Banebringer, part III
„It twists my thoughts
and warps my mind,
the confusion is all around.
I do not know who to trust,
this chaos is in my mind"
A great scholar once said: „The Balance is like the still surface of a lake and the peacefull middle of a huricane."
Even though it sounds poetic, this man was a fool. To describe the Balance with a word like „peacefull" is pure ignorance and blindness.
The truth is that this whole philosophy about the cooexistence of law and chaos is a myth and I go even further and call it a lie. To see the truth we only need to understand the basic rule: blood for blood. Do you ask how it works?
Imagine a mirror. Imagine yourself standing in front of it. What do you see if you look at it? You see yourself looking from the other side. Now imagine a knife and cut your face with it. What did your reflection do? The same naturally... That is how the Balance works too. You can never do something what the reflection doesn't do too. The nature of the mirror will not allow it. In the real world it means: no matter how powerful you are, there is always someone equal to you, and no matter what you do either for Light or Darkness it will have the same consequences for both sides because Chaos and Order must stay even with their power.
What would a great king say if he knew that he is going to be overthrown by Harpers because he rules too rightful? What would a paladin say if he knew that for every demon he slayed, somewhere else an innocent being had to die? Probably nothing…paladins are idiots and so are all others who believe this is right.
I shall not be enslaved by blindness like them.
---
Walking through the desert by foot…staring on the same hot sand for hours…drinking spoiled camel blood…life could not be worse.
With all my strength I tried to concentrate on my goal and not to allow my mind to slip into delirium. West…always going west. Those last miles I was mastering only with the power of my will.
I was marching almost the whole day with pauses only long enough to catch for breath and to have a nip of the heinous spoiled blood. My stomach felt like rotted garbage. Only one thing was holding me alive now: the strengthening waves of power radiated from the blade and the confidence that I was going the right way.
After passing one bigger sand dune I stiffed in awe and shock. My heart began to tremble like hell and for some moments I've lost my breath. The ruined temple. Only a mile or two away. Was it really there? Wasn't it just an illusion?
The wasted walls stacked up from sand like gravestones. Once a magnificent building was now hardly to recognize as something more than a simple cave.
I haven't recovered from the first shock and there was at once another. Not farther than ten steps from me a shadow began to materialize. This time I knew it was no illusion. The aura of energy it radiated was too real. So near by the sword it couldn't be anything other than The First Guardian…Strife.
Slowly the shadow was forming into a human form until it was whole. A tall, bearded man dressed in bright red robe stood before me. His lifeless eyes glared at me with…amusement.
I knew this being could destroy and kill me thousand times with a single thought and I knew one more thing: he was mute. From a very painful death could save me only the right choice of words.
"Greetings Strife, incarnation of deception, you who are denying the existence of hail sense," I said trying to impress The Guardian with my direct approach. Though I didn't know what reaction I should await from a being like him he really surprised me when he just smiled. A strange feeling overcame me, like I would loosing the control over my body.
"And greetings to you seeker," suddenly words came from my mount. I understood. The Guardian was using my voice to answer.
"It is a pleasure to see that you've made it. As I remember yesterday it didn't look good for you old man," he continued and paused to give me time for breathing. If he tried to surprise me with the confession that he has observed me he failed. I wasn't foolish to think my march wouldn't be noticed.
"Yes, I had better days. Surely you also know what I'm here for?" As there could be any other reason.
"Naturally. I don't have to read your mind to figure it out. You know that you can not succeed. But at any rate I must confess you've woken my curiosity old man and thrust me that's the only reason you've made it till here," he continued with my voice.
"Oh, I assume, now I should ask why? Sorry to disappoint you but I'm not really interested." Could not help me but to answer a bit arrogant. To my surprise he didn't kill me on the spot but again used my voice and laughed aloud.
"That is exactly what I mean! No matter how hopeless this situation is, you're still confessed that you will succeed. I was reading your mind and watched your approach for some time but I can't understand why and how do you manage to continue. You're weak, old, thirsty but even now you don't give up though you know this meeting can have only one end." The Guardian stepped closer to me and I overcame the strong need to step back."So…will you tell me your secret or shell I guess?"
"Maybe I'm mad. Were you thinking about that option too Guardian?"
"That was my first thought but no…I think that's not the case. Indeed I even think that you are the sanest person I've ever met, seeker." Now he really surprised me. To describe me like sane…this was…funny.
"The same question once again old man: Why do you think you will succeed?" This time my voice sounded a bit threading.
"Maybe I shall win. Maybe it is so foreseen…" Wrong answer… His mood changed at once. The border was overstepped.
"You dare to play games with me seeker? You think you know me? My power is beyond your imagination mortal. I've destroyed armies of skilled warriors, killed some of the most powerful demons ever walked the planes and even prevented gods from reaching the blade. There exist no power in multiverse which could avoid me from guarding the destroyer and I'm just the first from three, and trust me mortal the others aren't so talkative like I am."
His eyes began to glow with unholy light. An invisible power lifted me above the ground and squeezed my chest until my ribs cracked.
"I ask you one more time and you should hope your answer will satisfy me," he said with my stolen voice. I knew now I had only one chance.
The essence of madness is delusion, and the essence of deception…is betrayal. Therefore my answer was:
"Because…because you will help me Strife."
The Guardian smiled again. The ways of chaos and lie are unforeseeable.