Everett shudders at Aledune's ice cold touch. It feels like death. Little does he know how accurate that is. 

He does as instructed, oddly compelled by the man's words as his mind focuses on the water. It's not the ocean, he feels like he knows that much. There's no sound of waves and there's almost a stagnant scent that overtakes his mind. He isn't sure how deep it is, it's impossible to see the bottom with how opaque the water is. The fog seeps in between the black barked trees, blanketing the still waters. The trees are tall, with their spindly branches entwining into a thick canopy that constricts any sliver to sky above. 

When instructed to walk along the shore, he struggles to even picture the shore. The trees rise out of the water itself with no solid ground in sight. He peers down at the elf's command and focuses on the surface of the water. He expects his own reflection, but staring back at him is something else entirely. Beneath the surface of the black water is a monster, huge and terrifying.

He startles and reels back, feeling himself suddenly slip and fall into the thick muck. Sinking, his body starts to tremble as the fear of suffocating beneath the surface grips him. Just before he goes under and the fog swells to engulf his vision, a figure steps out of the haze. 

Eyes wide in panic, all he manages to say before he's plunged into the depths is a pathetic cry for help. 

He jolts again, eyelids snapping open as he abruptly stands up and knocks over the stool. He's broken out in a cold sweat and his heart races inside his chest as he looks around and regains his senses. Aledune's newly familiar face catches his attention, and he just stares at the man for a moment while he calms down and gets his bearings. His stomach churns and he feels a wave of nausea overtake him. Staggering to the side, he reaches the railing of the deck and doubles over it, eyes closed shut as he heaves and retches as if trying to cough up non-existent water flooding his lungs and stomach. He feels awful and his heartbeat pounds in his ears until he starts to catch his breath. 

Opening his slowly after a moment or two, he stares down at the dark reflective surface of the ocean's surface to see himself looking like an absolute mess in the reflection. After a moment, he wipes his mouth on his sleeve and pushes himself back from the rail. 

He clears his throat, but avoids eye contact with Aledune. "Sorry. That...I don't think that went well."

Honestly, he doesn't know what he should have expected or if his reaction to Aledune's hypnosis was good or bad. The elven man would probably provide more insights on if that was a normal or intended.

To begin with, Aledüne just takes a step back, allowing Everett the space he needed to recover. He picks up the stool that was knocked over and sits down, crossing his legs and arms as he studies the man. His face bears a soft smile, as if he had scene it all. Though of course he hadn't as what had transpired had been for the mind of Everett alone.

"You are alright, and have nothing to apologise for. It seems you have some inner demons, as many do. Your reaction is completely normal I would recon, forcing your mind to confront a past it has potentially pushed away, or been force to abandon."

He leans backwards, kicking the stool back as he balances it carefully.

"Fear comes naturally to all, an instinct that protects us, tell us of danger. Obviously your mind was rejecting the idea of remembering, but you are on the right track. Whatever you saw should bear some significance to your own past, and that is your own task to explore. And while I am on my own journey, I would not be entirely opposed to helping you further should you want it. For now I suggest you take your time to consider what it is that you saw."

He raises a finger.

"Oh, and while I do not know what your past hides, your reaction makes it clear to me that there might be something dark down the line. Hardening yourself to another shock might be of help if you do decide to pursue the matter further."

As Aledune reassures him that apologies are unnecessary, he tries his best to focus on the elven man's words of wisdom as he settles from the shock. His brows furrow at the man's suggestion of what may be the reason for his loss in memory, or rather, his reaction to trying to fill in the gaps.

...forcing your mind to confront a past it has pushed away, or been forced to abandon.

Something about that statement resonates with him as if the man had hit the bullseye of the situation. But which statement was true? Or were they both true in some way?

He doesn't know. He doesn't know anything. And there's something deeply unsettling about that. 

At Aledune's offer to continue to aid him, he hesitates. Maybe there's a good reason he doesn't remember his past. Maybe the past is best left forgotten. He thinks about Cypress and how she found him washed ashore with nothing but the clothes on his back, a broken compass, and his name. Maybe that's all there is to him now. Maybe that's enough. 

It takes a few moments of silence before he finally meets Aledune's calm and calculating gaze. The half-elf is conflicted, and it shows plainly on his face. 

"Thank you...I don't know what I should do in the long run, but your advice for the short term sounds good to me. If...I want to try this again, how do I get in contact with you?"

The vampire studies him as he leans backwards. The man was certainly interesting. Not an average person that was for sure, and Aledüne couldn't help but be drawn to mysteries he didn't have the answer to. In some ways that made him the ideal adventurer if not for the added blood thirst that came every time his interest was peaked. He would have to find someone soon to feed on, or he might have an accident here way out on the water.

"Hmm, well, I do plan on staying in port for a while. If you find a need for me soon, you can leave a message at the dock inn. I will stick around for a while, though I do not know for how long. I will leave a message should I leave and tell you where I will be headed. Should you want you are free to case me across the land should you have need of me, but I suspect you will be fine. You carry a spark not all too common in people, and I have noticed that its a trait common among survivors."

He waves his hand in the air a second, about to loose balance on the chair he was sitting on. With a sigh he places all four feet back on the ground. "Now how about we go back inside with the rest?"

Aledune has a way of speaking that is both calming and unsettling. It's an odd combination. The man actually reminds him a bit of a certain witch from the Marsh Flats. Both are especially striking as far as their looks are concerned to a point where it's almost unnatural. They also share a mysterious air about them, as if they're hiding a million and one secrets but you can't help but trust every word from their silver tongues. 

An itch at the back of his mind tells him to be cautious, but not necessarily to flee. Maybe that makes them even more dangerous. 

Before he can think too much about it, something that Aledune says catches his attention again. 

You carry a spark not all too common in people.

He scrunches his face. What was it with this man saying things that seem innocuous, but result in a physical reaction from the half-elf?

Taking a deep breath, he nods in response to the man's question. "Yeah...good idea." All this has been pretty mentally draining. Rest would be good right about now. He just hopes he can actually sleep as there's a chance what he saw will haunt his dreams until he figures out what it all means.

He scoops up his soggy boots, opting to walk across the ship's deck barefoot as he heads towards the stairs down to the lower decks. He glances back over his shoulder at the man. A chill runs up his spine at seeing Aledune illuminated by nothing more than moonlight. Aledune's eyes are haunting, piercing through the darkness with a cold intensity. It's almost...predatory. 

Shaking off the feeling, he offers the man a smile. After all, Aledune has done nothing but try to help him despite being strangers.

"I won't forget you," he says with a certain level of determination and reassurance in his voice.

He then turns his back on the man and descends below deck to try and get some rest.