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Otherworldly Memories Part I: The Silver Isle
- Otherworldly Memories Part I: The Silver Isle -
The darkest of times was upon the Earth, for indeed it had come to pass that ancient Atlantis and all the grand empires that had preceded it were wiped from the face of the world in a terrible cataclysm. A horror the truth of which only those who had endured it and survived it knew the full truth thereof. The gods had made me mortal, and condemned me to endlessly reincarnate down through all the ages that were to come. During one such incarnation, in the early days of those cycles, I had sought to discover if anything remained of some of those places which had been destroyed... for if some measure of the old glories of those domains could be recovered, I was hopeful that it could aid humanity in the arduously burdensome task of rebuilding from the ashes of the doom that had befallen all the world. The gods, in that time, were distant... and those of us who had been of their number were immortal no longer save in our spirits and souls, the energy of which could never be destroyed. And yet still there did arise in the oddest corners of the world, certain mortals who remembered having been gods prior to the cataclysm! And those same sometimes gained a following and were declared god kings by their peoples. I would, in the fullness of time, experience lives in which I had similar followings. But being more humble, as was my nature, I did not seek this sort of worship actively. For having been rendered mortal, this rang hollow to me, and had little of true glory save in honorary titles and glowing words. Yet, it would be a lie to say that I did not sometimes find such adoration to my liking. For in those moments, there was a glimmer of ancient, lost glories that kindled within me. Things beyond the flesh, beyond life and death.
Old were the roads that I walked, with a few companions at my side, and some of those roads had the means to cross into other planes of existence beyond the visible world. And that was how I crossed into the unseen domains of the other world, as the Elvish races of old had called it. Though mortal, I had in this one life I relate now an adventure from, a good measure of Elvish blood in my veins. And that thus made my appearance quite distinct and unlike that of certain others. I was far from tall, for the blood of the ancient Elves had waned in its' original glory and many who carried it were diminished compared to the days and times of the ancient civilizations that existed before the great cataclysm had occurred. My hair was quite long and of a light blonde color, my almond shaped eyes were a vibrant green, and my skin was somewhat pale but not of a sickly pale hue. I had been born a hermaphrodite in that life, and did not choose to term myself as just simply male or female, far preferring instead to let my identity fall somewhere between and beyond those things. My body was averagely built, my bones slender, and I had very small breasts... and there was a distinctly feminine shape to my hips. My abdomen was a bit pronounced, but it was not from weight gain. Rather, it was the result of my particular hermaphroditic condition. I had also what is called artist's fingers, and my face had an oval quality to it. My nose was slightly aquiline, and my lips small. This describes my appearance as it was then, but save for the color of my hair and eyes it also describes how I look even now in this current life as I write this account of times past. I wore, on this occasion I write of, a scarlet colored gown and over it a white hooded cloak. Upon my feet were leather sandals fit for travel, and a silver colored sash belt was tied about my waist. I carried in my hands a wooden staff that was but a simple walking stick, though to my belt was tied a sheathe containing an iron dagger. My body was totally hairless save for eyelashes, and I had not even any eyebrows to speak of. I cultivated as fair a form as I could, for my sense of beauty and taste for the more beautiful things in life, both things of inner and outer beauty alike, was always present. And it was in this form that I came with my companions to the waters of a great sea in the hours of dusk. The waters were cool and blue, for it was early autumn, and the waves that crashed against the rocks of the shoreline were sometimes white with foam. The colors of the afternoon sky were vibrant, filled with all manner of purple, pink, and fiery red. This shore was a place where few came, and where even fewer who had come hither ever returned. It was a forsaken island, a realm that was also slightly out of time.
One of my companions, was a tall druid named Irgollash... who was a young man with a shaved head and piercing blue eyes who wore long flowing brownish colored robes and a black hooded cloak, which was drawn back from his head at this time. His accent was peculiar, though I could always understand his speech well enough. Like myself and my other companions, he possessed inhuman, Elfin blood, and like all of us his ears were slightly tapered though not pointed in the way that the ears of the full blood Elves of ancient times were. He also carried a walking staff, though many said his was enchanted in the way that the staffs of sorcerers so oft were said to be. His staff was distinct, covered in runes and richly decorated, with feathers and ribbons of meany colors tied to it. He looked out over the waters, turned to me, and then said in an urgent tone: “This island, the elder druids of my order once informed me, has so been in existence since long prior to the flooding of the world and the doom of Atlantis. But the paths to reach it, the ways over those waters that our ships bore us across... they are strange. There is no art to the crossing, no way to predict the times most right for the veil between realities to be thinnest. And yet by some blessing of the old gods, we have crossed!” the spray of the waves could be felt as the druid so finished this declaration, and I asked him a question that was upon my mind: “And just how have you, in your youth, come upon the knowledge to guide us hither?” to which he explained: “I spoke with one who claimed to come from here, from this island. He was the tallest man I had ever met in my life, and also the palest. He almost looked like a wraith or a specter, yet he was flesh and blood rightly enough. He taught me the right directions to advise our ship's captain to give to the navigators, and the rest was up to the luck of the gods to allow. I knew only the direction in which to sail, and in what waters! Not whether we would be permitted to cross into the other world. Yet... here we are!” and there we were, on the shores of a place known as the island of Ynys Eirian, which means “Silver Isle”. Silver was a sacred metal to the ancient Elves, and the name of that island reflected this. I then asked, out of curiosity: “So, who now dwells upon the shores of this island? Do the ancient Elves still call this place their home?” to which Irgollash answered: “I do not know, and my benefactor did not say. But I would presume that if he came from here, then that must be an indication that others like him call this place home.” and that meant we needed to be careful, because some of the ancient Elves were xenophobic towards outsiders and cruel in their methods. Centuries of persecution and sometime enslavement at the hands of humans had made their race aloof, cold, and sometimes angry. So mistrustful were they of those not Elfin, that many of them became inbred and lived their entire lives, long as those could be, in the confines of their hidden domains. No one even remembered any longer what the Elves called their own kind, for long had it been since they walked the Earth openly. And even we who were their kindred had lost much of the old lore and knowledge, and we too had forgotten our origins. Much as humanity had forgotten its' own beginnings. But certain things I remembered, and more would return to me in time. For I was very unique of those of my kind who had been made mortal! I had the capacity to remember all that I had seen, lived, and known in lives past. And as the years went on... my memory always became complete. So was it in each and every life I lived, and this remembering came to be as essential to me as learning to walk and talk each time around was. We stood on the shore for a bit, waiting for the druid to consult some charts and maps that he had made based on rumors, stories, and legends about this island. It was a good hour before nightfall, but none of us were tired, having slept through the previous night well into midday. In the distance could be seen the peak of a great mountain, and all the lands around it were of high hills and rugged plains, across which deep pine forests stretched, and darker woods then those did oft crop up here and there. On some of the other shores of the island were high cliffs, and we had a hard time choosing the safest place to make landfall because of this. Once he was satisfied with what he saw on his charts, Irgollash then cried out in a loud voice: “We come unto your island in peace and in good fellowship, to partake of your wisdom and learn from you who are our distant kin!” and I was nervous, for I was not certain it would be wise to let the whole island know that we had arrived in so loud a way.
“What if they do not welcome visitors, even kin as we are to them?” I offered, but the druid seemed to be certain of his methods, explaining: “They would certainly be hostile to those not kin!” and I had to admit this made sense. But aside from the sound of crickets and the cry of a distant owl and a few night birds, there was no answer to the druid's greeting. We decided, therefore to make our way inland and see what could be discovered there. “Perhaps no one lives here any longer after all.” mused the druid in a gloomy tone, and I had to admit that was a distinct possibility. And, the most likely one. The stars of the night sky were strange in that place, and different from those in the world we had left behind. And in the sky could be seen a moon with very different shaped craters upon its' surface. This truly was, as was in the name, a whole other world apart from the Earth we knew. There were no roads or any clear sorts of paths to take, and soon we feared we might become lost due to choosing to travel at night. But the young girl who was our expert tracker and guide... whose expertise was journeying across very wild places, and making good time doing so... seemed to be sure that the way we traveled was reasonable. And, that it should lead us somewhere safe and not too dangerous. She was a ranger who lived all her life traveling, and she was skilled with sword, bow, ax and spear. A hunter, a warrior, and a lady of the wilderness. It was she who went before us as we walked along, and though she was an expert in all she did, I could not help but fear that in this other world perhaps the lay of the land might be different from what she was used to. And the laws of nature less kind there. She wore practical attire, baggy trousers of comfortable silk, tied with drawstring at the waist and ankles. Those being paired with a tight crop top that showed her midriff. Like all of us, she wore leather sandals on her feet and carried a walking staff in her hands. She was no older than fourteen years of age, but had in her life accomplished and seen more than any other girl her age could dream of. She was dusky skinned, with curly dark reddish brown hair and deep brown eyes. Her ears were more pointed than ours, and the old blood was strong in her. She would grow up to be the tallest of us all. She was slender, and agile like a great cat. She also had a distinctly different accent and I never could quite place it. “The flora here is little different from what we had back home.” she remarked at one point when clearing a path for us to follow through a stretch of dense underbrush in the deeper woodlands. And that familiarity was a small comfort for us. At least it meant that we were not in a plane of existence too alien. There were few animals, mostly of the small and skittish variety, although a snake or two could be seen slithering off at times. But all in all, this was little different from a trek across country on any hiking expedition one might imagine. It was an adventure, but thus far not a particularly perilous one. But ere long, the woods became strange! The trees we marched under were taller than before, and more exotic looking the deeper we went into the forest. They were, after a while, of a variety we had never seen before! And our guide was at a loss to explain them to us. The rocks that we had seen on the forest floor were now replaced by crystals of various colors and shapes, purplish, violet, and lavender hues being the most prevalent. “Now it seems we are seeing the true face of this other world!” Irgollash cried out somewhat ecstatically. But I could understand his excitement! It was beautiful, however strange it appeared to be. And like nothing I had ever seen before on the face of the earth. Occasionally, a high pitched shriek echoes through the tops of the forest canopy, and I did not wish to think of what might make such a cry. I asked our guide: “Are you still certain of the direction we should be traveling in?” to which the girl replied: “No! I have not been certain for some time now... I just keep leading us where it makes the most sense to go. But I do not know any more than you do where we are going! And that disturbs me greatly.” As it did all of us. And amid the foliage of the deepest parts of that alien woodland, there were massive stone ruins that bespoke of a lost civilization, or one at least abandoned long ago. But there were no bones of people or animals to be seen in the ruins, and we explored several of them as we went along. And so there was no sign that a disaster or catastrophe had caused this abandoning to take place. Eventually, we came to a stretch of ruins large enough to have once been a city, and that was where we had a mind to march to.
Within the ruined city, we walked over cracked pavement and broken stones and bricks, where once great roads and highways had run. The buildings even in ruins were tall and massive, and there was a lot of shattered and broken glass in places. All hinting at a level of advanced architecture that was not in line with what was current in the world at that time. But this was not Earth any longer! Here, there had been a different history, and Atlantis had never existed upon that world. Advancements had been made in other ways than those known to humanity, and other events had clearly led to... at the very least this great civilization, falling into ruin. We came to the largest building, and the most intact of them all. It was a great palace or temple perhaps, though in the state it was in no one could know for certain. We entered into its' open gates, the wood of those gates lying in rotted pieces all over the ground, covered in moss just as the buildings of the city were covered in vines and ivy. Tall pillars and columns lined both sides of a great hall before us, within the structure itself, and all was dark save for the light of the torches we brought with us and lit so that we could see what lay ahead. Several columns were knocked down and broken, and the ceiling was caved in more than it was intact. There were statues of demonic looking creatures and strange gods and goddesses with multiple arms and eyes covering their bodies. I had a sense of horror when looking upon them, but also a strange familiarity. There were parts of the floor that were simply no longer there, and deep pits descended into the foundations of the place. An odd mist was upon the floor of the temple, for I had a feeling that is what this had once been. It was a thicker mist than I was used to seeing anywhere, and strangely greenish in coloration. This, I soon did realize, was caused by emerald crystals set into the floor in various places that reacted to our torchlight by glowing and thus causing the mist to take on the color of that glow. In the shadows, we could see odd shapes huddled, and when the mist parted at times we could see clearly reptilian peoples who did seem unclothed and savage but also frightened of us as they tried to seek darker corners to hide away in. I had never seen creatures like them, for their like was strange to me and monstrous as well. “They are like no creatures I am familiar with.” said Irgollash, and I had a feeling he of all of us might know what they were. On seeing them, the young girl who was our guide ran over to me and grabbed me by my hand, whispering: “Oh mother goddess Dana! Those are demons, demons out of the old legends.” and I calmed her, stroking her hair and saying softly into her ear: “Deirdre, those are not demons! They are merely another kind of people, just one descended from reptiles rather than being like us. If we do not bother them, then surely they will not seek to do us harm.” I kissed her on her forehead, for I was very fond of her, and told her to stay at my side as we walked along. I kept her hand in mine, and did not let her out of my sight for a moment. Great ranger though she was, Deirdre was still a child at heart and this was something alien to her understanding. The druid kept starting off in the direction of those things, as if his curiosity was piqued by them somehow, and I cautioned him to keep his eye on what lay before us. “If they are hostile, we do not want to provoke them, and staring is rude to most people, regardless of the species.” I cautioned, and the man agreed with me, stating: “Forgive me! I just got a bit lost in thought for a moment. But you are right, we should try to move ahead quickly and without drawing those creatures' attention.” and so we did, passing through several archways and into great gardens filled with flowers and plants grown wild with time's passing. The emerald crystals were set into the walls here, and provided a measure of illumination that our torches activated in them. “They seemed to fear the light, so at least here we can be sure they will not follow us.” Irgollash explained, and in the corridors and hallways that followed... the crystals made our way easy to see by. These halls opened up into cavernous chambers where statues of towering dragons rose above us, set on pedestals of marble and carved from some kind of black stone. There were braziers that we were able to ignite, for the fuel in them remained flammable still, and those in turn caused the emeralds in the walls to light up, and soon the entire chamber was well lit, though with a peculiar greenish light that was faint but still odd to us. Dragons like those had not been seen on Earth since the days before the great cataclysm.
Deirdre looked upon the stone beasts with wonder in her eyes, and she smiled. “They are magnificent, and such beautiful creatures!” she exclaimed, and they truly were. Majestic was their likeness, and with no hint of evil or malice to them. “They are guardians, I would imagine.” remarked Irgollash as he went over to touch the statues and investigate them further. “Dragons.” I remarked, my tone indicating that I was remembering something from another life and another time. Deirdre picked up a jewel scepter that had been sitting upon a stone altar along with several other valuable, ceremonial objects. “This would be worth a great deal in any marketplace!” she cried, and her voice was filled with elation. “I doubt any are left here who would mind us taking them.” I agreed. For if the original inhabitants of this place had wished to keep such things, they would surely not have left them behind when they left the city to be reclaimed by nature. We took what we wished to, and placed them in cloth bags we brought with us for such an occasion. We then gave the bags to our bearers to carry, and resumed looking about that great chamber. Deirdre walked over towards a mural that filled an entire wall behind the altar, and I was at her side as we looked upon it together. I put my arm around her waist and held her closely. She did not mind, and smiled at me warmly before turning her attention back tot he mural. Then, as she regarded it, I saw tears streaming from her eyes. “Whatever is the matter, sweet one?” I asked her, and she told me what bothered her as she pointed to various figures depicted on the mural. And these were her words: “I know the language written in this mural, an old dialect but one my great grandfather used to speak and write in. Whoever lived in this place once... they were my people.” and as she read what was written on the mural, she began to cry and sob as she related the following: “It says here... 'And when it became to us, to the peoples of the Great Dream, most apparent that there was no way to return to the world of our origins, we settled here in the jungles of Ynys Eirian, guided hither by the spirit of the mother goddess Dana. Here we discovered a great city inhabited but a strange green-skinned people who claimed to be distantly related to us through our mutual ancestors. But over time, our cultures proved to be much too different to be easily reconciled, and so first we quarreled and then we fought, and wars came later to the island of Ynys Eirian. Over time, we forgot what we were fighting about! And because all we did was fight after a while, our two civilizations declined and fell into ruin. This mural has been raised in the last years of the final war, the war that shattered all we had made. Nothing remains to be saved, to be fought over, to be salvaged... gold and silver do not sing to us like they used to. And no longer do we or our enemies delight in the sparkling of the magic emeralds. We can see what is about to transpire, we can see ahead enough to know that this is the end for us all. Those of us with no desire to fight, of both our kindred races be they green of skin or otherwise, are coming together for the first time in ages! And we plan to use the ancient portal that is forbidden to ever be used... so that we can return to our world by a way that lies not over the sea. For the seas are perilous now, and the way over the waters is closed to us, those who knew its' secrets having died in the early days of our foolish wars. If you come hither, and if you should read these words and see the images that are coupled with them... know that we are are no more, and that this place is now a monument to our folly. Go back whence you came, and look not upon our works, which are bur rubble. Seek not our resting places, for they will be far from here. And help yourself to whatever treasures remain, for we need them no longer. May Dana bless you!' and there is no indication of who wrote this, but all the same my people once dwelt here. My people! Oh goddess, they are all gone, all gone... my grandfather must have been one of the survivors. Everyone always said he seemed strange! And he always had a haunted look in his eyes. Now I know why, now I know why...” and I held Deirdre close and comforted her as she wept for a long time after that. “Those reptilian people...” Irgollash explained to us after hearing the young girl relate what was written upon the great mural, “They must be the descendants of the green-skinned people the mural mentions. Many claim that certain races of ancient Elves, some of the most ancient of all, were descended from a race of reptilian beings who came to Earth from another world. These... must have become savage over time.”
“So that was the fate of those left behind here... a descent into savagery. How terrible!” I said, as I ran my hand through Deirdre's hair and caressed her cheek. “Thank you.” she whispered to me, and granted unto me a soft kiss on my lips. She seemed to be calm now, but her eyes seemed more haunted and a bit distant after learning the fate of her ancestors. “But why did they look like monsters?” I asked, and the druid told me as honestly as he could: “Over time, they seem to have gone back in their evolution, to a more primitive state. This is a very bad sign, because it means that this other world can cause things to physically change in order to match the mental state of those who dwell here... in essence, it will reveal a person's true nature the longer they are here. And the change appears to be irreversible! Else I cannot imagine those poor creatures choosing to remain the way they are now.” And we agreed that it would be wise to depart with all haste back over the sea to our own world, rather than risk being changed by this one in ways that might not be very pleasant. “We cannot know by what standards the gods of this world judge such things.” I explained, adding: “What is good and decent to us, may be less pleasing in their eyes. And I would not wish for us all to be transformed because of a philosophical difference over morality or ethics.” And so we packed up and made ready to set out once again, leaving that chamber and its' frightful revelations behind us. As we made our way back through the temple, the reptilian ones whom we saw before were no longer present, having skittered away to some corner of the building that was best avoided. We could hear hissing, clicking, and clacking noises occasionally, and guttural voices muttering things from the shadows every so often. But we kept our pace quick, and dared not look into those shadows to see what lurked therein. Deirdre was shaking with fear at times, her emotional state being already somewhat traumatized by learning what befell her ancient kin. Her hand was in mine all the way, and I knew that I could not bear for any ill to befall her, for something about her called to me on a deep level, and I knew it to be the first stirrings of love between us. As it was, she had no mother or father of her own, having lost both to sickness, and she had lived with me ever since she was very little indeed. Her great grandfather came over sometimes to visit, but the visits were rare and one day they stopped altogether. I was her guardian, but this adventure and our affections towards each other during it, had changed things in ways that we had not the time to ponder. We found such change to be welcome, and it was for us the natural evolution of our relationship. The druid noticed this, and smiled.
We emerged from the temple into the night air, and there was a certain chill about the jungle. For this was indeed no longer a forest but a massive jungle that spread out in every imaginable direction. Worse still, the path we had cleared through the underbrush before, appeared to be overgrown now! For it did not matter where we searched, we could find no trace of it. “This is very bad!” I exclaimed, and Deirdre could not even discover by what way we had come. She told me: “The path we made before is lost. We will have to brave a new path if we are to return whence we came... but it should be possible since I do remember that this part of the temple's exterior was perfectly aligned with the direction of true north.” She produced a lodestone compass that she carried with her at all times, and sure enough she was right about the direction of the temple. “I kept us on a northerly course the whole way here... so all we have to do is just go back south and that should take us back to the shore, and our ship.” I hugged her tightly and smiled as I said to her: “Deirdre, my love! You are as brilliant as ever... let us make haste and soon leave this graveyard behind us.” and she stared into my eyes as we walked along, saying: “Your love? Very well then, father... that is what I shall be to you hence forth, and gladly!” and following that night she called me father no more, calling me beloved instead. As our party left those ruins behind us, and our steps carried us southward as quickly as possible, the druid Irgollash admitted to me the following: “When we spotted this island from the sea, there was no sign of any jungle here... it was all pine forests and nothing wilder than that. And yet, here we are! And this jungle seems a great deal larger than it was when we first entered it, with no pine trees to be seen anywhere. Only these tall, gnarled trees instead!”
And he was right. The trees were all only towering jungle trees, with broad leafy canopies high above us! We had passed through a pine forest to enter this jungle... only now, there was no such forest to be seen. And it was night, and all should have been dark, but there was some sort of illumination about the trees and plants of this jungle that made it possible to see clearly and for a great distance no matter what direction one looked off in. The jungle was enchanted, and why we had not noticed this previously, we could not guess. It was like the whole place was changing, shifting, altering itself more and more as our time within it was going on. We passed through several stretches that were unfamiliar compared to how we remembered the way we had come, and several ancient ruins that were not like those we had before seen were becoming increasingly visible in the denser foliage off the trail we were attempting to make through the jungle, looking like the phantoms of buildings of old more than anything solid. “Oh by all the gods of my ancestors! This place is haunted by the ghost of the ancient city itself.” cried the druid, and I could not deny that this was strange beyond reason. “Just focus on trying to get back to the ship!” I instructed him sternly, my voice betraying a bit a agitation regarding our situation. My heartbeat was thundering as we walked at so brisk a pace, and I dared not look back northward. For I had a feeling, a slight feeling in my heart, that had I gazed that way I might have witnessed the very landscape itself in the process of shifting and changing. And therein, lies madness! There was no end to the jungle though and we never again so much as spotted the pine forest. Instead, the jungle continued all the way to the very shore in the distance, which we could see through the trees ahead of us. But before we could hope to emerge from the jungle and unto the sands of the shoreline, the reptilian creatures from the ruins did emerge from the shadows before us, and they were led by an exceptionally tall woman who was naked except for a long black silken skirt. She had a headdress made from bones, and her skin was as pale and white as freshly fallen snow in the wintertime is. Her eyes were a strange shade of violet that seemed to be almost glowing with a weird, faint ethereal light, and her hair was jet black and curly, cascading all the way to her ankles like a great ebony cloak. The woman strode before us, approaching us with an air of caution that was not unlike the cautious curiosity displayed by certain animals when encountering a person in the wild for the first time. But her gaze showed an odd sort of recognition when she looked upon us, and she spoke to us in a language that was very antiquated for the time, and yet we could all understand her well enough. She said, her voice guttural and harsh: “From old Kalaborea we came, in following a dream that led us hither! From Kalaborea we fled, and some fled from the place some call Atlantis, but which by another name we called it when there we lived, however unwillingly we so lived there. For Kalaborea's end had come, and then Atlantis' end had come, we kept on fleeing until at last a dream led us to this island. But the dream turned into a nightmare, and we may never now awaken from its' confines! In being led here, we were led astray, and we may never return whence we came. For the way is closed to us, and if we attempt to leave then we shall die! For the years pass differently here for those of us who were left behind, and now we too are different. You are different from us! And yet in you I sense and see a hint of the old, of the familiar from before we were changed. What do you seek by coming to this accursed island? Or did you think that all the borders of the Faerie world were safe for the crossing! Most are perilous, and must never be crossed... for the way to the blessed regions is hard to discover, and those who dwell there do not come to this part of the world. For here, there be those of my kind, who are outcasts! Unwelcome in the high courts of the ancient noble houses. Savages, they do call us, just as you called us savages... and yes, we heard you say it! Tell me, do I look savage to you? Feral, perhaps! Evil, maybe.” and I said to her, my voice betraying a hint of fear: “No, you do not look evil to me at all... just different from us is all. We sought to discover our distant kindred in this place, and perhaps to be welcomed by them, to learn what we could of this realm and its' peoples. So that on our return to our own world, we might be able to tell others what lay across these waters.” and the pale woman noticed our bags, and remarked; “You took those shiny things we don't need anymore. Good!”
She then explained: “So many died fighting over those shiny things in the past, we don't want them now. Too bad a thing to be reminded of, shameful things our ancestors all did! Shameful things we did. And we were punished, yes punished for our sins. And those sins were great! We sometimes even keep on punishing ourselves with ritual scarring and marks of pain. Care to see?” and she showed me how all up and down her arms and legs there were concentric series of scars in various ritualistic patterns. She then went on, saying: “Beauty means something different to us now! Beauty is here.” and when she said that, she thumped her fist to her breast. “We don't need it on the outside anymore. Outside, it can deceive! But inside, it is always true.” and her words were most wise despite her rough manner, her wild appearance, and her overtly bestial ways. Wiser than any spoken by the nobles of all the highest princely courts throughout all of Earth's history. For though we assumed these people to be savage at first, I now realized that they were primitive as much by choice as for any other reason, for they had no need of the things that had in their mind caused the ancient civilizations to fall into destruction. The wild woman regarded us in silence for some time after that, pacing back and forth sometimes on two legs and sometimes on all fours like an animal. Her reptilian companions moved in much the same way as she, and they appeared to be following her lead instinctively. She then said: “I watched you when you were in our home, and I saw you were only curious! Meaning us no harm. But I saw that you were afraid of how we look... but as you can see, we are not all looking like that. Some of us look like me! Like you. Only... pale like me. We live in the dark places now, in the shadows, and can see best in the dark. The light burns our eyes, hurts us now. You can still live in the light! So please, if you are able to cross the waters as we cannot... depart in peace and tell your people what you saw here. Tell them we are well! But that we wish to be left in peace, in the shadows.” and we agreed to do as the wild woman wished us to. I made every single one of my companions swear the same oath, to keep these peoples' existence a secret, to tell no one that they still lived on this island at all. They would remain in the dark places where they felt safe, and no one would come to harm them. This was their home now, and all in my party could see that in their own way these people were happy here. “You have our word, that no one shall ever learn that you are dwelling here! You will be left in peace.” I told her, and Irgollash, who had largely sponsored this entire expedition swore to her the same vow. And being a man of honor, I knew that the young druid meant what he said and would do what he promised. The wild woman then nodded in agreement and led her reptilian companions back into the jungle, back northwards again. We all breathed a sigh of relief once they were gone and the danger we feared had now passed. We could see the shoreline in the distance, closer than ever, and we made our way to it walking mostly in silence.
“The kindred of darkness, just like in the oldest stories! They existed in our world too, and came into a mighty prominence for a time, during the long years following the great cataclysm.” Irgollash said as we walked out of the vast jungle and back unto the sand and dirt of the shore. “But they were always a legend, a story our people tell their children as a warning of what we can become if we fall too far from the light.” And once the druid finished speaking, I said to him in reply: “And yet, they were not evil as they always are in those stories! There was light within their hearts, not darkness. I pity them, but at the same time I am happy for this group of them who lives here. They know nothing of war, strife, or hate of any kind... if anything, they are like children themselves.” and Deirdre looked me deeply in the eyes and said in agreement: “Same here! I mean, they are my blood kin, that group of them back there, the ones who call those ruins home. The ones that are not reptilian, I mean... the ones like that woman we spoke with. I might not be pale like her, I mean I am pretty dark skinned and all, but they would only be that pale from living underground for a long time... but what I mean is, meeting her felt like going back in time and meeting one of my ancestors from a time before they were civilized. She was a nice lady, all things considered! Gave us a decent break by not having her friends kill us all. I kind of liked her!”
And we all agreed that Deirdre was right, and that I had a point. We looked back one more time as we made our way to the part of the shoreline where we could see our ship waiting for us like a faithful and patient steed. I had not thought that we would ever set foot upon that vessel again! And as we did cast our gazes upon the island, looking back northward the way that we had just come... all was exactly as it had looked when we first arrived. The pine forests, the hills, the great mountain were all there. And not a trace of any sort of jungle could be seen! “The whole place is enchanted so you don't see its' true face until you're deep enough into the jungle for the glamour to fade. What we are seeing here, this is really all only an illusion.” said Irgollash, offering the only explanation that made any sense. He continued, adding: “Some tremendous power is at work here, and I would wager the source of it lies either on or under that mountain.” and as I gazed upon that mountain I was overcome with the enormity of all that had just transpired. I turned o the druid and said flatly: “My dear friend, as much as I know you would love to ferret out all of that mountain's secrets... we must leave them to the people who now call this place their home. And we must never return here again!” and something in the man snapped as I said that. His lower lip began to quiver, and tears filled his eyes. He looked at me peculiarly and said in a sad tone I had never heard from him before: “I know! And that is why I must remain behind. I have no one back home to care for, or who cares for me... and this is a chance to become a part of an unusual sort of living history. I keep thinking about what that woman said, about shiny things! I am wealthy, I have vast lands and a title... and I am lonely, unhappy, and many are jealous of my wealth and hate me because I have it. Keep my share of the treasure, give a good portion of it to Deirdre and take good care of her. I know you two love each other and will fare well in the years to come! I leave everything I have to the both of you, and give you this my signet ring to show to my steward back home. Tell him that I willed it to you, tell him that I perished. Tell him anything you like! But I am not going back... this is where I belong, where I have always belonged. The island calls to me, my sweet friend! And though I tried to resist that call, I can hear it still. One day, years from now, I will become like that woman and will have no further use for shiny things... but when you think of me and remember me, know that I am happy and at peace, in a place where the troubles of our own world are unknown. Fare you both well!” and he hugged me warmly, kissing me upon both cheeks. He then pat Deirdre upon her head and as fast as his legs could carry him the young druid rushed off into the pine forests and was lost to our sight. I was close friends with him, but did not know him well, not like I knew my beloved Deirdre. But in time I would miss him all the same. “He was a good man, Irgollash. I hope he will be happy in this place.” I said as I turned the signet ring over in my hands several times, regarding it fondly. He had given it into my care just before rushing off, and now I was the owner of all his lands and the inheritor of his titles of nobility. Deirdre and I would want for nothing, for the rest of our lives. In time, I would myself be the one to sponsor adventurous expeditions to far away lands and places, and wherever I would journey to the beautiful young Deirdre would be at my side. We boarded our ship and set out once again across the waters of the great sea that stretched before us unto the distant horizon. The navigators had copies of all of the druid's charts and maps, and they were privy to the secret of how to cross between the worlds so that we could return to our own world safely once again. Deirdre and I looked out over the waters, and as the island of Ynys Eirian faded into the distance behind us I felt a sudden sense of relief, but also a sense of tremendous sorrow. I remarked on this to Deirdre as I said to her: “Sweet one, I wonder if in time the peoples of this world, of our world, might learn to value the true beauty that lies within every person's heart, and to care more about peace than power or wealth.” and she said to in reply, something that was wiser than the words of any druid I had ever spoken with. These were her words: “For so long as there are people, there will be those who covet wealth and power, and those who are shallow in their view of beauty. But there will also be people like you and I, who know where the true wealth lies, and what is really most important and valuable in life! That is good enough for me.” and she was correct.
Irgollash had become a great chieftain in time, and his mate was the white matriarch who ruled over all the northern jungles of Ynys Eirian, and all the subterranean kingdoms that lay beneath. He learned the secret of the sacred mountain, met the gods who dwell within it, and discovered the magic that kept all of the surface of the island cloaked in illusions and safe from outsiders. The machines of the gods, which were maintained throughout the ages by the metal men and women who served the gods, would continue to see to the island's safety and the security of its' inhabitants. The gods had no need of people to worship them, for their chief concern was observing the peoples of the island and recording both the history of that place and the lives of those who had come to be under their care. Within the observation window of the innermost sanctum, the chief scientist stood watch from the facility within the mountain, as the viewing screen behind the window displayed a view of the inside of the ancient ruined temple in the jungle. She was an exceedingly tall and imperious looking woman who had long, straight hair that was platinum blonde in color, with neatly trimmed bangs just above her ever so immaculately shaped eyebrows. Her hair fell like a bright curtain all the way down to her ankles, but was trimmed so neatly that it did not ever really get in her face to become a hassle. She had sharp features, and some had told her that her smile was cold to look upon. She was slender, thin boned, and ethereal in her white pantsuit and jacket. Her shoes were fancy dress shoes of the highest quality, and though her closet had a great many different colors and styles of clothing... she felt that white often suited her best of all. She was a long way from her home in the Aldebaran star system, but as a member of the Vril race she owed it to her people to oversee their projects on any and all worlds that required them to be maintained. She was not the only one to run facilities like this one, and far from the only one worshiped as a goddess by the primitive peoples who chanced to discover her presence. They regarded technology as magic for the most part, and it was easy to send them upon their way with promises of granting boons to make their rough lives easier to bear. In her case, she granted food and essential supplies to the natives, who in turn informed her of their own dealings with outsiders. She owed it to these people to keep them happy and content... after all, they were her kin even if they knew it not. The El'vril had for many generations now begun to refer to themselves and their people by a corrupted form of their original, correct name. And that is how the term Elves came into being. And even here, in this other world, they used that odd term for themselves, having long since forgotten the Vril who were their ancient kin. And the reptilian Kolabi, those they had confused for demons more oft than not... regarding the green-skinned race as a threat to them when oft they met over the years that had become centuries. If they only knew that of old the El'vril had only come into existence at all due to a genetic experiment in which some of the Vril and some of the Kolabi were by certain scientists and geneticists combined into a single race who had what was believed to be the best traits of both. It broke the chief scientist of the island's heart, when she was ordered to devolve the native inhabitants of the island to a previous evolutionary state in order to keep them from engaging in a savagely genocidal war that would have destroyed them utterly and eventually even compromised the Vril facility within the mountain. “Primitive does not equal savage.” was always a statement that the chief scientist had a tremendous liking for, for there was a great deal of truth behind those words. She muttered to herself, musing over this: “Give any advanced peoples enough weapons, and enough of an excuse to use them, and they will always resort to savagery. How disturbing, yet how ironic at the same time!” and she sighed, watching the primitive El'vril and the primitive Kolabi as they worked together in the ruined temple and in their underground homes beneath it. They were all living in harmony, cooperating, loving, and existing as a single people without any boundaries or prejudices to come between anybody. “Fascinating!” the chief scientist remarked, having a sudden epiphany. For the first time since it was decided to close some of the garden colonies, she was happy with the progress of a sentient race that she had a hand in the creation of. And with the progress of her hermaphrodite twin, who for the first time since being made mortal was set on a path towards not just love, but redemption.
The darkest of times was upon the Earth, for indeed it had come to pass that ancient Atlantis and all the grand empires that had preceded it were wiped from the face of the world in a terrible cataclysm. A horror the truth of which only those who had endured it and survived it knew the full truth thereof. The gods had made me mortal, and condemned me to endlessly reincarnate down through all the ages that were to come. During one such incarnation, in the early days of those cycles, I had sought to discover if anything remained of some of those places which had been destroyed... for if some measure of the old glories of those domains could be recovered, I was hopeful that it could aid humanity in the arduously burdensome task of rebuilding from the ashes of the doom that had befallen all the world. The gods, in that time, were distant... and those of us who had been of their number were immortal no longer save in our spirits and souls, the energy of which could never be destroyed. And yet still there did arise in the oddest corners of the world, certain mortals who remembered having been gods prior to the cataclysm! And those same sometimes gained a following and were declared god kings by their peoples. I would, in the fullness of time, experience lives in which I had similar followings. But being more humble, as was my nature, I did not seek this sort of worship actively. For having been rendered mortal, this rang hollow to me, and had little of true glory save in honorary titles and glowing words. Yet, it would be a lie to say that I did not sometimes find such adoration to my liking. For in those moments, there was a glimmer of ancient, lost glories that kindled within me. Things beyond the flesh, beyond life and death.
Old were the roads that I walked, with a few companions at my side, and some of those roads had the means to cross into other planes of existence beyond the visible world. And that was how I crossed into the unseen domains of the other world, as the Elvish races of old had called it. Though mortal, I had in this one life I relate now an adventure from, a good measure of Elvish blood in my veins. And that thus made my appearance quite distinct and unlike that of certain others. I was far from tall, for the blood of the ancient Elves had waned in its' original glory and many who carried it were diminished compared to the days and times of the ancient civilizations that existed before the great cataclysm had occurred. My hair was quite long and of a light blonde color, my almond shaped eyes were a vibrant green, and my skin was somewhat pale but not of a sickly pale hue. I had been born a hermaphrodite in that life, and did not choose to term myself as just simply male or female, far preferring instead to let my identity fall somewhere between and beyond those things. My body was averagely built, my bones slender, and I had very small breasts... and there was a distinctly feminine shape to my hips. My abdomen was a bit pronounced, but it was not from weight gain. Rather, it was the result of my particular hermaphroditic condition. I had also what is called artist's fingers, and my face had an oval quality to it. My nose was slightly aquiline, and my lips small. This describes my appearance as it was then, but save for the color of my hair and eyes it also describes how I look even now in this current life as I write this account of times past. I wore, on this occasion I write of, a scarlet colored gown and over it a white hooded cloak. Upon my feet were leather sandals fit for travel, and a silver colored sash belt was tied about my waist. I carried in my hands a wooden staff that was but a simple walking stick, though to my belt was tied a sheathe containing an iron dagger. My body was totally hairless save for eyelashes, and I had not even any eyebrows to speak of. I cultivated as fair a form as I could, for my sense of beauty and taste for the more beautiful things in life, both things of inner and outer beauty alike, was always present. And it was in this form that I came with my companions to the waters of a great sea in the hours of dusk. The waters were cool and blue, for it was early autumn, and the waves that crashed against the rocks of the shoreline were sometimes white with foam. The colors of the afternoon sky were vibrant, filled with all manner of purple, pink, and fiery red. This shore was a place where few came, and where even fewer who had come hither ever returned. It was a forsaken island, a realm that was also slightly out of time.
One of my companions, was a tall druid named Irgollash... who was a young man with a shaved head and piercing blue eyes who wore long flowing brownish colored robes and a black hooded cloak, which was drawn back from his head at this time. His accent was peculiar, though I could always understand his speech well enough. Like myself and my other companions, he possessed inhuman, Elfin blood, and like all of us his ears were slightly tapered though not pointed in the way that the ears of the full blood Elves of ancient times were. He also carried a walking staff, though many said his was enchanted in the way that the staffs of sorcerers so oft were said to be. His staff was distinct, covered in runes and richly decorated, with feathers and ribbons of meany colors tied to it. He looked out over the waters, turned to me, and then said in an urgent tone: “This island, the elder druids of my order once informed me, has so been in existence since long prior to the flooding of the world and the doom of Atlantis. But the paths to reach it, the ways over those waters that our ships bore us across... they are strange. There is no art to the crossing, no way to predict the times most right for the veil between realities to be thinnest. And yet by some blessing of the old gods, we have crossed!” the spray of the waves could be felt as the druid so finished this declaration, and I asked him a question that was upon my mind: “And just how have you, in your youth, come upon the knowledge to guide us hither?” to which he explained: “I spoke with one who claimed to come from here, from this island. He was the tallest man I had ever met in my life, and also the palest. He almost looked like a wraith or a specter, yet he was flesh and blood rightly enough. He taught me the right directions to advise our ship's captain to give to the navigators, and the rest was up to the luck of the gods to allow. I knew only the direction in which to sail, and in what waters! Not whether we would be permitted to cross into the other world. Yet... here we are!” and there we were, on the shores of a place known as the island of Ynys Eirian, which means “Silver Isle”. Silver was a sacred metal to the ancient Elves, and the name of that island reflected this. I then asked, out of curiosity: “So, who now dwells upon the shores of this island? Do the ancient Elves still call this place their home?” to which Irgollash answered: “I do not know, and my benefactor did not say. But I would presume that if he came from here, then that must be an indication that others like him call this place home.” and that meant we needed to be careful, because some of the ancient Elves were xenophobic towards outsiders and cruel in their methods. Centuries of persecution and sometime enslavement at the hands of humans had made their race aloof, cold, and sometimes angry. So mistrustful were they of those not Elfin, that many of them became inbred and lived their entire lives, long as those could be, in the confines of their hidden domains. No one even remembered any longer what the Elves called their own kind, for long had it been since they walked the Earth openly. And even we who were their kindred had lost much of the old lore and knowledge, and we too had forgotten our origins. Much as humanity had forgotten its' own beginnings. But certain things I remembered, and more would return to me in time. For I was very unique of those of my kind who had been made mortal! I had the capacity to remember all that I had seen, lived, and known in lives past. And as the years went on... my memory always became complete. So was it in each and every life I lived, and this remembering came to be as essential to me as learning to walk and talk each time around was. We stood on the shore for a bit, waiting for the druid to consult some charts and maps that he had made based on rumors, stories, and legends about this island. It was a good hour before nightfall, but none of us were tired, having slept through the previous night well into midday. In the distance could be seen the peak of a great mountain, and all the lands around it were of high hills and rugged plains, across which deep pine forests stretched, and darker woods then those did oft crop up here and there. On some of the other shores of the island were high cliffs, and we had a hard time choosing the safest place to make landfall because of this. Once he was satisfied with what he saw on his charts, Irgollash then cried out in a loud voice: “We come unto your island in peace and in good fellowship, to partake of your wisdom and learn from you who are our distant kin!” and I was nervous, for I was not certain it would be wise to let the whole island know that we had arrived in so loud a way.
“What if they do not welcome visitors, even kin as we are to them?” I offered, but the druid seemed to be certain of his methods, explaining: “They would certainly be hostile to those not kin!” and I had to admit this made sense. But aside from the sound of crickets and the cry of a distant owl and a few night birds, there was no answer to the druid's greeting. We decided, therefore to make our way inland and see what could be discovered there. “Perhaps no one lives here any longer after all.” mused the druid in a gloomy tone, and I had to admit that was a distinct possibility. And, the most likely one. The stars of the night sky were strange in that place, and different from those in the world we had left behind. And in the sky could be seen a moon with very different shaped craters upon its' surface. This truly was, as was in the name, a whole other world apart from the Earth we knew. There were no roads or any clear sorts of paths to take, and soon we feared we might become lost due to choosing to travel at night. But the young girl who was our expert tracker and guide... whose expertise was journeying across very wild places, and making good time doing so... seemed to be sure that the way we traveled was reasonable. And, that it should lead us somewhere safe and not too dangerous. She was a ranger who lived all her life traveling, and she was skilled with sword, bow, ax and spear. A hunter, a warrior, and a lady of the wilderness. It was she who went before us as we walked along, and though she was an expert in all she did, I could not help but fear that in this other world perhaps the lay of the land might be different from what she was used to. And the laws of nature less kind there. She wore practical attire, baggy trousers of comfortable silk, tied with drawstring at the waist and ankles. Those being paired with a tight crop top that showed her midriff. Like all of us, she wore leather sandals on her feet and carried a walking staff in her hands. She was no older than fourteen years of age, but had in her life accomplished and seen more than any other girl her age could dream of. She was dusky skinned, with curly dark reddish brown hair and deep brown eyes. Her ears were more pointed than ours, and the old blood was strong in her. She would grow up to be the tallest of us all. She was slender, and agile like a great cat. She also had a distinctly different accent and I never could quite place it. “The flora here is little different from what we had back home.” she remarked at one point when clearing a path for us to follow through a stretch of dense underbrush in the deeper woodlands. And that familiarity was a small comfort for us. At least it meant that we were not in a plane of existence too alien. There were few animals, mostly of the small and skittish variety, although a snake or two could be seen slithering off at times. But all in all, this was little different from a trek across country on any hiking expedition one might imagine. It was an adventure, but thus far not a particularly perilous one. But ere long, the woods became strange! The trees we marched under were taller than before, and more exotic looking the deeper we went into the forest. They were, after a while, of a variety we had never seen before! And our guide was at a loss to explain them to us. The rocks that we had seen on the forest floor were now replaced by crystals of various colors and shapes, purplish, violet, and lavender hues being the most prevalent. “Now it seems we are seeing the true face of this other world!” Irgollash cried out somewhat ecstatically. But I could understand his excitement! It was beautiful, however strange it appeared to be. And like nothing I had ever seen before on the face of the earth. Occasionally, a high pitched shriek echoes through the tops of the forest canopy, and I did not wish to think of what might make such a cry. I asked our guide: “Are you still certain of the direction we should be traveling in?” to which the girl replied: “No! I have not been certain for some time now... I just keep leading us where it makes the most sense to go. But I do not know any more than you do where we are going! And that disturbs me greatly.” As it did all of us. And amid the foliage of the deepest parts of that alien woodland, there were massive stone ruins that bespoke of a lost civilization, or one at least abandoned long ago. But there were no bones of people or animals to be seen in the ruins, and we explored several of them as we went along. And so there was no sign that a disaster or catastrophe had caused this abandoning to take place. Eventually, we came to a stretch of ruins large enough to have once been a city, and that was where we had a mind to march to.
Within the ruined city, we walked over cracked pavement and broken stones and bricks, where once great roads and highways had run. The buildings even in ruins were tall and massive, and there was a lot of shattered and broken glass in places. All hinting at a level of advanced architecture that was not in line with what was current in the world at that time. But this was not Earth any longer! Here, there had been a different history, and Atlantis had never existed upon that world. Advancements had been made in other ways than those known to humanity, and other events had clearly led to... at the very least this great civilization, falling into ruin. We came to the largest building, and the most intact of them all. It was a great palace or temple perhaps, though in the state it was in no one could know for certain. We entered into its' open gates, the wood of those gates lying in rotted pieces all over the ground, covered in moss just as the buildings of the city were covered in vines and ivy. Tall pillars and columns lined both sides of a great hall before us, within the structure itself, and all was dark save for the light of the torches we brought with us and lit so that we could see what lay ahead. Several columns were knocked down and broken, and the ceiling was caved in more than it was intact. There were statues of demonic looking creatures and strange gods and goddesses with multiple arms and eyes covering their bodies. I had a sense of horror when looking upon them, but also a strange familiarity. There were parts of the floor that were simply no longer there, and deep pits descended into the foundations of the place. An odd mist was upon the floor of the temple, for I had a feeling that is what this had once been. It was a thicker mist than I was used to seeing anywhere, and strangely greenish in coloration. This, I soon did realize, was caused by emerald crystals set into the floor in various places that reacted to our torchlight by glowing and thus causing the mist to take on the color of that glow. In the shadows, we could see odd shapes huddled, and when the mist parted at times we could see clearly reptilian peoples who did seem unclothed and savage but also frightened of us as they tried to seek darker corners to hide away in. I had never seen creatures like them, for their like was strange to me and monstrous as well. “They are like no creatures I am familiar with.” said Irgollash, and I had a feeling he of all of us might know what they were. On seeing them, the young girl who was our guide ran over to me and grabbed me by my hand, whispering: “Oh mother goddess Dana! Those are demons, demons out of the old legends.” and I calmed her, stroking her hair and saying softly into her ear: “Deirdre, those are not demons! They are merely another kind of people, just one descended from reptiles rather than being like us. If we do not bother them, then surely they will not seek to do us harm.” I kissed her on her forehead, for I was very fond of her, and told her to stay at my side as we walked along. I kept her hand in mine, and did not let her out of my sight for a moment. Great ranger though she was, Deirdre was still a child at heart and this was something alien to her understanding. The druid kept starting off in the direction of those things, as if his curiosity was piqued by them somehow, and I cautioned him to keep his eye on what lay before us. “If they are hostile, we do not want to provoke them, and staring is rude to most people, regardless of the species.” I cautioned, and the man agreed with me, stating: “Forgive me! I just got a bit lost in thought for a moment. But you are right, we should try to move ahead quickly and without drawing those creatures' attention.” and so we did, passing through several archways and into great gardens filled with flowers and plants grown wild with time's passing. The emerald crystals were set into the walls here, and provided a measure of illumination that our torches activated in them. “They seemed to fear the light, so at least here we can be sure they will not follow us.” Irgollash explained, and in the corridors and hallways that followed... the crystals made our way easy to see by. These halls opened up into cavernous chambers where statues of towering dragons rose above us, set on pedestals of marble and carved from some kind of black stone. There were braziers that we were able to ignite, for the fuel in them remained flammable still, and those in turn caused the emeralds in the walls to light up, and soon the entire chamber was well lit, though with a peculiar greenish light that was faint but still odd to us. Dragons like those had not been seen on Earth since the days before the great cataclysm.
Deirdre looked upon the stone beasts with wonder in her eyes, and she smiled. “They are magnificent, and such beautiful creatures!” she exclaimed, and they truly were. Majestic was their likeness, and with no hint of evil or malice to them. “They are guardians, I would imagine.” remarked Irgollash as he went over to touch the statues and investigate them further. “Dragons.” I remarked, my tone indicating that I was remembering something from another life and another time. Deirdre picked up a jewel scepter that had been sitting upon a stone altar along with several other valuable, ceremonial objects. “This would be worth a great deal in any marketplace!” she cried, and her voice was filled with elation. “I doubt any are left here who would mind us taking them.” I agreed. For if the original inhabitants of this place had wished to keep such things, they would surely not have left them behind when they left the city to be reclaimed by nature. We took what we wished to, and placed them in cloth bags we brought with us for such an occasion. We then gave the bags to our bearers to carry, and resumed looking about that great chamber. Deirdre walked over towards a mural that filled an entire wall behind the altar, and I was at her side as we looked upon it together. I put my arm around her waist and held her closely. She did not mind, and smiled at me warmly before turning her attention back tot he mural. Then, as she regarded it, I saw tears streaming from her eyes. “Whatever is the matter, sweet one?” I asked her, and she told me what bothered her as she pointed to various figures depicted on the mural. And these were her words: “I know the language written in this mural, an old dialect but one my great grandfather used to speak and write in. Whoever lived in this place once... they were my people.” and as she read what was written on the mural, she began to cry and sob as she related the following: “It says here... 'And when it became to us, to the peoples of the Great Dream, most apparent that there was no way to return to the world of our origins, we settled here in the jungles of Ynys Eirian, guided hither by the spirit of the mother goddess Dana. Here we discovered a great city inhabited but a strange green-skinned people who claimed to be distantly related to us through our mutual ancestors. But over time, our cultures proved to be much too different to be easily reconciled, and so first we quarreled and then we fought, and wars came later to the island of Ynys Eirian. Over time, we forgot what we were fighting about! And because all we did was fight after a while, our two civilizations declined and fell into ruin. This mural has been raised in the last years of the final war, the war that shattered all we had made. Nothing remains to be saved, to be fought over, to be salvaged... gold and silver do not sing to us like they used to. And no longer do we or our enemies delight in the sparkling of the magic emeralds. We can see what is about to transpire, we can see ahead enough to know that this is the end for us all. Those of us with no desire to fight, of both our kindred races be they green of skin or otherwise, are coming together for the first time in ages! And we plan to use the ancient portal that is forbidden to ever be used... so that we can return to our world by a way that lies not over the sea. For the seas are perilous now, and the way over the waters is closed to us, those who knew its' secrets having died in the early days of our foolish wars. If you come hither, and if you should read these words and see the images that are coupled with them... know that we are are no more, and that this place is now a monument to our folly. Go back whence you came, and look not upon our works, which are bur rubble. Seek not our resting places, for they will be far from here. And help yourself to whatever treasures remain, for we need them no longer. May Dana bless you!' and there is no indication of who wrote this, but all the same my people once dwelt here. My people! Oh goddess, they are all gone, all gone... my grandfather must have been one of the survivors. Everyone always said he seemed strange! And he always had a haunted look in his eyes. Now I know why, now I know why...” and I held Deirdre close and comforted her as she wept for a long time after that. “Those reptilian people...” Irgollash explained to us after hearing the young girl relate what was written upon the great mural, “They must be the descendants of the green-skinned people the mural mentions. Many claim that certain races of ancient Elves, some of the most ancient of all, were descended from a race of reptilian beings who came to Earth from another world. These... must have become savage over time.”
“So that was the fate of those left behind here... a descent into savagery. How terrible!” I said, as I ran my hand through Deirdre's hair and caressed her cheek. “Thank you.” she whispered to me, and granted unto me a soft kiss on my lips. She seemed to be calm now, but her eyes seemed more haunted and a bit distant after learning the fate of her ancestors. “But why did they look like monsters?” I asked, and the druid told me as honestly as he could: “Over time, they seem to have gone back in their evolution, to a more primitive state. This is a very bad sign, because it means that this other world can cause things to physically change in order to match the mental state of those who dwell here... in essence, it will reveal a person's true nature the longer they are here. And the change appears to be irreversible! Else I cannot imagine those poor creatures choosing to remain the way they are now.” And we agreed that it would be wise to depart with all haste back over the sea to our own world, rather than risk being changed by this one in ways that might not be very pleasant. “We cannot know by what standards the gods of this world judge such things.” I explained, adding: “What is good and decent to us, may be less pleasing in their eyes. And I would not wish for us all to be transformed because of a philosophical difference over morality or ethics.” And so we packed up and made ready to set out once again, leaving that chamber and its' frightful revelations behind us. As we made our way back through the temple, the reptilian ones whom we saw before were no longer present, having skittered away to some corner of the building that was best avoided. We could hear hissing, clicking, and clacking noises occasionally, and guttural voices muttering things from the shadows every so often. But we kept our pace quick, and dared not look into those shadows to see what lurked therein. Deirdre was shaking with fear at times, her emotional state being already somewhat traumatized by learning what befell her ancient kin. Her hand was in mine all the way, and I knew that I could not bear for any ill to befall her, for something about her called to me on a deep level, and I knew it to be the first stirrings of love between us. As it was, she had no mother or father of her own, having lost both to sickness, and she had lived with me ever since she was very little indeed. Her great grandfather came over sometimes to visit, but the visits were rare and one day they stopped altogether. I was her guardian, but this adventure and our affections towards each other during it, had changed things in ways that we had not the time to ponder. We found such change to be welcome, and it was for us the natural evolution of our relationship. The druid noticed this, and smiled.
We emerged from the temple into the night air, and there was a certain chill about the jungle. For this was indeed no longer a forest but a massive jungle that spread out in every imaginable direction. Worse still, the path we had cleared through the underbrush before, appeared to be overgrown now! For it did not matter where we searched, we could find no trace of it. “This is very bad!” I exclaimed, and Deirdre could not even discover by what way we had come. She told me: “The path we made before is lost. We will have to brave a new path if we are to return whence we came... but it should be possible since I do remember that this part of the temple's exterior was perfectly aligned with the direction of true north.” She produced a lodestone compass that she carried with her at all times, and sure enough she was right about the direction of the temple. “I kept us on a northerly course the whole way here... so all we have to do is just go back south and that should take us back to the shore, and our ship.” I hugged her tightly and smiled as I said to her: “Deirdre, my love! You are as brilliant as ever... let us make haste and soon leave this graveyard behind us.” and she stared into my eyes as we walked along, saying: “Your love? Very well then, father... that is what I shall be to you hence forth, and gladly!” and following that night she called me father no more, calling me beloved instead. As our party left those ruins behind us, and our steps carried us southward as quickly as possible, the druid Irgollash admitted to me the following: “When we spotted this island from the sea, there was no sign of any jungle here... it was all pine forests and nothing wilder than that. And yet, here we are! And this jungle seems a great deal larger than it was when we first entered it, with no pine trees to be seen anywhere. Only these tall, gnarled trees instead!”
And he was right. The trees were all only towering jungle trees, with broad leafy canopies high above us! We had passed through a pine forest to enter this jungle... only now, there was no such forest to be seen. And it was night, and all should have been dark, but there was some sort of illumination about the trees and plants of this jungle that made it possible to see clearly and for a great distance no matter what direction one looked off in. The jungle was enchanted, and why we had not noticed this previously, we could not guess. It was like the whole place was changing, shifting, altering itself more and more as our time within it was going on. We passed through several stretches that were unfamiliar compared to how we remembered the way we had come, and several ancient ruins that were not like those we had before seen were becoming increasingly visible in the denser foliage off the trail we were attempting to make through the jungle, looking like the phantoms of buildings of old more than anything solid. “Oh by all the gods of my ancestors! This place is haunted by the ghost of the ancient city itself.” cried the druid, and I could not deny that this was strange beyond reason. “Just focus on trying to get back to the ship!” I instructed him sternly, my voice betraying a bit a agitation regarding our situation. My heartbeat was thundering as we walked at so brisk a pace, and I dared not look back northward. For I had a feeling, a slight feeling in my heart, that had I gazed that way I might have witnessed the very landscape itself in the process of shifting and changing. And therein, lies madness! There was no end to the jungle though and we never again so much as spotted the pine forest. Instead, the jungle continued all the way to the very shore in the distance, which we could see through the trees ahead of us. But before we could hope to emerge from the jungle and unto the sands of the shoreline, the reptilian creatures from the ruins did emerge from the shadows before us, and they were led by an exceptionally tall woman who was naked except for a long black silken skirt. She had a headdress made from bones, and her skin was as pale and white as freshly fallen snow in the wintertime is. Her eyes were a strange shade of violet that seemed to be almost glowing with a weird, faint ethereal light, and her hair was jet black and curly, cascading all the way to her ankles like a great ebony cloak. The woman strode before us, approaching us with an air of caution that was not unlike the cautious curiosity displayed by certain animals when encountering a person in the wild for the first time. But her gaze showed an odd sort of recognition when she looked upon us, and she spoke to us in a language that was very antiquated for the time, and yet we could all understand her well enough. She said, her voice guttural and harsh: “From old Kalaborea we came, in following a dream that led us hither! From Kalaborea we fled, and some fled from the place some call Atlantis, but which by another name we called it when there we lived, however unwillingly we so lived there. For Kalaborea's end had come, and then Atlantis' end had come, we kept on fleeing until at last a dream led us to this island. But the dream turned into a nightmare, and we may never now awaken from its' confines! In being led here, we were led astray, and we may never return whence we came. For the way is closed to us, and if we attempt to leave then we shall die! For the years pass differently here for those of us who were left behind, and now we too are different. You are different from us! And yet in you I sense and see a hint of the old, of the familiar from before we were changed. What do you seek by coming to this accursed island? Or did you think that all the borders of the Faerie world were safe for the crossing! Most are perilous, and must never be crossed... for the way to the blessed regions is hard to discover, and those who dwell there do not come to this part of the world. For here, there be those of my kind, who are outcasts! Unwelcome in the high courts of the ancient noble houses. Savages, they do call us, just as you called us savages... and yes, we heard you say it! Tell me, do I look savage to you? Feral, perhaps! Evil, maybe.” and I said to her, my voice betraying a hint of fear: “No, you do not look evil to me at all... just different from us is all. We sought to discover our distant kindred in this place, and perhaps to be welcomed by them, to learn what we could of this realm and its' peoples. So that on our return to our own world, we might be able to tell others what lay across these waters.” and the pale woman noticed our bags, and remarked; “You took those shiny things we don't need anymore. Good!”
She then explained: “So many died fighting over those shiny things in the past, we don't want them now. Too bad a thing to be reminded of, shameful things our ancestors all did! Shameful things we did. And we were punished, yes punished for our sins. And those sins were great! We sometimes even keep on punishing ourselves with ritual scarring and marks of pain. Care to see?” and she showed me how all up and down her arms and legs there were concentric series of scars in various ritualistic patterns. She then went on, saying: “Beauty means something different to us now! Beauty is here.” and when she said that, she thumped her fist to her breast. “We don't need it on the outside anymore. Outside, it can deceive! But inside, it is always true.” and her words were most wise despite her rough manner, her wild appearance, and her overtly bestial ways. Wiser than any spoken by the nobles of all the highest princely courts throughout all of Earth's history. For though we assumed these people to be savage at first, I now realized that they were primitive as much by choice as for any other reason, for they had no need of the things that had in their mind caused the ancient civilizations to fall into destruction. The wild woman regarded us in silence for some time after that, pacing back and forth sometimes on two legs and sometimes on all fours like an animal. Her reptilian companions moved in much the same way as she, and they appeared to be following her lead instinctively. She then said: “I watched you when you were in our home, and I saw you were only curious! Meaning us no harm. But I saw that you were afraid of how we look... but as you can see, we are not all looking like that. Some of us look like me! Like you. Only... pale like me. We live in the dark places now, in the shadows, and can see best in the dark. The light burns our eyes, hurts us now. You can still live in the light! So please, if you are able to cross the waters as we cannot... depart in peace and tell your people what you saw here. Tell them we are well! But that we wish to be left in peace, in the shadows.” and we agreed to do as the wild woman wished us to. I made every single one of my companions swear the same oath, to keep these peoples' existence a secret, to tell no one that they still lived on this island at all. They would remain in the dark places where they felt safe, and no one would come to harm them. This was their home now, and all in my party could see that in their own way these people were happy here. “You have our word, that no one shall ever learn that you are dwelling here! You will be left in peace.” I told her, and Irgollash, who had largely sponsored this entire expedition swore to her the same vow. And being a man of honor, I knew that the young druid meant what he said and would do what he promised. The wild woman then nodded in agreement and led her reptilian companions back into the jungle, back northwards again. We all breathed a sigh of relief once they were gone and the danger we feared had now passed. We could see the shoreline in the distance, closer than ever, and we made our way to it walking mostly in silence.
“The kindred of darkness, just like in the oldest stories! They existed in our world too, and came into a mighty prominence for a time, during the long years following the great cataclysm.” Irgollash said as we walked out of the vast jungle and back unto the sand and dirt of the shore. “But they were always a legend, a story our people tell their children as a warning of what we can become if we fall too far from the light.” And once the druid finished speaking, I said to him in reply: “And yet, they were not evil as they always are in those stories! There was light within their hearts, not darkness. I pity them, but at the same time I am happy for this group of them who lives here. They know nothing of war, strife, or hate of any kind... if anything, they are like children themselves.” and Deirdre looked me deeply in the eyes and said in agreement: “Same here! I mean, they are my blood kin, that group of them back there, the ones who call those ruins home. The ones that are not reptilian, I mean... the ones like that woman we spoke with. I might not be pale like her, I mean I am pretty dark skinned and all, but they would only be that pale from living underground for a long time... but what I mean is, meeting her felt like going back in time and meeting one of my ancestors from a time before they were civilized. She was a nice lady, all things considered! Gave us a decent break by not having her friends kill us all. I kind of liked her!”
And we all agreed that Deirdre was right, and that I had a point. We looked back one more time as we made our way to the part of the shoreline where we could see our ship waiting for us like a faithful and patient steed. I had not thought that we would ever set foot upon that vessel again! And as we did cast our gazes upon the island, looking back northward the way that we had just come... all was exactly as it had looked when we first arrived. The pine forests, the hills, the great mountain were all there. And not a trace of any sort of jungle could be seen! “The whole place is enchanted so you don't see its' true face until you're deep enough into the jungle for the glamour to fade. What we are seeing here, this is really all only an illusion.” said Irgollash, offering the only explanation that made any sense. He continued, adding: “Some tremendous power is at work here, and I would wager the source of it lies either on or under that mountain.” and as I gazed upon that mountain I was overcome with the enormity of all that had just transpired. I turned o the druid and said flatly: “My dear friend, as much as I know you would love to ferret out all of that mountain's secrets... we must leave them to the people who now call this place their home. And we must never return here again!” and something in the man snapped as I said that. His lower lip began to quiver, and tears filled his eyes. He looked at me peculiarly and said in a sad tone I had never heard from him before: “I know! And that is why I must remain behind. I have no one back home to care for, or who cares for me... and this is a chance to become a part of an unusual sort of living history. I keep thinking about what that woman said, about shiny things! I am wealthy, I have vast lands and a title... and I am lonely, unhappy, and many are jealous of my wealth and hate me because I have it. Keep my share of the treasure, give a good portion of it to Deirdre and take good care of her. I know you two love each other and will fare well in the years to come! I leave everything I have to the both of you, and give you this my signet ring to show to my steward back home. Tell him that I willed it to you, tell him that I perished. Tell him anything you like! But I am not going back... this is where I belong, where I have always belonged. The island calls to me, my sweet friend! And though I tried to resist that call, I can hear it still. One day, years from now, I will become like that woman and will have no further use for shiny things... but when you think of me and remember me, know that I am happy and at peace, in a place where the troubles of our own world are unknown. Fare you both well!” and he hugged me warmly, kissing me upon both cheeks. He then pat Deirdre upon her head and as fast as his legs could carry him the young druid rushed off into the pine forests and was lost to our sight. I was close friends with him, but did not know him well, not like I knew my beloved Deirdre. But in time I would miss him all the same. “He was a good man, Irgollash. I hope he will be happy in this place.” I said as I turned the signet ring over in my hands several times, regarding it fondly. He had given it into my care just before rushing off, and now I was the owner of all his lands and the inheritor of his titles of nobility. Deirdre and I would want for nothing, for the rest of our lives. In time, I would myself be the one to sponsor adventurous expeditions to far away lands and places, and wherever I would journey to the beautiful young Deirdre would be at my side. We boarded our ship and set out once again across the waters of the great sea that stretched before us unto the distant horizon. The navigators had copies of all of the druid's charts and maps, and they were privy to the secret of how to cross between the worlds so that we could return to our own world safely once again. Deirdre and I looked out over the waters, and as the island of Ynys Eirian faded into the distance behind us I felt a sudden sense of relief, but also a sense of tremendous sorrow. I remarked on this to Deirdre as I said to her: “Sweet one, I wonder if in time the peoples of this world, of our world, might learn to value the true beauty that lies within every person's heart, and to care more about peace than power or wealth.” and she said to in reply, something that was wiser than the words of any druid I had ever spoken with. These were her words: “For so long as there are people, there will be those who covet wealth and power, and those who are shallow in their view of beauty. But there will also be people like you and I, who know where the true wealth lies, and what is really most important and valuable in life! That is good enough for me.” and she was correct.
Irgollash had become a great chieftain in time, and his mate was the white matriarch who ruled over all the northern jungles of Ynys Eirian, and all the subterranean kingdoms that lay beneath. He learned the secret of the sacred mountain, met the gods who dwell within it, and discovered the magic that kept all of the surface of the island cloaked in illusions and safe from outsiders. The machines of the gods, which were maintained throughout the ages by the metal men and women who served the gods, would continue to see to the island's safety and the security of its' inhabitants. The gods had no need of people to worship them, for their chief concern was observing the peoples of the island and recording both the history of that place and the lives of those who had come to be under their care. Within the observation window of the innermost sanctum, the chief scientist stood watch from the facility within the mountain, as the viewing screen behind the window displayed a view of the inside of the ancient ruined temple in the jungle. She was an exceedingly tall and imperious looking woman who had long, straight hair that was platinum blonde in color, with neatly trimmed bangs just above her ever so immaculately shaped eyebrows. Her hair fell like a bright curtain all the way down to her ankles, but was trimmed so neatly that it did not ever really get in her face to become a hassle. She had sharp features, and some had told her that her smile was cold to look upon. She was slender, thin boned, and ethereal in her white pantsuit and jacket. Her shoes were fancy dress shoes of the highest quality, and though her closet had a great many different colors and styles of clothing... she felt that white often suited her best of all. She was a long way from her home in the Aldebaran star system, but as a member of the Vril race she owed it to her people to oversee their projects on any and all worlds that required them to be maintained. She was not the only one to run facilities like this one, and far from the only one worshiped as a goddess by the primitive peoples who chanced to discover her presence. They regarded technology as magic for the most part, and it was easy to send them upon their way with promises of granting boons to make their rough lives easier to bear. In her case, she granted food and essential supplies to the natives, who in turn informed her of their own dealings with outsiders. She owed it to these people to keep them happy and content... after all, they were her kin even if they knew it not. The El'vril had for many generations now begun to refer to themselves and their people by a corrupted form of their original, correct name. And that is how the term Elves came into being. And even here, in this other world, they used that odd term for themselves, having long since forgotten the Vril who were their ancient kin. And the reptilian Kolabi, those they had confused for demons more oft than not... regarding the green-skinned race as a threat to them when oft they met over the years that had become centuries. If they only knew that of old the El'vril had only come into existence at all due to a genetic experiment in which some of the Vril and some of the Kolabi were by certain scientists and geneticists combined into a single race who had what was believed to be the best traits of both. It broke the chief scientist of the island's heart, when she was ordered to devolve the native inhabitants of the island to a previous evolutionary state in order to keep them from engaging in a savagely genocidal war that would have destroyed them utterly and eventually even compromised the Vril facility within the mountain. “Primitive does not equal savage.” was always a statement that the chief scientist had a tremendous liking for, for there was a great deal of truth behind those words. She muttered to herself, musing over this: “Give any advanced peoples enough weapons, and enough of an excuse to use them, and they will always resort to savagery. How disturbing, yet how ironic at the same time!” and she sighed, watching the primitive El'vril and the primitive Kolabi as they worked together in the ruined temple and in their underground homes beneath it. They were all living in harmony, cooperating, loving, and existing as a single people without any boundaries or prejudices to come between anybody. “Fascinating!” the chief scientist remarked, having a sudden epiphany. For the first time since it was decided to close some of the garden colonies, she was happy with the progress of a sentient race that she had a hand in the creation of. And with the progress of her hermaphrodite twin, who for the first time since being made mortal was set on a path towards not just love, but redemption.
Published 6th Nov 2022
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