NARRATION
"Why kid!? Why!?" Guilty exclaims clutching his face where the bullet entered his cheek. Blood pours from the wound as the lich's weakened body tries to heal the wound. Guilty's free hand waves limply in Bralfang's grip. The webs of necroflux that shoot from it appear thin and bounce harmlessly off Lorca's shield.
"We coulda been a family agin! I was gonna take you fishin'!"
Nelson, floating between consciousness and unconsciousness, rendered so by his own kin, barely makes out the words...if he even cares to listen. Omylia's haste spell hits him like an adrenaline rush, which may not be the best thing for him right now unless Guilty manages to get off a serious attack.
That possibility is rendered null a moment later when Sir Kae places the dagger in the monolith. The final string snaps and Forsyth's conduit levitates a few feet in the air.
The end of Sprague's staff intersects a ray of light slipping through the clouds above. It glows suddenly, bright as the sun. Sprague's voice is amplified through the clearing, ringing in every ear.
"Forsyth, guardian of the final gate
I call upon your love, eternal and great..."
The ray of light connecting with Sprague's staff concentrates into a beam that shoots toward the peak of the monolith. The great stone glows hot white, and a door appears to slide open.
Guilty, still in the clutches of the dragon, looks up and to the side to spot it. "No! Not that!" He renews his struggle against Bralfang's grip.
As Sprague speaks another voice seems to join his. This one is soft, feminine, maternal.
"Banish all shadows, suffering and blight
Clear away darkness, bringer of light..."
The two voices speak the chant in harmony. Pure light washes from the open doorway toward the lich. Bralfang retreats a respectful distance as the light grows closer, bowing his head in homage.
Guilty scrambles toward the edge of the clearing, trying to get away, but he's too slow.
"By the wisdom of old and grace of the new
Send wanton forces away from view..."
The light washes over Guilty, slowly dissolving every part of his body it touches. Guilty gives up his struggle, rolling onto his back. He stares up at the sky, a sardonic look on his face.
"I guess you got me for good this time y'all!" He reaches into his breast pocket and pulls out a flask. He takes a deep swig as the light reaches his abdomen. "If that kid ever wakes up, tell 'im I love 'im...for what it's worth. He's a good boy! Better'n I ever was." Another swig vanishes down his disappearing throat.
"For the good of all and the end of one
Necroflux energy is now undone..."
The last of the lich evaporates with a sound like waves lapping against the shore, leaving only an open flask gradually draining of liquor.
Sprague settles back onto the ground as the light on the end of his staff fades. The doorway, though, remains. Light continues pouring from it, spreading throughout the forest. Brightly colored flowers spring from autumn soil, and the leaves of the trees shift to allow the light of the sun to bathe the forest once again, purifying it of undead; returning the wood to it's virginal state of welcoming respite.
All eyes turn to the gate as a figure appears in the doorway. A very tall woman, seven or eight feet, steps into the clearing. She wears a long white gossamer gown arrayed in gold leaf. Her face is young though not youthful. Her hair is the color of the sun, festooned with blue, purple, and white meadow flowers. Her feet are bare and make no sound on the soft grass of the clearing. A halo of soft light surrounds her whole body.
Verdant green eyes survey the party. Without a word she walks toward Sir Kae, who is closest, every step a dance of grace. A hand on his cheek and a kiss on his head and his body feels new again. Forsyth's steps carry her past Lorca. At the mere touch of the aura of light surrounding the goddess, Lorca's belly wound ceases to weep blood and closes itself.
Forsyth's gaze falls on Sprague and a slight smile plays on her lips as she passes him. She kneels beside Nelson, gathering him to her bosom. Her words seem distant to Nelson and close as a mother's love. "Pull back from death's door, scion of the defiler. The deepest dark is not your place. Live in the light!"
Nelson's consciousness surges toward wakefulness. His eyes open reluctantly but with the force of his will behind them. His wounds heal and his skin, once pale from blood loss, flushes suddenly. He feels his strength surge back through him.
Gently, Forsyth lays him back down, and rises to her feet in one smooth motion. Her eyes fall on Omylia.
Though barely perceptible, Omylia could swear the goddess smirked at her.
Forsyth's attention turns to Sprague. Coming up to him, she gathers him in an embrace. The goddess's touch fills Sprague with a torrent of emotions, hope, peace, love, belonging all swirl together, intensifying into an experience of pure ecstasy.
"I cannot tarry here long," the goddess's soft voice says. "My form cannot sustain itself in this world. You and your companions have done a great service for me, restored my connection to my most sacred sanctuary. Once again, I can walk this plain once per year on the Summer Solstice in this spot...and I will, if there are visitors or sick here."
Forsyth pulls away and fixes Sprague with a serious look, "A great victory was won here, but this was the lackey not the devil. Dark forces stir to wakefulness and plot the demise of the light. The wards of old fail, and the promise of Utgar threatens fulfillment."
The serious look fades to sadness. "Where you must go my light cannot easily follow, but you can take it with you. Since time immemorial the most powerful conduits have sworn off marriage to mortal brides and grooms, offering themselves completely to their deity. I do not hold it against you if you wish to bind yourself to this mortal plain, but if you accept me as your only bride, I promise my light will follow you all the days of your mortal life and beyond." Forsyth pauses as though considering, then continues, "It is not an easy choice," she sighs. "You will be...changed...I cannot say exactly how. The Original Magic works differently with everyone. You must decide with your companions."
Forsyth releases Sprague. The torrent of emotions coursing through him make themselves still. He finds his mind is his own again, and he can clearly think thoughts that are his mortal own.
"Why kid!? Why!?" Guilty exclaims clutching his face where the bullet entered his cheek. Blood pours from the wound as the lich's weakened body tries to heal the wound. Guilty's free hand waves limply in Bralfang's grip. The webs of necroflux that shoot from it appear thin and bounce harmlessly off Lorca's shield.
"We coulda been a family agin! I was gonna take you fishin'!"
Nelson, floating between consciousness and unconsciousness, rendered so by his own kin, barely makes out the words...if he even cares to listen. Omylia's haste spell hits him like an adrenaline rush, which may not be the best thing for him right now unless Guilty manages to get off a serious attack.
That possibility is rendered null a moment later when Sir Kae places the dagger in the monolith. The final string snaps and Forsyth's conduit levitates a few feet in the air.
The end of Sprague's staff intersects a ray of light slipping through the clouds above. It glows suddenly, bright as the sun. Sprague's voice is amplified through the clearing, ringing in every ear.
"Forsyth, guardian of the final gate
I call upon your love, eternal and great..."
The ray of light connecting with Sprague's staff concentrates into a beam that shoots toward the peak of the monolith. The great stone glows hot white, and a door appears to slide open.
Guilty, still in the clutches of the dragon, looks up and to the side to spot it. "No! Not that!" He renews his struggle against Bralfang's grip.
As Sprague speaks another voice seems to join his. This one is soft, feminine, maternal.
"Banish all shadows, suffering and blight
Clear away darkness, bringer of light..."
The two voices speak the chant in harmony. Pure light washes from the open doorway toward the lich. Bralfang retreats a respectful distance as the light grows closer, bowing his head in homage.
Guilty scrambles toward the edge of the clearing, trying to get away, but he's too slow.
"By the wisdom of old and grace of the new
Send wanton forces away from view..."
The light washes over Guilty, slowly dissolving every part of his body it touches. Guilty gives up his struggle, rolling onto his back. He stares up at the sky, a sardonic look on his face.
"I guess you got me for good this time y'all!" He reaches into his breast pocket and pulls out a flask. He takes a deep swig as the light reaches his abdomen. "If that kid ever wakes up, tell 'im I love 'im...for what it's worth. He's a good boy! Better'n I ever was." Another swig vanishes down his disappearing throat.
"For the good of all and the end of one
Necroflux energy is now undone..."
The last of the lich evaporates with a sound like waves lapping against the shore, leaving only an open flask gradually draining of liquor.
Sprague settles back onto the ground as the light on the end of his staff fades. The doorway, though, remains. Light continues pouring from it, spreading throughout the forest. Brightly colored flowers spring from autumn soil, and the leaves of the trees shift to allow the light of the sun to bathe the forest once again, purifying it of undead; returning the wood to it's virginal state of welcoming respite.
All eyes turn to the gate as a figure appears in the doorway. A very tall woman, seven or eight feet, steps into the clearing. She wears a long white gossamer gown arrayed in gold leaf. Her face is young though not youthful. Her hair is the color of the sun, festooned with blue, purple, and white meadow flowers. Her feet are bare and make no sound on the soft grass of the clearing. A halo of soft light surrounds her whole body.
Verdant green eyes survey the party. Without a word she walks toward Sir Kae, who is closest, every step a dance of grace. A hand on his cheek and a kiss on his head and his body feels new again. Forsyth's steps carry her past Lorca. At the mere touch of the aura of light surrounding the goddess, Lorca's belly wound ceases to weep blood and closes itself.
Forsyth's gaze falls on Sprague and a slight smile plays on her lips as she passes him. She kneels beside Nelson, gathering him to her bosom. Her words seem distant to Nelson and close as a mother's love. "Pull back from death's door, scion of the defiler. The deepest dark is not your place. Live in the light!"
Nelson's consciousness surges toward wakefulness. His eyes open reluctantly but with the force of his will behind them. His wounds heal and his skin, once pale from blood loss, flushes suddenly. He feels his strength surge back through him.
Gently, Forsyth lays him back down, and rises to her feet in one smooth motion. Her eyes fall on Omylia.
Though barely perceptible, Omylia could swear the goddess smirked at her.
Forsyth's attention turns to Sprague. Coming up to him, she gathers him in an embrace. The goddess's touch fills Sprague with a torrent of emotions, hope, peace, love, belonging all swirl together, intensifying into an experience of pure ecstasy.
"I cannot tarry here long," the goddess's soft voice says. "My form cannot sustain itself in this world. You and your companions have done a great service for me, restored my connection to my most sacred sanctuary. Once again, I can walk this plain once per year on the Summer Solstice in this spot...and I will, if there are visitors or sick here."
Forsyth pulls away and fixes Sprague with a serious look, "A great victory was won here, but this was the lackey not the devil. Dark forces stir to wakefulness and plot the demise of the light. The wards of old fail, and the promise of Utgar threatens fulfillment."
The serious look fades to sadness. "Where you must go my light cannot easily follow, but you can take it with you. Since time immemorial the most powerful conduits have sworn off marriage to mortal brides and grooms, offering themselves completely to their deity. I do not hold it against you if you wish to bind yourself to this mortal plain, but if you accept me as your only bride, I promise my light will follow you all the days of your mortal life and beyond." Forsyth pauses as though considering, then continues, "It is not an easy choice," she sighs. "You will be...changed...I cannot say exactly how. The Original Magic works differently with everyone. You must decide with your companions."
Forsyth releases Sprague. The torrent of emotions coursing through him make themselves still. He finds his mind is his own again, and he can clearly think thoughts that are his mortal own.
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