Eylderfell || ONC 2024

3-2

The beast took him to the mouth of a huge cavern at the far end of the Eylderfell before Tavor dissipated it in a flare of light. He stood in front of the cave mouth. A part of him was unable to believe how far he'd come. Barely a week ago, the idea of setting foot in the forest would have seemed impossible. And now he'd come all the way through to the other side of it.

He started to walk, descending into gentle darkness. The light from the lantern flickered against the damp walls. Finally, the path levelled out, and the tunnel opened up into a small cavern.

A pool of water lapped against the stone sides, its surface so still and clear it reflected the cavern like a mirror. Rocks hung in the air, studded with glowing orange crystals, their dim lights shimmering against the pool's surface like fireflies in the night sky.

Tavor's breath hitched. It was beautiful here, so unlike the rest of the forest. He left the familiars lying on a rock nearby and crept forwards on his hands and knees until he was right at the edge of the pool, looking over the water.

"Where can I find Nestani?"

The cold air around him tingled. Energy buzzed through the room, swirling the water into a gentle whirl. Light bubbled up from its surface and shimmered before him. Beneath the flickering lights, it seemed a shape lingered in the water, just below the surface.

Tavor leaned over the water's surface. For a second, he thought he saw Nestani's face, shrouded by her cloak and blurred by the rising light. Then the image faded, leaving just his rippling reflection in the quiet water.

"Wait." Tavor reached forward on instinct. His hands plunged into the pool, and freezing water shocked his skin.

He leaned further forward, balanced precariously on his knees, searching the water for answers. The pool had shown him Nestani. He was certain it was trying to tell him something...

His heart lurched as his balance slipped. He waved his arms, trying to centre himself, but he'd leaned too far. A moment later he tipped forward and plunged headfirst into the water.

The pool was ice-cold, and a bubbled exclamation of shock broke free from his mouth.

Slowly, he got used to the temperature. There was no strain on his lungs. He opened his mouth and found he could breathe normally.

What the...

A gloomy figure materialised before him. A tall silhouette, long hair streaming from beneath the hood of her cloak. She raised her head and her gleaming gold eyes met his.

Nestani.

"W-what are you doing here?"

"You summoned me, and so I appeared." Her voice echoed in his mind instead of out loud. Startled, Tavor took a second before replying.

"We need your help. The familiars are hurt, and I can't fight the Elder by myself." He looked around. "How can we get you out of here?"

The figure didn't move. Her eyes lingered on his, unblinking. "It is impossible."

"You're not even going to try?"

"There is nothing to try. I cannot return with you."

"What about your familiars?" Tavor said. "They need you."

"They will be fine. As long as the seal on them remains intact, the Elder will not be able to leave the forest."

"And what if the Elder breaks the seal?"

"Then he will use the curse and destroy your village."

Tavor stared at her. Just when he thought he was starting to understand her, and now she was acting like this? Like none of it mattered, their fates were just meaningless events. Maybe he'd been wrong about her.

"I thought you were trying to save the village," he said. "Now you're just going to wallow here and do nothing?"

"There is nothing I can do."

"What do you mean? I saw you at the Tower. All that power, all that magic..."

Still she gazed back at him. Her expression unchanged, body still and floating gently in the water before him. The whole thing was unnerving.

"It is no more."

Tavor's shoulders sagged. "Okay, well...maybe I can get you out, somehow..."

"It is impossible."

"Stop saying that!"

She fell silent. Moments passed, deepening into minutes. Still, neither of them spoke. Tavor peered hard at her. Nestani had always seemed like the reserved type of person, the kind who preferred to keep their thoughts to themselves. But he didn't remember her being this unresponsive the last time they'd met.

Now that he thought about it, the whole thing seemed off. Had he even seen her blink, or breathe?

A cold ripple of unease snaked down his back. "Nestani?"

"Yes?"

He didn't say anything, waiting to see if her expression would change. Or she'd prompt him to continue. But she merely floated silently in front of him.

His heart sank, the reality of the situation hitting him. "You're not real."

Her eyes stared through him. "You summoned me, so I appeared."

"Where are you, really? Are you even still alive?"

"I think you already know the answer."

So that's it, then. He let out a long, shaking breath, grief and fear mixing in his stomach. "What am I supposed to do?"

"You must leave the Eylderfell and protect the seal. That power belongs to you now."

Of course. Leave the Eylderfell. That's why they'd been trying to find Nestani in the first place.

"There was a spell, wasn't there? How do I do it?"

"It is a simple tethering spell. You must draw a 4th-order channelling glyph and connect it to the rune in my house. The aspects are aether, light, earth and void. Ostus will show you how to do it."

Tavor shook his head. "They're both unconscious," he said. "How can I wake them up?"

"They need magic," Nestani said. Her body shimmered, growing translucent.

Tavor blinked. "What's happening?"

"I must go. We have reached the end of our time together."

Even as she spoke, Tavor could see she was starting to fade. He racked his brains. Was there anything else he wanted to ask her?

"I-Is there anything you want me to tell to the familiars?"

Her expression didn't change, but Tavor thought he saw her eyes soften, just for a moment. "Tell them...I understand now, what they said. The nature of the connection doesn't matter, just the strength of it. They were great comfort, at a time where I thought I had none. And for that, I am grateful."

And with that, she was gone.

‧₊˚ ☾. ⋅