The air in the temple was thick with tension as the elders convened in solemn silence, their eyes fixed on Syllel, still bound and struggling weakly in her silver restraints. The full moon hung high outside, casting eerie shadows through the tall stained-glass windows, as if the heavens themselves watched in judgment. After what seemed like an eternity of hushed murmurs, The elders had finally come to a decision, and the highest ranked among them, a wrinkly old cleric with pale blue robes, finally spoke.
"The risk she poses is too great," the elder said, his voice cold and resolute.
"A werewolf cannot be allowed to remain in the sacred halls of Selûne. She has defiled our temple. The curse she carries must be purged immediately."
The words fell like a hammer, shattering any hope that Urdn'Varn had of saving his mother. His heart felt as though it had been torn in two as his mind, now struggling to comprehend the reality of what was about to unfold. Nothing made any sense anymore.. Syllel, the woman most dedicated to the church, the one who had raised him all these years, the mother who had nurtured him through countless trials, the one who had loved him as her own... was to be executed, right in front of him.
Urdn'Varn stumbled forward, his hands bound and shaking as he fell to his knees before the elders, his voice barely a whisper. "Please, no... There has be nother way." His plea was met with a slap to the face, and he knew his words fell into a void of indifference.
One of the elders, a tall and thin man with piercing green eyes, spoke up next. "We cannot afford mercy for a monstrosity such as this. Selûne would never stand for such a betrayal." His voice was sharp, final. He looked down at Urdn'Varn with disdain.
"And you, a filthy Kobold, was her harbinger... You've kept it a secret, you've hidden the beast from us. Your actions have endangered the entire temple,. You knew the dangers she could bring and yet you were complicit in this curse!"
Urdn'Varn tried to speak again, but his words were choked off as the female elder, who defended him so long ago, turned their gaze on him, filled with disgust and contempt.
" ...And now, you the traitor, will be the one to exercise her," the wrinkly old elder declared. "You are the one who will carry out this punishment!"
For a moment, Urdn'Varn could hardly believe what he was hearing. His chest tightened, and the air in his own lungs seemed to suffocate him. "No, please," he begged, his voice rising in desperation. "I can't.. she my mother! No, You can't—"
Before he could finish, the elder stepped forward, their robes shimmering faintly in the candlelight, and with a wave of their hand, a glowing aura enveloped Urdn'Varn. His vision now blurred as the power of a Charming spell took hold of his body.
He felt his wings and scales grow heavy as his mind slips into a haze of submission.
With all his might he tried to fight it but slowly his resistance melted away, replaced by an overwhelming sense of obedience as he was no longer in control of his own limbs.
The other elders watched, their faces impassive as Urdn'Varn,
—with his eyes glazed over— stood up, still bound by the spell. He was nothing more than a puppet now. One of the paladins stepped forward, handing him a gleaming silver spear.. the very instrument of his mother's demise.
Urdn'Varn's hands shook as he took the spear, his tears now streaming freely down his cheeks. His heart cried out for his mother, the woman who had cared for him, who had protected him from the world's cruelties. And yet, his body moved as if it were not his own, and no words would come out when he tried to speak.
His legs carried him forward, step by agonizing step, toward the bound figure of Syllel. The sight of her, her silver chains and her battered form, made his heart ache even more as he reached the altar. Unable to stop himself, his eyes filled with sorrow and terror. Syllel, her eyes wild with fear, looked up at him one last time. Urdn'Varn felt the weight of the spear in his trembling hands, the sharp silver tip gleaming in the moonlight. He wanted to scream, to fight back, to throw the weapon away, but he could do nothing. His body was not his own anymore. He was trapped within the confines of his mind, a prisoner to the elder's magic.
His tears fell freely as he raised the spear above his head, his hands shaking uncontrollably. He looked into Syllel's eyes one last time, and in that fleeting moment, he saw the love and trust she had always shown him, even when she had been hiding the truth of her curse. He could barely hold back the sob that escaped his lips as the spear descended, plunging into her chest.
The silver spear pierced Syllel's heart with a sickening thud, her eyes wide in shock and pain. The force of the blow sent her collapsing to the ground, her body going limp as blood poured from the wound.
The world around Urdn'Varn seemed to slow as the Charming spell lifted, and the haze of obedience cleared from his mind. The reality of what he had just done came crashing down like a tidal wave. His knees buckled beneath him, and he collapsed to the ground, crying out as the true weight of the horror he had just committed sank in.
"Mother... no... I... I didn't..." He could barely form coherent thoughts as he looked down at the lifeless body of the werewolf, his tears mixing with the blood staining his hands.
The elders stood silently, their faces unreadable, as the quiet was broken only by Urdn'Varn's sobs. His world was shattered, and the darkness of betrayal settled into his heart. For the first time in his life, he could no longer see the light of Selûne as a guiding force. All he could feel was the crushing weight of the curse, the emptiness in his heart, and thought of what he had become as the sacred bond between mother and son was severed in a single, heart-wrenching moment.