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@lyricunsung
I, well, I would miss my home and my family, and I would feel guilty about abandoning my responsibility to them. So, is the point that one cannot have freedom without sacrifice, without losing something?
"When I say break free, I mean it. No ties. No familial love. You are now without any sort of attachment whatsoever. You are completely free of it all, and are simply in an unknown place as you are. What does this new state of being entail, this tabula rasa?"
I - yes, when you put it that way, I suppose so. I’ve never imagined dealing with people to be so…tricky.
You mean like saving?
I'm not quite sure if that's pathetically naive or brutally innocent. I'm sure it will make itself clear in time.
When say do nothing, I mean exactly that. Do nothing. Have it. If you want something, buy it. Simply stop worrying about the money or quit if it's going to be so much of a hassle.
[And where had this woman been? Hiding away her intelligence and her ideas from the world, from him, somewhere. And for what? How many Norns could carry on such a conversation without fear of retribution from their gods? It was refreshing to speak to someone who felt no fear, or at least not in regards to magic and its different manifestations. Why, it was almost as if he liked this woman.]
Perhaps that is it, then. That gods are nothing more than the personification of the people who worship them. They are what humanity aspires to be — all powerful, all knowing, all seeing — but cannot achieve. Better to put such abilities on a pedestal, make them seem unachievable, then to believe that such power is achievable and simply beyond your grasp, yes? I suppose that is easier for most people to stomach than the latter.
I am Cynwrig, Madam. [He gave a small bow to her.] And if I am not mistaken, your name is Lyric, correct?
And in this way, they create their own unhappiness as they reach for the unattainable standard. Brilliant! I had not considered that! But it also feeds into the belief that nothing is our fault, that every shortcoming must be the plan of something greater, because Frey forbid that we lead mundane lives.
Ah...so we are not fresh strangers then. I had such a notion, but rarely do I find myself capable of trusting such things.
The witch and the madwoman dissecting the Gods over a vial of cat urine. Quite the imagery, worthy of stained glass.
[Cynwrig nodded. He had to concede that she had a point.]
It is interesting that this magic is seen as such a great power, especially here, when magic is already so rampant. But you are correct, Madam. A magic that seems to be limitless must be more intimidating than someone’s sewing magic.
But I do not know if the Gods could ever be normalized. The point of gods themselves is that they are omnipotent. If they are gods, then they must have some quality that is greater than that of the normal man. And we both know that humanity would never be content if they had nothing to fear.
[It was rare that Lyric was able to have such debates of the nature of magic and its effects with another person. Normally her madness deterred them, or rather the impossibility of understanding what exactly it was she was saying. And so she grew more animated as their discussion continued, slowly being drawn out to a more lively manner that she did not often show. The spark of learning, of knowledge and debate, was within her and now it kindled readily as the discussion grew more and more in depth. She was certainly in her element.]
That is true, but only depending upon this unknown quality. If it were some greater power, then would that not just make them stronger versions of us, and we fear them in the same way others fear witches? Or are supposed to fear them, I suppose. But consider this:
What exactly is their omnipotence? Is it their magic? There have been cases of visions among humans who could see into the future, does this make them gods? Magic. If this be the magic of the Gods, then it is their sheer amount of magic that makes them so. By this line of reasoning, anyone can be a god if they had enough power. But they're not.
So we're back to the missing quality.
Humanity always finds something to fear, whether it be gods, others, or even themselves. It is a part of the full range of emotion and experience.
You are familiar, as if I should know you...but names go so easily now for me. Rekindle my memory, if you will?
It certainly is a nice day.
"That is an excellent point. There is no reason why you cannot break the rules of societal expectations, I suppose. I hope you find the best way to do that."
"It is a promise, Lyric. You will always have a place here. I would imagine even after Beod is king, that will not change."
"There is no best way, only ways. It's very much like breaking through wood. You throw yourself against it until something gives."
"I do not age. I grow old but I do not age. I fear I will be alive long after you are gone, when all I am is forgot. There is something more to do. A binding that will allow me a place. Will you give me this?"
"Tis late, and I am tired."
"Things far too out of the ordinary to explain to one so unfortunately mundane."
"As it should be- though, I would not be surprised to hear it gave a child who stumbled upon it night terrors. Quite the morbid little series of tales, though rather normal for a Spirit Girl such as myself."
"Oh how I wish I could be just that. You flatter me."
"Oh, yes. Perfectly normal for the Spirit Girl Carriott."
"Stop staring."
"Ah—-n-no-n-not in the l-libraries, ma’am."
"Yes, the books all seem to be quite offended by it."
Not, just, happiness?
"If you were to be freed of the title of Princess, if you were to break free of all family ties and go live elsewhere, what would happen?"
It wasn’t fake, but I just sorta helped my sister around at the smithy. I didn’t get any money; it was mostly just to pass the time.
Honestly, I’m not sure what to do with the money. It seems foolish to spend it all, but I’m not sure what to do with it.
A job means you get something from the bargain, and did you not gain some modicum of experience?
Must you do something with it?
Ah, yes, well… [Cynwrig rather liked the tales, truth be told. Almost none of them were true, but they were extremely entertaining. And it wasn’t so terrible, being feared. Most days Cynwrig quite enjoyed it, actually. But then there were other times…]
But would they fear witches if they did not possess such power? If there was a witch whose greatest talent was levitating a rock off the ground, would people really be so frightened of them?
No, it is the magic that truly frightens them all in the end.
But here is the question:
Would the power be feared if it was not what made a witch?
Say the common man or woman could do it. Then it would be the normal.
I put forth my theory: it is not the power that truly causes fear. It is the fact that they do not have it. The fear is caused, my research has shown, by the idea that it could be used to destroy their lives.
If they had the equivalent, or accurate defense, then this idea of magic as the great power would be normalized. In fact, Gods would be normalized.
"Stop staring."
"You've never seen a person eat before?"
[It was a fear that Cynwrig had never understood fully. He’d been raised amongst conjurers, found comfort in learning and improving his skills. Why shouldn’t everyone see things as he did? Their lives would be so much easier if they could. But it was easiest to blame it on ignorance.]
You are not wrong in this. But there is magic all around Nore. People, families born with different sorts of magic. If people are willing to learn and accept those sorts of magic, why not conjuring? The magic itself is not the thing one should fear, after all, but the person who wields it.
You are asking as if I truly can comprehend the mindset. I'm as lost for an answer as you seem to be.
And you are suggesting that it is simply the magic people are afraid of? The tales of witches run rampant, tales that would cause a grown man to flinch at his own shadow during the brightest day.
It certainly is a nice day.
"I suppose that makes sense. I live up to the expectations because they are what I have always known. It is the way society works, Lyric. Surely you know that as well as I do."
"I suppose you’re right, but you will always have a place here for as long as I am Queen, Lyric."
"I know society has many expectations, but I do not have to acknowledge them. Society has a nasty little habit of breaking its own rules when it pleases, so why can I not follow its example?"
"As long as you are Queen. I would have more than that, than just spoken word."
A lack of outside restraint - the ability to act and speak as one wills?
"Yes. Now what happens when one has the ability to do what they please?"
Do you spend a great deal of time chasing after rats? [He plucked up another vial, filled with a fine, grainy sort of powder. Pulling off the topper, he sniffed at it and nodded. That was precisely what he’d been looking for.]
Why would you waste time on superstitions and fallacies when you can find the real thing on one’s own doorstep. There are several conjurers available to these people. Would it not be more prudent to go to them for their petty ailments than buying piss in a jar?
Only if they're particularly interesting.
I'm assuming you meant the term 'you' as more universal, so I shall answer as such. Those who do so fear what true magic is. They do not understand it, nor seek to try. To be prudent and to be ignorant are not traits that frolic hand in hand.
"Tis late, and I am tired."
"Oh, how I wish I had the time- unfortunately, I am far to busy these days to spend much time on beings more corporeal than I."
"I believe it was entitled The Taste of Bones. It was filled with a number of children’s tales that barely managed to pass as such.”
"And what business might a spirit have that keeps it so otherwise occupied?"
"Ah yes, I do recall that particular text. I put it in the children's section."
It certainly is a nice day.
"That is truly a wise way to look at it, Lyric. I suppose were I in your position I would have cursed the gods, but I had wanted to be a mother for a very long time and it is a queen’s duty to produce heirs to the throne."
"This babe will need tutoring for a great many years, but afterwards you shall stay if you so desire. You are my friend and closest adviser, Lyric. I will not send you away simply because there is nothing left to teach my children."
"I no longer remember what I once wanted. It is an ease. I cannot imagine living with expectations for yourself. How very tiresome. How you put up with it is simply beyond my comprehension."
"Good. I had rather hoped that would be the answer. But one never knows. What with the economy in eternal winter, I'd say no position is quite secure, wouldn't you agree?"
