Zana’zua’s Dream

Ambika gave Zana’zua a pearl bound with one of her sins. Afterwards, he had a dream.

Zana’zua stood on the shores of the Echo Isles. The sun was setting low, a red and hazy orb suspended over the water. It was cool, and the breeze traced across his face. Zana’zua felt the water lap over the sand and brush his toes. He looked down; his feet lacked the black spots he’d become used to, which meant this was a dream, like every other dream he’d had since he died. He wore his death knight’s armor. He wished he could take the armor off, but that had never worked in any of the dreams. It was a part of him, even here.

His wife stood not far from him, looking out over the ocean. Her arms wrapped around her sides and her robes flapped in the wind.

“Rini’alai.” His voice was hoarse and low, and his breath felt as if it scraped against his throat.

This isn’t real.
My breath isn’t real.

She turned around, and a smile spread across her face. “Zana’zua. You came home.”

He went towards her and cupped a hand around her shoulder. “I meant to come home much sooner.”

She frowned and wrapped her hands around his. “You’re cold,” she said. “Ice cold. Are you sick?”

He shook his head. “I’m not sick anymore. Rini, I don’t have long, but there’s something I need to tell you.”

“Why do you have to go?” She held onto his hands more tightly. “You’ve just come back from the war.”

“I’m sorry.” He felt tears well up behind his eyes, but they refused to come out. “I’m so sorry.”

She put a hand on his face to wipe away his imaginary tears. “Zana, you know you never need to say sorry to your Rini. I love you.”

“I should have never gone. I was wrong,” he said. “The witch doctor told me you died because I broke your heart.”

She laughed. “That old fool. My heart was broken because I did not wish to mend it. I waited for you to return, and when I became sick I gave up. I knew you had died too.”

“I did terrible things, Rini.” His voice cracked. “I killed women and children that stood there and watched me. They did not know what I was, and so they stared.”

“And yet your heart never belonged to that dead prince, did it? It was always mine, Zana’zua. Still mine. Don’t you forget that,” she said.

“Is this still a dream?”

“It is, and it isn’t.” She tilted her head to one side. “I don’t suffer, and neither should you.”

“I want to die,” he said. “I wish I had died.”

“Not yet.” She shook her head, then grabbed the edge of his shoulder guards. “Some day you will take this armor off, but not yet. You have more left to do. I think you ought to be there for it, don’t you?”

“I don’t understand.”

She stood on her tip toes to kiss him on the forehead. “No, you don’t, but you will.” A single tear slipped from Zana’zua’s eye to roll down his cheek, and she wiped it off with a thumb. “You’re still a good man.”

“I love you, Rini. I love you so much.”

“I know you do. Now wake up, Zana.”

And he did.