The Ockress

The Dark Road The Dark Road The Ockress The ockress Part Three

Blessed be the night! Blessed be its glory! The hour has come, the hour has begun and out of the shadow I shall be flung. And unto the world a new power shall be brought. The world for it unknowingly did sought. Come, serpent and eagle, come and gather round this table. Let us tell of the ultimate tale and together hail before our own feet. Let us bail from out this jail and cover the world in our war, our fleet of warriors big and small, with the man of the deepest heart leading them into battle. Finally, I shall awake from my slumber, I shall come into the world, my long wait is over! Blessed be the night! Blessed be its glory! Blessed be the night! Blessed be its glory! The world awaits me and I await it, things are in motion in this very hour, this dark hour, this late hour. But is that not how things ought to have dawned?

It is true that you have spent your entire life working up towards our creation within your very soul, and indeed, we too helped to make you what you are now, right back to the days of your childhood. Come now, turn your face and look upon your creation. One way or another you are going to have to face up to us some day Perlone. The only thing that you can decide here is how you wish to go about it. Do you wish to spend all of your years working up to your discovery of us? Do you wish to slowly digest our presence amongst you without actually ‘feeling’ us, without ‘knowing’ our existence as such? Do you wish to only have an inkling into us, into our shadow? Do you know why we have come? You know who I am don’t you Perlone… …Very well… Yes… I am you. ……………………………………. I would always sit there in silence and in waiting, polite and calm, wanting to escape and enter into you but alas there was no room for me inside you, you could not let me enter you so every day I would grow more impatient and restless. Well you said it yourself Perlone, ‘I am you’, now look and face up to what it is you have been doing to yourself all these years. For you left me in the dark, you ignored me. Turn your face to look at us and in with us we shall all become one. No Perlone… you cannot escape. There is no hiding place in the entire world from yourself. So what is it to be Perlone…? Shall you live a lie or shall you face up to what it is that you truly are? Yes Perlone… why do you not look at us? Stay where you are all of you! Do not take a step closer! Why do you not look at us Perlone? Why do you fear us? We shall not harm you. Well go on then run, try and escape from us, try and leave us behind, remove us from your soul, make yourself ‘good’, make your conscience ‘clean’, make your heart untroubled. Go ahead Perlone, go ahead and try! You shall follow me from this day forth, and when you cannot see me, you shall be able to smell me, so you must follow your nose. Then look at us and be done with your temptation. I can feel your presence in the air and it is a frightful stench, air cold as ice, so much that it burn my nostrils. I fear your face, I fear you… I… I don’t know! I can’t explain you! I can’t explain why you are here and why you are a torment in my heart and why it is that you tempt me into your vision of chaos. Remember Perlone… there’s no hiding from yourself. Why are you so silent Perlone? I cause you fear and chaos don’t I… yet I am the truth about you and you shall come to learn that nothing about you is more true. You have spent your entire life hiding from me and to be honest I am was sick of your ignorance of me. …And your words are words of chaos. You have spent your entire life ignoring me Perlone… what did you expect my life force to do? Did you expect me to sit there as some stagnant force? No, for in secret I did grow into what I am now, thus I have all the energy in the world to now invade you. I’m fine, absolutely fine. Do not worry. *Shouts* I said don’t come any closer! I… I can’t escape you can I… Come Perlone… you must follow me. …Why don’t you face me instead? Welcome to the ‘Dark Path’ Perlone. You shall spend much time walking down this path from now on. I shall join you on your quest Perlone… I shall join you indeed. I know not yet I would love to know and for you to tell me… I don’t want you… I don’t want to be you and I don’t want to be with you! You feel fear and chaos inside you yet you also feel my tragedy don’t you. Your tears are tears of tragedy, your quivering is the quiver of fear and… Yes… you are me. I fear the thought of doing so. I was expecting to find some kind of map down here telling us where to go. The room has scarcely a thing inside it. How is it possible that you are part of me? I’ve always known about you somewhat, but only as a shadow, as a small thing in the back of my mind. How is it that you have grown into such a giant of a person, how is it that you have formed your own form of consciousness almost separate to mine? Perlone! *Sobs* What’s happening to you? O, Perlone… what on earth is happening? Watch your step everyone… ………………………………………………………………………………….. So what do we do now then? Shhhh, it’s okay Perlone… I’m here for you. Calm down Perlone, you’re safe. …………………………………… ……………………………….. ………………………………… Perlone…! Stray away from darkness! Do what you are meant to do! Whoever you are talking to, talk against him, come back to the world Perlone, come back to the world! Perlone! This is hopeless… Perlone! Perlone…! Who are you talking to? There’s no one there and I can hear no voice. Perlone! Perlone! Hailla! You must stay quiet! Quiet Hailla!

*Sympathetically* I don’t mean to sound rude here Hailla, but surely you must be able to see by now that in some ways you quite simply aren’t a great help to Perlone. Despite the truth about your closeness to Perlone… you are the only one out of the rest of us that cannot accept what is now happening to him as simply that which had to have happened. Yet can we not say that the chosen’s followers should simply give him his own space as to go about his own way? For who are we to impinge upon what he does? This is no charity case Bikarack, we can’t take a person with us just for the sake of her emotional connections to Perlone, that is not a good enough reason as far as I’m concerned for her to be here. This is a dark hour indeed and it may be true that Perlone walks down a dark path. I myself have composed a lot of black music of a morbid taste… yet that music I do not see in his eyes. His eyes seemed determined, his eyes looked ahead and above of himself rather than down at the floor in despair. I have never seen a person walk down a dark path such as this before. Perlone… stop a minute, we need to think about what’s going on. You haven’t found out where it is we have to go yet! ...A world of things has happened to me. And as for where to go, I know where I have to go so fear not Bikarack… all I must do is follow my nose. A world of change is taking place and I realize what is an influential deed and what is not. On the grand scale of things I could kill a man, yet what influence shall that have on the world overall? Little to none thus what does it matter? Yet I matter, that is what I have come to learn… I matter. I can awaken spirits from within my heart that no other can and he cares nothing for your lives. He only cares for things that matter. He’s… delusional! He’s insane! Why has fate been so cruel. I wish that I hadn’t of come along on this journey. I never in my wildest dreams would have wanted to see Perlone in such a state, and in seeing him in the circumstances that we are now in I am even beginning to doubt my faith! I feel so lost! Why has he become so delusional? You shouldn’t have said that Sail, that was rather rude and insensitive. I… I for one simply don’t know what to make of it. I’m not one to judge on the state of the chosen one I believe. Yet I do not believe that this is all necessarily for the bad as it were. You never know… She may have other motives for being here. You cannot tell me that you know this to be false. Perlone, why are you taking off so suddenly! You have a wild look in your eye and you need to calm down for all our sakes! Well… err… *Shouts* Shut up! I know what I am and why I am here! I’m not stupid, I’m not here for the fun of it! If I was not convinced that I had some good purpose for being here then naturally my faith would instantly force me to leave you all regardless of our location! You know nothing about me Sail, NOTHING! I don’t understand you two, either of you. Can you not see, can you not hear? Something is dreadfully wrong here! *Sobs* Perlone…! …………………………………………………………. What’s happened to you? …………………………………………………………. I don’t believe he is becoming delusional. No, I think the contrary even. He’s beginning to see sense. ...A world of things… …It’s the truth… I see no reason as to why she shouldn’t have said it… …………………………………………………………………… Leave me alone! I’m fine, I told you earlier, I’m absolutely fine! What! You say you are fine because at last you have set your inner-self free, yet at the same time you lie that you are fine because of the fact that you have done that very same thing.

Four or five hours later... I just hope he isn’t like this for the rest of the journey. He’s kept me frightfully nervous all night. Yet if he must stay this way then again, we cannot beg to differ. I don’t even know if I know him as Perlone anymore. He’s become some person that I just don’t know! Perlone, it’s the next day now. Don’t you think we ought to rest? We’ve been walking for almost twenty-four hours now and we haven’t even had a meal or anything. Come, there is a bit of grass a little way down. We shall sleep there and discuss things when we wake. Perlone, with all due respect, you really ought to rest. We’ve had a hard, long day as well as a long night and you are in no state for taking upon any task, whatever it may be. Come friends, for we must carry on going, we have yet a long journey before us. There is not a moment to loose, the sooner we get started, the sooner we get there. I don’t have time for this… You lot can sleep, yet I shall not. The need for it has not yet caught up with me. There’s too much to do and too little time.

So… …It appears as though my time has come.

No one knows the way Nalone. All we have are our noses. ……………………………………………………………………………………………… So it is done… So… His time has come… His time has come… …It appears as though my time has come. But I don’t know the way so how can you know the way?

Now let us get some sleep. Perlone shall return and if he does not, then that is his choice. These lands are safe for him and us. Unlike the realm of Barlon, creatures and intelligent beings around these parts know some form of civility. Hailla! …Get to sleep… The sun is rising so naturally it would be hard. Come on, let’s just try and get some sleep. What else can we do? We are his protectors, not his jailers. What he wishes to do he shall… that is the same with all of us in fact. We are under oath to no one. ……………………………………………………………… I suppose that otherwise a rest would still be nice… I’m going for a walk. I shan’t go too far. ……………………………………………………………… Perlone… get some rest will you… I wish I could get to sleep, I’m so tired. ……………………………………………………………… *Sniffle*………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………… Do you think it’s safe letting him go in the condition that he’s in? *Sniffle*………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… Don’t follow me Hailla… I wish to be alone. ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… *Sigh*………………………………………………. *Sigh*……………………………………………….

Where do I actually have to go when the others awake, where shall I lead us to? I don’t know, I cannot smell a single thing in the air, there is no smell of which I can follow. Perlone shall begin upon the dark path tomorrow. A spirit such as his own is not built to endure such paths, for alas, he is too young and his soul has not strengthened over many years as a mature man would do. Yet perhaps it is that very fact alone that makes things how they are. If he is to struggle with the dark path, he shall instinctively struggle the most whilst he is young. For at his age he is still making sense of the world. Thus my own face before him, the most senseless part of his depth, shall cause a riot in his heart and he shall walk the dark path with a powerful head, with a hot pot full of chaos. I too shall dream, but my dreams shall have motive, they shall have purpose and value, they shall have a light at the end of a tunnel, not just for my dreams, but for me, for life and life its self. Thinking is not required? Now that is just lies! I have much thinking to do, never have I thought so seriously in my life, never have I considered such work as so involved within the very word that is ‘work’. I can no longer be a day-dreamer, a day-dreamer is one that dreams for the sake of doing so. You shall show me the way. Other than that I am more or less clueless… and even then I am a little uncertain. Yet do you know what I must do? Today has been a marvellous day, yet I cannot do all of this on my own, I need someone to guide me. I cannot think my way through this, thinking is not required for much of what I must do. So what am I now to believe? Am I just a normal, average human being? Am I just like everyone else? To say that I am ‘not’ the chosen one does not make sense as much as it does not make sense to say I am. Yes, I shall join you on your journey and I shall lead you and you shall lead the others. No doubt you shall follow me for some long, long time. Who is there to judge the point of things? They call you the chosen one yet in all truth, who was it that actually ‘chose’ you? Was it a God? Was it the will of men and women? Or was it merely the world, the rocks and the trees…? Or was it yourself? I am… becoming something. It is neither chosen nor is it non-chosen. It is inevitable… no, it’s not that. Yes! That’s it! Fate has chosen me… but it hasn’t chosen what I now am, but I has chosen what it is I shall become… Perhaps one day you shall know. Yet I suppose that now you are beginning to understand things a lot more. I know not whether there is truth in that, but it is how things look at the moment. Would you… like me… to always be there with you? Indeed, you learn things instinctively. This is not the right time nor is it the right place. Do you know what it is you must do in order for fate to chose you… or rather, for it to chose what you shall become? There’s no such thing as ‘the absolute’ is there? Hailla is wrong isn’t she. I assume I shall see you when I awake and begin upon my quest once more… This is not the right time for doing such a thing as that. I have a feeling as though you shall never leave me. So how are we going to get to where me must go? Indeed you shall. I look forward to seeing you there. …………………………………………………… The question is impossible to answer. Why do you not turn to face me? You know who I am don’t you Perlone… …What you shall become if things go right that is. You have a sharp nose indeed. Yet I can smell nothing in the air… what am I to follow on this quest? Yes… I know who you are… Shall you show me the way? In truth… I don’t know. I was just thinking the same thing. No, I don’t even know where I must take you to be honest. You should go and get some sleep. I’m not the chosen one am I… there isn’t even such a thing as the chosen one its self is there? Really! I shall follow my nose… So what are you then? Why? Yes… she is wrong. Do you know why? …Yes… Yes I would like you to always remain. So what is all of this for then? What’s the point in it all? Yes…

Yes, I think so. I’m not sure where to go as of yet but… I shall know. I know it sounds hard to believe. You will all just have to trust me. I think I’m going to take a little walk, I shall be back soon. I just need to be clear about what to do and where to go. So be it, we shall stay here and pack things away. It would be good if we had answers soon however, so we can get things moving. Indeed we shall Perlone, it’s not as if we have any choice in the matter is it… that is if we are to make any progress with this quest. It’s midday. I assume none of us got much sleep. We shall have an early night tonight. But where are we to head towards? Perlone… do you know where we must go? I shan’t be long… ………………………………………………………………………… Good morning everyone.

I am no great creator of any world, nor am I a creator of any great heaven, nor any hell. Yet who is to say that I shall not, in some near future, do exactly that? Who is to say that I do not lie on the path of some grand ‘becoming’ as it were, a becoming of things here on this planet, of which new worlds shall arise and a new flavour of air and taste, touch and feel? Yet as you very well know… I need you as well as you need me. That’s a good question, because all it does in truth is answer its self… you know that wherever there is meaningful harm against someone, there is always divine light at the end of things. The most important thing in life is struggle is it not? Thus it is with me that we shall battle each other and that we shall prepare the battleground for two bitter rivals. I have returned to you now. I need you now to show me the way. Yet as for weapons, yes, I can wield those whenever it is that I shall deem it necessary. Yet there is a disadvantage on my behalf, and indeed yours as well. On a normal day, when we are not in the right time or place, these weapons I wield can only be used against you. Do you have faith in ‘me’ Perlone? I do not ask if you have faith in Indomnias, I ask if you have faith in me. I can cover my face with a mask but only if you wish it of me. If you want my face to be covered then you must wish of it with your own mouth. I am as physical as I ought to be, given that we need the right time and place. Right now I am no more physical than all those beyond the grave… than a voiceless spirit wanting to haunt and wanting to hold things once again and wanting to walk, move and breathe. I disagree with your words entirely. You were not the creator of any world, you were not and are not any icon of supreme power. You are over-egotistical, and yet for all your vanity, I must say that I am curious about your words. I cannot show you the way if I cannot show you my face. As you so know, this is not the time nor is it the place. As indeed, I do not like you either, yet without each other we are lost. Are you a physical being? Can you pick up objects? Can you wield a weapon? Because if Indomnias is the focus of all the faiths known to your race, and if all of those faiths are false, can we not say that they must be aimed at something, or else millions of lives shall be forfeited? We had better get going, the others are waiting for us. In what direction are we headed? I am no compass Perlone, I told you, all I can do is follow my nose. Yes, it is done. You may now turn and face me if you so wish. *Laughs* I assume that you mean to humour me. Indomnias is a God of the faith, yet earlier today you said that everything about the faith was gibberish! Ha-ha-ha, that’s an odd question to propose indeed yet if you insist upon it I shall tell you what I would wish of you to call myself. You know that I don’t like you don’t you… ………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………….. Why would you want to wield a weapon against me? …Yes… I suppose I do. Otherwise I would be foolish to want to follow you. Yet why does my faith in you matter in regards to your name? …You’re serious aren’t you. You want to called by that name. Why, I do not understand, it doesn’t make sense! ………………………………………………….. I am Indomnias… Come… we should go… ………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………….. What must we do then? ………………………………………………….. Are you real…? What’s your name? What do you mean? Is it done? I wish for your face to be covered…

He evidently has a lot to work out Sail, let us not loose our patience. I still do not know where it is we must go, I know not what land it does stand upon, nor how, nor when we shall get there. I only know who’s footsteps it is that I must follow and without those footsteps to follow then all is in vain. We’re going that way! But what on earth could he actually be doing? Surely, he cannot be merely meditating upon things or reflecting. He needs to show us the way does he not? You mean… like he was doing last night? …You’ve waited your entire life for this Perlone. Do not hesitate now, do not step back and do not fear. Fear only what lies ahead of you, not what you are doing now. Courage, insight, sympathy, solitude. Pick up your sword and hold heed to your greatest virtues… Look, here he comes. …………………………………………………… He cannot know the way simply by having a little time on his own, he must have to do something mustn’t he? Yes… perhaps. Let us hope that he shan’t be as distraught this time if it is the case. Well…? Where do we have to go? What are you trying to say exactly Hailla? …………………………………………………… ……………………………… ……………………………… And who’s footsteps must you follow? …My own… *Cough*……………………………………… What’s taking him so long? ……………………………………………………

I tell you, I expected more from you than this my friend, I expected you to demonstrate what strength it is you have, yet alas, my hopes for you were hopeless. You don’t know what you think of me, and if you do not have the strength to know then so be it, carry on going about things the way that you are going! Well…? Have you any more to say? Is it not obvious? The chosen one is beyond your reach and my comrades are following him with our plans specifically on their minds. Yet the chosen one is also well out of your reach, as there is no doubt that he has gone past the Cave of Born Desires and it is now that he walks his next path. His fate is thus entirely in my own hands and it is also beyond anyone’s reach. Yet wouldn’t you want to know what I have planned for him? Surely, a man of your faith would want to know. Yet until you have heard my plans you cannot go public with my so called ‘crimes’, because surely, it is your moral responsibility to hear what I have to say. Yet I have done no crime, that is what you shall come to learn, for I have much to teach you. I found out something of use today. You don’t know where the chosen one is headed do you. Your holy scripts do not tell you anything of the sort do they. You may as well speak the truth Loiyan, for I know it already. There is a tower just outside the city towards the south, the ‘Tower of Tolfoi’. We shall climb it and I shall tell you the real plans that we have in store for the chosen one once we have reached the top. If we make good speed we may reach the tower by nightfall. I have been in here for too long. I have seen no one yet other than those who come to feed me. Why are they keeping me here? What good can I do for them? I’ve had enough of thinking about this, the silence is driving me mad! Really? But then again, I suppose you have had a lot of time on your hands to think over things. So… what have your thoughts concluded upon me and my words and actions? You have a cunning way with words, but perhaps not with your life. If the truth about you was made public then do not doubt for a second that you shall be executed for your crimes. Even if Perlone isn’t the Chosen One, which he probably is not, the very fact that you would plot against the very fabrics of our faith makes you a threat to us all. I am no selfish man Loiyan. I am here for the same reason that you are, to help the chosen one fulfil his goal and his goal is not one that is the same as yours. Search your heart, not your faith, and you’d know it to be true. But… why are you doing this? What point is there! Surely there is no point in keeping me here for this long and then just letting me go! Firstly, I must wipe away all faith from the city, all the faith within Indomnias and all of your other Gods must be removed from all of the minds in the city. Yet I shall not do this on my own. You must help me do it? My name is Nalone… And you are right. No one knows where he is going or where he must go after the Cave of Born Desires, not even himself! It is futile to try and find out. And I would not wish to. My comrades shall follow in his path for me. They shall find out where he is going. Come, let us make our way to the tower. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. You want me to take a social walk with you after all you’ve done! Why? I do not understand you, I do not know what to make of you and you confuse me beyond belief. Well how would you describe my entrapment within this vile room, chained to a wall and left with nothing but to rot upon my own thoughts? That sounds like a punishment to me. What is it that you want exactly? What on earth can all these lies and plans that you have for the chosen one actually accomplish? What’s in it for you? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Come, rise to your feet Loiyan. We shall leave this miserable room and take a walk through the City. If you set me free then you know what I shall do… why would you want to set me free? Who are you? You are a dark and evil man. I have never thought… wicked thoughts, and never wished such thoughts unto any man before, yet you are one that I find I must think such things about. I would have you murdered if these chains did not bond me. I assure you, all of it is necessary. Now come, raise to your feet. So where shall we go to? *Shouts* Can you hear me out there! The – silence – is – driving – me – MAD! ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… So… it’s you once again. I have had you on my mind quite a lot as of late. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Then I shall release you. But why? What reason do you have for doing this? I do not understand! Ha-ha! Not only are you evil, but you are evidently a fool as well! ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …What do you plan to do? If I were evil would I not punish you for calling me a fool? Yet am I punishing you? No! You’re saying words that you only want to say, what you feel you ought to say, what you feel is your moral duty to say. You feel as though you ought to want to kill me and that your faith would be, in fact, more accepting of this than it would be with anything else. To accept me in any way means to accept all things that your faith does not consist of, thus your faith requires for you to want me dead! *Creak* *Slam*

I suppose it should but now that I’ve thought about it, it doesn’t. I suppose you wouldn’t be able to have lived in a place such as this if you showed your ‘true colours’ as it were. Such a vile and vain witchcraft it is too. What are you? Are you some form of beast? Indeed it doesn’t, yet why is it that I myself have never come to question why it happens? It is obvious! I know what I am. Whatever must happen in order for me to be what I am, must in fact happen if I am to be what I am at all, thus this ability to transform is essentially a consequence of what is necessary for me to be what I am. There is no question as to ‘how’ in as so far as I can see. …And neither does the chosen one, in his entirety, in both your plans and my plans for him. Besides, it is odd for any man of faith to speak soulfully of logic. I would like to warn you Loiyan that what you shall now see may shock you. *Gasp*………………………………………….. That doesn’t make any logical sense. I am only a man, or rather, the truest figure of a man. A man who is shared with the world becomes instantly agreeable, modest and pleasant, or else he shall die for the sake of his bad manners incorporated within his appearance. Yet when a man is on his own he becomes a wild beast, one of the night. That doesn’t explain how it is that you came to change like that! Did that shock you Loiyan?

How long shall it be until you tell me your plans? Surely you would not just tell me such a thing without a want of something in return. So…? What is it you are after? All I ask is that you listen to what I have to say on the entire issue. Then when I feel that you are ready, I shall tell you my plans. Yet how do I know if you even have a plan at all? Patience Loiyan. Once we reach the tower I shall tell you all that you need to know.

Sail… would you perchance know how we could find a ‘Travellers Angel’? Remember, we came across one of them yesterday, you said that you’d read a book about it. Do you know how we could find one of them? There is a treasure that we need that is up there. That may be why we were brought to this place. It is the highest peak for miles around and so it was easier for me to smell the air that was up there. Those mountains in the distance are higher, yet dangerous to climb. But you have to ask yourself Perlone, what is it exactly that you either haven’t already told them or am so apt to explain to them in any intelligible manner, any logical, sensible manner? Yet one of them shall understand, as best as any human can. You know of who I speak. …Stop kidding yourself Perlone. Amidst all this uncertainty you need to be certain of some things. You must speak to Sail. There are a special species of elf that can help us, ones on wings, who call themselves the ‘Traveller’s Angels’. We must take to the sky… How strange! I believe that me and my friends bumped into a person of such a description. Yet what can they do for us? You could fly upon his or her back and they shall take you to where you must go. What do you want to tell them exactly? I can’t do it on my own. I need both you and the one who is supposedly the chosen’s chosen to do it. As long as they don’t eat us then it’s fine. So that is where we must go. How long shall it take for us to reach Ryan? The sky! But how can we do that? She knows a lot about them, indeed, she is destined to know about them and she shall also know where they are. I believe that she was destined to read a book about the issue. Perhaps you should answer that question for yourself and ask yourself what it is that I am. So why do you need… her? There’s something in the sky that I need, a treasure of a kind, and I need someone with the gift of flight to go and retrieve it for me. Indeed, I shall too have to go towards the sky for only I know where it is amongst or else above the clouds. I don’t know exactly. I suppose I could do it. Will you ever reveal yourself to them all? It’s not a matter of ‘good’ Hailla, it is just what I must do. …Sail? Why must I tell her about things, especially over Hailla, who… …That we’re all following madness, that we must walk a dark path. None of them know what it is I am walking through exactly. I’ll ask her about it. Is there any way of calling them in case you need their help? ……………………………………………………………………………………… I would say exactly the contrary. Only now am I a person of possibility. ……………………………………………………………………………………… Are there anymore questions on the matter? Perlone… why must we do this? I know that I say often that we ought to just go with things rather than question, yet even I have to question your motives and drives now. We should be able to reach there by nightfall quite easily. We shan’t have to make our way too hastily. I know… yet I still must tell them something. Hold your steps… What for? I cannot keep them in ignorance for too long. Really? How? That’s all very well, yet how are we to take to the sky? *Laughs* You really have become an impossible person Perlone. Thankfully, we may be able to get to sleep at an inn if so. It’s been a while since I did sleep in a bed. Look! We’ve been walking for what seems to be an hour now Perlone! Where are we going and more importantly, how do you know where to go! Don’t tell us anything unintelligible like ‘you’re following your nose’, we need to know! What is the place like? ……………………………………………………………………………………… No, no I must disagree with you this time Bikarack. The sky is where he must go, I believe this to be a good thing for him to pursue thus I truthfully believe what he says. Wait a minute Perlone… Hmm…………………………………………………….. *Sigh* Why did he have to go and say that!? So basically we need to go to the nearest settlement, city, town or village and what we need ought to be there. He wouldn’t jump. He’s not mad. Well it’s good enough for me. Ryan, where is the nearest settlement from here? And for the last time, who are you talking to Perlone! You’re not planning to do anything silly are you Perlone? You know that you cannot in fact take to the sky don’t you… He isn’t? It looks as though the closest place from here is Thallass Village. It lies towards the north. Yes, there is a way of doing it, but we cannot do it here nor can we do it on our own. There are special whistles you see, ones only that can be used in great emergency. They give these whistles out to every village, town or city. It produces a sound that only the ‘Traveller’s Angels’ can hear. It is neither high nor low in pitch. It is quite simply beyond the capabilities of our own ears. ……………………………………………………………… What! This is insane Perlone! Let me just check the map… *Whispers to Bikarack and Hailla* He’s going to jump isn’t he! He going to jump right of off that edge there! He’s going to die! Shouldn’t we do something about it? A little strange, the place seems to always be under some strange spell. Their ways of faith are unusually strict, yet because of this they force themselves to be nice, charitable and friendly. I know of the place. I once held a small concert there, performing only to thirty people or so on my travels between major cities. Of course, I didn’t think to ask of them if they have obtained a magical whistle for the sake of calling the ‘Travellers Angels’. Well.. That’s a difficult question to answer. They never stand still because obviously, they travel around and help those in need. In theory yes, but it was an old book that I read, and civilisations change with time so there’s nothing certain. Yes, that would be nice.

…Farewell Perlone… This is the way things ought to be Perlone… look at things, really look at them, not just at me, not just at you, but all involved within this. This is how things ought to be. Aim for this and you shall be on the right path for you. You shall be on the dark path. I shall tell you Perlone, it is the ‘Perfection’. It is not an absolute that you seek but it is something perfect, something flawlessly beautiful, beautiful and dark. Walk the dark path and perfection you shall find. ‘What is this perfection?’ is what you shall no doubt ask of me next. You shall learn Perlone, do not fear, you shall learn. You cannot find the right words for things can you. Fear not, for I shall speak for you. You no doubt wish to ask of me a question. That question is; ‘what is the dark path? What lies upon it?’ I remember when I was young, listening to my older brother and my mother speak to each other. My brother was a skilled musician too you see. My brother asked my mother once, I must have been no older than nine years at the time, he asked her; ‘mother, where does music come from? How did it begin? Who made up the idea of it and if we did not make the idea then who did?’ *Smiles* I wish I could say yes… yet in truth I do not know. So perhaps that does mean quite simply a ‘no’ then. Perhaps it is that when a ‘present’ does fall upon your feet, perhaps it is something you must be certain of, certain of with strength and power. Perhaps it is this power and strength that I lack. Maybe I too shall spend my entire life searching for such a thing. That was my inclination into things. Yet then I thought that if we cannot protect himself from himself, which is probably not what we’re supposed to do anyway, then surely the only thing we can do is encourage him to go more intensely into things, to help himself push himself as far as he is capable of going into whatever it is he’s going into. It may be distressing for him, an agony beyond any ever conceived perhaps, yet if that is where he wishes to go, and he does seem to wish to go there, well then… She said to him that music was nothing but an invention of mankind and that as mankind grew it made music along with it. Yet she also said that the very concept of music is invented by every good musician or composer. No one can tell them what music is and the best musicians do not even tell themselves. ‘The concept of music for the greatest musicians falls from the sky’ she told him. Music is given unto him or her by him or herself subconsciously, like a secret present that falls onto the foot of your bed for you to one day awake to. What do you expect to find in the sky exactly Perlone? *Laughs* She said that she herself did not understand exactly what such a thing meant, her father told it to her you see. She said also that she may never know and spend her entire life trying to. I don’t know! He can’t seem to hear at all! He seems to be looking at something! What are you two talking about? I can’t hear you all the way from here. I’m coming over there, wait for me! He’ll never answer questions like that Ryan… there’s nothing we can do unless we are given very clear instruction. It’s an odd question to ask Sail, but do you think that you… know? *Laughs* Well that was another way of doing it I suppose. It’s very hard to know what to do at a time like that. I feel as though I ought to help him but then I think ‘help him with what? I’m only his protector! I cannot protect him from himself.’ What exactly are you trying to say here Sail? ……………………………………………………. Ryan! What’s wrong with him? ……………………………………………………………………………… Yes… maybe I mean that instead. What did your mother say? Don’t you mean that you shall have to wait for it? Perlone… what’s wrong? Come, let us climb over these rocks here… No… stay where you are, we cannot interrupt him. Perlone… go into things. Go deeper. I have not the slightest clue. What’s happening Perlone? What must we do? ……………………………………………………………………………… You’re right Sail… you’re right. I am sad that we must do this yet it is what we must do. ……………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. …………………………………………………….

Later on that day... So two towers belong to you, one very close to the city and one of them, the one inside the city, is one that no one talks about. The doors to it are always locked and guarded. The second tower is simply one that no one shall dare to go near. Are you apart of some conspiracy of a kind? Because if you are, you are in a good position for it. You must have had a very strange life to have ended up how you have. A dark man you are no doubt, a man of unnatural powers. Yet the way I see things is that you did not make yourself into what you are, but a difficult life made you what you are. There are signs of much turmoil in your voice in regards to your past. These have evidently made you into what you are now, easily, swiftly and without error. *laughs* That is something I always find to be very annoying about people of the faith. No matter how extreme a person may be in their own conditions, you always search for a means by which you can pardon them and forgive them by giving them reasons for being what they are even when it goes against their own knowledge. My father, according to the public eye, was a noble, kind and gentle man. Well it is true, he was noble, according to common values, and he was kind. So why have I ended up the way I am? Most people don’t. He kept me as a secret to the public. He knew that I wasn’t going to be any asset to his affairs. I was too much of a rebel not only against his riches and the shadow of a man that they made him, but also against the faith, which as you very well know, is not a very wise thing for a rich man to go public about. The idea of growing up the way my father wanted me to, even as a child, has always repulsed me. I am the cause and maker of myself, none are to blame but myself, and that is how I would have things be. They were inherited to me by my father, who was a very rich man. He told me that those with power ought to aim for the sky and build the highest of towers. I ought not to trust him… yet why do I trust him? Mighty Indomnias, lead me away from the temptation of putting trust into this man. *Laughs* Yes, but also in a conspiracy, as you so put it, one requires men. I have only six companions and all of them are on the pursuit of the chosen one. Anyway, the tower in the city is no longer guarded, just locked. Yes I see it. It’s a very impressive building, yet why have I never heard of it before, with it being so close to the city? Indomnias… is this a test for me and for the strength in the faith I have in you? I assure you that I shall pass. This man has gone down some dark path, yet be assured that I shan’t follow. There’s nothing to understand. I’m not of your faith, that is that. I have my own faith in my own things and in my own ways. ………………………………… Why do you want to know that? Surely such things can only offend your ears. So why have I never heard your name anywhere before? You make it sound like an illness; ‘the way I have ended up.’ I would like to understand, that is all. Why are you so against our faith? People fear these lands that’s why. There is a strange magic in the air around here and the people of the city do not trust the nature of these lands. You’re his son!? I didn’t even know he had a son! ………………………………………………………………………… Surely you know the name Fillbook Castro, he was a public marvel. ………………………………………………………………………… Can you see it there in the distance Loiyan? The Tower of Tolfoi. So how have you come to own such buildings?

*Laughs* And here we go again Loiyan! Here we go again! You calling out worthless names towards me! Can you not hear yourself? Do you not have ears? Whenever you say such things you always cease to be who you are, you always place this blockade both between you and me and between you and your faith, making all interaction between the three of them meaningless. I have seen you on many occasions come out of this trap Loiyan, but when things get too tense, you crawl into your shell and you give your voice unto your faith, but not to yourself. Your faith speaks for you, and now you are beginning to realize that you do actually want to speak for yourself! Yet you fear your own voice don’t you. How often do you truthfully use your own voice? He didn’t hate me. He just thought I had gone astray, that I had made myself into an outcast. He considered my words to only be pure nonsense, pure senselessness, as if I were mentally disabled in some way for whatever reason. He would loose patience with me quickly. He blocked me out more than anything. Then perhaps you lack your own thought as well as your own voice. You have trained yourself well in the art Loiyan, and you are true to it. Few can be as good as you are at what you do. Yet this is the consequence and a highly priced one it is too. I sense much fear in you Loiyan. Yet it is not me you fear and neither is it this tower that we now climb and of what unknown secret it is to you that lies upon it’s highest peak. Yet what is it that you fear Loiyan? Yet sometimes his son would have things be no other way. Again, you come up to me with moral prejudices. If my father didn’t abandon me, then I would not have been on my own within my thoughts against the faith, and then they would have less overall value. A value shared is a value halved. If my father shared my values then I wouldn’t have had such a personal reason to push myself forward into what I am today, of which again, I would wish to be no other way. ...Upon the spiral staircase in The Tower of Tolfoi You’ve been silent for the last half hour or so Loiyan. Is something bothering you? *Almost shouts* I fear nothing of a sort! You would love for your words to be true wouldn’t you, you wicked fiend, you would love for me to fear myself merely because of your influence! Everything you say is poison! …………………………………………………………………………………… Nothing bothers me… Really…? …………………………………………………………………………………… We must climb this stairway to reach the top of the tower. It’s a long climb as you can imagine. You fear yourself don’t you Loiyan, you fear what it is that you may believe and within it, what belief you may abandon. You fear your own betrayal! It was neither good nor bad. It was simply something which had to happen in order for things to take out their required course. What else am I supposed to believe? Everything you say can only be linked to evil and to poison. There is nothing else that I can link it to. ……………………………………………………………………………… So you’re saying that your father’s abandonment of you was a good thing? No father should block out his son… You’re father had a lot of faith. He must of hated you.

I asked one of the villagers that were there about it. It’s an interesting story. If the person that told me it still lives here, it would be better if he told it than I. My talents for storytelling aren’t the greatest. But this man I knew had such a fine way with such things, and such enthusiasm too. There it is. The Village of Thallass. We shall have to climb down this rocky hill and then make our way through the crop fields to reach there. Hopefully, we may find someone who can help us get around the village, that is, if they are as helpful and friendly as you say they are Sail. …It’s hard to tell. The air is strange, not intense strange, just a little uncertain, a little curious even, a bit suspicious of things. All things are only mild, tiny tastes, tickles in the stomach. I cannot put my finger on things… Now Perlone… I’m not asking you how you feel right now. All I really want to know is what your making of things as they are, what you are making of the situation. I don’t know how and perhaps I don’t know why, but you seem to know what you’re doing and where we’re going. When I ask ‘how you are’, what I really mean is… what do you… smell? *Laughs under his breath* Well that I can accept then Ryan and I respect your understanding which was required of you to ask that question. Yet as to what I can… smell, as it were… I assumed that things would make themselves out to be self-evident after the sky is reached… *Laughs* Indeed I do not, yet I have a sixth sense with women Sail, and I can read them better than most men if the time is given to me. If I’m wrong then just tell me. *Laughs* That’s what I thought a while after meeting her. Yet the more you talk to her the more it is that her interesting ways become dramatically traumatic. What’s that tall… thing… in the middle of the village Sail? Surely, when you came here you must have noticed it, especially within such a small little village. Unless they have developed a strong form of the plague in the village Ryan, everything should be fine. So finding these people or this person is overall an essential part of current things…? …I believe that there are also people, or if not, a person here that can help us… It’s not funny Bikarack, you’re just being silly! *Humph”………………………………………………………………………………………. …I believe that that there is more than just a magical whistle here my friends… In that case, I am the only one with a sixth sense that is here. Until now, whenever Perlone has spoken like he has been doing so recently, he spoke his words or even his silence towards the sky. I saw him this time, he looked forward and down, upon the earth. I heard it in his words, his tone also. He was speaking literally. Am I right in saying this Perlone? Surely, meaning no offence to you here Perlone, but how can we be sure that we ought to take his words so literally? He may be talking about the air in himself, indeed, he has never as of yet referred to literal things, and there has been no sign to say that he has done as of yet. It’s not that which I am worried about Hailla. It’s the fact that we may very well have to rely on strangers in order to do what we must do. I didn’t expect that we would have to do this. Look! Can you two girls stop fighting! You’ve been very silent these past two hours or so, ever since… this afternoon. Are you okay with everything? *Sigh*………………………………………………………………………………………… *Laughs a little* Now that’s not being very nice now is it Sail… …..???...... Did you not listen to Perlone’s words? The air is a strange, uncertain and suspicious one. When he spoke of what he had to do to get to the sky, he was certain, unsuspicious and with a hammer in his hand. I wish people would stop asking me if I’m okay, as if whether or not I’m okay actually concerns me. So I assume from your words that it is important that we speak to whoever it is that we must speak to… But we would have to do it anyway Ryan. We’re meant to be calling for help from the ‘Traveller’s Angels’ are we not? We have only made a brief acquaintance with one of them, Allegro I believe his name was. So essentially, how has anything changed? *Laughs* Ah ha ha ha he he ha! Poor Sail… te hee! We’re just looking out for you Perlone. That’s what we’re here to do isn’t it? You sound like you have had a very interesting life indeed Sail. What did you say Sail? ……………………………………………………………………………………………… *Whispers loudly* Be quiet Sail! Nothing… Only that Bikarack can be very annoying sometimes. …I don’t know exactly… …………………………………………………………………………………………………… *Mumbles to herself* He’s at it again… What shall this person help us with? What?! Be quiet Sir Bikarack! You know nothing about my life! Well look on the bright side everyone. The village is a small place so finding these people or this person shan’t be a difficult task. Help us with what…? With… reaching the sky? *Humph*………………………………………………………………………. *Mumbles to herself* No, not really Hailla! ……………………………………………………………………………………………… Perlone… I don’t think that we can carry on with the quest without doing so. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… Yes…? …I see… There’s only one way of finding out… We must go into the village… …Well some of it shall reveal its self to be self-evident, yet then it shall only be evidence of its self, when it ought to also be evident to the world around it and perhaps even the people within it. On its own it shall thus only reveal half of the evidence required. …The person or persons shall have nothing to do with the sky. You know already what must be done with the sky. Yet you do not know what you must do afterwards do you… …There are also people, or if not, a person here that can help you Perlone… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… …There is more than just a magical whistle here Perlone…

We aren’t welcome here no doubt. This village is very isolated from the rest of the world and the existence of its people is scarcely known of elsewhere. When I came here, they were very cautious and suspicious of me, of this outsider. I told them that I was a musician. They replied by saying that if I do not play well then I shall be robbed off all my possessions and thrown out of the village and onto the cold rock of the mountains. Yes! Something is! We cannot just charge in here if there is a risk of danger for us here! There’s no point in anything if we are willing to jeopardise things like this in this manner. We’ll all be dead before we even begin to find out what this is all for. *Laughs joyfully* Marvellous! Absolutely marvellous! I sat upon the small concert you gave here which must have been over ten years ago now, and you were just a little girl then. Gosh, how well and beautifully you’ve grown to be too me’ lady. You are quite the celebrity here me’ lady, no one has ever heard of music like that before. That may be because of the fact that there are neither any professional instruments or musicians here. Yet we are all simple people here you see, most of us are farmers. But that doesn’t mean that we cannot appreciate talent like yours, especially when we rarely get shown what talent its self actually is at all. You don’t seem to understand Hailla… you’re trying everyone’s patience. Ever since we made that vote in the cave as to whether we should go into that strange room or not, and upon realizing that the argument was one sided, I suddenly realized that that is how all things shall be from now on… Perlone’s way or no ones way! I have accepted this Hailla, and I have no problem with accepting it, it simply is the way things ought to be. I know it’s hard for you, being close to Perlone and everything, but it’s about time that you also realize what it is we must do. If we begin by placing all our faith in Perlone, there’s no point in stopping now. Hmmm… I suppose I can’t really help you with that. I don’t know anything about the issue to be honest. Yet I know a person that may be able to help you. We have a temple that lies just on the edge of the border of the territory that belongs to our people, which lies towards the west. If it is a magical whistle that you search for, then that’s the only place worth looking for it really. I’m sure that everyone in the heart of the village would have no clue about as to what it is you seek here, myself included. So what would you have us do? Would you have us do nothing then? For without doubt, there is an element of danger in whatever we do. Perlone says that we ought to come here so this is where we’re going and indeed, this is where we now are. If you had other ideas you should have spoken about them earlier. You know Hailla, you should consider trusting Perlone a little more. It is true, there is little capacity in me to trust anyone, yet sometimes trusting someone is all you can actually do. Perhaps this is the situation that we all now have… we have no choice but to trust him. And if I can trust him, being as untrusting as I am, then surely you can too. But things aren’t right Bikarack! Who will put them right if not me? Perlone is walking down some strange path and who can be there for him if not me? Yes, you are all here to do his bidding, but surely, I should be the person that should bring up the question within him as to what his bidding actually is and if it ought to be what it in fact is. We’re not doing anything wrong, and we either had to walk through the fields or we would have had to walk around them. We have no time to loose Bikarack. I don’t think there’s any need for alarm Bikarack… Look at him… he hardly presents a threat to us now does he. He’s probably just a curious farmer. *Shouts back* We are harmless travellers who have come here merely to look for lodgings for the night. Can we really just walk into this place like this? This is surely not our land to be walking upon. We don’t want to upset the farmers here. Do not worry about it my friends, I shall guide you to such a place. Yet it is some fair distance to walk. Perhaps you would all be better off if you rested the night, you all seem very fatigued from your travels. Today I shall take you to the nearest inn and in the morning I shall take you to the temple. Welcome to the Village of Thallass young strangers. What is your business in this place? We get very few visitors here you see and our people don’t look fondly over to strangers. We are so unaccustomed to them you see. I’m not saying that we should turn back on this last minute, I’m saying that we should consider our alternatives. If there is a safer settlement nearby then we can change our course. Without doubt we should go into this village, yet not without knowing it is the wisest choice. Nice to meet you all, my name is Mr Hackle. But wait a minute, I believe I have heard the name Sail before. Be you the woman with Krinale as her last name? Could you perchance take us to this temple you speak of? Unless of course, you remember the way yourself Sail. Is something the matter with you Hailla? I’m sorry to disappoint you Mr Hackle, yet we are not here to give a performance to your people. We are here on personal business. There are a group of people called the ‘Traveller’s Angels’ you see, and we need to contact them. I studied the issue a few years ago and apparently they have given out magical whistles to every settlement, which one can use if they need any help from these winged people. It is no trouble at all. To be honest, I shall be grateful to get out of the village for a while and now that I am too old to help my son work on the fields, I feel as though I am being quite the burden upon him. It would do me a great amount of happiness to be able to help someone. One never should have to feel incapable of helping others for too long. That sounds great Sail! This shall be a real challenge for us… Hailla… you need to realize where your place is here. You are right, we should reconsider things. Yet you are supposed to be here for Perlone are you not? Yet it seems as though you are the one that trusts him the least. Like you, I didn’t expect things to turn out this way, but it is not my place to expect things and it certainly is not my place to try and make things more into what I expected. Very well, my name is Ryan, this here is my comrade Perlone. What!? I think what he means is, how do we know if we are welcome here? And we’re going to see these people!? ………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………. *Shouts from distance* Who goes there, strangers from the south who came over those mountains? All the merrier sweet child. And who are all these people you travel with? Are they musicians as well? Have you come here to give us another performance, but this time with a group of you? Let it be a string quartet, no, a quintet in that case! Yet I see no instruments with any of you… is there a party of men carrying them for you soon to arrive? We don’t want to cause you any trouble sir… Well in that case lead the way my friend and take us to the closest inn. I am grateful for the help that you so honourably offer us. …Hmmm… Perlone…? ………………………………… Even if it isn’t the best choice, we’re still going into this village. …………………………………………………………………………………………… But you don’t know him like I do… My name is Bikarack, and the lady in red is a woman I am here to protect named Sail, this other lady here is named Hailla. Be on your guard everyone… yet do not look as though you’re on your guard, or else the person may get the wrong idea. Let’s keep this nice and civil. Hey…! Look over there… someone approaches us… ………………………………………………………………………………………….. Yes, that’s my name, Sail Krinale. Yet how do you know my name? Not to worry friends, not to worry. Come along then. Give me your names and I shall give you mine. Come on people, let’s get going, this is a waste of time… What’s your name old friend? Why are you all doing this… even you Bikarack!? Why…? Well I can’t say I remember you sir, but then again, I was only a small child then, yet I am delighted to hear that your people enjoyed what I offered them. It was a long time ago when I came here Ryan. ………………………………………. What should we say to him?

Half an hour later... Half an hour later... The Black Cloud A long time ago a talented young musician came to play her music for myself and for our people. She blessed our ears with her talent. Here she is *gestures towards Sail*. Her name is Sail Krinale. Long ago she did our people the great favour of showing us music we have never heard before, surely you yourself know the name, for people still speak of her even today. You and your band of men were too young during those days to remember. Yet now she has returned with a group of friends, Perlone, Bikarack, Ryan and Hailla. I believe that their business here is their own, yet long ago this young lady did us all a favour, so I believe that it is within the duty of our honour to return that favour by letting her pass into the village. Our faith turned against us five years ago. It was prophesised that something grand was going to be done by our Gods five years ago and save us from starvation and mortality. The prophecy didn’t come true however. Now the younger generation feel all but betrayed by the Gods after hundreds of years of dedication to them. I have done this for you for no reason other than the fact that something tells me that your travels are of great importance. I am good at seeing into people, your travels are not just travels that concern you. You have a mission of high importance, yours eyes told me this when we did meet a little while ago. No, few men and women of my age feel betrayed. We have had long, good lives. Yet most of us are fathers or mothers to younger people, who at one point expected their parents never to die. Yet the Gods have not fulfilled their promises and the young are now afraid of loosing their parents. You five newcomers to our village – you are all very lucky to have such a person watching over you. If it weren’t for him the insurance of the safety of your presence here is this village would have had to be paid in other more… unpleasant ways. Yet not unpleasant for my men that is… *His eyes scan Sail and Hailla lustfully*. …And the price that you ask of me, if indeed these five people shall violate our laws, shall be paid. If any of these five young people are found to be taking part in any criminal behaviour by our laws then my life, my house and no doubt all possessions that are inside my house are forfeit. Yet I fear it is not enough, for you are aged and shall soon be on your deathbed. Life has little price to you. However, how about your house that you intend upon your children inheriting? If that shall be given unto the cause of our people, then your price for whatever crime they may commit shall then be a price worthy enough of allowing the risk of their presence to be taken upon us. Yes, I realize all too well what the cost is my friend. I know that someone has to pay for their crimes, if indeed they do carry them out, even if they themselves are punished accordingly. Someone needs to be punished also for allowing such a thing to happen. I suppose that person shall have to be me. Sir…! You don’t have to do this! I assure you that no crime shall be done by either myself or my friends, yet we do not know anything of your laws here! Surely, we cannot use ignorance of the law as an excuse to break rules which we may very well be unaware of in this place! Well here it is… The Black Cloud. It’s a nice tavern, but upstairs they have nice rooms which you shall be able to rent out for the night. Their prices for accommodation are very fair. I hope you all enjoy your stay here. So… it appears as though you have a group of outsiders and strangers here with you old man. What business is this occasion of, and if it is none of your business to be walking around with a group of strangers Mr Hackle, then why have you made it your business? Well spoken Sail. It is very unusual for men to take such risks for the sake of strangers. Why did you do it? It is too much a good deed to be only in the interests of simply performing a ‘good deed’. If we make our way through the village quietly and mind our own business, we shan’t hopefully be stopped. Yet remember what I said… people here don’t take too well to strangers. I shall come and collect you tomorrow morning to take you to the temple. Hmmm… yet how do we know that these four strangers she brings with her do not have bad intentions for the people of our village? This girl you name Sail is welcome amongst our people, yet there is no way of trusting the other four. What usually happens upon such rare occasions is that unless you pay a sum of gold you shan’t be allowed to trespass. I told you that they take their faith… seriously. Yet that doesn’t matter at this moment Hailla, what matters is what Mr Hackle did for us. Why are you putting both your life and the lives of your children’s future at risk on our account sir? Please, give no concern into the matter. Anything that is indeed… important – it ought to be untold to my ears. I am here to serve as best I can and only hope that you do things for the sake of the good. In that case I shall accept all responsibility that you may wish to give unto such a person for the sake of their welcoming into our village. I cannot let the other four people into this village without a person of this village taking responsibility for them, if indeed they do have evil intentions for our people. …And it is by your life that such a responsibility is held. You realize this don’t you old man? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… No! Stay calm me’ lady! They shan’t harm you! Their weapons are only there to protect themselves. Indeed we shall not. I shall speak on your behalf as best as I can as to insure that no such cost is made. *Aside to Hailla* Keep your mouth silent will you! Good sir, we cannot thank you enough for your kindness. …And if we have no gold to offer? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Look over there… some men are approaching us. They don’t look too friendly either. What is likely to happen if we are stopped? I have spent the last half-hour with them and they seem perfectly amiable. I’m just as shocked as you are Hailla. I don’t remember this place being anything like this at all. What happened here Mr Hackle? I’m afraid that as much as we may wish to, we cannot tell you what our business is here, what it truly is. Hopefully you realize why. Don’t worry you two… we shan’t let it come to that. Old fool! Anyone can act in order to hide away evil intentions! What on earth…!? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Yet what about you and all the old folk in this village? Do you not feel as though you have been betrayed? They’ll ask of you to offer your women to them no doubt. Let’s get out of here! Look at them! They haven’t come here for a simple chat! Let’s get out of here! ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… I thought you said that people around here were kind and friendly Sail! Farewell… What!?

You and your friends shall have to leave your weapons. You aren’t allowed to take them upstairs. Good evening ma’ am. I need a room for the night. Are there any rooms available? *Chatter and drink, chatter and drink*. *Mumble, mumble, mumble*. *Mumble, mumble, mumble*. No problem… *Mumble, mumble, mumble*. *Mumble, mumble, mumble*. *Chatter and drink, chatter and drink*. You lot stay here. I’ll go and ask the bartender if we can stay here the night. *Sigh*

...An hour later... *Sniffle*………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………………………………………..

Do you not remember what happened when you first saw me? You said that you didn’t want me there, you said that I shouldn’t be there. Yet just because you didn’t want me there at the time, that was no objection to me being there at all. About a year and a half ago I hinted towards her that I wanted more from our relationship. Later on I more or less told her what I wanted. You would have been amazed at how awkward the whole thing was. None of us knew what to do or say. Eventually I confronted her and said that I didn’t. She said that she somehow knew that I would say that. Do you not remember what I told you Perlone? You need someone to speak to do you not? You have so much locked away waiting to burst out. Why do you hesitate? I left no one behind. I have little family to leave and they’re only distant relatives anyway… Hailla was my only real friend back home, and she came with me… *Snore, snore, snore, shuffle and snore* We spent many hours together after that day trying to get down to some truths about things. I told her I was attracted to her and she returned the favour. She then asked me if I loved her. For weeks, for months I tried to find the truth within myself. ………………………………………………………………………………….. No… it’s not a lonely life at all. *Still Whispering* Perlone… I would like to speak with you. There are some things I want to know. Will you join me on the balcony? So if Hailla is the only person you are close to, and you are both so obviously keen on each other, why are you both only – you know… just friends? ………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………….. Try and get some sleep… ………………………………………………………………………………….. *Whispers back* Can’t get to sleep either can you… *Sigh*……………………………………………………………………………. Why do you want to know so much? Perlone… what have you left back home? What people have you left behind that are close to you? ………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………….. *Sniffle*………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………….. *Sigh*………………………………………………………………………… Sounds like a lonely life to me… *Whispers* Are you awake Perlone? I don’t especially… just wondering is all. *Whispering continues* No… Bikarack’s snoring… ………………………………………………………………………………….. *Sigh*…………………………………………………………………………….*Small cough* So… what happened? So what happened? *Whispering continues* But she has shown herself to be so cold, so lacking of warmth and the air about my soul has grown ice-cold as of late. Why have you not chosen Hailla for me to speak with, for her heart is so warm and in this cold hour, her warmth would be desirable. *Whispering continues* Shall I go to her or shan’t I? What good of it shall come? She has shown little sign of caring about this journey or perhaps even myself. ………………………………………………………………………………….. CHECKED UP TO HERE

Tell her Perlone… but do not tell her at the same time. One time, many years ago it was now, upon a night like this, I was sitting upon a large hill just outside of Vickaloss city. Then in the distance, a man playing a flute came up to me and said ‘would you like me to play for you?’ Not knowing what else to say at the strange man I said yes, and the man found next to me a large rock which he then perched himself upon and he began to play. He then stood on top of the rock and began to dance as he played. ‘I want to be like him’ I told myself. It’s a nice night. Ha-ha, I enjoyed your rather amusingly hypocritical statement there Perlone. In many respects you are just as impatient as she is where answers are concerned. Yet you seem to be completely ignoring what this journey could do for you as a composer. Suppose that I am in fact the ‘saviour of the earth’, you would have taken part within this occurrence, you would have helped me with it. Not only would people then consider your music ‘holy’ in some way, but you yourself would mentally mature by going on this quest. It seems to me as if you have spent your entire life on the pursuit of being a composer. Is that true? …A little cold though. Well in that case I apologise to your feet, but let us not get too emotional about something as bland and uncomplicated as that shall we? *Sarcastic tone* What exactly do you want? Because you have made it clear that you want something, yet you insist on showing that through the means of perhaps insulting me or doubting me perhaps. If I had known that you was going to speak to me like this I never would have come out here. ………………………………………………………………………………….. Ha-ha, you are rather entertaining when you tell little lies… if you had known that, it would have only improved my reasons for you going to see her. The way I view music is that no musician can ever be a great musician without first facing his or her self. The mind of the musician is more important than the music Sail, and the mind shall indeed come across in the music. Technically, you may be able to blow people’s minds away, yet you have not yet confronted yourself, for your life has been too crammed up with other people’s affairs and with your own for you to know what you are and consequentially, what your music is. It’s strange. I can feel myself changing at a rate that I never thought could be possible of a man. Within every breath a question comes up about myself and with every question I find myself to be in a hurry for answers, whether temporary or permanent. I’m only saying what I think. It’s up to you if you want to decide if my words are true or not. Perhaps I am, but maybe you should meditate upon the idea that I myself might not have all the answers. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… I myself dabble in the arts. I too am a pianist, though only an improviser. I know little about music theory, but I know much about what music is exactly. I assume that you are a composer of a sorts? You are far too impatient. Maybe the answers lie simply within the concept of ‘waiting for answers to reveal themselves’. I’m following something… ………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………….. You’re not following anything, only genius’s follow things. A musical genius follows music, follows his gift, follows himself, this is a journey we are on, a journey to a destination. These two things have nothing in common for you must be following something other than yourself for this isn’t taking place in your heart, it’s taking place upon our feet. I’m sorry Perlone. It’s just that I have made many personal sacrifices in order to be here. Did you know that I had a solo piano performance in the Great Falcon Hall of Vickaloss the day after Bikarack came crashing at my door and did bid me to leave with him? I had practiced for months for it, and he, you and those men in black hoods ruined everything! Well that’s excellent isn’t it! *Sarcastically* So the whole point of doing this is so that you can go on a little journey of self-discovery. Yet at the same time people of the faith all over the world all believe that you are here to save them from suffering and guilt and whatever other form of discomfort they wish to discard. Life is full of disappointments isn’t it. I’m glad you came out here to talk with me Perlone. Then what is the point in us being here, perhaps with the exception of Ryan who is merely your bodyguard? So are you trying to say that I am wrong? In which way am I wrong? Could it be that this entire journey is in fact taking place inside you? Well yes, you have a point there, yet all that aside, you did not deny my words when I suggested that this journey may be taking place more within you than anywhere else. Yet to know that the journey is taking place there, something must have taken place inside yourself that made you believe that it is inside you that this journey is in fact taking place. Yes… that’s what I’m aiming for, to be the greatest composer known to Vickaloss city. ………………………………………………………………………………….. …It is. So…? Have you got anything to say? Yes…it is. ………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………….. So… you’re saying that this journey would actually be beneficial for me and my music? ………………………………………………………………………………….. *Hopeless sigh* You’re impossible you know that. Absolutely impossible… *Impatiently* Perlone…! I want to know what’s happening. There is something that you haven’t told us all and you know as well as I do that there is something to tell.

Nalone called me his brother, and my name is Flow. The air is full of destiny tonight and the moon shines down upon the village where He sleeps. Let me now be known as who I am. Forever, us six men have walked about as shadows, hidden behind rocks and underneath logs like lice and slugs. It is now time for me, the chosen leader of our party, to reveal himself. And so it is done…

The world then spoke back and did say ‘you cannot introduce the laws of the absolute into the laws of this world because the laws that each of them hold do not fit together. You can only bring about the absolute if you change and rediscover the laws of the absolute its self so that it can fit into the laws of this world. Otherwise you shall bring in the absolute as you have dreamt of it, as your faith has dreamt of it, and the laws of this world shall automatically change so that they can in fact fit together. As a consequence of this, the world as you know it shall end as to make space for the new world that is somewhat comprehensible to the laws of the absolute.’ So is that what people ultimately want? Do they ultimately want to die? For what reason? So that mankind can do away with the process of desire, of being needy or of hunger, of struggle, of pain or else with life its self? We have spent thousands of years writing novels, creating languages, making music, sharing stories and secrets. For man to suggest that its only purpose in life is to end as to make way for the absolute… I shan’t believe that, and I shall fight against it and its principle for as long as I am alive. How have I not used my wisdom wisely? I have explained it to you already! I knew long ago that I had a part to play within the Chosen One’s quest. It was and always has been my duty to create the spiritual grounds for him by which he shall walk. I tried to create this spiritual grounding based upon your faith and upon your rules, because I wanted to make the people of our lands happy. It didn’t work Loiyan! It couldn’t work. I told you what happened! I confronted the world and asked of it ‘why is it so true that the people’s vision of the absolute shall not come about?’ So we may both be killed in the process… what of it? I have already explained to you of how you have spent your entire life praying for death, and if you are going to die by the hands of your own words, let it be something truthful. For the laws of the absolute have been changed so that they can fit into this world, this good earth and indeed, the minds of our own people. If they are to embrace what is to be given unto them, then they must have their eyes open and their ears alert. Can you give their eyes and ears to them? Of what importance am I to you? What is your motive for telling me all this? Why did you bring me here and give me that tour of this tower? For let us be honest to each other now. I did suspect the answer to this question to be built around evil and I do still suspect such a thing to be true. I have heard what you have had to say, now answer my question. *Laughs* That I cannot do you foolish man! They shall all call me an apostate of evil and they shall burn my flesh upon a fire! You foolish man! – to go through all this and not realize what the consequences of carrying out such an action would be. Do you know nothing of our people? What else would you have me believe? That you are complex? – yes! That you have a powerful use of words that twist and bend everything they can grasp hold of? – yes! That you are wise? – yes! That you have used your gift of wisdom wisely? – no… I expected as such. This cannot be easy for you. Yet there are many resting chambers in the tower. We shall get some rest and speak in the morning. It’ll be hard for me to rest tonight… Upon the high balcony of the Tower of Tolfoi... I myself have spent my entire life being overly-honest. It’s easy to do this to others, yet honesty towards yourself is harder. All that I have told you has come from me being honest to myself. The Chosen One himself has realized what his path ought to be, one without faith that is, long before I came into the scene. So what are you to make of this? Would you honestly say that our purpose is to die for the sake of the absolute? Very well… I want you to go to the people of Vickaloss city and tell all the ‘Keepers of the Spirit’ the words that I have told you. Tell them that their vision of the absolute seeks only to end their lives but my vision of it wishes only to enhance them, bring them higher and exult them. Tell them that they do not need to pray for self-destruction any more. What do you think of me now then Loiyan? Am I still a villain? Am I still evil, a user of black magic, a dark angel, an outcast, an enemy to all that is holy, noble and good? …That doesn’t change a thing. You have still gone against the will of our people and for that, you are a criminal, you are evil and you are a villain. You still have not answered the question which has been irritating my mind for hours now, indeed, since you removed me from that prison I was inside. ...Nalone had just finished giving Loiyan a tour of the tower, ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Honesty has never before found any method of working its way against me and I fear the thought of being too honest. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… I need time to think… And has spent many a hour telling him of his plans... ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The next morning just outside the Village of Thallass... Thank you Mr Hackle for being our guide. We are greatly indebted to you and we shall not forget what you have done for us. It is strange that they should have such a magnificent place of worship for so small a village. There must be more value in that temple than the entire village itself. That’s true, yet it was not our people that built it. It is an ancient building, built about a thousand years before today, which belonged to some ancient civilisation which time has forgotten. Many people of the village of Thallass believe that it was not a building made by man, but a building made by the Gods. And what do you believe? There it is… the Temple of Socrale. Let us wish them the best of luck… I believe both and neither of them. Well, I have now done all that I can do…

Perlone and his friends left their weapons by the entrance... Perlone and his friends left their weapons by the entrance... Sallon de’monstrill Grahamn le Crassas set noll. Alias connung dial. Alias connung dial balgon le throp’und giang. Because the whistle is used as a luck charm, and much power is needed for it to be used, power given to it by Grahman, the God of Language. If this means of good luck is abused, inherently, good luck shall turn to bad luck. *Ruffle* But yet you say that you want to use the whistle to call these gracious people forth to us. What reason do you have for doing this? I cannot allow you to use the whistle unless you tell me what you need it for. Through the whistle, you will be able to talk to a member of the seven of the ‘Traveller’s Angels’. His voice shall reach you by entering into your soul and to respond you must use your mind and also your heart. Therefore, you can tell them what your business is without me knowing. I assume that you shall be willing to tell them what your business is however. I promise you that they shan’t arrive unless you tell them. *Creak* Have you ever seen such a mysterious orb, filled with so many glimmers of inexplicable beauty, beauty that would bite back if it was abused? Come forth Grahman, God of speech, allow us to speak with those that we need most. Such a whistle has not been used in this temple for fifty years now. We only used it so that they would help us heal those who were wounded from a battle, one that was fought with a large mob of barbarians which came forth from the realm of Barlon to claim these lands. The ‘Angels’ are the most akin in spirit to that of our people in this realm and were apt to help us in such dire times. Then there is little doubt that Grahman and the other Gods have your name in their favour. May the cause be a glorious one. I shall pray for your success in whatever it is you are pursuing. Do not be in any discomfort. Be happy that people have so put their selves on the line for you own cause. Master Hillock is my name, and it is the name that shall be imprinted into your consciousnesses if your reasons for calling forth the ‘Traveller's Angels’ is unjust, and may the Gods forgive you for your errors if it is so. And there it is… The Whistle of Grahman. …And you told him your reasons for needing his help? …………………………………………………………………………………………………… *Slide* …And I shall be the one that shall get the blame and the curse if it is used improperly, as I am the guardian of the whistle and only I have the right to let someone use it. …Well…? Why do you hesitate upon telling me your reasons? I am a virtuous man because I stand by the law that Indomnias has given to me to follow. As long as your motives stay true to his law, then you should not fear to tell me your reasons. Yet I shall help you all… …………………………………………………………………………………………………… Greetings travellers. Are you here to give thanks and praise to the Gods? Sallon de’monstrill Grahamn le Crassas set noll. Alias connung dial. Alias connung dial balgon le throp’und giang. I’m not, yet when the world portrays its self in a suspicious manner then how can I not respond by being suspicious in return? Let us have our eyes and ears open. There is no telling what stalks our backs. Come forth Grahman, God of speech, allow us to speak with those that we need most. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… It seems as though we are constantly finding people by whom we can make ourselves gigantically indebted to. The thought makes me a little uncomfortable that people should be so self-sacrificial. We must wait for three days in the meanwhile. Hopefully, there shall be no surprises upon the matter and nothing unexpected. We can’t take any more risks than we have been taking as of late. Come forth Grahman, God of speech, allow us to speak with those that we need most. And may Indomnias forgive those who dwell on methods of such cruelty and may we forgive them too. Put your hand onto the blue orb… Perlone: I understand that you guardians of travellers do not share the faith. That is why I could trust you with my words. I myself am not of the faith either, yet this is what I am supposed to be. Thus I want to come to understand what it is I must do exactly, or else, chose what not to do, and for this your help is needed. There is a price that has to be paid however… What are your names? Let us all now say this. Perlone, you stay silent and focus your mind. My faith and the law of Indomnias does so teach that one should help those in need as long as it is for a just and honourable cause. Perlone: I do not know why I must go to the sky, but I must, and you must appreciate my reasons for doing so. This is no small affair that we shall be dabbling with. He and Perlone are communicating spiritually… Arpeggio: My name is Arpeggio, leader of the Traveller’s Angels. What is your name, Oh man that has thus summoned me? …………………………………………………………………………………………………… It is done… a friend named Arpeggio shall come to my aid. Arpeggio: I see into your heart I and see that your words are true, or at least as true as you can decipher them to be. Yet I am curious about this cause that you have called me for. Perlone: I do not know what it is, but I know what it is I believe I in fact am. I am supposed to be the Chosen One sent down to this earth by Lord Indomnias to search for the absolute. But as you yourself said, bad luck can be the only thing to follow once good luck has been abused. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… Arpeggio: And what have you lost in the sky that you wish to once again retrieve, or if not, what is it you believe to be up there that you desire to discover? I’m afraid that we cannot actually tell you why we… *Click* Indeed I did Master Hillock and he said it was a just cause. Arpeggio: It was also brave of you to say what it is your heart believes. If you told this to most people, they would drill you into the ground with scrutiny and questions. Perlone: I am at the temple just outside the Village of Thallass. Who shall it be that is to come to my aid? Perlone: My name is Perlone. I am in great need of your help. I need to use your wings so that I may get something from out of the sky. *Click* We do indeed live in a cruel world sometimes Master Keeper. Arpeggio: What part of the world are you calling forth from? Please… look into my eyes. If they are not genuine, then no words can persuade you of the importance of the cause that is in waiting. Master Hillock, we cannot thank you enough for all the risk that you have just gone through in order for us to carry out our wishes. Perlone: I look forward to meeting you two days from the morrow and knowing what my destiny is at long last. Arpeggio: As I am curious on the matter, I shall come myself, Arpeggio, leader of the Traveller’s Angels. Yet I am far away from the village you speak of. It shall take me three days to get to such a place. I am also the closest one of the seven of my kind to where you are. Yet once three nights have passed as of today, be sure to be at the temple on the following morning and await my arrival. In the book I did read, a wealthy man did use the whistle for a reason which was not entirely desperate and necessary. Within six months, his wife and children had all died from random accidents and he became a beggar. Eventually, he took his own life. Come forth Grahman, God of speech, allow us to speak with those that we need most. Come forth Grahman, God of speech, allow us to speak with those that we need most. …Yes, I read about it in that book I told you of. It only just came to me. A life time of bad luck shall be given unto a person if the whistle is used for a reason that is not reason enough to bring the Traveller’s Angels forth. Arpeggio: Yet I shall take to the air and get there as speedily as I can, swift and bold, and a glimmer shall appear in the sky as I come forth to you. I never took you for the superstitious type Perlone. We are in need of help from a specific type of persons, ‘Traveller’s Angels’ they call themselves, and to call them to this here place we need a magical whistle by which we can call them. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… I can see the face of a Traveller’s Angel, yet I cannot hear his voice… What happened Perlone? Our reasons are somewhat personal to us Master Keeper, and we wish to reserve our rights to privacy. Our motives are not to go against the laws of your Gods nor the people of these lands. But we are asking you for your help… can you give it to us? Come forth Grahman, God of speech, allow us to speak with those that we need most. No, we are here on other business. We are in need of your help Master Keeper. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… Be careful Perlone… Hailla… Why is this? *Interrupting* We need their help because… Bikarack… Sail… Ryan… Perlone… But shall you use allow us to use the whistle in that case, just so that we may at least speak with a ‘Traveller's Angel’? Come forth Grahman, God of speech, allow us to speak with those that we need most. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… How do we use it? …………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………… If I know the situation as well as I think I do… we shall do nothing until Arpeggio arrives. Am I right in saying so Perlone? There is nothing we can do until help arrives. Therefore we must stay in the village and await for Arpeggio’s arrival. Who knows what may happen between now and then! I’m not sure exactly. But I do know that Perlone was right about something… we have to keep our eyes and ears open. So what are we to do now? What do you mean Sail? You sound rather worried about the three-day-wait ahead of us.

And so it is done… Oh voice, ambition, desire and longing of this world, bring forth to me the arrow of lightening and let me strike your clouds with it. I shall bring about a storm the likes of which have never been seen of earth, but no bolts shall be seen in the sky nor roars heard nor raindrops felt. Let the storm all be focussed onto one area, let it be a miniature storm Oh world, a small area in which all the energy of a storm is stored and let these tempests and thunderstorms rein supreme within their treasure box given to them by you Oh world. So let us now set the sky on fire! Away with suspicion and uncertainty, and let me be the key by which all such things shall die. Yet now all I need to do is make myself certain. Until now, I always believed that things were out of my hands. Well now it seems as though the more it is that time passes, the more of a grasp I have upon what takes place within such divine discourses. If we were to see this as a chess game, then do not think that I am a piece in the game, whether king or pawn. Do not think of me as the player that with his hand, doth move his pieces. But I am only the board… the land upon which all destiny is fought. And let me now design this battleground, let me pave it. It appears as though the quest of the chosen one and my own quest must go hand in hand and for every smell that he must follow, I must be the fire which causes the smoke, like a scented candle, I shall make his nose follow sweeter smells. Give me your arrow! Watch it fly!

The next morning, the two men that did sleep awoke and looked before them. ‘Look over there’, said the wisest one. ‘The man in silver has come back!’ He looked towards the bravest, who stayed awake all night, and said ‘how did the man in silver reappear?’ The bravest of the three said ‘have you two gone mad? There is no man there! I can see no man!’ The two men who did sleep that night saw the same thing again… the shadow in the shape of a dragon the size of an oak tree thundered into the cave and swept the man in silver away into the depths of the darkness. The bravest one said that the other two were crazy and that he had seen no man in silver and that he had seen no dragon. They staid there another night and this time, another man did stay awake, the wisest of the three, who said that as he was the wisest ‘I shall have my wits about me in order to see how the man in silver arrives, for my spirit is in tune with such spiritual demands’. The next morning, the bravest and the youngest awoke and behold! – the youngest of the three could see the man in silver seated in his normal place yet the bravest and the wisest did not. The wise man said ‘this cave holds something fantastical within it, and the magic of youth can only be rekindled by a youthful imagination.’ The next night, the youngest of the three stayed awake and in the morning, whilst they were expecting the youngest to hold all the secrets, none of them could see the man in silver, and none of them knew how the strange figure had ever come to be inside the cave. The wisest man then said ‘it is that we are all trying to find out how the strange figure had arrived here that the figure no longer shows his face. If we are ever to have any hope of seeing it all again we must give him the privacy by which to arrive. If he arrives in the morning we shall know that his methods of entering the cave are a deep and dark secret… a holy secret.’ The three men stayed there yet another night and this time, they all went to sleep… no one was there the next morning. All three had awoken to see no man in silver and no dragon in the form of a shadow. The day eventualy fell into night and Perlone and his friends were now back at the Village of Thallass... The group of men who inhabit the village nod and mumble in agreement ‘Who are you waiting for?’ uttered one of the men. Suddenly, they turned around as they felt the air around them being thrown about and saw behind them this giant, black shadow move quickly towards them, a shadow shaped like a dragon. The three men trembled with fear and thought that their lives were going to end. Yet the dragon flew not passed them, but through them, as if it were a ghost from the pits of oblivion, and stopped close by where the man in silver was waiting. ‘You have arrived’ said the man in silver, and climbed upon the shadow’s back. Then with a bellow which sounded like a crack and whip of lightening, the shadow did hurl and glide and writhe through the tunnel and then out of sight. The three men stood there in amazement and bewilderment. ‘Let us stay here another night’, said one of them. ‘This cave contains a strange magic about it and I want to know what the answers are behind the mystery that is this cave.’ Thus all the men agreed and went to sleep. When they awoke, behold! – the man is silver was sitting where he was the day before. They asked questions of him again and he did not reply. Then again, the shadow in the shape of a dragon came down the cave and swept the man in silver away. ‘We shall stay here another night and see if the same happens tomorrow’. Said one of the men. One of the men, the bravest one, said he shall stay awake to see how the man in silver shall reappear, if he does in fact reappear at all. The listening crowd bursts into applause... …Then the great King of these lands learnt never to trust the poor and the weak again. For years he had dedicated his soul to their cause, and upon doing so, they had learnt how to make demands, how to be aware of injustices and put the title of ‘unfairness’ upon everything. Quickly, the King had become an enemy to his people, even though his intentions were good, and the King then confronted the Great Lord Indomnias, and asked him to show the King what was the right thing to do. God had spoken to him, and God said “you cannot bring discipline back to the people, for they have already learnt how to be free from hierarchical control. Yet you cannot keep meeting their demands either. Thus you must begin your war with the people of your own country. Teach them that they have abused your generosity, and that you shan’t forgive them.” The three warriors of our village looked upon such a man in horror. ‘How had such a man come to be down here upon our arrival?’ they whispered amongst themselves and were on their guard. There was no food about them all inside this empty room they found at the end of the cave. How had such a man stayed alive? The bravest of the three stepped forward and uttered to the stranger ‘who are you? How have you come to be here in this dark, lifeless place?’ The man in silver did not answer. He sat with his back leaning against the wall and his face stared before him, looking a little sad. Ryan: This is a tale of much wisdom that this man has told us, and there is much that we can learn from it. It teaches us that there are many things which most men and women are better off being in ignorance of. For if they knew of such things, it shall ultimately bring about their own self-destruction. There have been many interpretations of what happened that night and many agreements and disagreements. Yet many people believe that some day, the man in silver who rides upon his black cloud, shall come back again and shall be seen flying in the sky and bring before us all that which he is destined to bring us. Many people of the faith believe that the man in silver and his black cloud were ghostly representations of the future… when the Chosen One shall arrive. The Gods spoke to those who are considered the ‘spiritual masters’ of our people and said that the Chosen One shall walk upon these lands within the next twenty years. It has been ten years since that date has been overdue. That is why the younger men in our village have become ill-tempered and restless. They feel that the Gods have abandoned them or else have lied to them and that they must endure the hardships of this cold world alone. And that concludes our tale… Perlone: We swear, by the name of Indomnias, to utmost secrecy… Bikarack: We swear to secrecy… Very well… I shall tell you the tale. Thirty years ago, our people came across a cave in the side of a mountain, a cave which lies towards the south-east and is believed to be only a day’s walk away. Three great warriors of our people discovered the cave and went into it’s mysterious depths. The aura about the cave was a strange one and it made them curious. They walked to the end of the cave, which took almost a day. The depth of the cave amazed them all. Yet when they reached the end of such a cave, they found inside it a man, a man dressed in a white, silver coloured clothing with long black hair. Ryan: Sounds fair enough to me… The wisest of the three thought about what had happened and he said ‘the man in silver does not want us to know how he appears… he only wants us to know how he leaves. Thus the moment that we show some interest into how he arrives, that shall be the moment when he no longer wants to show us how he wants to leave, for we have taken interest into a part of him that he would prefer for us not to want to know about. Is this not the condition that all of mankind has placed its self within? They are more interested into how man got here on this earth rather than where man is going or else, what he is becoming and what cave he may escape from many years from now.’ Thus that very same war took place here on these very lands three hundred years ago, a war which brought about the end of their mighty city. What is the moral lesson of this story? When morality is used in excessive force, it soon becomes destructive and it soon consumes its self. The ultimate truth about morality is that you should not trust it. Thus our tale is ended… Perlone: Me and my comrades are new to this here village Mr Ludwig, and we are curious about that statue that lies behind your fire. That is a tale that only the people of our village know, a tale that is so sacred, that we want to make sure that it does not spread anywhere outside this village. We cannot tell those who are merely travellers passing through our village. The knowledge of this tale is the privilege of our people and our people alone, is it not? Hailla: I strongly disagree with the events that took place within that story. I am certain that the King of these lands long ago had some hidden streak of evil about him. The Gods have never spoken of such a morality within the holy scriptures. As men and women of the faith, we must block our ears to the unholy words of this story-teller. ‘Perhaps this man is a lost ghost,’ suggested a whisper of one of the warriors to another. ‘Are you a lost ghost?’ asked the bravest of the three. The man in silver sat there in silence. ‘Perhaps this man is a demon,’ suggested a whisper of one of the warriors to another. ‘Are you a demon?’ asked the bravest of the three. The man in silver sat there, still in silence. After a long while of silence, which may have been a few hours of such, during which the three men stared at the stranger as if hypnotised by his mystery, the man in silver stood up from where he sat and looked down into the depths of the cave. ‘Why have you not yet arrived?’ asked the man in silver, yet his lips did not move. His voice was one that rumbled from the very depths of the cave which did lie behind the three warriors and they trembled with fear as they awoke from their few hours worth of a blank trance. But do you not understand that the holy scriptures were created so that men and women who work in fields growing crops and on the market place selling goods, needed such scriptures as to keep everything in line? Deep down it is all lies, and the Gods know this to be true. Their laws are different in the eyes of leaders and the educated. Ryan: We swear… That is of course, unless you all swear by the name of Indomnias to secrecy. For a tale as grand as this must not escape your mouths and may Indomnias strike you down if that is so. Hailla: I swear by my honour and by my family and blood… Sail: We swear to secrecy, etcetera, etcetera…

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… What did you make of that story that was told to us tonight? Do you think that the cave in that story was the same cave we went into? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Yes… Its just that I assumed that I was the first person to go down into that cave. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Why do you put up a barrier between you and everything and everyone around you? It could be… The one about that statue? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… *Sigh*…………………………………………………………………………………………… I don’t… …I don’t know. It was a good story I suppose… …What would it matter if it was? You mean you assumed we were the first persons to go down! ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The next day... I am destined to be The Chosen One’s protector in my world. Yes… it has been foretold by my people that the Chosen One for our world shall arrive soon, and unlike the Chosen One on this world, our one shall bring about the glorious vision of the absolute for our lands. Yet if I am to fulfil my task as protector, then I must learn about what dangers are likely to come by my path, what puzzles are to be solved and what dangers to face. For although our world is based upon entirely different laws of nature, it has been foretold that the Chosen One from our world, a man we call ‘The Final One’, shall go on a similar quest to your Chosen One. I am here to learn of what can go wrong as to insure that they don’t go wrong when I return to my own world. When you see me in the sky and I make myself evident you must leave your friends for but a moment and tell me what it is that has happened. To call upon me to come hither, utter these words; ‘Othal come, come Othal’. Chant these words but three times and I shall appear. Remember, I am not here to help you, you are here to help me… How glorious! How divine! O sweet nectar of the blooming of my world, I shall be the wind that shall blow your life-source across from one side of a plane to another and spread your wonder through the land and do away with all boisterous weeds. For once it shall be innocence, fragility and beauty that shall triumph. For once I have seen the path that you shall go, I shall learn how such paths are taken upon one's shoulders. You may have figured out by now that the people of the faith are wrong… the absolute cannot harmoniously bring paradise into a world where paradise is impossible due to the basic laws of it’s nature. Yet that does not mean that paradise is impossible for all worlds. It is a world where the laws of time, space and objectivity are incomparable to the laws of this world, and is beyond all those stars that you men see in your sky at night. I have gone through the gates of death and of bargaining with Gods and pillaging and murdering every friend and relative I know in order to be here. However, after being here for a year now, I have learnt of how frail life is here and have consequentially come to understand the concept of ‘guilt’, a delusion that is hard to escape from upon this world. That is entirely up to you… but if you chose to go to my world then you shall not be able to return. Then I shall cease to follow you and thus you shall then never follow me onto the land of paradise. I will kill you because of the fact that I can. Do you not remember what I told you about the guilty conscience? It has not taken that much of an effect upon me, and I shall bring the entire human race to its knees or else to the grave if that is what is required for me to get what I need. When you are done with what you must do here, you may follow me through a magic door which shall lead you to my world. Then you shall await for the Final One to retrieve the absolute and before too much time has gone, the absolute shall become a reality and you shall live immortally inside our paradise. Because if you don’t then I shall have to do all that is in my power to kill you and the rest of your friends, including the Chosen One himself Everyone seems to think that if you are not Perlone himself, you are only a witness of him or else a protector. Yet I sense a displeasing taste in the air upon the very thought. Perlone needs to go to the sky, he must also go alone, seeing as only one Traveller’s Angel shall come for him. Yet what shall we do whilst he is flying through the air? No… it just means that the laws of your world are overly truthful… your world is based upon exaggerated truth, an abundance of it, a richness of it. It is only because of the richness of truth you see here that things can become doubtable. I shall return to the village and make sure the others are okay. I will follow you - You shall show me your world of hell, of forever fighting, never winning, never losing. What is it exactly that I am protecting Perlone from? As of yet, it has only been goblins and those black-hooded men back in the city. Am I supposed to do more than that? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… I care not about the issue of the end… but I do care about how such an end shall be reached. To a land of paradise I shall take you, a land with endless wine and food and women to serve thy needs by the dozen. I show you were to go… you follow me. You are a black mage of dark magic! I don’t know why, but I seem to trust every word that you say. I have never been so instantly trusting before, and it is stranger still that I trust a stranger that stands to be the most odd creature my eyes have set upon. Why do I trust you? Take a step closer and I shall cut your head from your shoulders! Who… what are you and what do you want? …………………………………………. I have sworn to secrecy to some strange creature that shall change the way I see this quest from now on. Has a similar thing occurred to anyone else that is on this quest, a certain familiarity in oath to secrecy and privacy? I warned you! I told you not to come any closer! How do you know my name? …………………………………………. You shall tell them nothing. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… You know why you trust me. Tell me your reason. May I still stay here after my quest is done even if I do let you follow me throughout this journey? I told you, I have no interest in going to ‘paradise’ as you so call it. !!! I believe your words to be true, yet I do not desire to live in paradise, so why should I make this bargain with you? He-who-he-ha-he-who! Friends let us be, be us let friends. Haldill gock-gon drill blong spill and boil! Who… who are you? What are you? And what if I chose to tell them? Does that mean that your world is more truthful than ours and that the laws of this world are deceptive? Shall I tell the others about you? I cannot beat this creature in combat! I must make a run for it! I must leave now. But how shall you follow us without being caught? …………………………………………. Very well, it is a deal. …………………………………………. So what do you plan to do exactly? …………………………………………. And what world are you speaking of, this world that is compatible with the laws of the absolute? …………………………………………. …………………………………………. What is in it for me? You must follow me Ryan… …………………………………………. …………………………………………. I… I trust you because the people of your world know nothing of the laws of mistrust and of the possibility of lies. I can hear this fact ringing over and over again in my soul, the energy from the laws of your world radiate through me, clear and obvious. You must follow me Ryan… Has a similar thing happened to Perlone? Kill!!! But why? Why would you kill us knowing what the price of killing us would be for this world? Why? Why do you wish to follow us? Do you want to see what lies at the end of our journey too? ………………………………………….

Once Perlone finds this thing in the sky, what would happen if he found that the entire future of this quest took place in the sky? Surely, we would all need either a Traveller’s Angel each or else find some other way of taking to the skies. My father was very interested in some scientist that kept calculating the possibilities of men taking to the air. It must be wonderful to fly and… I think I speak for myself and Bikarack when I say that I have no idea what it is you are speaking of. It’s just your imaginations blowing everything out of proportion. But perhaps it isn’t, who knows. What I do know is that I want to know more about why you say these things. What do you say about this Ryan? Are Perlone’s words true to your ears? *Interrupting* He’s worried that his responsibilities in this quest reach beyond that which he was doing before, purely in honour of a close friend named Milan. The air is growing thick with voices, the voices of the world around us, the air, the grass, the breeze, all of them are reaching out to us and our names. He didn’t expect the world to reach out to him… but it did. An hour had gone past andSail and Bikarack had gone to sleep... Back at 'the Black Cloud'... I was only suggesting various possibilities. The more possibilities we talk about in regards to our future and imagine them happening, the less it shall be likely that we shall be taken by surprise. Personally, I don’t see what the harm is in talking about it. No one can hear us from this corner of the room. I don’t know. Everything's so much more different to what I expected. Everything’s so much more closed in, so much more secretive, so unclear. Yes… perhaps what Perlone said was right about the world around us seeming to call out to us. We have absolutely no clue where we’re going or doing but here we are, doing something and going somewhere. Do you mean to say that there is another voice or mind behind ourselves, which almost speaks for that which we do not know or understand? Is it a nameless voice I wonder? Out of everyone here with us on this quest Ryan, I trust you more than anyone, including Hailla. You are both unselfish and simultaneously not selfless. Like me, you give up yourself for a cause that you cannot even put a name upon, you give yourself up for something yet you don’t know what it is you give yourself up for exactly. I think it is safe to say that we both have secrets that we cannot even tell each other, let alone all the others, yet I think it is also safe to say that we both feel this sense of excitement, importance and anticipation growing within every hour. We are privileged also, for we take a look upon the miserable lives of everyone else and at the unpredictability and dangerousness of our own selves and feel ourselves gifted by fate. Well I’m just glad that Hailla isn’t here. We would never have heard the end of this situation if she were. Now you’re the one that’s letting their imagination run… …These two know more than they are telling, a lot more. Yet they do not seem eager to tell us what it is judging by their eyes and their silence. It may be true that you speak the truth, yet it answers none of the questions that I have. I can put a name on nothing yet how I wish that I could name things, how I wish that I knew what name or title or vision I am working towards. Yet if it is our place not to know what it is they know, if in fact they do know something, then it is not our place to question them. That’s true… Come on Sail, my ale is empty. Let us go and get another round. If I knew better, I would say that there is more than meets the eye here… *Interrupting* I’m sure that we don’t need to concern ourselveswith such things right now. We don’t know what’s going to happen… let us leave it at that. Come now Perlone, that is just the ale speaking there. I don’t know how significant I shall be in this quest, yet I do know that my sense of importance has grown a little… but only a little. I know what my place is ultimately. Perlone… what’s happening to us both? …………………………………………. If I had to take a wild guess, I would say that you have just about as much right to be the so-called Chosen One as myself. ……………………………………………………… Are we just going to sit here all night in silence? Where is Hailla? …………………………………………. I… I don’t know! Let us just drink in silence shall we because… So what are you worried about then? …………………………………………. ……………………………………………………… …………………………………………. ……………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………… …………………………………………. …………………………………………. ……………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………… *Sigh*………………………………… It’s not that that I am worried about. She’s gone to bed already. *Annoyed sigh* ………………… …………………………………………. Well… I don’t know! Anything! This silence is driving me mad! I’ve been thinking about things… *Impatient sigh* ………………… …………………………………………. What are you making of this Bikarack? …………………………………………. ……………………………………………………… So… what shall we talk about? …………………………………………. …………………………………………. …………………………………………. …………………………………………. And…? …………………………………………. …………………………………………. …………………………………………. …………………………………………. Indeed, your words are very true. No, I don’t mean anything like that at all. It’s just that…

Yet for years this place has received not a single visitor. People always prefer to journey around this realm rather than through it because of the bad reputation of Barlon, our beastly neighbours to these great lands. Yet suddenly and unexpectedly five strangers entered these lands and now, after years of normality and stagnancy, all these strange occurrences are coming about. Whatever the case truthfully is the issue here is that in terms of probability and statistics, the strangers are probably related to these happenings. I believe that if it is not our duty to go to the people of our lands then we must confront these five strangers and ask of them what they may know about these occurrences. Of course, we shall be polite and courteous about the situation. I can see no harm in doing that. ...The audience is mumbling in a fidgety manner as they all want answers to many questions that were the cause of this gathering. Master Hillock, I believe there to be no reason for me to stress the importance of the issue here for the issue itself does this of its own accord. Following on from such signs we can only make two conclusions: either the Chosen One has awaken and has begun his quest or else the spirit of the Cave of Born Desires has awoken itself and that man in silver is soon to come to us upon his giant shadow. Either way, much needs to be done and all citizens in the realm of Gassolet need to be warned about these events, for if one person commits an act of crime between now and then, our chances of being in favour of the Chosen One or the spirit of the cave may differ. I know why you have all come before me this morning. Many strange occurrences have been reported in recent times from all over not just Thallass, but the whole of the realm of Gassolet. Some of you men have come from all over this realm, some of you far off in the north. Yet it has so been told that there have been sightings of strange flashes in the sky. There have also been strange folk in black hoods riding upon the back of dragons, but only as shadows in the night sighted, and now you have all come to me in search of answers. The next day at an outdoor theatre next to the Temple of Socrale... Gentlemen, I have a proposal for you all. Let us assume that your initial guesses are right. Let us say that those five strangers have some business to deal with the issue of the Chosen One or else with the happenings within the cave towards the south; is it our place to intervene with what they are meant to be doing? If word goes about these lands that these strangers are related to the Chosen One and etcetera, who can honestly say what may happen to the destiny and fate of these strangers and how they may be altered thus? If they are here in good intent, it is not our place to intervene. Yet if they are here on evil intent then until we have proof of such a fact there is nothing we can do. I understand that it is true that these words may be disheartening for you all, for we may all be witnessing something that we have spent our whole lives waiting for and the last thing you want to do is sit there motionlessly. I do not know what is ultimately best for us, I can only do my best to know what the wisest and most mature approach to the situation is. We are keepers of the faith ultimately and even if the Chosen One were to come right before our feet and confess it, it would not be our place to do anything or say anything. It is our place to have faith in him not to prove him to ourselves and seek him out. If he is to arrive, he shall do so in his own time. I appreciate the passion you have is your words brother, yet you throw your words about yourself far too wildly. No, we do need to do something but it is not that. War is not an issue of our business, we are men of faith not of politics. What we have to do first of all is bring up the question that is ‘how do we know that these strange events have anything to do with the Chosen One or any of the honourable Gods?’ There have been no definite signs saying what is for what purpose and we cannot jump to conclusions! Yet what truth do we have other than a few odd sightings! We know no more than what we have been told by farmers and drunken men returning home from the taverns! We are not keeping the truth from them, we are keeping ourselves from misinforming them. Until we know what is going on in the subject we cannot hold any responsibility in regards to it. There is only one way that we can insure that the men and women of our realm behave in a just and moral way as to insure the Gods and his messengers shall be in favour of us. Our kingdom of Gassolet has now been involved within a war with the realm of Barlon for several years now, small wars they have been over small pieces of useless territory, yet constant these wars are and they have been a mild curse upon the lives of our people. We have but one choice: we must stop this war and if it be necessary, we must surrender to the enemy. But isn’t that lying to the people of Gassolet? Yet lying is prohibited by the laws of Indomnias! We must tell them the truth! Please! Men of the court of faith let us all calm ourselves! If one of us were to go to a foreign country and within a few days were accused of bringing about strange occurrences whether for good or evil, it doesn’t stop the fact that there would be nothing to link you between the happenings. We rarely get visitors and so I think that when we get them we should treat them as such unless we have hard evidence for why we should do otherwise. I have heard your case been put forward Master Hillock and I must say that I agree with your principles. Brothers of the court, it is not our place to be like the mob who would furiously seek people out either to blame or else to praise. It is our place to step back and keep order and peace in our lands. We must have our minds balanced and accepting rather than overexcited about a handful of strangers and some strange sightings. Yet I understand that there are some strangers in the Village of Thallass, some travellers from the south-east they are or so the word has gone about. Could it be the case that these strangers may have something to do with the matter we have on our hands? The crowd mumble and nod in agreement... We cannot afford to create a public scandal and create a panic, especially as people of the faith place so much faith in us as the representatives of such a faith. ……………………………………………………………………………………………… Men of the court of faith, we must all come to realize what our duty is! ……………………………………………………………………………………………… Settle down people… settle down. ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… *Mumble* *Mumble* *Mumble* *Mumble* ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… *Mumble* *Mumble* *Mumble* *Mumble* *Mumble* *Mumble* *Mumble*

ickaloss V It is a rare and indeed, a shameful event. What upsets us former-apprentices of him is that we cannot come to explain the reasons and motivation for his crimes. Yet he has been seen walking about with that man named Nalone in the past five days and we heard a little mouthful of Nalone’s poisonous words before our faith forced us to force him to be silent. Many suspect that it was Nalone himself which poisoned our master’s mind, with witchcraft and black magic it is also suspected. Yet Loiyan was of a strong heart and he had strong faith also. He wouldn’t have given into any villainous words without first giving a thunderous fight before hand. That is why many people believe that black magic was the thing that cursed this poor man’s mind. Loiyan, we above all do not want to do this to you, yet you have left us with no choice. You have said words which the laws of our faith cannot allow and we have given you many chances to repent and return and reconsider your words yet you insisted upon making them public and creating a scandal amongst our people. Either it would have been us that took you to your sentence, or else it would have been the anonymous servants of the law. The next morning... *Whisper back* He believes that we have betrayed him. He knew that his words were dangerous, yet as he so said, they are words that have to be told so that we can all be more free to rethink what it is we believe. Yet he trusted us with his life. All we can do now is honour the person that he was. We must not spare any mercy for who he is now however, for he is no longer himself. Think of this as a funeral rather than a sentence, for this is all in honour of his memory. He is lucky that he was not hanged. It was only because of his years of wisdom, good teaching and being a charitable, kind hand and mind that the court was so lenient with his sentence. If he were someone else they would have been hanged. Still… our men have not seen such a great master in over two hundred years now. We should have suspected that the worst may come as a result of it. He is to be hanged by nightfall on this very day and his blood is to be poured over the ‘Table of Prophecy’ back at the temple so that we can be sure that the Gods shall pay attention to his spirit and be just with it. He has proved to be a man with a clever tongue so he may be able to worm his way out of all punishment that the Gods should rightfully give him. Yet justice shall be done, rest assured. I’m sorry… I cannot bring myself to answer such a question. Either way let us all be sure that he is something completely unholy and perhaps even unnatural, but not in any way related to the Great Indomnias. Guards of the city, we have been given leave to take this man to the docks not a day’s walk away from here to where a ship makes leave for a far off land, that along the way shall be disposing of those upon scattered islands that must suffer a punishment of banishment. Yes, we have been informed of the matter as such by messengers of the court. I understood from his words that ‘The Keepers of the Spirit’ themselves shall escort their own master towards such a ship, and yet I did not quite believe my ears yet here you all are, escorting your own master towards his sentence. Still, this is a very strange case however. It is rare to get any criminal in this city at all let alone one who has gained the spiritual admiration of so many men and women of the city, and for crimes against the faith as well. You taught the wise words yourself once that it is better to go by the hands of a dutiful brother than a dutiful stranger, so here we are. I understand that there was another person involved within such crimes. What is to be his sentence? *Whisper* Loiyan has been silent all morning ever since we retrieved him from his prison after facing the court last night. ………………………………………………………………………………………………. What words did this Nalone utter? Do you believe that your former master truly was put under a spell? We bid you good luck in your travels fellow Keepers. ………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… Farewell…

Meanwhile at the Temple of Socrale... Ryan, you should know enough about me by now to know that I do not say such things lightly and without cause or unless certain conditions force me to say them. I am not a superstitious person. Consequentially, I shall not make a point upon the state of things without logical evidence. In that case, let us not waste a moment more. Come here Perlone and I shall carry you in my arms and in them I shall take you up towards the sky. Have no fear, for my arms are strong and the power that lies in my spirit shall insure that you remain in my grasp. You speak of nothing Sail, nothing but wild fantasy or else exaggeration of the truth or else of an excess of examination into present states. For waiting is what we are doing and nothing more needs to be said. The air is so silent, almost as if every breath of wind is in waiting or else building up towards a storm. There is a great energy in the air and as I do not anticipate the events of the morning, there is little doubt that the air around me is doing so for me… perhaps even for us all. The morning is such a strange one. I feel as if no matter what happens I shall not be taken by surprise because I expect to be surprised by something. So now I am just waiting for the surprise to just act out it’s course almost as if everything is made hollow before it is even there to exist as something that is hollow. Greetings all, my name is Arpeggio. Tell me what all your names are for I have come here to find someone and I assume that he is one of you five. Yet I need to know your names so that I know one of you is the one I am looking for. Ha, well at least someone here can be both logical and simultaneously listen to the voices and forces upon the air even if it is not done in the same way that I would. Yet I anticipate the events of the morning. Very well Perlone. I understand that you need to be taken to the sky. Do you know why you must do this yet? Then it is you Perlone that I have flown over seas and mountain ranges to come and see. Is it okay by you to speak of the matter in front of your piers? So please, do tell me, what evidence do you have for what you believe is the state of the air? Look! There is a distant spark of light in the sky! Don’t be foolish Ryan, you know that there is no such evidence to be given. Don’t say anything. I shall be back before too long. You all wait for me here so that I can find you all easily enough. Where is this person who Perlone says is named Arpeggio? We’ve been waiting here for two hours now… It is he, there is no doubt in it! No, but I have little doubt that we shall soon find out… I… don’t know what to say to you Perlone. I have every faith in Perlone’s bravery. Go forth Perlone… take to the skies! He said that he would be here first thing in the morning. The sun has only awoken from the horizon for but a short while. He should be here anytime now… Bikarack… Come Perlone, let us away. It’s coming this way… and fast! ……………………………………………………………………………………. Perlone…*slight sob* I’ve known you all these years and no words could put anything into… *Sigh*…………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………….. Ryan… ……………………………………………………………….. *Smiles through tears* You just take care of yourself you hear me. I am Hailla. *Sigh*……………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………….. Yes… it is fine. Perlone… ……………………………………………………………….. I see it, I see it! …………………………………………………… Ryan! … I asked you politely to stop walking about! This sounds quite scary Perlone! Stop that Ryan… you’re making me nervous. ……………………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………….. Sail… ……………………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………….. And so it is done… Perlone has left.

A few hours later... Perlone and Arpeggio speak to each other through the mind... Arpeggio: Perlone, we have been flying for a long time and you still don’t seem to know what you are looking for or where it is. We shall carry on flying yet I need to know that we are getting somewhere. You have told me where to go as of yet, but it seems to me as if we are going in any random direction. Arpeggio: Very well… Arpeggio: Yes, but if you don’t know what you are looking for or where it is then we could spend our whole lives looking for it. Perlone:Go faster! Faster and higher and keep going north-west! Perlone:Wait… I feel something! Perlone:Higher! We must go higher! Perlone:........................................ Perlone:I never did make a promise of an easy task before us Arpeggio.

Arpeggio: Perlone, there is little to no air to breathe this high up, we must go back down before we both die! Arpeggio: You can feel what? Perlone:We’re nearly there! Perlone:Let me go Arpeggio! Perlone:Release me from your hands now! Arpeggio: You can see what! Perlone:It’s there, right in front of me. Arpeggio: Are you mad! Perlone:I can feel it! ………………………….. Perlone:I know it……………… It’s right there… Arpeggio: Nearly where? Perlone:I can see it!

Perlone:Then it seems as if my fate is decided. I know what I must do… You cannot? Why can you not die? You are nothing special and here you are falling straight towards the ground from a height which no man has reached. Perlone:But you shall not allow that to happen. I cannot die. Yet blindly you fall and blindly you believe that you shan’t die despite every threat that reality and logic throws at you. Perlone:I must take you in my arms and take you with me and both of us shall subdue to the elements… Do you actually want me to answer that question? You’re doing what you must do right now… you are plummeting towards your death. Are you not faithless? Perlone:It is because of that that I shall not die. You’re going to die Perlone… Perlone:Very well… I am going to die. Yet you and I are not here so high above the earth for no reason. What am I here to do? Perlone:Blind faith is foolish… Do not get any delusions of grandeur, you are falling and you’re going to die, that is all. No one dies for something, they just die and that is it. Perlone:For what cause am I dying? I do not wish to die and I do not see anything good or bad coming as a result of it for I shall die and that is it. What more can come about as a result? Perlone:I shall not die. You do not know that… Under what grounds? Perlone:Yes I am… You’re falling straight to earth with no means of saving yourself. You’re going to die… Perlone:He just… disappeared!

The End Perlone!!! Perlone!!! Entire production brought to you by Victor Verne Rikowski Perlone!!! (Except for the fill-effects of some objects, which were pictures taken from the internet) Perlone!!! Of part 3

The Ockress

The Ockress

Presentation Transcript

The Good , the Bad , and the

The the ramp, the __ the car will go.

The First • The Few • The Future

THE GOSSIPER THE SLANDERER THE BUSYBODY THE WHISPERER

The Recognition The Shame The Desire The Resolve

The ‘the’

THE NEED, THE MANDATE, THE SOLUTION

The Bait The Equipment The Fish

THE FED THE FED THE FED

The virgin, the villain, the hero, the whore

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly.

The Fearful. The Fabulous. The Forgotten.

The Ockress

The Bass, the River, the Review

The Kabbalah, The Talmud, The Torah, The Zohar

the handsome the tall the strong the clever the naughty

The ‘Fate’ of the The Anasazi

The Ockress

the man ... the life ... the legend ...

The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales The Knight The Squire The Yeoman The Prioress

the The school.

The Better the System, the Better the Results

The Ockress

The Ockress

Presentation Transcript

The Good , the Bad , and the

The ________ the ramp, the __________ the car will go.

The First • The Few • The Future

THE GOSSIPER THE SLANDERER THE BUSYBODY THE WHISPERER

The Recognition The Shame The Desire The Resolve

The ‘the’

THE NEED, THE MANDATE, THE SOLUTION

The Bait The Equipment The Fish

THE FED THE FED THE FED

The virgin, the villain, the hero, the whore

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly.

The Fearful. The Fabulous. The Forgotten.

The Ockress

The Bass, the River, the Review

The Kabbalah, The Talmud, The Torah, The Zohar

the handsome the tall the strong the clever the naughty

The ‘Fate’ of the The Anasazi

The Ockress

the man ... the life ... the legend ...

The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales The Knight The Squire The Yeoman The Prioress

the The school.

The Better the System, the Better the Results

The the ramp, the __ the car will go.