Darkness

Hagleshu's radiant and glorious form stands at his chamber window.  He stares out like he was a God carefully watching over his creation.  It wasn’t a surprising or unusual appearance for him.  After all, like every member of his race, he did shine with an incredible golden aura that made him look so celestial.  His tall and slender frame hidden under his flawless and dazzling golden robe only added to his magnificence.  There was no one in his race that didn’t race regard his image as one deserving of being worshipped.  However, in order to be treated as a God you needed worshippers.  Despite their greatness their quest to find worshippers to enslave had been less that satisfying.1

Through the occasional breaks in the clouds he studied the ground lying so far below on their planet.  From this height it all looked so insignificant.  Still he enjoyed spending time gazing down upon the landscape.  It gave him a heighten sense of superiority.2

Why shouldn’t it?  It was his ancestors that had first conquered the issue of gravity and then the other plagues that made life unbearable.  Dwelling in cities that floated far above the soil was a constant reminder of their power that was greater than any other life form.  Being able to embrace this pure magnificence as a member of the Pericone Empire was a reason enough to be proud.3

Suddenly he felt a cold wind deep in the marrow of his bones.  It was the discomforting reminder of his race’s past.  That always happened whenever any Pericone spent too much time watching the landscape.  Some genetic trace of memory would rise in the subconscious and inexplicably torment the senses.  It was as chilling to the body as the nightmares that also came from time to time about — he couldn’t bring himself to say the word.  The vivid memories of that crippling darkness from having once lived in those lairs stung his thoughts.  He exhaled, knowing it would pass as it had on other days.4

Still the effect of the experience always left him feeling melancholy.  There was only one cure.  He would leave his mediation chamber and take as walk among the glories that were found in their capital of Shikale.  Hagleshu found the cure soothing and it always lifted him from any fears that an invisible force would somehow snare his body and drag it back to the lairs.5

They might be habitable for the trolls who still lived in them, but never would a Pericone be content to return to their darkness.  Trolls were such a disgusting group of creatures.  Beyond their basic lack of intelligence, they also had no appreciation for what truly qualified as beauty.  That was how Pericone tradition painted them and he had no reason to question its truth.6

Hagleshu floats towards the entrance to his chamber.  He doesn’t have to attempt to open the door since he is able to pass through the barrier without more than a moment’s thought.  Like all Pericone manipulating his surroundings is almost second nature.7

His race didn’t even need any physical support in order to survive.  They could live quite happily in the clouds without any type of edifice. Pride always extended to their eyes.  That meant structures and all things visible just for show.8

Beyond his meditation chamber Hagleshu floats down the hallway and towards the courtyard.  Should he stop and pay his respect to the Pericone Overlord?  No, he thought not.  The Overlord would obviously be in conference with his advisers this time of day.  It was no place for the Guardian of Traditions like Hagleshu.  He and his Guild had their own time of respect for communing with the Overlord other than when he dealt with routine issues.9

He passes. through the vault door of Dominion that is the entrance to the Overlord’s castle. It is reserved exclusively for the use of Hagleshu and his Guild.  Then he follows the silver cobblestone path that snakes through the Overlord’s garden.10

If there was one thing that more than any gave him pride it was the sight of a Pericone garden.  They had long ago achieved the talent of merging pure light with their natural gift for husbandry wonders.  Between the incredible array of colors and the shear intensity of the radiance, the flowerbeds seemed to almost be on fire.  Even the purple grass that shined like it was blazing made the garden a feast for the eyes.  No matter how many times Hagleshu gazed upon its magnificence he never tired of the image.11

The one thing more than any that he enjoyed was the emerald gazebo hovering in the garden’s center.  It was truly shining with more brilliance this morning than normal.  That meant the doorway was active.  Why, he had no idea.  Who would dare to use it to travel to the ground?  It was mainly present as a token of Pericone free will.  The gazebo was a leftover urge from the past when they might have still contemplated returning to the soil.  Now it remained at the behest of the Overlord.  It was his idea of proving the power of Pericone ability to resist temptation.12

Hagleshu pushed aside any wavering curiosity about stepping inside the gazebo.  The thought had occurred to him on occasion.  However, he had simply done his best to ignore it.  After all why would he as the Minister of Traditions dare to do anything that violated his oath?  The very idea was repulsive.13

The path he follows leads passed the garden and onto the Avenue of Intentions.  It is a crimson trail of unbelievably brilliant red stones.  They connect the castle with the emerald spires where the Merchants of Thought and Reflection sell their vivid other world dreams.  Hagleshu had to spend a great deal of time among them as the Guardian of Traditions.  Too many of the merchants were inclined to take liberties with their creations.  Masked in their merchandize were subtle metaphors that were in reality a complaint or insult against the Empire.  Harmony existed in his world, but that didn’t mean there weren’t those who disagreed with the sense of perfection.14

So if he browsed and found some glistening diamond offering that along with images of some fantasy or other world happened to carry a hint of discontent he would confiscate the item.  It wasn’t that he expected total allegiance to the Empire.  However, there were penalties for not being clever enough to mask your rebellious desires in a creative manner. 15

Of course the penalty was never totally severe.  A loss of license to do business for a week didn’t keep the Merchant from surviving.  It did generally insure their cooperation for a couple of inspections and that was enough to satisfy the Overlord that Hagleshu and his Guild were serving their purpose.16

Today he would travel through the Merchant district to the Warehouses of Illumination where most of the common Pericone worked.  They were admittedly addicts of light.  The majority of the population, outside of the aristocracy, worked as servants in the Catacombs of Retrospection.  Nobody felt abused, however, for they did get to gleam enough of the incandescence that was the dross of their labors to feel satisfied with their work.  This light was used to barter with the Merchants of Dreams.  It also gave life to their dwellings.  Plus it was also a prime source of the diet for Inner Guiding that the poor used in replace of buying dreams.17

He stood on the crossroads between the Merchant emerald towers and the sapphire warehouse domes.  Far above it all were the estates of the elite.  Such were the almost omnipotent members of the aristocracy who were only subservient to the Overlord.  They spent all their time in so contemplation of the stars.  At least that is what the priesthood who preserved the unity of Pericone society insisted.  Since they never shared any revelations they discovered, Hagleshu like everyone, only had to chance to watch their huge magenta pyramids shining like stars whenever they were supposedly in communion.18

Someday Hagleshu intended to pay them another visit.  It was strictly for sake of business of course.  As a Guardian of Traditions he had the right to do an inspection.  Such would take the decree of the Overlord so he would have to tread lightly with his request.  He had managed it before and didn’t expect it to be a problem again.19

“Greetings Hagleshu,” a voice enters his head while he is lost in his fantasy of touching the inner walls of some noble’s estate and claiming them for his own.  Like so many other times the dream would have to wait till another day to be completed.20

“Greetings Shamtho,” he says to his fellow member of the Guild.21

“You missed our council meeting last night.”22

“I was not informed of a meeting.”23

“We sent the Imperial messenger with the scroll of radiance to inform you.”24

“You trusted the scroll to a messenger?”25

“Why not.  That is their charge.”26

“Yes, but you more than some, Shamtho, ought to appreciate that the messengers follow the ebbs of sunlight and moonlight for their schedules.  How could you trust such a document to a simple messenger?”27

Shamtho bows to hide his smile.  “A thousand regrets, Hagleshu.  Unfortunately in your absence we were forced to use the Rule of Exclusion for the passing of our urgent amendment.”28

“Of course,” Hagleshu thoughts stir in Shamtho’s brain.  He senses the plot and it is just a question of what intrigue he and the rest of the guild planned, which would involve his being the consequence of such a plot.  He had a feeling he wouldn’t have to wait very long.29

“There has been an intrusion in the Continuum of Shimmer coming from the planet.  We consulted with the Overlord and it was decided the only option was to inspect the disruption.”30

Hagleshu immediately appreciates the significance.  “Then I must pass through the gazebo?”31

“We shall praise your courage always,” Shamtho says as if it is some kind of memorial.  Judging from what they have sensed about the trolls and the caves he imagines that such a journey might end with his light being extinguished.32

Still he also knows he can’t refused.  To decline a royal decree would result in a punishment equal to banishment anyway.  Shamtho had managed with help no doubt to achieve his long time desire, to have Hagleshu out of the way so he could be the minister.  This was one time that his plot apparently ended in success.33

The journey through the gazebo only lasts a moment.  Hagleshu stands on the ground and faces the cave he knows he has to enter.  Inside he remembers the stories about how there is risk of death if he should enter.  Something compels him to go inside anyway.34

Slowly he steps from light and into the deep, consuming blackness.  It is an odd sensation since he has never been in such darkness before.  At first it is terrifying then gradually his fear dissipates.35

Suddenly he senses the presence of a small group of trolls.  Instinctively his muscles get tight and he prepares to fight if needed.  He might die, but there will be plenty of deaths besides his.36

“Welcome.” That is the voice he hears in his head.  It is one of warmth and compassion.  From a troll?  Impossible!  These are the slugs of life.  How can they have a reason to feel sorry for him?37

One of the trolls touches him.  Incredibly he sees with the troll’s eyes in way that has never before been part of his experience.  Sight of a kind that is far more revealing comes into his brain.  Along with it there is a new emotion.  It is one of pure love.  He collapses on the cave’s ground in disbelief.  In this darkness and the presence of so many that he thought were lacking in blessing he truly feels unbelievably impoverished.  For the first time in this incredibly blackness Hagleshu can see more clearly than he had at any other point in life.  With it comes the reality.  That includes the awareness that there is no real light where this is no love.  38

In Pericone’s pride and arrogance, the light they boasted about merely blinded them to greater truths about life, along with their lack of love.  They are revelations that slowly enlightened his darkened and self-absorbed Pericone nature as to how true life is more than just being selfish.  Now he also knows the “disruption” had come from the trolls.  It had waited just for him to be prepared at the right moment to accept this reality.  The trolls were in fact the real masters and teachers of their planet and they had just given him the most important lesson he could learn.39

Later, with his radiance dimmed by his discovery, he returns to his city.  Passing back through the gazebo, he knows life will never be the same for him.  His heart will now shine instead of just his body.  In the caves and darkness where truth, real truth, burns so bright he realized that the Pericone are truly the blind on his planet.  As he floats towards the castle it is a reality he must find a way to share with others.  Somehow he must make real love and its light a new ritual within in his race, rather than the sad darkness of vanity’s illumination.  This is a duty he understands he was destined to fulfill.  He is, after all, the Pericone Guardian of Traditions.40