Ariyah tossed and turned violently in her sleep. Perspiration poured from her skin with every repositioning she did. Her hair was stuck to her skin and her sheets were wet with sweat. She was being tormented in her sleep. In her dreams, she saw a beautiful land…
The land looked just like Grandelyn. It was very still and calm. The water was still, the breeze was calm, and the earth was at peace. Then suddenly there was a quick explosion. White smoke, ash and tar filled the entire land. Then the scene reverted. The land was calm again. Ariyah was transparent and floating above everything as if she was a ghost. Suddenly a force was pulling her. She zipped pass the Sea of Amethyst and then jetted up to what was now the Crystaria Palace, but it looked completely different. It wasn’t the remodeled version that she now lived in; it was older and elegant. Palm trees adorned on the sides of the walkway leading to the entrance and the water walkway sparkled in the bright golden sunlight. The door whipped open quickly and Ariyah flew right to the purple and ivory throne room with a king sitting on it. It was the king from the picture. He had on the same outfit from the picture; white pants suit with a red sash and red and green army pins on it. He was looking out the window. Ariyah wanted to walk to him and ask who he was, but the force zipped her upstairs to the corridor headed towards a room that looked familiar to the one Ariyah slept in. The room was bright. It was white with tulle adorned sheets and curtains. A woman was lying on the bed; a beautiful, tall woman wearing a red and crystal beaded gown. She had caramel skin, dark hair and a beautiful smile. She looked very familiar. Ariyah couldn’t see all of her face because the beam from the sunlight shielded most of it. But Ariyah could see that she was beautiful. The woman was looking at what appeared to be a candle collection, putting them in order. She heard a knock on the door. The woman told the person to enter. Ariyah backed away from the door. It became dark in the brightly lit room as a shadow of a well dressed man stood before the woman. Her pleasant smile faded and panic took over her face. Ariyah couldn’t see the man’s face but he seemed familiar as well. The way he walked, the way his clothes fitted on his tall lanky body, the eeriness that came with his presence was too familiar. Suddenly the land began to shake. Everything became dark. The quake began to destroy everything. The golden sky darkened. The earth stopped shaking and everything became still and calm again. Dull light from outside entered in through the window allowing Ariyah to see the room again. The man zoomed past her, though in slow motion, she still couldn’t catch his face. He left the bedroom; his black cloak whipping out the door behind him in slow motion. The woman on the bed, now slumped over and her dress torn, was crying. Ariyah went to run to her to comfort her, but the force began pulling her backwards out of the room. Ariyah reached out to her but wasn’t strong enough to get to her. The force whipped Ariyah back to the throne room where the king was. The once bright room was now dark and gloomy and the king’s head hung low in sadness. His white suit was dirty and mangled and his dark shiny hair was filled with gray dust. Ariyah knew it was her chance to speak to him. She stepped to him slowly. He didn’t seem to see her there. She got closer as her foot crushed some fallen debris, causing the king to become startled. The young king’s eyes widened in astonishment as he looked at Ariyah in disbelief. “Hey, who are you?” Ariyah asked curiously. He stood to his feet holding a white smoky ball and yelled to her, “You!” Then he threw down the ball which exploded.
The loud explosion jolted Ariyah awake. Her heart was beating fast and she couldn’t catch her breath. Her medallion was buzzing wildly around her moist neck. Ariyah held it in her hand and caressed it. She was confused by the dream and quite disturbed. She looked around her bedroom and it was back to being her bedroom, not the all white tulle one. She caressed her bed and remembered the woman that was laying on it. Who was that? What did that man do to her?
Ariyah’s medallion was buzzing stronger than ever. “What are you saying, Mother?” Ariyah asked frustrated. The dream she just had seemed more like a vision to Ariyah. She wondered if this is what happened to Ash City. The medallion was buzzing so hard that it was practically jumping from her chest. “Ok calm down, Mother. Calm down.” Ariyah stroked the charm until Crystaline calmed down.
From her vanity mirror Ariyah could see the sun rising. She turned to her balcony window and saw Adley and Elai out fluttering around. She smiled and began to relax. Feeling a heavy burden from that weird dream she felt the need to meditate. She got on her bedroom floor and proceeded to do her headstand.