The Legends of Ankash Part II

A

In the Age of Giants¹, before the rise of the prophets, no sentient was protected from devour. Only upon the glades of Ankash, did the light of the lord shine, for the giants dared not enter the glades.

B

And in the Agen of Giants, the vast desert separated the lands of the settlement-tribes² from the glades of Ankash. And in the vast desert lived the tribes of Gufam.

C

The Gufams knew the art of survival, for they knew the lords and walked the path of heat.

D

And still, at night, when the cooling was upon the desert, none could survive the onslaught. The giants, children of Onf, roamed the land and feasted upon its dwellers. Some hid in the holes and were saved. Some were not so fortuitous.

E

And when the tribe of Mazesh, nomads of the far east, was attacked by the children of Onf, two Gufams fled to Ankash along with their infant daughter.

F

At the entrance to the woods of Ankash stood a Yanur, a speaker for the lords upon the lands.

To the Yanur, the two Gufams of the tribe of Mazesh said:

Move away, mighty beast, for we seek refuge in the glades of our lord.

To the Gufams, the Yanur spoke the words of Farfa:

We are sorry, desert dwellers, your path does not lead you past this noble creature who speaks Our words. You shall not enter this place of light, for you have chosen the path of heat. In these hot lands you shall live, for We have gifted you with endurance and knowledge of the land. Walk Our path, walk it blindly and Our light shall ever shine upon you, and you shall suffer no harm.

The two Gufams prostrated themselves in front of the Yanur, for they knew it spoke the words of their lords. And still, they dreaded the devour and did not wish this dread upon their offspring.

To the lords, the Gufams pleaded:

Then, in thy mercy, allow refuge to the girl, she has yet to walk any path upon these lands.

The Yanur spoke once more:

Very well, she shall be a protector of these glades and her name shall be Branf of Gufam.

G

And at this same time, Tanf of Ankash, the wood-keeper with no seed, locked herself away in a tower, for she was ashamed and embarrassed. And lonely and mournful, she awaited her death.

H

And so it was that young Branf of Gufam was brought before Tanf of Ankash, and the wood-keeper was elated.

With eyes full of tears, she exclaimed to the lords:

Blessed are we and blessed are all who seek guidance in Farfa, for we are ever heard and we are ever seen.

I

And so the Gufam child lived with Tanf in the tower and learned the ways of the forest.

J

Branf grew and, as she grew, she learned the ways of the forest. Upon the trees, she set up tents for the guests of their glade. The branches of the trees stretched forth and spread across the glade and collided with the tower, and so the tower and the woods were connected.

From across the land of Ankash, wood-keepers of every glade voyaged to the tower of Tanf, for they had heard of the miracle of the seedless mother. And in the hall of the tower, sitting on sofas, the wood-keepers spread rumours from across the glades. And so it was that Branf came to know the glades beyond her own only through rumours.

K

The Age of Giants did not pass over Ankash. Still Tanf and Branf hid in the tower and were safe from harm, for the light of Farfa protected the glades.

L

And the day came when Tanf called for her daughter Branf to join her at the top of the tower. With a horizon-lens³ the wood-keeper watched a nearby glade, and in this glade stood a single hut.

To Tanf, the daughter said:

Why are we watching the glades of others? Have we no hope left for our own glade?

To the daughter, Tanf said:

Look, daughter, behold the light of our lords emanating from this glade.

Branf looked through the horizon-lens and saw it to be true. To Tanf, she said:

It is indeed a glade of true light, mother.

Tanf replied:

Consider this light sacred and ever walk the path that will lead you to this light, for a prophet was born in Ankash today, a prophet of our lords.

M

The tower of Tanf was like a tree trunk made of bricks and stood at the centre of the glade. It was an epicentre for knowledge. And from this tower, knowledge was spread across every glade of Ankash.

N

All the residents of Ankash knew Tanf and Tanf knew of every action in every glade.

O

And so, Branf, born of the seed of Gufams, daughter of Tanf, a true wood-keeper was she. And the strongest and bravest warrior in Ankash, the likes of which had not been seen since the days of the great usherer of residence⁴. Her temper warm, she enjoyed the ground, the plants - the beauty of the glade. Yet, she did not bear the name wood-keeper, for she felt ever alone, ever a stranger in the glades. She craved the company of others, yet the guests in the tower were old and spoke of events that she hardly comprehended. And her mother spent ever more time at the top of the tower, accruing knowledge of the glades.

P

One night, after all the guests had left the glade, Tanf said:

Daughter, let us offer our thanks to the lords. Let us show our gratitude for all that has been, is and will be. For we were reborn⁵ when Their light brought you to this glade.

Branf climbed the tallest tree in the glade and raised her arms. Her fingers pointed to the spheres and her nails glowed in their ethereal light. From the top of the woods Branf could see every glade and beyond every glade. So too, did she see the vast Gufam desert from whence she came. Mesmerised, she observed the endless amassing of sand, illuminated by the celestial glow of the night sky.

To the lords, the daughter of Gufam spoke:

Great lords above, we are ever grateful for all that ye have placed before us. For this residence, for our actions upon these lands, for thy flare which shall ever burn in our internal organs. May thy undying light illuminate every land so that none may know the shadow.

Q

And the branch cracked under the feet of the daughter of Gufam. She straightened her arms to take hold of another branch, yet it too broke and she was falling.

R

Branf groaned as she the collided with the glade’s hard soil. Tree branches fell around her. And the tree tops were a dome of leaves with a gap where these fallen branches had once hung. Dazed and staggered, she gazed at the night spheres through this gap. The lords called upon her to walk Their path. And the glade, silent, dimly lit and full of pain it was. Aching, Branf rose and stared at the window at the top of the tower.

S

By the window, Tanf stood and to Branf, she said:

Daughter, you must leave this glade at once, for it is the will of the lords. You were given a path and you must walk it, for it is the path of the lord of light.

Branf looked up at the tower and cried:

Why, mother? Why must I be fated to wander beyond our glade? With no home, no residence, I would be ever alone. Yet, haven’t I been lonesome for long enough?

And the glade was silent until the voice of Tanf, warm and soft it was, echoed throughout the glade.

To Branf, Tanf said:

You are never alone, child, for you know the lords. They are ever present in these glades. You are a true wood-keeper, my child, go forth and explore these glades. Let the light of the lords be your guide, go forth and find a glade to call your own. A glade which you shall ever guard and protect with your life. Still, I shall remain here in my tower, for I can only know the glades through my eyes and ears and through the power of rumour. While you, child, you shall know all the glades through the touch of your feet upon the soil.

T

Tears filled the eyes of Branf. Her vision was blurred, yet her walk was steady and she did not fall again, for she was guided by Farfa.

As her daughter left the glade, to the lords, Tanf said:

May thy light lead her to the prophet, for she too seeks knowledge and in thy presence she shall find it.

U

Throughout entire cycles of light, Branf travelled through the land of Ankash and though her eyes knew only fragments of the path she walked, her feet knew the land. Yet, agony⁶ was ever upon her. Tears drenched the eyes of all who met her gaze, for all residents of Ankash knew about the unending tribulations of Branf of Gufam. At night she would climb the tops of trees and eat the fruit of the Gutus⁷ and the Futaz⁸. The light of night spheres guided her and she was ever in motion.

V

She gazed at the treetops of a glade, from which a cloud of flying creatures jumped and glided and swam through the air. As she entered the glade of Tsanf, Branf stood frozen and mesmerised. The old wood-keeper smiled at her guest, such a delight it was to see her tearless, basking in the sights of the glade.

To Branf, she said:

Daughter of Gufam, we meet again. Not in the shadows of the tower, but under the beams of our lord of light. I see that Their light has led you here, for you walk Their path throughout these lands.

Behind Tsanf, wood-keeper of the glade of flying creatures, stood another wood-keeper. Young and vigorous, she watched Branf with an unguarded, rapt attention. Wood-keeper Lanf, daughter of wood-keeper Tsanf, stubborn and jealous was she, for she too ever wished to travel the glades.

To her mother, Lanf said:

If the path of Branf is the path of our lord of light, then I shall too walk it, as our ancestors did in ages past.

For a long while Tsanf pondered.

To Lanf, she finally said:

Perhaps it is time for you too to follow your desires and truly know these glades we have vowed to protect. Still, we must consider the desires of the one who walks this path for so long and so devoutly.

To Branf, wood-keeper Tsanf asked:

Branf of Gufam, has solitude served you well in your journey, or might it be time to walk beside another?

With a bashful smile, Branf said:

The lords are kind, for They have bestowed upon me a companion, and I shall walk alone no longer.

And wood-keeper Lanf joined the young Gufam and together they voyaged through the woods. The pace of their journey decreased, for they no longer explored merely the glades. Indeed, the two explored one another.

W

Together Branf and Lanf walked together for cycles of the land. And so, they came across the glade of Danf, where no trees grew to cast shadows on the dry soil. Wood-keeper Danf taught the travellers how to erect tents and hunt with spikes. And Branf was a true Gufam once more, for Danf’s glade was desert land. She rejoiced in the warmth of the sand against her skin, the daughter of Gufam had never seemed more exhilarated. And at night the desert shined, illuminated by the night spheres. In their tent, Branf and Lanf laid together and their seeds touched. In the heat of the desert, the tears in the eyes of the Gufam evaporated.

X

Still, true residence was never upon the daughter of Gufam. With Lanf her companion still, she left the desert, for Lanf was sweating and struggled for air in the heat of the desert glade. Together, they returned to the woodland glades and Branf set up a tent which hung from the tree tops. She laid Lanf in the tent and fed her the fruit of the Gutus and Lanf was healed.

Y

In this long and narrow glade, the two lived. And agony loosened its grip on the daughter of Gufam, for she was at last in her true residence - a glade of her own.

Z

And all the while, the prophet walked the glades of Ankash. He knew Ankash, for he knew the lords and walked Their path of light and the prophecy was upon him. He spread the prophecy around the glades, and all knew that Ankash would soon combust and every land would be desert. Tears flooded the eyes of the Gufam once more, yet tears were not enough to extinguish the flames that engulfed the glade.

AA

And in their glade of residence, the two wood-keepers spoke of the prophecy.

To Branf, Lanf said:

Dearest Branf, we must leave these lands, you have heard the words of the prophet. If we remain in the glades, we shall be but ash, the wind will carry us away and no residence shall be upon us.

To Lanf, Branf said:

We have vowed to protect these glades with our lives. If you walk away, you are a traitor, no better than the wicked Hanf who brought this calamity upon us.

Once more Branf’s vision was hazed, for Lanf hearkened the words of the prophet and from their glade she departed. And once more Branf walked the path alone, back to the tower of her mother Tanf, for she was no slave to the prophecy. She wa both Gufam and a true keeper of the woods.

AB

Branf saw much death and destruction during this cycle of light. Between flames and fallen trees she walked as the land trembled, for giants too walked upon it. She followed the flames and the remains of dead giants to the glade of the tower. When she reached the tower of Tanf she saw it was too engulfed in flames. Exhausted the young wood-keeper was and yearned for the end of the brutality.

To the giants, she pleaded:

Let my mother leave, for she has done you no harm.

From the woods the prophet emerged.

He heard her words and to the giants, he said:

Let her words be a command upon you or perish.

The giants did not heed the words of the prophet and were no more, and still, in the burning tower, the wood-keeper Tanf was protected from the flames, for the lords are kind.

And Branf knew the prophecy was upon the land and she yielded herself to words of the prophet, for she knew the lords are upon him.

The prophet guided Branf to the desert glade of Danf. She saw the woods around her burn. The leaves, the branches, the stems and roots - all burned. She waited by the cave until her mother Tanf appeared. The mother-wood-keeper embraced her daughter and the two cried, for their home was in flames. Still, even with eyes full of tears, they could see the woods around them wither away until they were but ash. And in the distance, the tower, it too burned, and all was ashes upon the endless desert. Branf looked in anger at the blaze, a child of the desert, unfazed by the heat. Yet Tanf fainted in the presence of the true heat of the lords. The wrath of Farfa was immense that cycle of light, for betrayal⁹ walked upon Their land of light.

AC

The war has come to an end. The land of the glades was desert. Gone were the trees, gone were the Nergat, gone were the fruits of the Gutus and the Futaz. And so the prophet left and journeyed to the city of Holath. In the desert the wood-keepers remained and so did Branf, for even with no plants in sight and nothing but ash and sand, she was ever a wood-keeper. And Branf watched the prophet leave and was filled with envy, for she knew she had strayed from the path of light and she would no longer travel for many cycles of the land.

AD

The wood-keepers planted new woods to keep. Tree by tree, they built the glades of Ankash anew. Branf built a new tower for her mother, and wood-keepers, young and old, came from every direction to learn the knowledge of Tanf.

AE

And Tanf grew old and frail. She could no longer walk and she lay on her sofa at the top of her tower. She pointed at the horizon-lens. Branf looked through it and saw the new glades of Ankash, so small and insignificant they seemed to her now. Around them, an ocean of sand.

To Tanf, her daughter said:

Should I look beyond these glades? Is all hope lost for these lands?

Tired and weak, Tanf whispered:

Behold, daughter, the light of our lord shines upon the city of Holath.

Branf said:

It is indeed a city of true light, mother.

Her breathing heavy, Tanf said:

The prophet resides in Holath, child. Bring him to me, I must see him one last time before I perish. Walk the path, daughter, and bring him back to Ankash.

AF

Branf followed the light until the woods once more met the desert sand. At the edge of the glade stood a Yanur, speaker for the lords.

To Branf, the Yanur said:

State your business, wood-keeper.

Before the Yanur, Branf bowed and said:

Great and noble creature of the land, I am but a humble follower of the light of our lords. I must leave with haste to the city of Holath. I must retrieve the prophet, for he must return to Ankash. Oh noble creature, may I mount you and ride swiftly through the desert with the might of your hulking legs?

The Yanur spoke the words of Farfa:

Very well, wood-keeper, you may ride to Holath. Yet, be warned - were you to enter the gates of the city, you may then never leave. And still We must wonder, keeper of woods, were We to deny you the aid of this beast that speaks before you, would you have walked for days in this coarse desert land?

Branf said:

I come from this desert. I come from Gufam. I do not cower in the presence of heat. If I must walk to Holath, then so be it. Still, I must act quickly, for my mother Tanf has little time left in the world of the sentients.

The Yanur accepted and Branf rode to Holath. For three cycles of light she rode the Yanur until the gates of Holath appeared before her.

AG

At the gates of Holath, sentients from every civilisation gathered, for the light of the lords guides all who seek knowledge. A Holathian, as tall as a Futaz tree, stood by the gate. He was larger than every sentient who requested entrance to the city and he refused entrance to all.

AH

To the guard, Branf spoke:

Great guardian of the city of light, I am Branf and I come from the glades of Ankash to ask for the return of the prophet of Ankash. I do not wish to enter your great city, I am here only to ask for the prophet. He must come with me at once, for it is a matter of the utmost importance.

The guard did not look at Branf and to all, he said:

None may see the prisoners of the Robatha¹⁰ at this time. Return tomorrow and the Kolafum shall give their verdict on the matter.

AI

The wood-keeper Branf was confused to discover that the great prophet of Ankash was now a prisoner in the city of prophecy. She set up her tent and waited with the Yanur and with every traveller who sought entrance to the city.

AJ

At night, the wood-keeper lay alongside the Yanur and they provided each other warmth. She gazed at the night spheres. In the desert, she knew no shadows and was grateful for the nighttime light that had washed upon her.

She thought of the prophet and to the clear desert air, she whispered in fear:

Have the shadows of the city of light consumed you, oh noble prophet?

AK

The morning came and the prophet had no knowledge of it, for no light could penetrate the wall of the Robatha. Still, he knew his presence was required in the glades of Ankash, for the presence of Farfa was ever upon the prophet and he knew he was ever seen.

---

AL

In the stage of Robatha the prophet stood in his cell, awaiting his trial before the caste-leaders of Holath. Walls of stone and gates of metal blocked every beam of light, and still the prophet Goareth saw without eyes and the path of light ever laid before him. A grating screech filled the halls of the Robatha. The gate behind Goareth was in motion. He turned around to embrace the light that penetrated the cell and washed over him. Across the bars stood the gate-operator.

To the prophet, gate-operator Hozath said:

It is time, prophet. You may now plead your case in the presence of the prophets of the High Kolafum.¹¹

The prophet said:

And so the law of the land shall be set. Let the word of the great prophets of the Kolafum be a blessing upon this land.

AM

The prophet appeared beside the gate-operator, for no bars could confine the movement of the ambassador of Farfa. And Hozath was in awe of the prophet, for he had not yet touched the gate.

Hozath asked:

The prophecy is not confined to a stage and you, prophet, are infused with the prophecy. Still, you remained in your cell for entire cycles of light. Why prophet? I must know.

The prophet said:

No sentient can escape the prophecy. In my actions, I follow the path of light and the law of the land. For without light, we shall ever be fools and without law we shall ever struggle.

AN

Before the Kolafum, the faceless prophet stood. Without eyes, he saw the four prophets of the Kolafum, sitting in silence, observing him from above.

To the Kolafum, the prophet Yuzam spoke:

Here stands the son of Kanf. He stands before this High Kolafum today, for he has broken the law of the land, and furthermore, he has encouraged others to do the same.

The prophet Duzam said:

He persuaded his brothers, the stone-movers, to halt construction in our city. He has stolen the cubes of the prophecy, assaulted prophets of other castes, committed unlawful trade in the territory of Duosh. He attempted to leave this city, avoid our judgement and left his brothers to sit on the stolen cubes of this Kolafum as they starved, he has put his brothers at risk. And still, many prophets are inspired by his acts. Chair Holesh, if I may, I believe we are not dealing with an ordinary case of civil disobedience.

Holesh said:

Indeed, partners of the Kolafum, we must once more pass judgement upon this prophet of Ankash. Let us first hear the faceless prophet, for all who stand before the Kolafum must be heard.

AO

False-prophet Gonam, leader of the caste of Go, gazes at the faceless head of the prophet. He does not speak. Full of anger is he, for the prophet taints the name of the caste of Go with his actions.
The prophet looks at Gonam and he too directs his gaze downwards, for he now stands at the top of a tower in the glades of Ankash. Without eyes, he sees Ankash spread endlessly across a territory as vast as the Gufam desert. From the tower, strings are stretched in every direction, and so, every glade is wired to the tower. And yet, they sit silent and empty.

He looks up again to see the four prophets of the Kolafum in their high stools, awaiting his words.

The prophet did not care for Gonam or for any of the prophets who looked upon him from above, for he sought the knowledge of the prophecy and nothing more. For he knew of the events that transpired in the cycles of light during which he was imprisoned. And so, he knew he was needed in Ankash, for Tanf, keeper of the tower, was dying.

Ever honourable in the presence of the lords and respectful of the law of the land, the prophet knew he must speak before the Kolafum of Holath.

AP

Goareth said:

Oh, great prophets of the Kolafum. It is an honour to be in your presence again. I am ever grateful for your previous ruling, in which you have allowed me refuge and residence in this city of light. And indeed, in this city, the lord of light is ever present. And we all move along the vibrations of the land and thus our actions align. In this city, I have laboured along the stone-breakers and stone-movers of the territory of Godaf. I came to know my brothers of the caste and the demons who possessed them. I did not put my brothers at risk. I have completed the wall of our city and yet the offspring of Ura¹² immured the city in a loop. I have guided the stone-movers in their movement and so they moved as one in the presence of the lords and now our city is safe of unending cycles of destruction. It is the first time I stand before you as the ambassador of the lords upon every land. I have disobeyed the law of the land on multiple occasions and for that I now face your judgement. Still, I ask you to remember, brothers, that I will not abandon the path of light, even at the price of further punishment and isolation. For the prophecy is to occur and the knowledge of the prophecy is to be known and shared.

AQ

The prophet Gonam said:

This prophet has violated our sacred pact. He has turned my brothers, the prophets of Go, against one another. He has fooled the stone-movers of Go to halt their actions and sit on the cubes of this Kolafum. He calls prophets of all castes his brothers and sisters. All the while, his brothers from his own caste ask - why must we labour harder as our brothers abandoned our ways to follow a faceless fool? He may indeed be an ambassador of our lords, yet he cannot be a part of the caste of construction, as he brings destruction and chaos to our city.

AR

The prophet Yuzam said:

If my memory serves me well, partner Gonam, it was I who warned our Kolafum about the behaviour of this prophet. And yet for the unity of this Kolafum, I voted in favour of your proposal to accept this prophet as a resident of our great and enlightened city. Indeed, I too have met the young prophet in my territory of Yumak. So very passionate is he about the prophecy and, this I must admit, prophet Goareth, you are indeed a great prophet of our lords and we are all grateful for the spreading of the knowledge of the prophecy. Still, I must also agree with partner Gonam - if the prophet cannot adhere to the law of the land and of his own caste, he can not remain a resident of our great city.

AS

To the Kolafum, the prophet said:

Great prophets of the Kolafum, the prophet Gonam is correct, your word is law upon the land, which I must follow as an ambassador. My actions were arrogant and foolish and for that I ask forgiveness. Still, much has transpired in those cycles of light in which I was held captive in the Robatha. I cannot ignore my duties to the lords and to the lands as their¹³ ambassador. And so, my presence at this moment is required in the glades of Ankash. Whatever verdict you reach, whatever ruling you cast upon me, your word shall ever be true and just, for this stage is the highest court of law upon all of the lands. I shall follow the ruling unquestionably and fulfil my duties to this glorious city. Yet, I must also request the immediate departure to Ankash. I have not much time.

AT

To the Kolafum, vice-chair Duzam said:

Partners of the Kolafum, there is no shred of doubt that this faceless prophet has violated the rule of the land and must be punished¹⁴. And yet, it is also true that this prophet of Ankash is spreading the knowledge of our lords across Holath and beyond. Partner Gonam, we must not reject our brothers, we are all residents of the city of light. For our lords have commanded us with the preservation of life under Their beams. Partner Yuzam, our ruling was united then, as it must be now as well, regardless of any warnings and prophecies of gloom. I propose a vote for this Kolafum - the prophet requests to be excused to the new glades of Ankash, for he must walk the path of light. And indeed he shall leave this city and rid us of his presence for as long as the lords allow it. His followers must put into place all that they have moved, the cubes of the prophecy shall return to their rightful place here in the Kolafum and order shall be restored. Still, he shall remain a true resident of Holath, when the light of the lords guides the faceless prophet back to this city, he shall erect a new stage for our lords and it shall be the largest stage ever constructed by a prophet. Tall and wide this stage will be, for all to see within the confines of this city and from beyond its walls as well.

The chair of the Kolfum, prophet Holesh said:

Gone is the age of wars. We are the third generation of peace between the castes of prophets. I was made of the seed of Houz, the first chair of this Kolafum, who was made of the seed of the great prophet-warrior, Holath. They have sworn to keep this city united and whole, and so have I. Our vote must ever remain unanimous, for it is essential for our survival in this land crawling with giants and demons. A prophet must never cast other prophets away, let alone of their own caste. Let us vote on the proposal of partner Duzam and may our ruling bring a blessing to these lands.

AU

And the prophecy was upon the prophet Gonam and yet he did not know it to be so, and so he spoke the truth of fools¹⁵ before the Kolafum.

To the the prophets of the Kolafum, he said:

Partners, this proposal is a grave mistake. This prophet walked across the territories of our city and prophesied its imminent undoing. Should we allow him to remain a resident of Holath, his prophecy will engulf the land and our city shall be now more. For you see, partners, the prophet who stands before us for judgment is not a just a mere nuisance that this assembly can tame through respite. Nor does he spread the knowledge of the prophecy. He spreads only lies and sows discord under the guise of a false-brotherhood between the castes. Let us not forget that the stones of the prophecy belong to all the prophets of every caste, for our true strength lies in our partnership, each in their rightful place within this glorious city. This prophet halted all construction in the city, dismantled our beautiful Kolafum, stole the stones of the prophecy and prohibited all but his blindly loyal group of followers to access them. Have we shunned our sacred traditions? Have we no respect to the law of the land? Have we so soon forgotten the dangers that lurk in these lands? This prophet does not bring prosperity to our city, he does not belong in this city. This son of Ankash is an enemy to every prophet who seeks unity. Heed my words, partners, for if he should remain welcome in this great city, in due time, this city shall fall with.

1 vote - reject.

The prophet Yuzam said:

Partner Gonam, I had the impression that prophecies of a day of ethereal judgement were the domain of the Yu caste. Does Gonam seek an audience with our caste now that he has lost his own? Partners of this great Kolafum, indeed a day will come and this city shall fall, for the cooling shall be upon all sentients. Still, the lords are upon our city and the cooling is not yet upon us, and we must deal with present affairs. I’d argue that it is not the prophet who bears no face who failed to follow the law of the land, but the caste-leader Gonam who failed to enforce it. Your duty as caste-leader is to maintain order in your territory and that, you have failed to do. Moreover, you have failed to contain this prophet’s disobedience and it has now spread beyond the territory of Godaf. Let it be clear that I do not approve of any transgressions in our enlightened city, yet given these circumstances and the goodwill of all who have joined this gathering, I believe that it would be wise to accept the proposal of partner Duzam. Should this prophet break our sacred law again, he shall be confined to the Robatha for the rest of his being. For now, I shall vote once more with our partner Duzam, for the unity of this Kolafum.

3 votes - approve.

Vice-chair of the Kolafum, the prophet Duzam said:

Thank you, partner Yuzam. We must work together to rebuild and bring a new age of prosperity to all prophets of this great city. Ambassador, if the path you walk leads you to this city, you must adhere to the law of said city, which is set in this very stage of the High Kolafum by the leaders of the castes. All your followers must resume the moving of the stones and return the cubes of the prophecy to this Kolafum. This is not a kind request, mind you prophet, it is the ruling of this Kolafum.

5 votes - approve.

AV

All gazed at Holesh, the chair of the great Kolafum. To Goareth, she said:

You are a true prophet, are you not? You do not need to hear my words with your ears to know the ruling of this sitting. You already know the ruling of this sitting of the Kolafum and of every sitting of the Kolafum, for you know the prophecy. Begone prophet, be gone and spread the word of this ruling throughout the city. The path of light shall lead you to this city once more and you will build a grand stage for all prophets to see and be seen upon.

AW

The prophet tapped his thighs in gratitude and walked towards the stone wall of the hall.

Outraged, the prophet Gonam shouted:

Partner Holesh, we cannot allow the prophet to leave this hall with no ruling.

To Gonam, Holesh calmly replied:

I did not yet finish my ruling, partner Gonam. You must wait for your proper time to speak. Still, you are correct, we cannot.

All turned to the prophet who bore not face, and yet he disappeared. And all partners of the Kolafum but Holesh were amazed. They held their breath, anxious to hear her ruling.

To the Kolafum, Holesh said:

With great sorrow, I say to you partners - this Kolafum is not united. This city was built on the unity and partnership of the four castes and it must remain united if we are to survive.

7 votes - approve.

The caste-leaders were silent. Over many cycles of the spheres, without exception, they have ever voted as one. And yet this vote has marked the reshaping of their sacred traditions.

Holesh spoke again:

It is decided. The proposal of partner Duzam is approved by this Kolafum. Partner Gonam, I give you another chance to change your vote and allow us to be united once more.

AX

With the prophecy still upon him, the prophet Gonam said:

You are united in foolishness. You have no respect for this Kolafum, for you have allowed this prophet to violate the sanctity of this stage of law. He did not wait your ruling to exit this stage, he does not revere you, for he too knows that you are fools. We shall have no order or unity in the presence of the faceless prophet. Let it be known that this Kolafum has made a perilous ruling and I alone oppose this disaster.

The prophet Yuzam said:

We have no unity in the presence of the faceless prophet and no unity in his absence. And is this not the case too in your territory, partner Gonam, for you have no order in his presence and no order in his absence. You chose wisely, chair Holesh, we cannot let a single vote, from a lowly caste, to extort this entire city.

The prophet Duzam said:

Indeed, the chair Holesh is wise in her ruling and wise to see that no stage can confine the faceless prophet, for his knowledge of the prophecy is vast and the lords are upon him as he walks Their path. You say we are united in foolishness, partner Gonam, and yet we have put an end to the foolishness that has infected your caste. If he is indeed a cause of disorder upon the land, then rule and bring order to your territory, for we have rid you of this unyielding prophet. And what have you brought upon us? Only quarrel and strife. I am saddened by the state of this Kolafum. I am ashamed, and so should you be.

The prophet Holesh said:

Enough, partners, we have made our ruling. Regrettably, it was not united. And still, it is now the law upon the land. We must all accept it. Let us retire from this sitting and reconvene tomorrow.

And so, the prophets left the hall without speaking.

AY

In Ankash, the prophet appeared in the tower of Tanf, where she lay dying.

To the prophet, Tanf said:

Young prophet, is that you? I do not see well these days.

The prophet said:

It is I, I have come to seek your wisdom one last time, oh, great wood-keeper.

AZ

Tanf said:

Speak, prophet, for this might be the last time these ears can hear.

Goareth said:

I am a prophet in the city of Holath, yet I am of these glades. How did I come to be? Was I made of the seed of prophets? Of wood-keepers? Of Gufams? Of demons? I must know.

BA

Tanf’s breathing was heavy. Through the window of the tower, she gazed at the woods she had sworn to protect.

BB

Finally, to Goareth, she said:

You know the prophecy, child. I can see it now. I need no eyes to see the radiance of the lords upon you. Yet, to truly know the prophecy you must know this - all knowledge beyond the prophecy does not matter. May you find the answers you seek in the prophecy, for it shall be knowledge upon the land.

BC

And words no longer flowed from Tanf and her breathing faltered, for she was among the living no more.

BD

A voice called from below:

Sister Tanf, are you well? Have you called upon me?

Lanf entered the room and it was empty of life. For all that remained in the room, was the corpse of a great wood-keeper strewn across the sofa.

BE

At the edges of the territory of Godaf, sat the cube-sitters. In their hand, they held the goods they had acquired in the market of Duosh. With the aid of tablet scrapers, they carved the teachings of the prophet onto stone tablets¹⁶, for the knowledge of the prophecy must be spread and the prophecy must be known.

BF

The prophet appeared and sat on the desert sand next to his followers.

To the cube-sitters he said:

Today is a day of much change. A tragedy has struck the glades of Ankash, my place of birth. A great wood-keeper has died. We must all mourn her death, for she too was a spreader of knowledge. She spread the knowledge of actions throughout the glades. From her tower she saw all actions and all wood-keepers flocked to her tower to purge themselves of their ignorance.

The cube-sitters rose from their cubes and buried their faces in the sand. And the sand around the cubes was no longer dry, for all felt the pain of the prophet through the vibrations of the land, and onto the land they wept.

BG

To Gonisha, the prophet said:

I must leave now. I am needed in Ankash, for I am the ambassador of our lords upon every land. Please take care of the cube-sitters in my absence. You must follow the law of the land. The High Kolafum has ruled that we must return the cubes of the prophecy to the Kolafum and resume the movement of the stones. Bring construction to this city and avoid destruction. Heed the words of Gonam, for they are law upon the land. This ruling does not diminish our feats. We have saved this city from calamity and the knowledge of the prophecy is now carved upon these tablets. And every Holathian will soon know the prophecy, and true prophets shall once more lead this city and their ruling shall be just.

BH

Gonisha said:

And what are we to sit on? Will we be cube-sitters no more?

Goareth said:

You shall find new cubes and you shall sit and teach and spread the knowledge of the prophecy in Holath, for the prophecy shall be the sole source of knowledge upon the land.

BI

And Gonisha, mournful and exhausted was she, for her path had been demanding, she clung to the prophet and said:

Do not leave us, ambassador, we need your guidance.

The prophet gazed at her face and he was filled with compassion. Gently, he guided her hand away and said:

Dearest Gonisha, I have taught you all I know. I am not needed here for the time being. The lords are ever upon this city and the prophecy is ever true. You shall lead all those in Holath who seek the knowledge of the prophecy. And I shall return in due time to a new Holath, where prophets cower not in the presence of Farfa and all actions are informed by the prophecy.

BJ

To the prophets, Goareth said with no mouth:

My dear brothers and sisters, beware for not all knowledge satisfies, and not all knowledge will give you pleasure. The knowledge that guides our actions is derived from the prophecy. Knowledge of any other domain but the ethereal is futile. And yet, we must follow the law of the land, for we are merely guests upon it. Before our conception there was land and past our existence there will still be land. And furthermore, Farfa are above all and beyond all, in Their presence and in Their absence. For how can we serve the divine cause, that has been bestowed upon us by the lords, when we are confined to the rule of fools upon this land? We can only serve our lords Farfa when we walk Their path. For even in the darkest of holes, They shall ever lead us with Their eternal shine. Walk the path upon the land, walk it right, walk it alongside your brothers and sisters. May your movement be one and may the prophecy be ever upon you.

And all Holathians who knew Farfa and felt Their presence in their internal organs heard and heeded the words of the prophet Goareth.

BK

Beyond the walls of the city, wood-keeper Branf awaited the prophet.

To the gate-operator, the wood-keeper said:

Holathian warrior, keeper of gates, I must retrieve the prophet Goareth from his imprisonment and bring him to Ankash.

To Branf, the gate-operator said:

The prophet of whom you speak has set forth to Ankash already, he is no longer in his confinement.

Baffled, Branf said to the gate-operator:

How can this be? This city has merely a single gate from which all must enter and exit.

To Branf, the gate-operator said:

It is indeed strange, wood-keeper. Still, he is the ambassador of the lords upon every land, his movement defies all known actions.

BL

In the distance, with the light of Farfa bursting behind him, the silhouette of the prophet riding a Yanur could be seen. They were one in movement, one in body.

BM

To the approaching prophet, Branf said:

We must leave prophet, my mother Tanf is dying.

The prophet Goareth solemnly said:

The wood-keeper Tanf is dead. I am sorry sister.

The prophet bore no expression, for he bore no face.

BN

They rode in silence together, through the desert and into the darkness of the woods, the city of light behind them.

---

BO

The prophet and the daughter of Gufams rode through the desert on the backs of Yanurs.

They did not speak.

The prophet did not speak, for his words bore new weight and the prophecy is silent in the lands of heat.

The daughter of Gufam did not speak, for she had no words for the prophet and had no desire to obtain the knowledge of the stage dwellers.

BP

And after much silence, the cooling was upon the desert. The beams of Farfa flickered and vanished in the horizon. In Their absence, none would illuminate the lands but the night spheres. The light of Farfa shined through the spheres, it touched every grain of sand and the prophecy was upon the land.

BQ

Branf wished not to speak with the prophet, for she wished sought to mourn in silence and ponder upon the fate of the glades in the absence of Tanf.

The prophet spoke:

Your mother was no prophet, and thus, she possessed no knowledge of the prophecy, yet she walked the path of light, and she knew the glades better than any other sentient upon the land. Much of the knowledge of the glades died along with her. Let us spread the legend of wood-keeper Tanf across the new glades of Ankash, for all must know of her wisdom and walk in her path.

She seethed upon hearing the sound of his voice disturb the stillness of the dry desert air.

To the prophet, she said:

Foolish prophet, you have no knowledge of the sentients who live on the land. You know only the land itself and the lords above.

BR

Goareth said:

I do not claim to know all. I blindly walk the path of light, and thus all I know is the prophecy. I have put my fate in the hands of our lords and trust that beyond the prophecy all is false. Still, I owe my very being upon these lands to the sentients who inhabit them. I learnt the art of survival from the wood-keepers of Ankash. I have learnt the law of the land from the prophets of Holath. And a day will come when, too, I shall learn the ways of the Gufams. Until then, you may indeed consider me a fool.

Repulsed, Branf said:

Well, I am no Gufam. I am a proud wood-keeper of the new glades of Ankash. I have protected these glades through the hardest times that they have seen and remained ever loyal to the light that graces these lands. Do not forget, brother Goareth, you do not return to Ankash as a wood-keeper, nor as a prophet. You are an ambassador, and it is we who allow you to walk in your path through our home.

Goareth accepted:

Very well, brave Branf, protector of the glades. I shall walk the glades with much regard and caution, for they are indeed a miracle upon the lands.

Barnf was not yet content, still, she no longer wished to converse with the prophet.

BS

As they near the glades, the scream of the land is felt by all in the Gufam desert. The prophet falls off the Yanur and recoils in pain. The beams of ancient light¹⁷ penetrate his body and the prophecy flows through him.

BT

The body of the prophet quivers rapidly, for it vibrates along with the shouting land. Without eyes, he sees two night spheres colliding into one another, and they are one. Then this sphere collides with another. And all spheres follow until there is only a single sphere in the sky. And when the last sphere dies, all light dies as well. And in this darkness, none could tell the land and the sky apart. Grains of sand float above what was once desert and the dark sky is a frozen ocean below. In the dark, none could distinguish a wall from a crack and through the wind Kamai¹⁸ soars. And the objects are concepts and concepts are objects. The grains shine on their own and are spheres and the ocean become sand and the prophet is once more on the lands of Gufam.

BU

To Branf, the prophet said:

The land, sister, it is in much pain, for it knows not who walks upon it.

Unable to bear this knowledge, Branf cried:

And what shall be of my pain prophet? I have no mother. I now know nothing but the land I walk upon.

The prophet said:

The pain of the land is your pain too sister. We all ache the loss of Tanf. Yet, we must not dwell in our pain as the land does. We must look up at the spheres for guidance, for they provide us the true path, the path of the light of our lords Farfa. Let us walk the rest of the path to Ankash, for this land is not the same in her absence, and we must learn anew how to walk upon it.

BV

Together they walked to Ankash. And the two Yanurs ran up the mountains, where their seeds touched, and they never returned to the glades¹⁹.

BW

When they entered the glades, they were greeted by the remaining six Yanurs of Ankash.

The Yanurs spoke:

Welcome back, daughter of Tanf. Welcome back, son of Kanf.

BX

In Ankash, all wood-keepers mourned. They stared down at the land and did not raise their eyes. As he and Branf walked through the glades together, the prophet observed young wood-keepers now surpassed the old in number.

BY

They walked until they reached the tower of Tanf.

The prophet gazed at the window at the top of the structure and to Branf, he said:

No longer we shall see her or hear her calls, for this tower is no longer a home, it is merely a monument. A great wood-keeper was she. May her knowledge propagate throughout the land.

BZ

A glimpse of the divine light shined through the woods. Without his eyes, the prophet followed the light. It led to an empty glade. No structure of residence, no holes and no wood-keepers were present in the glade.

To the prophet, Branf said:

This is the place of your birth, prophet. You may reside here during your stay.

CA

From the glade of Kanf, to all wood-keepers, the prophet called without voice:

Come one, come all! Join us in this glade of no presence. Bring your stones, bring the shine in your eyes, for we shall build an embassy for the glades.

And wood-keepers of every glade came and brought stones of the land. And the prophet built a stage in the glade. The light of the lords shined upon the stage and all looked in awe at the structure of wonder.

CB

To Branf, the prophet said:

Please, sister Branf of Ankash, protector of these lands, a wood-keeper of true vigour and courage, speak upon the stage of the mourning of this land. And may the light of the lords ever be upon you.

From the stage of Ankash, embassy of the lords upon the glades, the wood-keeper Branf spoke:

Dearest sisters, fellow protectors of the glades. Today we all grieve and gaze down in sorrow, for we have lost our sister, my mother, Tanf. Still, we must draw strength from her incredible feats and commemorate her. For she spread from her tower the knowledge of sentient actions through these lands. When rebuilding these lands after the terrible glade wars and the savagery of the armies of Aran, we first built a new tower for Tanf. It was known that the knowledge of the light of the lords must flow in these glades, and it shall be so still, for it will ever flow, even after the great wood-keeper of the tower has disappeared. May the light of the lords ever be upon us and may we know the glades in full and practice the art of survival upon them.

And in his grief the prophet knew joy once more, for Ankash lives on.

---


CC

In Ankash, the prophet and the wood-keeper Branf walked into the room at the top of the tower. Where the late wood-keeper Tanf had lived and died, where she had raised Branf of Gufam and was nursed in her final days by Branf of Ankash.

CD

In the room, wood-keeper Lanf sorted through the small collection of objects that were in the possession of Tanf.

CE

Objects were spread across the floor, ordered by their size. The horizon-lens and its stand. Spikes and knifes for piercing and cutting through the flesh of the hunt. Thumb sized cubes for rainfall assessment²⁰. All the objects were laid on a thick sheet of Jaukonoth²¹ skin. On the skin, all paths of Ankash were carved to guide all who travel through the glades.

CF

To Lanf, Branf said:

State your business in this tower of the great wood-keeper Tanf. Have you come to celebrate her life or desecrate her death?

Lanf looked down at the possessions of Tanf, raised her head and cried at the sight of Branf. She approached the daughter of Tanf and firmly grasped her, their bodies adjoining as she caressed the arms of Branf. Tears flowed from her eyes, down the shoulder of Branf and onto the skin covering the floor.

As the two united in their silence, the prophet wandered around the room and scanned its contents. In every direction he looked about hung relics of the old glades that burned and were no more. Feathers of Kafitha²², bones of Pzantha²³, small figurines of wood-keepers who died long before the age of prophets, all dangled ceiling of the tower, held by rare cloths from outside of the glades. The prophet looked down to observe the objects on the floor. At the corner of her eye saw that he drew closer to the cubes. She pulled away from Branf and sprinted across the room. Before he could touch the objects the hand of the wood-keeper Lanf collided with his arm. His movement was halted. Without eyes, the prophet saw a sharp flash of the light of the lords a the wood-keeper Lanf drew a knife. He jumped back to dodge. To the head of faceless prophet she pointed her weapon. He retreated calmly until his back hit the wall and the knife of the wood-keeper touched his throat.

To Branf, Lanf said:

Here lay before you the possessions that your mother left behind her in the world of the living. Indeed, she was not the great wood-keeper Tanf, spreader of knowledge, legend upon these lands. Now you bring this destroyer into the glades. The prophet who commanded us to leave our home, presided over the burning of our glades and then left us to build this land anew with nothing but the sands of the desert. And he seeks only her material residue. He must not touch these objects, for he has not been given these objects.

Branf remained standing in the same position, frozen and aghast.

The Lanf, Goareth said:

That knife that you hold is also the possession of Tanf. The blood in my body is my possession. You accuse me of theft, and yet you threaten to take what is mine with the tools of another?

And the heat of the lords flowed through the body of the prophet and the knife was soon hot to the touch. Lanf could hold the scorching knife no longer and discarded it with haste. Steam spewed from the blade as it hit the brick floor.

To the wood-keepers, the prophet said:

Why this animosity in the presence of our lords sister Tanf, it is hardly honourable behaviour. Am I not a child of these glades as well? I may have failed you in the past, sisters, still my only path is the path of light. In her last moments, Tanf revealed herself before me through the prophecy and called upon me to return to Ankash. Do you ask of me to forsake honourable actions and refuse the path that the lords have laid before me?

Aggravated still, Lanf drily spoke:

Then remain an honourable prophet and do not burn the belongings she yielded as she departed the world of the living. As we rebuild these glades, we must venerate the heirloom the she passed on to us.

The prophet paused to ponder her words and said cordially:

These are the possessions of no single sentient, for these objects belong to the glades and all of their residents. Let us spread the possessions of Tanf throughout the glades, for each of these objects bears a tale from the legend of the wood-keeper of the tower.

Lanf rubbed her fingers in acceptance and to the prophet, she said:

This tower must not remain a dead shrine for the great spreader of knowledge. Let us walk the glades together, then. But beware prophet, you bring heat to these glades and this heat burns all. And when objects burn, ownership matters not, as they will be ash all the same.

Branf did not speak, for no words flowed through her blood²⁴.

CG

The wood-keeperss and the prophet walked through the labyrinth of trees that were the new glades of Ankash. And between the glades they walked handing out the belongings of Tanf. And with the gifts they bestowed knowledge to the young wood-keepers, born after the glade wars and the fall of Ankash. They told tales of the great wood-keeper Tanf and her tower.

And the prophet did not lead, he followed the guidance of Lanf, for she too followed the lord of light.

In silence, Branf and Lanf walked together and much tension was upon them, for they had not walked together since the glades were at war. Though their bodies were tense, their feet were peaceful and their pace calm, for they knew the glades more than any other sentient. And yet, they did not know the glades in their entirety, for only prophets may walk the true path of light.

And a glimpse of the divine light dashed through the dark of the woods and the prophet saw it without eyes. He knew this to be the eternal shine, for he has seen it before, many cycles of the spheres ago, when we was merely a child in these glades. While the wood-keepers walked on, the prophet followed the path of light. He walked into the woods and was swallowed by the darkness emitted by the shadows of trees, for he knew that within this dark void the light of the lords was veiled.

CH

In an endless black void between the glades, the prophet walked alone. He saw the bright light of the spheres without eyes. Lead by the shine, he pursued it further. His eyes saw nothing but shades upon shades, obscuring all objects, sentients and actions in his path, yet the light of the lords penetrated his vision. And so, all was seen under the spheres. Into the light before him, the prophet marched on.

Without his eyes, the prophet can see a glade which he knows well. A glade lost to time and matter. As he stepps into the glad, a child brushes past him and runs into the darkness from whence he entered the glade. She does not see the prophet, for her eyes are drenched by an overflow of tears. The tears reflect all light in the glade, and still behind them, her eyes are as dark as the shades in the gaps between the woods.

CI

In the middle of the glade stands a familiar tower, and yet it does not invoke the same sensation the prophet felt as he first witnessed it. This tower is forbidding, its head melts into the dark sky above, empty of any sphere.

The head of a wood-keeper peeks out of the tower window.

Old is the wood-keeper in the tower, yet not as old as when she took her last gasp.

CJ

To Tanf, the prophet Goareth calls:

Sister Tanf, why do you cast out your only daughter? Hasn’t the brave Branf of Ankash cried enough for you in your absence? Do her tears please you, oh great wood-keeper of the tower?

To the prophet, Tanf says:

Here you are young prophet, you seem ever devoted in your search for the knowledge of all. Please walk this land, for it reflects the light of our lord and draws a path for those who truly seek the prophecy.

And the prophet is a child once more. Small and afraid he is.

To Tanf, he cries:

I have walked this land many a time and seen every path, creature and plant. Still, this I have never seen, a wood-keeper banishing one of their own. I wish to know the purpose of the expulsion of Branf.

Tanf says:

You have seen nothing of these glades, prophet. Enter my tower and you shall see the full extent of these glades.

Goareth stepps forward and touches the tower and he is a child no longer.

He was not in the tower and the tower was nowhere to be seen as he marched silently behind Branf and Lanf.

CK

The two wood-keepers spoke of their sisters. Long gone were they. Those who did not perish in the wars one by one drew their last breath and left the glades to grief. Tanf was the eldest of all the wood-keepers, and now she was no more.

The prophet knew no other wood-keepers in this glade. Only these two remained to tell the tales of the battles, the betrayal of Hanf and the fall of the glades. Yet, now the wood-keepers spoke not of war and calamity, but of the rebirth of the glades.

CL

As they walked, Branf said to Lanf:

Many spheres stroked this land with their beams since we last spoke.

With her eyes, Lanf scanned through the tops of the trees and said to Branf:

Indeed, sister, and still we speak now, walking through all glades, as if we were young once more.

With a quiver in her voice, Branf said:

For entire cycles of light, I have waited. I feared you had perished or fled our glades. Only much later did I come to know you had survived the savagery that was thrust upon us.

Firm in her pace and in her voice, Lanf replied:

I followed the guidance of the prophet and remained out of the woodlands as they burned up and were engulfed in a mountain of smoke. I returned only when the prophet was gone and there was no heat upon the glade. With my hands, I worked this land until it was whole once more, for I have remained ever loyal to the glades.

None of them looked at the prophet who walked behind them.

Branf said:

Still, we have not spoken since. Why did you return for me now?

To Branf, Lanf said:

It was not you who prompted me to ascend the tower. The great wood-keeper Tanf, your mother, called upon me to tend to her in your absence. And now, in her absence I remain beside you, for your companionship gladdens me in these days of sorrow.

CM

As they delved further into their exchange, sharing the knowledge of the movements and actions that have graced them along their paths, the prophet turned around and walked back towards the light, for he desired the knowledge of these glades that he no longer knew. The rays were shinning through the dark woods that sprouted between the glades, bouncing from one bark to another, marking the path for all those who wish to follow the lord of light.

The prophet arrives at the the glade of the tower once more. Once more, around him are all the plants that he had known. Alive and flourishing the Gutus tree seems, yet the prophet knows it to be long burnt and dead.

CN

The prophet touches the wall of the tower. Bricks are below his feet, for he is inside the structure. On the sofa in the main hall lies Tanf. Her pain fills the room as she reclines, the back of her hand pressing against her forehead.

To the prophet, she says:

My fellow sisters are no more, prophet. Young wood-keepers, full of vigour, fill these glades with life. Through my horizon-lens I see new stages in the city of Holath. An age of construction is upon us, and yet my world diminishes with the passing of days. I am once more alone in this tower and soon death shall be upon me.

CO

With anger, the prophet replies:

You lament over your loneliness and yet you have cast away your only daughter. It is indeed a true age of construction, and you have once again built these walls of the tower around yourself. Your skin remains untouched by the beams of Farfa.

Tanf says:

You have grown arrogant, young prophet. Was it my will to remain alone in this tower? It was not. You know this prophet. It was the will of our lords who reside above all. My skin may be untouched by Their light, and still the light flows through me and vibrates through all glades of Ankash. You know nothing of these glades. All the paths, trees and wood-keepers that you once knew are now gone. So remain here and be lonesome by my side or leave, walk the paths of the new Ankash and learn the glades once more.

Goareth says:

My path is determined by the light of our lords that leads and bestows knowledge upon me. They and They alone shall decide if I dwell or depart. I no longer seek to know all. I seek to spread the knowledge of the prophecy throughout the land. And so, the sentients hear and blindly they follow, for they know the lords and the blessings They bring upon them. ‘Only the knowledge of the prophecy carries weight in this world’. You may not know this yet, for these shall be your final words upon this land. And still, no prophecy can compel action. Have you no regrets, sister Tanf?

CP

The wood-keeper gestures for the prophet to draw nearer and says:

There is no regret in the world of the dead, prophet. In my life I followed the path marked by the beams of the lord of light and there is no worthier path. You know the dire fate of wood-keepers who refuse the prophecy! You have seen in it yourself when the glades waged war. You may have no face and, still I know you have eyes, prophet. I have seen these eyes shining bright at the sight of the light of our lord. Have you kept them closed ever since this land went up in flames? I know you have not, for you attend to the sentients who inhabit the land. You have now disciples who follow the path that you mark with your movement upon the land, they have not seen your face and yet they trust that you see well. Beware of your pride, prophet, for it may lead to lonesomeness all the same.

CQ

With compassion, the prophet touches the wood-keeper’s hand and it is the hand of Branf. Together they run through the burning woods. Their hands touch and yet they do not feel it, for they have walked these glades together for a lifetime. So long they walked together, that the sensation of touch becomes as mundane as the sensation of blood flowing through their own internal organs.

From afar they see the heads of giants poke out of the tree tops. They near the giants and indeed, the intruders surround the tower of Tanf. And the two slay every giant and the blood of the giants, dark and viscous it is, splash in every direction and covers the burning land. And in the heat of the battle, Goareth lies in a puddle of blood and Branf jumps upon him, their seeds touch and the puddle evaporates in the ever increasing heat. Goareth touches the face of Branf and they burn under the heat of his hands. She screams in agony and dies, incinerated by the passion of Goareth, bearer of heat.

CR

Her ashes spill through his fingers. And as the ashes touch the soil, flowers grow and spread rapidly across the glade. The prophet raises his head and with his eyes he sees that the glade is filled by an endless coat of flowers. And the colours of the bloom are not obscured by the shadow of the tower, for there is no tower in this glade. And Branf is no longer a collection of ashes.

The prophet saw her and Lanf in front of him, giving one of the cubes to a young wood-keeper in a glade of flowers.

Branf looked upon the kneeling Goareth and said:

You have not spoken for some time, prophet. Have you fallen ill?

And at this moment, the prophet was glad he bore no face, for he did not know what expression the wear.

To Branf, Goareth said:

I must go now, I have other business in these glades. We shall reconvene at the tower.

To Goareth, Branf said:

Go forth and fulfil your duties ambassador. We shall reconvene at the tower.

As the prophet rose to leave the glade, he heard the voice of Lanf behind him.

To the prophet, she said:

You should perhaps tread carefully, since you do not know the routes through the new glades. There is a carving in the tower, if you happen to lose your path.

The prophet said:

I need no carvings.

And he was no longer in the glade.

CS

Through the darkness between the glades, the prophet walks and he is once more in the glade of the tower.

He enters the hall again and on the sofa sit Tanf and his birther, Kanf.

From mugs as large as their own heads, they drink the tincture of the Gutus²⁵ flower.

CT

At the sight of the prophet, Kanf rises and approaches him.

To Goareth, she says:

My child, I have not seen you for a full lifetime. Sister Tanf tells me that you are now the ambassador of the lords upon the lands.

Words do not flow through his blood, for he is awed at the sight of his birther.

She looks up at her offspring, caresses his arm and says:

Indeed a mighty prophet you are. You spread the knowledge of the lords across the lands.

From the sofa, Tanf interrupts:

And much arrogance he has, the prophet. He claims to know every glade and every path. He might bear no face, yet I know him well enough to see the dread imposed upon him.

Ignoring the mockery of Tanf, Goareth says to Kanf:

Mother, in these glades I know nothing but death. You have taught me that this is a place of light. Yet what good is light when it only leads me along the path of ruin and calamity.

CU

Kanf says:

Do not dwell on the pains of your past, child. We did not pray for these lands to be burnt not did we wish for these glades to be at war.

Goareth says

Indeed, it was the traitor Hanf who brought this cataclysm upon us. And still, I do not dwell on these pains. I follow the footsteps of any sentient who ever trod or will tread the land. Thus, I walk through every variation of these never ending glades of light. So is the power of the prophecy.

From the sofa, Tanf speaks once more:

And yet it was Kanf who always said that no prophecy can compel. And indeed these words ring ever true beyond the existence of any wood-keeper.

Kanf interjects:

Impeccable words, sister.

Tanf further speaks:

Still ,sister, the prophet is correct. One can easily ask the living to not dwell upon tragedy from the world of the dead. For hundreds of cycles of light, shame lingered in my thoughts and I held that I am to blame. After all, I am the owner of the tower, all the knowledge of the actions in Ankash flows through me. I should have warned you, I should have warned everyone.

CV

The three remain in silence as a young wood-keeper enters the hall, holding a jug full of Gutus tincture.

Encouraged, Tanf says:

Ah Lanf, pour us some tincture to fill our internal organs with warmth.

The elder wood-keepers rais their mugs and so Lanf does as requested, in complete silence. Her gaze never leaves the prophet. She is lacking in expression as if she bore no face, just like the prophet. And the silence is upon them once more.

CW

Tanf gulps down the tincture, breaking the long silence that has seized the room.

To Lanf, she says:

Do not be shy, young sister. Perhaps you might be able to help us solve this conundrum. Should the living abandon all sense of regret at the request of the dead? Or should they accept their roles upon this land as if compelled by the prophecy?

Lanf keeps her focus on the prophet, as if she does not the words of Tanf.

She then finally says:

You shall judge, prophet. For it is your presence that brought this age upon us.

Her words ring with a strangeness, as if echoing from a different hall. They make no sense to the prophet, although he could clearly see the speaking figure with his eyes.

CX

Goareth scanned the hall, the elder wood-keepers were nowhere to be seen. Only Lanf and Branf were with him in the tower, staring intensely at the prophet.

With no patience, Branf said:

Well, ambassador? Bring us the word of the land.

Confused by the request, the prophet said:

Apologies sisters, I do not know what you ask of me.

Frustrated, the wood-keepers reclined on the sofa.

CY

Lanf rubbed the edge of the sofa with her hand.

Facing the prophet she gazed passed him, and said:

As I foretold, sister. He shall abstain judgement as long as he walks upon this land. What say you, sister? Perhaps I too should become a prophet?

Disgruntled, the prophet ignored the remarks and said:

Have you drank the tincture of the Gutus tree, sister?

Lanf said:

I would cut every tree in this glade for a single sip of Gutus. But alas, the age of Numas is upon this land.

Brnaf chuckled and said:

Let the trees be, sister. Let the prophet attend to judgement while you deal with pouring us some more of your fine tincture.

CZ

The prophet pulled the mug near his faceless head and breathed its fumes. He sensed it with nose and mouth and it was indeed Numas, bare and dull. Still, without his nose and without his mouth he sensed the ordonnance of the Gutus plant. Pungent and potent was the liquid in the mug. He sharply pushed the mug away and did not drink, with or without his mouth.

Looking suspiciously at the faceless prophet, Branf said:

Have you forgotten that sister Lanf poured us mugs of the Numas tincture, prophet?

The baffled prophet laboured to recollect the events of the day. He could no longer see the light of Farfat shining through the window at the top of the tower.

Lanf interrupted the pondering prophet and to him, she said:

And still, we request your judgement. You who stood before the High Kolafum of Holath, who knows the process of judgement upon these lands. When the war broke, Branf and I were separated for countless cycles of light, for we were at war too and could not agree upon which actions to undertake. We both forsook our amity. One of us followed the path of the lords and the other did so through dishonourable actions. And yet, each of us believes herself now to be that of no honour. We ask for your verdict, prophet. Who of us was heedless in the days of the glade wars and who remained noble and just in the face of destruction?

The prophet knew her words to be true and yet he said:

I refuse to pass judgement.

And he vanished before the wood-keepers could respond.

DA

From the dark void above, the prophet lands in the hall at the base of the tower once more and his birther, Kanf, is there, along with Tanf. On the sofa they sit and quietly look at the troubled prophet as he approaches them.

To the wood-keepers, Goareth says:

Who am I to judge the actions of others upon these lands?

Tanf says:

Who is there other than you, prophet? You possess the knowledge of the prophecy, do you not? You are the ambassador, are you not? With access to the source of all knowledge upon the lands. Who else can judge our actions but you, dearest prophet?

DB

Goareth gazes at the top of the tower above them and it is a dark void. This darkness prevails above the land, beyond the treetops, beyond the sky, beyond the spheres that do not shine above them, for this colossal cloud of shadows swallows all which stands in its way.

Looking up, the prophet cannot see without his eye and so he lowers his gaze to wood-keepers and says:

My actions in the presence of our lords have been dishonourable and I have brought only shame upon the cube-sitters. So I say once more, how am I to judge the the actions of others?

To the prophet, a voice says:

Oh, but judge you have, and quite harshly I might add.

The voice comes from the direction of Kanf, and yet the birther of the prophet is gone and in her stead appears the traitor Hanf. She sits on the sofa in Kanf’s place and drinks her Gutus tincture.

The prophet flinches at the sight of Kanf’s killer. And yet, Tanf remains calm and drinks from her mug.

DC

To the bewildered prophet, Hanf continues:

Ask not how to judge, prophet, but rather how wisely you should judge, for these lands shall ever be soaked with the blood of your judgements.

To Hanf, the prophet says:

Begone, traitor! You have no business in this tower.

The two wood-keepers burst into laughter.

DD

To the prophet, Hanf says:

Foolish prophet. You walk through the world of the dead and seek only those you wish were still among the living. Yet some of the dead might seek you prophet, they have been waiting for you child of prophecy, child of these woods.

The prophet diverts his gaze from the wicked grin of Hanf to the glassy eyes of Tanf.

He says:

How do you allow this wretched killer of wood-keepers to linger in your tower, sister?

Tanf sighs and says:

My dear prophet, we are not in my tower, nor are we in the glades of Ankash, for the domain of the Raftha²⁶ is beyond time and place.

DE

And as if stones have ears, the walls of the tower warp and narrow, no longer flat, but rather coarse and protuberant, for they are in a cave.

DF

The prophet looks once more at the traitor, Hanf. Her fingers are long and pointy claws. Her grin widens and her teeth thicken until they are so large they could crush bones. Her tongue stretches out her mouth until it is as long as her entire body and it too is as sharp as her claws. A chill fills the room and the tincture in the mugs freezes, for in the cave no longer stands the traitor Hanf, but Kartek²⁷, demon of ice.

DG

To the demon, the prophet says:

Son of the Ura, what is your business in this domain? Have you met your fate and were slain by the heat of Farfa?

Kartek says:

I die at dawn each day, with the light of your lords, and rise at night, if Ura so pleases.

Goareth says:

Be gone, demon! For this is a place of light, where the offspring of Yaketh shall never prevail.

DH

Hearing the words of the prophet, the demon loses his form as he melts. As he approaches Goareth, he leaves traces of blood and ice, marking the steps of his shortening legs.

To Goareth, Kartek says:

Blind follower of light, you are mistaken. We, the offspring of Yaketh, shall rise and Ura shall freeze all sentients upon this land and we shall feast in glee.

With pity, Goareth says:

You cannot deny the prophecy, brother Kartek. Farfa shall reign supreme over the land, sea and sky. All who know Them may dwell in Their presence and glory shall be upon them, for Farfa are ever merciful. All who deny Them are to become a carcass of an endless assemblage of bodies, and if shall serve as an omen, for the wrath of the lords smites any who dares oppose Them.

DI

Kartek clutches at the prophet and says:

Ura always prevails! Mother sees all and she shall avenge her children. Beware the wrath of the land, prophet, for we shall rise and the might of every domain shall be upon us. Hear us, mother Ura. Hear us, father Onf. Hear the cries of pain from your children and avenge us.

And the demon speaks further praises of Ura, yet his words are ineligible, for his head melts away until he no longer makes any sound and is a mere puddle.

DJ

A voice says:

Well, sister, the prophet has made his judgement.

Goareth looked up. He was once more in the tower with Lanf and Branf and the puddle of demon residue was nowhere to be seen.

DK

Branf said:

Is that your final judgement, prophet? Have I really violated the rule of the land? My sole desire was to save my mother, Tanf. Does the rule of the land know no compassion?

Lanf said:

Still, sister, you denied the prophecy and abandoned your sisters.

Branf said:

My sisters abandoned the glades.

Lanf said:

I remained at the edges of new Ankash and welcomed every traveller who wished to assist with the rebuilding of our woodlands. Tree by tree I watched our glades grow anew and take shape. And seed by seed I birthed young wood-keepers into these lands.

Goareth interrupted:

Enough of this, sisters. We have no time to discuss matters of the past, for there is a demon lurking in these glades.

The two wood-keepers looked baffled.

DL

The prophet exited the tower and saw it was daytime. The wood-keepers followed.

To Goareth, Branf said:

Dread not, prophet. No demon could lurk in the presence of our lord of light.

Lanf squinted as she joined them in the glade and said:

Have we been in the tower for an entire cycle of light?

Goareth said:

Indeed, sister, and perhaps for even longer then that. These glades are not safe as long as an offspring of the Ura hides in the shadows.

DM

Lanf said:

I shall join you prophet. We will hunt down this foul demon and cleanse the glades of its abhorrent presence.

Branf said:

Sister Lanf, perhaps you wish to linger and ponder upon the words of the prophet. It seems he considers the protection of the woods by us wood-keepers dishonourable, am I mistaken prophet? Do you wish to sacrifice your honour for a demon, ambassador?

Exasperated, Goareth said:

You conflate matters that do not pertain to the adversities upon us, sister Branf. The lords did not block your movement upon the new glades of Ankash. Movement must be free for all children of the land. You may both join but beware, sisters, the demon plays tricks upon its prey. Be vigilant.

DN

The three walked through woods and clearings; the soil of the new paths beneath their feet. All was bright in the new glades of Ankash, for Farfa had cleansed the lands from the shadows of giants. The young wood-keepers built roads between all glades, spreading Their light further throughout the land. None could hide in the shadows, for there were no shadows to be seen in the glades.

DO

Between the woods loomed an endless void of darkness. The prophet stood between two trees and without eyes saw a beam of pure divine light that shined through the dark.

To the two wood-keepers, the prophet Goareth said:

Here, sisters. Here is the shadow where the demon lurks.

And the wood-keepers shrugged in confusion, for they saw no shadows between the trees. All was to be seen under the light of the lords.

DP

Branf said:

Brother, you point at the light and say, ‘here lies shadow’. Do you still have sight with no face? Sister, can we accept the judgement of one whom cannot see, even in the presence of brightest of lights?

Lanf said:

Let us walk alongside the prophet, sister, for we are still the keepers of these glades. We must take into regard the claims of the prophet, Goareth, even if he spouts words of falsehood. We must not wager the future of these glades, let us not be prideful, sister.

Goareth said:

Please, sisters, follow me into the woods and you shall see the demon that has contaminated the glades of Ankash.

DQ

The prophet walked into the void and the wood-keepers followed.

DR

The prophet Goareth vanished, and the two wood-keepers stood between trees. Utterly bewildered they were, for they were led by the prophet and he has once again disappeared.

DS

The prophet walks through the dark of the void. He calls to the wood-keepers, yet they do not answer, for they no longer walk by his side.

Onward he marches, for the demon still lurks in the glades. Hiding in the shadows that the wood-keepers cannot see with their eyes, tainting the miracle of the lords upon the lands.

DT

His legs carry him on, yet he does not feel soil or any other objects beneath his feet. The space lacks all presence; empty of sentients and objects it is. And still, fear is not in the prophet’s possession, for he knows Farfa.

DU

In the dark, the prophet feels the chill emanating from the demon.

Into the surrounding air, Goareth, without mouth, speaks:

Show yourself, oh foul creature of the deep and face the fate of all who defile Farfa.

The demon Kartek grinns and his teeth spears of rock and ice are. And even in total darkness, Farfa are ever present and the teeth of the demon reflect the beams of the lord of light and they sparkle in the divine light.

The light fills the space and without eyes the prophet sees through Kartek, and beyond the demon he sees the great wood-keeper Tanf of the tower of Ankash. She does not move, for she is frozen in ice. And beyond the wood-keeper, there on the ground, he sees the footsteps of a Holathian. And beyond the footsteps, through the soil, he sees the ball of his own foot²⁸. And through his own body, he sees again through his own eyes. And so, the prophet sees through his eyes, without eyes. And what he indeed sees is Tanf, owner of the tower, before him, frozen in the ice of the demon. And, in welcome, the demon Kartek smirks at the sight of the prophet.

DV

Goareth stretches his hands in front of him and charges at the demon, for the heat of the lords melts those who deny Them and burns those who defy Them. As here he marches forward he notices the demon is now sitting on a chair that was not there before, unfazed by the ambassador of the lords.

To Goareth, Kartek says:

Do not rush at me, for I come to bargain with the ambassador of Farfa and not to wage war upon the glades.

Ireful, Goareth paces slowly towards the demon and says:

Explain yourself, son of Ura. Why do you come to these glades? Why now you sly lout? We are still in mourning for the great wood-keeper, Tanf. Why do you keep hunting after her, even beyond life?

As the prophet speaks, a second chair appears next to the demon.

Kartek gestures to the chair and says:

Please, sit down prophet, we have much to discuss.

Reluctantly, the prophet sits, and as he sits, the space around him becomes the interior of a stage. Kartek sits opposite the prophet and between them, a table.

DW

To the prophet, Kartek says:

This is rare occasion for us you see, prophet? The domain of the land and the domain of the dead meet in the presence of ambassador of Farfa. An opportunity, indeed, says mother Ura.

Goareth says:

I see no opportunity for the deniers of Farfa. Release wood-keeper Tanf, before I melt every demon who walks these lands.

The demon chuckles. At the snap of his finger the ice is a puddle of water.

The prophet fumes at the sight of the puddle. He touches the water and it evaporates on contact. His hands tremble as he looks at the demon with revulsion.

To the unsettled prophet, Kartek says:

It is not Tanf, ambassador, merely some ice. You may try to melt me here, yet you would find it of no use, for Farfa have no dominion over the dead.

The prophet asks:

Why did you seek my presence then, demon?

Kartek says:

There is a deal to made, ambassador, between the land and the sky. Raftha, deity of death, have been so kind to broker this gathering. We, the children of Ura, are creatures of this land too, ambassador. If the city of Holath is to expand further, we shall have fewer and fewer lands in the desert of the Gufams to call our own. We ask of you, ambassador, to allow us residence in the new glades of Ankash. Not in the glades themselves, naturally, but rather in the shadows between the glades. Let us live in the shadows of the trees.

Goareth says:

This is a place of light, there are no shadows in the new glades of Ankash.

Kartek says:

There is no light without shadow, surely you know this, prophet. You would not be here with me if this statement were false. Still, do not bother your mind with the fate of these glades. In our pact, we would be obligated to cause no harm to the wood-keepers or any other noble creature in these lands.

Goareth says:

Still, son of Ura, how would you insure protection from your wickedness.

Kartek says:

Indeed, ambassador, we cannot guarantee such protection. And yet the prophets of Holath are themselves unprotected from wickedness. Due to you actions, no demon lurks the streets of Holath. Would you say your city is protected from the actions of the wicked? Are there no prophets of mischief and hob? Whether we reside in shadows or leave them vacant as they are, the protection of which you speak cannot be held all the same.

DX

The demon stares at the prophet, bearing a broad smile. Each tooth is sharper than an entire field of spikes. The prophet scans his knowledge of the prophecy. He sees no prophecy of demons in Ankash.

Goareth says

I do not deal with demons. Know Farfa and Farfa alone, and you shall be spared.

Kartek snorts and to Goareth, he says:

Well, ambassador, let it be known across the land that we sought to make a bargain and not to war with your lords and it was you that rejected our offer. Goodbye, my friend.

DY

As the demon speaks his final words to the prophet, and the prophet wishes to interrupt his speech, to fetch the loathsome wretch. Still, no voice is upon the prophet and in his position he remains motionless. And the demon is not longer to be seen, and the prophet is left alone, floating aimlessly in the endless void of darkness. No objects or other sentients floated alongside the prophet, only the stillness reigns upon this realm.

The prophet can not move, for there is no movement in the domain of the dead. With no actions, he attempts movement. Without eyes, he seeks his way back to the glades, and yet he can not find it. He can not find any path, for there are no paths in the domain of the dead. In this domain, no one has a face to bury in the ground²⁹, for all are buried in the ground and posses no movement and no paths. Still, the prophet knows Farfa, and he feels Their presence, even in this domain of Raftha.

Goareth seeks the presence of Farfa, for he knows They are ever present. He attempts to speak with his voice and yet there is no land to vibrate and pass on the resonance of the voice of the prophet. He attempts to speak with no voice, yet he is too weak and his body aches the movement deprived from it.

In this realm there is no knowledge of time and so the prophet knows not for how long is he gone from the world of the living. With no time and movement upon him, nor sentients or objects by his side, all that remains are the concepts.

And still, movement is upon the prophet even so, for his internal organs move, his blood flows, he knows Farfa are upon him. And so, he considered his internal organs and observed their movement. Inwardly he attempts speech, yet it is too painful.

Without mouth, prophet whispers so silently that he hears not his own words:

May ye shine ever so bright across every land and beyond every domain.

The prophet is troubled no longer, for he knows Farfa hears all, even the words that vibrate solely in one’s thoughts.

And indeed, a frail light gleams in the distance, through the endless void. The body of the prophet is as stiff as a stone and still it gravitates towards the light. As he nears the shine, it glows ever brighter.

From the blinding light, a voice calls:

You must stop this cycle, for you have seen so much of the darkness of Raftha that it has blinded you.

With his eyes, the prophet saw once more. The voice was of the prophet, Yuok, who grabbed Goareth by the shoulders as if to halt his movement. Behind him was a sofa, for they were in the tower of Tanf. Further back stood the two wood-keepers, Branf and Lanf, quietly observing their actions.

DZ

Goareth said:

Thank you, brother, for releasing me from the grips of Raftha. Quickly, sisters, the demons still lurk in the glades, we must banish them from the land.

Lanf said:

No, prophet. We followed you through the woods and saw no demon. We watched you disappear. Yet, no demon we saw. We looked for you all over the glades, and still, no demon. When we returned to the tower, we saw you running in circles around the sofa, as if trapped in a terrible loop, one that was only broken by another prophet. If there is a demon upon these glades, it resides solely in your faceless head, prophet.

Branf said:

We do not know what dark forces are at play here, brother Goareth. Still, we ask you to leave these glades, for your presence brings much anguish into our home.

Yuok said:

Come, brother. You are needed in Holath.

EA

Goareth said:

Sisters, heed my words, for there are demons upon these glades. Walk with me and you shall see.

The prophet rushed outside, and the others followed.

He scanned the glade around him for demons. Behind wood-keeper Branf, without his eyes he saw dark shadows below a tree. In the shadow, stood a demon smiling at the prophet.

Goareth rushed to slay the demon, and said:

Tread lightly, sister, for a demon lurks in the cover of the trees!

And as the prophet drew closer, the demon faded into the void and vanished.

Enraged was the prophet, for the demon had played his tricks on him. With fury, he neared the place where the demon had stood. The prophet held the tree, for he feared the void of Raftha. And the tree burned at the touch of the prophet and was ashes.

EB

Petrified, Branf cried:

You came to the glades only to burn them once more? Begone, prophet! We need no ambassador of the lords, for They are ever present upon these lands. Begone, and never return to these glades, for you desecrate the legacy of fallen wood-keepers.

The prophet gazed through his hands and saw the dark ash covering the fertile soil of the glade.

He raised his head to look at Branf and said:

Very well, wood-keeper Branf of Ankash, I shall now depart from these glades. The glades which were my home and residence, the glades where I first came to know our lords, Farfa. These so-called glades that I no longer recognise, for they are infested with the offspring of Ura. Still, my sister, know this - these glades shall fall once more, for envy and betrayal will consume the glades from within.

Impassive, Lanf said:

Oh, the misfortune! Betrayal is upon us, you say? Perhaps we should tend to our sisters. What say you sister Branf? Let us all be dishonourable together and so we shall all be banished and these glades shall be ever clean of envy.

The wood-keepers roared with laughter.

Impatiently, Yuok said:

Quickly, son of Kanf, you must return to Holath.

EC

The two prophets walked away from the wood-keepers.

As they walked past her, wood-keeper Lanf called:

Goodbye, prophet, may your prophecies be as your face is, burnt and forgotten.

Without his mouth, the prophet spoke to all the wood-keepers:

Sisters, remember your pact with the lords. Protect these glades and you shall be protected. You may seek me, for I still am the ambassador of our lords upon all the lands. You may find me along either path of Farfa, for I walk no path but the paths of our lords.

ED

The two prophets walked until there was no grass beneath their feet, for they had reached the desert of Gufam.

---

Epilog

The wonders of Farfa upon the glades of Ankash were witnessed and knowledge of the new glades of Ankash spread throughout the land.

The prophet Goareth had returned to Ankash as the ambassador of Farfa upon every land, and yet the wood-keepers grew wary of the prophets and wished no prophets upon themselves.

For the remainder of his movement upon the land, the great prophet would no longer set foot inside the glades of Ankash. And so, to Holath the prophet returned.

Honourable were his actions in the city of Holath and, indeed, the followers of the prophet grew in number and a leader was Goareth to the holathians. The knowledge of the prophecy spread throughout the four territories of the city of prophecy and all knew Farfa and were ever grateful for the blessings that the lords bestowed upon them.

And beyond Holath, the prophecies spread further throughout the lands. For the prophet was the ambassador of our lords, Farfa, upon every land. Across the cities of Rumez and Dumak he walked and spoke the words of the prophecy to the masses. And all knew the words of the prophecy and revered it, as it was the Age of Prophets.

And in his voyage throughout the lands, the prophet gazed upon Ankash from afar. From all five directions of the wind, he saw Anskash from a distance of no less than 169 Thuba. And even from such a distance, the prophets saw wickedness brewing in the glades.

And upon the stages, erected in every city, the prophet stood and spoke the prophecies of the second fall of the glades of Ankash. Saddened was he, for he spoke of the demise of his woodland home. A home that was no more.

And Farfa blessed the prophet and every land he walked upon. And all who followed the two honourable paths were safe from all harm. Sentients from across the lands knew Farfa and feared Their wrath, for Farfa are the mightiest of all deities, and those who deny Them shall know no blessings.

We shall ever follow the prophet and the path he treads, for it is the true path of our lords, Those who reside above all. To the peaks of the highest mountains and to the depths of the deepest holes, we shall follow the prophet the same.

We shall pursue honourable actions and move along the vibrations of the land.

And we shall ever be grateful for the wondrous blessings wherewith our lords have endowed us.