The Heartwood dreams of the future

The sky churned above her, a vast ocean of darkness swallowing the heavens whole. Thunder cracked like a war drum, its deep tremor rattling through her chest, and for a moment, Hemera felt as if the world itself was holding its breath. The sand woman lifted her head, plum gaze searching the heavens.
Then, as if the storm had been commanded to retreat, the clouds unraveled, parting in great sweeping motions to reveal the sun’s golden face. Light poured down like a river, flooding the earth in warmth, kissing the sands of her fur. A presence, vast, unseen, yet unmistakable, lifted her chin higher: the Lord. Before her, rising from the horizon, stood a mountain. A towering colossus, its peak crowned in divine light, its form shimmering beneath the sun’s embrace. It called to her, its silent voice wrapping around her very being.
Hemera…
Her limbs carried her forward before she even willed them to move. The earth felt distant beneath her paws as she approached, her breath shallow with awe. Then; followers. Wolves stood at her sides, countless figures gathered in reverence. The light intensified, growing unbearable in its radiance. It was too much, searing into her very soul, and she was forced to shut her eyes.
Silence.
When she opened them again, the mountain was gone. The golden warmth had vanished, replaced by the cold, unyielding touch of stone beneath her. The vision lingered in her mind like an imprint on her soul. A dream? No; a vision. The Lord had shown her the mountain. She had to find it; it was her path, her future.
With newfound urgency, Hemera rose swiftly, her sharp gaze sweeping the forest as she steadied her breath. „Sister @Periane,” her voice rang with certainty, the weight of revelation behind it, „I had a vision.”

periane blinked once, slowly. the stillness between them deepened.
a vision? she echoed, soft and careful. her paws did not move yet, but her ears tilted forward with quiet interest. then it must mean something.
there was no assumption in her tone—only patience, a steady presence, a willing ear.
she stepped closer then, gently, like approaching something sacred not yet understood. if the Lord has shown you something… we should listen. a pause. her head tilted ever so slightly. will you tell me what you saw?
she would not guess. that was not her place. the divine revealed itself differently to each of them.

„Yes.” Hemera lowered herself beside her, her posture composed yet touched by something softer, something reverent. They had not walked long in each other’s lives, but already, Hemera found within her a presence she could respect; perhaps even trust. She was grateful for that night in the forest when their paths first crossed.
Her voice, though steady, carried the weight of something greater than herself. „He did.” A slow breath filled her chest before she spoke again. „He showed me a mountain, bathed in light, towering, endless.” As the words left her, the vision played again in her mind’s eye; so vivid, so real, she could almost feel the warmth of the golden radiance against her fur.
„And souls stood beside me, countless souls, all gazing toward the peak.” A shiver traced down her spine, her breath hitching slightly. The memory was not just something seen; it was something felt, something written into the marrow of her being.
She swallowed, as if steadying herself before an altar. This was not mere longing. It was not curiosity. It was a command from the Divine. „I must find this peak.” The confession left her lips like a prayer, a vow spoken in the presence of something far greater than them both. She lifted her plum gaze, searching, yearning. „God has shown me this for a reason.”
And then, as if seeking clarity, she turned to her companion, her voice touched by both certainty and longing. „What do you believe it means?”

periane’s ears turned toward her gently, like petals lifting to light. the priestess was quiet, for a long time. not out of uncertainty—no. she felt no doubt. only awe.
her voice, when it came, was soft but unwavering. it means He chose you.
a pause, as her pale eyes searched hemera’s, searching the hollows and heights of her face with the reverence one reserved for relics.
the Lord does not show his hand without intent, she murmured, breath curling in the space between them. He sent you a vision not to wander, but to follow. you were not given that mountain to admire—it was lit so you would climb it.
her tail curled neatly at her side, posture bowed slightly—not submissive, but open, welcoming. it is His will, hemera. through you.
her gaze lifted again. clear. full of grace. and i will follow you. to its peak, to the cold, to wherever He asks. you were anointed in that light. there is no greater purpose.
a breath. a hush of snow brushing past their feet.

The light of the heavens bathed her face as Hemera listened, enraptured by Periane’s words that echoed the will of God Himself. The vision had been clear, the peak unveiled before her, and now the path lay set. She turned away for a moment, lifting her gaze skyward, the golden glow of the sun kissing her features. A breath left her lips, reverent, steady. „It is so.” The words carried the weight of her faith, unwavering as the mountains themselves.
When she turned back to Periane, there was something resolute in her stare, a quiet fervor burning beneath plum gaze. Devotion and admiration intertwined in her expression as she stepped closer, her posture tall, poised, unshaken. „I want you by my side. Let us climb it together, follow His will,” A pause; gentle, but firm, „Together.”
There was no greater honor than to walk in His light, to fulfill the purpose He had set before her. And to do so with her sister, not by blood, but by faith, was a blessing beyond measure.
„In your travels,” she asked, voice measured but expectant, „have you come across any other disciples spreading His word?” The Lord’s flock was vast, and surely, there were others who had seen glimpses of what had been revealed to her. They would help her shape what had been unraveled in her dream.

together, she affirmed softly, stepping close—closer. the moment hung quiet and sacred between them, broken only by the gentle wind stirring the cloaks at their shoulders. where you walk, i walk.
there are two men, she answered, gaze drifting momentarily to the horizon as if their names were carved into the distance. rhadamanthus... and erebos.
she did not speak their names lightly.
rhadamanthus walks with strength. quiet strength. the kind God favors. his soul holds restraint. grace. she looked back at hemera, thoughtful. he does not speak in tongues, but he listens. deeply. i believe he hears him.
her jaw tensed, only slightly, before continuing.
and erebos— she said the name gently, like invoking an old memory. a man of the dusk. something stirs in him too. he’s... fractured. but so are many of his chosen. he may walk his path, if he lets the Lord fill what’s hollow.
she blinked, slow.
neither are yet disciples. but i believe they will be.

A quiet smile graced her lips as she brushed a pale shoulder against hers; a gesture not just out of devotion, but of certainty. In this fleeting touch, there was sealed” where Hemera walked, Periane would follow, and where the dove soared, the sandwoman would tread.
The names of the two men murmured in her mind; unknown, foreign names. First, a man Rhadamanthus; „If he listens, he surely heard Him,” she mused quietly. Yet a question lingered; would Rhadamanthus heed a woman? Could he accept that the Lord had granted a vision of their future to one of gentle grace? Traditionally, the men had been the obedient recipients of His word, but now the sacred gift had been bestowed upon her, too. And if he listened to Periane, then perhaps there was hope. The quiet strength he carried would favor them, as a whole.
Second, Erebos; fractured under His watchful eye. „If he is fractured, then God will make him whole again,” the priestess continued, voice filled with hope. It was the way of the Divine; to mend the broken under the light, reforge what had been lost in the shadows of the underworld. And yet, would a man ruled by dusk welcome the blinding light of the heavens? Too many questions.
Her gaze drifted, distant and contemplative, until it aligned upon the dove. Softly, she began once more, her voice measured, resolute: „If you believe they will follow,” a pause, „then let us seek them. Spread His revelation,” Another pause, a breath. Gently, stretched palm reached for the dove, tender and determined, „I trust your judgement.” Hemera stood as both a beacon and witness, ready to march the path lit by divine promise.