Title: Nightmares and Dreams
Fandom: High Rollers D&D - Curse of Strahd campaign
Rating: G
Length: 830 words
Content notes: Set during Episode 22, Riders in the Night.
Summary: A conversation between Xiiki and Xiros, after the attack of the Nightmares.

Xiiki sighs in relief as her radiant light strikes true, and the last fiery horse turns to dust. Then she looks anxiously over at her brother, still collapsed on the ground. She’s out of magic, that last bolt took everything she had left, but there must be something she can do to help him! As she hurries to his side, Ireena once again sings one of her haunting phrases, and Xiros’s eyes fly open. He looks around wildly, first at where the monster was, then at her.

“It’s fine, it’s gone, I killed it,” she tells him quickly, holding out her hands to help him up.

“Good,” is all he says, but the corners of his mouth twitch in the faintest of smiles. Most people probably wouldn't even notice it, but Xiiki sees it, she knows it means he’s proud of her.

Xiros lets her take one of his hands and pull, pushing himself off the ground with the other. Xiiki suspects she’s not actually helping much - she’s not very strong, and Xiros is heavy - but it’s all she can do for him right now. Even if she’s not really helping him up, the grip is still comforting - at least for her, and for him too, she thinks, as he squeezes her hands more tightly before letting go. He looks her over, frowning as he takes in her appearance, mud-streaked and dishevelled.

“Are you all right?” he asks.

Is she all right? She feels like one giant bruise, every inch of her aching, but there’s nothing either of them can do about that. Did he see her get thrown from the wagon when it finally broke down? Xiiki’s not sure, with the chaos of the combat… She hopes he didn’t.

“I’m fine, don’t worry. Are you all right?”

“Been better,” he replies with wry understatement.

Yesper runs up to them at that point, as he and Dogsbody finally catch up. Looking quickly at them both and taking in their state, he lays a hand on each of their shoulders in turn, murmuring healing spells. Xiiki straightens up as the magic washes through her, easing her pains.

“Thank you, Yesper,” she says for both of them, smiling at him.

Yesper smiles back at her, returns Xiros’s curt nod with an equally curt one, and heads off to help Ismark. Xiiki looks up at her brother, shaking her head. Yesper’s a good man, and they need him. They all need each other, as Dogsbody told them; quarreling will only get them all killed. Xiros just looks back at her impassively, understanding her meaning, she’s sure, but refusing to reply.

Xiiki gives it up for the time being, and looks over at Ezmerelda. “What were those things?”

“The horses? Nightmares,” Ezmerelda replies, glaring at her destroyed wagon.

“Is that… their name?” Xiiki asks, uncertain.

Ezmerelda snorts and nods. “Someone thought they were being clever when they came up with it, I guess. Anyway, we should get moving before any more show up! Take whatever you want from the wagon, we’ll have to leave what we can’t carry.” With that, she climbs in and begins gathering things up.

“Nightmares… it’s a good name for them,” Xiiki muses. “I’m glad I don’t sleep any more, I wouldn’t want to dream of this.”

Xiros looks down at her, brow furrowed again, but doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t need to, Xiiki can hear his worries as clearly as if he had.

“It’s a gift,” she reminds him. “A gift from the Mists.”

“You told me once that dreams were a gift from Liira,” he replies, still frowning.

Xiiki looks at him in surprise. “You remember that? I didn’t think you would… Good dreams are a gift from Liira, but I don’t think there are any of those here.”

“True,” Xiros says, shaking his head.

“Not sleeping is a gift here. It’ll protect me - ”

“I protect you,” Xiros interrupts.

“You do, and my not sleeping protects us both! I can keep watch, I can make sure we’re safe. It’s a good thing, Xiros.”

Slowly, Xiros nods. “We’ll keep each other safe.” He glances over at the wagon, where some of the others are beginning to pick through the wreckage with Ezmerelda. “We should help.”

“You’re right, we should get moving,” Xiiki agrees, and turns to walk over.

Xiros reaches out and stops her before she can move away. “You’ll have dreams from Liira again one day,” he says, quietly, but with all the intensity of an oath.

Xiiki looks back at him; at his ruby-red eyes, at his hand on her withered arm. Can they ever go back to who they once were, before all the changes Barovia wrought on them both? Can Xiros ever truly escape his new master, the master he took trying to save her? Can she ever leave this place, walk away from the Mists that gave her this new life?

“We both will,” she answers, and hopes it’s a promise, not a lie.