To be fair, most people have no idea their dreams are tied to the Fade. It's mostly the mages who know otherwise... and Alley, thanks to the Anchor.

And since the Fade responds to mortals, not the other way around, they'd never have a reason to know better.

"Right," Alley just grunts that in response, and finally pulls free the thing she found in her bag. It's a mace, the head of which is made of sculpted gryphons with their wings half-open, creating three blunt edges to the heavy end.

Bright red energy crackles around the weapon, crawling over its surface like the inside of an angry storm cloud.

"Thank. Fuck."

She'd have rather had her shield, but this is at least something.