"Will you be able to help him?", small paws trudged across the floor of your personal chambers.

The flames of the torches cast long shadows across your face as you paced back and forth, lost in thought, your tail dragging behind you like an animal in restlessness.

Restlessness. That was a fitting word for what you were feeling. On the one hand, there was this tinge of excitement, on the other, doubts tightened around your chest.

What if it didn't work?

Or even worse, what if it did work?

Emotions made the torches sing. Red embers became blue flames. A hiss echoed through the silence. In some places, the stone on the wall was burnt black.

"I'm not sure.", without thinking about it, you chewed on the tip of your thumbnail.

Your other hand slipped to your chest, thinking, right where Gale was carrying the piece of weave in his body.

"You said the magic of the weave was something your species hadn't seen in millennia.", tiny wings flapping in the air.

Tara's dark fur bristled. You turned away from her. Even though she was a tressym, a spirit summoned from the far corners of the worlds, the accusations in her eyes were as powerful as those of a human.

It hurt to see her like that after you responded so quickly to her first statement. Yes, at first you actually thought you could help Gale. But now came the doubts, the worries. Perhaps your first thought had been too ill-considered.

"It's not what's inside him, but what happens when it's taken out.", you drew a circle on your chest. "He could die if I absorb the magic too quickly."

"He will definitely die if no one helps him!", Tara jumped onto the bed in front of you, where you hadn't slept for days.

Artefacts from times long past hung from the beams like artificially created stars. Their magic fuelled the air. Small sparks were reflected in the dull light and made the room glitter like a galaxy.

Fear and helplessness mingled in your chest, making your heart race.

Stupid.

It had been stupid to promise her something before you even knew what it was all about.

"Let him ask his honourable lady.", you dared not speak Mystra's name.

Yet the tower reacted to your emotions, the revulsion you felt for her. Walls began to shake and small threads of dust rippled from the joints. The artefacts above your bed shook, the sound of singing metal mingling with the crackling of flames.

"Mystra won't help him!", Tara's claws dug into the sheets of your sleeping place.

"Not in my home!", you leaned over her angrily.

Your shadow twitched, flames burning in a violet colour so dark it was almost black. The entire tower began to tremble as your breath caught in your throat.

Tara, on the other hand, just stared at you reproachfully. She was so much like a human, so full of personality and reproach.

"Do you see now, my dear?", she sighed and sat down on the bed, her ears drooping. "He also feels this fear. Every day. And he was once her favourite."

"That was his own stupidity.", you tried to shake off the feeling of fright but the colour of the flames told you it was no use.

They burned in the same violet colour that she had adopted as her own. The thought of her corrupted you.

"He was just a child!"

"Even a child must know consequences."

"And he deserves to die for that? Because he was young and stupid and because My- because she knew exactly what he wanted to hear?"

Your nervous steps faltered. It still felt like a stone was lying on your chest, threatening to crush your ribcage. Still, nothing helped.

You could feel it: pity. No, he didn't deserve this fate. No one did.

And yet he was trapped with the burden that his goddess would not lift from his shoulders. Even though she was able to. At least you were convinced of that. She just didn't want to.

Breathing in deeply, you had to close your eyes. Your head hurt. Thoughts were screaming in your ears.

"He will die.", you whispered. "And I... don't know what will happen to me when I've absorbed all the magic."

"And if he lives?", hope oozed from her voice, which was like that of an old woman.

There was something motherly about her, something gentle that you liked to put your arms around.

When was the last time you hugged your mum?

When was the last time you saw anyone other than your own reflection?

Shuddering, you wrapped your arms around your shoulders as if this could do anything to stop the thoughts from eating you up from the inside.

"If he'll live then I can't guarantee for his safety.", you exhaled deeply. "Not for anyone's safety. Not even my own."

The flames of the torches rested again. But this time the fire turned black with grief.

Ever since this creature had strayed into this place with her human husband, you had nothing but worry and concern. On the other hand, you did not care to chase her away as you had done a thousand times before.

Thoughtfully, you looked at the tips of your fingers as they curled and trembled. Pain was in your bones. You would have loved to lie down in the fire and sleep.

By now, however, even that no longer eased the pain. Your body demanded more change. Change that you couldn't bring about even though you worked so hard for it.

It felt like you were doomed to fail.

All that remained was the promise of a painful, agonising death.

But not with him.

Gale had brought you exactly what you needed right to your door. But you had to recognise that it was also a gift from Mystra. And you would have to sacrifice him just like that.

How selfish could you be before even the undead three condemned it?

You didn't want to know the answer to that.

"Let's... sleep.", you crawled into bed in a daze, Tara jumping back in fright. "Tomorrow... let's... talk tomorrow."