Tribal Instinct - CH 4: Maybe the skies are meant to be cut apart

I. “Call forth the souls of the mirror and raise their weapons for the truth”

“Time is like a river, and life dwells in it. You are just a leaf, taken by the currents on whatever path the water flows to. However, water will not flow in one river bed, for it will spread into branches, it will intersect back, it is endless and imperceivable. Events lie in time, like stones in a river. Some are covered by other stones, so you can’t see them. Some will never be seen. If you throw a stone in the water, the currents will waver and find a new way, taking the leaf with them on a new path, sending you on a new timeline. All that exists flows in the river, and all that does not exist is simply not there. All life will flow along the river. But all life has its own time, and time is limited. You will eventually be ripped out of it.

When one dies, their existence comes to an end. But that does not mean they are inexistent now. They are simply pulled out of the river. They become part of Neant. A weak soul will believe to be still part of the river, and keep flowing along, sometimes caught in a loop as they cannot flow too far. Some will be aware of their death, pulled out, staring at the river, falling into oblivion. Some are stuck in the river despite knowing of their own death, unable to leave. Only a handful can look down at the river and acknowledge every stone, jump in the water and pull themselves out, and pick another place to flow from. But that does not mean they can see and perceive the vastness of time, they can only know what they can cover with their eyes. The stones that lie under, will remain unknown to them. And branches that spread too far will be unseen. 

I’ve seen the flow of the branch you float on. What Drakon wants to do - it is not meant to happen. That stone is not meant to be thrown. The sun will bleed if that happens. Call forth the souls of the mirror and raise their weapons for the truth.”

* * *

II. “You are the only one who’s blade can cut through immortal flesh, so free those who are bound by it.”

“Slice off the bounds to the sky

Cut deep into the cores of immortal life

She’s bound by nothing but a strangers will

She has no part to play in her life.

Wouldn’t she want to own herself?

Why do they keep her tied in those chains… 

For vengeance alone, they cause more misery and distress that those who wronged them and they vowed to slaughter…

Did love have any part to play in this?

Love isn’t what drives them, so who’s the villain then?

You grifix must open your eyes…

You all know the touch of love, just as well as you know that of hatred

So judge for yourself, which one is better?

Look at the souls you are about the punish

Are they the ones who wronged you?

Young rabbit, know

You are the only one who’s blade can cut through immortal flesh, so free those who are bound by it.”

* * *

III. “Every shadow in the Forest of Darkness has a voice.”

“Shadows and lovers, curses and dreams

Hear out their prayers, listen to their screams!”

*

“How could they, how dare they? HOW DARE THEY STOP ME FROM FINDING MY HAPPINESS? They welcome me in this life, telling me that I must serve them, but this life is my own and I do not belong to any of them!  And when I try to find my freedom they dare try to take away my death??

And so I ran, and found what they wanted to find, and I wanted to bring it back to them, so they could let me live free, and she dares to END MY LIFE? WHO IS SHE TO HAVE THE RIGHT OVER ME?

And when I thought I found salvation I found myself unable to leave, for the gates of Heaven are guarded by those who enslaved me in the first place? And if I go in, I’ll be their slave once again!

And so I have to spend my eternity in this place filled with dirty criminals! The lowest of the low!

It is all their fault! I hate them! I’ll make them pay! I’ll earn my place in the heavens!

This place was created all because of them, and this place will bring their demise.

They must not forget that every shadow in the Forest of Darkness has a voice.”

* * *

IV. “Maybe the skies are meant to be cut apart.”

The little filly looked at the stallion by the fire. He was quite young, but looked like a 60 year old. He looked so healthy back in her first memory… only a few years ago. But he grew so old in such a short time… all because of them, he stressed so much it felt like ages to him. Yet he was there, turning his head to her and smiling.

“Gemstone, dear, would you be so sweet so pass me the kettle? The fire is ready, I just have to boil the water so I can make the tea.” 

Gemstone passed the kettle over to him. She wondered what was in his mind. She found it so strange that he could smile like that in front of her and act as if nothing was wrong. He lost his village, and then he got exiled by his friends. They were alone in the forest. How could they ever survive?

He gently mixed some herbs into the water with a stick. He looked so peaceful.

“He must hurt so much inside” she thought. 

A few years ago, when Starla’s Kingdom had to relocate, a group of grifix was left behind. Triton was one of them. The Stars tried to help them get together with the other grifix, but there was no one to hear their prophecies in that group, so they couldn’t do anything for the moment. The only way to pass on a message was by sending a soul among them. So when the first grifix was born in the newly founded tribe, she incarnated in it. She had one duty, to help them reach the Village in the Everfree. But she only found hostility among them. They hated Starla and wished for revenge. All but Triton. Not long ago, he dared to speak, and Gemstone tried to help him convince them, she told them that she came from the stars and can guide them back to Starla, but only if they would give up all hostility. But they did not. They tried to make her speak, and tell them where Starla was but she kept her mouth shut. In the end, Triton and her got exiled.

*

Gemstone looked down at the five grifix gathered around the campfire. She felt it coming - all grifix in the Forest of Darkness did. A war like it hasn’t been seen before. Spirits were swarming around the five. Ancient prophecies echoed around the woods, words that none could remember, yet some found them in the oblivion of death and came to speak them. All words spoke of five heroes that would save them, pull them out of the Forest of Darkness and  shoot them to the sky, make them remember their lives and open the gates of heavens. 

“Perhaps I should’ve guided them to Starla back then. A war would’ve broken out, but they had no force and it would’ve been over in no time. And then, all this death and despair wouldn’t have happened. The souls would’ve been free to soar in the sky. A war this big would have never occurred. But now their weapons await to reap this world apart, destroy the barriers of death and life and shake the heavens until all those who reside there will fall, crushing to the ground. But maybe this was just meant to be. Maybe the skies are meant to be cut apart.”

* * *

V. “My forest will one day eat away the stars”

All the space between the sky

All that lies between Heaven and Earth

The space one needs to travel

In order to arrive to the stars from the dark forest of shadows,

Was spreading out, bigger by the day. 

Never will the Sky and the Forest be so close, for they are falling farther and farther apart.

The darkness from the Forest of Shadows was meeting with the darkness of the Night Sky

And they were mixing together, swirling and waving and they were dissolving into Neant.

A figure was sitting in the middle of it all. Mighty and strong like a bear, but darkness was flourishing around him.

Another figure walked up to him. Small, weak, helpless. But another type of darkness, opposing the other figure’s darkness, spread out from him. 

“So you came, Triton.” Spoke the King, the first figure. “Will you come join us, so we can reap the skies apart, or will you be slayed by our hooves?”

“I have come, yes, but not for what you might think. For you have forgotten the meaning of love and forgiveness, and see not further than the paw you’re about to lay your next step with. You are no king to me! Only one is my ruler, and that is who you wish to slaughter. You should be careful, Pine, for you might fall if you don’t look ahead of your steps!”

“You dare to threaten me, you pest? Me, who wields power greater than the stars? Me, who built an empire from nothing but resentment? They closed the gates of the heavens so that I could not walk in, and so I built a new heaven, only for my own, brighter and greater than theirs! And empire in the sky, only mine to rule over! And yet you dare tell me to watch my steps for I might fall? I will slaughter you all, maggots who dare disobey me! That Forest you have built for your own, shall crumble under my claws!”

“You speak of your mightiness, yet it is all a palace built in your mind, a world of illusions! Your heaven is no different than my forest. And just like you control everything in your heaven, all that dwells in the Forest of Shadows is mine, and mine alone! And so the waters, trees and grass will listen to my voice and my voice only! You think you can slaughter all I have built here on my own? Humble yourself! The moment you set foot in my forest you’ll be a dead soul! The darkness in my forest will consume you away, and your heaven will crumble! This is a warning, not a threat! Go back to where you came from. Our war is yet to come. And my forest will one day eat away the stars.”

* * *

The spirits howl the words of ancient prophecies

They speak of five heroes of the past, 

Grifix that lost their place in the heavens because they refused to accept his law, 

Grifix bound by love and happiness to a life they never lived.

They wield great powers, meant to destroy his kingdom.

When the war in the stars begins, they will unite the living and break the sky into pieces. They’ll close the gap in the stars and the Heavens will fall in the Forest of Darkness and salvation will come to all trapped there.

Spirits fallen into oblivion will remember love and happiness, and they will be free to run through the Fields in the Stars.