💙03 - When the Forest Answered [Runes of Wyrd - vol 3]🤍

In the pic, from left to right - Mikal‑Finnvard Arvast Album : https://suno.com/playlist/d3b85d17-41e5-4f6c-bfbc-4086191ed19e 💙🤍💙🤍💙🤍💙🤍💙🤍💙🤍💙🤍 The world around Mikal-Finnvard no longer resembled anything he had ever known. There was neither sky nor earth, neither horizon nor distance. Endless roots of impossible size floated through a boundless twilight, weaving together rivers, mountains, forests and oceans suspended in a silent void. Water flowed upward before becoming mist. Flames burned without consuming. Vast stones drifted slowly through the air, wrapped in vines that bloomed with flowers despite the absence of any sun. Nothing obeyed the laws of Midgard. At first, the Jarl believed he had died. He turned slowly upon himself, searching for a familiar landmark, but every direction looked different from the last, as though the world itself reshaped its paths each time he looked away. "Where am I...?" Only silence answered. Then the roots began to tremble. A warm breeze brushed against his face. Tiny leaves detached themselves from invisible branches and circled around him before dissolving into emerald light. Beneath his feet, crystal-clear water emerged from nowhere, flowing gently across the roots without ever spilling into the void. A calm voice echoed all around him. "You have called us for many years." Another followed, deeper than rolling thunder. "And yet..." A third whispered like countless leaves rubbing together. "You never truly listened..." The air suddenly grew heavy. Before him, four immense silhouettes slowly emerged from the living landscape. The first was shaped from living stone veined with molten gold. The second flowed endlessly between the forms of water, mist and rain. The third burned with white flames that radiated warmth rather than destruction. The last seemed woven from roots, moss, blossoms and the breath of every forest that had ever existed. None possessed a face. Yet all of them were watching him. Mikal-Finnvard instinctively reached for the magic that had always answered his call. Nothing happened. He frowned. "I do not understand." The voice of the earth resonated once more. "You sought to command us." The water continued softly. "You named it harmony." The fire completed the thought. "You called it faith." Finally, the forest spoke, its voice carrying immeasurable patience. "But harmony cannot exist where one will commands another." The Jarl lowered his eyes. "I never desired power." "No," replied the wind. "You desired protection." The roots beneath his feet slowly opened. A tiny green shoot emerged between two ancient stones. So fragile that the slightest touch could have broken it. The forest invited him gently. "Make it grow." Without hesitation, Mikal-Finnvard stretched out his hand. Nothing happened. He whispered ancient runes. Nothing. He closed his eyes and summoned every fragment of elemental strength he had ever mastered. Still nothing. Long moments passed before he finally let his arm fall. For the first time in decades, he smiled with quiet humility. "I cannot." The silence that followed felt almost peaceful. Then he knelt before the little sprout. "I have spent my life believing I could guide nature because I loved her. But love does not command. It listens... it protects... and sometimes it simply waits." He gently placed his hand upon the ground. "I ask nothing more than to walk beside you." The four presences became perfectly still. The tiny sprout quivered. Then another appeared. Then another. Within seconds, an entire meadow spread across the roots, countless flowers blooming together in complete silence. The elements spoke as one. "Now... you understand." The forest slowly wrapped itself around his arm, not like chains, but like an old friend taking his hand. "You shall never command us." "You shall call." "We shall answer." The warmth that flowed through his body was unlike anything he had ever known. There was no violence. No force. Only trust. For the first time, he felt the elements willingly lending him their strength instead of surrendering it. Then... Far away... Almost beyond existence... A trembling voice pierced the silence. "...Father..." The meadow froze. The whisper returned, clearer this time. "Please... I still need you." Mikal-Finnvard lifted his head. His eyes widened. "Helena...?" The voice echoed through every root, every leaf, every stream. It was frightened. Hopeful. Alive. A smile slowly crossed the Jarl's weathered face. "I hear you..." The world shattered into countless fragments of light. He inhaled deeply. Then opened his eyes. The scorching heat of Muspellheim immediately seized his lungs. Blinding light. The roar of distant volcanoes. The smell of ash. For several long seconds, he could only stare at the crimson sky, struggling to understand where he was. Then a familiar voice broke through the confusion. "Father!" Helena threw herself into his arms before he had even managed to sit upright. At first, he remained motionless, still overwhelmed by everything he had just experienced. Then, slowly, he wrapped his arms around her. Bruno was next. His voice faltered. "Father... we... we missed you. We thought..." He stopped, unable to finish. Mikal-Finnvard rested a reassuring hand on the young man's shoulder. "I'm here." Only then did he truly notice the exhausted faces surrounding him. Confusion slowly settled across his features. "I... forgive me... How long have I been gone?" Mikell smiled thoughtfully. "That is difficult to answer. Time does not flow the same way in every realm." Ash folded her arms, a teasing grin finally returning to her face. "It has been nearly fifteen days... and we've all had to take turns carrying you." She glanced at Torstein with mock sympathy. "You are considerably heavier than you look." Even Torstein let out a weary laugh. Helena wiped the tears from her cheeks before helping her father to his feet. "Come on. We have to keep moving. I'll explain everything on the way." She looked at him with a mixture of affection and determination. "But afterward..." A faint smile appeared on her lips. "You're going to tell me exactly what happened on that volcano." 💙🤍💙🤍💙🤍💙🤍💙🤍💙🤍💙🤍 I have forgotten how the wind once carried my name. I kept calling it... power. But silence (silence) never obeyed me. It only waited until I was ready to listen. The river never belonged to my hands. The mountain never asked for a king. I mistook patience (patience)... for weakness. The forest simply lowered its eyes. Then... a seed broke open before me. No command. No miracle. Only a fragile leaf... That trusted the sun more than itself. Forgive these hands that wished to rule... Teach them instead... how to ask. When the Forest Answered When the Forest Answered Earth... will you walk beside me? Fire... will you warm, not consume? Water... carry what I cannot heal. Wind... remind me I was never alone. When the Forest Answered When the Forest Answered I no longer ask the world to kneel... Only... to walk beside me. When the Forest Answered When the Forest Answered I heard her voice... Beyond stone... Beyond sleep... When the Forest Answered When the Forest Answered