Recompense Of The Righteous: Sethraan Synne

[airengale]

How far will she be running till I stop hearing her excited words. . .?

"Something new", She says, "Strange and ominous" too. Isn't that the nature of all creation?

How far did I run till I lost her voice; to finally feel the loss of time.

Stop. . . [He opens one eye as many are arguing inside the stone temple. His sister sits across from him in her own meditation.]

"They are strange and ominous too, and loud, also."

[He closes his eyes once again—sound slowly becoming none existent.]

Stop. . .

Stop. . .

Stop. . .

"Why were you running from me?!"

[A half-hearted giggle followed by fatigued breathing] "Look up brother! Where did we go?!"




". . .Oh my god. . ."


//Biography

[airengale]

"We have a duty to uphold. Yours is Perfecting soul, body, and mind to nothing more and nothing less—balance—and I have a duty to this balance, which is outwardly wherever I go. Now, we face new obstacles and challenges. We must go out, and be tested; now we have no home to rest our heads, and no comfort but ourselves."

What does one say to her, nothing but, "Yea sister".

She is right, as only one can be whom is blessed with heavenly sight; knowing instantly what must be said and done. It is as if our parents speak directly in her ear. She's leaving my care, and now rests her head upon the bosom of Wisdom.

I will break the yoke that binds my mind, and seek after Wisdom, to only find that it was already in me too; waiting for the season to show itself. I will break my body because the spirit calls for it to be so, and because I broke my body, my body will grow again to be stronger.

I will go to and fro finding tribulation—to find that out of tribulation came patience; with patience came experi-. . .

[He stood suddenly to the sound of being beckoned]

Here am I, sister, and here I go.

[airengale]

So many have come and gone. Dead and then alive; in my arms then vanished.

The weight of the troubles in these lands bring down all of us—a milestone on our backs.

Many have fallen and few have stood their ground. Few. . . Few are the strong—the strong and the lucky. Not lucky, fated. When it's not death during the night it's starving during the day, and pestilence in the high-noon.

Frenar, Kaellas, Nyree, Farina, surviving—no, not surviving—Standing. . . Standing on the fallen bodies of ill-fated strangers and enemies.

[He opens his eyes and stands before a dwarf.]

"Greet'n Lad."

Yes, hello to you, stranger.

[airengale]

[The blindfold was removed from his eyes.] "Forgive me, I did. . . I di-. . . "

[A woman on her knees with her wrists bound by his hands. She has trouble breathing, irregular, unsteady.] "I. . . [She gasps for air.] I. . . [She can't breathe.] I. . ." [She's collapsed on the floor.]

Sister forgive me. . .

[It wasn't long till her flesh fled away; her hair fell from her body; Her eyes turned murky and dark—alive yet feral.]

I never understood the costs of balance. The process of taking and giving, but here the reciprocity was in front of me. A price from her Animism in which I could not completely comprehend.

No—it was a gift. She was still my sister, although an aspect of a beast. Still my sister whom I loved, but no longer could understand.

. . . She was answered before me.

[airengale]

Her name is Breath of Fresh Air, called Comforter too; although she is in much pain and suffers affliction. I called her Hope, and she understood it. Calling her by name, she bloomed.

"What is hope."

You are hope. Here now is hope, not to come nor to have had. Hope is here and now, and stands before me.

I told her, "You see no light, because you are the light peering into the darkness", and she became sorrowful. I thought her beautiful to suffer this affliction.

She is like me. . . But I cannot have her to become of one body. Untouchable and unreachable.

. . .No. . . No, I see now; she is a gift unto me.

I am answered. . .

. . .And I long to be hers.

[airengale]

The Breath of Fresh Air has left towards the mountain village; safe and tucked away from the danger that now looms.

It is silly to think that one can change these lands; cure it of its ills. People who are more concerned with living this life than the next. People more concerned with suffering for those already dead than those who still yet have life.

A cold chill came from the east before the rising sun; it brought death to an already quiet village. Death has placed a deeper silence upon the face of the poor of heart.

Here we are, Frenar, we stand again on those who've passed on. Standing on the fallen bodies of ill-fated strangers. . . while we continue to live. . .

"Good work Lad."

Yes, a good work.

[airengale]

Breath of Fresh Air came down the mountain village. She must finally have realized that there is no happy endings; that she will suffer till the end.

. . .It had always pleased me to see her suffer. . .

"What do you think when you look at me?"

"I think you are a failure." She smiled at me. . .  She sees the truth as much as I.

"I tried to kill myself. . ."

I think her beautiful more and more. . .

She says all are evil, and that the paths of fate will bring justice to all evil doers. I told her, perhaps it was righteous that you would die for your crimes, but instead fate has shown you mercy. Mercy is justice.

She said that she was tired. . . O'but how she comforts me. . .  Her suffering is my rest.

[airengale]

"All men are evil. Justice comes to all evil doers by the twisting paths of fate." [A woman's voice that speaks with certainty.]

Then why honor an evil man whom is now dead? I see her face, and it was twisted. She hides it well, but she doesn't honor Warn; she doesn't think him a good man. She sees the truth as much as I.

The justice of warn was given to him; his death. If we're all evil and deserve justice; then fate has blessed us daily by not taking our lives—surely we're all deserving of death.

Be thankful, Adeline, for all the righteous judgements of fate.

"Thank you, Sethraan." [The woman's voice is quieter and quieter]

Be thankful, Adeline, for the life of all those still living.

"Thank you, Sethraan."

Be thankful, Adeline, for the death of all those who've died.

"Thank you, Sethraan."

I love you, Adeline, for you've given me comfort when I was tired.

"Thank you, Sethraan."

I love you, Adeline. . .

"Thank you, Sethraan."

[airengale]

"For Gloreh!!!" [The sound of a raging mad dwarf.]

Glory to the righteous who deliver the judgement.

Here we are, Frenar, we stand again on those who've passed on. No—not standing—stomping, trampling, on our enemies and ill-fated strangers. Their blood rises up on us—we are made red; we are victorious.

I laugh at the twisted faces of those who watch; it pleases me to see one with an evil heart twist and be at dismay when they see a good thing. The blood of my enemies will soak into my clothing, and I will smile.

[airengale]

I love you, Adeline. . .

"Thank you for everything, Sethraan."

Am I so righteous that I would be given this creature to please me? What gift is this unto me? Who is she that so captivates? Is she here to lead me astray?

[The speed of his thoughts caused him dizziness, and instead of words his mind is filled with the sweet smell of a rose. His thoughts were consumed; perfection was far from his mind now, but perhaps it was in the aroma of the rose that he had found perfection—it needed no thought nor understanding.]

[Twirling the rose for hours—his dazed mind filled with youthful and vain imaginations.]

Only the smell. . .

. . .Only the smell

[airengale]

Do not. . .

Do not. . . adeline. . .

"Do not, adeline, place your treasures in me. I too will die. place your heart in the words I spoke, because those words can never die."

I wanted her to need me. . .

"I need you" [A whispered voice.]

. . .but that would have been decept-. . .

[A woman's voice clouds his mind] "Why do we hope?"

We hope for a promise that when we die, we will live again with whom we have fixated our love; for either heaven or hell.

"I'm pretty sure I'm headed to hell."

All men sin; all are deserving of hell, but because mercy was justice for your crimes, you live anew.

All men sin; all are deserving of hell, but because mercy was justice for your crimes, you live anew.

All men sin; all are deserving of hell, but because mercy was justice for your crimes, you live anew.

[The mantra never ceased from his mind; his mouth spilled forth like a font of wisdom, without thought]

. . .She was always my test.

[airengale]

For the first time. . .

. . . I had no words for her, and she for me.

For the first time. . .

. . . The wisdom of my parents had ceased.

For the first time. . .

. . . I stood there in silence, so close to her, I did not want to be anywhere else.

. . .I felt like I belonged.

Why have you given her to me thus? What good thing is she unto any of my good deeds?

What she gave me was a kiss. . .

. . . a holy kiss. . .

[airengale]

. . .In this dream,

I saw her face next to mine. . .

I saw the generations behind her. . .

One was a little girl; she had looked familiar. . .

"Adeline. . . I love you."

It was difficult to speak, but she had stared at me a long while with sorrowful eyes--with silence.

She turned her head to look at the generations behind her. . .

. . . they all cried, then screamed. . . and screamed. . . and screamed. . . and screamed. . .as if they were all going to die. . .

[airengale]

"Is it selfish of me to ask for another kiss?" [The quiet uttering of a woman in love.]

Never have I felt safer, nor belonged more. Never have I any need of a word to answer the questions of her heart; because there were no words for a such a thing as this, because only a look could tell this truth; only a touch could give her this assurance she needed; only the holy silence held this promise she sought; Only this kiss could have ever said, "No, because it was always only yours to keep."

[airengale]

All I can say is that I'm thankful to be alive.

What more humility do I need; realizing you're at the whim of a little girl? I'm certain it will not be the last time I must sing that song.

[airengale]

"Did you find it in me."

"No. . ."

I feel myself a fool.

When did I believe the lie. . .

How could I have built dreams, thinking the foundations were sound; when in truth, the foundation was built on sand.

"Am I a good man?"

"You're a good man, Sethraan."

"He is a better man than I."

"I don't know."

"Is he a good man?"

"He is a good man, Sethraan, and I love him."

She would not have known what love was unless I showed it to her. Perhaps it's I who started the lie; perhaps I deceived her into thinking she loved me.

"Do you love him as I love you?"

Does she know that I think of her more than myself? That I invested myself into her well-being over my own? That before I thought to eat, I thought how to please her? That before I thought to rest, I thought to bring her peace of mind? That I could do more, and I was willing to do it all--for her alone?

[The woman in love looks up to Sethraan's eyes, but the love did not exist for him.] "I love him with all my heart."

"And I you. Go to him."

This game of feelings is so silly; is it I who needs to realize this or the one who chases for its touch?

[airengale]

[He sat there for a long while. Rigid and still.]

[The past conversation, having died to sad words, had left him ill in his stomach.]

"She was bound to misery from the start. Even the little good that she had was taken from her."

[The words continued to ring in his ears.]

I had said that I loved her, but I know now that I was the one who lied.

I was never good nor honest; yeah, I know this now because here I sit considering within myself what fate has brought. All the entirety of knowing her was filled with pity, and perhaps she deserves her fate.

Here I am, the only hope she may ever have; though instead of coming towards me she ran away with much haste. I wonder now what she cries out for; whatever dark hole that has swallowed her up hears within its walls.

Now I wonder if I should be happy that someone so pitiful and so evil finally received her belated fate. Though, perhaps I should rejoice, all I feel is a deep remorse. This is the remorse that has been with her the entire time, but now there is no remedy or hope.

This is the same feeling one must feel realizing that the person who is about to fall from a great height to their death has slipped from their fingers. No not even; this is the deep blackness of one who purposefully and eagerly lets go. What can anyone do to stop them?

Yeah, this is the torment she sought after; one rightful for her crime. Even if I pulled her from the ledge, she'd bolt for the cliff's edge and jump.

She was the true face of torment, and all those who have seen her face have seen No Hope.

"Adeline Windwill" [escapes his lips with a drawn out sigh and a waggle of his head.]

[airengale]

"Can I say something sir?" [A voice that is easily mistaken for a demon.]

"It is directed to you."

"Speak." [A voice that is easily mistaken for an angel.]

"I see before me a sad man. A man that has lost almost everything. Yet I see a man who fights for what he believes. I have yet to understand such accomplishments."

What beauty is this, to one who accepts a seed of knowledge and it grows and grows?

"You see rightly. Because I have lost all things to walk the good path, I have gained life; This is the path you walk more and more to that glorious day."

I told her the secret things, as a mystery to be solved. She understood—truly she is blessed. The one next to her did not understand, and what little understanding his has will be taken from him.

Adeline, why did you look left and right? Were not my words more valuable than anything you've found in this world?

If I should speak, who will listen, and with listening—understand?

I am not alone.

[He sits in a chair, rigid and still. For the first time the sadness is gone.]

[airengale]

[In words of angels he spoke in praise. A babe perfected in speech to praise those worthy.]

"Is life not more than this? Yeah, I'll fill in every moment of everyday in worship of you whom loved me before all the world."

Who has heard my report and rejoiced? My words seem silly to many; because the world never knew them nor can understand them.

Parents in heaven; the world laughs at my report. They would praise me the moment their eager wishes come true: That I be embarrassed by your words you've placed on my lips.

The bruises I receive when walking in faith: Yeah, they are sweet to see; Yeah, how do they please?

I pray, parents in heaven, for those who believed my report to abandon their old ways. That they raise your words, the path, above the world; above themselves.

[airengale]

"While you bury the dead; you've forgotten the living. A man not so far from here commits sin because of this. Leave the dead where they lay. The message we have is for the living."

[He bends his knees to the soil, and lifts his hands up to his face. The fire above him could not cease.]

"Did you kill a man?"

[An answer is given, and his voice twists in a groan.]

"Why? Know you not? That if you do well, you'll be well. If you sin then sin will beckon you again, but you should have control over your temptations."

[An answer is given; the fire will not cease.]

"Oh wretched man, sin no more."

I sigh in my heart, parents in heaven. Temptation is around me, and beckons me like a roaring lion. To all it prevails, but will it against me? Woe to those which bring evil into the world, but it must come; the glory of my parents is at hand. Though tribulation comes to me; I will rejoice.

[Horns are blowing in the distance.]

Patiently will I commit myself to every ordinance of these evil men; to suffer patiently for well doing, oh what treasures! Who could have known that to wear this sandal and sheepskin, which is rough to our skin, such a thing is honorable in heaven above crowns and thrones.

[Horns and cries at the Citadel blare in the night.]

Here we are Sedrik, standing. No not standing; stomping over the dead of these lands: women, children, old and young. Their blood rises up on us. They die, we thrive. Such tribulation is for the glory of the righteous; that they are made manifest. They died for these words, "Sin no more."

[He sighs as silence finally comes.]