Final Quest
"He's wrong, Esther," a familiar voice says behind you. "Don't listen to him. He's a creature of this forest. He's not real."
Hardly able to believe your ears, you turn your head, and give a soft gasp as you see the nymph queen from the Forest of Darkness. You are so relieved to see a friendly face that you nearly burst into tears then and there, but you manage to stop yourself.
"He's not real," the nymph queen repeats, now that she knows she has your attention. "The Forest is playing on your deepest fears, perhaps even those you don't realise you have. You didn't betray the land, Esther. Someone else did."
"But..." you begin, glancing back towards the man, whose form is beginning to flicker because of your doubt. "What if it's right?"
"It's not," the nymph queen says firmly. She comes over to you, and gently cups your cheek in her hand, her skin feeling both smooth and rough at the same time, like the bark of a tree. She leans forward so that her forehead is resting against yours.
"It's not real," she repeats. "Do you hear me, Esther?"
"I..." You close your eyes for a moment, inwardly struggling. But, slowly, your own common sense is winning out over your despair. You *know* that you never betrayed your kingdom. Someone else must have done, but it certainly wasn't you.
"Good girl," the nymph queen murmurs as you open your eyes again. She lets her hands fall back to her sides, and smiles at you.
"What are you doing here?" you question.
"I came because you needed me," the nymph queen answers simply. "I can stay with you for a while." She gently pats your hand. "Come. Let us be moving on."
Just before you start off again, you say with a slight frown, "I never got your name before."
"It's Arina," the nymph answers.
Hardly able to believe your ears, you turn your head, and give a soft gasp as you see the nymph queen from the Forest of Darkness. You are so relieved to see a friendly face that you nearly burst into tears then and there, but you manage to stop yourself.
"He's not real," the nymph queen repeats, now that she knows she has your attention. "The Forest is playing on your deepest fears, perhaps even those you don't realise you have. You didn't betray the land, Esther. Someone else did."
"But..." you begin, glancing back towards the man, whose form is beginning to flicker because of your doubt. "What if it's right?"
"It's not," the nymph queen says firmly. She comes over to you, and gently cups your cheek in her hand, her skin feeling both smooth and rough at the same time, like the bark of a tree. She leans forward so that her forehead is resting against yours.
"It's not real," she repeats. "Do you hear me, Esther?"
"I..." You close your eyes for a moment, inwardly struggling. But, slowly, your own common sense is winning out over your despair. You *know* that you never betrayed your kingdom. Someone else must have done, but it certainly wasn't you.
"Good girl," the nymph queen murmurs as you open your eyes again. She lets her hands fall back to her sides, and smiles at you.
"What are you doing here?" you question.
"I came because you needed me," the nymph queen answers simply. "I can stay with you for a while." She gently pats your hand. "Come. Let us be moving on."
Just before you start off again, you say with a slight frown, "I never got your name before."
"It's Arina," the nymph answers.