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Tue 19th Oct 2021 04:26

The Dream

by Syr’Cap

We arrived at our past. This time an army stood behind me. Tanozall stood beside me. Viktur, my enemy, raged at the gates of HIS memory! The call of the Navali rang in my ears... or was it just the wind?
 
These few that stood in front of us, even behind their gate, had already fallen, they do not have the strength to fight against raw conviction as we stand, once again, at the precipice of our choice. The hammer fell, with my anger growing once again... is battle the only way with those that may be my ally? Do they not know they are pawns, as we all were once, in this game the Silly Gods play? I watch as they fall and smile. Their spirits now know of my battle, of my wrath. I shall celebrate their journey as they join my ranks on the march to Storvo's Keepe.
 
I saw the old mark as I wandered among the cliffside. Our faith was strong then... the sign of our devotion, the flag of our mission to conquer and save the misguided. In the shadow of the Chosen one, I stood proud. This mark now, as I stared, betrayed, marred, desolate in it's meaning... A vision through clouded eyes. Illuven lit a path, Storvo sounded our battlecry! We were Navali, we were the fates in the name of those silly, silly gods. I have no more words for them, my heart is closed. The gift I give now is my anger, my revenge, MY wrath. These gods, in their arrogance, have nothing but their selfish motivations to blame. With a swipe of my rage, I erased our past. I erased my belief. I surround my handprint, the mark of who I was, with the mark of who I have become. The bear erased a memory as the night poured over me.
 
Of all these gods, Storvo, the wind of my despair stands against me. I felt his power through the words of the Bone Man, I saw his strength in stories of Zando...and I saw them both fall. With my hammer, I took revenge. For my father I struck, not for power, not for the tribe, not even for my story. I struck out of rage. Storvo took my father and tortured my tribe through the years. Every sign I saw, every lightning strike, calling out to me of his indifference, of his disdain. It was enough, and the rebellion had to begin. It had to begin with me. With the fall of his son, he will hear me and maybe, just maybe, he will hear me. I will not worship this petty child, I will protect the world from his tantrum. As I grow, so will my spirit, so will my army. The day will come when Storvo shall kneel before me and share in this regret, this failure.
 
Then I slept.
 
Madness overtook me! I saw the lightning, I heard the thunder, I felt the pain!!! Over and over, Storvo unleashed his wrath on me. I fell before him as all I could hear was his laughter. He towered over me, as Zando did. He stood with the storm above commanding every torrent against me. I did not wake.
 
I saw Zando, I heard the chant of the Bone Man. I was struck again, my hammer at my side, useless. The words of my cowardice, the raw emotion of their onslaught. They sung of my failure, my weakness, my insignificant grandeur against the storm. Lightning, then thunder, then the blinding light again... every strike their attack, all laughing, as I fell scarred and burnt by the voice of Storvo. They will not release me, they will not relent. The storm does not speak of mercy and I receive none. I did not wake.
 
Then in that moment, a discovery! As the lightning tortured my flesh, as the thunder deafened my ears, I smiled. These silly gods!! I remembered. The sound of crows above, leading us to battle! The cries of the fallen as the hammer fell. The magic of a stone in the darkness. The failure of Zando, his weakness, when HIS storm, HIS father, abandoned HIM. The fallen, my brothers, buried by my hand in the aftermath of MY storm. A storm that evaded me, that feared me... or was I unimportant... ignored??? No matter! My redemption is not my aim. I followed the chosen one in faith, until their faith was forsaken and again, I stood alone as the horizon once again darkened. I did not wake.
 
I will not surrender Storvo, I did not start this war, but I will finish it. With every word of disrespect with every instance of heresy I will make it perfectly clear that YOU are to blame! That your tantrums have tainted the heart of a warrior to ALL of them. My hammer stands for ME, Storvo, you small god! With every breath I will destroy the very thought of you! If I anger the gods, I will send them to you and force you to explain how a mortal, destined to be a pawn, has tipped the game. I will find allies in them, I will listen, I will offer my strength for a portion of theirs. I will build, with every death at my hand, an army to stand against you. And when my time comes, it will not be your thunder they hear. It will be Storm of Revenge and I swear to all that stand with me, I will face you first! I did not wake.
 
This dream, Storvo, is not the end! It is a new day, a new dream. I begin the search for those that once stood beside you, as my comrades do now, those gods who have tired of your way shall join me.
Within sight of Daestrus, all things die Storvo, remember that! I stand with him!
 
In the eyes of Illuven, the light shall burn the clouds! I stand with him!
 
Within the spirit of the Bear, Visaria gazes through me! I stand with her!
 
With every breath I speak of life here and after, the passion of the warrior, In Yenna, I stand with her!
 
The ground shakes below me, In Rog, I stand with him!
 
In darkness, you will hear my march. With Lunara, I stand with her!
 
I embrace the Chaos, Storvo, I stand in my own shadow.
 
With the jealosy of the fickle sea, I shall bathe in revenge, with Maelstra, I stand with her!
 
It will be YOUR name Storvo, that falls to my hand. Behind me, my army of unquenched spirit, behind them, every god but you. Every believer, but yours. Every faith following the faithless will stand against you and will see your eyes feel... fear.
 
I did not wake. I simply opened my eyes and held my hammer... No, I held my axe!
 
It is time to vanquish the clouds.