Come, Spake The Master

[Serrus]

The land was a blackened stone, where a burning sun had risen and set a thousand thousand times to steal the salt of the earth. Nothing grew here, yet still the oak tree stood, roots to stone, leaves that blossomed under clouds of fire and a moon of blood. The air smelled of fire and ash, the moon looked as the sun, and the music was their hollowed screams as they died, and the constant thrumm of all things ending and being reborn.

The great thrumm called him, and so he came. Ten winters had come and gone since last he'd been upon His presence, and he had not forgotten the fear, the smell of death, the anguish and lament of the maelstrom He bore.

The fire from the sky burned him to a cinder, boiled his blood, choked his lungs, and yet he did not die. The great form would burn aflame to ash and yet stay whole, all the while the oaken tree thrummed and bloomed, and the moon was afire of the sun, so bright that he had to avert his gaze, so loud was the thrum that he could not feel anything else, and when it spoke Words, he felt himself as if he were dying.

"Little Wolf," spoke the master. "Art thou not a good and faithful Little Wolf?" They screamed and died, their voices that were a black cloud, burnt by the great tree and the blood of the moon.

"Thou hast summoned me." The Little Wolf could not breathe, and his voice was lost in the great heat, the thrumm, and he was afraid that the master would not heed his answer. But He answered, and when he spoke, the screams cried out and were silenced, the branches burned to ash, and the moon bled a great fire, so great a temerity that the little wolf cowered.

"Lo, to thy task I call thee," He said, and when He spoke, the Little Wolf trembled. "A generation hath passed away, that he shall be anointed. He hath been chosen as it is written, and only he giveth thou what I seek. Upon the ninth day, upon the ninth blood moon, as his seed doth pass, so shall he walk upon the salts of His earth. He hath named himself, the name of a Man, as he who is as stone."

The little wolf shook and trembled, but he found his little voice and howled. "Ask what thou wilt of me, and it shall be done."

The great oak became as blood-fire as the moon, and when it made its command, the stones trembled and broke upon the ground, and the moon touched the tree so it became as the sun, and the little wolf burned, and yet he did not die.

Seek thee first the Keeper In Red.
Seek thee second the King In White.
Seek thee third the Master In Black.

Thou shalt seek them out, and thou shalt give them my word and my blessing. Seek thee them thrice in turn as I have spoken.

The little wolf trembled again, and could not breathe in His fire, but somehow found his voice. "The King in White speaketh words that deceive, for he is the great Trickster. The Keeper in Red shall surely seeketh mine end. The Master in Black seeketh me as thou hast, only would I die and serve thee no more."

He shook. He trembled. His anger burned and his wrath beset upon the little wolf that he might smite the creature's ruin, and the little wolf fell to the earth of fire and blood and shook and trembled, and only by the grace of fortitude did his master not slay him.

"Who art thou to test my patience? Who art thou to question me? Thou art nothing but the dust and ash from which He hath made thee.

"When the stars fell from the heavens in a great fire, and He made the waters and the sky to the rocks and the earth, it was He gave unto me a great task, as I give unto thee. Spake he, 'Summon thee thy great serpents from the stones, that they might teach the hairless ones My Law. And teach the hairless ones thy wisdom as thou knowest, that they might shape thy stone from thine hands to make tools for themselves, that they might make war with the great serpents, that they might spill their blood upon the ground and sow the seeds of mine earth.'

"Lo, I did each task as he did ask of me, and also unto the hairless ones I taught the ways of the heavens, that they might know how to move the earth, and to the great serpents I gave the four fires, that my children would not be so easily slain by the hairless ones. And His wrath was wrought upon me, that I would be cast out and thrown into his great tower, the Oak of Fire, until the anointed one shall break the shackles He hath placed upon me."

The little wolf was naught but ash, but he still found himself, and he trembled and howled and whimpered. "I shall seek anon the Red Keeper, I shall seek anon the White King, and I shall seek anon the Black Master, might I be spared thee from thy wrath."

"Begone," spoke the master, and they all screamed as they died when the great moon of fire fell from the sky and spiralled the dream into oblivion.

[Serrus]

The dream was gone, a shell, but the world changed and became whole again, gone was the world of stone and fire, gone was the master and the fire moon and the oaken tree, there was only the great field and the little wolf.

The field flowed and swayed, the winds called him to the forest, and he sees the treetops tower upward, a great many of them like a city, only this is no city, this is not the realms of men, nor the realms of iron and steel and stone. Seek thee the Keeper in Red, the Master commanded, and so the little wolf obeyed, ever obedient, such a good little wolf. This was the Keeper's domain, it could come and go as it pleased, and be whatever or whomever it pleased.

The little wolf stepped forward, golden eyes looking to the trees, the moon was a bright white, a bright blue, for that was the King in White's domain, but he was to seek the Keeper in Red First. I sought out of turn, but now my Master has set me to rights. Paws stop short in the clearing, one torn ear rising with the other, and the little wolf casts his eyes to the trees, then raises his head and howls, and words come from them, a request, a polite summons, nary a demand to be heard.

"I seek thee, Keeper in Red. A great task my master hath bestowed upon me. I seek your prescence, so that you might receive his blessing, for as thou wishest the world to rights, so doth my master."

[Antichthon]

A wave of anger washed over the land. Not anger directed at the little wolf, but anger nevertheless. It had not had the most pleasant of days. A foolish little insect had insulted It. and It's friend had ignored Its commands. The little wolf had called at perhaps the most inopportune of times. He would do well to step carefully, even more carefully than he otherwise would.

It appeared before him, a pair of black eyes with red irises. "And who is your master, to think that one such as I would value his blessing? And who are you, to believe yourself worthy to convey it?" A fraction of that anger was now directed at the little wolf. "You enter my Woods without permission. Even within a dream, did it not occur to you that I might take offense?

"Speak quickly, and do try to convince me why I should not imprison you here and torture you until you awake."

[Serrus]

"Your realm is yours to see your will be done," says the little wolf, and she would see truth in the small golden eyes, golden eyes that carried a fire and a child within them, a child with eyes, from which no tears came from eyes that would not blink. The wolf does not retreat, nor advance, he simply sits as he is, a little wolf in her domain, an interloper.

"I serve He Who Came Before," says the little wolf. "He has many names, given to him over thousands upon thousands. Names that were given him before the sea became land, before the Hairless Ones came from their homes of rock and sea, before the great serpents were spawned from the earth by his own hand, and He only answers To The One Who Rules All, under his shackle, until the Master In Black shall see his release."

The little wolf stays steadfast, for he feared his master's wrath far more than the Red Keeper, far more than the King in White. far more than the Master in Black, her tortures would only last for as long as the dream could last, then after he would face the wrath of his master, whom transcended the waking world and the realms of dragons, demons and men.

"He would give you charge all the forests that span the earth, would make you warden of all woods and the fields and great lands, he would grant you rule over the lands of earth, to see them not spoiled nor wasted, to see them whole again.

"His blessings to you are thus: Three gifts shall the Little Wolf give to you, Men who have defied your laws of excess. One of lust, one of greed, one of destruction. These three shall I bring as per my master's bidding, his blessing, so that you would see his word is true. He would crown the King in White, and I to serve his vassal, to see that your laws be obeyed, and to the Black Master, he would give the power to see balance, so that the realms of Men are not so many in number."

A pause, and the little wolf stands bravely. "What say you, Great Keeper in Red? Will you accept my master's blessing as he has decreed?"

[Antichthon]

It saw into the little wolf's eyes, and saw that he spoke the truth. He indeed served a master of power beyond Its comprehension. And with this realization, Its anger was immediately caged.

"I apologize to you, Vassal of He Who Came Before. You did not deserve to suffer my anger." It was rare that It had the opportunity to parley with beings more powerful than Itself. And never in Its memory had It been approached by the servant of a being as powerful as this. It would not risk offending him. And so she appeared to him, not as a formless mass, but as The Red Woman. A token of respect, not to He Who Came Before--he would deserve nothing short of her true form--but of respect for this little wolf, who had braved to enter her territory, and who remained diplomatic even in the face of her fury.

"I gratefully accept your master's blessing, little wolf. But what, may I ask, is it that he desires in return?" She would not blindly obey anyone, not even a god. And gods did not give their blessings without expectations. "Were I able, I would be shepard to all of creation. But I am not able. I protect the land that I can, yet I am but a being of flesh and blood. The sphere of my influence can extend no further. I have little to offer your master, save my humble thanks."

[Serrus]

"Truth, this is but your domain, but the Master would allow you be the shepherd upon his release. He would grant you the power and wisdom to rule the forests and lands of The One Who Rules All, so that your influence and balance might extend beyond the boundaries of the woods. He would see you as overlord to that which you hold dominion, only it would be made greater, and the three offerings to you are a sign of his agreement, that you might know his word is his vow."

The little wolf takes pause to allow her to ponder on this, then he sets forth the stipulations.

"He would ask two things of you, no more, no less. The first relates to whom you speak. The mind, body and soul that encompasses this form, 'tis his and his alone, from now until death and beyond. It is not yours for the taking, nor this mind yours to enter, as only He Who Came Before allows it so. Violating this will violate his blessing and agreement.

"The other He asks of you, is that this same law and trespass lies upon the Black Master, who is yet to be named, a name of a Man as like he who is as stone. His mind, body, and soul belongs to He Who Came Before, and none else. The Master in black will become known in the seasons to follow, and you will know him as he shall reveal himself.

"These things, and these things alone, Red Keeper, my Master asks of you, that you might receive this blessing."

[Antichthon]

Leave be this little wolf, and the unnamed Black Master. "So long as neither you, or this unnamed Black Master do grievous harm to my woods, it shall be as you say. But if I deem either you or the Black Master to be malevolent in your intent within my lands, I shall escort you from them." She wouldn't kill them no matter what they did, but she would not give them free reign to do whatever they wished.

"Honor this, and I shall happily receive your Master's blessing."

[Serrus]

The little wolf lowered its head, a near human gesture to the red woman before him.

"For sooth, it shall be honoured, Keeper in Red, as my Master hath asked of thee." And without a word, the little wolf turned and ran, gone from her realm and the lands before it, a shadow vanishing into the dreamscape like a misty fog.

[Serrus]

What was a vassal without his liege lord, without his king to bend the knee, without a master? A stray dog, wandering among the fields, a lone wolf harassing the sheep, a routier or scab of a barbarian burning as he went, only drink and coin his master? Lost, alone.

Lonley.

Across the great golden field comes the vassal, a blaze of obsidian and sapphire, steel black armour chased in lapis and azure, a great surcoat and emblem emblazoned upon the breastplate of a sea serpent in a great blue sea. Across the great field comes the ebony destrier, black hooves pounding, wings upon the earth, great tapestry of his house trailing behind him. No retinue has this knight, no servant nor squire, only himself and charger to take him before the great palace of green, where the walls became an eternal maze, the great trees loomed like pillars to blot out the sun and bring in the pale moon.

He does not falter nor slow until he has found whom he seeks, found the great green palace within the great labyrinth. No fanfare greets him, no crier no watcher on the walls, solitary is his escort, isolation his ward, and where his shadow passes upon the earth, the shadow of the little wolf is quick to follow. Bird and beast would herald his coming, a whisper in the wind, the mocking cry of crows, the song of a sparrow.

Hark, from yon comes the Little Wolf. With haste approaches the vassal, the black knight. He doth seek Our Grace, Our Sire, The Great the King in White, from his master he hath come to seek Our King's word and counsel.

To the great Garden Labyrinth the vassal comes, a great black cloud upon a golden and green sea, to seek his audience, but only upon the king's word would he approach or dare enter his court, for even the vassal knew his place among dragons, demons and men.

[catch]

He is greeted at the door by black-clad servants, Frog Footmen who bow their heads and utter clever and flattering words, who tug their black fetlocks in greeting to the mighty man and his mount.

"All Honor and Glory to the Vassal," the footmen say, and though their clever tongues speak respect, their clever eyes look sidelong, their heads cock, a mocking tone in their lilting voices. "All Honor and Glory upon His Name." But they scatter from the Destrier's hooves, allowing him to pass with lightly-mocking laughter, running and skipping like children before the an enraged cat. One remains, a sturdy woman of White, and she seems to skim the ground before Vassal and Wolf, leading them through the twisting worm-paths of the Labyrinth, the great Forest set in the very arms of the Golden Dagger.

Soon enough they come upon it's center, with the white-washed Shack and the grandiose throne, and the White Woman takes her leave with a faint, deep-throated chuckle of the laughter her fellows had given. Upon that Throne sat the King in White, White in name only, but the Little Wolf with his eyes could see that it was not White, but a shimmering of all-colors. White was reserved for a different Thing. And for all that he was bound to the World, the roots of his feet gone deep into the earth, he was not Of it.

Blue-gold and black eyes gaze down at the Vassal, and those eyes were curious, but his face, his manner, was tense.

"I knew another Wolf. His skull is upon the Gate. Why are you here?"

[Serrus]

None could fool the Great Trickster, the King In White, not even the King of Fools, and such, all could see the Vassal for the Little Wolf that he was, and in the presence of the King in White, in his domain where all could be seen and little hidden, all can see the Little Wolf for what he is -- Eyes of bold, colour gold, ears of two, one half-slew, legs of four, one slit paw, fur of grey, colour astray. Little Wolf.

Among men he was a warrior, a knight, a soldier, a bastard -- but here in the Golden City, he stood for all he knew... all that he could remember, and when the King In White looked into the wolf's golden eyes, he would see the great pendant swinging, swinging, and the words being spoken, a rift in the arcana, and the words would repeat. A prayer... a mantra for the Little Wolf.

Forget her, she's nothing to you now. Never was.

Forward comes the Vassal, the little wolf, his great sheen of black armour now a dim husk in the king's presence, the destrier snorting in tired contempt, but all could see behind the steel and cloth the little wolf that stood in the knight's shadow.

"I bring word, Your Grace," says the vassal. "From the master I serve. The One Who Came Before. I would bring his word and his blessing. The days of his anointed one draw near. Upon the ninth day, upon the ninth blood moon, as his seed doth pass, so shall he walk upon the salts of His earth. He hath named himself the name of a Man, as he who is as stone. He would see you Crowned as King, and I your Vassal."

[catch]

The Little Wolf spoke his words, and the King in All-Color listened. And at the end, he laughed. Not harsh or mocking, not at the Little Wolf, but at himself, slow and sad and pain-filled.

"Am I not, already, King?" he asks gently of the Little Wolf, with tones of the bitterest irony. His sweeping arm gestures to the Labyrinth, the motion of it carrying the King off his throne. "Look, look well, o Wolf - I have been King, in name and deed, through eons unending. My very nature craves it, and yet my very nature abhors it. I give unto my Vassals my power, for I have no love of rule. I walk the forests until the Walls spring around me."

He advances on the Little Wolf. He is curious of the One, for he has not met such a creature, and he wonders how such a One could allow something like him onto His earth.

"What boon, what Kingship would I claim from your Master, that I shall not outlive, corrupt, or destroy?"

[Serrus]

The King in White advanced, and the Little Wolf held his ground, his dark armour shining of obsidian and azure, even though the destrier is not so sure. Such a brave little wolf, so courageous, so daring, so foolish. He does not bend the knee, nor cower, nor make a retreat, he remains rigid, like a cornered wolf ready to fight or make flight, yet no snarls come from this vassal, no threats nor drawing of steel.

"Indeed, His Grace is King, sire. His Majesty is the King in White, King of the Golden City, of the Great Labyrinth. But what realms dos his grace hold beyond, beyond the realms of dreams, beyond the realms of demons, dragons and men?

"I know not these things, O King, nay, for sooth, my master knoweth all. I know not of your splendour, O King, for sooth, my master knoweth all. For The One Who Made All gave him great power, before the hairless ones came forth upon the earth, when the Great Serpents came from stones, said The One Who Made All to The One Whom Came Before, 'Give thee to thy Serpents what thou knowest of the stars and moon, and to the skinless ones what thou knowest of the earth and fire and sea, that they shall make weapons for themselves and cross the narrow seas, and the Great Serpents and skinless ones shall covet the possessions of one another, and so shall they make war upon themselves, thus shall the Great Serpents spill their blood and sow the seeds of the earth."

"But The One Who Came before did also teach to the Great Serpents the four fires, that they might not be so easily defeated by the hairless ones, and to the hairless ones he taught them the knowledge of the heavens that they might move the earth, and should they feel the Great Serpents their Lords of land and sea, and so they would not war upon one another. Thus was my Master cast out, where he imprisoned unto the roots of the earth thereupon the great oaken tree of fire, where he shall remain until his release anon."

The little wolf steps forward boldly, bringing forth his proclamation.

"What was lost to you, O King, My Master shall return to you in full, that you might not only be Lord of this realm, but of the realms of Men. That you might rule by guidance, and might, and not by tyranny, and that the hairless ones shall remember the Old Ways, and turn to Your Grace for his divine wisdom, that he might soar to great heights, and that His Grace will be remembered for whom he once was."

[catch]

He listened to this Creation, the Little Wolf's message recited well, his lips and tongue a clever spur. Catch is not so clever a speaker, he knows. as the Wolf speaks, his agitation grows ever the more, his legs no longer tree-trunks, but pacing feet; his arms not so serenely tucked around his body, but swinging free. What his cause for Turmoil cannot be known; he continues, long after the Little Wolf has spoken, until he speaks himself - and then he is very, very still, like the towering thunderhead that had once been a whimsical cloud.

"And then came the Three, descended from the hoary stars and parts unknown," he says, telling his own story, his own anger. "Begot by them was I, I who am Nameless, must be Nameless, skewed from my Purpose, my Song twisted, Star-Crown scattered across the skies. I drive your Hairless Ones, again and again, to the their Primordial roots, a vengeance for a God no-one remembers, savior to a God that no-one sees. Hunted, haunted, the Hairless Ones robbed me of my dignity, my mind, the remnants of my crown. I, heretic, Abomination upon your Master's creation, and yet he will offer me my Crown once more?"

"Leave me, Little Wolf. Speak to your Master, thus; I shall see Him, when the ninth day blossoms her blood-moon. My boon is what he has offered, and I ask for only the one more."

So greedy, is he. But he is the King in White, and his sun-touched eye and his tomb-touched eye speak what his lips do not; that he cares little of the Boon offered him, and cares much for the Boon he will now ask. Between the two, he would rather this:

"I ask for serenity. I ask for what I was, what I was meant to be, is restored. I wish the Evil inflicted upon me by the Hairless Ones to be purged. I wish to forgive, forget, and dwell in a cushion, absent, protected. I wish to never feel, Little Wolf, save those emotions that bring me love and joy and compassion. I would be good and pure once more."

[Serrus]

The Little wolf is patient, and he listens to the anger and frustrations of the King in White, for a vassal was to serve a king, and what is a Vassal with no sire but a master who did not yet walk upon the earth? The truth comes forth, the great Vassal and destrier are gone, and only the little wolf remain, a small blip in his great throne room. Ears rise to listen, one torn and half-chewed, and when the King speaks his request, and makes his own, to which the little wolf responds in kind.

"For sooth, I shall take thy words and speak them to my Master. And upon the ninth day of the crimson moon, so shall He Who Came Before walk upon the earth as a man, his name shall be one who is as stone, and he shall seek His Grace out, that he might keep that which was promised, and I charge me as thy vassal, until the end of days or until my final death."

There is pause, there is quiet, and the little wolf stands as he is, before he glances up to the king, voice hushed.

"I pray thee pardons, Your Grace. All Hail The King in White." The little wolf lowers it's head in a bow, then turns, leaving with far less ceremony in which he had arrived.