Zarath disrobed as he as prepared to enter the lake, he handed his clothes over to Lyra who was closing her eyes tightly, despite the fact that it was common among wolfkin to be in minimal clothing when amongst their own kind this was not a cultural tradition practiced in the settlement of Vaerthruin, Zarath quickly took note of this based on Lyra’s reaction and quickly but slowly stepped into the lake the cold glacial waters quickly consuming him up to his waist. After she heard that he was in the water Lyra opened her eyes noticing the small scratches on Zarath’s back wounds from training with his father and siblings.

          “Are you going to keep staring at me or do you plan on getting in.” Zarath asked never once turning to face Lyra. He slowly moved deeper into the water sinking up to his chest the fur on his shoulders and arms standing on end from the cold water. Lyra’s face turned a bright pink under her fur her ears stood up straight as all the fur on her body frizzed our even her tail.

          “Wh..What why would I get in I don’t need to be purified or anything like that my aunt is the head of the temple and…and besides your clothes would get dirty if I just left them here on the bank of the lake.” Lyra was freaking out as the question caught her off guard.

          “It never hurts to take advantage of the lakes power, but its up to you if you want to get in.” Zarath slowly laid back letting the water of the lake hold his body up, he took a long deep breath and then released the cold air making his breath visible.

          “Alright then, lets see what you have to say.” Zarath whispered to himself as he closed his eyes, the water around him glowed a soft blue, and as he opened his eyes, he was in a large open field of waste high grass. In the distance a single willow tree grew sticking up like a pilar to the sky. He was now in the land beyond the veil. Zernar Ralak (land of souls) or at least that’s what the wolfkin called it, the elves called it the beyond, the dwarves had no name for it as they did not use magic, and the humans had many names for it depending on where they were from.

          Zarath slowly walked across the grassy field, in the far distance a floating upside down island could be seen in the purplish sky, in one direction storm clouds echoed with thunder and flashed red lightning, in the other direction and endless forest of vines in trees, one could easily get lost in the land of souls if one is not focused, in this place where  magic, spirits and demons all room, even the souls of those long past from the mortal world reside here. Some give advice others gone made from how they died in the mortal world. But there was one being here that Zarath had to speak with, as he approached the galactic willow tree a voice was heard one that was distant but near one that echoed but whispered at the same time,

          “It is good to see you again my child, it has been a long time since your dreams have brought you before me.” Suddenly a gigantic glowing white wolf appeared as she ran through the air only her head and front legs could be seen it wasn’t until she touched the ground that her from became more solid all four legs touching the ground as her lower body and tail appeared from the ghostly form before, long ribbon like pieces of glowing white cloth stretched and floated from her body and her eyes like twin galaxies. This was Fenraya the guardian spirit of the dead and the one that long ago breathed life into a dying boy who now stood before her a teenager, Zarath’s adoptive mother spirit queen of the wolfkin people and protecter of the land of souls, at least this part of the land of souls.

          “Hello Fenraya, I see you are still calling me your child after all this time.” Zarath crossed his arms, the ears atop his head twitching and his tail swaying in the tall grass.

          “I see you are still upset about your last visit to Zernar Ralak.” The spirit wolf slowly shifted her size shrinking to a much more approachable size of a horse rather than the gigantic mass that she was.

          “Oh, you mean the time when my adopted mother, guardian of my people and spirit queen of this section of Zernar Ralak openly let a demon attack me.” Zarath fur stood on end as he spoke the ground, and the sky shook as if this place was deeply connected to the emotions of people.

          “It was meant to be a learning experience my child.” Fenraya laid down under the willow tree her front paws crossed as she did.

          “I was seven, before that I loved being here, I could do anything be anything.” Zarath snorted his snout scrunched up as he tried to hold in a growl.

          “Yes, your connection to this place is deeper than any others of your kind, and I do regret that my choice made you leave this place for seven long years my child.” Fenraya showed no emotion, nor did her mouth ever move as she spoke, since she was a spirit, she did not speak as a normal person would.

          “Stop calling me that you are not my mother, you did not give birth to me.” Zarath snapped at her snarling and baring his fangs.

          “It is true that I did not birth you as you are a mortal, but you are also my child as you are part spirit after that night young Zarath, a part of my body resides in your heart it is what gives you life, and it is what has prevented the blighted from corrupting you.” Fenraya kept her claim demeanor no matter what was said or how badly Zarath’s emotional reaction shook the place around them. Finial he stopped and sighed letting his shoulders fall lax as he did.

          “What do you know of this blighted creature?” Zarath calmed his voice, and his fur slowly flattened against his body.

          “The blight is not some dark and ancient curse as the mortals believe it to be, the blight was never meant to harm anyone, in fact its original creator intended to use it to bring someone back from the dead, but the natural law of the world is finite and not easily broken.” Fenraya kept a clam demeanor, but her voice shifted as she spoke the next phrase.

          “The dead can not return to the land of the living unless we rulers of this realm say so, and to break that rule is to break reality itself. In so doing the creator of the blight unleashed the tormented spirit into the world, a spirit that turned all it touched into the corruption you call the blight, and as its purpose is to restore the dead, it corrupts the living.” Her voice seemed even louder than before as if she was shouting but still somehow very far away.

          “If the blight is just some tormented spirit, why don’t you or one of the other rulers just simply stop it.” Zarath asked a bit confused to learn that the blight was actual created by someone long ago.

          “We cannot interfere with the mortal world as we please, while it is true some of the lower spirits and demons enter the mortal world, we who rule over Zernar Ralak can never leave the confines of the domains we rule to do so would destroy the veil and both our worlds.” Fenraya calm voice returned to her as she spoke now.

          “Though it is true we have guided and protected those of the mortal world as best we can we are still limited in what we can do such are the laws of the world and magic. As I have stated what was can never be again unless we rulers say so as such unless all twelve of us agreed which has only happened maybe twice in the eons since our birth the rules will not allow us to stop this that is why the blight continues to this day.” Fenraya softly smiled across her muzzle as she saw that Zarath was starting to understand a bit.

          “So, the reason this thing, this spirit is drawn to me is because a part of me is connected to both the mortal world and the spirit world.” Zarath eyed Fenraya as if trying to gauge her reaction.

          “Yes my child this being wishes to use your connection to both worlds to allow even more corruption into both worlds but do not worry after you leave this place today it will not be able to bother you again not with its current strength but be warned its creatures will still be drawn to you, so go and seek out the wardens learn to fight and destroy them.” Fenraya’s voice seemed to fade into the distance as Zarath was lifted off the ground and began to fly into the sky when he opened his eyes again, he was back in the lake of sacred waters floating.

          But something was different. He felt something soft under his head, he tilted his head back slightly and could see someone’s hand gently brushing the fur from his eyes. He slowly realized that at some point while his mind was in Zernar Ralak, Lyra had joined him in the waters and his head was resting in her lap.

          “Um, Lyra, I’m awake now.” Zarath looked up at her, a bit surprised by everything.

          Lyra looked down and her face went pink under her fur again as she quickly shoved Zarath off of her lap and putting some distance between the two of them almost dunking his head under the water as she did.