"Three things are needed for a good life: good friends, good food, and good song."

Unknown


Universe (H)-02 | Plane of Immortals Shade
Class-Five Restricted Planet: C-53/SR/R3-O2
Tūrul's Nest | Circa 600 b.C.n.

As the final light of the day faded, the moon casting long shadows over the ancient clearing, Noem watched on silently as His Cloak of Invisibility swallowed Althea and the rest of Elderan, hiding them from His view; their hearts heavy but spirits unbroken. The Titan knew that the path ahead for both would be fraught with challenges, but for the first time, He felt a glimmer of hope - a belief that perhaps He hadn't been wrong in creating His Hallows.

Maybe there truly was someone worthy enough within the realm of mortals to have the powers of a God bestowed upon them.

As for the two friends, they had faced their fears and learned their truths, and Noem knew that together they would continue their journey, guided by the strength and wisdom they had gained. Though, and as His dark gaze dropped to the ground - to the Resurrection Stone at His hooves, he reached down and plucked the obsidian gem from the place it had fallen, its internal light dimming in His grasp.

As His fingers closed around the Stone, a vision flashed before His eyes - a glimpse of a possible future?


Hands, far steadier than moments before, still trembled as their host placed the pulsating and newly-rejuvenated heart into its new sanctuary; naught more than a fusion of their son's lifeforce and the vessel's untarnished vitality. And the moment the muscle had been laid gently inside, an ethereal connection was born; sparking to life as the heart begun to merge with its new home; all but a symphony of life unfolding within the confines of this most sacred yet forbidden of ritual.

In an explosion of shadowy light, the heart's energy coursed through young veins, igniting a spark of life. The girl's body convulsed as the foreign lifeforce intertwined with her own. Both fought for dominance, a battle of wills, of souls; a dance between ancient forces and the fragile vessel they did seek to claim.

Seeing the girl's struggle, the father's own heart wrenched with guilt and remorse, yet he pressed on, knowing that this was the only chance to save her- to save him. He summoned his own magick, weaving protective spells to anchor the stolen heart within her, ensuring its acceptance by her fragile human body.

The room trembled with the strain of this forbidden union, the girl's gasps of pain mingling with the warlock's anguished pleas for mercy. Sweat cascaded down his brow, and his hands glowed with an unholy light as he helped guide the convergence of powers that would decide his son's fat-


"Oh, not today, my friend, but soon," Noem promised as He stared at the Stone in His hand; the weight of its potential future heavy in His grasp. And with a wave of His hand, He restored it to its rightful place upon the altar, ensuring that it would be ready for the next soul brave - or foolish - enough to face its test.

His gaze then fell upon the Elder Wand, lying on the ground where it had been discarded by its former master.

Noem bent down, picking up the Wand with a delicate, almost revenant touch. He examined it for a moment, His ears flickering as if hearing something only He could hear - before it too was banished back to its rightful place, hidden deep within His domain and waiting for its next victim.

"To be a fly on that castle wall," was chuckled, the Titan shaking His head even as the ancient forest that surrounded Him seemed to breathe a sigh of relief with the Wand's banishment; the moon breaking through the gloom and casing its silvery luminescence upon the path that Elderan and Althea had taken.

The clearing fell silent once more, becoming naught but a place of seemingly profound peace and eternal wisdom. The three mortals and their quest for the Stone had come to an end, much like that of the many before them. Yet it seemed that two would be beginning a new journey of understanding and acceptance - of a possible life after death.

Noem lingered for a moment longer, His senses stretching outwards; feeling upon the very balance between life and death - the natural order He did so diligently guard. And feeling satisfied that its balance had been maintained, He vanished back into the shadows, leaving the forest to its eternal vigil.