Birds sang their choruses as the golden sun rose majestically in the far eastern horizon. The grass and leaves upon the trees shone and sparkled with early morning diamonds. Lifting his head, Quatar blinked his sleepy eyes. Another beautiful morning. Sighing as he heaved himself to his feet, nibbled lean grass shoots as he contemplated his night. What a horrible dream. Filled with nothing but enslavement and death. The troubling times ahead just had to come in my life time, didn't they! Marvelous. Just marvelous. And no doubt that dream was from the Fathers. *Sigh*, what I wouldn't give to be a normal deer... Lifting his head, froze. Quatar stared in horror at what he saw. The blue backed fawn that had been there the night before, was gone. Nothing was left but a skeleton.
"Thus the message is more dire than I dare believe! Then there is not a moment to spare!" filling his lunges with the damp morning air, Quatar loosed his voice.
Come Children of the Forests! The Fathers have given us an urgent message! Come and hear a woeful tale!!!
Pacing around the skeleton, Quatar wept. The flesh and muscles appeared to have just melted away. The grass beneath was burned, and the ground was covered in a sticky substance. Blood. His body trembled as his heart moaned in silent plea. Oh Divine Ones. No. Please no! Show mercy upon your Children Oh Lords of Time and Space. Do not let this evil come to pass.
"We the Divine Ones do not condemn and save as we could."
If this evil may be sated with blood. Then I shall attempt a bargain. My life in place of theirs...
"Blessed by the Heavens, Quatar Uunumrayel. Not a day passes that your love for the forests and their dwellers does not echo into the heavens. But there is no bargain. What is... is what must be..."