Future Dreaming (Ramiel X Phasianidae)

[JetAlmeara]

"Let the light guide you my friend." Ramiel replied to the Champion Bruadair in farewell as he turned to leave, his shift at the pass was over and had been a fairly quiet one - something the stallion was both thankful for and slightly annoyed with. On one hand it was always good when the pass was quiet, it meant the herd was safe and nothing from the dreamworld was lurking about to bother anyone...on the other hand a long quiet shift at the pass meant a lot of time to think and thinking was something Ramiel had been doing far to much of lately.

Heading through the mists Ramiel shook his head attempting to dislodge the thoughts which kept swirling about in his mind, thoughts that had been edging closer and closer to the front since the arrival of Freyr, Thoughts that the stallion Ramiel had never thought he, personally, would ever think. He was the Guardian..he barely had time to look after the foal he had now and he truly had no business thinking about praying for more of them to keep track of. None the less the thoughts were there and try as he might the stallion could not dislodge them.

Ramiel knew what Drifa or Nebula or any of the other Oracles would say if he approached them with this problem, they would tell him that such persistent thoughts were likely caused by the Oneiroi and they would only get more persistent and more demanding until he went ahead and addressed them and as this was not the advice Ramiel was ready to hear he was at somewhat of a loss. Only one other that he could think of could advise him on this issue..and perhaps she would be able to talk to sense into his thick antlered skull. Certainly there was time to find and speak with her before he was due to pick up Freyr for the night. Snorting slightly the stallion changed course, heading now towards the central herd lands where he would be most likely to find Phasianidae. Perhaps he himself needed to follow his own parting advice to Bru and let his light guide him.

 

[She-Ra of Etheria]

Things had been going well for the herd. Though some dream creatures had come through the pass, none had stayed long and did not cause any trouble. So far no nightmares had slipped through either, which was a blessing in itself, though Phasianidae knew that they would inevitably come - they always did. When they did come, the herd would be ready for them and band together to overcome the threat, which was also a test from the Oneiroi. For now though, things were quite and everyone was busy tending to their duties to ensure everything continued as smoothly as possible.

Though things were quiet, Phasianidae was distracted. A seed had been planted, whether by Drifa's subtle (and then not so subtle) pushes, or by her own, she wasn't sure. But it was there and the more time she thought about it, the more time she spent with Ramiel and Freyr the bigger than seed grew. She knew what it meant and after considering it for some time now - for this was not something to jump into without though, she decided it was time to share that seed and see if something could grow from it.

So Phasianidae found herself waiting near the central herd lands. She knew he would be along soon enough, for his work was done for the day. The only thing she wasn't certain of is how he would react and what the eventual outcome would be. She case her gaze about the mist looking for the telltale glow that spoke of Ramiel's arrival before he would truly appear. She paused, catching a glimpse of it and couldn't help but smile.  

[JetAlmeara]

Ramiel had expected to find Pha fairly easily, the mare was generally not difficult to locate as her duties tended to keep her in the same general areas within the herd lands - but he hadn't expected the mare to be all but waiting for him and the stallion found himself both vainly pleased by this fact..and faintly suspicious. If she had been waiting for him then there had to be a reason behind it despite his vain pride he was fairly certain she wouldn't be waiting for him simply for the value of his company..right?

"Pha." He greet her with a casual demeanor that he would never dare use if they weren't alone. "the light seems to be guiding you well today." He coplimented and it was truth that he spoke, while the mare could sometimes seem harried and worn down by the many facets of her job today she looked well, as though some great burden had been lifted from her mind. It was true that the herd had been enjoying a rare quiet period and everyone was in good spirits which surely made her job a great deal easier.  

[She-Ra of Etheria]

She watched him approach, giving her head a slight dip in greeting. His casual speech caught her by surprise, but they were alone and this was not the first time he had been so casual with her when it was just the two of them. And that was all the more reason to speak with him about what was on her mind. "As it is for you as well, Ramiel." She had considered calling him Ram, but decided against it. After all, it was hard for her to drop all formalities. She was the Luminary after all, and the Oneiroi were always judging her, to ensure she was still worthy of being leader of the herd.

"I had hoped to see you." She continued. "There are some things I need to discuss with you. Do you have some time?" She knew he would eventually need to go retrieve Freyr from his lessons, but certainly he could spare a few moments.  

[JetAlmeara]

"Of course" The stallion replied. "Freyr will be perfectly fine with the Shepherds for a bit longer, I had hoped to speak with you about something as well." He confessed with a slight laugh "It seems this meeting was just destined to be one way or another"

That had to be a good sign yes? Surely the gods would not have orchestrated this meeting so thoroughly if they had not done so for a good reason, at least that was what Ramiel decided to go with for now. He had to wonder however what it was that Phasianidae had to speak with him about - surely it couldn't be about the pass as it had been quiet and as far as he knew all of his Champions had been behaving themselves as of late - like all creatures in stressful jobs they had a tendency to play a bit rough when given time off from the stress but none of them had crossed any lines that he knew of.  

[She-Ra of Etheria]

There had been no doubt in her mind that he would agree to speaking with her. On the off chance he had said no, she would have simply made it a command and thus he would need to obey. She smiled at the mention of Freyr. "He is doing well in his studies from what I understand. He has transitioned well." Not all dream creatures that were prayed into existence adjusted well to their new life, and some eventually decided to return to the dream world where thing were less complicated - at least according to them.

She began to walk, knowing he would follow her. The central herd lands were quiet at the moment, but she knew any of the herd members could come along at any moment, and for the time being, she wanted this conversation to between herself and Ramiel only. "I have been thinking lately," she began as they moved further into the mist, towards a lesser used area of the herd land. "The lands have been quiet the last few months, which is good for the herd. Things are going well for each rank and we are well on our way to have another good year...with the Oneiroi's blessing of course." He knew all this, certainly, but it was her way of broaching the subject that had been on her mind. The time she had been spending with Freyr and Ramiel during her down time had only helped to solidify the idea. "But perhaps it is too quiet."

This statement had a double meaning. It first meant that they needed to keep their guard up, to be ready for when the nightmare creatures would slip through the pass. But it also related to what she was about to say. "Freyr does well with the herd, but I can see at times that he is lonely. He is the only foal in the herd at the moment. Each time I see him, especially when he is with you, I think about adding more foals to the herd. How it would make him happy to have someone around his age to play and learn with. I think of how happy it would make myself, to have foals, to raise my own foals. I see how good you are with Freyr, and I believe, if we had foals of our own, you would be an excellent father. It would bring the herd such joy." It would bring her joy as well. She had known that eventually she would have foals, but had not truly considered the idea until after Freyr had come along. Now she had to hope that Ramiel would agree with her, to come together and pray for foals of their own, to raise in the ways of the herd.  

[JetAlmeara]

As Phasianidae started to walk away, heading towards a more private location Ramiel was content to follow alongside her, what he wanted to discuss with her should surely be done in a more intimate location, a place where they would not be interrupted by some other problem which would forestall their discussion. He was also content to let her speak first, she was the luminary after all - it was only polite.

As Pha started to speak Ramiel pushed his own thoughts aside, giving the mare his rapt attention, he was starting to think this would be another lecture about keeping their guards up and he was on the verge assuring her that the Champions were, as always, ready to defend the herd when the conversation suddenly took a very severe left turn into uncharted territory - or rather territory that he had only vaguely sort of considered, he actually paused mid step for a second to make sure that he had indeed heard what she had just said properly. Yes. yes, he was fairly sure that he had and quickly he trotted a half handful of steps to catch up with her again though it took a few more moments for him to gather his thoughts enough to actually formulate a reply.

"I must confess that the thought of having more foals has been lingering in my mind as well." The stallion finally replied "I know what Drifa and the Oracles would say about such things so I was coming to you for advice on the matter - it seems that the Oneiroi are quite determined in this endeavor to have us both so pestered by the idea." It was not a bad idea to be true and while he, himself, had been considering things he had never actually considered that Phasianidae would be his partner in it all - sure he was close with her and he had never doubted her abilities to be a great mother but to presume that a mare of her standing would choose him to help her rear children against all the other stallions in the herd would have been presumptuous to say the very least.  

[She-Ra of Etheria]

By now they were far enough away from the herds central land to stop. Which was probably a good thing, because as Ramiel spoke, Phasianidae stopped, surprised to hear he had been thinking similar things. She turned her gaze to Ramiel and stared at him for a moment, digesting what he had said. If they were both thinking along the same lines, then the Oneiroi were clearly in favor of their pairing and of them having foals. The ultimate question was, would the foals be their own or from another pair? Parenthood was a different thing in the herd, the foals were not always raised by the couple that had them.

She lifted her gaze to the sky, closing her eyes and stood slightly, listening and waiting. The Oneiroi didn't always speak directly to her, but she waited to see if they said or did anything that would alter this idea. After a few moments, Phasianidae opened her eyes and looked at Ramiel once more. "I believe that the Oneiroi have a plan for us. That foals are in our future." There were things to be done first, prayers had to be said and preparations made should the foals become a reality. "Are you ready for this?" She asked with a slight laugh to her voice. He may have been thinking about having foals, and the Oneiroi seemed to approve of them together in this endeavor, but she had to make sure he was completely committed to this. An uncertain partner meant the chance of being blessed with foals was very low.  

[JetAlmeara]

Ramiel was glad to see that he was not the only one surprised by the way this conversation had gone - sure he had been meaning to bring it up with her but he had not expected her to bring it up first. Her slight laugh however brought a warm look to his face before he answer, sighing deeply with mock resignation "Drifa will never let us live this down.." he remarked sadly.

In all seriousness however he shook his head in acceptance and agreement "It seems that the Oneiroi are determined and I am not opposed, it would be good for Freyr to have friends and for the herd to see us united, the champion and Luminary together raising foals in the herds image will certainly raise spirits and bring about good fortune" The stallion agreed. yes, he was sure, he was committed and with the Oneiroi being so persistent there would certainly be no going back now even if he wasn't.  

[She-Ra of Etheria]

Phasianidae couldn't help but laugh. "I am almost certain that she has been trying to help us towards this path for some time now. She has been working closely with the Oneiroi on this one." She hadn't noticed the subtle pushes at first, but after a time Phasianidae wondered what the mare was up to - always trying to make some excuse why Ramiel, herself and Freyr should go out together. In a way, Phasianidae thought it was appropriate. It would help them transition from high ranking herd members to parents, should they be blessed.

"I agree. A bond between us, children of our own, it will only increase the strength and stability of the herd." It would not be the first time in the herds history that the Luminary and the Guardian had come together to create foals, but it had certainly been some time since it last happened. Her eyes roamed across Ramiel for a moment and she smiled. "The Oneiroi have chosen well."  

[JetAlmeara]

"I expect that your right." Ramiel replied, for all her nosy ways Drifa generally did have a way of seeing things that others missed, which was probably why she was one of the herds top Oracles. Ramiel was fairly certain that the mares smug look when she found out they had finally figured thing out would last for quite some time.

Phasianidae's lingering look and complimentary words struck a cord of surprise in the stallion - he was not obtuse and it was not the first time that a mare had commented upon his looks but he had never really been the type to dwell on such things before, at most he had always assumed the mare were simply being kind. Pha however was not given to random pointless gestures - if she said something then you could typically take it to heart as the truth. Deflecting his own humble embarrassment the stallion turned the words back upon her "Indeed, should our children inherit even a flash of your light then they will be quite lucky indeed."

"Shall we go and face the music then? Tell drifa of our plans - almost certainly she will desire to make a grand deal of the prayer and announcement." He stated after a few moments pause. Personally Ramiel would prefer a more private gathering for the prayer..but for the herds sake he was willing to put up with the full Drifa production.  

[She-Ra of Etheria]

Ramiel's compliment was sincere and she took it to heart. Their children would be exceptional...of course they did not know yet if she would be the one to bear them, or if another couple would, and that would affect who they looked like. But regardless of who were the ones to bring them into the world, Phasianidae knew that her children would be well loved and be the light of her life and of the herd.

"Yes, we might as well. There is no reason to delay now." Now that they had agreed, and that the Oneiroi had showed their acceptance of the pairing, they would need to proceed with the prayers. Phasianidae had no doubt that Ramiel was right. The prayers would be a big deal for the herd and every member would be pulled in to listen and add their voice. The only thing she wasn't entirely looking forward to, would be Drifa's smug reaction to the news, for surely the mare would not let them forget about this for some time.

Turning Phasianidae began to lead the way back towards the main herd area so that they could find Drifa.  

[JetAlmeara]

Time Elapse - approximately one week

*************

The time had come at long last, after a great deal of hurried preparation and arrangements Drifa had managed to pull together a ceremony to ensure that the foals the Luminary and Guardian wished to bring into reality would be strong and beneficial to the herd. It was important that such things were done properly and with great focus in order to gain the Oneiroi's attention and ensure that the prayer was answered.

Pf course she wouldn't have been able to get everything ready in time if she hadn't already prepared the necessary herbs and speeches well ahead of the couples actual decision - it had really been only a matter of time, despite the pairs somewhat obtuse attention to such things Drifa had seen the lingering effects Freyr had had upon them and known that eventually they would make themselves known. Honestly it hadn't taken nearly as long as she had expected...which was probably because she had managed to give them time alone together away from their duties to help plant the seed. the Oneiroi were not gods to be ignored and it was obvious that they had wanted this pairing, she had just..helped things along a little bit. Smoothed the path so it were.

"Oh cheer up Ramiel, its almost finished." Drifa remarked quietly to the stallion in passing , while he was excited by the prospect of foals he seemed less excited by the rituals needed to bring them about, he had first had to bathe in the sacred waters along with Phasianidae - and Drifa had to admit that this time of year that was a somewhat chilly affair...and the stallions dour look had only deepened once the younger oracles had begun painting them with the Oneiroi's symbols and draping them with the sacred (and once again she had to admit somewhat odorous) dried herbs.

Still she had to give him credit, if she didn't know him quite so well she doubted that the slightly stressed look in his eyes would be all that noticeable, from the crowd he would likely seem to be ust as patient and steadfast as he was in duty.

Phasianidae of course, as the herds Luminary, was far more used to being fussed about and as such had borne the rituals with a somewhat better temperament. Although the symbols and the herbs were different it was all pretty much second claw to her, although Drifa thought she saw a spark of excitement..or perhaps nervousness in the mare that wasn't always there and Drifa gave her a warm look of encouragement before ushering the two into position and turning to face the gathered herd.

 

[She-Ra of Etheria]

The preparations for the ceremony had been a thrilling, and somewhat nervous, event. The nerves were not over being in front of the herd, she was used to that through her daily activities. What she was nervous about was the result of these prayers. How soon would they be granted foals? Who would bear them? How many would there be? All these answers and more would be answered by the Oneiroi...eventually, when they felt the time was right.

Phasianidae cast a glance over at Ramiel. He had endured the preparations well enough, though she could see he wasn't as comfortable as she was being in front of the herd. A smile crossed her lips. They were painted and dressed in herbs and were ready to begin. Phasianidae took small breaths, trying not too inhale the scent of some of the stronger herbs too deeply. As she stepped into position, Phasianidae brushed her side against Ramiel's, it was a small gesture, but was simply her way of letting him know all would be well. Her attention was focused on Drifa, though she could see the herd gathered in front of the head Oracle. Everyone had shown up for this momentous occasion.  

[JetAlmeara]

Ramiel inwardly sighed as Drifa told him to cheer up - it wasn't even that he wasn't happy so much that he was uncomfortable, the water had been cold, even colder then he had expected for this time of year and the herbs...well he had always know they had a bit of a smell but he hadn't realized quite how strong it was until he was this close to them and on top of it all he was standing in front of the entire herd a position for which he was not accustomed despite his high ranking. There was generally little cause for the Guardian to address the herd..typically that was up to Pha and the Oracles.

Yes he would be quite glad when this part of the ceremony was completed. The brushing of Phasianidae's hide against his was a welcome bit of warmth and he gave the mare a thankful look before moving to stand alongside her before the herd.

Drifa waited patiently as Ramiel and Pha arranged themselves, standing side by side before the herd and then for the herd itself to quiet so that she could begin speaking. The herd was fairly well used to this sort of thing however and while it took a few seconds for the idle chatter to cease there was quickly silence.

"Dreamwalkers, Chosen of the Oneiroi, we stand before you today so that we might complete our most sacred duty - to bring forth into reality those dreams which the Oneiroi so chooses and teach them to ways of our herd so that they might continue to honor those who have created us. In this duty is great honor and great sacrifice, to become the guardian's of a dream is both pleasure, full of love and friendship and great work for in taking on this responsibility we shape the very essence of our future - sometimes for better and sometimes for worse...

It is only through due diligence and careful guidance that we can mold a dream into a creature worthy of being a part of the chosen herd. But that is why we are strong for this herd faces all challenges together, as one - and while our Luminary and our Guardian have chosen to face the Oneiroi's challenge to them and bring forth life from the realm of Dreams..it will only be with help from all of you that those dreams will grow and flourish within our lands. Let us pray, together, for it to be so.."

Drifa let her voice fade away before lifting her head and closing her eyes to begin the prayer.

"Great Oneiroi, your chosen seek the blessing of reality, we ask that our numbers might increase under the guidance of your most blessed the Luminary Phasianidae and her chosen partner The Guardian Ramiel, your light and your weapon search for dreams that shall be both strong and brilliant so that we may continue to serve you long into the future, your chosen stand together as one, strong and determined to meet the challenges you place before us in this and all things. Great Oneiroi we ask that you bless this couple so that their journey along this path allows them to grow and grants them wisdom that they might take this journey in the manner that you desire, bring forth your light to guide them and your tests to strengthen them. Let it be known to us those Dream's you wish made real and allow us the honor of guiding them into reality."

Once more Drifa's voice faded away into silence, she waited a few moments before continuing.

"The prayer has been made, only the Oneiroi know if it shall be answered, Phasianidae, Ramiel before - before our gods and our herd do you acknowledge that this prayer was made in good faith, do you pledge to follow in whatever path the Oneiroi have so chosen for you and together take the responsibility of raising the dream creatures brought forth should the Oneiroi so grant them to us?"