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26 June 858 AC

6. Black and White

by Eve Parion

"Ten Kere-Len Nen Tapnim" - inscription of Marte.
 
Dear journal,
 
We have reached the Monument of Life one day ago.
Seeing Buin for the first time, I thought of that ancient saying inscribed on the gates of the city of Marte. Then Malvis. Now Ur-Mavan. It means "Lean to the Self to find All".
Singularists were surely smart people. They could bring whole concepts to life in just a few quite raspy sounds. Like this sentence. And they did know a lot about self-insight, and balance. Balance which the Almighty shattered, teaching us once and for all that there is no balance to be found on Earth.
 
So as I walked across that serene land, I felt the need to say "Balance is the death of love", like that olden king. I still think that. Maybe because imbalance is my second nature. Or maybe because I feel the tempered weakness in all of this. These people stand two feet away from literal Death. You wouldn't know it. But if I were so close... I'd do something. In a thousand years, almost.
 
We sent soldiers, the Ael Velle - the Holy War - to the Western Desolation, and they watched.
 
That being said, I was left aghast by the sheer art and beauty of the Monastery of Lem-Kere-Se, the monastery of the Monument of Life. And its hospitality.
 
I have to stop here and explain a few things, because I have been awfully disorganised. I'll surely forget a few details, so I'll write them down here. I feel like I've talked a lot about Talion and my own problems, which is unfair.
 
As you remember, dear journal, the end of the world may very well be around the corner. There are dark forces planning to invade the realms not yet destroyed by their curses. You know, the all-imperfect lands of Worania, Vormiol and the like. Or at least that's what Talion proclaimed. I, for one, am a little unsure of how to split people. So I guess orcs are bad and are coming to kill us. But... I feel there's more to this. It's not about races against races. I think it is more profound.
 
I certainly felt that after meeting the Black Sylph. So yeah, after that horrible drunken page, I lost track of things. We had left Alomir on a ship from Damaschini, as per the plan. We had a plan to go west, to the Fountain of Sapphires, in order to find out more about the world. The Black Sylph was this very special being which was going to join us. A being that may very well transcend life and death. I'll explain later.
 
We reached Arofa before trouble struck us. First, a mutiny. People didn't want to go to the Fountain, because, well, we had to cross the Western Desolation. So we had to settle that first, kind of hard, but we managed. Talion was an oaf (I stand by my drunken words here). I got drunk, but the thing is important events went on around my ludicrous self.
 
Talion had an encounter with his favourite demon in the whole wide world, who seemingly got him to knock down the Black Sylph who was hiding somewhere on the boat. I don't remember much other than Talion standing still, screaming "don't look at the water!" and then closing his eyes and having some sort of struggle with the demon. The struggle was so successful, the bastard demon kept laughing and sneering. And the sylph fell on the deck. From where? It seems she can travel in some shadow-world. That's why I said she may very well transcend life. She clearly is not alive in the way we are alive. I'm not sure what she is yet, I think she has some sort of curse or maybe dual nature to her. She must be an elf, but a very ancient elf. Like the beings of legend, so-called demigods. Who maybe were very powerful elves. Who knows what creatures lived thousands of years ago? Maybe the Black Sylph hails from them. She's much older than the Monument of Life, or Enoligas.
 
So, speaking of, since the Sylph was badly injured (it seems Talion's negative feelings and influences were drawn to her, because the idiot dispelled them from his person - like he dispels everything), we had to take her to the Monument.
 
There, we saw it. I don't have time to write about that beauty. Or words.... It's.... no. I can't desecrate it. I'll just say this. It was a pillar, a small humbe pillar, in the middle of a circle drawn on barren ground. But once you look from the pillar outwards, you'll find it. The pathway. A gorgeous waterfall carrying water down and lifting you up. And at the top you'll find the true Monument. A place of quiet awe. And sadness, in a way. Because the world used to have more color. That's what I felt from it.
 
We went there to save the Sylph. And I felt the grace of the Almighty there. I am so glad I can say this. I always felt I will never be able to really feel it. I believed it exists, but... It's so different when you FEEL it. What magi call higher arcane - boring magi! - is, well, completeness. It's a feeling of purpose and right. You stand there where you should. We wanted to save her from whatever evil encroached her. It's more than Talion's stuff. But I don't think the older evil could be drawn out. But at least to invert the inherent opposition that life has towards the negation of life, the living, crawling negation of life that I feel acts upon the poor Black Sylph.
 
And the Almighty is there, in us and around us. We did it, we reached the top and saved the Sylph. But in doing so, we couldn't save her poor hand. And her body in general, I think, was badly affected. She hangs by a thread. I don't know if she'll ever be strong again, but I hope so. She wrote to us how she met Damaschini and his comrades, she sounded lively enough back then. She sounds like an innocent, beautiful soul. I think I'll try to protect her, for now, with what I can, the others are busy enough doing the voyage itself. It's not like I'm very useful elsewhere anyways.
 
So, onwards we go. The Sylph is as well as she can be, and time won't go backwards; we have little of it, so we shall move on towards the fools' peninsula, and beyond. The forgotten shores of Texxoria and Alghazia await.
 
What is left of Gava, I wonder?

Continue reading...

  1. 1. Unilateral thinking
    11 June 858 AC
  2. 2. I love peaches
    12 June 858 AC
  3. 3. Mannerisms
    16 June 858 AC
  4. 4. Toy
    21 June 858 AC
  5. 5. The sea is vast
    22 June 858 AC
  6. 6. Black and White
    26 June 858 AC
  7. 7. The Lady and the Sheets
    28 June 858 AC
  8. Well it's been a while
    29 June 858 AC
  9. Magic-men
    1 July 858 AC
  10. Last straw?
    3 July 858 AC
  11. Bittersweet
    6 July 858 AC
  12. Trials
    9th July 858 AC
  13. Cheeky
    9 July 858 AC
  14. No good
    9 July 585 AC
  15. Long baths - not alone
    11 June 858 AC
  16. Strength and hugs
    13 July 858 AC
  17. Who is heading us?
    14 July 858
  18. Dear Nixie
    14 July 858
  19. Where are we heading?
    13 July 858
  20. Hideouts
    22 July 585
  21. Home
    25 July 858
  22. The fight begins
    3 August 858 AC
  23. Fire and Water
    6 August 858 AC
  24. A little thought for my captain
    6 August 858 AC
  25. Enneth
    9 August 858 AC
  26. Smile
    18 August 858 AC
  27. Our journey south begins
    23 August 858 AC
  28. Sick
    27 August 858
  29. Betrayal
    1 September 858 AC
  30. Through flame and demons
    15 September 858 AC
  31. None shall stop it
    18 September 858 AC
  32. More friends than foes
    29 September 858 AC
  33. Night Encroaching
    30 September 858 AC
  34. Fish
    5 October 858 AC
  35. What is real death?
    10 October 858 AC
  36. As Above, so Below
    10 October 858 AC
  37. Let loose the dogs of Hell
    10 October 858 AC
  38. Trappings
    11 October 858 AC
  39. The message
    13 October 858 AC
  40. Eenie-Meeny-Miney-Moe
    6 November 858 AC
  41. Deep cuts
    11 November 858 AC ?
  42. Sapphire Sword
    11 November 858 AC ?
  43. Respite
    16 November 858 AC
  44. Heirs
    27 november 858 AC
  45. Multiple chances, multiple minds
    25 December 858 AC
  46. The Rains of Dusk
  47. The Speech
    12 January 859 AC
  48. Where we make our stand
    13 January 859 AC
  49. Our finest day
    16 January 859 AC
  50. Towards the last steps
  51. The Battle at the Tower (2)
  52. The Battle at the Tower (1)
    1 February 859 AC
  53. Years apart
    22 January 861

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by 3 Armored Kittens · Prodromos v.1.1 - World Anvil 0.9.15.045 © 2017-2025 [] | Anvil Time: 09:21, Aug 10 2025