When even your sleep can be invaded, nowhere is truly safe. This is why they must be eradicated.

Another one of those 365 word challenges from the Thursday_Prompt ! It's good to switch it up every once in a while! I had a lot of fun with the structure of this story :P

Glossary:


witch: Most people in Verdania refer to healers and doctors as witches, even if they don't actually do magic. It does not carry the same connotation of evil and wickedness as it might in other regions.

magic: Every spell in Alka requires ingredients of some kind, and many of these spells come in the form of potions. The art of spellcraft involves careful measurements, specific techniques, and also a touch of etherial manipulation. Without a mage's inborn talent, not even a person following a spell's recipe to the letter can hope to create one for themselves.

ether: Sometimes called lifeforce or mana, this is a mysterious energy that suffuses the world, allowing mages to cast spells and giving rise to many strange, magical plants and animals.

Verdania: With its numerous trade routes, wealth of magical resources, and status as the seat of Belbatoria's worship, it is not uncommon to hear people say that Verdania is the center of the world.

Belbatoria: The proud goddess of order, light, and knowledge. Of all of the gods and their followers, hers are the most numerous, with devotees across the entire world.

lamm: This ephemeral monster slips into bedrooms and siphons the restful sleep from its victims, leaving them more tired than when they first laid down. Normally invisible, only magic can affect it.