The Silenced Song, a Fire in Felsen

[Song Druid 1486]

Deep within the wretched cavern wherein lies the Revenant abominations, the Song Druid gathered with his companions.  He in one hand carried his staff, Aren'iril, and within the other he wielded the sword gifted to him by the Uruk Alibaba.  Problem Solver.  Certainly they found themselves in need of resolution, for before them the two Revenants had battled and one came out victorious.  The twisted creature, rotting flesh displaying oddly jutting bones at random angles, jeering towards the Elf with sword outstretched, albeit several feet away.

 

As it slowly begins to advance towards him he feigned surprise, pointing behind it, "Oh look, you didn't kill him!  It's back up!"  This clearly didn't phase the creature. The jovial elf threw his head back in barking laughter, momentarily stowing his sword to toss a Blessed Lorraine Cross at the beast (to no effect) and blowing a raspberry at him.  He reached for his sword once more, and his former pupil Brolll, Druid of the Sky approached from behind, whispering, "Oh, will that kill it?"  Perhaps he was referring to the cross, or the raspberry, we would never know, for in that moment the beast dashed forward with a crippling swing at Broll.  It was with such startling speed and accuracy that the Elder Elf barely had time to react.  In a twirl the Druid stepped between the two, catching the full brunt of the blow, being rend from collarbone to groin.  At that precise moment however he summoned his strength, his eyes flashing a fantastic green and white light, and his staff began to branch apart in several hundred spikes, each one impaling the angry beast before him.  This strike still did not end the creature, but it immobilized it.  The Druid fell back on the stone, his sword falling from his hand, but his staff remaining tightly clasped in his grip.  The Tortoise Druid Muildir lunged forward to stab the being, and it lifted its sword to retaliate, however the Sky Druid bent down and with a shaky nod picked up his master's sword.  Together the Tortoise and Sky Druids slayed the creature, hacking and slashing away.

 

The Wolf Druid, who had just dispatched the other being, bounded out of his bear form to stand before him.  Somehow, remarkably, the Elf was still alive.  The din was unbearable in the cave, and the Druid locked eyes with Muildir.  "You promised.  Do not forget this."  The Tortoise Druid gave a steely nod, "I will not.  I will not Song Druid."

 

Nearby the Sky Druid was gibbering to anyone who would listen to save the other Druid, and the Ouity's words cut through the chatter like a searing knife.  "You are beyond repair, Song."

 

"Yes," came the simple reply from Arik.

 

"But are you really?" Spoke Ouity, a wry grin twisting about his face, gloatingly almost gleefully.

 

"I have made....arrangements." Spoke the Elf with difficulty.

 

"We shall see."  Came his mischievous response.

 

The Druid of Song looked down at his left hand, letting out a pained moan.  A mighty amount of energy was pouring into him, sustaining his broken body, but it was akin to filling a jug with water that had a giant hole in its side.  "Aren'iril....you will expend your energy.  Please."  He gasps, the reply coming back in his own mind, none in the room heard.  "No!  I will tether you to this world, I will not let you do this to yourself!"

 

Coughing, he smiles. "Aren'iril...knows.  Heh."  He winces again, and jerks his head.  The Wolf Druid draws his sword.  "Shall I ease the suffering?"

 

Violently the staff in Arik's hand shot out a tendril of wood to impale Ouity's hand.  Swearing he sheathed his sword and the wood retracted. 

 

"Aren'iril....stop."

 

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!  i WILL NOT!"  Came the thunderous reply of the living staff.

 

Arik locked eyes with Ouity, and said, "Wolf, please, stop her.  She will take herself with me."

 

For a moment Ouity didn't move, his grin widening slightly, and Arik bellowed, gasping throatily, "PLEASE."

 

Swiftly Ouity kicked the staff and it skidded from Arik's grip.  The Druid of song let out a final breath and fell back to the floor, dead.

 

The staff's reaction was beyond violent, explosive.  Thousands of branches came from it to envelope Arik.  After a moment, they retracted and the staff lay quite still, defeated.  The Druid was gone.

 

Ouity leaned forward and began his last rites, and the Tortoise Druid closed the eyes of the Song Druid, who's gaze had last been at Ouity, whose words were too quiet for any to hear, especially the long departed Druid.

 

Spoiler

^{_{"Death is too good for you, SonofNone. As you damned me, I shall damn you. Rot here with me."}}

 

Some time later in Felsen.

 

 

 

The Tortoise Druid Muildir walked away from a tree house that had a sign upon it saying "The Legal Property of the Song Druid", and it rose in great noxious flames, which oddly did not spread to any neighboring stalls.  When the burning ceased, the tree crumbled.  Any Druid who approached it felt it utterly devoid of life.

 

 

[Guest]

A Weaver cracks his knuckles, and once he hears of this would murmur. "A shame, one of the few Druids who actually upheld the balance." 

[Gladuos 869]

Jeremiah coughs harshly with a wheeze as he shambles away from the cavern entrance. Blood trickles from his brow as a pained expression remains upon his face. He thinks back to the druid he had just met prior. The one whom was lost. So jovial and friendly. Had he only known him.

 

Within a moment's thought he can remember standing before the blanket of flames... Staring into the eyes of death. Gripping onto the hilt of his blade; he knew this was not a battle he could win.

[Space 2335]

 

Aeran learns of this soon after. He is stricken by a sense of grief that is too common for him. But, maybe this time was different-- The Song Druid was something unlike anyone else, to Aeran. He didn't know exactly when he had began to feel like this, but the Hierophant was like a father. He was what Aeran aspired to be like-- maybe minus the androgynous clothing and hair choices, but still. He had done things for Aeran that nobody else had done, he was a large reason why Aeran was alive today.

 

He was the greatest Druid that had ever lived.

 

Death is natural Aeran reasoned with himself.

 

His death wasn't

 

Elves don't often die of old age

 

...

 

Life goes on

 

His doesn't

 

Ass

 

Takes one to know one

 

Nothing is achieved moping around. Be who he wanted you to be, who he thought you could be

 

Aeran thought about this all, the smell of burnt wood apparently in his little hut. But that was the only choice that made sense. That was the best way to honour the Song Druid. He was still devastated, and knew that the loss would weight heavy for a long time, but he also knew that depression was not going to do anything productive.

 

He also decided **** Arik, he was still going to talk about Nemiisae.

[Wolf Druid Ouity 1461]

The cavern of their meetings, away from the prying eyes of any who would glean the ways of the eldest of the Druii. Ouity stood in the dim light.

 

For the first time in his memory as a Druid, devoid of the song. A wolf with no howl.

 

Yet, he smiled. It was forced, almost angry- a rebellion against grief, for today, the Wolf would not grieve. He placed Arik's stave down next to the mouth of the cave, a few short meters from where a small sapling had been planted. In its secluded, shady corner, the sapling was give just enough light to survive, and Ouity prowled forward to whisper to it.

 

"Simmer for awhile." He murmured gleefully. "Reflect on yer failure. Ye were eager ter die. Ye could have parried th' blade, and yet instead ye took it with yer chest. The tree was burnt, ye thought yerself free of the branches. A familiar tale, no?"

 

The Heirophant rises to his feet, smile never reaching his eyes. "Th' dignity o' a heroic death? Far less than ye deserve. I'll be back... eventually. Enjoy yer solitude. This will be yer only respite from th' eternity that awaits ye in th' world beyond. Yer roots will take hold in good dirt, and there they will remain until Iblees burns away this world's surface."

 

Ouity spins on his heel, leaving the cave empty.

 

Save for a single sapling.

[Tsuyose 3285]

The heavy beating of wings drummed across the heavens with a grand shadow concealing the earth beneath the humongous monstrosity, until she felt it, the loss of life, and even worse, the lack of a friendly presence which burdened the hulking shoulders of the fleeting beast. Eventually, it settled, in its calm moment the eldritch beast producing a wallowing groan as the forestry around its visage grew expectationally.

 

Soon, the sun set, and the illuminated moon rose high into the ebon skies ignited by the odd, twinkling star producing a low hue of starlight-- the fair, semi-transparent cloud dotting the onyx skies overhead, and the maws of the beast part to produce a bellowing roar which rumbled the earth below. The grand stature of the beast clutched taut to the branches of the new found grand tree that sprouted nigh to the heavens, and its head hung low.

 

 

Although enlightened, she lacked mortality, and the ever looming threat of death-- signalled via Arik's death inspired more fear in the hearth of the beast; she did what she did best, and fled, back to the skyward mountains of Urguan to resume her position as Guardian of the Stones.

[Elad™ 560]

Moved to the Archive. It shall be sorted into the appropriate category shortly.