Insights and Inspirations

The Daimyo surveys the remains of his study of office. The shelves are mostly bare, his personal belongings have been removed to his home. All that remains are the documents and trappings of his work, of the fief that he managed.

Well, manages. His lordship is not in the past, not quite yet. There is still today.

More than three years ago, a Samurai Clerk rose to Daimyo, becoming lord of this little holding. It was the reward for his thirteen years of service to the previous lord.

He thinks back and remembers his enthusiasm, his perhaps wide-eyed idealism. The memory brings a smile, but there is also more than a little bitterness.

He had not been ready. Perhaps he should have seen how unprepared he was; perhaps that lack of vision is understandable. Either way, though, it was the truth. He had not been ready.

He did not see the troubles when they first started. He did not see them until the stared him in the face from the pages of his ledger. And, unprepared as he was, he did not have the tools to address them- did not know where to turn for aid.

So he struggled, often is silence as has been his life-long inclination, convincing himself that all he had to do was face the next day, and solutions could be found. Business would improve. Things would be better.

Samurai under his command came and went. Some, most, were worthy. They served well, and he rewarded them as he could. When the gold ran low, he always did his best to ensure that those sworn to him would be provided for.

Eventually, though, the servants of the Emperor and Shogun would not be denied. They demanded their due from his dealings, and he realized that his holding could not sustain itself.

So, here he was. In his room of papers and emptiness. It was a bitter pill he was swallowing. He had admitted defeat.

Some that counsel him insist that he was not defeated by an enemy, or even by himself, but by powers beyond his control. Perhaps that is so, but it does little to soften the blow he has taken.

He approached other Daimyo, seeking one that would perhaps take over his holding so that it at least might endure, but to no avail. No, the holding must cease to be.

Sixteen years of his life, virtually his entire working life, have been spent in this building. Almost half the span of his years. His service here saw the courtship with the lady who became his bride, the birth of their daughter, and all the ups and down of his life. And now it was to be left behind.

The Daimyo looks up to the high shelf upon which sits his sword, the physical representation of his authority. Part of him desires to cast it away or to destroy it; to rid himself of the reminder of this painful failure.

But how often has he spoken to others against such measures? His counsel has always been to remember the past, to learn from and react to it, instead of to suppress it.

Was there no joy in these years worth recalling? Would the sword always be a symbol of loss, or also of those experiences which shaped him during this time? Of the comrades and friends among which he spent these days?

He takes down the sword. It will come with him, become a relic of this time. When his daughter asks him where it came from, he will tell her.

One more day as Daimyo. It has been sixteen years since he has been a Ronin, and the prospect of being one again frightens him, though he recognizes the vast potential that lays before him.

Update April 7th, 2017

Hello, there

I know I haven’t been good at posting here for a while.  My time seems so short these days, and there’s been a lot of stress, and find that stress kills my inspiration.

Anyway, in an attempt to force me to write, in addition to making writing a source of income, I have started a Patron page.

If you have enjoyed anything you have read here, please take a walk over there.  Look around, and maybe you’ll want to stay.

This was my entry for the Dark Crystal Authorquest competition.  Rather than one narrative, this was three snippets, a cross section of the larger story that I had in mind, had I been selected.

Another world Another time In the Age of Division...

Section 1

It was a warm day in the royal audience chamber, and Rian watched as a fellow Gelfling approached the Emperor’s throne.  Unlike Rian, who was of the Woodland Clan, this petitioner had the white hair, fair skin, and fine clothes of the Vapra Clan.  He left his companions behind as his turn to be heard was called, and he crossed the floor of the great throne room with mixed humility and pride.  Across strange markings he walked: spirals and triangles, sigils of power that no Gelfling could fathom; past all of the Gelfling dancers and musicians that the great Emperor skekSo employed to bring beauty and light to his hall, and past the Gelfling guards, Rian included, to finally stop at a respectful distance from the great golden throne and kneel in supplication.

There was a marked division between those around the throne and the others in the room.  The courtiers, musicians, and dancers were all Gelfling, but those around the throne were Skeksis.  The Skeksis shared certain traits in common with the Gelfling: two eyes, two legs; but where a Gelfling had only two arms, each ending in a four-fingered hand, a Skeksis also had a secondary pair of arms that sprouted backwards and were used to hold colored fans and scepters as decoration and symbols of power.  Their mouths were long, narrow, and often toothy; their powerful bodies dwarfed the slender Gelfling.

A soft scratching announced the moving quill of skekOk the Scroll-Keeper, acting as scribe of the court.  Two pairs of spectacles bridged his narrow snout as he noted the court’s proceedings.

“Great and Mighty Emperor of Thra,” purred skekSil the Chamberlain, his sweet voice a natural complement to the bright red of his robes, “I announce Bendo, sent to us by the Matriarch Serenlia of the Vapra Clan.”  The Chamberlain spoke in the Gelfling tongue, as was the protocol of the court.  It was known that the Skeksis had their own language, but Gelfling were not allowed to learn it. 

The Chamberlain’s skin was a bright and vibrant purple, his eyes a luminous yellow, and his warm smile completely disarmed what menace might ordinarily result from his hooked and beak-like face.  Like all Skeksis he stood tall, twice the height of any Gelfling, though he bowed towards his Emperor as he made his announcement.

The Emperor was resplendent in dazzling white, his skin the same pale blue as his eyes.  His figure held a power that was hardly diminished by being seated on his throne, as though his body carried within it a power so great it could not be contained by flesh.

“We have not had the pleasure of Serenlia’s company for many trine,” the Emperor said, gesturing for the Gelfling to rise.  “We hope that she is well.”  One would not have expected such a smooth and regal voice to issue from such a long and toothy maw, but that is way it was with the Skeksis.

“She is in good health, Sire” Bendo replied, “but she is troubled.”

“And what matters weigh so heavily on her?” asked the Emperor, his voice carrying great concern.

“Her people go missing,” Bendo answered gravely.  “In this past month before I left, seven of our Clan have vanished.”

A whisper passed through the assembled Gelfling courtiers and guards.  Seven was known to be an unlucky number.

“Distressing news indeed,” said the Emperor.  “Is there any indication as to the cause?”

“Not directly,” the Gelfling replied.  “It has also been observed that the Landstrider herds have abandoned the area.  We believe the two to be linked.”

“Pardon my interruption,” The Chamberlain purred as he bowed.  For the Chamberlain to enter a conversation between Emperor and supplicant was a breach of protocol, but for whatever reason, the Emperor did not comment.  “It seems likely that your people, and the Landstriders, have fallen victim to a predator,” the Chamberlain continued.  “While such a matter is dire indeed, it hardly seems a matter with which to trouble the Emperor.”

“Forgive me, my Lord Chamberlain,” Bendo bowed to the Skeksis in return. “But what beast could so threaten Landstriders?  My people know of none.” “Well,” the Chamberlain shuffled. “Such things are hardly my area of expertise…”

  “No,” the Emperor observed. “We have others who specialize in the knowledge of beasts.  Send for skekTek, and for skekZok as well; let us not neglect the possibility that the problem is spiritual in nature.”

“Of course, Sire,” the Chamberlain bowed.  “Guardsman Rian, please escort skekTek the Scientist to court.  Guardsman Sem, please bring skekZok the Ritual-Master.”

***

Rian walked the halls of the great Castle of the Crystal, spear in hand.  Everywhere around him was light; the walls, floor and ceiling diffusing the light of the Greater Sun as it passed slowly overhead.  The Rose Sun was also in the sky at that time, and its’ light was channeled to accent the general glow, tinting and coloring here and there in almost perceptible patterns.  The Castle was still a new place to Rian, and he caught himself staring at the patterns of light for a moment.

“Come on, Rian!” he chided himself.  “You’ve got a job to do; orders from the Emperor.  This is no time to be dazzled by moving light!”  Rian’s brand new leather armor creaked as he moved through the corridors of milky crystal, hoping he had remembered the way correctly. 

The Emperor had instructed that skekTek the Scientist be brought to court, and the Chamberlain had chosen Rian for the job.  It had been Rian’s first day as a court guard, and to be singled out in such a fashion showed that the Skeksis saw great potential in him.  Rian swelled with pride as he moved on, imagining a great future ahead of him; at least until he came to a fork in the corridor. For the life of him, Rian could not remember which way to go.

There were no signs in the great Castle of the Crystal, the Skeksis all navigated the twisting and labyrinthine corridors they had constructed by memory, though centuries had passed since they built the castle, and they expected their Gelfling guards to do the same. Most guards spent weeks learning the layout of the Castle, but Rian had been posted at the front gate before being reassigned to the Emperor’s court; he’d had no time to familiarize himself with this part of the castle.

There were parts of the castle forbidden to the Gelfling guards, and the fear of wandering into one of them accidentally was often in Rian’s mind.  The Skeksis were majestic and wise, in spite of their strange appearance, and they had shared some of that wisdom with the Gelfling tribes.  Writing, mathematics, architecture, agriculture, these were all things the Gelflings owed to the Skeksis.

Rian had never seen a Skeksis angry, and had no desire to be the cause of it. Making up his mind, Rian took the right fork; a path that slanted slightly downward and curved to the right.  The light in the path dimmed as Rian walked it, and the corridor twisted around to the left; Rian guessed he was now passing under the passage he had not chosen.  Rian had just decided that he had taken the wrong path, and that he needed to go back, when he came to a door.

The doors in the castle had no handles like the doors that Gelflings made, but they seemed to open themselves when someone came close, splitting apart and vanishing into the wall.  This door was no different.

On the other side, Rian found a fairly small room that seemed to be a juncture; there were three doors leading in different directions.  Rian felt confident that he was in the vicinity of the laboratory, but was still uncertain of which was to go.

Thinking that going right had been a mistake last time, Rian chose a door more or less ahead of him.

When the door opened, Rian found himself looking upon a room he had never seen before.  Wooden shelves lined the walls, the shelves littered with vials.  If there was a pattern to the layout, Rian could not see it.  The vials were filled with liquids of various colors, and labeled with markings that mean nothing to the young Gelfling.  Rian’s eyes scanned the shelves, and he saw vials of yellow, of brown, of pink, and clear, but one was different.  Sitting on a table in the center of the room, there was one that was a bright and luminous blue.

Rian had never seen anything like it, and wouldn’t have thought a liquid could be that color or could shine like that.  His wonder and curiosity drew him forward, and he approached the table where the glowing vial sat.  His hand reached out to the vial, and he grasped it, wrapping it in his four slender fingers.

As Rian gazed at the vial in his hand, he was filled with a sudden feeling of terror, such fear as he had never known. Rian quickly put the vial back on the table and backed away.  He didn’t know what had caused the feeling, but he could feel a tingle lingering in his hand.

Rian started as a door in the opposite wall opened, and skekTek entered the vial room. 

The Scientist wore a robe of cream-colored silk against his deep blue skin, and his walk swayed slightly under the weight of a spiny hump on his back.  "Guardsman!" the Scientist snapped in a high voice.  “This place is forbidden to Gelfling.”

“I dearly beg your forgiveness, Most Wise Scientist,” Rian bowed deeply, “I’m afraid I lost my way looking for the main entrance to you Laboratory.  I am sent to escort you to court; the Emperor calls.”

“Then lead on, Gelfling,” the Scientist replied, putting a pale yellow vial on a shelf on his way to join Rian.

During the walk back to the throne room, Rian could not stop thinking about that glowing blue liquid.  The intense fear he had felt haunted him, as did his own fear of seeing something that he knew he shouldn’t have.  The Skeksis were very wise, and they knew things that no Gelfling could understand; this was doubtless one of those things, yet he wondered why it had frightened him so. Returning to the throne room, Rian resumed his post as skekTek approached the throne.  Rian felt a lump in his throat; skekZok the Ritual-Master was already there and Rian knew he had been escorted from farther away.  No doubt the Chamberlain had noted Rian’s tardiness.

“Sire,” the Scientist bowed.  “How may I serve you?”

The Emperor gestured to the Gelfling petitioner, “Bendo of the Vapra Clan reports that the Landstrider herds have abandoned their hills, and that Gelfling have gone missing.  The Chamberlain suggests the activity of a beast, but Bendo’s people know of no such predator.  We hoped that you might be able to shed some light on the situation.”

The Scientist blinked and scratched at his chin with his thin fingers.  “Sire, I can say with confidence that there are no predators in Thra capable of threatening even one Landstrider, let alone disrupt a herd.”

“Very well, skekTek,” the Emperor replied.  “We thank you for your knowledge, as always.  SkekZok, what say you?”

The Ritual-Master was almost as resplendent as the Emperor, gleaming in a golden robe edged in crimson.  “Great Emperor,” he said in a deep voice, “this can only be the work of evil spirits!” Following that proclamation, skekZok turned his attention to Bendo.  “While I am certain that most of your people perform the proper rites, there has obviously been a lapse.  It need not be obvious; for example, it may be as simple as one family neglecting to bid farewell to the Dying Sun as it dips below the horizon.  Even the smallest infraction can open the gates to evil!”

“What is to be done, great Ritual-Master?” Bendo asked as murmurs spread through those assembled.

“It is likely that those the spirits have taken are those who neglected their rituals,” skekZok answered.  “Make sure your Clan understands the importance of their observances, and remember that the Castle of the Crystal serves as a focal point for all of Thra’s energies; keep the Castle in your mind, and your rites will be stronger for it.”

“We are greatly pleased that an answer was found,” the Emperor said.  “Return to Matriarch Serenlia with what you have learned, and may your Clan have peace and harmony.”

“Yes, Mighty Emperor,” Bendo bowed low to the throne.  “You have our eternal thanks.”

As Bendo rejoined his companions, the Emperor motioned skekZok closer, and whispered to him so that no other could hear.  “Send a crystal bat to skekMal immediately.  Tell the fool to leave Vapra lands at once, and hunt somewhere else.”

**********************

Section 2 “I must be crazy,” Rian said to himself.  He knew that if discovered he would be severely punished, but he couldn’t get that blue vial out of his mind.  He needed to understand what it is, but at the same time he realized that he could not ask the Skeksis.  Rian was never supposed to have seen that vial, or the room where he had seen it.

Rian told himself that the Skeksis share with the Gelfling everything that the Gelfling need to know, that anything they hadn’t explained to him was likely beyond him and dangerous, but that had not quieted his need.  Whatever was in that vial had frightened him to the core, and he could not simply push it out of his mind.

So, Rian had concocted this plan.  Every morning, as the Greater Sun rose, the Skeksis all gathered somewhere in the heart of the Castle to perform a ritual for greeting the day; this was known to all the Guards.  This ritual took perhaps an hour, and Rian would have that much time to investigate before he was discovered.  It didn’t seem very long, particularly since Rian had to find the vial room again, but it was all the time he had.

So Rian had come to the Castle long before his shift of duty began, but even the Guards that knew him did not question him.  The assumption was obvious; that if Rian was coming to the Castle, it must be on the instructions of the Skeksis.  Rian wondered for a moment at how secure in the power of their word the Skeksis were, and how confident in that power the Guards were as well. Now Rian moved quickly through the halls, trying to retrace his steps to the vial room.  It took him longer than he would have liked to find it, and he cursed himself for not paying better attention on the walk back to the throne room. Still, find it he did, but when he entered that little storage area he found that the door would not open.  Apparently the doors in the Castle could be locked, and SkekTek must have done so.  This realization only increased Rian’s desire to know.  What could be so important that the Scientist would go out of his way to make sure Rian couldn’t find it again?  Well, whatever it was, Rian wasn’t going to give up on it now.

Rian turned and ran through the halls of the Castle, taking forks and turns, estimating the position of the room on the other side of that door, and trying to find another way to it.

When he rounded a corner and a door opened before him Rian knew immediately that he had found what he was looking for, but he was not prepared for what he found.

The room Rian had found was large, though not as large as the throne room.  Scattered through the room were wooden tables on which sat lab equipment whose purpose Rian could not begin to fathom.  Cages lined the walls, filled with more animals than Rian could even name.  But what drew Rian’s eye more than anything else, was the far wall.  A panel of the wall was open, revealing a shaft of hotly glowing air through which shone one thick beam of violet light.  A crystal was suspended in this shaft via a metal pole.  The violet light shone down on that crystal and was reflected into the room, directly into the eyes of a Podling who was sitting in a chair near the opening, his arms, legs, and head restrained. Rian could see motion in the room, so he circled carefully at the edge where it was darker.  The motion belonged to three robed figures, one Gelfling and two Podlings.  The Gelfling watched the Podling in the chair, while the two robed Podlings stood at a set of levers on the wall.

Rian crouched down behind a table, but he could now see the captive Podling in profile.  The skin around its eyes seemed to be shriveling, sink against the bone, and its eyes were taking on a milky sheen.  Rian could see that the robed Gelfling and the two robed Podlings had the same look to their faces and eyes. After what felt like an eternity of watching that horrific scene, the robed Gelfling turned to his Podling companions.  “Enough.  Close it,” the Gelfling’s voice was flat and empty, though accented in a way Rian had never heard before.

The Podlings obeyed.  One lever was pulled, which moved the prismatic crystal out of place in the shaft, and the other lever closed the opening in the wall.  The Gelfling then leaned down and picked up from his side of the chair a vial like those Rian had seen in the storage room, filled with an oily yellow liquid. Feeling a sudden rage and revulsion, Rian leaped to his feet and ran to the chair.  “What are you doing?” he cried.  Rian undid the clamps holding the Podling to the chair, but the Podling merely sat, looking straight at the wall.

“What I have been told to do,” the Gelfling replied in the same flat tone.

“What is that?” Rian demanded, pointing at the vial.

“Vliya,” the Gelfling answered.  “Essence.”

“Why would you-” Rian stopped suddenly as he heard the door to the room open.  Caught less off guard this time, in spite of his anger and shock, Rian dove under a table and held still.

Rian could see the lower half of a Skeksis as he walked across the room.  The robes were those of skekTek the Scientist.

“Ahh, excellent, Gelfling!” skekTek exclaimed.  “My theory was correct.  Drained Podlings are all but useless, they can only obey simple orders.  But you, Gelfling, your kind is much stronger, eh?  More residue in that husk of yours.  I thought that if you could still speak after your vliya had been drained, perhaps you could follow more complex instructions.  Wonderful!”  The Scientists laughed a laugh that sent new chills down Rian’s spine.  “Eh?” The laughter broke off suddenly as the Scientist looked down at the chair.  “The restraints have been loosened.  I did not tell you to do that, Gelfling.  Why did you do it?” “I did not,” the drained Gelfling answered.

“Then who did?” the Scientist asked, anger clearly rising. “He did,” the Gelfling replied, and Rian could see his finger pointing under the table.

To his credit Rian reacted quickly, bolting for the door.  Unfortunately, even though skekTek was among the slowest of the Skeksis, he still had time to shout a command in his own language, and the door slammed shut.

“Very foolish, Guardsman,” the Scientist said as he quickly cleared the space between them.  His hands wrapped around Rian’s upper arms, and lifted him up into the air without effort.  “The Emperor was merciful that you were only reassigned after what you saw the other day.  But now there is no room left for mercy, especially when I know this works so well.”

“What are you doing?” Rian cried.  He fought against skekTek with his arms, but the Scientist’s grip was too strong.  Rian kicked, but the Skeksis seemed not to feel it.  In no time at all, Rian found himself forced into the chair, and the restraints locked in place one by one.

“No!  Don’t do this!  Help!” Rian screamed.

“There is no help for you, Gelfling,” the Scientist said, and then turned to the robed figures.  “Slaves, open the wall, and move the reflector into place.” Soon that violet shaft of light was boring into Rian’s eyes.  He tried to hold them shut, but it was as though the light would not allow it, as though that purple beam forced him to look.  “No!” he cried again; then he could only grunt as he felt the light enter him, and he tried to resist its power.

“You waste your strength, Gelfling,” the Scientist told him.  “You cannot deny the power of the Dark Crystal.  Fighting only hurts, and once your vliya is drained you won’t mind at all.”

Rian continued to struggle and fight, he could already see that there was no winning.  In the back of his mind, he had an idea.  It was a long shot, and he’d need to get skekTek to leave even to try it…  “The Emperor,” Rian gasped.  “When … he … finds … out …”

“The Emperor!” The Scientist repeated with scorn.  “Who do you think authorized my experiments, Guardsman?  Oh, what an exciting day this has been; so many wonderful things to tell him.  Not only do Gelfling make superior slaves; as I thought; and provide more potent vliya, one walked right into the Chamber of Life!  Hmm, in fact, why wait?  I’ll go deliver the good news!”

Giddy with the good news he would have for the Emperor, skekTek moved to the door, spoke the command that released the lock, and departed from  the room. Rian breathed an internal sigh of relief, and steeled his will again.  “You!  Gelfling!” he said as sharply as he could.  The drained Gelfling turned towards him.  “Shut off the light and release me!”

Obedient to the command the robed Gelfling turned and flipped both switches, once again moving the reflector and closing the wall.  He then walked to the chair, and opened the restraints.

Rian bolted out of the chair, and shivered as he felt colder than he had before.

Rian looked at the three drained slaves, and it broke his heart.  The Podlings were the gentlest people in Thra, and the Gelfling seemed to be of his own Woodland Clan.  For a moment Rian thought there must be something he could do for them, but he had to admit that he was powerless at this point.  Feeling the need to say something he put his hand on the other Gelfling’s shoulder.  “What’s your name?”

“Slave.”

Rian cringed.  “What was your name before?”

“Before what?”

“Before your vliya was taken?”

“I do not understand.”

Rian’s heart sunk further as he realized that the process also robbed you of your previous life.  Rian wondered what little part of him had dripped into that vial before the wall was closed.  He didn’t know where the vliya came from, or how it got in the vial, but he wasn’t about to stay and find out.

“I will be back for you, someday,” Rian promised.  “I’ll find a way to help you.” Rian turned and fled from the room and the Castle, running all the way to his village at the edge of the woods.

**************************

Section 3

It was nearing the middle of the Greater Sun’s path through the sky, and Rian was exhausted.  His body was damp with sweat, and his chest heaved in deep breaths.  Rian could hear his heart pounding in his ears.  He had made it most of the way up the mountain, but he had to stop to rest his arms and legs.  Rian knew he shouldn’t be this tired; the climb wasn’t that hard.  Whatever that light had done to him, whatever the Skeksis had done to him, it had made him noticeably weaker.

“Aughra,” Rian said to himself, repeating the name he had been told below.  “Oh, what am I doing?  If this Aughra was such a friend to the Gelfling, why have I never heard of her?  Why does she hide herself up this mountain?”  It occurred to Rian that the Vapra in the village may have been having a joke at his expense.  They were known to look down on the other clans at times. But then, after some thought as he sat, Rian realized that he had no other option.  He could no longer trust the Skeksis, none of them.  And his own people did not believe him.  There was no one else to turn to.

Rian rose, resolved to finish his climb and to find Aughra.  He carefully picked his way along the rough path, parting some strange hanging vines.  He was caught completely off guard when the vines wrapped around his arms and pulled him up into the air.

Rian struggled, grunting with the effort, but the vines were strong and he was held fast.  He saw some movement out of the corner of his eye, and looking down he saw the strangest person he’d ever encountered.  Rian guessed it was female, but she didn’t look like anyone Rian had ever seen before.  She was perhaps a little taller than Rian, but she stood hunched partway over, so it was hard to tell.  Her skin was dark brown and wrinkled, almost like bark, and her hair was a huge dark, tangled mess.  She had nearly no nose, and horns curled out of her head.  A smooth gemstone was set in her forehead somehow.  One eye was shrivelled shut; the other was a deep violet.  A worn red dress hung about her somewhat portly body.

“Aughra?” Rian asked, both hopeful and fearful. “Does it know my name?” she asked in the Gelfling tongue, her voice high and grating.  “The Gelfling knows Aughra?  But Aughra doesn’t know this Gelfling, oh no!  You’re not from the village; not Vapra, this one.  No, you’re Woodland by the look of you.  What are you doing so far from home?”

“Looking for you,” Rian answered.  His voice was less firm than he’d hoped.  He was a Guard of the Castle after all, not a frightened child.  But something about Aughra gave him shivers.

“For me?  What does a Guard of the Castle of the Crystal want with old Aughra?

The Skeksis send you?  Are they now too high and mighty to visit me themselves?”

“No!” Rian cried.  “No, it is because of the Skeksis that I’m looking for you.  Please, I need help!”

Aughra squinted at Rian with her good eye, and shrugged.  “Come then, Gelfling.”  As she turned away, she muttered “drop him,” and the vines released Rian, sending him tumbling to the stone of the mountain.

“Aughra!” Rian cried as he rushed to catch up with the swiftly moving woman.  “How did you know I’m a Guard?”

“Gelfling,” she snorted as she led Rian into a cave.  “Always the Gelfling thinks of what is in front of his nose, never behind or ahead.  You wear a Guard’s armor.  Oh yes, Aughra knows a Guards armor.  I have seen the great Castle of the Crystal, Gelfling.  I have been there.”

“You have?”  Rian asked.  “I’ve never heard the Skeksis mention you.”

“No need to,” Aughra answered dismissively.  “Ah, here we are.”  Aughra waved her hand, and a wall of the cave suddenly opened, exactly like the doors in the Castle.  Beyond was a vast chamber, the inside of the dome Rian had seen from the ground.  The light of the Greater Sun poured in through the thin walls and ceiling, filling the chamber with daylight.  The room was dominated by the largest machine Rian had ever seen.  Parts of it pointed out every which way, and they spun and swooped, each moving about in its own way.  Rian thought they must surely crash into each other, but no collision occurred.

“Never seen anything like it, have you Gelfling?” Aughra asked.  She did not wait for an answer.  “Of course not!  There’s only one in all of Thra, and it belongs to Aughra!”

“What is it?” Rian asked, mystified by the huge machine.

“What is it?” Aughra repeated, sounding irritated.  “Gelfling, it’s a perfect copy!  Bah!  Gelfling are all earth and spirit.  No appreciation for what is above them!”

“I-I’m sorry,” Rian stuttered, feeling small.  “What-?”

“The heavens, Gelfling!  Suns, moons, stars!  Everything!  Moving here as they move above.  A window to the future, Gelfling.  Now come along.  It’s been a long time since Aughra had company, but she remembers her manners.” Rian tore his eyes away from the massive machine as Aughra led him around the edge of the room to a small table.  She retrieved a kettle from over a small far, and poured two steaming cups of tea before sitting down opposite the Gelfling.  "Now, what is it about the Skeksis that got you so scared that you came all the way out here to find old Aughra?”

“I-“ Rian began, then stopped.  Aughra just stared at him as he looked for what to say; how to say it.  What should he tell her?  What would she believe?  “Something is wrong with my dreamfasting,” he said finally.

“Wrong?” Aughra asked.  “Wrong how, Gelfling?”

“It won’t work.  I can’t dreamfast at all.  All anyone sees is darkness.  They tell me I’m holding back, but I’m not, I swear it!  There is something I desperately need to show the Clans… but I can’t.”

Aughra stared at Rian, and Rian squirmed a little, feeling like she was staring into his mind, his heart, his soul.  Then Aughra extended her wrinkled hand.  “Show me,” she said simply in a flat, serious tone.

Rian blinked.  “But I told you, it doesn’t-“

“Gelfling comes to my home, asking for my help, and then says no?”  Gone was the gentle amusement and lightheartedness.  “Show me, Gelfling, or begone with you.”

Rian sighed, and put his hand in Aughra’s.  He closed his eyes, and remembered what had happened in skekTek’s laboratory.  Rian felt the coldness again, and could see in his mind that all the dreamfast showed was an empty blackness.  He tried to show her other things; his climb up the mountain, his visit to the village, the last festival he attended; all without success.  He opened his mouth to speak, but Aughra interrupted.

“Quiet, Gelfling,” she snapped.  Rian felt something strange in his mind, like a twist, or a push.  Aughra was doing something, poking around in the darkness.  He’d never heard of someone who could direct dreamfasting like that; he didn’t even know it was possible.

“Darkness,” Aughra said as she pulled her hand away.

“Like I said,” Rian answered.  “I can remember it clear as day, but when I try to show it, there’s nothing.”

“No, Gelfling,” Aughra said as she stood from the table.  “Not nothing.  You were right to say darkness, but not nothing.  Brokenness.  Emptiness.  What happened to you, Gelfling?”

“I don’t want to say too much before I can prove my accusations, but I saw something the Skeksis did not want me to see, and they tried to punish me for it.  If I had not escaped, I would not have been able to tell anyone.”

“You are cautious, Gelfling,” Aughra observed, “and that is no bad thing.  If the Skeksis did this to you, Aughra cannot undo it.  But I can direct you to those that can.”

“Then you believe me?” Rian sat up straighter.

“Gelfling, you have given strength to my own suspicions.  But like you, Aughra is cautious.  I will not speak until I know.  For now, you must go to the valley.”

“The valley?” Rian asked.

“Travel against the path of the Greater Sun for one of its days, and you will come to the valley.  There you will find those who can help you.”

“Who are they?” Rian

“The urRu,” Aughra answered.

“The urRu?  The Mystics?” Rian asked in shock.  “They eat children, and steal souls!”

Aughra whirled like a storm.  “Oh, Gelfling knows this, eh?  He won’t say what he’s seen because he wants to prove it, but he says the urRu do these terrible things!  Who says?” she demanded.  “Hmm, Gelfling?  Who?”

“E-Everyone,” Rian said.  “My father, and his father before him.  All Gelfling know.”

“And what’s a Gelfling to do, if he sees an urRu?” she pressed him, coming closer.

“Inform one of the Castle gate Guards,” Rian answered.

“And what do the Guards do if a sighting is reported?” Aughra asked, leaning over the table, her face almost touching Rian’s.  "Go off and fight it?  Hmm?  Kill it with spears?"

“No!” Rian’s voice was small.  "We are to report it to the Chamberlain."

“skekSil,” Aughra observed, then whispered, “So who do you suppose told the Gelfling these things?”

“I-” Rian began, but then he stopped.  He had known the Skeksis couldn’t be trusted, knew they were doing horrible things, but it hadn’t occurred to him how much of the things he knew came from them.  “We’ve relied on them so much,” Rian said quietly.

“Hmmm,” Aughra nodded.  “As has Aughra.  Go Gelfling, there is work to be done.”

With that, Aughra turned away and began digging through papers on a nearby table.

“Travel against the Greater Sun for a day?” Rian asked.

“Yes, yes, Gelfling, that will bring you to the Gnarled Stonetree.”

“I thought you said I was going to a valley.”

Aughra heaved a sigh.  “Valley is hidden.  The Stonetree will show the way, if Gelfling keeps his mind about him.  Go, Gelfling.  Trouble Aughra no more.” “Thank you for the tea, and your help,” Rian said with a faint bow before turning to leave.

******************************

Section 4 Rian approached carefully, yet as hastily as he dared.  He was certain that this was where the Stonetree had pointed him, assuming he had deciphered all the signs correctly.   Still, this was a wild land, and Rian could not be sure he was right.  He also could not be certain that the Mystics were as benevolent as Aughra had told him.  She had seemed trustworthy, but so had the Skeksis.  And then there was whoever had shot at him; they could not be far behind.

And so it was with great caution and care that Rian crept along, almost on all fours, expecting any moment to find the edge of the hidden valley.  Yet, when he came upon it he was still surprised.

Rian did not understand what had happened.  One moment it seemed like the flat grassland went on forever, and the next he was staring into a roughly circular valley with a pathway descending along the edge in a spiral.  Startled, Rian stood upright, and backed away a few steps.

The valley vanished.  Slowly, he walked forward, and it was there again.  He took three steps to the right, and it vanished again.

“How in Thra…?” Rian asked allowed. 

“It could be explained, Gelfling, but it would take many trine, I think,” answered a voice.  If Rian thought he was startled upon finding the valley, then having his unfinished question answered reminded him that shock has multiple levels.  Rian turned toward the voice, and discovered that the speaker was lithe, tall, and seemed male.  He had four arms, and was dressed in a simple woven garment that was both like a robe and like a blanket wrapped and draped around him.  He had sandy-colored skin with swirling patterns that seemed natural.  His face was long, narrow, soft, and flat, with a spattering of grass-like hair that fell around his head.  His eyes were dark and warm, and his mouth had no teeth that Rian could see.  In two of his hands, he held a bow, and a quiver of arrows peeked up behind his back.

The sight of the quiver caused Rian’s heart to race, but he had glimpsed whoever had shot at him before: the long mask and the clawed hands.  It did not seem to Rian that this could be the same person.

“Are you one of the urRu?” Rian asked slowly.  He was worried of giving offense, worried that there might be more concealed about him, and really just worried in general.

The figure nodded, “I am urVa the Archer.  What brings you here?  In all of the trine that we have been in this place, none of your kind has ever sought us out.” “I—” Rian started, then faltered.  He was again plagued by doubts, but he realized of course, that there was no going back, no stepping away from the path he had taken.  “I am in need of your help, your healing.  I have been hurt somehow, inside; something was taken from me.”

“Then it is best you descend into the valley, Gelfling, and quickly.  You’re being hunted.”

Barely had these words left the urRu’s mouth than a dark fletched arrow came flying from a cluster of thick bush some distance away.  Rian gave a cry and ducked from its path, but a second was already on its way, and there was no chance that he could avoid it.

With a speed that Rian would never have anticipated urVa darted closer and plucked the second arrow from the air with a smooth motion.  “Hurry, Gelfling!” Rian wasted no time in fleeing down the path into the valley.

“I know it is you, skekMal!” the Archer called to the bush.  “We both know you cannot shoot me, and we both know the Gelfling is now beyond your reach.” The bush rustled as skekMal the Hunter came into the open.  “Are you really so certain?” he asked.  “I cannot shoot you, but I only need to get passed you.” UrVa slipped the quiver from his should and laid it and his bow upon the ground.  “You are welcome to try,” the Mystic answered.

SkekMal charged at full speed, his eyes focused squarely on urVa.  He did not plan to impact the urRu, but to feint and slip around him.  SkekMal could see that the path into the valley was long, he was confident that he only needed a moment to make the shot.

As the Skeksis closed on the urRu, skekMal noted that urVa had adopted a ready stance.  Confident in his guile of body, he tensed, signaling that he would dart left, toward the path.  He waited for urVa’s weight to shift in order to catch him, then suddenly went right, beginning a cry of victory that turned into a yelp of surprise.  UrVa had twirled left so far that he caught the Skeksis anyway.  Four surprisingly strong arms seized skekMal, pivoted, and threw him back.

The Skeksis landed safely on his feet, and made another attempt to slip past the urRu, with the same results.  He tried again and again, but always the gentler Mystic threw him back.

“And now you are too late,” urVa observed, casually picking up his quiver and bow.  “The Gelfling is safely within, and no harm will come to him.” SkekMal stared at the urRu for a moment, then snarled in rage, turned, and ran.

Rian had been shown into a cave at the base of the valley, and asked to wait.  A short time later an urRu entered the cave.  The urRu that Rian had seen so far were very similar: their skin, their hair, their eyes; they all looked very much alike.  Only the swirls on their skin, the patterns of their robes, and the styles of their hair really set them apart from one another.

“Welcome, Gelfling,” the urRu said warmly.  “What brings you to our valley?” “The direction of Aughra,” Rian answered, still jumpy from the incident at the top of the valley and eager to tell his story.  “SkekTek the Scientist, he did something to me with rays of light in the Castle, and I can’t dreamfast.  And they’re doing the same thing to Podlings and Gelflings in the Castle, turning them into mindless slaves.”

“Hmm, this is distressing news, Gelfling,” the urRu answered, “but unsurprising.  Come, and we will see what can be done for you.”

The urRu escorted Rian out of the cave and across the floor of the valley.  At one of the other cave mouths an urRu was playing a many stringed harp with all four of his hands, filling the air with beautiful harmonies.  At another cave a soup was being boiled, at another cloth was woven; all around were signs of activity, all carried out with a sense of peace.  In the center of the valley stood a broad circle of tall stones, each of them etched with designs and symbols.

“Those markings,” Rian observed as he was led by.  “They’re like the ones in the throne room of the Castle.  Have you been there?”

“Many trine ago,” the urRu answered.  “And some of us will see it again, in time.”

“What happened?” Rian asked.  “Did you live there, like the Skeksis?”

“You might say that we lived there; I would not, though I suppose that you might.  But we have never done anything like the Skeksis.”

Rian blinked at the strange answer, but any follow up questions were cut off by their arrival at another cave.

“UrIm,” Rian’s escort called gently into the cave.  An urRu came to the cave mouth and bowed deeply.  “UrSu.  How may I help you, Master?”

“It is not me that needs your help, Healer, but this Gelfling.  It sounds as though the Skeksis have upset his energy.  Please see what can be done to correct this imbalance.”

“Of course, Master,” urIm bowed again, and urSu departed back across the valley.  “Please, Gelfling,” urIm went on, “sit down, and we shall begin.”

UrIm proceeded to produce several stones, and asked Rian to peer through holes in each of them, looking toward the stone circle, and tell him how Rian felt; some of them seemed to sharpen his vision to varying degrees, others to blur it, and one gave him a splitting headache.  He nodded with each answer, and then called to another urRu, urSol the Chanter, to come and help.  UrSol sang many tones, and Rian told them both how the tones made him feel.  Some warmed his heart, some made him sad, and one made him wince in pain.  When the examinations were done, urIm escorted Rian back to the cave of urSu. “Master,” urIm announced gently, “urSol and I have explored much, and I believe I understand what has happened.”

“Very good, urIm, please continue.”

“I believe that this Gelfling has been exposed to the light of the Crystal, refined so that it penetrated his energy and began to replace it.  This is why he cannot dreamfast; part of his energy is missing.  This process would also have caused his energy to drain out in some form.”

“Yes!” Rian cried.  “There was a liquid that was extracted.”

“Can this be remedied?” urSu asked.

“The Gelfling was not subjected to the full effects of the process.  I believe the imbalance can be remedied, but I will need the help of urTih.”

“I am sure he will cooperate in any way that you require.  Thank you for your assessment.”

Rian was again lead across the valley to another cave.  He was beginning to feel almost as if the urRu didn’t see him as a person.  They were kind enough to him, but they spoke at him and about him rather than with him.  Rian was left with the distinct impression that they looked down on him somehow.  It was unsettling to him.

UrTih the Alchemist was called, the situation was explained, and he retrieved from in his cave numerous pieces of equipment that reminded Rian strongly of those in skekTek’s laboratory.  The Healer and the Alchemist spoke at length about Rian’s energy, its balance, the Crystal, harmonics of feeling and intent, and a great number of things that Rian did not understand.

Finally a course of action was agreed upon.  Several of the urRu were gathered together in the stone circle.  UrSol led them in a chant, while urTih held an amulet carved in stone within the light of the Rose Sun that shone through a hole in one of the stones.  After a few minutes of this, the amulet was brought to Rian and handed to him.

“We cannot truly replace what the Skeksis have taken from you,” urIm explained, “what the Crystal takes, only the Crystal can return.  But so long as you wear this amulet, it should provide compensation for what was taken, effectively balancing your energy, and restoring your ability to dreamfast.”

“Thank you,” Rian answered heartily.  “I don’t know how I can repay for you this.”

“There is no need,” urIm answered.  “This is who I am, whether I am thanked or not.”

********************************

Section 5 It was with no small amount of fear that skekMal the Hunter came before the Emperor.  SkekMal knew that he had failed utterly, that skekNa’s spies had no doubt sent word of this, and that he must now throw himself upon skekSo’s mercy, and that the Emperor was not known for his mercy.

Still, the Hunter was a Skeksis, and so he held himself with pride as he entered the throne room.  All of his fellow Skeksis were in attendance, which was not terribly surprising; the way they closed in around him was, however, and it frightened him.

“SkekMal,” said the Emperor, “because of you, we now have a problem; the biggest problem the Skeksis have ever faced.  The Gelfling Guardsman escaped you, not once but twice; he met with the accursed urRu, who healed him; and worst of all, he is spreading word amongst the Gelfling that we have been draining their Essence and making them slaves.”

“Sire,” skekMal bowed low.  “The things you say are true, but mine was hardly the first failure.  If skekTek had not allowed the Gelfing to escape in the first place, none of this would have happened.”

“This is true,” skekSo conceded.  “SkekTek will also be punished, as will skekUng.”

The Master-of-Arms was visibly startled at the mention of his name. “The selecting and training of Guardsman is your responsibility,” the Emperor said to skekUng.  “Clearly, this Gelfling was not ready for the duties assigned to him.  You erred in judgment.  But you, skekMal the Hunter, you bear the majority of the burden in this triad of failure.  Unlike the Scientist, and the Master-of-Arms, you failed in the direct pursuit of the tasks with which you are trusted.  There can be no forgiveness.”

In an instant that had clearly been planned out ahead of time, skekUng and skekSil reached forward and seized skekMal.  The Hunter hissed and twisted in their grasp, but skekSil was nearly as lithe, and skekUng was easily the strongest of the Skeksis.

“SkekTek,” the Emperor nodded to the Scientist.  “You have an opportunity to redeem yourself.  Perform your experiment.”

“At once, Sire!” was skekTek’s eager reply.

It was a struggle for the Skeksis to force skekMal down the halls and into the Chamber of Life, but it was done.  Those Skeksis of lighter constitution gradually fell away from the group, skekEkt the Ornamentalist and skekOk the Scroll-Keeper first, then others.  Only the Chamberlian, the Master-at-Arms, the Scientist, and the Emperor entered the Chamber of Life, with skekMal in tow. The Hunter was then chained to the wall, almost head to foot, and then skekTek jammed a needle-ended tube into skekMal’s neck.  The other Skeksis all moved a good distance away from him.

SkekMal was exhausted from struggling, but still had the strength to plead.  “Sire, release me, and I will hunt down every Gelfling who has heard the Guardsman’s story!  Any who speak against you will die!  Just let me prove myself!”

“Some failures are final,” the Emperor replied.  “Some punishments are as well.” With that, skekTek pulled the lever that opened the wall into the shaft of air and fire, and then positioned the reflector.

The reflector did its work, and the reflected light of the Crystal was sent directly into skekMal’s eyes.  The Hunter tried very hard to close his eyes, but the power of the Crystal could not be denied.  The Hunter tried to assert his own will against the feeling creeping into him, but the power of the Crystal could not be denied.

SkekMal began to whimper as he felt his Essence begin to slowly drain away.  He did not stop until his Essence was completely drained, seven days later.

On the other side of Thra, eleven urRu gathered around a twelfth, and watched helplessly as his soul drained away. 

It had happened suddenly, unexpectedly, without foreshadow or warning. One moment, urVa had been at his practice, the music thrum of his great bowstring resounding through the valley, echoing off the stones, singing in harmony with all that the urRu did; then a strangled cry came from his throat, and urVa collapsed in an ungraceful heap of arms and legs.

UrIm the Healer and urSol the Chanter carried him into the center of the standing stones.  As all the other gathered around, urIm and urTih the Alchemist did their best to diagnose and treat urVa.  They concluded that urVa’s life energy, his very vital Essence was being drained away.   All of the urRu could guess the cause, but they did not abandon urVa to his fate.

Each urRu did what they could.  urYod the Numerologist organized the urRu’s efforts, so that each was done in the best measure; UrZah the Ritual-Guardian drew sand spirals around urVa, attempting to center and harmonize his energy; urSol the Chanter lead them uplifting songs of peace and wellbeing; urAmaj the Cook hand fed the immobile Archer with soups infused by urNol the Herbalist; urAc the Scribe recorded all that was done, and read to urVa from the histories; urUtt the Weaver make a new dream blanket for urVa; and urSen the Monk attempted to share his own vitality through mediation.

Nearing the end of the seventh day, urSu the Master called all of the urRu together.  They gathered around urVa, whose eyes had little life left. “Thank you all,” urSu said, “for all that you have done.  I know that I speak for urVa as well.  Though he has known great pain these seven days, I know that he has been comforted by your company and efforts.  But now his time draws to a close.

“As you all know, skekMal the Hunter is being drained of his vital Essence.  But a Skeksis does not carry that Essence, his urRu does, and so urVa is being taken from us.  Lacking a spirit to bind his form, he will leave us truly.” UrVa’s few possessions were quickly piled around him, and urZah led them all in the rite that would send those belongings to the other side with him.  As the rite reached its peak, urVa began to sparkle, and faded from existence with those possessions that held meaning for him.

Epilogue

To say that skekUng was not disturbed and horrified would be untrue.  The mere knowledge that a Skeksis could be drained of its vital Essence and made into a mindless husk was unsettling in the extreme.  But the Master-of-Arms had seen an opportunity to redeem himself, and so he returned to skekTek's laboratory the day after the draining was complete.

"SkekUng," the Scientist greeted.  "What brings you here?"

"An idea," he answered.  "I have questions."

"Oh?" SkekTek wrung his hands together eagerly.  "Please, continue."

"The husk, the thing that used to be the Hunter; has its strength diminished?"

"Not at all," the Scientist insisted.  "Though he was never the strongest of us, and his grace is diminished by the mindlessness of his condition."

"Of course.  He is still hearty?"

"Certainly.  The process leaves the body intact."

"What is to be done with his Essence?"

The Master-At-Arms's question left a heavy silence between them; that murky vial disturbed all of the Skeksis greatly.  SkekUng had no doubt that no one would wish to consume it.

"It will be locked safely away," the Scientist answered.

"What would happen," the Master-at-Arms paused for breath, "if skekMal drank it?"

The Scientist opened his mouth, but then paused before speaking.  "It wouldn't restore him, but the effects would be dramatic.  It would greatly increase his strength, that I can say for certain."

"How long would the effects last?"

"A very long time; hundreds of trine, perhaps thousands.  Our Essence is much stronger than that of Podling or even Gelfling."

"I am designing a suit of armour that he could be fitted with."

"Yes," the Scientist hissed.  "Yes, I see where you are going with this.  He could be issued simple commands; hunt for this, destroy that, guard this; and carry them out with a strength and tenacity unrivalled in Thra."

"Exactly," skekUng confirmed.  "But I don't plan to stop there, if it works."

The Scientist narrowed his eyes.  "You're not suggesting..."

"No!" SkekUng exclaimed.  "No, no one else need be drained.  If we had additional suits of armor ready, could we not use the power of the Crystal to copy his husk of a mind, and use it to animate the additional suits?

The Scientist thought a moment.  “The Crystal itself lacks the power to do something like that.”

“When is the next conjunction of the Greater Sun and the Rose Sun?" skekUng asked.

"Hmm?" SkekTek consulted some charts.  "Not for some time; two hundred and thirty-three trine or so."

“How many of these soldiers could we make with the power of such a conjunction?”

The Scientist scratched his head, and worked some sums on scraps of paper.  "I can't be certain, but dozens, at least, if not hundreds."

A transcript of a conversation between the Force Apostate Kazez, and an unknown Jedi, circa 7 ABY.

Jedi: ... then let us speak of pain.

Kazez: Very well.  When you are injured, in combat for example, how do you respond to your pain?

Jedi: I overcome it.  I transcend it.  I allow pain to occur, but I do not allow it to take root within me.  I am aware of it, but it does not control me.

Kazez: And certainly, that is better than being overpowerd, but I would like to suggest that there is a better way to address pain.

Jedi: Yes?  What is your sugestion?

Kazez: Feel it, and channel it.  Use it.  Let it enhance your reflex, your instinct for survival.  Pain can be your guide to both avoiding injury, and to killing threats.  When a bug bites your, your reflex is to crush it.  Your lightsaber can thus eliminate threats that harm you.

Jedi: But using the Force to guide a killing blow...

Kazez: When you parry blaster fire with your lightsaber, you are actually doing very little of the work.  You cannot move that quickly, adjust that quickly, but the Force knows where you need the blade to be to deflect the blast.  Lightsaber combat is no different.  The Force knows where you need your blade to be to accomplish your goal, whatever that goal is.

Jedi: Killing is the way of the Dark Side.

Jedi: What do you mean “short-sighted”?  If anything, Jedi are criticized to taking too long a view and not being proactive enough.

Kazez: Specifically, selflessly short-sighted.  Let us hypothesize an extreme example, but a plausible one: you are in a position to save an entire planet from destruction, but at the cost of your own life.  Alternately, you may save yourself, but everything on the planet will die.  What do you do?

Jedi: This sounds like a trap.  I would sacrifice myself to save the planet- I imagine any Jedi would.  And now, I expect, you’ll tell me why that’s the wrong answer.

Kazez: Not “wrong.”  It is a noble decision, and one no doubt of value to that planet full of people, but it is also a short-sighted decision.  It is, as you weigh things, the decision of greatest importance.   You reason that the perhaps millions of lives on that planet outweigh your own, and in that moment perhaps you are correct.  But once you are dead, your potential to effect the galaxy is greatly reduced. Even should you have the peace, and the will, for your consciousness to survive in the Force, the physically living become largely beyond your ability to reach.  The next time such an event occurs, you are unable to interfere, and the planet is assuredly lost. Instead, I suggest that it is better to live, to survive, to flee.  The planet is lost, and that will pain you- as it should- and that pain should drive you, make you more determined, so that the next time such a threat rises you are that bit more resolute, and perhaps you can save everyone.

Jedi: But suppose someone from that planet could grow up to be a far greater Jedi than I, capable to saving millions of lives?

Kazez: Such potential always exists, and in equal measure.  By that same token, one of those people could be a destructive tyrant who would butcher and enslave millions.  The reality of what you are now supersedes the potential of what another might one day be.

say five things you like about yourself, publicly, then send this to your ten favorite followers

I was surprised to discover that I have more than ten followers- but I don't think I'd say that I have favorites.

Anyway:

1. I deeply appreciate that I am relatively at peace with who I am.

2. I think that what I say and do accurately reflect the things that I profess to believe about how I think it is right to behave; this is important to me.

3. I love that I seem to be an engaging storyteller.

4. I like my hair.

In a text post, list ten books that have stayed with you in some way. Don’t take but a few minutes, and don’t think too hard — they don’t have to be the “right” or “great” works, just the ones that have touched you.

I was tagged for this, and I'll bite- though I'm not going to lump series together, rather I am going to focus on one book from a given series that stayed with me most.  I'm also going to try not to repeat authors.  I have also chosen to limit myself to works of fiction.

DUNE by Frank Herbert

The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

Running with the Demon by Terry Brooks

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

Minn of the Mississippi by Holling C. Holling

The Gunslinger by Stephen King

Shadow Dawn by Chris Claremont and George Lucas

The Forest House by Marion Zimmer Bradley