She noticed, or rather felt, the breathing of the clever cat nestled against her grow slower and deeper. She continued with her story, letting her voice grow quieter. Constant, but quiet. She wondered and hoped that her words would influence their dreams in a good way, and those dreams would be filled with fun action and adventure. She never had dreams anymore, so she wished others could enjoy them for her. Her sleeping state was substituted for her stories, now. It was a form of lucid dreaming, she sometimes thought. Her voice was already a little bit tired, just a tad. But she would do it for Bartos. Bartos was a creature that deserved pleasant dreams. And, now that the cat was asleep....she could play with her magic. Intentionally dropping her glow so that the room grew somewhat dark once more, she focused on her little light puppets with a wry smile, wishing just to play around with the shapes. Perhaps they could help her story along somehow, give her inspiration. A baseline for what should happen to the characters. But when she reached for it and touched the link, the thread linking her to the puppets snapped, and they faded away. Now the only source of light came from her eye. Hm. If she was looking for inspiration...well, it looks like they simply disappeared. That was something to go from. "This is how I speak."

(( Her 100th post! Yay! )) Minding her volume, she continued on. "The two crept through the front entrance of the castle where scores of similar monsters passed them by. Tall ones, fat ones, scary ones, weird ones. Monsters with huge curly horns, ones with both wings and hooves, ones with giant mouths and tiny feet. They were all sorts of shapes and sizes, and they felt secure in their disguises. Not a one even looked at them twice. Sneaking in was one thing, but figuring out where to go was another. The inside of the castle was a veritable maze, a maze that only those familiar with it could properly traverse. The deer in its costume hesitated, looking at the cat. In a little whisper, the deer said, 'Do you know which way to go?' The cat smiled and replied quietly, 'Don't worry. I've gone through mazes before on my travels. It's a simple enough task.' The cat slinked towards the nearby wall that turned into an eerie corner, one that lead to who knows where. 'I simply mark the corridors I've gone with something I recognize. Once I know its a dead end, I just come back the way I came and know that that way is a no go, and choose another way. It's only a matter of time.' The deer frowned in her disguise, its heavy brow turning the normally gentle expression into a scowl. 'If you insist. We shouldn't stay here too long, though.' 'Agreed.' The cat used a very small amount of magic to make one corner of one brick in the castle wall to jut out with a small sparkle. It was unnoticeable to the normal passing eye, but when you knew what to look for, it was hard to miss. After that, they went down the corridor. Time passed. The corridor they chose branched out into three possible passageways, and they chose one, marking where they went. Again it branched into three....then again....and again. Soon they were hopelessly lost, and completely unsure of where to stop and head back to their original spot. The deer was having a small difficulty keeping the disguise impeccable for so long, and they started to delve into their provisions for snacks. They lost track of time. When the deer was growing tired, and they hadn't seen another monster in the castle for a long while, they dropped the disguise, taking a long breath. The cat urged them to rest, and perhaps hide in the meantime - but before they could do so, down the hallway, a monster saw them and called an alarm!" "This is how I speak."

"The breath caught in their throats, and they ran together in whatever direction the opened up to them. The deer spoke to the cat in a harried tone, 'What do we do? What do we do?' The cat laughed and said, 'Either we hide or we stand and fight!' 'I'm no good at fighting!' The deer protested and stopped short. They could hear the hoof-beats on the stone floor, the paws, the talons, all of them coming towards them around the bend. The deer felt its heartbeat sound loudly in their ears, but they stood their ground, finding their courage. And with that....the magic that poured from the deer enveloped them both and made them perfectly invisible. They both pressed against the walls as the hoard of monsters stampeded on by, passing them without even a thought. After the sounds retreated into the distance and they calmed down somewhat, the magic disappeared and they both looked at each other and laughed and laughed, just as they did with the crumbling ground an endless time earlier." She pursed her lips. Should she try her magic again? Why not? She held herself in no rush, no pressure to perform. She didn't care about the result, seeing as there was no one to impress but herself. She breathed in, out, in, out, and instead of tugging, she let the magic come on its own accord. Peacefully, dreamily, the forms she spoke of and imagined took shape, took real shape. The walls of the cat's den shimmered and turned into cobbled brick walls going down a long long hallway, the stone cold and scarred. Herself and Bartos appeared against the walls, laughing silently with each other. It seemed so undeniably real and detailed to her eye, from the knapsack hanging down her side holding the things she might want on such an adventure, to the various adventuring tools attached to a belt around the cat's waist. A spool of twine, a satchel for tricks and traps, hooks and lock picks for any doors, and to top it all off, a compass hung from its neck. They were both dirtied and tired-looking, but happy to be alive. It was perfect. "This is how I speak."

The spell took up a lot of her energy, it seemed. It made her eye tired, her muscles weak. It didn't matter much, since she was resting with Bartos and soon to sleep after this story was ended, but her voice was even quieter and calmer because of it. Slower. Patient. She needed to finish this story. For Bartos. For her. As she spoke, so too did her illusion spell. It mimicked her words perfectly, and soon she barely spared the concentration for it, her dreaminess taking control. "The cat complimented the deer endlessly for saving both of their skins, making the deer blush entirely. The deer had no idea they could even perform such magics, and felt incredibly proud." The illusion version of herself was like a mirror she molded herself, showing the emotions she would show, acting the way she would act. "After a while of resting, they both resolved to continue on their way. Choosing pathways at random, passing rooms that were empty and forlorn, cobwebbed and sad to see, or recently used and brightly cheerful in its ambiance. They had no idea where they were going, and whenever they heard or felt someone coming, the deer shadowed them in thin air, making them both disappear. Soon they came to a room with a perfectly open doorway, the monsters nearby avoiding it and giving it a wide berth. Invisible as they both were, making sure to keep with each other, they had no idea why this was so. Peeking into the room, stepping through the doorway, they saw that the room was filled to the brim with treasure. As high as the ceiling of the room, gold and precious commodities were scattered about on tables and chairs like they were dumped there recently, loot from a previous raid. The cat held its breath to prevent its bubbling happiness. Was this the dragon's hoard? Had they found it on accident? As they both entered fully into the room, the door swung shut with no hand to do so, locking and bolting itself! The deer dropped its magic in surprise and the cat rushed the door. They had walked into a foolish trap!" "This is how I speak."

She sighed. Her voice was starting to hurt by now. Her joints ached from her magic, her muscles tense. But she pressed on. The gently rhythm of Bartos' breathing kept her going. "The cat and deer started at each other in silent horror. If they made sounds, if they yelled, there would be no one to help. If the cat used its magic to open the door, the force of the grinding earth and stone would surely alert any creatures around. But even as the seconds passed by, acknowledgement of the predicament passing between them with no words necessary, they could hear sounds outside the door rise and shout. They knew the room was forbidden now, an obvious trap they they had fallen for. The deer nodded to the cat. The cat frowned and nodded back. They had been through too much to stop here. With a purposeful twist of motion, the cat pounced upon the door, the stone work rising like a wave under its feet, barreling into the wood and metal locks with incredible force, splintering and breaking it down. The cat landed gracefully onto the door as it skidded against the floor and it called a challenge to all the monsters that scattered away from the sudden explosion of movement." The illusions she wove as she spoke were amazingly vivid. It really did feel like she was dreaming.....only better. It was so much better. He heart wrenched in her chest. She lost her dreams in the traditional way, but this - this she could share, remember, tell, and control. There would be no nightmares but those she would chose to create. Which would be none, she laughed silently to herself. "The deer emerged from the room after a scant few seconds, eyes darting around at the new situation, her pack newly shifted at her side. She stepped onto the door as well, a few inches of a makeshift stage for them both. Silence reigned in the hallway as none dared to move. Then. A rumbling. It was slow to start at first, but in a violent reaction, all of the monsters in the area scattered and fled as if their lives depended on it. The rumbling grew and grew till it shook the two friends off of their feet, the metal of the door jangling and actually lifting off of the stone. The cried out in fear of the sudden eruption of motion beneath their feet, the cat clinging to the deer. If they were to go out, they would go out together." "This is how I speak."

"They both prepared for the worst, but they didn't-couldn't prepare for what happened next. Cracks appeared in the floors, in the walls, and the whole room and part of the hallway was pulled down, down, shaking back and forth in seemingly open air. As the room descended and the two dodged stones that fell here and there, they saw that under the floor of the castle they had run around in, there was a seemingly endless cavern below, stalactites near their heads. Glancing down, they saw huge claws grip the section of castle they were in, attached to an incredibly long arm, attached to an impossibly huge red dragon, sitting on an endless, endless expanse of glittering gold, making the pile in the trap room seem paltry and worthless. The gold sea went as far as they both could see, as far as the endless maze of the castle extended. How could they ever have hoped to capture this breathtaking hoard? 'Ah, adventurers,' The dragon said lazily, its voice booming, shaking the ceiling with its rumbling, bone-shuddering volume. They felt the voice go through them, scaring them without effort. 'I haven't had visitors in such a long while. I have long since run out of bones to pick my teeth with.' At this, the dragon laughed, showed pearly whites the size of the deer each. 'Wha-wha-wha-what are you going to do to us?' The deer asked, their voice shaking and trembling as much as the crumbling floor beneath them. 'Ah, well, that entirely depends on what reason you entered my castle for,' The dragon replied with a wide yawn, as if such things mattered little to them. 'If you came here for my treasure, I will eat you for trespassing and attempted thievery. If you have come here to speak with me, I will speak, and so on. Really, I've lost count of the fools who've come to meet me.'" "This is how I speak."

"The deer continued speaking after a quick glance to the cat, who was starting at the dragon with incredibly wide eyes. The deer swallowed, and hesitantly spoke, "How...how long have you been here?" "So long I have lost count, little deer." The dragon rumbled. "I was born here, and I have left countless times to increase my wealth." "Do you...get bored down here? All alone?" The deer said. The dragon yawned again. "When adventurers like yourself come down here, it entertains me, to an extent. When I do not pillage, I sleep. It is of no consequence to me. I was sleeping, before you two so rudely tried to steal from me. Now tell me, for what reason did you come here?" Before the deer could reply, the cat burst out, "We have come here to take your entire hoard, dragon!" The dragon gave the small cat an agalastic look, completely deadpan.....then started to laugh, the entire cavern echoing and shaking and falling apart a little as the booming sound went on. The two friends had to cover their ears, the sound hurt them so. "So brutally honest! I like that," The dragon chuckled, bringing the piece of castle they stood on closer to it. "Once I eat you, I will give your bones a proper rest. The dragon leaned the floor of the castle to help the two slide down its open mouth, and the deer yelled at the cat for trying to get them both killed! The cat simply laughed, enamored with the adventure, and leapt impossibly far off of the floor, farther than it had ever jumped before! Time seemed to slow down. The deer was scooting back and back up the floor to avoid falling, since they couldn't grab ahold of anything, seeing their death come for them with those gaping jaws and open throat waiting for them. The cat was flying, its expression calm and collected of itself, and when it touched the dragon's upper lip, time came back around again. The deer finally slipped and fell into open air, screaming. The cat ran as fast as it possibly could down the dragon's face. The dragon closed its mouth just a little, surprised by the cat's actions. And then....! Poised over the dragon's eye, who stared right at it, the cat said, "Honesty is one of my lesser talents, you see." Then it gouged the dragon's eye with its sharp claws!" "This is how I speak."

Blood rose to the dragon's eye before it shut it, along with a mindless scream, so loud that stalactites from the ceiling shattered and came down upon the gold sea. The dragon threw the castle floor away from it, shaking the cat away from its face. Everything shook, and the deer missed the roaring mouth of the dragon and fell onto a particularly high mound of gold instead. The cat gracefully jumped from the dragon's face to its arm, them to another mound near the deer, who was stunned from the fall. The dragon was thrashing about blindly, crying out at the top of its lungs over the lose of its eye, destroying piles of gold near it, its now extended wings breaking bits of the ceiling. Everything was falling or breaking or scattering, all was insane motion, and the cat dexterously maneuvered through the chaos to reach the deer who was almost half submerged in treasure by now. 'We have to get out of here!' The cat hissed, pulling the deer's leg. The deer cried, 'How? I don't see an exit, do you?' They both glanced up at the magnificent hole, where the piece of castle was torn away and now smashed against the gold sea. 'Get ready, my friend,' the cat grinned. 'Oh no, oh no, no no no, don't you dare-!!!' Said the deer, before the cat held onto the deer and used its powerful magic to create a shooting pillar of earth and gold to rocket them towards the hole. They moved towards it impossibly fast, and the deer couldn't help yelling for the fear of it all! The dragon heard this sound and clawed wildly towards it, smashing the stone pillar when it was almost to the hole! 'Jump! go go go!' The cat said, perching itself on top of the deer, creating platforms for the deer to jump to from the falling debris. The deer hopped like it never had before, using the skill it had gained from the crumbling spiked floor, and finally, they made it to the edge of the castle floor, just barely! The deer almost didn't make the last jump, but the exhausted cat created a step for them to land on. But it was too soon to celebrate and relax! The dragon was raging and screaming, its sound of pure fury echoing through the whole castle. The deer ran as far as its shaky legs could take them, running with the escaping crowd of monsters who didn't give them a second glance in their empty-minded fear." "This is how I speak."

"As they escaped, they could hear the cavern under the castle rumble and shake, and as they ran, the dragon's roars died out. Was the dragon trapped under the collapsed cavern? Or did it just stop its horrible scream? The two didn't exchange a word on the matter, only glad to have escaped with their lives. They ran through the dragon's castle, the city, the forests, stopping every now and again to catch their breath and laugh over the whole matter. Once they were back home, the wolf approached the battle worn cat and mocked it, saying that was too much of a coward to even go near the dragon's hoard. The cat laughed at it, but inside, it was remorseful that it had no proof of their conquest to bring back. The deer mocked the wolf right back and complimented the cat on all of its marks of bravery over the course of the adventure, and pulled out some of the treasure they had taken from the trapped treasure room. The wolf was speechless at the worth of such beauty; jewel encrusted goblets, intricately carved plates with woven gold on its rims, and a huge amount of gold coins. The cat was beaming at their friend, and said that they never could've done it without them, and the deer laughed. Together they walked off, the best of friends to the end of their days." "This is how I speak."

Her voice was barely more than a whisper as she ended her tale, it was so sore. Her eye grew heavy, and she had long ago let go of her powerful illusion spell out of pure tiredness. The relaxing tempo of Bartos' breathing was already sending her halfway off to sleep. Her thoughts were sluggish, but peaceful and happy. She felt like she accomplished a lot, both for her and her new friend. She rested her head down to curl against the soft fur of the clever cat, and she smiled. What a good dream that was. [End Thread] "This is how I speak."