05-17-2018, 12:18 PM
The sun never sets on the Sage’s dreamscape. There is only the endless ocean below them, the bright noon sky above, so Luci counts their steps.
Luci matches the Sage’s languid speed comfortably. She is rather quiet for the first five million steps, but speaks up after step five-million-and-one.
“Do you know how long we’ve been walking?” Luci asks suddenly, still facing ahead, her kaleidoscopic eyes fixed as always on the horizon.
The Sage looks at the sun for a moment. “About five million steps,” he says casually.
Luci is silent for a moment.
“You think if I made another dogboat…” she says, her question railing off.
The Sage shakes his head. “I do not think we would arrive any faster. And the term is ‘catboat’, as you well know.”
Luci grins.
The pair walk on.
***
They find several islands of subconscious nestled within the Sage’s mind.
They find an island of countless decaying ruins, the graveyards of dead societies, some so lost to history that they only remain here in the Sage’s subconscious. The spend several years picking through the ruins and hiding from the savage natives before they walk on across the ocean.
They find a massive castle floating gently above the ocean, larger than all of Tier-5. The years they spend searching the castle are more tense, as hordes of undead plague them at every turn. It is only after every corner of every room is checked that they move on.
They find an island of every woman the Sage ever wanted to kiss and never did. They are quite welcoming, over-eager even, Luci thinks. Luci wants to stay a while, but the Sage only consents to a quick search and they are on their way again.
They find an island of books that Sage had forgotten. Luci realizes she will have to search this one herself, as the Sage promptly picks up a book and begins reading. Eventually she is able to drag the Sage to his feet, assuring him they would come back another time.
They find an island of Reynold’s repressed childhood memories, and they agree to check that one last.
They walk on.
***
Countless islands later, the pair come upon a gleaming white staircase leading up into the clouds. Without preamble, Luci begins to climb.
The Sage watches her go, but stays at the foot of the staircase. Luci stops after a few steps and turns to him, but does not climb down.
“It has been a long journey, Luci,” The Sage says pointedly. “Are you not weary? Perhaps there is another way.”
Luci stares down at him with her swirling, shifting eyes.
She does not reply.
The Sage closes his eyes, and when he opens them again Luci is already climbing, not looking behind her, sure that the Sage is following.
***
Approximately twelve million steps later, the companions are standing before a pair of glittering golden gates hundreds of feet high.
Luci gives Sage a sideways glance. The Sage, for his part, shrugs.
“A little ostentatious,” Luci chides.
This time it is the Sage who is silent.
“Aww, c’moooon,” Luci says, rolling her weird eyes. “Look, I appreciate your concern for my well-being, but I’m an astral gangster, yo. I’m here for a good time, not a long time. So let’s go, I’ve got a good feeling about this one.”
The Sage frowns, a gesture Luci has come to know means that he is thinking of something in terms of a puzzle
“The Key is not in there,” he says finally. Luci does not seem convinced.
“I wish you had said something like, twelve million steps ago, but seeing as we’re here…”Luci says, her eyebrows raised, walking backwards towards the doors.
“Behind those doors is something more precious to me than my Astral Key,” the Sage says carefully.
***
Luci matches the Sage’s languid speed comfortably. She is rather quiet for the first five million steps, but speaks up after step five-million-and-one.
“Do you know how long we’ve been walking?” Luci asks suddenly, still facing ahead, her kaleidoscopic eyes fixed as always on the horizon.
The Sage looks at the sun for a moment. “About five million steps,” he says casually.
Luci is silent for a moment.
“You think if I made another dogboat…” she says, her question railing off.
The Sage shakes his head. “I do not think we would arrive any faster. And the term is ‘catboat’, as you well know.”
Luci grins.
The pair walk on.
***
They find several islands of subconscious nestled within the Sage’s mind.
They find an island of countless decaying ruins, the graveyards of dead societies, some so lost to history that they only remain here in the Sage’s subconscious. The spend several years picking through the ruins and hiding from the savage natives before they walk on across the ocean.
They find a massive castle floating gently above the ocean, larger than all of Tier-5. The years they spend searching the castle are more tense, as hordes of undead plague them at every turn. It is only after every corner of every room is checked that they move on.
They find an island of every woman the Sage ever wanted to kiss and never did. They are quite welcoming, over-eager even, Luci thinks. Luci wants to stay a while, but the Sage only consents to a quick search and they are on their way again.
They find an island of books that Sage had forgotten. Luci realizes she will have to search this one herself, as the Sage promptly picks up a book and begins reading. Eventually she is able to drag the Sage to his feet, assuring him they would come back another time.
They find an island of Reynold’s repressed childhood memories, and they agree to check that one last.
They walk on.
***
Countless islands later, the pair come upon a gleaming white staircase leading up into the clouds. Without preamble, Luci begins to climb.
The Sage watches her go, but stays at the foot of the staircase. Luci stops after a few steps and turns to him, but does not climb down.
“It has been a long journey, Luci,” The Sage says pointedly. “Are you not weary? Perhaps there is another way.”
Luci stares down at him with her swirling, shifting eyes.
She does not reply.
The Sage closes his eyes, and when he opens them again Luci is already climbing, not looking behind her, sure that the Sage is following.
***
Approximately twelve million steps later, the companions are standing before a pair of glittering golden gates hundreds of feet high.
Luci gives Sage a sideways glance. The Sage, for his part, shrugs.
“A little ostentatious,” Luci chides.
This time it is the Sage who is silent.
“Aww, c’moooon,” Luci says, rolling her weird eyes. “Look, I appreciate your concern for my well-being, but I’m an astral gangster, yo. I’m here for a good time, not a long time. So let’s go, I’ve got a good feeling about this one.”
The Sage frowns, a gesture Luci has come to know means that he is thinking of something in terms of a puzzle
“The Key is not in there,” he says finally. Luci does not seem convinced.
“I wish you had said something like, twelve million steps ago, but seeing as we’re here…”Luci says, her eyebrows raised, walking backwards towards the doors.
“Behind those doors is something more precious to me than my Astral Key,” the Sage says carefully.
***
![[Image: V4Dvvfy.gif]](https://i.imgur.com/V4Dvvfy.gif)