Looking around for any guards or the arch druids Elaine notices one of the guards bleeding on the ground underneath a broken down wall from one of the buildings nearby. Running over Elaine casts a lower healing spell to help the guard with his injuries.

"Minor cure wounds!" As Elaine chanted the spell a low green light emitted from her staff as the grievous wounds on the guard slowly dissipated and his condition got better.

"What happened sir guard?" Elaine asked nervously.

"I don't know, one minute the plaza was filled with people and the next several large explosions destroyed the hall of knowledge and the surrounding guard posts." The guard answered, still groggy from the injury.

Assuring that the guard is safe Elaine rushes towards the hall of knowledge to find the arch druids and Rhys. After a few minutes of running past injured and dead people Elaine arrives at the hall, seeing a squad of experienced woodland rangers Elaine announced herself and asked if there is need for support.

"Thank you young one, but currently we have our situation under control. Why haven't you escaped yet?" One of the rangers asked Elaine, puzzled by her appearance.

"I just arrived here, I was resting near the plaza when suddenly several large explosions drew my attention here." Elaine explained.

Understanding her situation the guard joined up with his squadron leaving Elaine alone outside the hall of knowledge. Not knowing her purpose at the current situation Elaine decided to travel back to Cymbal forest to talk with Layla and Elis. Running away from the blazing fires she headed towards the archway where the leylines connect.

Running for several minutes Elaine noticed that many more people are herding towards the archways, seeing mostly elder and younger people, the rest helping quell the fires. Arriving at the archways Elaine sees Tach alone, looking scared. Making eye-contact with Elaine Tach's expression turns from relief to anger as he stomps over to Elaine and grabs ahold her collar.

"Where is Téar and Sionn!?" Tach screamed at the frightened Elaine.

"How am I supposed to know? I left you guys after you and Olivia said awful things about me." Elaine explained, trying to get away from him.

Before Tach could rebuke another large explosion erupted behind them, people were screaming and two nearby buildings crumbled in fiery ruins. Dropping his grip on Elaines collar and slowly backs away in fear of the creature standing before them. Standing five metres tall, with two large crustacean looking claws on each hands and two pairs of tentacles on their back.

"What in Helheim is that!?" A person standing beside Elaine shouted out, drawing the creatures attention. Elaines vision darkened as several explosions erupted all around the group and several more creatures arrived, the vertigo of the explosions causing Elaine to fall unconscious.

Waking up at an unknown time later Elaine groggily sat up, her face turned into terror as she sees dozens of dead bodies around her, ripped to shreds by the creatures. Slowly lifting herself up she notices that all but one of the archways are opened still. Unsure of what to do she runs towards one of the broken down buildings to assess her situation.

"Okay. The whole Tirnas forest is ruined, I don't know where any of the leaders are and I don't know anyone except those assholes." Elaine's mood worsened, she felt a panic attack coming closer. She tried talking to herself to hold her mood up, "I have to get to safety, I have to get back home and defend the forest."

Making clear her goals she gets up on her feet and begins sneaking alongside the burnt down buildings towards the archway, but when she had passed the halfway mark a weird noise roared behind her. Quickly turning around she saw one of the creatures standing around twenty metres away from her, holding a dead guard in their claw half eaten. Terror filled her eyes as the creature noticed her presence and dropped the guard on the ground before slowly walking towards her.

A sense of panic filled Elaine as she turned around and began running towards the archway, but after just a few steps black tendrils erupted from the ground and holding her in place.

"Well, well, well. if it isn't the little rat. I thought you would be dead in the initial explosion." A voice spoke from one of the alleys to her left. Out from the shadows stepped Tach, draped in his attire but now he had several black markings on his face. "You might be weak but you carry the blood of an arch druid. So sadly you have to die. HAHAHAHA!!" Tach erupted into maniacal laughter.

"Tach, what are you talking about? What does my mother have to do with this? Did you do all of this?" Elaine was confused by yer appearance of Tach.

"Well, its like this, I was offered immense power from these beings, and all I had to do was betray the sacred forests and kill all the arch druids and heirs, simple really." Tach explained with laughter as he seemed to enjoy the moment. " And it seems like you were a part of this group since you are the only child of the lost arch druid. I don't want to stay here any longer, I have a few heirs to kill. Jryx, please kill her." Tach excused himself as her ordered the creature to kill her.

Elaine tried to hack away the tendrils but as soon as she cleaved one another would rupture from the ground and ensnare her again, as the creature came closer Elaine began panicking and she fervently hacked away to escape. But to no avail her attempts were futile.

As the creature was standing over her Elaines life flashed before her eyes and tears streamed down her cheeks, accepting her fate.

"Mom, I wanted to find you all along, but if you are truly dead we will see each other in the garden of Natiem." Elaine stopped hacking away and lowered her head, waiting for the killing blow.

As the claw came down to crush her the small jewel on her staff began growing a bright white light and the creature backed away in surprise. Between Elaine and Jryx a large white stag, standing several metres tall with large antlers adorned with hanging jewels and crystals. Its fur brilliant white and silver markings swirling all across its body.

"Child, you need to escape, you have a greater destiny than being killed here. I can answer your questions once you have returned to Cymbal forest." The great stag spoke without opening its mouth, to Elaine it seemed like the stag spoke directly into her mind. Elaine wanted to ask questions but before she could the black tendrils began evaporating from her, leaving her free, she wanted to help the stag but it simply shook its head and turned back facing Jryx.

Silently thanking the stag she began running towards the archway, pressing the right runes she entered the leylines to head back to her home.

The great stag standing before Jryx began talking to it. "So... it seems like the wicked beasts terror has finally arrived to Terrum. I have to discuss with Nag'losh and the others. Usually I'm the protector of all life but you can't be considered a creature under my preservation, being a chaotic being and all." The great stag talked to herself.

Sensing that the stag didn't attack Jryx became frustrated and began unleashing several attacks with its tentacles, but all its attacks simply evaporated when it touched the stags body.

Sensing that Elaine had safely escaped the stag let out a small sigh before a brilliant light shone from its antlers before a ray of intense light tore through Jryx's body, killing it instantly. Standing over its ashes the stag casted a small protection spell so the creature couldn't be resurrected.

As the great stag pondered its next moves Tach returned with four creatures, surprised by the disappearance of Elaine and Jryx and the appearance of the stag standing alone on the road.

"Hmm. It seems like the little rat got away, and who might you be? a lesser steed summoned by the rat to sacrifice itself" Tach pondered as he didn't know who the creature before him was.

"Who I am is of no concern to you, breaker of oaths and betrayer of kin. The child of Mara Nyve has escaped and she will stop your masters goals." The great stag announced, irritating Tach.

"You lesser being, I am a servant of Aquala, the two-headed serpent. You and your followers will be sacrificed to my master!" Tach lashed out in anger, frustrated immensely by the creature before him.

Elaine ran inside the druidic leylines towards the archway to Cymbal. She tried several times to contact Layla and Elis for help but her connection to Elphyne, the realm of fairies, was disconnected while traversing the leylines. Instead she continued to run, only thinking about escaping the ruin that was Tirnas forest and those creatures.

"But who was that stag, She seemed familiar to me but I have never seen it before, I hope she comes back later so she can anser my questions." Elaine spoke aloud to herself, trying to distract her from the terrifying things she saw.

After several minutes of running she finally sees the familiar archway leading her to her home, pressing the correct runes around the archway Elaine arrives back at the central glade in Cymbal forest, directly casting message again to contact her two fairy friends. After a moment of pause the familiar light emits in the air and the two fairies arrive before her.

"Elaine, are you okay!? We heard from the Queen that an attack occurred in Tirnas forest and she couldn't reach the arch druids. What happened?" Elis asked hastily, wanting to understand the situation and report back to their queen.

"Elis, you have to inform the fairy queen that grave danger has descended upon the sacred woods and the arch druids are dead, along with their heirs presumably. We were betrayed by one of our own in exchange for foul power. He and other traitors were behind the corrosion in Cymbal and Orhin forest. I was rescued by a large white stag, it seemed familiar but I didn't recognize it." Elaine explained to the pair of fairies before her.

"Huh. Did you say white stag?" Before Layla could speak further to Elaine the familiar bright light suddenly flared up before the trio and before them stood the same white stag.

"Lady Nyalith! Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be in hibernation with the other primordial beings?" Elis shouted out in confusion and then flew down taking a knee kneeling before the stag, Layla seeing her companion followed her motion and kneeled before it.

"Nyalith? Are you the being my mother told me about before she disappeared twelve years ago?" Confused Elaine asked.

"Yes child, I am the being your mother told about, I'm considered a primordial being, older than the earth and sea, close to Yaris, lady of groves. Your mother was my champion before she was lost and one of few who knew of our existence. You are chosen since birth by your mother to follow her steps and be my champion, With your help we can save the sacred woods and expel these creatures." Nyalith explained with a soothing tone, calming the scared girl.

Elaine though about the events that have occurred, the dead bodies and the sickening appearance of Tach, and her mother. "You mean if I become your champion, we can avenge Tirnas?" Elaine asked, her voice steeled with resolve.

"Yes. But you have to train your druidic abilities, at your current abilities you would die for naught." Nyalith answered.

"Lets begin!" Elaine said, Her resolve ignited with motivation.