#disquietedworld

[adisquietedworld]

Creation: The Three Brothers - Part Seven

The Spider would see only one practical use for the Dolls, For of them it had no purpose but war, Yet they would need to have another purpose, Else they would be distracted in their search for it. For it would not only be in War that the Dolls would be needed, But also would they be Wardens. And they would forever tend the Prison, Which would contain both them and their foes.

So the Spider would speak to the Doll, Who it had named Kyranthial. It would speak with measured surety, For it was calculating in its answer. "Your purpose is to guide and inspire them, And during your time you shall be the Greatest among them. You shall be the radiance against which all light to come shall be measured.

You are the first I have made. You shall be terrible in your radiance and your fury. You shall bring them together in Unity. But they shall not love you, Save a few.

You shall be plagued with my pride. You shall carry my hate. Your light shall ignite the cosmos. They will love you, Save a few.

You shall venture from the stars alone. The Void shall seize you. You will cease to be.

It is needed."

And the Spider was exhausted in its efforts, So it realized that it had no task for Kyranthial, For there was no work to be done. So It would, for a time, turn Him to the freedom of the forest. "No task do I have for you," the Spider would tell Him, "For before I continue this work I must rest. You may eat of the fruit of the Trees of the Forest, Yet of the mindless beasts you shall not eat, Else I shall bring punishment upon you. Nor shall you stray from the Forest to enter the Web. To walk within that shadowed place is to greet Death, And it shall be a meaningless Death, And my purpose shall go undone." "Was I not created to die?" The Doll asked, Which unnerved the Spider. "You will Die when I have need of it, As will all of you. Your death shall not come before then, Not until I will it to be so." Then Kyranthial took flight upon feathered wings, and He would seek fruit from among the branches, So the Spider would rest for some time. And It would think on the matter of the Doll's Will. For a time It would consider destroying the Doll, But It would decide that there was no true problem, So long as the Doll could be made to follow the Spider's plan. Then the Spider would emerge from Its rest, Eager to return to Its task. It would think it cruel to leave a thinking being alone. So it was decided that the Dolls would be free of their own Will.

So long as they obeyed their Purpose.

[adisquietedworld]

Creation: The Three Brothers Part Six

"I shall stand an eternal watch," the Bear would say, "For it is my doing that this trap has failed, And so it is by my doing that our foes must still be watched."

And the Bear had given himself fully to that service, And he drove from his mind the taste of meat and berries, And he drove from his mind the pleasures of the streams and the light.

Yet the Spider did laugh at him, For it had no such intent. "If you are here to watch this place, who shall laugh with us in the dark and tell us stories? Who shall tell us which trees bear the best fruit and make us wine? No, no person shall watch this place. I shall make a plan, But for now we shall take shifts, Until I have come up with a new plan."

So it was that the Spider would cast its mind to the work of its foes, For within the web the Spider had been vastly outnumbered, Both by many-legged things, And the masked spawn of the Void.

And these masked spawn did have legs clad in black fur, Upon which were cloven hooves, And of them there were the Thirty-Three.

The Void's Spawn did carry the most interest for the Spider, For it would need tools that had the ability to think and plan, For It would not wish to oversee Its spawn forever. Then It would See, And it would be Aware, So it would know all things that would come to be within the Web.

So It would decide to create Dolls, These Dolls would be made to oppose Its foes, For they would be made of the Stuff of the Forest. These beings would be immutable in their purpose, So that the Tree could not take them, And the Light of the Forest Would keep the Void from them. Yet the Spider knew that It could not keep them safe forever, For the Dolls were beings of Willpower, And should that Will be undermined they would be destroyed. It was in this process that the Spider would come to prepare the first of spells, For It would need the dolls to live and move on their own, So It began planning. Of the Dolls It would have only one purpose in mind, Yet It knew that should the war be won, Should the foes it faced be driven back -for the Spider knew they could never truly be defeated-, The Dolls would need to make their own purpose. So It would write words of thinking and working on the doll, Which It made from a polished and carved stone, Which was pure white and flecked with gold. It had shaped the doll in the image of a fine man, A being which did not exist yet, And the words It etched into the Doll did glow. So the Spider would pour into the doll all of Its might, And It would pour all of Its energy, Yet even as the stone threatened to heat and warp, The Doll would not wake. And so the Spider sighed and wiped sweat from Its brow, And within the sweat was the pride of the effort It had put forth, And this sweat fell upon the Doll. It was then that Kyranthial would breathe, And His first breath was a deep and greedy one, So the light and warmth of the Forest would fill Him, And He would stand before His Creator. "What would you have of me?"

[adisquietedworld]

"Join me will you not?" The Un-Voice asked.

"So long have I been without company."

Yet the Spider knew the Un-Voice's desire,

And the Spider knew Its hunger.

[adisquietedworld]

Creation - The Three Brothers: Part One

There was once a great and ancient forest, The trees of which were great unending pillars that did not end, From which grew a great deal of fruits. Within the forest there were three Brothers. The eldest and wisest was the Spider. It was a master of inventions and of creation, It mind was shrewd and careful, And It did love Its brothers. Next was the Bear. He was a master of strength and of bravery, His mind was filled with gallantry, And He did love His brothers. Last was the Hawk. He was a master of cunning and perception, His mind was filled with the freedom of the skies, For He alone had been above the canopy, And He did love His brothers.

For a long time these brothers lived in peace, They ate of the fruit from the trees and the meat of mindless beasts, And they would drink of the rivers and pools of starlight, And they would revel and live carefree lives under the canopy, Through twilight and sunlight, And all things were good.

Yet as all cycles are, The end of these times would come, So the Bear would come to where the Spider was resting, And with great consternation and fear He would speak, Which would disquiet the Spider. "There is a slithering thing in this forest," He would say in a tiny voice most unlike him, "It is eating of the fruit as we have, It is drinking of the starlight as we have, And like us It eats of the mindless beasts. Yet there is no care in this slithering thing, It devours all before It without care. All it touches becomes rot." And the Spider would think on this, And It would sway upon Its web in the breeze, Upon which It could smell the rot. Yet as It thought to speak, The Hawk would arrive as well, And He was alight with fear. "Treachery!" He would call, "There is treachery in this forest! A wicked and cancerous growth exists within this forest, It is a growth that turns all It touches to Its own visage, And demands of all that they become as It is. Barely did I escape before Its branches clutched me, And still Its voice I hear in my mind." And the Hawk would turn to drinking from a nearby stream. So the Spider would think for some time, And Its brothers, Who trusted It, Would also wait. Finally the Spider would speak. "You were wise my Brothers, For these issues cause me great concern, And I thank you for seeking my counsel. These malicious beings would threaten us, And perhaps even this Forest that we must protect, And so I shall meet with our foes." And the Hawk and the Bear did protest, For they were worried for their brother, And knew that It was the weakest of them, And they knew that It was in the most danger. "Brother," the Bear would say, "Is that wise? Why would I not simply rend them? Why should I not simply lay low our foes, Then we may go back to revelry?" "If you had the belief that you could slay this beast," the Spider would say carefully, "I feel that you would have." And the Bear fell silent, For he knew the Spider spoke the truth. "Why should I not fly above them?" The Hawk would ask with indignation. "They shall not be able to reach me in the high places, I shall be able to gaze upon our foe, Then we may plan our victory." "I must see them myself," the Spider would retort, "So I must go myself. I hear the worry in both of you, So I shall reassure you, And I shall ask you to be near, So that if I face danger I do not face it alone, And so that we may flee if we must. Yet it concerns me to hear you both speak- For it seems that you wish these creatures destroyed, Yet we do not know their nature. I would wish to speak with them, I would wish to understand them. I shall know them. Perhaps they can be turned from this path, And we may grow our merry band. Would it not be good to have more friends?" And the Brothers would think and discuss for some time, Yet the Spider would not be swayed, So they would all make their preparations, They would address the troubles in the order they had come to Him, Their first journey would be into a dark place where light did not reach, Where they would first speak with the slithering thing.

[adisquietedworld]

Creation - The Three Brothers: Part Three

The Spider and the Hawk would find themselves accosted by the Bear upon their arrival, "For I was greatly worried for each of you, As I knew that I could not prevail against such a creature." Then He would embrace them. "Now I am greatly afraid;" the Spider would confess, "And I have not seen the second of our foes." So the Spider would plan for a moment, And a strike of foresight would give It Vision.

"The Hawk must watch over the first of our foes, That Lurking Thing which gave us no chase, For we must know that It shall not chase us, Nor find where we have made our homes. Next the Bear shall come with me, For a worry has struck me that we shall not escape without conflict, And I trust in His strength of arms, And I trust in His bravery." And this would worry the Hawk, For without His vision the others could be brash, Yet He knew that He must trust in the Spider, For It had always trusted Him. Then the Spider and the Bear would make their way deep into the Forest, Heading the opposite way of the way the Spider had gone, And along the path they would laugh and joke, And the Bear had brought great food and wine.

So they would be in high spirits when they would first notice the sound, Which was like a pleasant droning hum, And which dulled thought, And sense. Then the Spider would notice the strange charm upon them, For the droning had intruded upon their minds, But the Spider's mind itself was another of Its webs, Made against those strange beasts that lived in thoughts. So the Spider would begin singing a Song, And from this Song would come That Song Which is Creation, Yet that would not come for some time, But this Song would suffice. As the Spider sang so too did the Bear, For He trusted His Brother, And the charm would leave them, And they regained their senses. Yet after that the Spider would feel a gentle pulling within Its mind, As though It was being guided somewhere. The Spider would follow that sensation with the Bear behind, Towards a trap the Spider sought to spring. Yet the Spider had not prepared for the extent of what lay ahead, For It did not understand the foe It faced, Yet as they stepped into a place the Spider had once gone, The extent of the threat became clear. Where once there had been a great swathe of life, A great clearing overgrown with many beasts and fruits, And a place teeming with the many-colored lights of creation, All had become one. The place had become one of wretched and singular purpose, Filled with many-legged things that writhed and gnashed. At the center of which was a tremendous White Tree, Which stood as still as eternity, Yet within it there were eyes that fixed upon the Spider. All around the White Tree, In a series of seven great circles, Were saplings that were all equally distant from each other, And each bore the White Tree's visage. To each of these trees thralls would bring the Stuff of the Forest, Which they would gather from the edge of the growing Hive and take to the Trees, And these thralls were those beasts which had once lived within the Forest, Yet they had come under the White Tree's charm. Both the Spider and the Bear would fear greatly, Yet the Spider would seek to meet with the Tree.

So the many-legged things and thralls would part for the Spider and the Bear, And the air buzzed with the pleasant hum, But the Spider would continue to sing, And finally they reached the Tree. And the Tree was tremendous in Its size, For even a single eye was greater by many times than the Bear, And It would speak to the Spider. The voice that pierced its mind would speak in shrieks and screams, And within it would be every voice that could ever be, And every voice that there ever had been, And within it the Spider heard Its own voice. "Why do you deny me?" The Tree would ask of It. "None have before." "I mean no offense to you if-" "To exist with a face that I have not sculpted is offense. Allow me to sculpt you, I shall make you perfect. Never shall you hunger, Never shall you fear, Never shall you despair. Always shall you be with me, Always shall you know love. Always shall you draw breath through me." Yet the Spider knew that the Tree spoke lies, For It knew of the Unity the Tree spoke of, And it was no union of love, But it would be a union of control. "I woul-" Yet the many-legged things would encroach upon them, And the Bear would prepare to face them, And the Tree spoke once more. "Should you beg for mercy I shall grant it, I shall take you into me, I shall take your tears, I shall give you my joy."

Then they would be joined in battle, And the Bear would break through the lines, So He would bring with Him the Spider, Who would cling to His fur. The Bear would be injured in the battle, Yet He would break free, And the Spider would stitch His wounds, And It would apologize. "You need not apologize to me Brother, I have sworn to protect you as you protect me, Yet now it is your turn to protect us, And to come up with a plan to face our foes." And the Spider would know He spoke truth, So they would go together back to their homes, To commune with the Hawk and to begin the Spider's plan.

[adisquietedworld]

Creation - The Three Brothers: Part Two

First the Spider would leave deep into the darkness of the Forest, For it would see wisdom in confronting the Slithering Thing, Believing the consumption of the Forest to be the more pressing threat. The Hawk would fly above, For It had promised to watch over the Spider. So then the Spider would find its way to a place where the Forest was dark, And He would find his way to a place where no starlight reached, And the Forest had begun to rot.

Where once there had been great trees they were now sickly, Where once great rivers of starlight flowed there was now dust, And there was an arch of branches, Much like a doorway, And the Void was beyond it. Within the Void was Nothing, And the Spider could feel the Huger that the Nothing radiated, And At once the Spider knew that the Void was a thinking thing, Yet was not alive. This would give the Spider fear, And It would prepare to leave, But the Void would communicate, Though it did not speak. Its words would be assembled from absence, So the Spider would know Its meaning from the shape of the absence Its Un-speech created. "Welcome," The Un-Voice didn't say. In its un-speech the Spider would hear Its hunger, And the Spider would learn to fear the Void.

Then the darkness behind the branches would shift, And the Spider glimpsed a Great and Terrible form, And a single arm would reach out from the darkness, Pale and wretched - and it was slick with disease and rot, Broken and cragged nails stretched from the fingers, Yellow as the light of a star.

"Join me will you not?" The Un-Voice asked. "So long have I been without company." Yet the Spider knew the Un-Voice's desire, And the Spider knew Its hunger. "I am not able to," The Spider would say, For It feared the Un-Voice's fury, "For my Brothers will be needing me soon." "A shame," the Un-Voice could not hide Its irritation, Which would begin to seep from the shadows as a liquid darkness, And the grass would wither and die wherever this darkness touched. "I would have you for a meal," The hand reached the spider, Then brushed it with a single cold finger. So the Spider would bite the rotten hand, And it would fill it with the Divine Light that filled the Spider, Which would burn the Thing's hand and rot away Its flesh, And the hand would fall from the arm.

So the arm would slither back into the darkness along the ground, And the Spider would see one of the Void's Eyes. Within the eye were tiny pinpricks of light, Which the Spider knew were reflections of far distant light.

So the Spider knew that the Un-Voice had never been within the Light, And never felt its warmth or its comfort, Yet that troubled the Spider greatly, For the Spider knew it did not care.

"All are welcome within my home," the thing continued, As though the loss of an arm was no more worth noting than the wind, "So perhaps bring your Brothers. The three of you would make for great company." And the Spider was afraid, For It did not know how the Thing had counted them, But the Spider was was and thought to ask its domain, So it may be avoided. "Perhaps one day I will bring my Brothers? Where may we find you, So we may come to join you?" And the Thing didn't laugh, Which didn't sound like lungs filled with mold and rot, And the earth of the Grave, And also dust. "I see through you, Yet still I shall answer you, Thing which is young in this Forest. I am That-Which-Lurks-Between, So I shall be Between. Within all things I can be, And yet within Nothing I Am." Then there was another shift behind the branches, And the Spider was alone.

[adisquietedworld]

Creation - The Three Brothers: Part Five

So the Spider was alone within the Web, And was surrounded by only shadow, For the Web had sealed behind It. And the Void would begin to encroach upon the Spider, Who would feel it lurking in the darkness, And It was enclosing the Spider, Until It was close enough that It could reach out and touch the Spider.

So the Spider would feel pain at the Void's touch, Yet so too did the Lurking-Thing shrink from the Spider's fangs, And they found themselves in a trial of endurance. One which the Void would surely win. Then there would be a sickly glow, And the Light of that glow would feel unwholesome upon the Spider, Yet where that Light was, The Void was not. And the Mad Tree was casting a glow out into the dark, Yet the Spider could feel the Void rush towards the Tree, Only to crash against that dull light, For the Void could not find a gap within it. Then the Spider would crawl to the light, Where it could recover from Its wounds, And may rest from its weariness. "You may rest in my light Outsider," the Tree would say, "For I shall need your assistance to leave this place, So I must keep the Void from devouring you. Then I shall make you my own." The Spider would then collapse in Its exhaustion, For It heard no falsehood in the words of the Tree, Yet this would spell greater disaster to come, And yet also greater wonders.

The Spider would rest for some time, Then It would begin to plan. Perhaps the Tree would not be a greater threat, For It seemed that it could be reasoned with. So in trusting the Tree the Spider would make a plan, And It would speak with the Tree. "If you should take us to the edge of the Web, It may be that I can take us from this place." So the Tree would move, Those many-legged things would fall behind, Yet those who were slowest would be devoured by darkness, But the Tree did not mourn them.

Then they reached the edge of the web, Though it was not certain how much time had passed, For the Tree was the only source of light in a sea of dark. The Spider would place a leg upon the Web, And after some time and testing It would have a horrid revelation. It had made the Web strong enough to hold both the Void and Tree, And both of those beings were stronger than the Spider. "I cannot free us," It would confess to the Tree fearfully, Though It was not also without pride in Its construction. "The webbing is too thick, I made sure that neither of you would be able to escape." "So then I shall take of your mind, For It shall add your intellect to my own." So then the Spider would fear Its own demise, And It would let out a scream of anguish and sorrow.

So then would the Web be torn asunder, And there would be a great roar of fury and might, So the Bear joined with the Spider, And brilliant sunlight came with Him. Yet both would flee that place, For both foes together were altogether too much. Yet for the time the Light of the Forest would keep the Void at bay, And the Spider would watch the Web to ensure nothing left. "I cannot repair this construction," the Spider would say. "The webbing was too thick, And Its pattern too complex. Nor do I think this trick would work again." So In this Way were the bounds of the Cosmos made, Which would be the theater of great tragedy, And of great comedy and horror as well, And which would inevitably be devoured.

[adisquietedworld]

Creation - The Three Brothers: Part Four

The Spider was wise and knew that a simple plan was a good one, So it would not take much time for It to think of a way to exploit their foes, And It would come up with a plan It believed would work, So It would speak with Its brothers.

"Our foes are of two opposing interests, And this may be played against them, For one seeks only to devour, And the other seeks to create."

For the Spider did not truly understand the nature of the Tree, And believed it a creator rather than a changer. "I believe in a simple solution to our problem, So I shall weave a great web all about the trees and canopy, And within that web shall be the Mad Tree, And it shall not escape. Yet I know you wonder what we shall do with the Lurking-Thing, That thing which eats and rots all it touches, My plan for which is equally as simple, And it shall require no more planning or material. We shall lure the Lurking-Thing into the Web, Where it shall do battle with the Mad Tree, And they shall be caught in battle eternal, And within that web they shall be sealed." And the Hawk would be nervous, "Who shall lure the Lurker?" He would ask, Though She knew how the Spider would answer. "I believe you to be most suited to this task, For the Lurking-Thing cannot fly. It shall follow you and be mad in Its hunger, And it shall be mindless and foolish. You shall have no cause to fear for your life, Though should this task be distasteful for you, I may do so myself."

The Hawk would balk at this, And though He spoke with some fear He would assent. "Though it causes me great fear I shall do this for you, For I trust you to care for me as I care for you." "And what am I to do?" The Bear would roar, "As you two are gallivanting about and weaving webs, Luring monsters and trapping beasts, Is poor Bear to be condemned to cowardice and uselessness?"

And the Hawk and the Spider would laugh, For it was quite like the Bear to demand to help, He knew not what to do when His paws were idle, But the Spider did have a task for Him.

"You shall have an important task, And it shall be one that neither the Hawk nor I can accomplish, For while I weave this web I suspect that I will do so under threat, And I would ask you to weaken the Tree and its Kin, And to keep me from harm."

Then the Bear would roar His approval at this, And He would flex his muscles and flash his teeth, For He was eager to turn to work that fell into His domain, For He was might and bravery. So The Spider and the bear would leave to begin the Web, And the Spider gave clear instruction to the Hawk. "Watch the trees for I shall send you a signal when I am ready for you to begin, It shall be a great beacon of Light, And I believe it shall aid you in luring the Lurking-Thing." And of the Lurking-Thing the Spider did know more, For It was in all ways opposed to the Spider, And through that opposition the Spider knew what acts it would take, For where the Spider was a creator and a builder, The Lurking-Thing was Nothing. So the Hawk would wait to begin His task with fear, But He also held hope within His heart, For the Spider had never led Him astray. Then the Bear would make His way to the clearing where the Tree had been, And He would roar with great fury and glee, Then He would descend upon the Mad-Tree and the many smaller Trees it had made. He would be swarmed by the many-legged things which would sting and bite and slash, Though none would be able to breach the thick-fur on His body, And His claws would lay waste to those things, And He would crush them in His jaws. He would find the Tree had made a second ring of saplings, And it was larger than the first ring, And there were many more of the many-legged things and the thralls, Yet none could stand before His wrath. So He would uproot what saplings He found.

While the Bear continued on His warpath the Spider would begin Its work, Setting a great and thick web all around the Trees, And It would make a great space between the edge of the Web and the Trees, So It knew there were none outside of the Web. The Work would continue through many of the days and nights of the forest, Which was time unfathomable, And once the web resembled a great and thick dome all about the clearing, The Spider would construct the Beacon. From a bit of starlight would the light be made, And that Light was the greatest that the Spider could find, And It knew the Lurking-Thing would seek to devour it. The Hawk would see this beacon and would make His way to the Rotten Boughs, Where the Lurking-Thing had been seen, And to a mixture of relief and horror the Hawk would see It there, And It fixed Its gaze upon Him.

"It is time already?" the Un-Voice wouldn't ask. And the Hawk felt fear as the Lurking-Thing would begin to crawl from the portal in which It had been, And where there had been unfathomable darkness and space there was only a passage between trees, Yet the Hawk did not see this and would take flight, For the Lurking-Thing brought Him great fear.

Then It was chasing Him, And He flew through the Forest as quickly as He could, For despite the size of the Thing following Him it rivaled his speed, And the Hawk did whoop and scream with fear and excitement, For nothing had ever chased Him so. Then the web was ahead, And the Spider had left a gap within the web, So the Hawk would wait until the last possible moment before banking skyward, Then the Lurking-Thing was within the web, For It could not stop Itself nor move as the Hawk did.

Then the Spider would begin sealing the gap, Yet at the last moment disaster would strike, For within the darkness of the trap was the Void, So It would reach out and grasp the Spider.

The Spider would cry out as It was taken, Yet the gap was not large enough for either the Bear or Hawk to follow, And then the Spider would be trapped within the darkness, And Its only company would be hunger and madness.