text: Grell was hunched down among the willows and shrubs, hiding among the shadows of full moon. Watching the tall elven priestess bathe under the light of her goddess. His heart burned with a passion, knowing the scandal their affair would create. That was how Ashen found them, appearing to Grell as a voice in his head. "What do you hope to accomplish, throwing your lives away?" At first, Grell froze in his heart, believing himself discovered. "Do not be afraid. If I wanted to hurt, I could pick a better vessel than you." The voice was almost mocking. "Are you a demon? Or my imagination?" Grell thought. "Neither. Your definitions change so much, but demon is inadequate." The voice replied. "She is a lovely creature in your eyes?" "And I in hers." Grell replied, taking the defence at this intrusion. "Who are you, and what do you want?" "Forgive my rudeness, but I am Ashen. I have always been, and will witness the last god of the last star die." Ashen responded. "Sounds like a demon to me." Grell thought. "No demon, and not a god. I am simply Ashen." "Go away." Grell thought fiercly, starting to sweat, trying to remain silent and still in his hiding place. "You can't dismiss me. And if you like, I can decimate your love to a regretful memory in her long life if you don't tell me what I want to know." The voice turned threatening. "I don't have to be polite." "What do you want?" Grell demanded in thought. "Only what I asked. Why throw your lives away?" Grell replied, "for love." "For love you say?" Ashen teased, back to a mocking tone. "What is your love to her? You will age before her eyes, withering in decades. She will be finally be old when your great grandchildren's teeth fall out." Grell suddenly became sick at the phantoms words. Was this the goddess Seline tempting him? Or his own god Reroic trying to deter him? "I'm not a god of any kind." Ashen responded to his host's thoughts. "You have no secrets from me, Grell, son of Breen, who fought the Star-Men from the ocean, and married his own half sister to produce you. A xenophilic human with a taste for hallucinogenic roots, and long legs." Grell was stunned, Ashen continued, "your first murder was a black bird, and you killed it thinking your father would approve, but instead he reprimanded you for taking life without need." "Stop!" Grell nearly shouted. "Answer my question then." Ashen responded. "Love doesn't need an answer." Grell replied. "I've asked myself a thousand times why. The answer is still the same. Love." "You would rip her from her people, and her goddess, and you call it love?" Ashen asked, accusation sharp as a knife. "Love will last longer than my life." Grell replied. "Love will outlast our gods, and your star gods. Love will remain when all else is gone." "Love eternal?" Ashen asked. "Yes. Love eternal." "We shall see, Grell, son of Breen." And with as much indication as his coming, Ashen left. Let the human and his elf have their love.