—Epilogue

Tom opened his eyes. He was already standing upright. The world was dark save for the pale orange light of the sun that hung low on the tree lined horizon. The image was framed by two large stone pillars that pierced jaggedly into the sky and the rest of the space was occupied by a dense void.

I’m in the worldtree? It was exactly how he remembered the sheer massive scale. He walked forward on shaky legs.  The close he got to the entrance the more questions were swirling around his mind. Where am I? Am I dead? What’s going on? Instinctively he reached down to his chest. Tom expected to find the soft pliable bones that halted his recent nightmares, but instead he felt something solid. Something that felt like what bones ought to feel like. He pulled the collar of his shirt forward and used the ever increasing light to look at his chest, and for the first time in over five years, he saw his own skin. 

His slow lumbering broke into a full on sprint. His eyes strained to adjust to the light. “Hello?” He called out into the forest but only an echo greeted him. This has got to be another fucked up dream. “Hinba, if this is your idea of a joke- '' Tom said as he turned to look up at the worldtree and words caught in his throat. It was turning to stone. The rich brown on the bark and the vivid green of the leaves were fading right before his eyes and being overtaken by a dull gray. 

“Tom? Is that really you?” He recognized the voice calling to him from the treeline but couldn’t look away.

“Zmera! Please tell me what’s going on!” He waved to her to get closer. “What’s happening? Am I dead?” 

The naga slithered into view in front of Tom. At first he continued to watch the tree but noticed that Zmera appeared completely uninterested in the spectacle. She was focused entirely on Tom. “Only once in a millennia is time marked with the death of a worldstone.”

It was only now that Tom actually regarded her. “Why are you looking at me like that?” His arm reached up to the dying titan, fading away. “Do you know what’s happening to the worldtree?” 

“Exactly what you wanted. And the worldstone accepted your offer.” Zmera continued to circle around Tom as she spoke. 

“Offer?” Tom remembered the message of the tome referring to the exchange of magic. “I thought we were simply counteracting a spell.” 

“The magic of this land has always been equitable in nature. For every benefit received, something too must be given. You gave up a lot more than some magic in order to save the villagers. And again to protect those in the human world. The worldstone accepted it all… and now it’s giving back a part of you that was once trapped.” 

He clutched his chest. “It didn’t just attach itself to me, did it? It actually changed me… but I’m just a human.” 

“No human has ever become such a savant with magic so quickly without being able to cast a single spell. No human has ever discovered so much about the forest while barely spending any time here. No human has ever been awarded a second form… but the worldtree and the worldstone agreed you were worth a second chance.”

“They agree? You mean they’re sentient?” He was quickly becoming overwhelmed with trying to process the information, opting to focus on one thing at a time. “I always kinda guessed that they were… I don’t know… opposing forces in some constant fight for survival.” 

“No.” The naga slithered up to the tree and laid a hand on the rough bark. “They loved each other.” She took a moment to look up as the last of the color faded from its leaves leaving behind a massive stone effigy. “Have you given any thought to where you will go? I’m afraid there’s no way to send you back to the human world…” Tom didn’t answer, but gazed westward towards the setting sun as golden rays of light pierced the dense foliage. Zmera appeared beside him. “I can offer you a place in the coven safe from other predators. Or if you’d prefer someplace else?…” 

Tom smiled up at the naga. “I think I might help Hinba rebuild the town. I’m sure they could use another set of hands.” 

She nodded “Let me know if there is anything I can do to help. I am in your debt for the generosity you showed my niece. She never expected to wind up trapped in the human world.” 

“Wait… Are you talking about Celeste?” 

Zemera nodded. 

“Well then…” Tom took a few steps forward, a hopeful smile spread across his face. “Would you mind guiding me back to the town? It’s quite a long way and I still have a lot of questions…”