Posted 28 August 2012 - 01:59 PM
Tarn slept, the powerful effect of Ennoc's Wine gripping him almost immediately, his mind playing over the maelstrom of feelings he was having.
He was alone, facing all the other Dastan heroes. They were catcalling and insulting, even his friends like Atramor and Nyx, and at the centre was Constance, the head of the Dragon Knights, who leered at him. He looked down, and saw the Bomb XX in his hand. He shouted, and threw it at the arrayed heroes. An explosion of light and power scorched him, flaying the skin from his bones until he looked like the unddead creature in the Hall. Everyone else was untouched, save Constance, who collapsed, a trickle of blood spilling from her mouth, looking stark against the paleness of her face. The assembled heroes pointed at him, and shouted "Murderer!" and other foul swears in Titaanian.
Then they were gone, vanished, and Ella Septrine stood next to him, cald in her maroon dress as always. The young daughter of Emperor Septrine smiled softly at the skeletal Tarn, and gently touched the hole where his cheek would have been. "Tarn, you have to let this go. No-one blames you for what you did. You made a choice and you fought for what you believe in. That is all a hero can do. You battled bravely for Dastan alongside everyone else, and you saved it. The Empire will thrive thanks to the efforts of you and all the other heroes."
He stared at her, seeing and seemingly understanding for the first time the forlorn wisdom of epochs contained in her eyes, a contrast to the carefree youth of her beautiful face. "This... this is a dream!", said Tarn, never the sharpest cutting implement in the drawer.
"No my dear, no it isn't," smiled Ella, her touch restoring his skin. "Go forward in peace, Tarn. Let your experiences in Dastan guide you as all tragic events must, but do not be a slave to them. Do not let them overshadow everything you have done and everything you can do in the future. I believe in you, and I know one day you will return to me, absent of burden, and we shall rejoice together."
OOC: Hope my use of Ella is OK here, Zepher.