karl lore i suppose?
wanted to write some lore about karl, kind of ties into the ending of my previous dark!karl fic. sort of happy i suppose?
The islands came into existence the first morning the sun rose. As the warm rays spread over the calm waves, the islands burst into life with an energy that swirled and ebbed with the energy of the world around them. The rustling leaves, the crash of waves, the low rumble of thunder - these sounds held the essence of the world. The islands joined this essence, became familiar and safe in the world. As the tides rose and fell with the strength of the moon, the islands existed in a harmony with all that was natural.
And then a disturbance rippled across the world. A new energy, a throb of an unfamiliar essence swept through the breezes. Every grain of sand, every speck of life shivered in this new energy. The islands were aware of a new being, a new thing. A person, the winds whispered. A human.
This first man, this being of chaos and energy, its essence touched by those unfamiliar to the islands was welcomed eagerly. After all, the islands were of a trusting, welcoming temperament. They had no reason not to be. This zombie, though not a proper human, was embraced fully. With delight and fascination the islands observed him, studied him, and allowed him to form them to his will. He fit into the essence of the land, adding his own without destroying the old.
Another came, shortly after this. A man not unlike the other, with the same traces of other worlds mingled in his own essence. He had an energy that was unique from the zombie’s; where the zombie was brash and chaotic, he was level and calm.
With growing interest the islands welcomed these newcomers, amused and intrigued by the dynamics of the humans. Something about the small, mortal lives made the islands wish to make themselves known to them. They wanted to communicate with the men, but they could not speak the way they did. The islands sang through what was natural, chattered through dolphins, hummed through the crackle of a rising storm. But the humans, they spoke in a language unfamiliar to the islands.
So the islands decided to create something they could speak from, a human of their own. A human that would contain the essence of the islands themselves. Where the others bore the spirits of gods strange to the world, this one would be of the islands. Born of the earth, it would be the islands’ way of communicating with mortals.
The work of creating a new life from pure essence was slow, yet rewarding. With each passing day, from deep in the earth, the islands sculpted their own man. After the work was finished, the islands hummed with satisfaction. Their human wasn’t quite as dainty as the others, not as refined perhaps (more of a caveman than anything), but it was theirs.
Energy hung with a static strength in the air the day the islands’ man was presented to the others. The islands saw with joy and relief as their simple offering was welcomed eagerly by the others, as it gave itself a name. Karl.
Though it seemed he wasn’t aware of his own origin, the islands watched over their child with an eager fondness, finding a simple happiness in the way he rapidly learned and grew with the help of the others. It was enough to see their own spirit growing in connection to his friends, his brothers. In all his happiness, sorrow, and anger they were present, feeling these new sensations as well.
Others came to the land, of course. It was almost inevitable, given the way the essences’ of the various beings filled the world. Like a magnet, people and gods were drawn to the young islands, attracted by the power inhabiting them. Alongside the good came evil, in the form of a Darkness.
The islands were unable to act against this Darkness, unable to combat its attacks on its inhabitants. The danger, previously unfamiliar to them, could not be fought by any natural force. The void that was this being simply swallowed the storms, the tidal waves, the winds that the islands threw at it. There was nothing the islands could do, a new feeling for them. Helplessness. They could only wait and observe, observe with mounting horror as their own child was taken by this powerful force, changed beyond their recognition.
So they did what they could to help their child, to help Karl. If they couldn’t protect his mortal form, then at the very least they could protect his spirit. Protect the memories, the connections he had, the emotions he felt. Protect what truly made up their child.
With every breeze, every wind that gently caressed him, they peeled away shreds of his person. Though the islands couldn’t help the pain it gave him, it was the only way to protect him from the Darkness. The only way to help. It hurt them, knowing they couldn’t explain what was happening to him. It hurt them, knowing that their child thought he was going to die.
And so they watched, as their child slowly became aware of his fate, as he pleaded for help, for the pain to end. They watched, as helpless as if they were watching a leaf be swept away by a torrent of rain. They watched, as his friends surrounded him, trying to help him. They watched, as he grew resigned to his fate.
They watched, as he lost his hope.
They watched, as his mortal form crumbled into nothing.
They watched, as his essence formed from his memories and dreams, rose to join them.
They welcomed him, coddled him in the embrace of gentle sunlight and soft clouds. They welcomed him home, to a place free of the pain he had felt, free of danger.
Though he could not return to his friends, not in that world, his spirit stayed with them. In the warmth of the sun on their shoulders, the scent of salt from a cool ocean breeze, and the glow of a vibrant sunset, he was with them.
He would always be with them.
