Burning Books

1. Burning Books The Ockress The ockress Began at Wednesday 11th April 2007; 00:29am Part Six Burning Books

2. Well, here we have it, someone else has died in a similar pattern. His power over The Quest has been removed And now he looks upon the events blindly. Look at him! – With his punished eyes and sealed lips, lips that were never there in the first place, lips that could have been stitches, or merely scared lips, when there was no mouth there at all. He was dead before any of this begun, there is no other way things could have gone. Yet things happen to go in some indescribably intricate way, one that no god has the power to reach. For as our new law decrees; ‘Every man has his own right to privacy,’ and God is not ready to hear these events, for this God was not strong enough to hold onto its clutches. His staff and flag have broken, one he prepared after many millennia of work for this very event. As for the God himself, a replacement shall be forged by the law and his powers within no time at all, and he has plenty of spares, those that can become others with certain alterations. He shall return if he shall find the correct method. But until then, who shall be his replacement? Who shall step up to the challenge And take control of the situation so that no more of them loose life and so that their goal can be reached? For it shall be hard going if we are to keep the rest of the heroes alive, Sky, Hailla and even Ryan. We need the force with the right sense and the bold head, so that we may dive into this. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Here we are, we are spiritual messengers of other potential Godheads. We have been watching keenly, and are keenly set not only to take a brave daring, but to achieve a well-earned honour. All the Gods shall smile and look proudly upon their choice, and hopefully, shall make events meet within The Quest with their newly elected and well celebrated hero. Who shall rise to the summon, and earn their power? Why, no more than those that investigate all occurrences of importance of any kind, and report it to ourselves. There are some of us that know what is happening, but it is not anyone else most likely, for we have been hard at work and we see that we are failing at the business. However, would it be ethically right to do this? Why, taking a broken staff from a dead man who no other knew? - Ludicrous! I shan’t have it, it is there for the taking! We all feel the gravity rising, we feel the earth and space tremble, for so much of things are linked to such things of such matters. Judge not before it shatters. I doubt that such a God exists, and if such a one did… Good luck to Godhead, for the Godhead shall need it. Do you want to know who we are? Why, O scornful fate have you done this, So torn apart, so needless? You are throwing everything into a tight corner. No hero can save anything but I. It is only I who can assume the thrown. By law, no other can sit upon it. So meanwhile, my staff shall be stolen, And none shall I ever trust to put it back into my hands. Lost forever to a sea of needless blood and pitiful waste. Already, the Gods mock me, For look at what I have allowed to happen! However, these Gods, in all their vain, Shall forget about my hands, And all shall come to ruin.

3. Two Days Later Two Days Later None shall live and none shall die, Between the two, all shall lay. May I one day live and cry; ‘With death I walked, hand in hand’. But if life were to return, How could I recognise it? None shall awake, none shall learn, Upon our deposit we’ll sit… …And do no more. Now, show me O wondrous blade that you can cut through this earth, this swamp of illusion and delusion. I have not tested you fully and you are one of few things that I have faith in. Unleash your power and prove both yourself and the meaning of our situation, show me the heart and the core of this place, rip open its skin, shed its blood and hold its beating heart within your palm. However, I have not yet put my theory to the test, for the air in my lungs is not fresh and my sword has been no detour of it, and the hairs on my skin retract in fear of being singed in this intense heat. I speak words that I believe, but belief is not as strong as that what takes place in front of you. This world of trickery is falling apart, I can see its degradation and decomposition. Little makes sense here, and that which is sensible has little example by which to affirm itself and so stands there confused and overlooked. The forest burns on this night. One day the winds are ice cold and the next, the trees are dry and the sun violent, giving way to natural fires. It is the strange storms that we are having that is striking the timbres, setting them ablaze. There is no telling what mood the sky shall be in, it pays no heed to the seasons or to natural law, the only thing that is certain is that they grow more violent, more extreme, more dangerous. Yet behold, the fire stands right before me, surrounding me no doubt, and I stand unafraid. Two days ago I did ponder upon the possibility that we were leaving this world to where Othal came from, and that the universe was composed of world stacked upon world, and Othal came from some dark underworld, dragging us away from the sky which leads towards a purer world. I believed that if it were true, then perhaps it was to be our task to collapse all worlds above and below us and unite all existences into one so that all of our lives shall be lived in every way possible and imaginable in accordance to all these various realms. Behold! – The sword stands stricken into thin air, supported by the walls that aren’t even there in my eyes but which I know are there. Has the sword at last proven me wrong and begun to take the lead? Do I have the courage to take up its hilt and follow its mettle? The flames around me are growing and shall swallow me up. I have upset them, I have tested their worth, and for the sake of their own existence they draw nearer. The end has come for them despite what happens. For if they shall swallow me, I shall die and they with me. If I take my sword they shall tremble, wither and die and subdue to the coldness of icy earth and bare rock, minerals more pure and sparse than any man did ever see and this counterculture of natural occurrences shall smoulder. …Or be forever lost within a flame that is more real than I desire. And if I shall loose you, then what I suspect to be the case shall be affirmed once and for all. Already you have shown me your power, yet your power says nothing when I ask of it to show me the way. Now you shall make the way for us now, or else be lost forever… …And I with you. New things have entered my ears and new fingers pluck the heart-strings and I know now what Othal was. Freely I use his name now, unafraid and with laughing mockery. He was nothing and a nobody, the result of a simple spell cast by a cunning armature wizard-imp with nothing better to do but confuse passers by, clinging on to each individual circumstance. A spell of that kind would be a minor task no doubt. The only curse that came from him was the damage he had done, which I foolishly accepted, and allowed it to incur the maximum amount of harm possible. If it were not for such a simple trick, I would still be with Sundun and Sky. I have learnt the one and only law pertaining to these fictitious lands. Nothing can kill a man but a man’s own self, and if he walks into the flames expecting death, it shall be given to him. However I see through the flames, I see that they have no power over me. My sword shall cut through their rage as if they were weeds distracting my path, cut away the flames, clear the air around me and breathe afresh. Vain dreaming, idle chatter and substantial incoherence, be gone with you. I know nothing anymore. If with a bow you fire arrow upon arrow at a tree-trunk, eventually all you shall see is a column of point-embedded arrows and forget what it is you are aiming at. I am that tree and I no longer see myself anymore as things fire at me from the left, from the right and all around, drowning in a sea of arrows, a new one added within every second, upon every molecular change within my person. Woe! Woe, pity and endless doubt. Who can be sure or anything anymore?

4. For long I have been facing the toil of these mountains, an ardent and tiresome business even for a warrior such as myself. For years I have walked them in search of gold or means of better fortune than my own, none but this sword, an item I know nothing of regarding its true significance. It was long ago when a strange and hooded person named Othal gave it to me, saying that this sword could work wonders in becoming within itself a God of Fire. The only one who could wield its power was he who could brave the vast underworld of this earth and return to tell the tale. It was in the realm of Yetal that we did meet and when he gave me his sword. Upon telling me of what I needed to do I asked him, “So how do I enter the underworld?” He replied, “That is the trick for there is no underworld. No man or woman has ever found the entrance into the place. Caves, dungeons and ancient tunnels carved out by underground lava and water currents do not form the underworld, although places like that are where one must walk through in order to be there. For the underworld actually is made of caves, dungeons and ancient tunnels. Pay heed to these words.” I did not understand, his words made no sense, but before I could ask him any more… he had disappeared! – Into thin air. This beast was the owner of incredible powers no doubt, and discarded the sword that had the potential of becoming the new God of Fire as if fire itself were just a toy. I know not if I believe his tale or not. He was most likely a mischievous imp with but one or two tricks up his sleeve and no wish in life but to set me on the rack. Yet his blade is the swiftest and most powerful I have ever held, and I shall never find out the truth if I discard it. So here I am, I, Allion, in the remotest lands, far away from any intelligent life. This is the way I have always been. I have always wondered and strived upon mountain tops, ran across abysses that stretch out for hundreds of miles with four hours of sleep to aid me along the way. I have swam across oceans, I have slain the foulest of beasts, I have confronted the most powerful of wizards. I have never met a single soul strong enough to cause my body to break and if I could find a way of wielding this sword’s power, if indeed it has any, then I shall no doubt be the most powerful man on earth. Single-handedly I could bring empires to their knees and rein over them. I shall do away with all week men and create an empire made of heroes, those of honour and courage. I shall make myself an example of how a man ought to be. But I do not care for building empires. I have deserted civilization just as I have deserted what is civil. But I shall not rest until I find the Automaton that stole my sword, my father’s sword and his father before me. Those Automatons are a crafty lot. I was asleep when out of thin air one appeared. I woke upon the instant, but within that same second my sword was gone, as was the Automaton. I confronted them after years of searching at the City of Vickaloss. They are a secretive group and no one knew their whereabouts, so I sought after them myself. Even they, who are mighty in both their sorcery and their combat, knew they could not defeat me. I asked them of my blade, the one that was always named the Ockress, the inexistent Goddess who would one day come to birth and succeed the ancient sun god Ock, so my father told me and bade me never to speak a word of it to a living soul, although I never knew why. Upon it he made me swear upon the Gods. However, when I found the Automatons, I forced them to tell me of my father’s sword. “The blade was stolen, the thief forgotten,” Upon those words, their necks I should have torn, My Fire-God-Blade - made their insides rotten. “By whose hands?” I asked, “don’t know”; they had sworn. They asked me of a being named Othal, Lying, I said I knew him not, “what of him?” “From his influence, we’re on withdrawal, He’s strived to confuse us, through thick and thin.” Some suspicions: answered. New questions: born. - An endless stream of torment and forlorn. O sweet Ockress, when shall you again bring pleasure to my eager hands. This new sword feels far more powerful than you, but it lacks your spirit and warmth. It gives no love and it requires no care. This perfect sword that never needs sharpening when you demand it almost daily. This perfect sword that eases through necks as if though they were air. Where is your splash of blood to be found that ought to stain the ground to let me know of the deed? O sweet Ockress, bring joy to my hand once more.

5. I know that in being here I am putting myself at danger, yet I do not believe that to be the case. I cannot explain it. I do not feel powerful, nor brave nor daring. I merely look upon every second as if each had no relation to the previous second, making each second a re-evaluation of basic things; gravity, colour, air, touch, smell. Every second these experiences become new, they are reborn into the exact same form as they were a second earlier but rediscovered in exactly the same fashion. Each second is devoted only to these basic functions. There is no room for feelings such as fear of death. It is not only I who am doing this. I can see the world also rebuilding its self and reaffirming all of its basic functions. Perhaps those monsters down there shan’t attack me if I were to shout out to them. Perhaps they too are coming to terms with basic functions. The Next Day This is the only sign I have seen as of yet that proves there may be someone else in these lands besides myself and Ryan, if Ryan is still alive and still within these lands. And if these beastly creatures are the only signs of intelligent life, the intelligence coming from their creator judging by the behaviour of these animal-like brutes, then I ought to be doubly alert in my path if I am to survive. Any man or creature with brains that lives down here is bound to be a dangerous one. Nothing could bare to live here for too long within being dangerous its self. It’s a miracle that deer can live in these lands, even though their numbers are few and well hidden. *Whispers to herself and trembling with fear* I have seen many odd creatures in these strange lands, but now I have seen every imaginable obscenity. Whereas all the other creatures I’ve seen did at least look like some form of biological life, with flesh and basic organs, creatures like this are surely nothing natural. But if they are unnatural, does not that not raise more alarm than if they were the most hideous natural brutes I had ever seen? For despite all the strange things I have seen so far, nothing has giving me any sign of anything unnatural, whether manmade or supernatural. There was that dragon that me and Sundial saw quite long ago now that disappeared and then attacked us from behind. But a magical dragon is nothing one wouldn’t expect, and fundamentally it was still a living, biological creature. I’ve been walking up hill now for quite a long time. I should reach the surface before too long. The skies do seem to be growing much calmer in these parts. These lands are strange. They send to you a feeling that tells you no matter how dangerous a situation can be, no harm shall come my way. The lands that Sundial and I were walking down were barbaric ones, but that was only because he was setting us on the wrong path. Ever since, the lands have been growing more calm. This place just doesn’t make any sense. Perhaps they were once men, put under a spell to walk the earth forever even after their flesh should fail them from old age, even after their flesh has died and rotted away. Oh no! – He’s seen me! Then again, if that were true then they would not be eating that deer. But why are they eating? They have no stomachs to digest the food. I can see his food just falling through his ribcage and onto the floor. Gurphen-murphen-mla! ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …Monsters. *Gasp* It’s ripped out the poor creature’s heart. *Munch, splitter, spit, dribble, munch.*

6. When Loiyan was but a child, the Master of the Faith of the time looked young Loiyan in the eyes and said “one day you will find that there is more to life than being faith’s Master.” Throughout his whole adult life as a master of that faith, Loiyan never did find out the answer to that riddle for he did not want the answer found due to its blasphemous nature. What could be more fulfilling than being a Master of the Faith? – Nonetheless, the words had their effect. Nalone had told and shown Loiyan many strange things within the Tower of Tolfoi. All of them indicated clues regarding the future, all of them suggested hints and possibilities. Looking back on it now, Loiyan judged it a shoddy affair. So much effort Nalone had put into his collection of various items, scrolls, books and many other things, some of which were worth a fortune, and the work he put into his notes, acquired knowledge and sketchpads… ‘such a waste of good effort’ Loiyan now thought. However, although Nalone proposed that a large portion of the Quest did lay in his hands, Loiyan’s mind was restless with the possibility that Nalone had somehow already played his part to its utmost potential. Of all the strange things within the tower, there was only one living creature that stayed there apart from the guards and caretakers who never dared to go in such secretive rooms, rooms that were always locked and bolted. The creature was a white dove that always sat in its cage with the cage door open and the window open right beside it. “Does he not fly away?” Loiyan questioned. “He shall do at the proper time,” replied Nalone. “Then when he fleas from his cage, a giant mess shall be made.” “Who shall return order to such things?” queried Loiyan. “Only the God of Fire.” After a long journey on the ocean aboard the cargo ship, a small island was eventually found by which Master Loiyan was to find his new home. The island was just about large enough to support a man and aboard the rowing boat they took a trunk full off supplies to keep Master Loiyan going such as clothes, hunting equipment, fishing nets and rods and a tinderbox. The Next Day

7. Yes, yes I’m sure it is. I hate that guy. Bronzo, set Master Loiyan’s things on the shore and help me escort him into the jungle. Bring your sword with you. You too Drimble, bring your spear. Well here is your new home Loiyan, I hope you like it. It’s exquisite. So do I Bronzo, so do I.

8. Know that I am here, O world without eyes or ears, deaf to my cries and blind to yourself. You have given up on trying to fool me so you stretch out for miles in your monotonous rage of procession, each ten miles the same as the last. However, yesterday I saw it, the Statue of Javia the ancient warrior Queen. I saw it well marked upon my map and there was no mistaking its affirming stature. How had it come to make an impression upon my eyes and fingertips, how had I come to find it in a land where nothing can be found? What’s more is that there is this easy-going path. How did it get here and why does my sword follow it? For the sake of curiosity yesterday I strayed away from the path. Within half an hour I found a cliff edge which shot straight into the air, disappearing into the low-hung clouds, which I could not see before due to the ever-lasting fog which always cuts off my vision within a certain range. Even a confident climber such as myself became a coward before such a sight. I followed its edge for an hour, and its surface had not changed. In feeling defeated I walked away from it and behold, this same footpath lay before me and my sword awoke once again. My blade leads the way, yet I grow weary and tired and ever so thirsty. These lands are dry as death itself, and scarcely anything lives here. In fact I have seen neither bird nor hare since I did battle with that burning forest. There is nothing here. The winds have all but stopped, the air itself dead to the world, the clouds gather but show no intention of bursting and everywhere I walk I become covered in mud, dust and bits of rock for no apparent reason. Without my sword I would be lost in these lands, for map and compass mean nothing anymore. They meant more than a little two days ago, for although the tides in the earth were not accurate, the landmarks and shifts in characteristics were, but they just moved more speedily than one would expect. Nonetheless, something tells me that I am going to a place where no other lives. Who could stand to live for long in these lands? I have a little water left in my flask, but it shall be gone before too long. I shan’t survive this place any longer than three more days, especially if dirt insists upon drowning my every move. I have asked my sword many times over to guide me to water or even to some game, and it answers not. Perhaps it only responds to the most desperate of times. Perhaps upon the brink of my mortality it shall bring me water and food, only to wait for me to starve and deteriorate once more. I shall stray away from the path once more and disobey my blade for the second time. If that endless wall shall again tower before me, I shall know the true nature of this path. It was one that no person intended any other to walk down. In fact it is one that I myself carve out of bare rock. Therefore this landscape has no pre-set territory so all of the former characteristics have vanished, replaced by this default scenario, as transparent and shallow as a sheet of glass. The trees here look more like statues than trees, the greenery; more like artistic wire-works, skeletal outlines and representations. Nuts and berries are about the only form of sustenance here, most of which are poisonous. This environment is testing even for a natural survivor such as myself, who has conquered some of the planets’ most harshest territories. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… I could conquer this world within an inch of a second if with my heart I made this blade a sheathe.

9. Eventually the three sailors left the island, leaving Master Loiyan and the body of Nalone at peace. However, Loiyan urged them to return with their captain so that he can see for himself that the body was real and can thus make an accurate report to the City of Vickaloss when they reach the place within the week. However, under such bizarre circumstances there was no telling what decisions may be taken. When Loiyan was eventually left alone on the island, he used his hunting knife to cut down the body of Nalone, which required a difficult and dangerous climb up the tall tree. He did not want to bury the body as of yet, for the captain may still come to witness the freak occurrence. Instead he carried the body into his stone shelter and washed the body down. Because it’s been a long time since anyone inspected this island. It may very well have unpleasant beasts upon it. We are here to insure that you are safe here. Also we shall guide you to your shelter. Islands like this we keep specifically for people like you, people that we wish to keep alive. There is a small shelter here made of stone, with a fire place, a stove and a bed. You shall find it to your liking. Inside there is a large chest full of books and other things to keep you occupied while you are here. If we believe that this place and your own isolation is driving you to madness, we shall call for volunteers in the City of Vickaloss to join you in your sentence and to keep you company. I believe that you shan’t be short of volunteers as many Keepers of the Faith are so blindly dedicated to your cause and to all that you have done for them in the past. It was at that moment that Loiyan begged of Nalone’s spirit to forgive him. As he wiped off the dirt from Nalone’s forehead he said; “I should never have lost faith in you Nalone. Few great men reach the peak of their greatness during their lifetime, and some of these men are impatient in achieving what it is they must achieve. The power of you death has clearly exceeded the power of your life, for your life had only the power to arrange, set up and give birth to the power that your death shall inherit. What orders and deeds have you trusted upon the hands of your corpse? Why do you bring your corpse to here of all places and to me of all people? I believed that the things within your tower had explained all of your intentions very clearly to me, but now I know that this is not the case. The only goal you ever had was in insuring that something was to happen.” These are very distant seas Master Loiyan. Ships often go by them as trading takes place between the City of Vickaloss and the eastern continents. However, all the traders know that we use these islands for the purpose of punishments such as yours, so grabbing their attention shan’t save you. We shall arrange that three men shall come and visit you once every two weeks to insure that you are both alive and feeding well. Our intention is not to kill you off Master Loiyan. “You created a world about yourself so dense, so sparse, so infinite that eventually you shall cease to be the creator of that world as the world becomes within itself an individual, a three dimensional space with its own consciousness and subconscious entity, its own dreams and its own will. However, the only way that this world can truly be of its own and run its own course and its own life was for you to die, to signify that it truly was its own master; I see that now. “Forgive me that I ever doubted you Nalone, forgive me.” We have no intention on punishing you Master Loiyan. Only we believe that you are not you any longer. They had strong evidence that proved Nalone was a master craftsman in the black arts. It was clear that he has put some permanent enchantment on you to make your will his slave. He used your high authority in order to gain himself power within the city. Master Loiyan is dead in our eyes, and believe me when I say that his loss has been abundantly mourned. We only hope that one day our hero shall return to us, and when there is clear and certain evidence of this, you shall be brought back home. And so there it was, the body of Nalone Castro before their very eyes, hanging by the neck to the branch of a very tall tree, long since dead to the world. Obviously, Master Loiyan was quick to react as he collapsed to his knees before the corpse in tears crying out ‘Nalone’ again and again in desperate cries. The three sailors about him wrestled with their superstitions upon learning the identity of the body from Loiyan, pointing towards the demon if front of them, crying out that Nalone had become a Dark Lord. They punched questions at each other in a fit of panic as to what they ought to do. You make it sound as if this fate before me were to be a pleasant one. I do not deserve this sentence. I have done nothing other than speak my mind. Is it just for a man to be so punished for merely what he utters? – And when did I threaten to ever harm any person? Why do you not just leave me here? Yes sir… You did not answer my question. Why do you not leave me here and go back to your ship? Bronzo, cut away that thing obstructing our path.

10. Two Days Later Two Days Later Hailla, remember when you said that Ryan might not have come back for you due to his loyalty to his friends. Well that may very well be the case. And despite what you may think we have been making impressive speed here. If Ryan has not left his friends we shall still catch up with them within a few days as long as we keep our heads high and our hopes ripe. We cannot afford to give up, not now that we’ve come so far. I know that having to loose my horse and carriage has been a great loss to us, once again due to the impenetrable mountain range, one that completely surrounds the city of Lathon which I had always assumed had some rout around it. But there was nothing I could do. Yet that does not mean that we are a lost cause. Hailla, things like this have happened to me before. Courses of journeys have taken a rethink many times and I would always follow the change. However your course changes for very sad reasons. Forgive me if this sounds indecent, but I have served your cause well and feel I have some right to speak my mind. It seems almost as if you are following no more than a hope and in seeing your own hope shatter, you seem to have achieved what it was you set out on achieving. It grieves me to see such a destructive nature. For when I hear your voice I read in it that you never really expected Ryan to come back for you. You aren’t a child any longer Hailla, you have to give up these hopes that you know serve a hopeless cause. Things have not mapped out as well as I had hoped Hailla, yet do not let that dampen your spirits. I do not see why these routes should have been any less difficult for your friends. However, you are right, for if Ryan had come back for you then we would have seen him already. He would have been a fool to stray away from this path, surrounded by giant mountain ranges, swamps and other such dangerous grounds. This is the safest and quickest rout and if he came back for you he would have followed this same pathway if he had any senses. I have also given a number of magical signals visible only to intelligent and friendly eyes so that had Ryan strayed from this way he would have been shown our whereabouts. Nalone, I am so very worried. I am beginning to think that Ryan did not come back for me, for if he had we would have found him long ago. We have been in their pursuit for quite long now and this easy-going path is getting more difficult by the minute. Something tells me that this path has been a lot easier on my friends than it has been on us two, for even you with you giant blade and spells are having difficulty. Hailla, I did ask you a long time ago if you were certain of Ryan’s feelings, and you made it clear that no such doubt exited in your mind. I have done my best to serve what I think is noble and just, but it would grieve me much if after all this I was to only take you back the way we came after doing so once already. If it is that which grieves you then fear not for you shall be paid extra coins we reach the city. My family owns a reasonable wealth and shan’t be ill disposed in paying you for your extra efforts. Do not give up on me now Hailla, for I have not given up on you. Oh Nalone, have pity on me. Did you think I wanted things to turn out this way? – I wanted Ryan to come back for me, I truly did, and I thought he would. O, have pity on me. First Perlone and now this. Is there no end to my torment? – The world with its right hand would steal from me my highest prize and pride and with its left hand restrain from me my only salvation. I have been wrong about many things before in my life and perhaps this is another one.

11. I might as well give up now and become a woman of the jungle, eventually turn into some barbarian that wears wolf-skin coats and deer horns on my head, there is no other future for me. I shan’t find anything in these lands. I have reached the surface yet the curse continues stronger than ever upon my surroundings. If I were to be found I would probably be deemed a madwoman for not even being able to see the person in front of me. O what a glorious future I shall have in some prison somewhere. I’ve had it, I’m through with all my hopes, for my hopes have brought me nothing for all that they are worth. Praise be, praise be, I’m saved! – That’s it, there is the lighthouse I’ve been searching for these past four days in the distance! I’m saved! Now if the curse has not completely taken its toll I should be able to go down there and greet the traders. And if all I see are moving skeletons on wings or if the lighthouse disappears before me, only to attack me from behind, then I know that the curse has driven me to insanity. Praise be, I thank you good and generous earth, I never did loose faith in you and I should never hope to do so. Wherever one needs their salvation, you provide, wherever one becomes lost, you promise them a safe rout. I would kiss your surface were you not covered with dirt and if I were not also covered with dirt, making my kiss an uncharitable contribution. Well that does it, now I truly am lost. I should have reached the Northern Docks two days ago at least. Curse me and my amateur map-reading skills. I had spent eight days going uphill and it has now been a few days since the grounds have been rising and falling respectfully of the proper tide. Geographically, in terms of the height of the ground, the world has regained its sanity. Yet things have not changed and O how I hoped they would. It would not surprise me if I were the only intelligent form of life left on this planet. The world seems to be working backwards. If my father hadn’t taught me how to hunt then I would have died a long while ago. Yet I have only made two kills so far, a hare and badger, using traps I set outside their burrows and waited until morning for them to fall into them. The meat on them has long since ran out and I have not eaten since the night before the last. My luck has ran out. There is little game in these parts and any hope of catching anything for supper is a very slim one indeed. If I don’t find the Northern Docks soon, I shall die, there is no doubt about it. I shall check my map once more, and see what I can see from the top of this mound. After I’ve picked a few pockets and perhaps scrounged some food and supplies from some sympathetic person, I shall continue on my road towards Yetal. It should not be too long before I reach the place, then I can get this stupid charade over with, return to Vickaloss and my life shall begin once more on its true destiny, the only one that has ever warmed my heart and cured all psychological pestilence. Well apparently there ought to be a lighthouse near the docks, which ought to be the first thing I see if I were to ever get near such a place. I’ve been looking for the damn thing for far too long now. If only I knew exactly where I was on this accursed map, then I would know where to go… roughly.

12. But don’t you see, the path than leads north-east has been cut off. That was how I came to find you in the first place. After a while I found that the path I was following came to a dead end owing to a cliff face as high as the clouds. I followed it for hours and found no way around it. It was upon following such an edge that I came across your body, carved out of bare rock by my own sword. By the time we have found a way across the cliffs, if one does in fact exist, it would be too late for us both. There is nothing to eat in these lands and to continue going into them is suicide. Sundun, what happened to you? Are you not as healthy as you appear to be? I see no sign of injury and your skin looks fresh as ever, unlike mine. Had something hit you on your head and altered your senses? …Tell me, where is Sail! – I must know if she is safe! I put my faith in your mettle. In your hilt I placed my only trust and this is how you repay me. I saw you yourself carve out Sundun from underneath that rock, I saw you yourself excavate from out of the pit of infinity that which I would fear the most. For in all probability Sundun could be awake right this moment and thinking that it is I who am asleep, thus he is no more awake than I am. I would rather fight with you to the ends of this world than have such a doom, such an inevitable doom presented before me. I put my trust in you. I rarely ask for people to help me in my hour of need, but my hour was made, you carried out the deed and had me betrayed. The curse knows that I place faith in you and alas, my greatest faith has been my greatest demise. Why all this sombre talk of dying? You seem healthy, a shock as it may be considering the state of these lands. I myself am at my wits end, this day is almost over and I fear I shan’t live past tomorrow night. How have you managed to stay alive all this time? All I asked was to have my life seen to and the world could not see my death anymore than I could see the world. My eyeballs have been removed from their sockets once more, the first upon my birth and the second upon my shallow grave, shallow enough as to perform the act of deadening as if on a stage, only to reawaken as some distant actor behind transparent curtains to reveal to all eyes the shoddiness of the world’s attempts upon real life. Why am I not yet dead. I was supposed to die, yet here I lay with my senses fully portraying a stranger of a world, a friend that always runs two steps ahead of me even in death, not ready for me to live, nor ready to die. Ahhhh! – What, what happened! Someone tell me what’s happening! Ahhhh I did not come all this way to see a pathetic, foolish little beast like you, inhuman and unnatural, to interfere with things. I expected that my arrival would not be a welcome one. I know not why Sail, or ‘Sky’ as you call her, has decided to abandon you to your death and nor do I care. I am a betrayer and so I shall act as such and you shall do as I planned for you to do and it shall be done one way or another. If you have the courage strike that blade into your chest and then be done with it. But before your knife imbeds itself an inch beneath your skin, you will find it stricken from your grasp and your life shall succumb to my will. I did not wish for things to be this way, but you leave me with no other choice. I have no choice but assume that Sky has returned on the north-western path towards Yetal, and that is where we shall go. My wrongdoing was not brought about by my greed and lust for power but by my need for the freedom that I possess in this very moment, the freedom to walk upon bare earth and to breathe the rushing air. It was also brought about not by a lust to conquer the earth, but to conquer myself, to destroy what I was and become something else. Now my hands are unclean, they have meddled where they are not fit for meddling. Now leave Ryan, I do wish to speak about the matter any more. Either take you sword and strike me down, knowing in full confidence that it is what I deserve, or else leave. How many days! Why did you come back Ryan? – We had split ways and had made an agreement, a verbal contract, one which you have now betrayed. How many more times shall you work against us Ryan? However, I am no better than you, therefore I shall betray you in order to affirm that fact by not telling you where Sail has gone and by telling you to go back home. Find Hailla and be with her. We are not to journey together. Now go, speak not another word and leave me here. I shall carry on going in the direction that I was heading. …And Sail, where is she? She was with Sundun when I left them. Has Sundun fallen into a deep sleep, plunged into a dream world by the force of the curse? – It would be likely to happen to someone who is such a stranger to the world. For so long I have been on their pursuit and this is what I find. Perhaps Sail found out eventually that Sundun was no longer following on the north-western road. She never was too bothered about where she was going for she always trusted such things in our hands, even Sundun’s. Perhaps she did not trust his judgement and left him to die here. Or perhaps she could not wake him, just as I cannot, from this dreaded curse. She must have fallen into despair and merely left him where he lay. Look at me Ryan, here is the knife that was given to me by Sail, who I have come to know as Sky, and I as Sundial. Upon giving it to me she made it clear that if ever I was to come upon either a foe or friend who might pluck me from my branch of death it would then be my duty to thrust this blade into my heart, end my life and fulfil the promise I made to her promising my own death. I do not wish to die this way. I intended my death to be slow and painful. Now leave Ryan before you find that you shall betray me yet again and make me the most vengeful spirit pertaining to your own. Well why does that matter? Well… speaking in twenty-four hour blocks, I would imagine twelve, but in terms of a circular pattern in which we have day followed by night, I would say twenty-four days. Yet why does it matter so much? Where’s Sail anyway? What has happened here? – What have you done? I can guess upon no harm or wrongdoing brought about by your intentions, for what evil are you capable of? You who know nothing of the greed that men face, the greed that invades them when they see a world to conquer. You have yet to make out what the world consists of, just like a young child. What evil is a young child capable of? - And if some evil is granted to the child by itself, then who can take it upon themselves to curse and condemn such a cub? Ryan? – Is that you? …How many days has it been since you left Sail and I? Is he dead? – No… he breathes. It is what I must do. I owe it to Sail, to Bikarack, to Hailla and even to you, but especially Perlone. I intend to die for what I have done. Now go back quickly before it is too late for you. The world does not wish for me to die for whatever reason, and I shall make sure that its wishes are not fulfilled. Sundun! – Awake, it is me, Ryan, come to your rescue. Do not leave me here alone in the lightning. Sundun, awake, it is Ryan, your friend who has come to save you. Quick, rise to your feet, we must leave these lands. He does not hear me. He does not look injured, nor does he seem starved, so why does he not answer me! Sundun, you’re awake! Can it be that my sword in fact brought us together despite all the obstacles? How have you been? Sundun! Sundun! AHHHHHH!

13. The Next Day The Next Day The Next Day May we have a world width you sirdl? There are thingsa that need to be agraid, Let us in brooder and we tell you where best you go, for the goodda of mankind and our lorld? – A semi-prophet? We shalld blesses you width a tousand inner kisses, That last strarggle upon man’s love. We work togeder, all I have to do is delivered you to where you must go, I can do’is for you. I can buy land if necessary, paid for my by man’s worth in it’s beliefs to thank me for doing my duty. In the end Master Loiyan was brought back aboard the cargo ship now headed back to Vickaloss city having completed all the trading it set out to do. The body of Nalone was left upon the island it was found, resting within the stone shelter previously intended for Loiyan’s use. The ship should reach Vickaloss within four days at most. They left the body of Nalone on the island, but they brought Loiyan with them for the sole purpose that he said he might be able to explain how this had happened, but that he shall only exchange words Acton, his greatest friend on the earth’s surface, one who he trusted above all others. Loiyan explained that Nalone had made himself an abode for his work during his lifetime, a ground that was a servant to his will. Loiyan spoke; “if Nalone had placed a curse upon your men and your ship, then be assured that it is already done for Nalone’s dead body can testify to that. You are all just as likely to carry a curse as I would be. If you want to be free of this curse then you must go to the grounds baring Nalone’s power. I shall trust Acton and Acton alone to do this. So if you wish to return to your wives and your children without fear or doubt of some ghost haunting your back with demonic and demigod-like power, I suggest you allow me to help you. Once this is done I shall return to my small island and continue with the sentence that has taken me.” Needless to say, his words played out their intentions. Loiyan’s plan was to take Acton up to the Tower of Tolfoi, to exactly the same place where Loiyan had succumbed to Nalone’s vision. Nalone knew that Acton does not hold onto the faith as strongly as Loiyan once did, and his belief shall be easy to break upon the witnessing of the contents of the tower. Slide 12 finished on 21st June 2007

14. Finished 24th June 2007, 2:25am. Days at riddles. (Reformed 3rd October. I kept all the original sequence only I added the fire photo (my own) to signify the construction of things to come, which works well with the next scene which is also 100% my work.) But a bargain has been made and we shall witness our potential! The site shall be made and given out as tokens. Prepare vast world for the wonders that await. We feel the power, for even I, the most daring of heroes that land has ever seen cannot cope with the power of this brute. That makes me their hero and thus their equal. For no man could have served more true. I shall be as mighty as them and make for myself a most wondrous bride. She must know how I feel, not a shed of doubt lies in my mind. She shall be as powerful as I, but that does not make incest. God did not serve any of us by the end of this, God was not in Perlone’s spirit. God did not reach his arms when he died, His afterlife was his own.We must take this to where it belongs For it does not belong in the Realms of Yetal, That distant land where no distinguished figure shall live, Merely old demented men with hearts of gold and the traders. Bring Sail, Sundun and Hailla, All three back to where they came. We all want to go home, this has been proven a fact. We shall beg of Sundun’s retirement fund, For the dignity of it’s service to the Quest. The priest shall be there no doubt, Something is happening here but none of us agree with it. But fear not my brother, the future looks bright. Perlone did not need to go on this quest, he just needed to go back home after visiting the cave. This entire journey was not worth its effort, all we needed to do was go back home, and then go where we like within the world, to those sweet villages far from of the cities yet near enough. We shall find those other spirits that work with us without a doubt, things like that are easy to achieve. Look, an arrow over there, buried in the ground. Been there for many years I believe. I have lit a fire in these terrible lands, O, how I am at my wits’ end! The devastation has taken place. You know very well what your role is! Devastation! =

15. This Quest has already demanded one promise of the Angels, • But no other shall be made until I reach the core of man. • Let no one doubt the promise(/contract) that was made to the angels; • ‘Let he who you may ever come to find as a possible servant of Indomnias… • …Perform but one task for him. • Then if the person proves himself as true, • He should be able to perform the rest himself - • Aided by the power of all the Gods and Goddesses.’ …And there we beg of another signature. The End I know not what may await me when I arrive, yet I need power and it shall be given to me. Let no man judge me wrong, we have done the Quest enough justice, the ‘Quest’ must speak for itself now. However, we shall not return to mankind with the help of a Shaman or a Traveller’s Angel. We are now very close to Yetal and the means of acquiring a Shaman are right before us and a token of the Angel’s loyalty has been provided by Arpeggio himself! Let this God sway with the tide, let his arms reach out and embrace where he goes, he shall not never need travel again. We shall stay right in the city and explain ourselves, we shall pretend and there we shall be witnesses to our tokens… And we shall swaaay like a storm, watch us ‘dance’ and ‘fly’; we no longer doubt the power of this quest, it has proved itself well and true but at no avail. • Come, I have plans, let no man doubt my decision. • Othal was my token, and Othal have I kept, • The beast that no man dare look upon. • My eyes have not yet come to witness it, • For Othal lies in my bag! • He shall be as much a surprise to me as anyone, • And all shall look upon the occurrences as what I am; • Healthy, • Swift, • Bold, • And cunning. Who are we to judge, No warrior is fit for this kind of business - The ultimate curse upon God and his ways, His destruction shall come swiftly. It shall be the way man shall finally go, His last struggle upon mankind. Why must you suffer me, O murderous existence. The burdens your are placing on my back, I shan’t bare the thought of this going on any longer. Whatever is out there can come to us, For it is they who must decide for us and not us ourselves. Of Part 6 Entire production brought to you by Victor Verne Rikowski Completed on 12:49am, 27/06/2007 (Day my father caught me at it again [work completed on technically the next day]) (Except for the fill-effects of some objects, which were pictures taken from the internet)