Isibeal and the other younglings of the village sat enthralled as Crimthann told tales of his and Detric's adventures. They always loved it when Crimthann stopped by to tell them stories, he was afterall perhaps the best in the land at sharing a good tale. He was just finishing the story of how they had saved the world from the evil forces of Emil, and she always noticed that above all other stories, Crimthann was always most moved by this one, even though this story occurred over a hundred seasons ago, Isibeal always wanted to cry with him when he told of Conall's great sacrifice for her father. She stood as he cleared his throat, as if to catch a small sob, walked to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Crimthann, surprised at first, welcomed the younglings hug.
“She may be only 20 seasons old my friend, but she is already perceptive and kind as her mother”
The hafling laughed, and turned to see Detric standing there, his two twin sons behind him, looking more like their father everyday.
“Where is my Jaci, been off wandering the woods for days with these two, who, it seems, payed to close attention to your pranks Crimthann, I need some sanity”
“She, last I saw, was -”
Crimthann stopped short as a jet black panther bowled him over, Jaci following closely behind, laughing
“You come back from wandering in the forest with our son's, and the first person you stop to see is Crimthann? Well, are my boys succesfully full grown now? I see you brought them both back alive..”
“Yes, they passed all the tests easily, and a bonus to boot, an orc raiding party in the western wilderness tried to sneak past one of our patrols, Aedan, Artegal and myself helped dispatch them. Nothing too exciting, but my Jaci, it would seem our boys have grown up”
The day continued on, with celebrations welcoming the two newest adult members of the village lasting into the night.
It seemed Detric and Jaci had just fallen asleep when young Isibeal's screams awoke them.
“Red eyes! Everything had red eyes! Everything was chasing me!”
“Just a dream child, merely a nightmare, perhaps Crimthann's story scared you a bit?”
“No...no it was real...it was real!”
Detric wrapped his shaking daughter in his arms and held her till she fell back asleep, and soon fell asleep himself, sitting on the floor against her bed...but it was not a restful sleep.
All in the clearing was as in the past he thought vanquished, the twisted trees, the thorns and briar patches, and the red eyes floating in the middle.
“So” the same dark, twisted voice spoke “You seem surprised my old friend”
“We....we killed you many seasons ago!”
The laugh that followed was an even darker laugh than Detric remembered, and seemed to cut into his very soul
“Kill me? No...no, you killed my vessel, and weakened me perhaps, but killed me? Did you truly think I could be done away with that easily? Remember my promise to you, if you fought me? Do you remember?”
Detric remembered all to well, and was shaking now, though not in fear, but in rage,
“Source help me, you shall not touch my family, and if you should think to try, by the will of the Source I will destroy you, I will tear every vessel you see fit to send at me to bits until you no longer have the strength to torment this world”
“My friend, many have sworn that, all have failed, why not simply do my simple request, simply give in? Why fight, if you cease to fight me, your family will be saved!”
“I would sooner trust the word of a drow than you, and would never give in to you, I serve one greater than you, one who need not threaten his followers for their devotion. The Source wills it, begone!”
Detric awoke with a start, it was light out, but he felt as if he had not slept at all. Jaci came in and took the soundly sleeping Isibeal from his arms, and suddenly looked concerned, she had not seen that look of rage and determination in her Detrics eyes in many seasons.
Detric told her of his dream, and then, “We must speak to the elders, Emil was not the source of the evil, merely a vessel, and..the old evil has been revived”
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