"But I was not content with that. A taste of emotion, a taste of Life, had planted a seed of doubt within me. I was no longer the perfect servant, but despite my pleas, I was not allowed to become truly imperfect, either. In desperation, I turned to the source of change. "I turned to the Lord of Chaos. "Krivlarik sang to me of constant change, gave me wisdom beyond wisdom, and hopes for the next day's dawn. When I sought to hide from the gods within The Void, it was He that kept me safe from them. It was his voice that lulled me to sleep, and it was the fading echoes of his melody that woke me twenty winters ago, when I lay bruised and aching on the side of the Wide Road." "I was found, of course. None can hide from the gods. I, too, was cursed never to gather with those of my brethren who were mortal. But not every ban can be maintained: Even the most independent wolf will wither and die without his pack. In exchange for the honor to speak with those of my kind who were not cursed, I was given another curse. A punishment for my folly, if you will," he said, with a wry smile. He took another sip of ale from the clay mug, and slowly wiped his mouth with his sleeve. Breathlessly, the girl murmured, "What was it?" In response to her question, he stood and dropped his cloak to the ground. His fiery wings spread full sixteen feet, his burning halo illuminated the ceiling. The movement was accompanied by a gasp of fear from the few people who had stayed in the common room, and soon followed by the thump of frightened boots running through the door. When he spoke again, his voice was no longer the rumble of distant thunder. It was the crack of lightning. "Do not forget what I have told you today, child of Man. Do not forget that one day, all that you see before you will return to the void. Your life is meaningless, without Chaos. Cherish it," he said almost icily, "While you have it." Then the celestial man leaned and gathered his robe. He draped it over his burning wings and pinned it with a silver broach: a five-headed hydra. Even in her oldest days, the girl always remembered that broach. The hydras were biting each other's necks. |
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