What is real death?

"If thinking is living, forgetting is killing" - Great Ordinator Vares Narbon, first line of his inaugural speech at the Xth Council
 
Dear journal,
 
I'm in the middle of a gigantic battlefield that only now is starting to calm down. I am tired, but I'm really excited to write in here lest I forget. I don't want to forget.
 
I have just remembered this quote from Narbon, and it struck me as very telling for what is going on here today. Well, these days. The world shouldn't forget what is going on here. I'm glad Nixie writes a book on all our adventures. I'm also glad it's Nixie doing it; i'd do such a terrible job, can you imagine Eve Parion writing an honest, balanced, coagulated account of facts and adventures? Haha. Ha ha ha.
 
In any case, I would like to go tend to the wounded, so I'm gonna be a little more brief than perhaps the case. As you recall, we were in Faen, discussing our next steps and discussing Zarkuz, the four-eyed weirdo who had just showed up. That morning we met again, all of us, and decided on going north, towards Legondol, on our own. The Enneth Elves would stay behind, except Elder Aosthen and the kind Elyra. It was an ominously rainy and drab day, but we wanted to hurry.
 
Bajid and the crew took charge of the preparations for the journey. The Elves gave us clothes, food, water and horses. Bajid arranged for a covered carriage for Lullaby to stay in, as she can't ride at this point. She was very apologetic for it but she shouldn't have been. I would never let her ride. She has to be careful. She's doing enough for us already, anyway.
 
Seeing her made me think a little about the future. She and Bajid are such a close couple. I saw them when we were preparing the horses for the ride, and they had a moment alone. They kissed like there was no tomorrow. Bajid then gave her pillows and the such for her to sit more comfortably in the carriage. They're nice. No, I'm not blushing, journal, it's called BURN MARKS from ROIB.
 
But she is only 4 years older than me. Maybe in 4 years' time I'd already have a child. You think? Too soon to think about this in the middle of a huge world-altering war? I don't know. Her little Rafil is almost like a beacon of hope to me. There is life created, and love to be given, in such a horrid time. I wish I could go to Bart right now and kiss him for hours. But it's not the place. Or the time. Damnit. I just want to give him more love.
 
And no, I'm not mad! I don't know what the future holds. I was just generally optimistic about things. You'll see I have some other reasons why.
 
The journey started out poorly. It was VERY rainy and we had to ride in appalling conditions. We stopped for the night somewhere in the fields of Faen, in a village which was being re-inhabited by Elves. I spent my time reading from the runebook. I'm close to finishing all the chapters on advanced components. Soon I'll be able to really start working on the Big Boys.
 
I'd like to build a nice rune for Verfy. She's so strong for us, but I know deep down she's sad. How can she not be? I want her to know we are by her side and that we appreciate her. At least I do. And she has lost her armor, too. I'd try to find her a good piece and place a nice rune on it, one that would give her the protection she deserves. She protects us all, all the time, but I want to do the same to her.
 
The following days were not much better. We were actually on the footsteps of an undead host, which used the road some days ago. We passed through villages (re-inhabited, mostly) all the way to a river which we had to cross. We had a hard time getting into the forests of central VAneolin. The cart broke several times and we spent a long time trying to fix it. So, even if we were full stride, we were making very slow headway into the woods. As we entered the provinces in the middle of the country, we only encountered ruined villages. PRobably the Elves here didn't even hear of the attacks until it was too late... Poor souls. I prayed for them that night. They had unwillingly joined their enemies...
 
I hope they won't be forgotten. That is death.
 
Bart is kind of sad these days. I understand why. He did something very difficult for him. He is a Smile incarnate, and he had to be evil and to scare people. Using his music! He holds music in such high regard, it must've been demeaning for him. I hope it didn't tarnish his view on music or on him playing music. I'll ask him to sing to me all the time. I love his singing. And I don't want him to stop.
 
He did talk to me about the whole Sylvia Halvel thing, that it was a first love that matters not and the such. He apologised and was so sweet I felt bad for being a jealous monster. Of course I'm jealous! She's younger and beautiful and brave and inspiring and blonde! What do I have going for me in her stead? Arcanic spears, a loud mouth and books! So, I can't help it. I'm glad she hasn't come with.
 
I'm not jealous of Lullaby, though, dumb journal! I'm not THAT crazy! But she is beautiful and brave and inspiring and blonde. She's also pregnant, which is even more beautiful. In my opinion, at least. Can you imagine me appreciating such things? I did on a theoretical level, but I never saw myself as a birthing kind of person. Well, still can't see myself like that. Imagine my child! A poor being... I would kill him or her with my Nutcase ways... But there you go. Not all are meant for such things. Maybe my destiny is to protect others' children. I'd be just as happy doing that, in all honesty. If only I could protect as much as a pebble.....
 
We passed through the town of Menthiel on the way north. It was filled with Elvish soldiers gathering to fight the undead. We heard Seliros was under the necromancers' control. The undead had ruined the countryside to the south, but here there were many Elves and also some Woranian refugees. A resistance existed. A resistance that could turn into a counter-attack. It was hard, but not impossible. Not at all. We had come off the backs of two unexpected victories. I hope those Elves, upon hearing us, found some hope. But I don't know. The Elves almost expected this. Eventually. It's like this country awaited its death. I just hope it's a feeling that will dissipate. After what happened today, it should.
 
By the way, the forests of Vaneolin are magical this time of the year. Autumn leaves colour the woods in splashed pallets of red, yellow and orange, and still green leaves give out a refreshing piece of the sky blue to this mix of warm nuances. Nixie would love to paint this, I'm sure, but of course we can't just yet. The rain actually embellished everything. I always felt that dew in the woods in the morning, dripping from withering leaves, is the most beautiful image in the world.
 
I actually love autumn. It's not depressing that leaves fall and die. The tree doesn't die. It just prepares for a new year. And the leaves turn to ground, and return their essence to the tree which in turn creates new leaves. Huh. Since when are you so pathetically lyrical, Eve? That's what happens when you ride and fight for too long! I just want to grab Bart's cute butt. Wops.
 
Going back to maiden thoughts, which represent 10% of my overall thinking, we travelled north in great speed and soon crossed some hills into the province where Legondol lies. That's when trouble started. First, we had to evade a patrol of undead that Elyra had spotted beforehand. But even more relevantly.... we could see Legondol from the hills. Well, not us, but Elyra, who went up in the sky. She told us that the surroundings of that once beautiful city were.... ruined. The forest was cut down all around and the ground seemed cursed.
 
We reached the surroundings of Legondol late at night. We wouldn't stop. We were not even tired. All of us wanted to join the fight as quickly as possible, though we knew not exactly how. We soon had disturbing news coming our way. We reached the edge of some hills and the forest just... stopped. Not even stumps were left on the cursed, blackened ground. It looked like the Desolation itself.... all the way around the lake around which LEgondol once lied. Now... we couldn't see well, it was already nighttime, but the city looked ruined. What was worse..... the Citadel in the middle of the lake was attacked from all sides, as we could see dozens of flaming stones thrown at its walls and thousands of purple lights attacking the city by crossing the lake on huge boats with siege towers built on their decks.
 
We had to go. But how? We were already late.... We took our horses from the woods and rode as quickly as possible towards the port. There was no time. We had decided, suddenly, upon using a ... trebuchet.... to enter the city! It was Verfy's idea, supported by Bajid. I was very skeptical of such a stupid idea (it would mean instant death), but Bajid said he would protect us. And Lullaby trusted him completely on this matter, even if it clearly wasn't her type of plan. And if Bajid was certain this plan would not hurt Lullaby, I was pretty sure we would be fine, too. So, let's do it!
 
Plus, I always wondered what being a catapult stone felt like.
 
We soon reached the positions of the undead who were using two trebuchets to hurl flaming rocks at the city walls. They were just stopping this, because their troops were already on the walls, when we arrived. There were several regiments there, probably waiting for the boats to return for them. Well, woops. No longer.
 
Lullaby, who (!!!) decided to ride with us, took the lead and her sword gleamed so strongly, the undead actually stepped back from the light. She pointed the tip of her sword forward and a light flew in the midst of the undead, cleansing dozens of them. Elder Aosthen and Tallion pulverised more as they sent waves of arcanic flame upon the ground. We easily dispensed of the few remaining ones, as Ghighi had fun disintegrating even more regiments.
 
We hurried to the trebuchet and hurdled together in the net they use to put rocks in it. Bajid then did something very strange, he used his hands to describe a sphere around us. It was an invisible sphere, but you could actually see... reality itself being bent around us, to form some kind of protection. We basically were inside a catapult rock now. One with full view of the battlefield.
 
Bajid used his bending powers to move the lever and off we went. We were thrown almost immediately, with such force I thought I'd die that instant. But Bajid's bending did its job, and we didn't die. We were too hurdled together to even bump heads. Haha. We flew over the lake and I was immediately dizzy. We landed in the middle of the city, our fall cushioned by the very same bending of reality. I fell gracefully to the ground, face first into the street pavement. Ah, Eve, most elegant of flowers. When will you ever stop being graceful? These blondes don't stand a chance.
 
We were met by a sight I will not forget anytime soon. Or ever. A being of incredible beauty and purity awaited us, wide-eyed and genuinely amazed. She was an Elf, but more. She had only one eye, but her left eye was glimmering with silver rays, her skin was so pure light came out of it like it was ethereal, her white dress was almost like thousands of water droplets knitted together, her glowing pale, almost white hair everflowing, and a pair of delicate, transparent wings behind her, spreading glimmer. She was one of them.... The little Sylphs in the Fountain of Life. Only she was normal-sized for an Elf. She was the Great Sylph.
 
She was amazed at our entrance, but immediately Elder Aosthen took charge of explaining things. Quickly and thoroughly. Once that was out of the way, we decided to go help wherever we could. I followed Bart and Tallion and Zarkuz east, towards the gate. The citadel does have a gate, even if it's on an island. But there's no bridge. I have no idea why, even now. But the undead made a bridge using their ships, so....
 
The rest went south, or north, or west. We looked at each other and quickly hugged before each going their separate ways. It was another horrid night fighting undead. We reached the gate, and the Sylph flew above us and started blasting undead on the other side of the gate with pure white fire. It was incredible. But someone was also attacking her with blasts of cold undeath.
 
At ground level, we mixed in with the quickly overwhelmed, but steadfast Elves. Leading them was a giant in black armor, with black flames sometimes emerging out of it. Was it... Yes. I saw the armoured wings behind him. It was Damaschini, the Erlagon. He was swinging his signature scythe all around, destroying undead like they were so many blades of grass. I was left aghast at that blackfire of his. Looking up, sensing something, I saw a very weird patterend shadow on the sky directly above us. Darker still than night was a huge snowflake... So this is how the Black Dragon fights. Honestly, I felt uneasy.
 
We joined in, and I saw Tallion exchange a very quick set of words with Damaschini. We're gonna have a weird talk after we settle down from this fight, I'm sure. For now, each of them has their own worries. Huh, speaking of, I should hurry up and finish this journal, we're about to do something.
 
So, we fought like lions, well they fought like lions and I fought like a kitten, and soon we started to retreat in order, because the undead were just SO many. Tallion at one point shouted at us to keep the line and went behind. We were about to be surrounded so... go, Tallion! We had to stay in front and keep fighting. I used all my magical power to help Damaschini, who had spewed his weird minion soldiers. I wonder... How is Damaschini? I heard of him as a commander and such, Tallion told us little of him, other than that he failed as a leader. He is alone, he fights for the Elves but as an ally. His troops are his own minions, creations of his own magic. Hard to say.
 
Anyway, we kept retreating, now in full force, and Tallion was blasting the undead with waves of arcanic flame, but they were coming from all sides. Then I saw Tallion look at the sky to the south in shock. I felt it too. Something happened. Knew not, but it seems the Sylph had fallen. Thankfully, not completely, as we would later find out.
 
As we tried to break out of the encirclement rapidly forming around us, I saw something. I was near Tallion now, retreating all the way, when we saw a wave of light coarse through the undead in front of us. The undead were not hit, or desintegrated, like under arcanic waves. They just fell down like the bag of skeletons and armour they are, their evil purple magical essence drawn out of them like poison is drawn out of a wound. I felt something. Like a burst of hope. We charged through the weakened undead lines and made it through to the other side, where Lullaby awaited us, sword drawn. Bajid was not far behind, also taking care of some undead. I ran by her and wanted to stop and drag her with us, but I saw the glimmer in her eyes and gave up. She would cover our retreat. Somehow, I trusted she could handle that. She's strong. That's for sure. It's not a magical power, or a physical strength. It's harder to comprehend at first. The undead... It's like she reset them. Brought them back to the state God intended for them to be. Dead. Peaceful, on the ground.
 
I don't know why, but it feels a little nice, actually. It's like cutting the strings off of marionettes. The poor marionette is not destroyed, just.. liberated.
 
We continued our retreat westward, but we were overwhelmed still. More undead descended from the northern walls, cutting our retreat. The city was overrun. Things were not going great, not at all... Could be worse, though. Could it? Then make it so!
 
The head of Elder Aosthen came flying at our feet......... I lost control of my feet and just collapsed. Elder Aosthen... was slain? I never saw a person with such faith and clarity as him... I was shook. Then... A teleport. A strange looking necromancer, in black robes and with a mask covering half of his face, diagonally. His right side was uncovered, and his eye gleamed red with power, but not hate, but rather a cold indifference which I found scarier. Behind him, more necromancers....
 
Tallion shouted, gasping at the pain of losing Aosthen "Deos!" and I trembled. He looked the mighty host. The bastard moved immediately on the first one of us, who happened to be... Vas! Yes, Nixie and the crew had bumped into us as they came from the palace. They had defeated the enemy there and came to help us... now... Vas was hit, so I reacted quickly to shield him from further harm that would've killed him, because Deos drew a huge red baneblade right through Vas's body. I strained hard to create enough magical power to heal Vas. He almost died there. But then Deos moved again, with great speed! He struck at Tallion, with such force and ferocity, I could not react. I felt it, then... A familiar feeling, already. A demon.
 
I pulled Vas out of there, as Deos prepared to strike at Tallion once again. He did, but the baneblade did not hurt Tallion... I heard a shout, and I saw my poor Bart drop like a sack of beets. I rushed towards him, gripped him and started running. I wanted to avoid the necromancers who were attacking the rest of us. I saw Nixie collapse to the ground next, struck by Deos' merciless baneblade, but with the corner of my eye I saw Drenizek and I knew she would be safe. I ran with Bart to bring him back to safety and planned to return as quickly as possible to aid in the fight. I left him with an Elf and turned around to aid Drenizek.
 
Tallion in the meanwhile tried to blast Deos with another spell, which covered him in pure light. Deos collapsed. He had been hit by our strongest spells... But it was not to last.... Something happened, and the ground shook. Dark arcanic seams flew from his body all around, and he was up on his feet in a second. But he was changing, rapidly so. He grew tall, as tall as Xi'xi, dark arcane covering his body all around like armour. His blade grew even longer, even wider, even redder. His eye turned into a full purple glow, like an undead, and dark ethereal wings sprouted on his back....
 
He was a demon, a demon overcoming the man. He was physically still a man, but the demon's magic now manifested itself freely. I felt it. He was strong. Too strong. I bit my lip so hard blood came out. How... how could we stop it? Tallion was ready to continue fighting, but Drenizek threw him back just as the monster was poised to continue running towards Nixie and Tallion.
 
Drenizek blocked his path and I felt that it might be his end. I prayed hard, putting all my focus on aiding our jolly singer. But the demon was very strong. He laughed at Drenizek with a strong, echoing voice, calling him a weakling. Drenizek replied that the demon feared him, for he had nothing to lose, all he had was right behind him. I could barely breathe. My only option was to continue to help Drenizek. I felt his steely resolve. There was no way around. The demon could easily slay Nixie and Tallion. Poor Nixie was fainted on the ground, Tallion was badly hurt, too.... And this only through a few hits from that monstrous baneblade....
 
The demon stuck his blade into Drenizek, with speeds I thought weren't possible. I managed not to lose focus. I only looked at Drenizek, only thought of giving him strength... He gripped the blade with one hand, and raised his other in a fist. I saw the gleam around it. It was arcane, arcane infused probably by Elder Aosthen. The demon did not know what's coming. Drenizek hit the demon so hard, he had to make a step back. But then he hit him with his left fist as well. Then again, with his right, then again and again, a flurry of arcane-infused fists that shook the very dark arcane around the demon-man. The punches were so fast and devastating, the last one hit him right under his chin, raising him from the ground and spreading all the arcane all around. The demon vanished into thin air, and the body of Deos, depleted of all energy, fell. He was dead.
 
The undead all around lost cohesion and started fighting at random... We did it! But, alas... Drenizek had been struck by the blade. And a weird coldness spread from his wound, covering him in a stonelike layer. He only turned back to see if Nixie was alright, she just happened to be regaining consciousness in that moment. He smiled, said "I love you, Nixie" and turned around, rising the mask of Deos (which he had taken in his right hand) above his head, just as the petrification reached his upper body. We tried to do something, anything, but he froze shut. I saw Tallion imbue him with life-protecting power, and I sensed Nixie's prayer and somehow felt its energy. We all started singing, trying to keep Drenizek's spirit here, to keep it from falling to the power of death.
 
Well, death couldn't grip our Drenizek, because that wasn't real death. It could be beaten. Lullaby had come, and using the song which connected Drenizek's soul to ours, and therefore to the life all around, she was able to protect his spirit from that false death gripping him and reverse the process. The stone-like layer broke, Drenizek fell to the ground and soon he was breathing again....
 
But do you think we had even a moment of respite? No.... I have little time left, it seems we ARE going somewhere, so I'll be more brief. Sorry, I'll get back to you. So, we heard weird, ominous horns. Loud and evil-sounding, I must say. Everybody gropued up and started fleeing towards the palace. We heard why: 20 thousand horsemen were coming. They were the Ikain.
 
I heard Zarkuz smile. I kept my eye on him. Thankfully, he didn't betray. We ran back to the citadel and waited there. The Ikain followed us. The Sylph told us to go behind the Primordial Beech Tree, and so we did. IT had such beautiful white bark, and light green leaves, almost whispering to us, reassuring us. We stood no chance against such a huge host, but we felt confident, somehow.
 
The Ikain entered, on foot. They were led by white Ikains, not unlike Zarkuz. One of them made a step further and invoked a horrible being, a shadow barely seen in the light, roughly the form of an Ikain, but with no feet, floating in the air. The shrieking abomination flew with great speed towards the Sylph, who stood in front of the Beech. The Sylph had met the Ikain on their own, and confronted them by saying their death is not real death. That their purpose makes them like all of us. They are not impartial, nor are they an instrument of levelling. They are like us all. And she proved it.
 
As that false death tried to rip her apart, the Sylph just smacked the creature with her palm, and it disintegrated. Those proud and soulless Ikain all made a step back in horror. I don't think that ever happened to one of their shadow. We couldn't see the Sylph, but I saw a bright, but black glimmer around her. And I felt it. Death. Real death.
 
Forgetting. Nullity. Nothingness. True Nothingness. Not levelling. That shadow never existed. That was real death.
 
The Ikain charged, but the Sylph held fast. She had a sort of shield around her, which was reinforced as the Ikain hit her. The others attacked us, and we defended. A fight started, but the Sylph told us to stay behind the tree so we did.... Then we saw Lullaby and king Nathanilos of the Elves step forward and join the Sylph. We all had those shields around us... it felt strangely warm but cold in the same time, strong but fickle. It was like spring water.... Then I realised why. I looked at the tree. Was it protecting us?
 
I found out soon, as its roots burst from the ground and impaled some Ikain. More roots burst, creating a wall between us and the Ikain, and the Beech Tree itself raised on its roots, as if it was....
 
OF COURSE. I knew then. I knew! The Beech Tree... All this time, we should've known. It was not a tree. But an Essence Bearer! Possibly the greatest of them all. I felt its life. It is Life. The Life of an old world, long ago gone. That world of the Elves, long lost. What power... And its essence of life now merged with the Death embodied by the Sylph, and was sided by the Spirits of Man and Elves in the form of Lullaby and Nathanilos... I knew, then, that we had won. What a feeling! Men and Elves were finally joining forces. Finally creating a full circle, from the olden days, when we both sinned one towards the other. In one huge gleam, this combination sent a pulsating wave of righteous fire which consumed those who would harm us. The Ikain in the square within the palace were all pulverised. The rest sensed this immense power and simply scurried off.
 
Now... We're here. They may come back. The Sylph tells us we should investigate something she sensed outside. The Beech Tree is now in its place, like before, like nothing happened.
 
Hah. I smile. I can't help but smile. What wonders the world hides!
 
May the Almighty protect us all.