"A Brother's Betrayal: Part I", by Vamuria

It began where we left off. From within the Temple of Beauty, the Wild God prepared to do the impossible. Onlookers gawked as the skies darkened over Lake Orestis, the skein of reality bulging against the aberrant imposition of Divine authority.

Smoke and ash coalesced above the temple into the Divine form of the Cataclysm. Lady Artemis called to Her Brother, begging for Him to cease His futile endeavour. The Wildfather responded with only a growl of challenge. The Cataclysm struck at the barrier surrounding the Temple, plumes of volcanic ash clashing against a blizzard of snow and hail as Their Divine wills set the skies alight with crimson and amber energy. Finally, Lord Lupus Himself emerged from the temple, roaring a challenge.

Before I understood what was happening, the Wildwood Queen's voice reverberated across the firmament, begging Her Brother to stop to no avail. What came next had my fellow villagers and I asking the question poignantly posed by Vinceres Ebonheart: "Is there really no hope left?"

With a snarl and a leap, the Wild God slashed with bestial claws, gouging at Lady Artemis with indescribable fury. My heart fled from my chest as I stood there, shocked, and the world above Lake Orestis broke apart as Brother mauled Sister. Divine blood streaming from the wound, the Cataclysm flew back.

Thankfully, the Earthmother intervened in time to prevent further damage, catching the Lady Artemis. The Wildfather retreated from His Sister, though His golden eyes lingered on the injured form of Lady Artemis, now marked as Prey. With a snarl, He disappeared back into Lady Selene's temple.

Fearing the inevitable I waited, for all knew there was more to come. Before long our predictions were proven correct. Bulging and warping like before, the sky above Lake Orestis bent again beneath the weight of Divine authority. An onyx emptiness filled the sky, images of monsters and grotesque aberrations warped and mortifying visible in the void.

We saw Her. Slender hands reaching for the edges of the rift, a hazy image of Lady Selene stood before us all. Though the image was distorted like a memory of a long-forgotten dream, my heart still skipped a beat, for She was Beauty Incarnate. The image shifted, Her visage distorting into a nightmarish mockery as She reached for the rift's penumbral edge, and my heart plummeted. A shrill shriek filled the sky as She disappeared, and screams echoed all along the Village's boughs.

The Wildfather once more set His mind to reality, the fabric of the world splitting yet again under His will. This time, the Lady was nowhere to be seen. Herds of elder centaurs spilled from His memory into the Eastern Ithmia, Northreach Forest, and Lake Orestis. My fellow villagers and others assembled, quickly dispatching the shades. The proud cheers of victory quickly died as we saw what came next: a memory of a colossal dala'myrr appearing just outside the village of Eleusis. More than a hundred yards long, the serpentine beast shimmered in and out of view as its unnatural existence threatened at the fabric of reality.

The Village was assembled once more, joined by Cyrenians, a few Targossians, and many others of various affiliations. Led by Speaker Colgano Vorondil, the host charged to face the great aberration.

I was certain victory was soon to follow. I was wrong. The ground shook, children cried, and one of the bloodiest battles I have ever witnessed took place. Leaving the Village bloodied, the dala'myrr slaughtered its way across the continent first to Targossas, and then the Eastern Reaches.

As the battle raged on, the host fell into disarray and several disorganized groups. Adventurers from all walks of life fell and rose and fell again, throwing the totality of their will and perseverance at the nightmarish shade. The Silverveil river ran red with blood. While most dragged away the bodies of their comrades to be resurrected at the Flame, Seneschal Mezghar Al'Jafri and Regent Farrah Roualt took the opportunity to steal corpses for essence.

Finally, the soldiers of Sapience met at the Flame of Yggdrasil and joined together under the guidance of Sothantos. The largest army I have ever laid eyes on charged forth, first moving West to destroy the interfering Mhaldorians before turning to face the dala'myrr as one.

With the death count over seven hundred, the dala'myrr was at last slain, though the painful memories the monster brought to the surface will likely leave scars for years to come. Panting and exhausted, everyone watched on as the Wildfather returned to the Northreach Forest. I must admit a slight glimmer of hope as I half-expected Him to go back to sleep, His thirst for blood and the Hunt sufficiently sated. It would not be a happy ending, but it was one I would be contented with. My hopes were dashed as I felt more than saw what He planned to do. Inhaling deeply, He consumed the lingering essence of Lady Selene, a fiery nimbus forming around Him, before disappearing.

It is impossible to recount the despair that gripped the totality of my being as I saw these events unfold before my eyes. Who would have thought we would come this far, Divine attacking Divine, Brother attacking Sister, our once-beloved God of the Beasts sending those same beasts to attack Her and us, rending the latter and my hopes and dreams nearly in two. For the first time in my many years, I allowed doubt to creep in, and there it festered like rotting wood.

~

Summary: While attempting to summon Lady Selene, Lupus was interrupted by Artemis, causing Him to swipe at Her and cause great injury. Sensing Her weakness, He locked onto Her injured form as His next Prey, before being confronted by the Earthmother, causing Him to fall back once more. In an attempt to draw Her out, He began unleashed herds of ghostly centaurs and the memory of a colossal dala'myrr upon Sapience, before absorbing Selene's lingering essence and disappearing from sight.

Penned by My hand on the 16th of Phaestian, in the year 844 AF.