The Dream Door

Far to the east there lived a man named Luyor. Luyor was rather unremarkable as men go. He was barely of average strength, possessed of a fragile courage, and limited with his thought. These qualities, his elders thought, made him the perfect man to patrol the border with the wyld that was not far away from his hamlet. Day in and day out, Luyor walked along the edge of reality and aided in the hunting of bizarre animals that crossed the border. One day, his partners had decided to abandon Luyor to forage for some edible food during a particular season where the harvest seemed a little less than sufficient. Luyor was a man of duty, however, and stayed behind to patrol the border all alone. It was during this short time where he would discover a simple door in its frame, posted right between the border of Creation and the wyld. It was attached to no building or wall. Luyor quickly circumnavigated the door and found nothing on either side. He tried opening the door, but it simply wouldn't budge regardless of which side he attempted to open it from. Finally, standing stumped on the creation side of the door, he knocked on it. Much to his surprise, he heard the sounds of the door unlocking, and finally opening. Standing on the other side of the door was a beautiful raksha woman with dark green hair. Peering through it, she seemed to be a little surprised and she spoke to Luyor, saying, “My, what a curious door. I could have sworn that I didn't see anyone standing behind it when I peeked around the corner.”

“Err, neither did I, ma'am” replied Luyor, a little confused. “I'm Luyor. Who might you be?”

“I am called Rana” the fair folk replied to him. “A pleasure to meet you. Would you like to talk?”

Without a better idea, he answered, “About what?”

Quick to respond, Rana said, “Tell me about Creation.”

“I don't really know where to start.” said Luyor.

“Well, why don't you think about it and come back here when you figure it out?” Rana smiled at him.

“Alright. I'll do that.” Luyor nodded. With a quick and sincere wave from Rana, she closed the door, and Luyor went back to patrolling. Luyor went home that night and thought hard about what to talk about, and when he figured it out, he went back to the door alone in his free time and knocked on it. Rana answered as he expected, and Luyor began to tell her about creation. On the first day, he spoke of the laws of Creation, and she told him of the laws of the wyld. He returned the next day, and spoke to her of obligations and responsibility, she told him of oaths and duty. The third day, he returned and told Rana about about his hamlet, and she told him of her court. With each passing day, their talks grew longer. At the end of the first week, he told her that he had fallen in love with her, and she smiled and replied in kind. “Come,” he said, taking Rana's hand, “I would show you to my fellows and proclaim our love.” She smiled and stepped through the door, nodding to him. They went to the hamlet, where they were not very well received. Once the villagers had a good idea of what was going on, they demanded blood from both of them. Luyor and Rana had to flee from a rain of stones from angry villagers.

“Come,” said Rana to Luyor. “If your people will not accept us, we will go to the wyld.” They went back to the door, opened it, and stepped through it into the wyld, where Rana led Luyor to her court. The reception was much the same as it had been with Luyor's hamlet. The fair folk rejected their love and chased them away. They fled back to the door. Luyor opened it and stepped through back into Creation, but when he did so, Rana stayed behind.

Luyor turned around and pursed his lips speaking. “What happens now? We cannot stay in either Creation or the wyld?”

Rana sighed a little and said “It was perhaps foolish of us to believe we could mingle. There is no place for us to be together.”

Luyor shook his head. “No, there is a place we can be together. In my dreams. I will dream of you.”

Rana smiled and raised a hand to rub Luyor's cheek. “You already have. That's why I'm here.”

Luyor nodded. “What should I do now?”

Rana nodded and straightened her posture. “You know what to do now. In fact you have always known. Goodbye, Luyor.” She blew him a kiss and closed the door. Luyor quickly walked around the door, but Rana was nowhere to be seen. Standing now in the wyld, he thought of her words, and knocked on the door one more time, this time while standing on the other side. From the creation side of the door, he heard it unlocking, and finally open. This time, a beautiful human woman was standing on the other side.

She spoke to him, saying, “My, what a curious door. I could have sworn that I didn't see anyone standing behind it when I peeked around the corner.”

“Neither did I, ma'am” replied Luyor, “I'm Luyor. Who might you be?”

“I am called Rana” the woman replied to him. “A pleasure to meet you.”