(LBE) Edelgarde - Gleam of the Firefly

[Almarea90]

18. A Game of Smoke and Mirrors




It is nothing new amongst mortals- to think themselves above life and death or gods themselves.

Sadly... power does not often match with wisdom. I have seen many who the more power they gain the more they feel powerless. And they eventually will clash with something they can't solve. Skipping the part where one realize and accepts their own powerlessness is a dangerous ride.

Indeed. You have been taught well.

I realized my own many times. There is no strength without weakness.

Theirs is a great place in his house. Tyr and Torm, similarly, do not allow for their followers to return. Not without a good reason. Do you understand what I mean to say, by now?

That they are trying to save them when they don't need saving?

Precisely. Their existence is in a paradise, right now. Or will be, once this mess is over.

Death it is hard to accept. I know it... So it is easy to see it as an ailment to be cured by those who remain. When in fact... it is ailing us. Not death itself but loss.

I myself feel pangs of sorrow when my priests meet untimely end...

I know it's different but... I had a student for a time. She is now part of the Black Network... You know this already but... I keep wondering if I could have avoided it. I had hoped I could teach her not just magic. But acceptance of our own weakness. That power is often a game of smoke and mirrors. As there will ultimately be something or someone stronger than us.

One philosopher once suggested that those devoted to evil are, in fact, the weakest of willpower and inner strength. Because they are unable to resist the call of the lust for power.

I guess I too am guilty too of trying to sort things beyond my power and control. Powerlessness is hard to admit. It's painful.

...Walk with my blessing, Guide Edelgarde...

//Bio updated: personality profile updated (about time), added ToT development to background section, deities updated.

[Almarea90]

19. The Circle Closes




By the gods Gui- I mean Bella! It's been years... I feared you were dead...

Oh... Morning. Well... night? And why would I be dead?

One day she was just sitting on the bench, as if she had never left.

I told you it would go fine.

The Keep still stands. I guess I'm doing fine.

Did the world around us change?

It's a world I will never understand. Just too outside of it.

That makes two of us.

You at least had your early years. Those were rather tough.

And yet it took me twenty more to learn that we are weak until we accept our weakness.

You'd be better fit to escort others along that path than I.

You can't escort someone who doesn't want to be.

Or...

I'm not wanted here.

You expect me to welcome you with open arms after you rained corruption and undeath over a farmer village? It's not easy for me to say in the least. Especially because I cared. Perhaps I still do. But there are limits that should not be crossed.

More than one, actually. Don't sell that spell short. Not that I'd expect you to ever understand why, even with all the books you read. If it had been horsemen lighting fire and running people through, would that have made it any better to you?

The wars of mortals are ugly as they are. They don't need to get uglier.

Did Linetheil possess you or something, Ed? You seem to share her lack of a soul now.

If I did lack a soul I would take the books shut my eyes and let you in. And to hell the consequences. Quite literally. Do not confound peace with the lack of a soul.

...Did we?

The world isn't broken... It's just tottling along. Doing its best.

I guess I had to sit on that chair to understand. Or sit on that bench for the right number of years.

It sounds like my hope you would be fine after the ordeal should swap to light. Shame I didn't put you through it earlier. You really did seem nervous though.

Sometimes you have to fall to realize you can fly.

Partly my fault. The opening could have been gentler. But you do have really strong wings.

I think it was meant to be the way it was. The same way I was meant to disagree with you at some point. Butt heads with you. It was all steps in the stairs. When I stepped up the circle closed. Everything came together and made sense.

Mine closed I saw you were doing well. I suppose.

And so the circle closes.