I was still locating and destroying the plant killer enchantments the enemy fired into my forest until late this morning. And even once I was done with that there were still numerous people that needed healing, even ignoring the ones that other people are able to treat. I didn't get a break until shortly before dinner, only to get even more bad news. The city that Par recently captured has been purged. Not a single person left in the city survived the purge, everyone just suddenly started turning inside out and dying. That wasn't figurative, people were literally turning inside out. Based on some of the reports I got from my people inside the city before everyone died, it was some kind of incredibly virulent curse or disease that spread rapidly through the city only to burn itself out once everyone died. Or at least I hope it burnt itself out. It's entirely possible that it is still there, but I doubt it.

Good news is that the scholars are investigating that event. If they determine that it was caused by an artificial curse then we can expect a lot more assistance going forward.

This is the first time that the enemy has made an attack on us that was not an attempted killing blow. And it is also the first time that they have taken land from us, though they did not claim it for themselves. It will take me at least a month to recover from the damage they dealt today, possibly even two months. It's obvious enough that this was in response to them losing control of one of the ritual sites that was projecting a barrier. They really want to keep me out of the fight, they know as well as we do that their cities cannot stand up to the might of my forest.

And purging the city is as much a threat to their own cities as it is an attempt to weaken us, it says 'do not let them in or we will slaughter you to the last'. If this war keeps killing so many people then I'm not sure there will be any people to rule once it's all over. And yet our people would never accept a peace deal at this point, they are too spiteful. I would probably survive the event, but Par would probably be overthrown if he were to suggest peace now. And the enemy has not even tried to open up communication with us either.

And the worst part is that I don't want peace either, I want victory and I want revenge for the dead. I know these feelings aren't entirely my own, but part of them is, and I've been living with them for so long that they might as well be mine. And then there is Willow, thinking about her brings about anger and confusion. And all I can think is why? Why did she betray us? Why did she join our enemies? Why did she never come home? Why did I let myself grow distant from her?

Anyway, I just feel so tired, so Good Night Diary.