A Shifting Nightmare

Writers: Devin, Halyonix
Date Posted: 1st December 2025
Series: Bronze and Blue Entwined

Characters: K'mai, I'serin
Description: I'serin wakes up from a recurring nightmare and K'mai is there to comfort him.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 12, day 22 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: E'tariax

K'mai

I'serin

It seemed as though every Turn around this time, his subconscious remembered the date even if his conscious did not.

The nightmare began as usual. I’serin nearly sobbed in futility, wishing he could stop the events that he knew were coming once again. Perhaps, if he sped them along, he could escape it sooner. So, in his dream, he rose from the table, he listened to Aluneth, he ran through the list of family members to evacuate.

He added K’mai to that list.

He ran through the labyrinth of stone walls at River Bluff, directing others, seeking his family, until he turned a twisting, warping corridor and stopped short.

His father was standing there, bloodied, his head tilted at a grossly unnatural angle, his eyes bright with anger.

“Your fault,” A’len said. “It’s all. your. fault.”

I’serin took a step back. Why was his father here, in this form? This was not how the dream went. This was not reality either. River Bluff had not been his fault. His father’s death had not been his fault. None of this made sense!

A’len took a step forward, reaching with bloodied, broken fingers. “Your. fault.”

“NO!” I’serin screamed. With a mighty kick, he broke free of the nightmare. Panting, he fisted the sheets, desperately seeking to ground himself back in comfortable reality. And then he remembered that he was not alone in bed.

"I'serin! I'serin! It's just a dream." K'mai reached for him.

I'serin's hand gripped K'mai's arm tightly. Another anchor to reality. "K'mai," he gasped weakly. "K'mai." Nearby, Aluneth could be heard sleepily moving to offer his usual comfort after these nightmares but he paused just within sight to see if I'serin needed him. "The nightmare...it...it changed. Again," I'serin explained to both of them.

K'mai pulled him close and brushed away sweaty hair to kiss I'serin's temple. "Do you want to talk about it, sweetheart?"

He started to shake his head, so used to dealing with this himself, but a gentle pressure from Aluneth kept him from closing off. "It is...a nightmare that I have. Whenever I am stressed," he explained in broken sentences. "It is...the fall of River Bluff. All over again. But it...changed. It was different this time."

The mention of River Bluff's destruction sent a shard of pain through K'mai. "What changed?" he asked gently, rubbing I'serin's back.

"My f-...A'len was there. But not him as he was back then. Him as was discovered upon his death." I'serin shuddered, remembering the morbid tilt to A'len's head. His voice came softer, confused. "He said that it was my fault."

"It's not," K'mai said firmly, his chest squeezing. "He's been making you feel guilty your whole life, and now he's doing it even after he's dead."

In response, I'serin leaned closer to K'mai, drawing comfort. "I do not know how to stop my dreams," he said in a futile tone. "Perhaps...I should speak with E'tariax about this." The mindhealer had been very good at pinpointing underlying causes of I'serin's mental troubles so far.

"That's a good idea." The mindhealer had been doing a lot to help I'serin. "I still have nightmares, too, sometimes," K'mai admitted quietly. They'd grown less frequent over the Turns, although they'd stirred up again after Riyanth's death.

The bronzerider was quiet for a moment. "There are times that I wonder if the scars will ever heal," he admitted.

"It was home, and now it's gone. And some of the people with it." As much as K'mai had settled in at Dragonsfall and was still surrounded by friends and parties, the loss of River Bluff had left a hole inside him. "We'll always miss it."

Sensing that he was not needed, Aluneth, before he returned to sleeping, said quietly to his rider, }: There is more than one way to make a home. :{

I'serin was quiet for a long while, contemplating both of their words. He should discuss this more with E'tariax because he felt as though he was on the verge of another epiphany. But sleep was also already tugging at the edges of his mind. Being cuddled against K'mai furthered that. "It is late," he said with a gentle kiss on K'mai's jaw.

K'mai shifted slightly to get more comfortable. He wished the nightmare hadn't happened, but he was very glad to be here for I'serin. "Then rest." He kissed the bronzerider's forehead again and rubbed at his back, the movements slowing. "Sweet dreams, love."

Cuddling against K'mai as he closed his eyes, I'serin quietly hoped that there would be no dreams at all.

Last updated on the December 20th 2025

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A Shifting Nightmare