Solaris

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And there it was again - the same cauldron filled with roiling black ooze that overflowed like a fire flight volcano, the same dragons fleeing in terror that didn't look back at those who didn't make it, and most importantly, the same purple pearlcatcher who kept her eyes closed from the disaster.

Solaris had seen this dragon before in her dreams. Not always this dream. Sometimes it was further in the past when this dragon was a tundra, young and naive. They kept their eyes closed still, even when looking directly at another dragon.

No matter when Solaris dreamed, however, there was always the cauldron. It shined in different colors, an iridescent rainbow that tempted fate. The mystery dragon never looked at it, never seemed to acknowledge it.

Curiosity kept her there, a terrible mistress that made Solaris watch the terrible scenes over and over again. She couldn't move, no - wouldn't move, just in case something was different this time. In case someone who was lost was saved. In case there was a happy ending just this once!

There never was.

Tonight would be the same. That same terrible pattern that kept her in its clutches would play out. She wouldn't look away, not like the purple pearlcatcher. She'd see it through to the end.

And then...

The purple dragon opened their eyes and stared Solaris directly in the eyes.






Solaris woke up in a cold sweat, breaths coming in panting heaves as her mind caught up to what had just happened.

Those eyes. Those eyes! A terrible blinding pink, both like and unlike that of Pink's. That of the Arcanist's. Though the mystery dragon may be no god, they still held the same awful power.

Solaris closed her eyes, inhaled, exhaled, and opened them again. The coursing fear was gone now, leaving her with a lingering sense of dread. Not ideal, but she could work with this.

Her morning routine began. Writing down the the dreams, the when and the what. No prophecies today. Only the same looming past. Only a gaze she was not meant to see.

Breakfast, then. And clothes, her cape and her cowl. The plants must be tended to. Oh, and the pantry was empty. She'd have to take a trip into town today. Joy.

A necessary evil, then. Oh well. Solaris could deal with the constant questions about prophecies if it meant she could eat, even if she was particularly annoyed by them.

It was a cool day, just windy enough that she was glad she'd brought her cape. If she'd been a sailor, she would've said it was perfect enough to sail in. At least, that's what the sky sailors who traveled with the circus had said on a day like this.

Speaking of which - that was an unfamiliar ship in the sky. Angry pink and was that a pirate flag? Oh, this couldn't be good. Why couldn't her dreams warn her about stuff like this in advance?

She picked up the pace as best she could while keeping her eyes on the sky. The ship was... docking? Oh joy! Solaris could already hear the complaints about her prophecies now. 'Why didn't you warn us about the pirate attack?' she could hear them saying. 'Why can you never dream anything useful?'

Well, too late to worry about that now. With a burst of energy, she ran into town past her regular food stall and all the way to the docks where her great-great grandmother Pink now stood with an irate expression on her divine face.

"You again," Pink said, looking down at... someone with the worlds most annoyed expression. "It's been several decades since we've last seen you. What is it you want?"

"The same thing I always want," came a voice clear as a bell and almost familiar. "I want my city back."

"And why should I do that?" Pink retorted, her dagger fangs glinting in the early morning sun. "You didn't treat it so well when you had it."

"And you will? I know you're planning something. You and the others. My city has already been ruined enough. I will not let the works of petty gods destroy it again."

"You abandoned the city! You made it someone else's problem! Why should I trust you not to abandon it again?"

Finally, Solaris had an angle where she could see the other speaker, tiny as they were compared to Pink's might. They were purple, with silver armor and patches of crystal along their body. There was something... familiar, almost.

The dragon turned to look at Solaris, pink eyes shining with a terrible light only seen in dreams...

Solaris screamed.

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By Snoots