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A Guild Vision -- Part OneI close my eyes in silent prayer as I kneel before this, our sacred altar. I pray for the vision, the dream; to be visited by the spirits of those who have travelled my path before me, to speak with my elders. My heartbeat slows to match my breath, and my body begins to sway slowly to the rhythm of my soul as the dream begins to overcome me... Deep inside of my own consciousness, I open my eyes. A fog has set down over the translucent altar, spewing forth from all that is revered within this chapel. A shadowy man steps from beyond my vision's reach and gazes down upon me with his unseen eyes. I have met him many times in this dream, and yet I have never seen him or discovered who he is, for the shadows cling to him wherever he turns. "So, you have returned, young one? It is good to see your persistence. It is echoed in the halls that I traverse now that today shall be the day you will reach the end of your journey. And so, I will finally reveal my identity to you: My name was Again, and I was one of the first of the mortals to become Knight Guild Master here in the realms of the Three Kingdoms. You have always met with me first on your quest, because I was your first leader, and yet I, myself, did not accomplish what you seek. I never made it to the end of the dreamquest you are on... and so today, I finally will bid you well, bid you luck, and hope that you find the answer for which we both have searched." With that, he slowly fades from sight, retreating into whatever Netherworld he inhabits now. Next I know I will see Gama, Infinite Gama, the first of the visionaries, a legend within the guild, greatly honoured and praised. Strangely though, he has never spoken to me. I think that perhaps his tie to the Three Kingdoms has been weakened by some ignoble force, disallowing communication with him. He smiles at me softly. I remain kneeling before the altar and look up at him. His face has grown dim since last I saw him here in the hall. I think the reason his presence has weakened, and why Again is nothing but a shadow to me... so long ago they were our cornerstones. Gama touches the sword I hold in front of me and shakes his head briefly, then kneels facing me, taking my hand in his. He brings them to his chest and forehead and smiles again. Blinking slowly, as if to tell me silently that he has imparted all the wisdom he has, he lets loose my hand and fades from sight. These two I know well from my dream, for I have travelled thus far before. I close my eyes in prayer again, awaiting my great-grandfather, Mos. I can see his old frame before me, strengthened by the wizard's robes he wears. Like Again and Gama, his tie has become weak, but his words are always clear and sharp in my mind, as though I were able to speak with him awake. "Welcome back daughter," he whispers to me. He hoists himself upon the altar, and becomes comfortable. My great-grandfather does not intimidate me as once he did, I just wish that I could see him more often to tell him, to thank him for all that he passed on through our lineage. "I see that much has happened since last we connected in dream. You know, our guild has seen its ups and downs, but I would have to say that those who have attained what you seek in this dreamscape are always strong and dedicated, and have always been a guiding force out of those times. They have taken away the demons that haunt us, replacing them with beauty, contentment, as well as honour. To have vision is to be a leader, role model, and teacher to all others. It means going beyond your own ego and self to achieve something greater. Vision can only be achieved with a great deal of experience within the halls of our guild, but always remember that those experiences are not enough... there's got to be more to you than that." He turns his head sharply to the back of the chapel, away from me. Behind him stands another old member, full of wisdom, and always ready with a girn or two. Mos stands back on his feet, and walks over to meet Doran, another former Knight Guild Master, but one whose tie to the realms is strong and potent. Seeing him here always makes me smile, a member of the old guard who befriended me as an young knight before I really knew who he was and had been. "You know I think you're just being silly, Saf," he mutters, shaking his head at me. "You know, there's no real power in it all, but I hold it with great pride that King Timescape sees me fit to represent some of the guild's elite. Visionary status is a recognition, a sign of respect, especially the respect from the great father of our guild. It all started with Gama... he had a vision. A vision in which knights helped each other, filled the box to benefit others, came to the aid of fallen comrades, came to the aid of wounded brother and sisters. The key was that he did it all out of the love he had for the knights guild. We had our share of bad knights in the past, but Gama saw beyond that and gave each their fair chance. To me, Gama is the epitome of honour, and I study all that he did to try to become half the knight that he was. You know, he was such a strong presence... he never had to speak to get his message of selflessness across, because it just shone through. "But, then again, why don't we ask..... " he looks over my right shoulder, and smiles in greeting. I bow my head, and close my eyes, not wanting to turn my head and possibly interupt my prayer. This is as far as my dream has gone before, and I don't want to lose it now... not after the words Again spoke to me. I feel a hand on my shoulder, and look up to see Stu standing before me. He kneels facing me, coming eye to eye with me, so that his words will strike me closer to my heart and head. "Before I say anything, just know one very important thing. We are all knights, none better than the other. There are no little people, none who deserve more, none who are more grand." There is an intense fire that burns in his eyes now, the same fire I see light up in him every time he mentions the word 'honour'. "Have you yet benefitted from talking with the shadows from our past?" I nod, and he smiles. "That's good to hear. Because there isn't really much that I can tell you. To me, a visionary is a cut above the rest, someone who is a visionary for the guild, who promotes the guild rather than themselves. As I always say, true honour is found through unselfish acts. And perhaps, that's the key to having ," he muses. Winking at me, after telling me where the heart of honour lies _again_, he looks up, and I follow his gaze. Mos has vanished into those strange halls where Again and Gama reside, yet Doran is still standing over us. "There's one other that has to arrive before we leave," Doran explains. "There are three past and present KGMs still active in the guild, and the third is on his way. While we wait... " Breaking his words, there is a sudden noise from my right. Another shadowy man comes through the fog into sight. He carries about him the stench of death and dishonour. As even the knights of the dark path carry the air of honour about them, this man is all that we strive not to be. I am chill to my bones, and frightened. Stu and Doran stare at him, and yet they part before him, allowing passage to his destination: me. "So, young Safeire, you have made it far into your visionquest," he whispers below sound, but I can hear him echoing in my mind. His presence is strong, but his tie is weak like Again's. He reaches out dark gloved hand and brushes it against my cheek. Recoiling in horror from the touch of true evil, he reminds me of an eclipse, of a grave, of all that I fight against. His eyes radiate hatred through his shadowed face, but I feel somehow compelled to follow this man's wishes. "Do you want to know what the true secret is behind vision, Safeire?" he asks slowly. I nod my head hesitantly. "It's power. That's what being a visionary is all about... that's what this guild is all about. It's all about power. From the respect they would give you, you gain power. In their blindness they would follow you anywhere, and that is power. They would attempt to become like you, to be all that you are, you would be a hero in their eyes, and that is power. Do you understand?" I break his stare and look to Stu and Doran for guidance, but they are gone. I am alone with this man whom I fear, and yet feel some strange bond with. I wish to open my mouth and tell him that he's wrong, that I don't understand, or to ask him who and what he is. I cannot bear to look back at this man, for I am terrified of what his soul could do mine if I gave him the chance. "You know," begins a friendly voice coming from my left, "I was going to come here and tell you that vision is honour, helpfulness, and devotion to the guild. But I know you know that." My mind is still racing after that dark man talking to me, and I can still feel his breath on my neck, he is so close to me, but this new man speaks like the dark one is not there. "The other thing I was going to come and tell you was just a reminder, something that I would assume you already knew." I take a deep breath, and concentrate on the new voice. "There is no ascension to greater power with Visionary status, it's just a name given to those who are recognized for the reasons everyone else is telling you about." I can feel the new man coming closer to me, a warmth and strength coming from him, giving me courage. "Actually, I would say it's just being old and honourable," comes another voice, flippant in tone, from my right. Beyond the death and dishonour of the dark man who kneels with me, I can feel the newer also bears great evil, but evil with honour and valour. The two new walk behind the altar, staring at me, feeding me courage and knowledge unspoken. I stare back at them, not seeing them for long moments, my eyes clouded with tears. Slowly, my vision clears, and I see that it is Zorak and Phillipau standing there. Still paralyzed with fear, I bow my head again, and my right hand grips tighter around the pommel of my upright sword that I hold in front of me. For brief moments, all is still. No noise is made, no wind stirs the fog, no light shines upon the altar. All that I feel are fear of what may happen, determination to finish my quest, and the chilling breath of a man not of this realm upon my neck. With one deep breath, I decide, and am on my feet, eyes closed tight, sword slicing through where I would guess the dark man's neck would be. And then I collapse and it all fades to black..... To Part Two.
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Last updated: July 28, 2000
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