Papuvin stares down at Kirio and Hrimr from his perch in the tower. At first he looks confused and hesitant to stop, but when he hears that Hrimr has become the caretaker of the branch of the first tree, he holds out his hands and urges his fellow Seela to silence the song. They close their mouths, one at a time and stare back at their village elder with fear and anxiety on their faces.
"We end the song for the caretaker, for he has bonded with Timbre's tree." says Papuvin, "But if the beast shows treachery we shall take up the cause again and sing forever!"
The Stag stares at the Seela for what seems like an eternity. Flames dance along its body as it considers its options. It raises a hoof, as if to charge the tower, but a voice cries out from nearby.
"We are free Brother, come let us flee!" You turn to see that the source of the voice is Vuhl, and he stands raising both hands into the air.
With a final rear and a snort of smoke and steam, the stag suddenly goes lifeless and topples into the ashen water with a large splash. The wooden sword sits impaled in its lifeless body. Likewise, Vuhl's body goes limp as a corpse and falls face-first onto the ground. Above you, two distinct ethereal shapes are drawn forth from the two bodies.
The first, drawn from the stag appears as a dragon, blazing with inferno-like flames. It stares down at you with eyes that reveal unmatched strength and inner will. The second, pulled from Vuhl's corpse appears as a strange black cloud of confusion. Dozens of squirming tentacles struggle to hide beneath the surface of this creature’s oily black body, giving its skin the appearance of a squamous underground sea. Though vaguely humanoid, with its four longest
tentacles having the impression of arms and legs, this creature’s head is expressionless, its intentions impossible to perceive.
Indomitability's voice rips into your minds:
"You have honoured our agreement and so may keep your lives and my boon. Perhaps we will meet again."
[sblock="for Lars"]Vuhl's voice slips into your mind as you stare up at his inconceivable form: "Your blood is blessed from our kind and your lineage is that of us. Of Trilla. Listen to your dreams, for that is where we are born. Remember my words human."[/sblock]
The two entities then vanish in a burst of energy and a blinding light. Papuvin, Tiljann and others look down at Vuhl's now dead body, and then towards Hrimr as if expecting the self-declared caretaker to produce an instant miracle.
Then light pierces through the smoke above the lake as a mighty wind sweeps across. The forest fire roars, and then the flames sputter and die as Hrimr draws the greatsword from the soggy dead body of the stag. For a moment the trees threaten to crack and fall, but with the blade in the dwarf's hands, life ever so faintly returns to them. Though injured and weak, none fall. It is possible to believe that, given time, the forest will heal. The constant thrum of the raging inferno is gone, replaced by the dim sound of leaves rustling in the wind.
Laughs and gasps of amazement come up from the villagers. Like the forest itself, the seela look ever so slightly more alive, their skin no longer ashen, their eyes less sunken. The song the fey have maintained for forty years
finally ends as the voices of the seela turn to cheers.
