever since he began to see her in his dreams, bedtime was his favorite part of the day. Anzaviar began to go to bed earlier and earlier and stay in bed later and later, all for another second of seeing the woman.

"Anzaviar," His sister, Ivira, knocked on the door. "Get up, we have clients here, and I need your help."

"Coming!" He groaned and hopped out of bed. With a wave of his hand, he was freshened up, new clothes, and his hair styled perfectly. Magic was so convenient and a basic part of their lives. He made his way downstairs and immediately set to work.

His family sold magical items. From enchanted tools and weapons to potions of any sort, they did it all. Anzaviar was a protogey with his magic, the best they had seen in generations. His parents would tell him that if he hadn't been so obsessed with his dreams and a fictional woman, then he could have secured a position in the king's court as a royal sorcerer. In fact, he was well on his way to achieving that position when he dropped everything for his quote on quote 'fantasy'.

Ivira lightly smacked the back of his head. "Get your head out of the clouds. There's too much work to do, and I can't do this alone."

Azaviar blinked and mentally shook himself. "Right, sorry."

"What was it this time? Did you dream of her dancing on the beach or fluttering her eyelashes at you?" Ivira teased.

He huffed. "Don't be ridiculous. She doesn't ever acknowledge my presence in the dreams. I'm merely an observer."

"Right, right," She picked up a sword he had finished and admired his handiwork.

Anzaviar put down what he was working on and turned to face his sister. "Don't you think that maybe all of this is a sign? Maybe I need to find her. Maybe she needs help? Maybe..." He trailed off.

Ivira snorted. "And maybe you're dilusional."

He frowned. "You don't think she could be real?"

She made a general, broad gesture. "I mean, I don't know. She could be, or all the dreams could be meaningless. You could have conjured her out of your imagination, or maybe she's your soul mate. I don't know. What I do know is that she isn't here. And we need to get this work done. Maybe one day you can go on an adventure around the world to try to find her, but that day isn't today. Finish this shield. The client will be here soon."

She tapped the metal of the shield and shot him a serious look before turning to resume working on her potions.

Anzaviar rubbed his face and then sighed. He focused on his work until he completed it, then ate some quick food before rushing back to his room. Ivira merely rolled her eyes at him, used to his new closed off nature already.

In his room, he locked his door and closed the curtains with a flick of his fingers. Then sat cross-legged on the floor and closed his eyes. His mind immediately conjured up images of the woman, and he spent the next few hours meditating on her. He kept a journal beside him and dutifully jotted down every bit of information he could glean.

He could only hear her in his dreams. Although he had seen vague shapes of people talking to her, he couldn't ever make out what they said. Only what the one woman says. He wished he could at least learn her name.

He had already come to the conclusion that she lived in a world far different from his own. From her clothes to the things around her, it was obvious she lived very, very far from him. Anzaviar's chest ached at the thought of the distance between them and his lips twisted into a deep frown. He knew he had to be closer to her. His whole being craved her like he craved air to breathe. He needed to be there with her. She was his purpose in life.

But how could he go to her with her being so far? It should have been nearly impossible to travel to her, although he had heard of rare rifts opening up between different dimensions. Then he shot to his feet and opened up a portal. He stepped through it and into the largest library of the nation. He moved with a purpose, waving his hands around and calling to all of the books that mentioned anything about relms, dimentions or other worlds. Books floated through the air and collected onto a table in front of him.

He spent the whole night reading, up throughout the next morning. It was the only time in months that he ever dared to refuse sleep. He certainly longed to see her again, but with this, he could potentially go to her in person. He learned that it was possible to travel to different worlds through dimensional rifts. How they appeared, no one knew. Also, no one knew which world they would go to or if they would ever be able to make it back, but Anzaviar never cared about returning. Sure, he loved his family, but if he could find a path to her, then he needed nothing else in life. After returning all the books to their proper place, he created another portal to go home.

"Ivira!" He called to his sister and found her in the kitchen.

"Where have you been?" She snapped at him.

"Never mind that." He quickly waved off her concern. "I think I may have a way to go to her." He blurted out quickly and excitedly.

Ivira's eyes widened. "Wait, but-"

"I know, it won't be easy." He ran his fingers through his hair and laughed, a touch of madness flickering through his eyes. "But I really think this might work. I have to take this chance!"

"When are you leaving?" She asked quickly and rushed to follow after him when he left through the back door.

"Right now." Anzaviar grinned confidently. "Wish me luck."

Ivira's jaw dropped open.

Anzaviar paid no attention to her or the protests she spewed. It was enough that he came home to tell her he was leaving. Then he closed his eyes and focused on the threads of magic all around him. He pushed his focus further, deeper, until he found the edges of his reality. Reaching his hands out, he gripped the walls and pulled. It wasn't easy, to say the least. It took all of his will, magic, concentration, and strength, but the world finally began to split.

Anzaviar panted with the exertion, but pushed through. With the woman's face at the forefront of his mind and his overpowering obsession to see her, he pushed the rift open enough to walk through. With one last nod to his bewildered sister, he lunged through without the slightest bit of hesitation. He was on his way to his destiny.