Banked Embers actual beginning
Aug. 29th, 2004 02:25 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sparkindarknessI never intended this to become a story arch, but I never intended that with the Angel either. Sometimes they just show up and drag me with them.
And to make it worse, Kami has given them the idea of character journals.
The drink flowed freely and the crowd was merry to say the least. It was a gentle merriness though, a soft drunkenness. It was the drunkenness of men who laugh easily, smile readily, if somewhat unsteadily and sleep deeply. The inn was full far beyond its usual capacity and the air was thick with tobacco fumes, lightened somewhat by the scented oil the good innkeeper used in his generous supply of lamps. The Light Rest was considered an expensive place by many, but was well favoured as being worth the cost.
I stood on a make shift stage at one end of the largest of the two common rooms. I sent fire dancing round the room, the flames in the hearth twisted into enactments of past tales and histories. I wreathed myself in a corona of heat and flickering, ever changing light to the approving cheers and awed murmurs of the crowd.
I smiled fixedly at the crowd, trying to conceal my irritation. Once a god, now reduced to simple parlour tricks to entertain a crowd of people who once I would never have even thought about even if the lay prostrate at my feet. Had I fallen so far? How could I be reduced to such a sorry state?
The smile melted into one more genuine as I laughed. Some of the more sober in the room looked at me curiously for my rueful tone but I smiled reassuringly, empowering it with real sincerity for once. I laughed at my own pride, I should have learned better than that by now. Was not one devastating fall enough to teach me what damage such arrogance can cause? No, I would not fall into that trap again. Nor would I let the foolish remnants of past arrogance torture me for the rest of my days - no matter how much I deserve such suffering. I will not let pride prevent me from enjoying these simple pleasures, of a crowd entertained, of drink and joy and good company. It actually amused me. In many ways I was enjoying myself more, was generally happier, now than I was when the whole world lay before me to use at my slightest whim.
I jumped down from the table, the joy staying with me as my new found friends hurried to buy me drinks and ensure the land lord had ensured my room and board for a night. He had already, in hope that I would stay around for a few nights, perhaps I would. It was a congenial way to live. But the reason for my stop at this Inn had begun - the tall tales of travellers, the proud words of locals and the amusing stories of those too far gone in their cups. I had a mission, a quest to complete. After which I would explore the strange beauty of humanity.
One tipsy reveller lurched forwards, a local and fiercely proud of his home, he was determined to proclaim his home’s merits, “well, I’ll tell you what our town had that few can claim - a piece of wonder, a piece of the Light itself!”
There was much laughter at this near blasphemy , but it didn't deter the proud man. “’Tis true, I tell you! From one of the great battles of the war between the Light and the Dark!” More laughter roared through the room. “You may mock,” many people did just that. “But you can ask the priest, and he will confirm it true!” This did bring a silence. The local priest was a well favoured priest of Horus, one of the Avatars of the light, the Avatar of Order. “Ah, I thought you would listen now. Well, listen well!” The man took a deep gulp of his drink, relishing the sudden rapt attention.
“The legends speak of the evil times before the Light came to this land and freed us from the Tyranny of Darkness, but such liberation was not easily won. There were many battles, and I know you’ll all know many of them, but I talk of one of the first.” People’s attentions were clearly caught now, even the locals who clearly already knew the tale well. “Before the first mortal followers of the Light arrived, before even the first Divine Touched of the Light’s Avatars or the Avatars themselves came, there was a battle. It was a battle of power in these lands - the very power of the Light itself rose against the forces of darkness.”
I listened curiously, trying to think of what could have sparked such a legend - facts were always changed, but it was amusing to find the threads of past events in the fancies of the modern world.
“The land itself rose at the behest of the Light to smite down the evil forces of Darkness! The winds howled, fire poured from the sky, the earth groaned at the Darkness’ cursed tread and the sea rose to cleanse the lands. The Light called on the very elements to save us from the Darkness.”
Suddenly, I was feeling a lot less cheerful. I tried emptying my mug, and even the mug a friend quickly refilled, to try and reclaim the pleasant feelings of before.
“When the forces of the Light came to these lands they found the army of Darkness was already defeated, broken and half destroyed. It was this that truly loosened the Dark’s grip on these lands, it was this that allowed the Light to prevail - the very action of the Light itself!”
The wine in my mug was sour. It had began to boil. Sometimes the fancies of the modern world contained poisonous reminders - reminders made all the more painful by the twisting of time.
“From that battlefield you came pieces of the Light - pieces of its power that were called upon that day scattered throughout the world, each carrying the Light’s blessing. One of those fragments landed near here and the temple was build on this spot to mark such a holy visitation.”
Suddenly I felt cheerful again, and not just for my mug being refilled. I could tolerate some drunken fools distortion of the truth - though I intended to have words with this priest about such lies - no, i have something far better.
A shard of the Korhedron ton Gaia.
And to make it worse, Kami has given them the idea of character journals.
The drink flowed freely and the crowd was merry to say the least. It was a gentle merriness though, a soft drunkenness. It was the drunkenness of men who laugh easily, smile readily, if somewhat unsteadily and sleep deeply. The inn was full far beyond its usual capacity and the air was thick with tobacco fumes, lightened somewhat by the scented oil the good innkeeper used in his generous supply of lamps. The Light Rest was considered an expensive place by many, but was well favoured as being worth the cost.
I stood on a make shift stage at one end of the largest of the two common rooms. I sent fire dancing round the room, the flames in the hearth twisted into enactments of past tales and histories. I wreathed myself in a corona of heat and flickering, ever changing light to the approving cheers and awed murmurs of the crowd.
I smiled fixedly at the crowd, trying to conceal my irritation. Once a god, now reduced to simple parlour tricks to entertain a crowd of people who once I would never have even thought about even if the lay prostrate at my feet. Had I fallen so far? How could I be reduced to such a sorry state?
The smile melted into one more genuine as I laughed. Some of the more sober in the room looked at me curiously for my rueful tone but I smiled reassuringly, empowering it with real sincerity for once. I laughed at my own pride, I should have learned better than that by now. Was not one devastating fall enough to teach me what damage such arrogance can cause? No, I would not fall into that trap again. Nor would I let the foolish remnants of past arrogance torture me for the rest of my days - no matter how much I deserve such suffering. I will not let pride prevent me from enjoying these simple pleasures, of a crowd entertained, of drink and joy and good company. It actually amused me. In many ways I was enjoying myself more, was generally happier, now than I was when the whole world lay before me to use at my slightest whim.
I jumped down from the table, the joy staying with me as my new found friends hurried to buy me drinks and ensure the land lord had ensured my room and board for a night. He had already, in hope that I would stay around for a few nights, perhaps I would. It was a congenial way to live. But the reason for my stop at this Inn had begun - the tall tales of travellers, the proud words of locals and the amusing stories of those too far gone in their cups. I had a mission, a quest to complete. After which I would explore the strange beauty of humanity.
One tipsy reveller lurched forwards, a local and fiercely proud of his home, he was determined to proclaim his home’s merits, “well, I’ll tell you what our town had that few can claim - a piece of wonder, a piece of the Light itself!”
There was much laughter at this near blasphemy , but it didn't deter the proud man. “’Tis true, I tell you! From one of the great battles of the war between the Light and the Dark!” More laughter roared through the room. “You may mock,” many people did just that. “But you can ask the priest, and he will confirm it true!” This did bring a silence. The local priest was a well favoured priest of Horus, one of the Avatars of the light, the Avatar of Order. “Ah, I thought you would listen now. Well, listen well!” The man took a deep gulp of his drink, relishing the sudden rapt attention.
“The legends speak of the evil times before the Light came to this land and freed us from the Tyranny of Darkness, but such liberation was not easily won. There were many battles, and I know you’ll all know many of them, but I talk of one of the first.” People’s attentions were clearly caught now, even the locals who clearly already knew the tale well. “Before the first mortal followers of the Light arrived, before even the first Divine Touched of the Light’s Avatars or the Avatars themselves came, there was a battle. It was a battle of power in these lands - the very power of the Light itself rose against the forces of darkness.”
I listened curiously, trying to think of what could have sparked such a legend - facts were always changed, but it was amusing to find the threads of past events in the fancies of the modern world.
“The land itself rose at the behest of the Light to smite down the evil forces of Darkness! The winds howled, fire poured from the sky, the earth groaned at the Darkness’ cursed tread and the sea rose to cleanse the lands. The Light called on the very elements to save us from the Darkness.”
Suddenly, I was feeling a lot less cheerful. I tried emptying my mug, and even the mug a friend quickly refilled, to try and reclaim the pleasant feelings of before.
“When the forces of the Light came to these lands they found the army of Darkness was already defeated, broken and half destroyed. It was this that truly loosened the Dark’s grip on these lands, it was this that allowed the Light to prevail - the very action of the Light itself!”
The wine in my mug was sour. It had began to boil. Sometimes the fancies of the modern world contained poisonous reminders - reminders made all the more painful by the twisting of time.
“From that battlefield you came pieces of the Light - pieces of its power that were called upon that day scattered throughout the world, each carrying the Light’s blessing. One of those fragments landed near here and the temple was build on this spot to mark such a holy visitation.”
Suddenly I felt cheerful again, and not just for my mug being refilled. I could tolerate some drunken fools distortion of the truth - though I intended to have words with this priest about such lies - no, i have something far better.
A shard of the Korhedron ton Gaia.
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(no subject)
Date: 2004-08-29 07:34 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-08-30 09:26 am (UTC)