A Dreamer's Knight

Chapter 16 - A City in the Trees

Mikaen awoke the next morning with the sound of birdsong in his ears and the midday sun shining through the window of his room, the memories of the previous night's dream lingering in his mind.

He had been in the clearing where he had first arrived on Vinta. Tirinia was there too; he could see her clearly, from her amethyst eyes, to the star-shaped patch of white fur on her forehead, barely visible the pale cream color of the rest of her fur. They had talked for what felt like hours, about their pasts, their likes, their fears, and so much more. The rational part of Mikaen's mind told him it was all just a dream, but there was just too much clarity for him to just write it off as a figment of his imagination.

She'd told him so many little things: her favorite place to nap when she was skiving off from the university, the three songs that always made her want to dance, the small scar below her right knee from the first time she entered the Longshore Melee, and even her secret wish to dye her hair blue.

He had been no less forthcoming. He told her about waking up in Bridges, about his life with the Knights of the Star, and even a little about Maria. The thought to not tell her hadn't even occurred to him; if anything, he found himself wanting her to know.

He was just about to drift back asleep again (secretly hoping that Tirinia was still waiting on the other side of consciousness) when someone nearby started whistling a jaunty tune. Groaning, Mikaen pulled the blanket over his head and rolled over.

The door to his room opened, banging slightly against the wall as Jeronem strode through the doorway with a smile. "Good Morning Mikaen!"

Sitting up, Mikaen replied dourly, "You're awfully chipper today."

Jeronem turned away as Mikaen rose and got dressed for the day. "I had the strangest dream about a large chicken, something that looked a little like a sourian, and a weird blue thing with wings."

"Huh. That is strange." Mikaen hopped out of his bed and reached for his shirt, secretly hoping that Jeronem had forgotten about his little rendezvous with Tirinia.

"So what about this tigreth girl, huh?"

"Damn."

"Pardon?"

Sighing, Mikaen said, "Look, I accidentally wandered into the lake while she was taking a bath. She was ... less than happy."

Jeronem let out a laugh. "I'll bet. Still, you're still in one piece, so I'm guessing you calmed her down."

"Er, yeah." Mikaen tried his best to avoid thinking about the outcome of the fight. Unfortunately, trying not to think about it just brought it to the forefront of his thoughts which was as good as plastering it on his face to a vuestan.

Jeronem's jaw dropped. "What?!"

Blushing, Mikaen said, "Look, just drop it, okay?"

"But-"

Mikaen grabbed his belt and quickly left the room and the portable cabin. Jeronem followed moments later, pausing only to absorb the cabin construct back into his staff.

Much to Mikaen's annoyance, Jeronem didn't let it drop as they continued their journey to Muonsol. Mikaen tried to ignore him, but after about an hour of continual pestering, Mikaen eventually caved in and told his young friend about the encounter in greater detail. Jeronem listened in silence until Mikaen finished telling him how he disarmed the tigreth woman and pinned her to the ground.

"Wow! You beat a tigreth warrior, a princess none-the-less."

Putting a hand on his hip, Mikaen asked, "Now how do you know she's a princess?"