| The song I perceive as I wander through the woods through the
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| Dim light of dawn, lilts as it? |
| S carried on soft shifting winds
|
| Through the stillness of this early morn
|
| «Upon the hill, east of the woods, the old man stood rapt in
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| Thought; |
| gazing, contemplative and lost in himself. |
| His old hands
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| Fingers long and thin, but rugged, grasped the wooden staff. |
| It
|
| Was familiar in his hand; |
| crooked yet strong. |
| How many times?
|
| How often had he before this stood on this very place, lost within
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| Himself; |
| rapt in reflection? |
| A light breeze swelled about him
|
| Ruffling his hair and wisps of beard, grey with age and wisdom of
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| Years. |
| He had seen much, experienced much and known friends
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| In the Hidden Lands. |
| But that was before; |
| before the Fall
|
| Glancing downward, a sea of activity, the forest teeming with life
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| And lives. |
| But lives are merely a doorway wherethrough can be
|
| Expressed the nature of the Ancient; |
| the one who abides within
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| The Hidden Lands. |
| The old man thinks 'i am become not what
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| Was intended but through intent am become. |
| ' And so, in servitude
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| To human heart, he made forfeit that which was his; |
| the intangible
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| For the tangible, the imperishable for the mortal. |
| «By now I am intoxicated by the surreality of the tale, viewing
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| Myself in the old man, and at last it dawns and I realise the very
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| Nature of mankind, and of myself, and I lay down to cry
|
| «In his youth, the Old man wielded the Garensword, but not now
|
| And yet, the legend holds that one day, Man shall wield the
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| Two-edged blade once more to the conquest of nations and
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| Strongholds and powers beyond this realm. |
| «I raise my eyes as the song comes to an end and a stranger
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| Approaches as though she’s a friend. |
| Extending her hand I accept
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| It and rise. |
| Standing, she looks into my eyes. |
| «De-nyl, we have a
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| Long way to go. |
| There is so much, too much, that I have to show you. |
| ««If the truth is what you seek, it is only with the Ancient whose
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| Face is never seen. |
| He remains within the Hidden Lands and may
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| Only be reached with the Garensword in hand. |
| Let us depart from this place. |
| «I was relieved to learn that I would not be alone in my quest. |
| For
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| That day, Destiny became my guide. |
| I released my falcon, the bird
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| Soaring high and free above the forest canopy. |
| And yet there
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| Remained within my heart the lingering memory of that tragic Fall;
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| The wretched nature of mankind and of myself. |
| Am I who I think I am?
|
| Am I even alive? |