"Pelor, god above us all, I call to thee, respond to the prayers of
the meek!"
Inestron stood alone amidst the darkness, watching the horizon, and waiting. He had been waiting for a long time, years even, for Pelor the sun to answer his prayers. But yet the horizon remained dark.
The tower was dark, the temple was dark, and for him the night would never end. He could feel the night closing around him, his breath icy and visible in the air before him. He was alone in the world now, a hermit caring for the daughter of someone long dead. Yes, the father had died years ago, amidst the tombs beneath a far away city. But the daughter... through her Sethor the Ray of Pelor would live.
Inestron sighed and leaned forward against the stone parapets of the tower, praying to whoever could hear to save them all. His once striking hair had turned to grey, and he could no longer keep up with Kelia. He could hear the dangers of age coming upon him, and worried what would become of the child once he was gone. Inestron took his amulet into his hands, a replica of the one returned to the church so many years ago. His fingers rubbed against its front, bringing him comfort. Nothing would separate him from his beliefs. The sun would rise again. Once again the wind picked up, rushing against the side of the tower and causing it to groan with the weight of time. Inestron watched as a lead floated within arms reach. He dared himself to pluck it out of the sky, to hold it for one last time and let it ago, along with his other duties.
"Unlike you, the leaf will never let go of life."
Inestron turned quickly, drawing his mace and raising it to strike at the unfamiliar voice. As he turned his head and looked towards the speaker, he slowed, and became frozen in place despite his surprise and anger of being disrupted.
"Would you dare strike a god?"
Before Inestron was an elderly Orc missing her right arm. Within her left was a weather beaten oak stave that was taller then her by several inches. Her entire body was covered by a nondescript brown cloak that billowed even when the wind did not blow. Inestron couldn't help but lower his mace, and simply watch as the Orc hobbled over to him, supporting herself on her stave.
"Now that is better. I expected better from a protector of the light, but these are dark times, dark times indeed. Light must be wary, for it may very well be snuffed out."
Inestron opened his mouth to ask the elderly Orc a question.
"Who am I? Posh, I am everywhere. I am at your heels when you travel, I am what cools you in the middle of long, boring summer days."
"You are wind?"
"I am change."
Inestron bowed his head in reverence of the goddess, placing his mace back into its loop. He had so many questions on his lips.
"What has happened that would force a god to respond to another god's prayer?"
The Orc rolled her eyes at Inestron, her speech directed as much towards the very stone as it was directed to Inestron.
"Pelor cannot help anyone in this trial. Just as the sun cannot be in the same sky as the moon, so Pelor cannot face the darkness directly. Besides, Pelor is only a bystander in this little game."
"A bystander?"
"When a god gets it in their mind that another has spited them, all shall suffer. When a god goes mad with vengeance, there is no target, only casualties."
"That is hardly fair."
"No, it isn't."
"Once again I ask, why are you..."
"I am here because I am where change is. I visit you in place of Pelor because he cannot change, and thus cannot visit you."
"Pelor has abandoned me?"
"No, Pelor will never abandon his children. I can guarantee that may never change. I am here because you are changing, because the temple is changing, because the world is changing."
"I am changing?"
"Yes. That is why I answered your prayer."
Inestron stood still, trying to absorb what the god was saying.
"What will come of this change?"
"Bah, everyone asks that. I am the goddess of good change. What do you think?"
"I think that nothing is definite, including our fate."
This caught the old Orc by surprise. She narrowed her eyes, still never looking directly at Inestron, and nodded.
"You come across a crossroads. Do you stay and fight, or do you leave and live?"
"What am I fighting?"
"Fear."
"What is my weapon?"
"Hope."
"There is no stronger weapon, why would I leave?"
"Because you wish to protect the girl and her father."
The father? Inestron puzzled over this.
"I thought."
"You are right."
"Then he is?"
"No, he is very alive."
"But you just said..."
The Old Orc once again rolled her eyes.
"What, the goddess of change is not allowed to change her mind? You mortals are all the same. Soon something will happen and you must make up your mind. I can offer one consolation to staying; you will die proud of what you have done and in the arms of those you love. Give up your charge, and she will belong to another. She will not be your concern."
The old Orc turned towards the opposite side of the tower and got up onto the ledge.
"I still never caught your name."
The Orc jumped, her robes trailing behind her, ribbons flying through the night wind. Inestron ran over to where she had jumped, and looked down, only to find nothing but a leaf floating slowly down. Inestron held a lead in his hands, looking at the seed pods he had not noticed before. Inestron placed the leaf on the ledge, and watched as the wind picked it up and dropped it downwards.
"My lord?"
Inestron turned around to find Kelia opening the trapdoor leading up to the tower.
"Go back to bed, it is still too early."
"It is never too early Inestron."
Kelia took Inestron's hand, and led him to the towers center. She laid out a grass mat she had brought with her, and they both got upon their knee's. The rising sun greeted the two, hands folded in prayer, light shining upon their faces. The horizon brightened the tops of the trees, creating a golden carpet before their eyes. Birds slowly took to the air, and darkness was banished for awhile longer.
Inestron stood alone amidst the darkness, watching the horizon, and waiting. He had been waiting for a long time, years even, for Pelor the sun to answer his prayers. But yet the horizon remained dark.
The tower was dark, the temple was dark, and for him the night would never end. He could feel the night closing around him, his breath icy and visible in the air before him. He was alone in the world now, a hermit caring for the daughter of someone long dead. Yes, the father had died years ago, amidst the tombs beneath a far away city. But the daughter... through her Sethor the Ray of Pelor would live.
Inestron sighed and leaned forward against the stone parapets of the tower, praying to whoever could hear to save them all. His once striking hair had turned to grey, and he could no longer keep up with Kelia. He could hear the dangers of age coming upon him, and worried what would become of the child once he was gone. Inestron took his amulet into his hands, a replica of the one returned to the church so many years ago. His fingers rubbed against its front, bringing him comfort. Nothing would separate him from his beliefs. The sun would rise again. Once again the wind picked up, rushing against the side of the tower and causing it to groan with the weight of time. Inestron watched as a lead floated within arms reach. He dared himself to pluck it out of the sky, to hold it for one last time and let it ago, along with his other duties.
"Unlike you, the leaf will never let go of life."
Inestron turned quickly, drawing his mace and raising it to strike at the unfamiliar voice. As he turned his head and looked towards the speaker, he slowed, and became frozen in place despite his surprise and anger of being disrupted.
"Would you dare strike a god?"
Before Inestron was an elderly Orc missing her right arm. Within her left was a weather beaten oak stave that was taller then her by several inches. Her entire body was covered by a nondescript brown cloak that billowed even when the wind did not blow. Inestron couldn't help but lower his mace, and simply watch as the Orc hobbled over to him, supporting herself on her stave.
"Now that is better. I expected better from a protector of the light, but these are dark times, dark times indeed. Light must be wary, for it may very well be snuffed out."
Inestron opened his mouth to ask the elderly Orc a question.
"Who am I? Posh, I am everywhere. I am at your heels when you travel, I am what cools you in the middle of long, boring summer days."
"You are wind?"
"I am change."
Inestron bowed his head in reverence of the goddess, placing his mace back into its loop. He had so many questions on his lips.
"What has happened that would force a god to respond to another god's prayer?"
The Orc rolled her eyes at Inestron, her speech directed as much towards the very stone as it was directed to Inestron.
"Pelor cannot help anyone in this trial. Just as the sun cannot be in the same sky as the moon, so Pelor cannot face the darkness directly. Besides, Pelor is only a bystander in this little game."
"A bystander?"
"When a god gets it in their mind that another has spited them, all shall suffer. When a god goes mad with vengeance, there is no target, only casualties."
"That is hardly fair."
"No, it isn't."
"Once again I ask, why are you..."
"I am here because I am where change is. I visit you in place of Pelor because he cannot change, and thus cannot visit you."
"Pelor has abandoned me?"
"No, Pelor will never abandon his children. I can guarantee that may never change. I am here because you are changing, because the temple is changing, because the world is changing."
"I am changing?"
"Yes. That is why I answered your prayer."
Inestron stood still, trying to absorb what the god was saying.
"What will come of this change?"
"Bah, everyone asks that. I am the goddess of good change. What do you think?"
"I think that nothing is definite, including our fate."
This caught the old Orc by surprise. She narrowed her eyes, still never looking directly at Inestron, and nodded.
"You come across a crossroads. Do you stay and fight, or do you leave and live?"
"What am I fighting?"
"Fear."
"What is my weapon?"
"Hope."
"There is no stronger weapon, why would I leave?"
"Because you wish to protect the girl and her father."
The father? Inestron puzzled over this.
"I thought."
"You are right."
"Then he is?"
"No, he is very alive."
"But you just said..."
The Old Orc once again rolled her eyes.
"What, the goddess of change is not allowed to change her mind? You mortals are all the same. Soon something will happen and you must make up your mind. I can offer one consolation to staying; you will die proud of what you have done and in the arms of those you love. Give up your charge, and she will belong to another. She will not be your concern."
The old Orc turned towards the opposite side of the tower and got up onto the ledge.
"I still never caught your name."
The Orc jumped, her robes trailing behind her, ribbons flying through the night wind. Inestron ran over to where she had jumped, and looked down, only to find nothing but a leaf floating slowly down. Inestron held a lead in his hands, looking at the seed pods he had not noticed before. Inestron placed the leaf on the ledge, and watched as the wind picked it up and dropped it downwards.
"My lord?"
Inestron turned around to find Kelia opening the trapdoor leading up to the tower.
"Go back to bed, it is still too early."
"It is never too early Inestron."
Kelia took Inestron's hand, and led him to the towers center. She laid out a grass mat she had brought with her, and they both got upon their knee's. The rising sun greeted the two, hands folded in prayer, light shining upon their faces. The horizon brightened the tops of the trees, creating a golden carpet before their eyes. Birds slowly took to the air, and darkness was banished for awhile longer.