Shanirin walks with the Elder in silence for a nameless while.

He has no idea where they are going, or what any of this means. He never would've expected the Forest to hear his prayers, much less for a Soulbiter to do so. He supposes it makes sense, given that the Soulbiters are rooted into the soil of the Forest.

Still, this is quite the turn of events for him. The Elder takes a winding path through the woods, Shanirin has no idea how it knows where it is headed.

Eventually, it leads Shanirin to a clearing, a cave set into the back of it. He shudders as they step into the space. Something about this clearing feels off, like Shanirin is treading somewhere sacred and forbidden.

He dutifully follows the Soulbiter though, as it plows across toward the mouth of the cave. Will it kill him in there? Feed on him?

Shanirin hopes not, he hopes there is a greater purpose to all of this. He cannot meet his end yet anyhow. Umi still needs help. He's still somewhere out there.

He follows the beast into the cave in the end, having precious little other choice here, and clings to hope.

His heart trembles in his chest as they venture deeper, the soft cracking of stone from the Soulbiter's tracks burrowing through it echoing around them. Soon, the darkness grows thicker as they keep going yet deeper, and Shanirin feels himself on edge, tensed up.

What awaits him in this darkness he knows not, but he must be braced for it all the same.

However, the Elder does nothing to harm him, merely burrows further by Shanirin's side, and eventually the dark halls of the cave light up with the dim, blue glow of some crystals. Shanirin is relieved to be able to see a bit again, admiring the clusters on the walls. He reaches out and runs his fingertips across their smooth, cool surface.

How wondrous.

He follows the Soulbiter deeper still, until eventually they emerge into a cavernous room entirely lit up by large crystals jutting out from the walls and ceiling.

Shanirin can merely gape at the sight. He hadn't known a place like this exists deep beneath the earth.

He'd known so little prior to losing Umi.

The Elder plows into the room and Shanirin goes to follow when he freezes mid-step as he notices three other Elders already awaiting there.

A cold coil of fear grips him, and he has to force his iced limbs to move closer. He's come this far and will see this through, but standing before four ancient beasts is incredibly unnerving nonetheless.

They regard him for a moment, their hulking forms still and silent, before the one that brought him here speaks, its jagged maw peeling open, "Y-Yourrrr l-lovee is s-safeeee," it rasps.

Shanirin's body crumples to the stone floor as soon as he takes the words in. Oh, Umi is alright. He shudders, a small, pitiful whimper emerging from his throat, his voice laced with such profound relief. All he has wanted to hear for days now had been that Umi is well.

He sits there and breathes, breathes deeper than he's been capable of before now, his body so unburdened he feels as if he will float away. Oh, Umi.

"Where is he?" Shanirin asks, looking up at the Elders, his gaze pleading.

"H-Huntinggg," one of them replies, croaking the words.

Shanirin furrows his brow to this. Hunting? That brings up more questions than it answers, really.

"Hunting for what?" Shanirin asks the most pressing one. He is certain it is not food. Umi has never enjoyed hunting for food, he finds the process of winding each individual arrow with rope so they can pull their prey up into the safety of the trees after the kill tedious.

"N-Neww b-bodyyyy," an Elder says, "f-for an o-old hearttttt," it continues, its head tilted.

Shanirin finds himself only more confused. A new body for an old heart? What could that possible mean? What are the Elders having Umi do for them?

He asks more questions, attempting to piece together the full story from the broken, limited speech the Elders can manage, doing his best to understand and connect things. The more they talk, the more Shanirin wonders where and how he would fit into this.

If they are seeking to resurrect the Divine Beast, and Umirin has to bring them the components, Shanirin isn't certain what they need him for. Why would they answer his cries for help? What do they need him for?

"And...me? What of me?" he asks at last, still reeling from learning of their plans. He cannot imagine how Umi must feel carrying out this disturbing plot. He wishes he could somehow take this weight off him.

"L-Lifeeee b-bearingg," an Elder answers, "y-you m-may becomeee a-able," it tells him.

Shanirin frowns, his heart twisting up with unease at that. He can become capable of bearing life? That—seems blasphemous. It seems impossible, more than that, "How can that be done?"

"T-Takee o-of ussss," an Elder says, "b-becomee b-beastlyy," it tells him.

Shanirin swallows a thick lump, staring up at the Soulbiters, gooseflesh erupting all over his skin. He doesn't know what they mean when they say beastly, but it frightens him. What kind of sacrifice will this entail? How will he change?

He shudders as he thinks more. How will Umi see him afterward?

"And...if I agree, does...does that spare Umi from this fate?" he asks, chewing on his lip. He is fairly certain that is the implication here. If he doesn't do this, it will be put on Umirin. And his poor little one is already undergoing an awful mission as is. Shanirin cannot allow any more grizzly outcomes to befall him, no. No matter what this means, even if Umi shall scorn him once it's all said and done, Shanirin must protect him. He will make any sacrifice necessary. He said he would, and he intends to stay firm to his word.

"Y-Yesssss," one of the Elder Soulbiters confirms, thus Shanirin's decision is sealed.

"Okay. Tell me what to do," he says, nodding as he climbs to his feet. He takes a deep breath to steal himself, allowing one more shudder of fear to wind through him, before doing his best to steel himself.

He is ready.

"C-Consumeeee," an Elder tells him, and then stretches its head to the neck of the Soulbiter next to him, unwinds its jaw then bites down.

Shanirin watches this blankly, the bitten beast not reacting.

When the Elder releases its bite, there are puncture holes left behind in the black skin. And from them oozes—not blood, Shanirin is certain, but—something. Something translucent and shimmering.

He assumes it could only be their pure life force that the Forest draws out to keep alive. There is nothing else within them anymore besides that.

And suddenly it all makes sense to him. Cursed creatures as they are, they are made to take. They bite another and steal their life, spread their curse. They take life, they cannot grant it.

Of course they need another to this end of resurrection. Someone to become their inverse.

Shanirin unwinds a small waterskin from the belt at his waist and walks closer to the bitten Elder, reaching out to it with the waterskin open, and setting it under the flow of the life force, gathering some within.

This continues, the Elders biting each other. Shanirin gathers from each of them, his body moving on its own, his mind suffused in a detached haze of acceptance.

After it's done, Shanirin steps back, observes the waterskin in his hand. There is pure life within this. And he is meant to consume it.

Nothing has ever taken from Soulbiters before, until now.

He brings it up to his lips, feeling entirely calm. He would trade anything to save Umi from any worse predicament. Umirin had already sacrificed himself to save Shanirin after all, now it is Shanirin's turn.

He can only hope whatever monster becomes of him beyond this point will not repel his love away.

Even if it does, it will be worth it.

Shanirin tips the waterskin and drinks, his tongue tingling with the cold flow of the life force seeping into his mouth.

He drinks everything, then swallows.

It is done.

For a moment, Shanirin feels nothing, but after a few moments elapse a deep seated heat flames to life within the left half of his body, his muscles and bones aching, his skin starting to burn.

He gasps as the sensation overtakes him, the left half of his face simmering so hot he feels like it is melting, unable to take control of his muscles. He feels himself twitch and spasm, twisting up with the slow rise of pain coming over him.

His blood bubbles and boils, yells of agony tearing from his throat as he goes down to the ground again, shaking and grasping at his left side helplessly, half of him seizing and rumbling, his skin slowly splitting in lines along the length of his body, his blood fiery and somehow thicker now, barely able to flow.

Shanirin screams louder as he feels the caustic ache flood over him, the slits opened along his body blooming with red, those thick globs of blood clinging past the edges of his skin, drying out from their own fires into a harsh, deeply brown, crackled surface. Shanirin feels this jagged layer spread, eat away at the rest of his skin, feels it rising up his arms, his chest, over his face. He feels it bite into his mouth, yelling his heart out as the left half of his teeth split and crack into splintered, sharp points, fangs, the flesh of his tongue calcifying.

The rough bark that slowly becomes him rises over half his nose, crushing it to the planes of his face, his nostril widening, it moves further upward, over his left eye, half of his field of vision growing dim while his eye is consumed, the socket growing stiff and hard pressed. And the pain does not end.

He faintly hears cracks along his bones as his hand reshapes once the bark overtakes it, breaching deep into the flesh of him, the delicate bones of his palm splintering and shifting until his hand is left a taloned, curled claw, his fingernails cracking and elongating into sharp tips.

He gasps for air, wails, so overheated and agonized, clawing at the ground in helpless desperation with his good arm. The fire continues razing through his body, down his chest, over his hip and biting through his thigh, overtaking his nethers, his skin splitting wider and wider as the jagged coat bursts forth. He screams when he feels it grip at his knee, his leg jerking as his knee cap twists around, another clean snap dislodging the direction his leg usually bends, his clothes ripping as his bones reset his knee joint to stick out at the back instead, blinding agony searing all of him alive.

Shanirin pants heavily when he feels the bark, his new skin now it seems, eat away at his ankle, his foot cracking and reshaping into a taloned sole, his boot tearing apart and falling off, the heat blazing its way out of him as the change finally, finally concludes.

Shanirin lays there collapsed through the whitehot aches of pain now slowly settling through him, trying to draw in breath through his half flattened split nose, little hoarse whines and whimpers emerging from his half ruined body.

The Elders, who merely watched his entire transformation, rumble in unison as one lowers its head and presses its cool snout to Shanirin's rough, textured cheek. The cold of the beast feels nicely relieving against the residual heat and ache, a whine emerging from him. He still cannot move the left of himself, but he hopes the Soulbiter will come closer.

It does, as if understanding his plight, shuffling next to him, and lowering itself, pressing the length of its bulk against Shanirin. He vaguely makes out the others joining in through half blurry vision, laying around him, pressed closer, helping him cool off and recover.

All Shanirin can do is breathe.

He doesn't dare think about what he has just become, only consoled by the fact he'd spared Umi this painful fate. Whatever unholy beast he is now, he regrets nothing regardless.

The price of his humanity was a small one to pay for the safety of his one and only love.