PRISON OF MEMORY
After several million life-ages, Eloria, great Mother-Wind, Goddess of Gale, and the cursed star-slayer Deralius, reached the fringe of the universe. There, the scourge of the Eternal Scar, the portal between eternity and time, grew in power. The dark matter, known as The Ever-Night, corrupted everything in its path. Even the fragments of The Children of The Flame flew into the portal of the Eternal Scar. The celestial bodies, shreds of starlight, rock, and water, became planets over time. Thus worlds were first formed not by the providence of The Children of The Flame, or the design of Mother-Light, or by the wisdom of Aethern The Ancient, but by Deralius’ destructive deception.
The many planets floated to the uttermost ends of the universe, yet the darkness of the Eternal Scar's Ever-Night devoured many. With each planet devoured, a black ring, terrible and dark as onyx, formed around the vile portal. While the rings increased and were bound one to the other, a belt of bondage strangled the edge of the Eternal Scar… black rings upon black rings… far and wide… until there remained one abominable snake-like entity of unbreakable onyx known as The Black Chain.
During this time, Eloria, the great galactic wind of all verses, tirelessly pushed Deralius to the edge of time and the prison of the Eternal Scar. Fighting her every step of the way, Deralius pleaded with her as he approached the dark portal. Seeing the enormous Black Chain of The Ever-Night snaking around the edges of the Eternal Scar, he pleaded, “Bid me not to enter. Instead, allow me to live on the fringe of time, and I will harm no one else.”
Eloria answered with a strong gale, her voice and presence seeping through Deralius’ black cloak, “I cannot rebel against the order of Mother-Light. Enter or I shall cast you into it.”
Deralius braced himself for her gale but then asked, “I cannot see you, for you are the great galactic wind of the universe. Allow me to see you one time, so that I may remember you as I suffer eternal torment. Show me your form.”
At once, Eloria came into physical existence for the first time. Her hair was white as stars and her face was clear as the sun; brilliant, warm, and full of life. Her white gown was long and fringed, and covered her feet, disappearing windswept into the unseen realm.
When Deralius looked upon her, he wept. “Beauty of beauties. My eyes shall never see something so fair again. I have lived a million life-ages in death, only now to come alive at the end of it all with just one glance. Surely you are the most stunning being in all the universe. You have blessed my eyes beyond measure and my heart is now full. I can now pass into the raging and sleepless dark of The Ever-Night without regret. Cast me into the Eternal Scar. Farewell, my beautiful Eloria.”
For the first time in her existence, Eloria felt a fondness of heart; a strange fire within which made her weak. Her cold and powerful gales turned warm and gentle. Her senses came alive, seeing far beyond, into the future. In a vision, she saw a handsome man in a crown of onyx. He held her hand, a hundred crowns at their feet, and many star-children in the heavens above. The vision ended.
Full of regret, she flew towards Deralius and touched his outstretched hand. For a moment, the fleeting light of The Flame filled him anew. His glory shone until his face appeared behind his dark hood. When Eloria saw his handsome features, the wind of her power strengthened, creating a storm cloud of darkness and light.
“If you survive the prison of the Eternal Scar,” said Eloria, “I’ll be waiting for you here at the end of the universe. If not, may you carry one more memory into The Ever-Night.”
She leaned in to kiss him, but just as she did, The Eternal Scar cast The Black Chain at Eloria, ensnaring her wrist, and pulling her closer into the black portal. Deralius grabbed her hand, trying with all his might to save her. Fearing he would never see her again, he forged Arkhon, the Red Sword, and cut her free from The Black Chain. He reached out to grab her hand, but The Black Chain snatched the arm of Deralius, yanking him into the portal. Deralius screamed these last words to her, “Remember me!”
The portal closed.
Overcome by sorrow, Eloria wept for many thousands of years. Tortured by the memory of Deralius’ last words, by the touch of his hand and the sound of his voice, she released a great galactic gale. “May I be bound to this Eternal Scar forever!” she yelled. “May the memory of Deralius never leave my heart!”
Out of this hurricane of passion came a whirlpool of wind and star fire. After many life ages, it formed into a galaxy, orbited by one singular planet. It shined from the distance, a shaft of light amidst a sea of darkness. It was the jewel of the universe: the diadem of the time-realm… the world of Zailar.
Still hoping that Deralius would survive the prison of the Eternal Scar and return to her, Eloria waited for 300,000 life ages until her sorrow passed and the memory of Deralius waned. The brilliant world of Zailar continued to grow in power and beauty. She wondered what glories would be there waiting for her. Seeing the constant display of mesmerizing star fire from the fringe of the universe, Eloria could not contain her curiosity any longer. She left her watch over the Eternal Scar at the end of the universe and flew toward the light.
FREEDOM OF BONDAGE
In the far distance, Deralius ripped through the Eternal Scar with Arkhon, his powerful blood-red sword. Pouring out of the portal, filled with the crusted glassy slime of dark matter, he screamed in terror. Bound to his waist was the thick snake-like Black Chain; its thorny edges digging into his midsection. Using Arkhon, he cut at it, but no matter how many times he swung his powerful sword, The Black Chain would not loosen from his waist. Panicking, Deralius mustered what star power he had left in his being to burn it away, but nothing could break its power.
I fought with this creature for far too long in the prison. It is bound to me. It is the price I paid for seeing her perfection and touching her… this love of mine.
From that time, Deralius and The Black Chain of The Ever-Night became one. He was a slave to it. A powerful host. It leeched off his life force; a parasite refusing to die. And so did the power of the Eternal Scar linger within his body, mind, and spirit, infecting his every desire. He became lovesick, fantasizing about the day he would see Eloria once again. He remembered her stunning eyes. Universes were inside those two globes of light. He would see her again, and for once, finish the Kiss of The Ages. Smelling the long trailing perfume of her intoxicating presence, he followed the scent, flying with all speed to my home… the world of Zailar.
THE AGE OF UTTER-LIGHT
It was a world flouting the limits of perfection. Glowing rivers with invisible banks ascending high into the clouds, resting upon floating emerald cities. Its many levels, as if the stairway of the gods, reached seemingly beyond the stars. Beneath them, brilliant clouds blew the music of the wind onward, refreshing all. Even the deepest leagues of the sea were nothing to fear. Utter light ruled all. The White Lands flaunted broad silver mountains cloaked by crystal sheets of snow and tranquil valleys with lakes sparkling as glass. The Beltlands flaunted numinous windswept isles where glimmering trees shined like diamonds in the sun, dancing to the rhythm of chance’s gales. And if you went south to The Footlands, you would smell the honeyed and golden fields of the famed farmland of Orlehn. Farmers toiled happily, their pristine plains melding smoothly into the 'blue beyond,' of the Oragthon Sea.
We remember those days like fragments of former dreams; when our laughter was full and mirth was as free as air, for we, the elves, were the first of the world of Zailar. We were the stewards of all things beautiful. We roamed free as wind, fast as light, effortless as doves in the spring. With our souls, we loved fiercely. With our minds, we dreamed, and with our hands, we wrought that future. Our hearts knew no fear, hate, or shame. We lived in a brilliant Ever-Morning. Boundless bliss was our birthright for ten thousand eons. We flew the currents to heavenly realms afar where springs leaped high into the skies, cascading over golden mountains and valleys, over a swift horizon that knew not sunset, only ever-increasing light.
Our kingdoms spanned from the fathomless leagues of the seas unto the clouds above. The heavens were a grand place then, where realms were ruled, not by princes wielding stolen power. There was no ruler besides the invincible light of The Flame, lording within the hearts of all immortals. We were all gods. There was no need for rings and pacts of marriage during 'The Age of Utter-Light,' for love ruled the hearts of all. War and shadow were not even words on the lips of us immortals, let alone entities to be feared, for our world was the jewel of the universe, the diadem of the time-realm, but then it happened. Like a thundering squall interrupting a clear spring afternoon, all changed.
Shadow was born. But we slumbered in the bounty of our riches, drunk on contentment, blind to the evil that lurked behind us in the form of seemingly innocuous shadows. We thought the silhouettes were our reflections, but darkness was only learning our behavior, studying our every move, listening to our every conversation. The Ever-Night heard our secrets, how we stewarded the power of The Flame, and slowly it forged a plot to defeat it.
Then the time came. The Ever-Night made a secret treaty with the stone-elf sons of Maluthene, promising them comfort in the heat of the day, when the light was strongest. They agreed. The shadow comforted them at first, but as time passed, darkness of soul overtook them. Slowly, it poisoned their bloodline until the dread of death spread. They burned with desires unbefitting of The Flame’s light within them, lusting for lands and destinies not their own, raging to satiate the hungry darkness within. And when lands were not given to them by peaceful accord, the sons of Maluthene would take them by force, with rock, steel, and a will unbroken by conscience; thus, the dark days of war began. This opened the gateway for darkness, unleashing shadow underneath every cloud, tree, and mountain, dimming all light.
Soon after, death came into the world of Zailar. The Age of Utter-Light was lost. The Ever-Morning had ended. Days were hewn in half by the evil of night. Immortality evanesced until we discovered limit, pain, and sorrow. We aged. Sickness burst forth like shattered dams. Out of the ashes of war arose mystics, healers, and warriors: elven and human heroes, noble in heart and deed. For a generation they fought bravely against the stone-elf sons of Maluthene and The Ever-Night, never once seeing or even knowing of the name of Deralius. In the shadows, for a thousand years, The Lord of The Ever-Night looked for Eloria. He knew she was somewhere in this world, for he could smell her scent and feel her presence. Taking a lesser mortal form, he toiled as one of them. His covenant with The Black Chain was simple: he would give the snaking black beast this world to eat if it gave him the power to see and touch her one last time.
Just a kiss… the one that she owes me, and it will be enough. I would raze this cursed world for just one more glance at her beauty.
THE ESCAPE