by Jeremy Dwyer
Another traveler in the crowd asked: “Yet, I travel to find work in other places. I am away from my wife and children for three quarters (3/4) of every year. Being home with them would be far better, don’t you think?”
One of the farmers in the crowd asked: “Even the owner of the land cannot farm it all himself. Many have to help, and we’re the many. You have food to eat because of us. Are you telling us we aren’t free?”
Another farmer in the crowd asked: “Yet, the hours in the field are long, and only the land owner, who does little work, is wealthy and rested and able to take pleasures in life, while our lives are tiring and joyless. We survive, but would it not be better to thrive?”
One of the paupers in the crowd asked: “What is this way to freedom? What are these laws? The world does not work for me.”
Others in the crowd who weren’t paupers – but who had very little wealth – were also listening. They asked the same questions: “What is this way to freedom?” and “What are these laws?” There were hundreds of these people.
Yet another of the finely-dressed men said: “Our King has these laws, and they are the way to freedom. His money will be true, and his laws will be just. Each of you will have his own land, and more than enough to eat, and will be free to live in peace in one place rather than wandering the world or fighting or laboring for long hours.”
“Who is this king?” one of the poor people in the crowd asked.
“Where is he?” another of the poor people in the crowd asked.
A finely-dressed woman stepped forward from among the finely-dressed men. She drank anew of the waters in her vial and was energized. In a beautiful voice that was almost like a song, and that carried far and soothed and energized, she said: “We will tell you the truth we have. First, let there be a gathering, in twenty-one (21) nights from this one. It will be outside this small town, in the field to the west. Tell everyone you know to go there, and to gather around us. It’s an important message, and I promise you that it will set you free, from the slavery and from the darkness in the skies.”
By way of a great many merchants and sailors, word of this planned gathering spread around the continent of Ihalik, and even went across the oceans, traveling as far as Emeth and to parts of every continent and every land bridge in the world. Many heard the message and came. They came by the thousands…and tens of thousands…and hundreds of thousands…and millions…and tens of millions.
When the designated night had arrived, the crowd that gathered numbered over thirty-four million (34000000). Many of the people were poor and local, but many more were slightly wealthy or even much wealthier, and had been interested in the message.
The finely-dressed woman with the beautiful voice was seen again. Now, however, she was standing upon a flat-top stone which was the base of a statue that had been left incomplete. This elevated her seven (7) feet off of the ground, where she was able to look out over the crowd. The other thirty (30) finely-dressed men and women stood on the ground, surrounding the stone base upon which she stood.
The finely-dressed woman then drank anew of the waters of the Pirovalen Ocean from her vial, and she again spoke in her beautiful, sing-song voice that carried far. She said to them: “My name is Aura. I speak to each of you, directly into your hearts and minds and souls. Be open to my words, that you may know the promise of our king – our Unfailing King who will bring you the freedom you seek.”
Eleven (11) of the finely-dressed men and women – from among the thirty (30) who were positioned around the stone base upon which Aura stood – then moved slightly forward, thus forming an outer circle surrounding the nineteen (19) others, who directly surrounded the stone base. These eleven (11) men and women drank anew of the Zovvin Ocean waters in each of their own vials and they were energized.
Aura then began singing and her song carried far:
We look and we see...that which has fallen.
We look and we mourn for...those we have lost.
Our hearts are now heavy...weighed down by our sorrow.
Far too many have paid the ultimate cost.
Yet we still live on, caught between times.
The past filled with ruin and the future with doubt.
This age we must leave, it isn't eternal.
We must move forward, with joy we must shout.
(Refrain)
We will envision the kingdom with far-seeing eyes.
We will build the kingdom under far brighter skies.
We sailed upon seas...tossed by the tempest.
We faced hatred and anger...and lies of the past.
We struggled and prevailed...against the most wicked.
We used many powers...from the oceans so vast.
We have the power...it flows within us.
We drink of the water...that lets us command.
We rise like a tower, above deserts and ruins.
We soar to the sky, across every ocean and land.
(Refrain)
By the ocean of light, we find what is hidden.
By the ocean of darkness, we know false light from true.
By the ocean of spirit, we see the life beyond.
By the ocean of time, the ages we live through.
By the ocean of might, we win our battles.
By the ocean of health, ourselves we renew.
(Refrain)
By the ocean of nature, we rule each living thing.
By the ocean of passion, we find the love that rejoices.
By the ocean of diamond, we shape and we build.
By the ocean of music, we enchant with our voices.
By the ocean of stars, we gaze farther and higher.
By the ocean of thought, wisdom guides our choices.
(Refrain)
Let the oceans give power in their time and their way.
Let the waters carry us across the divide.
To all distant lands, we voyage for answers.
The future is within reach, our fate is ours to decide.
Let the skies now brighten
Let the new day arrive.
The oceans are now tranquil.
In this world we can now thrive.
(Refrain)
The crowd was enchanted and captivated, inspired and comforted by the powerful song. They did not realize what was happening. Many spirits from beyond – millions upon millions upon millions of them – entered the bodies of the people, and their own spirits were subdued. Their bodies were no longer their own, as their spirits had been lulled into restful compliance, unawareness and weakness by hearing the sweetness of the song.
Into the body of one (1) particular man who was among the outermost eleven (11) finely-dressed men and women, a greater spirit entered and the man’s lesser spirit was subdued. Through this body the greater spirit spoke: “I am your King! And you are only the first subjects to be welcomed into my new kingdom, which shall be vast and prosperous!”
Aura called out to the crowd in her musical voice, saying: “All Hail King Xander the Unfailing!”
The crowd – over thirty-four million (34000000) of them – all called out, saying: “All Hail King Xander the Unfailing!”
END