The ending of the arc

Time has come to reveal the final moments of the 'dream story'...

And so...

The king turns back around, a mad glint in his eyes and starts walking towards the boy.

In panic, the boy looks around, his eyes darting to and fro, looking for an escape. He sees the king's minions lurking in the shadows before him. The king steadily advances, his movements slow and measured and with each step, his features darken as his fury deepened. The boy cowers beneath the king's deathly stare and moves backwards, past the oaken doors which led out into the royal forest. 

The boy tripped and fell, his back slamming into a tree behind him, his hands becoming intertwined with the roots in the ground, but still the king and his entourage kept coming. With a snarl, the king bared his teeth and quickened his pace until he was almost upon the boy.

Unable to move any further, the boy covered his face, screwed his eyes shut and screamed with all his might.

'AAARGH!' He screeched. The cry echoed through the forest, its desperate note so piercing, that even those in the castle and surrounding vales could hear it loud and clear.


All who heard, shivered as their neck prickled and dropped what they were doing, or if they were thinking or talking, stopped midway through their thoughts or conversations and looked around. The less curious souls returned to their tasks and activities, and the braver, more nosy ones went out to investigate.

Word has it from those at the castle that a large grove in the royal forest is gone. Just gone. All that's left was turned earth, and some odd looking grubs and beetles where the trees had been. Of the king, his underlings and the boy, there was no sign. 

Some say that the boy killed them all with his magic and fled into the forest. Others say the king killed the boy and felled the trees, churned the earth, buried everything, the boy and all his useless minions and went on a trip. 

Yet there were also a selected few that believed that the trees and the Mother of Life had something to do with it and each was punished for their wrong doing - the boy included. It is said that the trees absorbed the boy and now his spirit is as one with the forest until his crimes are paid. What will become of the boy afterwards, no one really knows - but that's another story.

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Phew...well, I hope you all enjoyed this narrative and hopefully the ending is acceptable and not too cliche for your liking. This ending is quite open to interpretation and for all I know everyone turned into bugs and beetles, but hey. You can be the judge of that.

Thanks for your support!
- eenh