Isaac fell to his knees, hugging the stump of the tree that used to be his beloved, and cried. A grief only known by those who have lost a love held dear. A grief only understood by one who has - in the moment - believed they have lost everything. A roiling rage brewed up inside, like a pot left on the flame for too long, the water boiling over hissing and seething. I’ll find who did this Willow; I swear they will pay for what they did, he thought. He channeled heat into the stump, hoping to touch her consciousness once more, but the heat receded into him; there was nothing left. He heard movement behind and looked over his shoulder, seeing Vythin and Slate starting to approach, but stopping as he made eye contact. Isaac stood and turned to them, approaching rapidly and stopping with a few paces between them.

  "Isaac, I’m so sorry," Vythin said. His face was full of remorse.

  Isaac shouted at him, "It’s your fault! If you hadn’t shown up and dragged me along! If you had just left me...if...if." Isaac collapsed once more to his knees, the memories of his past flooding through him like a torrential storm as he failed to hold back his emotions. He felt someone embrace him, and glanced up to see Vythin holding him through the tears.

  "It’s going to be okay. We will find a way to fix this," Vythin said softly in his ear.

  Isaac saw Slate walk past. He extricated himself from Vythin and looked him in the eyes. "I’m sorry, it’s not your fault. I shouldn’t have blamed you." He stood and looked back to see Slate performing some miracle at the stump; the red flash exploding upwards as he expended a great deal of heat. However, the heat seemed to return to him as he sulked.

  Isaac approached and heard Slate mutter to himself, "She’s gone. Damn. What? No, I'm not going to do that."

  Isaac grabbed Slate’s shoulder and turned him around, "What did you try to do?"

  Slate sighed, "I tried to recreate the tree. I thought maybe if the physical item she was embodying returned, her soul may seek refuge. But then my knowledge answered me. She’s gone, Isaac. She has moved on." He put a hand on Isaac’s arm gripping firmly, "She has gone to Caeli’s afterlife."

  Isaac felt a lump in his throat and nodded. Those whose souls have passed can’t be returned, he thought. He glanced around, taking stock of the now ruined glade. He saw drag marks heading south, and looking above the treeline saw smoke. "If she’s gone then there’s nothing to be done here." He began following the drag marks, wiping away the rivulets of tears.

  Vythin walked alongside him, Slate on the opposite flank. "What are you planning?" Vythin asked.

  Isaac looked ahead, "I’m going to punish those who dared desecrate my grove, who dared to kill my love. You can help me...but don’t try and stop me."

  Vythin sputtered for a moment, "But how would they have known! To them it was just a big tree in a forest clearing. You can’t just go killing people for doing something without being aware of the situation."

  Slate responded, his demeanor much more sinister and a cruel tilt to his voice, "There was some sign of residence, was there not?"

  Isaac nodded, "Yes. I had a small hut near her."

  Slate grinned, "Then I would say that there was plenty of knowledge of the situation. They saw signs of someone having lived there recently. They should have known better."

  Vythin sighed in exasperation, "Well, I can see I’m outnumbered on this. But let me at least talk to them first? Let’s not just charge in without making some sense of their knowledge prior."

  Isaac replied, "Fine. I’ll give you five minutes once we have spotted their camp."

  Vythin looked relieved, "Thank you for at least listening to some reason." He jogged ahead as Isaac curved off left, Slate following.

  A stealthy approach would be best. Perhaps in the trees above. Isaac began to climb up a tree, and to his surprise when he glanced down, Slate was keeping pace behind him, looking rather enthused - but not the same look of joy as when he was teaching...this smile had a nefarious edge to it.

  Isaac shadowed Vythin as he walked through the undergrowth, tripping occasionally on the hidden root here or there. After a short time they came across another clearing near a bend in the river. Many bonfires were set up with tents encircling them. Near the bonfires several men of varying races - mostly Humans - sat drinking and making merry. Vythin approached from the treeline with his hands up and strode forward. Isaac took up a perch on the largest tree-branch overlooking the river-bend, and Slate perched next to him.

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  "Good evening gents! Do you mind a weary traveler staying for a few minutes?" Vythin yelled out, approaching the raucous group of revelers.

  A quite imposing man; an Ayshor with features not unlike that of a bear approached Vythin. "Traveler eh? Where’s your pack? And you’re dressed rather fancy for someone all out here alone in the forest."

  Vythin lowered his hands, "I, urm, I live nearby. And just wanted to see if you all were responsible for cutting down a giant tree in a clearing just north of here?"

  "That’s right. Cut that one down as soon as we saw it. Such a beauty, the wood will fetch a fine price in the Isles," The bearish man replied.

  Vythin continued, "Did you see the hut nearby? No thought at all for who might live there?"

  The figure snorted and spat out at Vythin’s feet before responding, "Ay, we saw that hut. Some nice gold furniture in it. I’ve got some in my tent. Finders keepers, as my dad taught me."

  Vythin frowned, "I’m friends with the man that owned that hut, and the tree was very dear to him."

  The man approached Vythin and towered over him, smiling, "Oh? And why would I be good when I can do what I want, give some dreks to Umbra’s temples every now and then, and still get to go to an afterlife when I die? Why shouldn’t I use my talents to take what I want…such as a new toy to play with!" He made a grab at Vythin and he ducked under the grab, rushing back away.

  This man just sealed the death sentence of all of his crew. Isaac drew his heat forth, and the green emerald color flared out from his grip as his bow appeared. He saw a flash of red next to him as Slate held out arrows made of pure fire, smiling. "Use these; I promise they’ll have an...exciting outcome." Isaac nodded and took the offered bundle of flaming arrows and he drew the first one back. The glowing arrow flared and sparked with a bright blue corona as it was loosed, immediately plunging into the neck of one of the men approaching Vythin. The man fell with a gurgle as his body erupted in gouts of flame, his blood igniting and spreading a fire to some nearby men…but not catching the environment alight.

  Glancing sideways he saw Slate conjuring a large sphere of fire that he threw aloft which sped into the center of the campsite before erupting in a nova of burning fury; every non-plant surface igniting with deep, crimson flames. Isaac targeted those who were running, torches in the night, and snuffed them one by one as they fell before his onslaught.

  Slate cackled madly next to him, muttering, "Did you see that? Quite a sight...Yes, Of course, I made it so that they won’t go out when they hit the water. See? Now you get it!"

  Isaac glanced sideways, Who are you talking to? But was brought back to the scene before him as a crossbow bolt whizzed by his head. He jumped off the branch, firing twice more and felling the crossbowmen near the river who tried to put up some sort of defense against this surprise assault. He landed in a roll and sprinted towards Vythin, slaying those who were still alight from Slate’s fire.

  He reached Vythin right as he threw the large bear-man off of him; his body transformed into his hybrid shape, his claws dripping red with ichor. "Are you okay, Vythin?" He asked, reaching a hand down to help him up.

  Vythin took the hand and pulled himself up, "Yeah...I’m okay." Vythin looked at the campsite, burning to cinders and the bevy of corpses lying around. "Gods above, Isaac, what did we do?"

  Isaac looked back towards the campsite, "I avenged her. These types of people - those who despoil nature for greed are a disease on the land."

  Slate walked up, his expression still one of childlike glee as he tossed a small orb of fire from hand to hand, "Quite a show, wasn’t it? I could watch the fires burn for hours."

  Vythin looked sideways at Isaac and nodded, "I’ve had to kill a few people in my past as well. But we’re gods now, shouldn’t we aspire to be better than we used to be?"

  Isaac looked at Vythin, seeing the glimpse of hopeful innocence in his eyes, and sighed. "You’re right. We should try to be better than we were. I…I'm..." He felt the tears begin to come back and brushed them away. "They deserve to suffer more for what they did to my Willow."

  Slate replied, "These men would have cut down swaths of the forest for lumber. You are just doing what your domain calls you to do - Forest Lord." He said the title with a stern expression before giggling. Slate held his hand up and flashed red as the fires that began to spread into the nearby woods flew into his palm.

  Like Vythin’s greed…my connection to the forest is affecting my mind, he thought, looking over at Vythin who walked over to the large piles of wood stacked on the side of the camp.

  Vythin spoke, "What do you want to do with...her remains?" He asked as he put his hand on a large pile of lumber.

  Isaac approached and also placed his hand on the timber, closing his eyes. "She always wanted to see the ocean. I think if...we send her downriver..." he drifted off, mind racing with memories of their long walks through the undergrowth and the laughter they shared.

  Vythin nodded and picked up several logs as if they were weightless, shouldering them and walking them the short distance down to the river before depositing them into the slow current. Isaac and Slate worked together on some of the smaller ones, and the three of them were soon standing at the edge of the river - all of the wood slowly floating down the wide expanse towards the sea.

  Isaac put his arms around Vythin and Slate, "Thank you both." he looked at Slate, "And thank you for giving me the knowledge that she is safe in an afterlife."

  Slate turned red and his demeanor softened, "Oh, you don’t have to thank me. It’s the least I can do."

  The three stood there, watching the river roll by for a short while. It’s time to return, I think. There’s nothing left for me here. Isaac channeled the heat within him, the little that lingered, and focused on the tree house back in the Siltar Republic. Take us there.

  The world blurred as the three found themselves in the main room of the tree-house, Isaac sagged and caught himself on his two compatriots.

  Vythin looked down at Isaac, "You spent everything again, didn’t you?"

  Isaac went slack his consciousness faded into darkness once more.