Tael.

Always getting himself in over his head, that was his way wasn't it? Fighting archons, fighting monsters across the land for his whole life. He gave it his all, but he got caught up in that storm. As he and Elise clashed in the air, even with his illusory pack gliding high, his mind was elsewhere.

Sigrun. Vanja. Finn.

He wanted to see them. Even this distance was hurting him. Why was he always distracted when things got important. He didn't even notice the bleeding cosmic that smashed into his form, charring his cloak and denting his armor. All he could see was her face. Her eyes.

All he could hear was her laugh.

Where was she? His memories are taken back to when he fought Sigrun in the same swamps outside Crafthold. The day she'd taken his leg, the day her hatred for him had boiled over and turned bloody. That day his own illusions had worked against him, his mind was permeated with the scent of sweets, his vision constantly shifting to form sights of the Golden Cat from years and years ago. Those same friends came and went, laughing at the counter, walking in and out the door. Even more of them were there.

Zoldak, Amoxtli, Darius, Laureline.

The crowd was filling the inn. It was like his dream, it was like what he was always wishing would return-

The courier is SLAMMED by a torrent of Elise's spells, he cascades across the horizon, the ookami's limp form barreling down to the earth below. The wolves are howling, but they cease to exist. There's nothing more than an ominous whistle in the air as the messenger plummets, his own gravity magic- allowing him to float through the tavern. Vyse finger guns at him as he slides a Red Lightning his way. Sigrun and the kids are there beside him, as well as Dan and Celica and their children. Desmond is grown now, bearing a striking resemblance to his parents. The Ice Queen of Bhaldraithe-

Collides with the ground. Clay and dirt coat his form as there's certainly a great amount of physical damage done to the ookami. He groans, he's still seeing it all but can't shake it from his mind. Elise's shouts, her cackles, they're a distant, ominous echo of impending- Peace. Eirene's there, for some reason. She came back! The boats brought her back and she's walking arm and arm with Ming Xiao. It's impossible, they'd never be welcome in Bhaldraithe but- here they are? The courier rushes forward to hug-

He coughs up a great amount of blood. There's definitely some rib damage, and he can feel the nagual descending on his form. It's a nightmare, this whole thing is a nightmare. This isn't how it was supposed to end, he'd just told Eiphraem about- Tael hugs Eiphraem, and the archon wakes up from his slumber in the spa's pools. Perseus sits beside his husband and Tael raises his drink to both of them, laughing at some unsaid joke at Lusion's expense. Gron Rahir and Reka pull up a seat beside Karina Bleu and Tael-

Is being torn apart. His form is cracking, he can feel it coming that corruption is bleeding into him now, it's found every weak spot, every place where it can hook into his form and pull him to pieces. He screams out- Thank you all! Thank you all so much- I- It really means so muchto me that you're all here. I wouldn't be who I am without any of you- I've done it for all of you, my friends, my family. I- I really do love you all. I know I've never really said it but-

His screaming is agony. Dan and Celica's family can hear the pain he's in as the barbs pierce him. He wrenches his head to see them and tries to call out, he sees Celica standing- beside Daganon. He's cackling, and those abyssal eyes turn towards Tael, ready to welcome him into this world.

This sweet, sweet world of the next life.
(Tael)