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Many wonder why Akeisa lacks the comforts of civilized life seen throughout the rest of the Empire. The truth is that the common folk of the island prefer the rustic traditions of their ancestors. However, you can see some modern innovations in science, transportation, and entertainment in cities such as South Harbor, which remains a popular destination for those Imperial citizens willing to brave the cold weather in search of adventure.

Akeisa: A Comprehensive History (Volume Three)

by Guildmaster Klement

Aleksi was in the midst of a lovely dream—rough hands and silky hair, both flowing over his body like water—when Sachi interrupted it with a whisper.

“Aleksi.”

He turned away from the sound, much preferring the low, laughing growls and soft sighs that beckoned.

“ Aleksi. ”

The tugging in his midsection grew, and grew, until it hauled him straight out of his dream and into ...

The Dream. Not the beautiful, surreal garden he knew as the Heart of it, but a cozy sitting room with a crackling fire. Sofas and cushions were arranged in a semicircle around the merry blaze, with each spot just close enough to enjoy the warmth of the flames without any danger.

Not that any danger existed, not here. The fire would not sear his flesh, and the candles that cast a dim glow around the rest of the study would never burn low and sputter out. Everything here existed only in the realm of the imagination, and it was all created and controlled by the smiling woman in front of him.

It was, in fact, part of her.

“Sachi, darling.” He greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. “You knocked instead of slipping straight into my dreams.”

“After what happened last time, it seemed prudent.”

“Aye, fair enough.” He would have owed Sachi and her lovers more than a heartfelt apology if she’d wandered into this dream. “Though if you think Ash and Zanya might be interested ...”

“Careful.” She patted his jaw. “When your flirtation gets too desperate, it begins to look suspiciously like an attempt at distraction.”

Aleksi growled. “Go and fetch them, will you?”

Sachi was still smiling when the room shifted . It didn’t waver, not exactly. It simply held two occupants in one moment, and four in the next.

“Aleksi!” Ash rushed forward and enveloped him in a bone-crushing hug.

Relief broke through the low level of fear that had lurked in Aleksi’s gut since Dianthe’s abrupt summons. “Ash. You’re well?”

“As well as can be, given the circumstances.” Ash leaned back, keeping hold of Aleksi’s shoulders as he studied his face. “You?”

“I’m on a ship in the middle of the North Sea,” Aleksi told him dryly. “I’m freezing my ass off.”

Zanya stood several feet behind Ash, a silent, watchful shadow. She wore a frown, an expression comprised less of displeasure than of readiness.

Combat readiness. Aleksi held out a hand and smiled at her. “Zanya, love.”

The frown twitched, and one corner of her mouth rose. Then she broke, reaching out to clasp his hand with a welcoming smile. “Big brother.”

He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. “How has the island been treating you?”

“Gwynira has been very generous with her hospitality,” Sachi interjected.

“And that,” he pointed out, “is not what I asked. Zan?”

“It’s a mess,” Zanya said bluntly. “Gwynira might be generous, but her court makes the Mortal Lords seem friendly.”

“They’re Imperial nobles. If you professed to like them, I would not believe you. You barely like me , and I’m adorable.”

Zanya pretended to glower at Aleksi, but her eyes glinted with amusement. “I like you just fine. When you’re not annoying me.”

“I make no apologies. Now ...” Aleksi grasped Ash’s arm. “We’re here, in the safe silence of the Dream. Tell me everything.”

Ash’s warm smile faded as he scrubbed a hand over his face. “Elevia sent a message. She’s encountered a ... situation. Something she can’t handle on her own. She needs Sachi and Zanya.”

“What in blazes can Elevia not handle?”

Sachi looked almost somber. “It might be more accurate to call it something unfamiliar. A phenomenon she’s never encountered before.”

Elevia was even older than Aleksi, one of the more ancient Dreamers of the High Court. The customs and superstitions that had led to her manifestation were tied to some of the first activities of mankind—hunting for food, defending their homes. Searching for knowledge.

The only thing scarier than something Elevia couldn’t handle was something she’d never even seen . “I understand. But I do have to ask—if the situation is so dire, why waste time on this ocean voyage? Why didn’t one of you just come and fetch me? Preferably Sachi.” Aleksi threw Zanya an apologetic smile. “No offense, darling.”

Zanya only grinned at him. “None taken. Trust me, I find carrying you through the Void as uncomfortable as you find being carried.” She stroked her fingers protectively over Sachi’s golden hair. “But that’s a trick she’s not ready to reveal.”

Sachi blushed. “There’s no hiding the fact that Zanya can use shadows to step through the Void. Everyone witnessed her doing it during the final battle against Sorin. We ... have not been so forthcoming with Gwynira about my ability to use light to travel through the Dream.”

Aleksi barked out a laugh.

“What?” she demanded, her lips trembling in a clear effort not to curve into a smile. “It seemed wise not to expose all our secrets.”

So typical. Everyone was terrified of Zanya, who commanded the Endless Void and swam in shadows and would merrily stab you in the face. But in their haste and ignorance, they often overlooked the threat that Sachi posed. He’d never seen her stab anyone in the face, but she could quietly plot no fewer than six paths to your utter ruin before she’d finished her morning tea.

“Sachi, love?” He drew her close and kissed her forehead. “Have I told you lately how very glad I am that you’re not evil?”

“Yes, in fact. You have.” She stretched up on her toes, kissed him softly, and smiled. “But it’s always nice to hear.”

It was Ash’s turn to stroke Sachi’s hair with a fond smile. “Secrets are all well and good, but we had a more strategic reason for calling for the Kraken. Gwynira seems welcoming, it is true, but we could not leave you here without at least the option of a swift retreat. If the Grand Duchess turns on you, Einar will take you to safe harbor.”

“A prudent decision,” Aleksi allowed. “The mood at the Akeisan court?”

“Vaguely desperate,” Sachi answered. “Gwynira bears no lingering love or loyalty for Sorin or his Empire. She fought hard to maintain her distance, even kept her people free of the spell that drained the dreams of those on the Imperial mainland. She needs allies as much as we do, if not more. But she doesn’t trust her own nobles. She certainly isn’t ready to trust us.”

“Give me a week. I’ll change her mind.” A strange vibration around Ash drew Aleksi’s attention. A part of him seemed ... dark , almost hidden. Secretive. “But what are you not telling me?”

Ash’s shoulders slumped. “You see me too well, old friend.”

“I know.”

Ash met Aleksi’s eyes, and the discomfort in those dark depths bordered on fear. “What Elevia found is a creature who menaces an entire valley. She thought it was a Terror at first, but it isn’t. At least, not like one she’s ever seen before.”

“What does that mean?”

The three of them looked at one another, but it was Sachi who answered. “It wasn’t born of the Void at all,” she said slowly, “but of the Dream. A newly awakened god.”

Aleksi arched an eyebrow. “But Ash called it a creature .”

“Yes,” he said evenly. “I did.”

“Something has ... twisted it. Transformed it.” Sachi shook her head. “A particularly violent awakening, perhaps?”

Aleksi could hear unspoken words hovering on her tongue. “Or?”

“Or this was something that was done to them,” Zanya growled. “Purposefully.”

Was that possible? They’d all encountered new horrors as a result of Sorin’s treachery, but this seemed unimaginable. Belief was the only force strong enough to change reality, and that took more than a single moment—or a single person’s will—to effect.

Then again, had Sorin not possessed even greater power when he’d created his shadow court of dukes and duchesses by pulling them straight from the Dream? Compared to that, was it really so unfathomable that someone could hold the ability to fundamentally alter another being?

Sachi sighed. “So now you see why we must make haste.”

“When?”

“Tonight,” Ash rumbled. “We would stay to greet you and make all the proper introductions, but we cannot delay.”

Aleksi quelled a laugh. The last time he and Grand Duchess Gwynira had seen one another had been on the field of battle, when they had both been swept up in the dark spell that had torn away their powers and left them defenseless. Bereft.

What introductions were necessary after such a moment of bloody vulnerability?

“Go,” he ordered, “and do not fret. Your mission in Akeisa is safe in my hands.”

But Sachi hesitated. “Take care, Aleksi. This island ...” Her usually clear blue gaze clouded over. “Its past is hidden from my sight, and its future I cannot discern.”

“What an ominous thing to say, darling. Very well, I shall sleep with one eye open.”

“Aleksi, I’m serious,” she said gravely. “This place has secrets .”

Do not we all?