Xarus' Dream 2

Xarus found himself standing in a meadow now familiar to him. Birds sang softly from the far off trees boarding his field of view, and a gentle wind moved over the bright green grass. The sunlight beat down on him, warming his red skin, and giving the world around him an odd yellow hue.

He knew where he was, in the holy grove of the heavenly mother. Xarus looked up into the blue sky, and blinked softly as the light from the sun met his gaze. As his eyes opened, he noticed a figure standing before him, draped in yellow and wearing a mask. Whispers flowed from beneath, though none of them were audible to the young tiefling. He bowed low, onto his knees, place his forehead against the soft Earth, before looking up and asking that his goddess tell him what it is she willed from him.

The figure bent down, reaching out and placing its hand against Xarus' forehead. For but a moment, a dozen visions danced through his head: a man wearing armor marked by a red hand, a great tree growing from the Earth, the twig monsters coming forth from it, followed by a figure taking an axe to the tree, and then to the corpse of the man in the armor of the red hand, being eaten by the twig monsters. Of all these visions though, one stood out above the others. Knowledge of an ancient ritual. In the vision Xarus saw himself performing it, and a creature of his goddess coming forth to serve him in his quest to spread her gospel and love. As the vision faded from his view, he awoke to find his friends still sleeping soundly in the care of the goblins. He stood, and began the ritual his goddess had willed him to.