Serayne: "SIRE SIRE!" She burst through the front castle gates as Wiliaquo and Monse were discussing something in the great hall. She held Tiffany in her wing; she looked like she was losing her color. "Something has plagued your daughter!"
Monse: Her eyes widened, and the two of them ran to Serayne as she placed her on the ground. She held Tiffany up a bit, "My baby, what is going on?! Talk to me, sweetheart..."
Tiffany: She opened her eyes weakly, blood leaked from her mouth, "M-mom?..."
Wiliaquo: He stood frozen for a brief moment before dropping to one knee beside them, his aura flickering violently around his body. "This is not an illness." His voice lowered as realization crept in. "This is something far worse." He hovered his hand over Tiffany's chest, wind energy spiraling cautiously around her. "Her life force is fading."
Monse: She looked up sharply, terror flashing across her face. "Fading? What do you mean fading?"
Wiliaquo: His jaw tightened as the energy recoiled from Tiffany, as if something was actively rejecting it. "Something is severing her connection to life itself."
Tiffany: Her fingers tightened weakly around Monse's hand. Her voice trembled. "The snow trees...they were burning. I could hear them screaming."
Wiliaquo: His eyes snapped wide. He slowly rose to his feet, staring at her in disbelief before turning and storming out through the castle gates. Outside, he froze as his gaze locked onto the distant forest, the sacred trees engulfed in flame. His pupils shrank as fear and fury crashed over him all at once.
Monse: She realized that their son might have this sickness, "Wiliaquo! MUTHI!!" She placed Tiffany on Serayne's wing, running towards his room. Wiliaquo dashed inside, running past her into Multhi's room.
Multhi: He sat in his crib, chewing on his blanket, looking over at them. "Dada, Mama."
Monse: Her eyes watered, picking him up, "His first words, and it is at a time like this..."
Wiliaquo: He rushed over to her side, using his energy to check on him, "He seems okay...Why did Tiffany get sick but he didn't?"
Monse: She rocked him slowly, "Well, he was born from our energy, perhaps he is part elemental deity?"
Wiliaquo: He thought for a moment, peaking out into the hallway at Tiffany, and then rushing over to a window to look at the trees again, "She mortal...Immortal only in the way of genetics, but not by godhood..."
Monse: Her arms tightened around Multhi. "That is why she is suffering."
Wiliaquo: His fists clenched as the air around him sharpened. "The Everlasting Tree sustains mortal life."
Monse: She stared at Wiliaquo, holding Multhi close to her side, "You...you don't think-"
Wiliaquo: "Valkun is burning the Everlasting Tree."
Monse: Her voice fell, heavy and broken. "Even now he affects our lives..."
Wiliaquo: He looked between her, Multhi, and Tiffany out in the hall. "...I will go to him."
Monse: "What?!" She put Multhi down in his crib, and he immediately tried to reach out to her again, making whining noises as she stepped towards Wiliaquo, tears building in his eyes. "That is completely out of the question! You and I both know exactly what he would do the moment he sees you!"
Wiliaquo: He placed his hand over his face, "You don't think I know that?" He spread his arms out, "But what choice do we have?! Take a look at our new home, and take a look at our daughter! Waiting any longer will get her killed!"
Monse: "And you believe that sacrificing your life or even our safety will fix this?!" She grabbed his face, "We can find another way to save her life, we might have time-"
Wiliaquo: He placed his hands on her shoulders, "But how much time...How long can we just sit here, aimlessly planning for things we don't even know will work. We need Alces; he is the only one who can restore the tree. If the tree is burning, then Valkun is doing something to him."
Monse: Her grip on his wrists tightened, then faltered. "No…" Her voice shook as she shook her head. "No, no, no…" Her knees buckled, and she sank against him, clutching his arms like they were the only thing keeping her upright. "I cannot lose you, too. I cannot do this alone!"
Multhi: The shouting finally reached him. He began to cry, a sharp, frightened sound, little hands gripping the bars of his crib as wind stirred the room. "Mama! Dada!" He kicked his feet, tears spilling down his cheeks.
Monse: The sound broke her completely. She sobbed, burying her face against Wiliaquo's chest, her voice rising into a scream. "This is not fair! We built this world to escape him! We were supposed to be safe!" Her fingers dug into his tunic. "I am so tired of being afraid!"
Wiliaquo: He froze, feeling Multhi's cries echo through him. The wind around him stuttered and died down, replaced by a trembling stillness. He reached out, pulling Monse close, his jaw clenched hard enough to ache.
Multhi: He reached toward them, hiccupping through his sobs, his blanket slipping from his grasp. "Dada…"
Monse: She lifted her head just enough to look at Multhi, her face twisted with fear and guilt. She walked over to him, picking him up and hugging Multhi, "He is scared," she choked out. "They are both scared, and you are talking about walking straight into the fire..."
She looked back at Wiliaquo, tears streaming freely now. "If you leave, you are teaching him that this world takes fathers away." Her voice dropped into a broken whisper. "Please do not make me raise our son alone."
Wiliaquo: He looked between the two of them, "Okay...Okay..." His voice dropped to a softer tone, "We can try to figure something out from here, but I do not know how much time we will have." He took Monse's hand gently, "Come on...let us try to save our home and our family."