Rafiel's Aria Chapter 1

Rafiel's Aria

Chapter One: Black Bird of Dreams

Rafiel awoke in a cold sweat, his throat stinging from the scream that had escaped his lips the same way it had for a fortnight now. The darkness of his own room unnerved him to no end. The shadows lingering in the corners looked ready to pounce on him at any moment. Only the thin beacons of moonlight streaming through the silk drapes over his window brought him any comfort.  He quickly put an end to the darkness by lighting the candle beside his bed. The small flame illuminated the corner of his room, giving it some warmth, but nevertheless, the young heron prince felt like an icy hand was gripping him around his torso and squeezing the warmth right out of him. By now the nightmares were really starting to take a toll on him. He was so hoarse, he couldn't even hum properly, and the lack of sleep teetering on the brink of being unable to determine fantasy from reality. Jumpy, paranoid, depressed... It was only a matter of time before he made himself even sicker than he already was.

Suddenly, the door to his room opened, revealing a tall young heron lady with a head full of curled golden hair. Her elegant night gown was a simple white peignoirs that fell to her ankles. It hung around her frame just enough to make out a petite womanly figure. She stepped forward lightly, her bare feet not even making a sound on the cold stone floor. When she spoke, it was in a hushed whisper, her voice low and smooth like a gentle river. "Rafiel... Was it that dream again?"

Tears trickled down her younger brother's face as he bowed his head, ashamed. "I-I am sorry...I woke you, Lillia..." he croaked, his throat still stinging from the screams.

The young woman sat down on his bed next to him, gentle jade eyes looking upon him sadly. She placed a hand on his cheek and brushed a tear away with her thumb. "It is only a dream... I would never let anything terrible happen to you..." It hurt to see him so frightened and over nothing more than a nightmare.

"It...it was different this time..." He looked up to meet her gaze. She wasn't much older than him, maybe a few decades, but she was always the most level headed. Nothing seemed to frighten her.

"And how was it different this time?" she asked.

"E-Everything...was on fire... I-I was just watching...and I could not do anything..." A sob caught in his throat, stopping him. Lillia waited patiently for it to pass. She let her hand fall from his cheek and to his back, rubbing it in gentle circles to soothe him. It took several minutes before Rafiel could regain the ability to speak, but finally, he continued. "M-Mother...sh-she was...she was... A-And y-you..."

Sensing his pain, Lillia put a finger to his lips and silenced him. "Calm yourself... And close your eyes."

Fearing the dream would return, Rafiel was hesitant, but some urging from his sister's eyes finally won him over. It was dark, but he could feel his sister's touch on his back. Her presence was just warm enough to melt the icy grip that was terrorizing him.

"Now open them..."

The younger heron did as he was told. He could see his sister, fair and beautiful, even in the dim candle light. His room was calm, even in the darkness. And everything was still, except for the flickering light of his candle and the gentle shadows of the trees moving with the summer breeze outside.

"The forest is safe," Lillia said. "We are safe, and all is right with the world. The nightingale sings its lullaby even when the sun has set and when sunrise is nigh..."

"...When the light is dim and blackness reigns... A song of hope will rise again..." The tears on his cheeks were slowly starting to dry. His trembling had long since ceased, but the foreboding feeling in his heart still left him tired. The fatigue was starting to set in, and he wasn't sure how many more nights he could take of this.

Without much though, Lillia wrapped both of her arms around her brother and pulled him into her embrace. "You dwell on too much, little one..." she said. She ran a hand through his long locks. They were almost as long as hers by now... "You should rest. I shall watch you as you do so. No nightmares can creep past me."

Rafiel mustered a smile at his sister's strange sense of humor. "You know very well I am not a child like Leanne or Reyson... Nightmares are not monsters. They are of the mind."

Lillia leaned back in her brother's bed, pulling him with her so they lay side by side. "You are much older now..." she said thoughtfully. "But you are still younger than me. And even though nightmares are of the mind, they still frighten you."

"They are so real, Sister..." Rafiel mused. "What if it comes to pass?"

Lillia fell gravely silent for a long moment. It was almost enough to send Rafiel into a panic, as if his question had upset her. She slowly turned to face him. "I would not think of such terrible things... Please. You have spoken enough tonight. Rest. You will need it, young one..."

Not wanting to disobey her, he did as he was told and shut his eyes. He felt safe enough now that the terror had slowly started to pass away. He could hear his sister humming the words to an old seid hymn as he slowly drifted off. Part of him wanted to stay away from the realm of dreams, but the song was sweet, his eyes were heavy, and Lillia's presence was solacing.

~*~*~*~*~

Rafiel was vaguely aware of the light coming through the drapes. It roused him from his gentle slumber, leaving a pleasant feeling in his heart. He rubbed his eyes, which were still rather sore from his emotional outburst the night before. His throat was still the worst though. It had swollen so much, even swallowing was painful. There was no doubt that singing would be out of the question. That thought disheartened him the most. A heron without a song was like a priest without a prayer.

"I think you're staying in bed today," Lillia's voice said from across the room. She had piled her tresses into a simple updo so that they still fell to her waist. She usually chose to dress modestly like most heron women. She had always favored the color pink though. Her gown was simple with a ribbon under the bust. Cap sleeves and a sweetheart neckline covered her shoulders and chest enough to meet her standards. She was fastening a string of pearls at her throat when she addressed her brother.

Rafiel opened his mouth to protest, but his throat wouldn't even allow a whisper out. He decided to concede. This was a battle that wasn't worth fighting. It was one he couldn't fight to begin with, thus his sister was destined to win like she usually did.

"Besides," Lillia continued as she turned away from her brother and to a mirror so she could adjust her hair. "You have already slept through most of the day. It is mid-afternoon already." She couldn't help but giggle at the look of pure shock on his face. He usually enjoyed mornings quite a bit, but her song had granted him several hours of peaceful rest. He needed it after two weeks of nightmares. He would make himself ill. "I already told Father you were resting today. He may come in to see you later. He has been busy, but he is also very worried."

Rafiel nodded his head to let her know he had heard her even if he couldn't respond. He fell back into his bed, silently sighing. As much as he enjoyed the feeling of his silk blankets, the sunlight leaking through his window was beckoning to him. It was a beautiful day. He could feel it.

Lillia glided across the room and flung the curtains open, letting light pour in. It revealed a full length window that opened and led to a balcony that was mostly consumed by ivy with delicate purple flowers. Even lying down, Rafiel could see a view of the outlying forest that was simply breathtaking. The tree tops seemed endless, even above the castle walls. The forest was magical, and he knew it. He could practically smell its sweetness in the air. He closed his eyes and let the sunlight wash over him.

"Rest well, little brother," Lillia said with a chuckle. She slipped out to let him rest in peace. The room was still heavy with the night's emotions.

Dreams were not something to ignore. Some were only childish fantasies, but Rafiel was no child, nor was he a day dreamer. The world worked in strange ways at times. Prophecies could be foretold by children, but the destruction of their home? That hardly seemed like a prophecy that could come to pass. Serenes had stood for centuries. Why would one destroy it? She had sensed the tension amongst the beorc nations surrounding the world but had long since doubted that they would intentionally cause so much pain and suffering. Beorc were young creatures, but they were by no means evil. In any race of people, there were the good, and there were the bad. Some liked to brand an entire race as evil, but that was never the case. She respected beorc for their ability to do so much in so short of a life. She often wished she could do as much as they could, but her abilities were limited by not only the walls of Serenes Castle, but by the borders of the forest.

"Lillia," a voice said from behind her.

The young heron maiden turned and smiled at her father. He was an old man, even by heron standards. The majority of his golden hair had begun to fade into a soft silver, but his face was still young and handsome despite his age. Not a wrinkle or crease distorted it in the least, though it was shadowed by distress. Dark circles cast additional shadows under his eyes making him look slightly older than he was supposed to.

"Yes, Father?" Lillia said, curtsying slightly.

"You spoke with Rafiel?" Loreziah inquired. He nodded with his head to allow her to rise from her formal position.

"Yes... I did. He is doing much better after some rest. I recommended he continue to do just that. We may need to send for a healer to look over his physical condition however. He is very weary, though I fear the nightmares may persist and continue to do damage to his well being." She was silent for a moment as she watched her father's concern deepen. "Father... Do you believe in dream prophecies?"

"Yes... I do," Loreziah said. "I've thought of it as a possibility before, however, I do not believe this to be a prophecy. Rafiel is sensing many of the negative forces surrounding the forest. I have sensed them and so have you. This is a manifestation of what has been weighing on his heart. Once the nations are at peace, he will be as well."

The thought had never struck Lillia before. It seemed highly likely that that was the case though. Similar things on a smaller scale had happened to many a heron before. Most just fell physically ill with the intensity of emotional distress. There were other outlets for it though. "That is quite true," she said. "However, that does not change the fact that Rafiel is still quite ill. How do we solve that problem? It could get much worse before the beorc decide peace is the best option."

"I am sending a servant to gather some herbs today. They will help Rafiel sleep without the chance of such dreams... So long as he takes them, the nightmares should cease, and his body should recover."

"That seems like an excellent solution, Father," Lillia replied, smiling. "I shall try not to worry too much." She curtsied again. "In the meantime, I am meeting with Lord Oracion. I am a bit late already so I must hurry."

A smile appeared on her father's face. Sometimes it was difficult to believe that she was as old as she was. It was impossible to keep her away from suitors now, but he knew Lord Oracion to be a good man who was very fond of his daughter. He couldn't think of a more perfect match. They denied the fact that there was any romantic attachment between the two though. No doubt that it would be a long process before there were any wedding bells heard in Serenes. "Of course. Have fun, but I want you to take one of your ladies with you. It is more appropriate that way."

"Always, Father." Lillia left her father with a smile before gliding off. Her brother would be alright; that lightened her mood considerably. Perhaps things would look up. They always changed so quickly, just like the weather. Perhaps there would be peace once again soon enough.