Chapter 8 - Three songs, three souls - Lucien

I tore through the trees and brush like a tempest unleashed, paying no heed to my own safety as i sprinted towards the village as fast as i could. That idiot, i thought. Go and retrieve the amulet, he said, as he casually walks up to one of the most dangerous beings on the entire planet. What a damned fool. I jumped over a fallen log, and ducked under a hanging branch as i finally spotted the light of torches in the far distance. I was almost back. that utter FOOL. i'd grown fond of the solace in the days i'd spent with him. He was kind and courageous, with a good sense of humor and a steady moral compass. not to mention he was willing to even help a possessed like me cross hundreds of leagues of countryside to find a strong enough priest, when he could've simply executed me on the spot. i owed him my life and then some. i needed to hurry and get the amulet, i didn't know what solace needed it for, but i did know that whatever it was it was important enough that he asked me to leave him behind to get it. dashing out from the tree line, i spotted the woodshed we left our belongings in a short ways down the dirt path. sprinting over to it, i flung the door open and grabbed his pack, riffling through it until i found the amulet he spoke of. a silver chain with a silver eye hanging from it. the symbol of the all-maker. I turned and dashed back towards the tree line. i could only hope that solace was alright. Being around the man was doing me good. It'd been a long time since i had such a brotherly relationship with someone. The nightmares which were once a nightly occurrence had still yet to return. and i found myself in much better spirits with him around, even with his constant jesting. As i bounded through the trees towards where we had seen the skogsra, i thought about what Solace had said earlier. When i was seeing flashes of Galath after hearing the skogsra's cries, He had looked me in my eyes and said "I know it's hard, believe me, i do." It wasn't just some half hearted attempt to calm me. When i looked at him, i knew that he was speaking from his heart. That man... what could he have gone through to understand what was happening to my mind in that moment? and so quickly? Whatever it was, he had gotten through it and become a good and respectable man. the thought filled me with hope. If he could overcome what broke him, so could i. The clearing began to appear ahead, when suddenly a blinding flash of azure light lit up the entire forest, followed by a deep, thrumming pulse of energy. "Solace..." i said, the worry rising up in my throat. That idiot better not have gotten himself killed. I picked up the pace, ignoring my screaming legs and the slaps and cuts of branches and twigs as i bulled through them. Stumbling into the clearing, i drew my saber and and shouted; "SOLACE, I'M HERE!" i gasped for air. "Where are you-" the words caught in my throat at what i saw. There, in the center of the clearing, was an Altfae. and in her arms, being kissed like it was their wedding day, was Solace. his eyes flicking over to me with a look like he wanted me to intervene. "What in the hell is going on?" i said, stunned.