A Dreamer's Knight

Chapter 14 - Dreamer 101

The Realm (sometimes inaccurately referred to as the 'Dream Realm') stretches beyond any attempt I might make to describe it. It begins with the Twilight, an endless sunset sky that has no limit. Countless Islands float through the Twilight, some so small that they could barely hold a single person and others as big as continents. These continents slowly rotate around the very center of the Realm, a massive luminescent crystal known as 'The Solarius'. The Solarius's light can be seen throughout the Twilight, from the lofty mountain peaks of Solari to the grain fields of the Wanderlands. Indeed, the nixils (the Dreamer term for beings native to the Realm) consider the Solarius the center of the Realm, and base directions on relation to that point.

There are a few ways to travel through the barrier between the Mainstream and the Realm. Dreamers can either use the CPD or shift through normal dreaming. When doing the latter, the Dreamer will vanish from the Mainstream (or more commonly, from the private section of their floor within the Elsewhere) and appear within the Realm on a small floating island within the Twilight. These islands, referred to as nexus points, are unique to each Dreamer. One's nexus point, for example, is a small island with a fully-grown oak tree. There's just enough grass-covered ground around the tree for One to appear, typically lying with his back against the tree.

One awoke to the Realm in time to see another small island passing by his, this one bearing a lighthouse and a small mouse-eared girl sitting on the island's edge, her feet dangling in the air. She waved as the island passed.

She was a nixil. The term 'nixil' is used for any dream-capable being within the Realm, in the same way the term 'norm' indicates a dream-capable being from the Mainstream. This is the source of the 'Dream Realm' inaccuracy: norms refer to this place as the Dream Realm but to nixils it is the Mainstream that is the realm of Dreams. 

Much as the Mainstream and the Realm are connected, each norm in the Mainstream is connected to a nixil in the Realm. Whenever a norm sleeps, they see the Realm through the eyes of their corresponding nixil. Likewise, when the nixil dreams, it is the Mainstream they see through the eyes of their corresponding norm. Dreamers such as those of the Elsewhere Incorporate are the only beings who can actually shift between the Mainstream and the Realm, as for a norm or nixil to do the same would have unfortunate consequences for them. 

One waved at the mouse eared girl and watched her island float away for a few moments before rising to his feet, stretching for a few moments, then jumping off the side of the island. As he tumbled through the sky, he emptied his mind of everything except thoughts of the open Twilight all around him. It beckoned him to explore, to see all that there was to see. He ceased falling and instead shot forward, light trailing from his hands, feet, and shoulder blades.

One flew through the Twilight without problem. While the Realm has its share of dark beings and nasties (schrades, nightmares, krugers, and garelles to name a few), none would be stupid enough to assault a Dreamer without a considerable amount of forethought beforehand. To be fair, most couldn't stand the light of the Solarius either, but One liked to think the Elsewhere was well enough known to give them a little prestige within the Realm. He continued solward (that is, toward the Solarius) until he came upon the city of Etheria. 

Built directly beneath the Solarius, Etheria was considered the capital of the entire Realm. The city itself was larger than most continents of the Realm. One wove through the spires and towers that rose from the city floor, gradually ascending to the grand tower that lay directly in the center of the town. The tower was known as Junction Point, and was as close as a nixil could get to the Solarius without flying.

There is a tranquil park at the very top of Junction point. Streams of water run from the wisp fountain in the center of the park, flowing across the grassy meadow like the spokes of a wheel and watched by stone statues representing the Realm's zodiac signs. Several trees grow there, their leaves glowing from constant exposure to the Solarius above.  The air was bright, but more on the level with a warm summer day than the blinding luminescence one might expect being so close to the Realm's sun.