The Tablets of Holath

A

And Farfa, lords of heat and light¹, were once again upon the hole-less city. The presence of the lords was felt by every sentient who walked the land. Their light shined upon the stages², and all castes of the city of Holath were afraid and hidden.

B

Of all the territories in the city of Holath, the prophet Goareth walked through the territory of Godaf, for he was of the caste of Go. The prophet bore no face³ and the presence of Farfa was upon him, for one bears only what one knows. The prophet knew no fear, only heat and light. He walked among the other prophets of the caste of Go and and in them he saw only fear. The prophets around him all wore large hats, casting shadows. Their eyes were covered by dark shades, and so the eyes of the prophets never met. The prophets would walk into each other and stumble and fall, for the roads were dark and the prophets blind.

C

A lumbering prophet walked towards Goareth. Yet he did not see the path before him, and so the two prophets collided.

To this reckless prophet, Goareth said:

Why do you obscure your vision, brother?

To Goareth, he said:

Our stages are broken. We must blindly build stages for our lords, so as to be protected from all that is hungry and all that can eat.

Onward marched the ever blind prophet, seemingly unfazed by the moment. His words baffled Goareth, for Goareth knew Farfa and knew the prophecy. And thus, he knew he was ever protected in Their presence.

D

The prophet walked further in the territory of Godaf, discouraged by the prophets in the city of the lords. His feet ceased their movement, before him stood a cracked stage. And the stage reflected no light, for death was upon it.

From within the cracked stage, a voice called to Goareth:

You who stands there flustered. The prophet of the woods, prophet of the land, of the dirt, the mud and the slime, come and learn our ways.

Goareth slowly advanced towards the fractured stage. As he made his approach, the voice commanded:

Come not too close, oh terrible one, for we know that you have been sent by the lords to test us, as They sent Aran before you and the harrowing Mu before that.

Goareth said:

I am but a prophet like all prophets who walk this land.

The caller drew nearer to the cracks and from the crevices an eyeless face emerged. To Goareth, the eyeless prophet said:

You bear no resemblance to us, prophet of the bark and the leaves.

The speaker had no eyes, only flesh covering the surface where eyes should have grown.

Startled by the sight, Goareth winced and said:

Explain yourself, creature of the dark.

The eyeless prophet laughed:

You seek answers through the light of the lord, under which all creation lies, yet in the name of your quest, with your mere being, you bring only destruction to these lands. We are the prophets of the brick, of the walls and of true construction. We need not see the light with our eyes, for we know Their light, and we know its origin.

Angered, Goareth shouted:

You speak the truth of fools. I seek to know all, for Farfa are the source of all knowledge upon these lands, and all I shall know.

To Goareth, the eyeless prophet shouted back:

You claim to seek, yet in your search you destroy. For you know that the less there is, the fewest of the few⁴ is all that remains.

To the air around him, Goareth whispered:

If that is the will of Farfa, so it shall be.

E

From a distance, Gonam, leader of the caste of Go, heard the shouting and rushed to the scene.

To Goareth, the prophet Gonam said:

Brother Goareth, you should learn the ways of the city and of your caste, for we are builders, and the light of Farfa illuminates over our creations with much pride. Still, these are not our ways, we do not seek to quarrel or injure. We avoid all beams for we do not seek to be blinded by the shine, nor do we seek to impair our own vision. We are but builders, and we shall build blindly. We do not need to see the stages, for we know that they are seen.

F

Goareth followed Gonam to the edge of the city. They passed the outskirts of Godaf and continued on, passing through the lands of new construction. In the distance could be seen the market of Holath, and on the other side, further away still, the pond of the dancing fish⁵. They had reached an area of flat land leading to a tall rocky hill that stretched around the edge of the city.

To Goareth, Gonam said:

As you can see, brother, even before the great devastation, the wall of the city was not complete. We must finish the final gate of Holath and the outer rim of the our glorious city will, at long last, be complete and shield us from all harm. Help us prophet, help us complete the banishing of Mamak⁶. Help us make this city safe for every generation to come.

G

To Goareth, Gonam presented a pickaxe and said:

Here brother, grasp this pick, for it is the apparatus of our caste, with which we mould and shape the rocks around us, to manifest the will of the lords across the lands.

H

Goareth held the pickaxe in his hands and it was as cold as the stalactite teeth⁷ of a dark cave.

I

By caste-leader Gonam, Goareth was commanded:

Go forth, prophet, join your brothers in the miraculous act of construction and bring glory to this city of stages.

And the prophet Goareth followed the commands of Gonam, for his words were law upon the land.

J

And so, faceless Goareth carved at the giant stone alongside the other prophets of the caste of Go.

K

As Goareth carved at the stone, the might of Farfa was upon him. The stone cracked and the prophet applied more force, for he was frustrated with his being, for the prophet sought knowledge and he knew no knowledge laid within the corpse of Mamak.

L

The prophet continued to hit the cracking remnants of the mountain with his pick. He wore no hat to cast shadow on his path, he wore no shades to obscure his vision, and yet, still he was blind to his surroundings, for rage was upon him.

M

And the stone collapsed and all the prophets fled. The land filled with the sound of picks hitting the desert ground and with the panic of prophets, fleeing from falling rocks. And Goareth was awakened from the stupor that had possessed him.

N

The cracks ate through the stone and the corpse of Mamak burst with pain. The faceless prophet gazed at the wall of rocks falling from above. As his pick landed on the ground, with open arms, he embraced the rain of gravel.

O

All was one with the stone and the cracks, where true darkness lurks and the lord of light holds no reign. And through the cracks the prophet fell into the domain of Onf⁸.

P

And in the domain of Onf, deep below every land, the presence of Farfa was ever more vigorous, for They can penetrate every barrier and Their heat burns true, through every foundation of existence.

Q

To Goareth, Farfa said:

Prophet, you seem lost. Tell us, what made you lose yourself to your rage again?

R

Goareth did not speak as he stared into complete darkness, for he did not know if this was the voice of Farfa or of Onf.

S

And the prophet did not know how he knew of Onf.

T

Obscured by total darkness, the prophet was commanded:

Speak, prophet! You reside in our domain. Feel the heat of the rocks and the warmth of the sand. Our presence compels you!

U

Child of the woods, a stranger to the concrete of the constructed landscape, Goareth focused on the deitic voice and said:

The prophecy does not compel, the prophecy cannot compel. These are the words of my birther Kanf of Ankash. They hold true beyond her death and still echo throughout the ashes that were once glades.

V

To Goareth, the lord of light pointed Their beams and said:

You are correct prophet. Still, a prophecy is a prophecy and its destiny is to occur.

W

And the blood of the prophet boils. And the heat melts the prophet and he is one with the stone, the blazing sand of the land soaking in his essence. And the liquid essence of the prophet evaporates and he is a small cloud in a terrible storm. From above, he sees the entire city of Holath, and it is deserted and broken. Yet, it is not still, for between the delicate movement of sand blowing in the wind, two prophets move discreetly through the ghastly shadows that terrorise the city. The prophets hide behind a cracked stage, waiting for Farfa to lead them to their next stop and for the cooling⁹ to end. One stage at a time, they make their way to the incomplete-wall¹⁰ at the edge of the city. They flee, disappearing in the vast darkness of the desert beyond the city. And the prophet cries. His tears are rain upon the land. And the water collides with the ground and runs through the cracks downwards into the domain of Onf. The water becomes solid and the prophet was whole again, below the sand and rubble.

X

At this moment, Goareth knew of the factory of the land and of Mamak¹¹. And he did not fear Onf, for he knew Farfa, and that Their presence shall forever be upon him.

Y

Goareth fell to his knees, and to Farfa he said:

Oh lord, seer of all that has been revealed and of the buried truth. Forgive me, for I have failed to know ye in thy presence. In thy mercy ye have shown me thine inexhaustible might. With a single blow, ye have made the colossal Mamak no more. And their corpse became a mountain upon the land, from which the prophets have erected a glorious city. And further, ye have stopped the terrible factory of Uranonf, and demons and giants are birthed no more. Now, I will bask in thy light, for I know that I am forever seen. I will always know thy warmth, for even in the deepest of holes, it is the heat that melts mountains and evaporates glaciers. I am at thine eternal service, and my gratitude defies all words, for ye have chosen me to be thy messenger upon these lands. Still, as ye have observed with thine incredible wisdom, I am full with both burning rage and illuminated shame.

Z

To the prophet, Farfa said:

Rise, prophet. Rise and embrace your shame, for it is the shame of knowledge and you must not bear it alone. Yet why do you rage, prophet? We ask you for a final time. Tell us, or collapse under the weight of your shame.

AA

To Farfa, Goareth complained:

I rage for thy city has become a city of fools, of hiders, of the blind, of those who are too weak to endure thy presence, too fragile to build thy city, the city of light, where thy beams are reflected by an endless sea of glorious stages and their luminance reigns supreme. The stages are broken, and only mindless builders remain. Thy prophecy, that once blessed this city is gone, only fear and terror rule these lands. With no prophecy, the spirit of the mountain will remain and hunt this land. For prophecy is hope and, as it stands, this is the city of no hope.

AB

And the lords were listening, for Their ears are in every hole, and the holes are the domain of all that is not yet defined.

AC

To the prophet, Farfa spoke:

If that is the source of your rage, then you are the fool prophet. You speak to us about matters of the land as if it is within our domain. One mustn’t occupy their thoughts with circumstances beyond their control. Yet, you allow such affairs to obscure your vision and block all the holes you still have left. It has made you cold to your fellow prophets and so you call them fools. You are a prophet, for you were born a prophet, and the prophecy shall flow through you and you shall speak it to the public upon the great stage that you have erected. This is your purpose upon these lands, and nothing may distract you as you walk the path of the prophecy.

AD

Goareth held on to the stone and the prophecy flowed through him.

AE

And the prophet knew of all the terrible events that preceded the city of Holath, all the dishonourable actions that will lead to its fall, and all the terrible events that will follow its destruction. Though the more he came to know, the more the presence of Farfa faded away. And so, fear was upon the prophet.

AF

Grasping the stone with all of his might, Goareth rejected the knowledge and focused on the presence of the lords.

AG

Goareth hugged the rocks and they cracked, and the tears of the prophet poured through the cracks and they shined in the light that illuminates all crevices.

AH

And the stones were hot, and Farfa beamed from the cracks. Yet the beams were obscured from the prophet, for his eyes were full of tears.

AI

To Goareth, Farfa said:

Do not waste your liquids, dear prophet, for this is desert land, where no wood soaks the drops and no tree grows.

AJ

The prophet shut all of his holes and it was warm. And the tears became one with the air.

AK

All was green, and Goareth was one with the green.

AL

The prophet attempts to open his eyes and sees there are no more holes, only a stage. He tries to open them further, as before, but struggles. Still, there are no holes. Yet, he hears without ears. He hears a large congregation chanting his name, and again and again. And the calls grow louder. And the prophet sees without eyes, and he sees the crowd from the top of a great stage, much greater than any stage the city has ever known.

To the prophet, the exhilarated masses shout:

Hear the prophet! Hear the prophet! Hear the prophet!

Around him were prophets from every caste of Holath and from other castes from beyond the complete-walls of the city. To the residents of the city of Holath, Goareth speaks the prophecy without mouth. And the words of the prophet are harsh, for he speaks of the cooling and the fall of Holath.

And indeed, the cooling is upon the city. The crowd turns angry and chants:

Kill the prophet! Kill the prophet! Kill the prophet!

And in the city, prophets kill prophets. And the caste of Du strips the caste of Ho naked and severs their genitalia and their blood leaks out of their bodies and fills the city. And the prophets of the caste of Yu, they burn all food that the caste of Du hoards, and the prophets of Du starve and feast on the flesh of one another. And the caste of Go cracks every skull of the caste of Yu and their brains are viscoid spheres, rolling through roads of the city. And all the rest fight for that which still remains.

Aghast, the prophet flees the city. He runs as fast as he can through paths of chaos and destruction. Once he feels the grains of the desert sand clash against his skin, he knows he is safe in the land of the Gufams¹², he is compelled to turn back. He gazes in awe at the burning city.

And without eyes, further the prophet sees. He sees the horrors in the city of Holath. Blood flows through the streets and between the stages, and the stages are in flames. And those few prophets who refuse violence run with buckets and splash blood at the fires that plague the combusting city. Yet, it is of no use, for the city is ablaze, and all know it to be the will of Farfa.

A Nefkash¹³ stands before the prophet Goareth, tall and colourless, as if it’s immune to the green light of the lords. The green that is all but itself. To the prophet, the Nefkash says:

These are no flames of thy lord. Nay, the flames are of thine own making. And would ye torch me alight? Would ye set fire to the holes?

The Nefkash is incinerated by the green flame of Farfa. And the light is blinding, and the prophet opens his eyes.

AM

Goareth woke up in a cold sweat¹⁴ next to a pile of rocks, just beyond the incomplete-walls of the city.

AN

To Farfa, Goareth spoke with no holes:

Why have ye shown me these horrors?

To Goareth, the voice of Farfa spoke:

It was you who desired greater understanding, our dear prophet. To know all, one must know the source of all.

AO

Awestricken, through the dark air of desert night, the prophet said:

I know ye, our lords. And I know that I am seen.

AP

And to Their prophet, Goareth, Farfa offered a pact of exchange¹⁵. And the pact was as follows - in exchange for the knowledge of all, Goareth will serve as the ambassador of Farfa upon every land.

AQ

And the prophet gazed up and from the light of the night spheres, the voice of Farfa spoke:

This is not your knowledge alone, dear prophet, you are to be our prophet upon every land, and you shall spread the rulings of the ethereal kingdom above.

AR

To the lords, Goareth spoke on behalf of all who reside upon the land:

Yet, we know ye. Ye who are the fewest of the few. Ye who are whole and whom sees all and provides sight to every sentient. We shall all know ye and bear the pain of thy knowledge.

And to the prophet Goareth, ambassador of the lords upon every land, Farfa spoke:

Was it not you, dear prophet, who said the prophets of our city are fragile and scared? Upon the great stage that you have constructed, you shall speak our ruling to everyone, for those who know us shall never suffer, even in the harshest of circumstances.

AS

And Goareth felt the fear of all prophets who inhabit the lands, for he was their ambassador in the presence of Farfa.

AT

And to the lords, without mouth, Goareth spoke once more:

Our lords, hear the plea of the land, for thy prophets are fearful and angry. And I know anger, oh lords. And in their anger, they might kill me. For the knowledge of the war of prophets will make the fearful mad and the fearless dead.

To Goareth, Farfa spoke:

You are born a prophet and you die a prophet. A prophet only dies when they have no more prophecies to tell.

AU

And again, saddened by the knowledge he acquired, to the lords Goareth spoke:

With thy forgiveness, I must ask, for I know ye. To what end should this dark future be revealed to the residents of the city if they are powerless to change it?

To Goareth, Farfa decreed a ruling that penetrated every crack in the land:

A disciple of our light is not measured by their ignorance and denial. Indeed, our disciples must demonstrate endurance and resilience in the face of their fate. And whether in a moment of crisis or in a moment of intoxicated joy, all those who know us shall be well and heat shall be upon them as well.

AV

Goareth stood in the desert sand next to the incomplete-walls of the city.

And to the prophet, Farfa spoke:

Before you, there are two paths, prophet, and you may only choose one. Either stay in the barren lands of the desert and live alongside the Gufams, for they too know the path of our heat, or return to the city, walk the path of light, and become our ambassador upon every land.

AW

And Goareth chose his path, and Farfa knew his choice, for Farfa know all.

Before walking his path, Goareth posed one last question to Farfa, lords of all that shines and burns bright:

And what say ye of my death? What shall be the nature of my death? And what of that which is beyond my death?

And to Goareth, Farfa said:

At the time of your death, you will dream an endless dream, and in your sleep you shall be embraced by both light and heat. This shall be your death, regardless of your path in life. Beyond your death, you will have no presence upon these lands and you will be forgotten for the rest of this age. Nonetheless, when the holes of the land cast away the evils of this age, cometh a new age, and new Maharashtas¹⁶ will rise. And at this age of unspoiled wisdom, your teachings shall once more spread across lands. And those who study your teachings shall be blessed, for they will learn the ways of the city and the ways of the forest, the path of light and the path of heat, the domain of the spheres and the domain of the land. And they will obtain knowledge of the source of everything. They shall survive through every age, and they shall pass your teachings beyond the confines of a single age, beyond every hole in every land, beyond the great spheres.

AX

And before the city stood the ambassador of Farfa upon every land, the desert behind him and the path of his choosing lay before him.

Goareth, knower of Farfa, entered the city through the incomplete-walls. And with the strength bestowed upon him from above, he piled up the rocks that once buried him in the domain of Onf, and singlehandedly completed the walls of the city of Holath.

AY

And the prophet walked the path from the northern wall to the territory of Godaf. And this path was the path of knowledge, for along this path Goareth would spread the prophecy, and the prophecy came from the source of all knowledge.

AZ

A large audience assembled in the territory of Godaf. Gonam, leader of the caste, conducted a ceremony, for the caste of Go had lost a member. They knew it to be true that prophet Goareth was now one with Yaketh¹⁷ in the domain of Onf.

In remembrance of the prophet, Gonam said to the audience:

Caste of brave and strong builders, leading the city to new days of glory, hear my words, for today we mourn together. Our brother of the caste of Go is gone. We did not know him well, indeed many of us never saw him during these two lone cycles of light, for this is how long he has been a part of our caste. This mighty caste of hard working prophets, nay, servants to our lords. None of us have seen his face, for this prophet bore no face, yet our brother bore the name of our caste, for his name was Goareth.

Goareth came from Yaketh, nevertheless, he was a prophet of our lords in the lands, and he came here to help us build this city. Alas, today Yaketh claimed our brother Goareth back. The young prophet will not rejoice in the fruits of our labour. Further, he will not witness the days of prosperity ahead. Fear not prophets of Farfa, we have misjudged the might of Yaketh, still if we remain loyal servants to our lords above and do not stray from the path of the lords, we shall know days of peace and riches the likes of which we have not seen since the days of the great prophet Holath himself. I mourn you, my brother Goareth, may the light of Farfa ever shine through the stage that you have built. This stage shall ever stand in your memory in this enlightened city.

BA

From the crowd, the prophet Goareth appeared, ambassador of Farfa upon all lands. All could see the light of Farfa radiating from within the prophet. Without holes, the prophet spoke the words of the lords to the caste of Go, and all that was present sensed the warmth that Farfa had installed upon the land:

BB

Fine words you speak, brother Gonam, yet those who seek to challenge the rulings of our lords shall know only disappointment. It is true, my brothers, I have been to the depths of the domain of Onf and back. This journey through the domain of matter, of objects and concepts, a journey through the land of all that is dead and of all that is not yet alive, this journey has led me to the path of light. It has led me to this enlightened city once more. I am ever grateful to our lords, for showing us the way, for guiding us with Their infinite light, even through the deepest of holes. And in these depths, the lords have emancipated us to be Their ambassadors upon all lands. Indeed, in the lowest of lows, the eternal light of Farfa prevails. I have escaped the holes of Yaketh a free prophet, and chose to return to this city and to serve our lords, for the knowledge of our lords must encompass this land and all who walk upon it. Just as our complete-walls surround and protect our great city. May we ever sense the presence of our lords Farfa without holes, may we ever be perceptive to Their knowledge without holes, and may we ever pass this knowledge across every land without holes.

BC

And from the audience, for all to hear, a young prophet shouted:

Look, the beams of the lords shine through the stranger.

And it was true.

BD

Another prophet, old and wise he was, stood next to Gonam, beside the stage. To the leader of the caste, he said:

This prophet bears no holes upon his faceless head, yet he is blessed with the knowledge of our lords! It is a testimony to the true might of the lords, a victory over the evils of Yaketh. We should mark this day, for our joy today is twofold - the return of our brother Goareth and the completion of the walls of our great city.

And caste-leader Gonam made it a day of marking, in the service of the lords.

BE

A female-prophet from the back of the crowd, pushed through the prophets and rushed to see Goareth.

To the prophet, she said:

We all see that the elements are upon you prophet, and we hear your tales of the knowledge that shall spread across all lands. Still, if the lord of light is upon all lands, why is Their wisdom hidden? Why do They require ambassadors?

To the female-prophet, three prophets in the crowd said in anger:

Silence, fool!

BF

And the three enraged prophets approached her, willing to cast her away.

To the three, the prophet Goareth called:

Halt your actions, for you must not fight amongst yourselves on matters of our lords. I shall reveal all the knowledge that Farfa has granted, and nothing shall remain hidden. Yet first, I believe our leader should speak, for he should lead us in this journey along the path of light.

BG

To the audience, Gonam spoke:

And so you have witnessed firsthand the miracles of our lords, who have retrieved our brother from the depths of the domain of another. So great They are, that They have blessed us with working hands and with endless knowledge and eternal light. And within these complete-walls of the city, we shall be protected from all who wish harm to Their prophets. Hence, let us praise our brother Goareth, a true knower of the lords, who entrusts his life to Their mighty hands. Speak brother, and deliver the words of our lords, for you mustn’t walk this path of light alone.

BH

From the great stage that he erected, the prophet Goareth, ambassador of Farfa upon the lands, to his brothers of the Go caste, spoke his knowledge without holes, and the presence of Farfa vibrated from the stage:

BI

Brothers, our lords are awesome, and Their might unmatched. When I returned to this city, the vital beams of our lords were upon me once again and I have completed the walls of our great city. Yet a day will come and these walls will tremble again with pain. And our stages will not withstand the vibrations of our lords and they shall crack and break again, destruction in a scale that we have never seen before. Brother Gonam, you speak truth, all who wish to harm the prophets of Holath will fail, for these walls are divine and no sentient could penetrate through them. Still, this devastation of which I speak will be of our own making. Brothers slaying brothers and prophet blood flowing through the streets of the once great city of Holath. Yes brothers, so it must be, for Farfa know all, and this world is Their instrument. Fear not brothers, for the glory of our lords is the glory of the worlds and this shall be a time of tribulations, and we ought to refuse all war and even leave these lands if left with no other choice. As long as we shall know our lords, we shall be at peace with ourselves and the true path of light shall be ever known.

BJ

The crowd was stunned, silent and afraid. And Goareth paused, he could see the terror in their eyes, for he needs not holes to see the fear in the holes of the sentients and the threat in the holes of the land.

BK

And Goareth looked at Gonam for guidance. And the leader of the caste of Go joined Goareth on stage and to the crowd he said:

It is late brothers, and our brother Goareth had a long and eventful day. He is confused, for this is a prophecy of the past, before the age of the great warrior, prophet Holath, who redeemed us from the endless war that cursed our tribes. Let us return to our stages and sleep, for we have much work ahead. May the presence of the lords vibrate through our stages tonight, like it has vibrated here today.

And Goareth knew Gonam spoke the truth of fools, yet he held his tongue, for the prophecy of Farfa is ever true and requires no reiteration.

BL

And as the prophets scattered, Gonam held Goareth by the arm and to the prophet he whispered:

You shall speak no more of these false prophecies to the prophets of my caste.

And Goareth was stunned, for he realised that the leader of the caste of Go was no prophet and he did not know Farfa.

BM

The prophet with no face, ambassador of Farfa upon the land, made the land his bed and he did not sleep in his great stage.

To Goareth, from a crack in a stage, the prophet with no eyes said:

Sleep well, bringer of destruction, great demolisher, prophet of our lords, and now - ambassador upon all lands. Sleep well and spread the truth of our lords.

BN

The prophet lay on the ground in the city of Holath and the light of the spheres shined on him from above, through no holes the light penetrated his being. When the prophet fell asleep, his dreams were green, for Farfa were with him, even in the dark of the night.

BO

Morning came with Farfa, and the lord of heat was once again upon every land. The presence of the lords vibrated through the stages of Holath. Time moved in two directions, for the vibrations of the land collided with it along the stages. And so the stages were ever in construction and demolition, for the city was plagued by a terrible loop¹⁸.

BP

The prophet rose and walked through the city. And the territory of Godaf, empty of prophets it was, for there was much labour to be done and the caste of builders ever builds.

BQ

And the prophet crossed the region again and passed the pond of the dancing fish, where the land lay flat with no stages.

BR

At the edges of the city, Goareth saw working prophets. And the prophets were carrying rocks, the remains of Mamak.

BS

And the prophet, who bore no face, spoke to the working prophets without mouth:

Brothers, tell me, what is the destination of these stones?

BT

The prophet Gonai halted and his rock was once again upon the surface of the planet. With his arm he gestured towards a pile of rocks in the distance. To Goareth, he said:

We get the rocks from over there and put them over here.

BU

Goareth walked with Gonai back to the big pile of rocks. The complete-wall of the city could be seen beyond the flat land. Between the wall and the city, the prophet saw many other prophets carrying the rocks. The prophets dressed in long dark coats, their heads covered by large hats and eye shades that blocked all light. And indeed, as the prophet Gonai said, they were carrying rocks from pile to pile.

BV

To Gonai, Goareth said:

Where did the rocks in this pile come from?

Gonai pointed at a pile in the distance, closer to the wall of the city, and said:

From over there. Brother Goba set this pile upon the ground.

Without eyes, the prophet Goareth saw stone-mover Goba walking towards them with a large stone in his arms. The stone was tall and covered the face of the prophet Goba, and still he walked on blindly.

BW

Gonai placed a rock as large as the one carried by Goba in the hands of Goareth. The prophet felt the weight of the rock, for it was heavy. And so the prophet knew that the might of Farfa was upon the prophets of the caste of Go.

BX

To Goareth, Gonai said:

Let us carry these stones, brother, for there is much to build and we must not wait here for brother Goba.

BY

And they walked with stones from the pile of Goba to another pile. Each time the prophets placed their stones in the new pile it grew. They returned with no stones to the pile of Goba, that did not seem to grow or shrink, and repeated their actions. Thus, they were caught in the loop that possessed the city.

BZ

Beyond their growing pile, a prophet holding no stone was approaching, he picked up one stone and walked back in the direction he came from.

To the stone-taker, Goareth shouted:

Brother, release the stone, this pile is not yours to take from!

Yet the stone-taker continued and disappeared in the distance. Goareth dropped his stone and ran towards the stone-taker.

To the prophet, Gonai called:

Brother Goareth, it is you who should halt. Return and pick up the stone. There is still much work to be done.

CA

Towards Gonai, Goareth walked, picked up the rock and said:

I am confused, brother Gonai. Why does this prophet take stones from our pile?

Gonai, mover of stones, explained to Goareth:

This is Gozaz, he takes the stones that we get from Goba and puts them in another pile.

CB

And the prophet was further perplexed. To Gonai, he posed another question:

What is to be of the stones then?

Gonai continued walking and said:

We do not know and do not care, for there is much building to be done and we must not waste our time thinking upon the movement of the stones beyond our touch.

CC

And they did not speak for three more cycles of the stone moving. And in the forth cycle, as they approached the pile of Goba to collect more stones, a prophet was approaching, holding a stone that covered his upper body.

CD

To the approaching prophet, Goareth said:

Brother Goba, where is the source of your stones?

The stone-mover added his rock to the pile and to Goareth he said:

Greetings, brother. I see you are confused, that you are unfamiliar with the ways of the stone-movers. Still, I am not Goba, I am Goredo.

CE

To Goareth, Gonai implored:

Come, brother. We must keep moving, pick up a stone and turn your back away from Goredo’s pile.

Goareth said:

I cannot join you, brother Gonai. I will continue with brother Goredo, for I must understand the path of the stones.

CF

And as the prophet spoke his words, stone-mover Gonai was already on his way to the pile that Goareth had neglected.

CG

As they walked, the prophet Goareth said to Goredo:

Brother Goredo, please tell me, where is the source of your stones?

Goredo said:

Ah, I see you are interested in the ways of the movers of stones. Well, I bring my stones from the pile of Gozum and Goameth.

And Goareth inquired further:

And where do Gozum and Goameth get their stones?

Goredo walked in silence for a while and then said:

Well now, I see why brother Gonai was impatient with you, brother Goareth. We simply do not know. You would have to ask them yourself, should we fortuitously encounter them by their pile.

CH

Prophet Goareth and stone-mover Goredo walked in silence. A silence lengthier than the silence between Goareth and Gonai had been. Still, the pile of Goameth and Gozum was out of sight and the hands of the silent prophets were empty of stones.

CI

Goareth was set to speak and inquire about the long path, yet to Goareth, Goredo spoke first:

I see you enjoy the walk, brother. You bear no face, yet your gaze is straight and concentrated on the path ahead, and your pace is as quick as my own.

CJ

And the prophet did not reply, for he saw movement in the distance.

CK

Indeed, through the sand which was dispersed in every direction by the desert wind, the shape of a large pile of stones began to form. And the movement observed by the prophet was of another stone-mover carrying a stone to his pile.

CL

And the prophet accelerated his pace. A stone appeared in this hands and yet his pace was ever increasing. And so, the prophet was running. Stone-mover Goredo watched in amazement.

CM

Goareth reached the pile before Goameth, and he knew that the approaching prophet was Goameth, for the presence of Farfa clears all confusion.

CN

And Goareth sets his stone onto the pile and gazes at the tall tower of stones. And the prophet sees that in front of him stands the tower of Tanf, for he is in Ankash once more¹⁹.

CO

The prophet stands once again in a glade, in front of the tower of wood-keeper Tanf. Yet the tower is dwarfed by flames. There are no trees at the edges of the sparsely distributed beds of grass, only a wall of endless fire surrounds the glade.

CP

Goareth calls up to the window at the top of the tower:

Tanf, you must depart your tower, our lands are ablaze!

From the window, the face of a young girl peeks. She retreats into the darkness of the tower, then returns and whispers as loud as she can to the prophet:

You must leave, prophet, for sister Tanf is asleep. She is not well and we must not wake her.

CQ

The girl is familiar to the prophet. And the knowledge of who she is makes its way to the prophet at the same alarming speed that the fire eats through the leaves.

The prophet knows her name and calls to the tower:

Branf!

And the tower is a pile of stones, and the prophet was in Holath yet again.

CR

To Goareth, stone-mover Goredo said:

Are you well, brother? I saw you froze by the pile of our brothers’, indeed a mighty pile it is. Still, we must not waste our time gazing at rocks. In essence, I should not wait for you, I see brother Goameth didn’t. Let us continue, brother. Grab a stone and walk the path with me, the light of the lord will not bless us for long.

CS

The prophet was aggrieved, for much knowledge was upon him, yet he did not know a thing. He picked up a rock and walked in silence alongside his brother Goredo.

CT

The path was long and the heat of the lord was upon the land. Without the use of his eyes, Goareth saw prophets walking, carrying stones, they were covered by dark clothing, their large hats cast shadows and dark shades covered their eyes. And the prophet’s face was uncovered. It was only that the holes of the prophet could not be seen by his fellow prophets, for to them he bore no face.

CU

To stone-mover Goredo, Goareth said:

Tell me, brother. The complete-walls of the city now protect us. So, why do you persist and cast shadows and obscure your vision?

The prophet Goredo said:

I see you wish to conquer the knowledge of all and you do not fear. Thus, you shall know all, for you fear nothing. Still, you must understand, brother, we are afraid, for the lords are mighty and in Their presence we cower. The valour of the lords reigns supreme over all lands, regardless of Their presence. Even with our vision obscured, we are blinded by Their light. Even with our skins covered, we burn in Their heat. So we protect ourselves from that which we do not know and do not understand, for if one wishes to serve the lords in these lands, one must live in these lands and not perish or be consumed by their harsh climate.

CV

Goareth and Goredo placed the rocks in the pile and turned back to bring more rocks.

CW

The prophet Goareth was disturbed by the words of his brother and so, to stone-mover Goredo, he said:

Still, brother, we are prophets, are we not? How shall we speak to the lords if They cannot reveal Themselves and Their miracles to us? What have we, without our holes and our bodies?

CX

The prophet Goredo said:

Remember, prophet, you speak the words of the lords without a mouth, the words you hear without ears, the knowledge of the eternal light, which you see without eyes. I see you find our ways strange, yet you must see too - we cannot withstand the full presence of the lords. Only Gonam, leader of our great caste speaks to the lords and it is his burden to bear.

CY

And Goareth knew that Gonam was a fool, a prophet of lies. Still, he said nothing, for Gonam sits among the prophets of the Kolafum and rules the domain of the land. And in this domain, fools may rule.

CZ

To Goareth, Goredo said:

And you, brother, you come from the lands beyond these walls. I see you learned the art of survival and you truly speak to the lords, for They speak through you. May the words of the lords ever vibrate amidst the construction of Holath.

DA

And the prophets carried stones and added them to the pile and they walked this path three more times. And on the fourth, Goareth saw stone-mover Goameth in the distance.

DB

With all of his might, Goareth screamed. And the air was still and the grains of the desert sand froze and so did Goameth, for he knew the call²⁰.

DC

And Goameth felt no weight in his hands, for the stone he held had vanished. And Goredo nearly fell under the weight of the same stone, for it appeared in his hands. The two stone-movers looked at the prophet, for they knew he moved the stone without the use of hands.

Goareth said:

You must see now that here our paths split, brother Goredo. I am grateful to the lords for making our paths collide, may they collide again soon. And you, brother Goameth, I shall join you now, for I must walk your path to understand your path.

DD

The path of stone-mover Goameth was short, the shortest of all paths that Goareth had thus encountered. As the pile of Goameth disappeared behind them, a new pile appeared in front of them.

DE

To Goareth, stone-mover Goameth said:

Your path is foolish, brother. You must rejoin brother Goredo and walk along with him, in his path.

Goareth and Goameth picked up rocks from the pile and turned back.

DF

And Goareth, who walked upon the lands as a free prophet, servant only to Those above all, refused the movement of the loop that had smothered the land.

To Goameth, he said:

This path is not mine to shape, brother, it is our path to follow, for the light of the lords shall guide all who seek knowledge and Their heat shall guide all who crave life.

DG

The prophets added the rocks to the pile of Goameth and turned back to pick up more rocks.

Stone-mover Goameth said:

Walk your path alone and leave me be. I do not require assistance from the faceless!

DH

And so, Goareth stood by the pile as Goameth came and went, taking rock after rock. From the distance, a prophet carrying a pile of three rocks appeared.

DI

The land pulsed as the three rocks dropped to the ground. The prophet saw the face of the stone-mover as she drew closer and he knew her face, for she had spoken to him before.

DJ

And Goameth appeared again and to the female-stone-mover, he said:

Beware of the faceless, sister Gonisha. You may be a fool. Still, he is all the more foolish.

The stone-mover picked up a rock and left.

DK

Goareth walked with the stone-mover Gonisha in silence. And they walked and no pile of rocks appeared in the distance. After some walking, Gonisha set on a lone rock surrounded by nothing but sand.

DL

To Goareth, the stone-mover Gonisha said:

I apologise, brother, I did not expect company.

Confused, Goareth asked:

Are you tired, sister?

Gonisha said:

No, brother. I often make sure to have one stone to sit on when I return. I would have left two if I knew I would have a companion.

DM

To stone-mover Gonisha, Goareth said:

Who brings your stones, sister?

To Goareth, Gonisha said:

Our brother Gothum walks a long path to bring us stones, yet he is weak and his stones light. Please allow your feet to rest, there is much path ahead.

DN

To prophet Gonisha, Goareth said:

Do you walk the path of light as well, sister?

To Goareth, prophet Gonisha said:

I do not walk the path of light, brother, for I do not know the light that illuminates every path.

Angered, Goareth said:

Your eye-shades should cure your blindness, sister. Would they not?

Gonisha said:

May I ask you, my brother, who bears no eyes - do you see well?

Goareth said:

You obscure your vision, sister. Yet you complain that you do not see.

Gonisha said:

I do not complain, brother. I know of Farfa and of Their path of light. I wish to know Them. Still, I do not rage, for once I know our lords and Their path of light, I shall need no eyes for the path to appear before me.

DO

In the distance, stone-mover Gothum appeared carrying a rock.

To the approaching stone-mover, prophet Gonisha said:

Brother Gothum, may Farfa ever bless you with Their beams, what brings you to the outskirts of our glorious city?

The stone-mover placed his stone on the ground next to Gonisha.

He shot a glance at Goareth and to Gonisha he said:

Ah, sister Gonisha, always a fool I see. And as we know, the fools lurk between the piles, between the stages, and now they are many and various.

The stone-mover pointed at Goareth. Gonisha gestured at the new stone and Goareth sat on the stone beside her.

To the stone-mover, Goareth said:

The fools are at rest now, brother Gothum. May your labour serve all, fools and non-fools alike.

The stone-mover left and the two prophets were alone, sitting on rocks.

DP

To Goareth, Gonisha said:

Teach me, brother. Show me the path of light and I shall walk it blindly until sight is upon me.

To Gonisha, Goareth said:

Teach me, sister. Show me the ways of the city, for I only know the path of light and along every other path I am as lost as a wood-keeper in the desert.

DQ

And the two prophets spoke and shared their knowledge.

Gonisha drew on the desert sand the paths of every stone-mover and thus Goareth came to know the territory of Godaf and his brothers as he knew Ankash. Goareth spoke of Ankash and of the glades and of the brave wood-keepers who protected their lands from the armies of Aran, the monarch of all giants, and thus Gonisha came to know the might of the female-warriors of Ankash as she knew her own might. Gonisha spoke of Gonam and his war on female prophecy, Goareth spoke his knowledge too and Gonisha knew then that the leader of their caste was a false-prophet and they both fell silent.

The prophets gazed at the pile of stones that has accumulated while they spoke, for stone-mover Gothum came and went many times and ignored the words they exchanged, words he considered to belong only to fools.

DR

Gonisha rose and to Goareth, she said:

Come, brother, we must proceed with the moving of the stones.

Gonisha lifted three stones and carried them with no effort. Goareth picked up two stones and not one more, for that was the amount he could bear. Gonisha saw it was so and added a fourth stone to the pile that she carried. And Goareth knew that the might of Farfa was upon her.

DS

The two prophets walked with the stones, added them to the pile of stone-mover Goameth and returned to their pile.

DT

As they walked, Goareth said to Gonisha:

And so, I repeat my knowledge to your ears, sister. This is the path of the stones: Stone-mover Gofaef walks for 13 thuba²¹ and brings stones to stone-mover Goba, and stone-mover Goba walks for 15 thuba and brings stones to stone-mover Gonai, and stone-mover Gonai walks for 32 thuba and brings stones to stone-mover Gozaz, and stone-mover Gozaz walks for 25 thuba and brings stones to stone-mover Gothaev, and stone-mover Gothaev walks for 22 thuba and brings stones to stone-movers Gothum and Goad, and stone-mover Goad walks for 9 thuba and brings stones to stone-mover Gozum, and stone-mover Gozum walks for 26 thuba and brings stones to Goredo, and still, stone-mover Gothum walks for 39 thuba and brings stones to female-stone-mover Gonisha, and female-stone-mover Gonisha walks for 10 thuba and brings stones to stone-mover Goameth, and stone-mover Goameth walks for 5 thuba and brings stones to stone-mover Goredo, and Goredo walks for 52 thuba, and at the end of his long journey he brings stones back to stone-mover Gonai, and the stones are ever in a loop, and the caste of builders never builds. Sister, where is the source of the stones of Gofaef?

DU

To Goareth, Gonisha said:

Indeed, brother, Gonai takes the stones from Goredo, who takes the stones from Gozum and Goameth, and Gozum takes the stones from Goad, and Goameth takes the stones from Gonisha, who takes the stones from Gothum, and Gothum and Goad take the stones from Gothaev the brave, who takes the stones from Gozaz, who takes the stones from Gonai, who still takes the stones from Goredo and from Goba as well, and Goba takes the stones from Gofaef, who takes the stones from the complete-wall of the city. And stones ever move, and the sand in the air, coarse and blinding it is, for we ought to build blindly in the presence of our lords Farfa. And so we shall not see construction or destruction and we shall not know what our labour has brought upon the land.

DV

When they returned to the pile, Goareth said to Gonisha:

I must go, sister. I must stop Gofaef, for he puts us all in grave danger.

To Goareth, Gonisha said:

Before you go, brother, I have one more request. Help us walk the path of light. Bring us the means to sense the lords in Their presence and in Their absence. We are trapped in the loop that has engulfed the city, it penetrates through the holes in the wall. The whole city is Robatha²², the city is a single stage, its walls are broken and yet, no prophet can escape. The air of our prison is a dusty cloud, obscuring our vision further and we are ever suffocating. Do not show us the light brother, for it is self-evident, as it spreads across the lands for all to see. Teach us how to follow the true path of light, and not the looping paths of fools.

DW

And Goareth sensed the presence of the lords vibrating through his sister and to her, he said:

Very well, you have taught me much, dear sister. If we succeed in stopping this madness, the city shall ever be in your debt.

DX

The prophet departed and escaped the path of the stones, following the path dictated by the lords. Without eyes he saw the path and walked for many thuba through a cloud of sand, a cloud through which none could be seen.

DY

He walked back to the edge of the city, to the point where the path of light begins and where the city meets the desert.

DZ

Without eyes, through the cloud of destruction, the prophet saw stone-breaker Gofaef. And he was holding a pickax, pounding at the bleeding wall of the city.

EA

To Gofaef, with no mouth, the prophet called:

Brother, stop, for you are exposing our city to the evils that lurk between all the cracks in the land. And furthermore, with your actions you make your brothers and sisters blind to the dangers of the land. Have you so soon forgotten the terror of the giants? Stop now, or suffer the fate of all who deny Farfa.

EB

Stone-breaker Gofaef did not halt his actions and to Goareth, he said:

You hold no authority over me, faceless fool. Go to caste-leader Gonam and complain before him, for he has bestowed this task upon me.

EC

Prophet Goareth, ambassador of the lords upon all lands, full of rage and vindication he was. Yet the prophet did not touch the foolish stone-breaker, for he knew his own might and his hands remembered still the terrible sensation of taking a life²³.

ED

To the stone-breaker, the prophet declared:

I shall speak before the Kolafum, your actions will be stopped.

To the prophet, the stone-breaker replied:

Only the leader of my caste can command me and stop my actions. Beware, brother, I can break objects harder than stones, even the bones of a stubborn fool such as yourself.

And the prophet knew these words to be lies. Fools need not the corroboration of the prophets, for one needs to know the lords if one wishes to deny Them.

EE

To the Kolafum, the prophet walked through the territories of Godaf and Yumak and Duosh. It stood by the gate of Holath, the glorious structure of the Kolafum, High Kolafum of all prophecy.

The Kolafum was sealed, and still a mighty Holathian magumite²⁴ stood by the edifice and protected the hall. Tall and impressive he stood, his garments puffy and shining in the light of the lord.

EF

To the entrance-keeper, Goareth said:

I must enter the Kolafum, brother. Our city is in danger, our leaders must know!

To the prophet, the entrance-keeper said:

Brother? Why do you call me brother?²⁵ You are not from the caste of Ho, you are not made of the seed and the blood of the great warrior-prophet. You are merely a partner in this city, which my ancestors built. Now begone, fool, for the High Kolafum must not be disturbed in their gathering.

EG

The prophet did not argue, for he knew the true path of light. And the actions of existence, they occur regardless of the path, and so they occur around its edges. Still, they do not obstruct those who walk it.

EH

The great hall of the Kolafum, a great stage it was. Taller than any other stage in Holath. Built of large and perfectly straight cubes by the great prophet Houz, first chair of the the great Kolafum of Holath. The prophet Goareth reached out and touched one of the cubes. And the cube, along with the prophet, vanished. And the entrance-keeper, shocked and speechless was he, for he had never before witnessed the power of the prophecy.

EI

And Goareth appeared at the edges of the city, next to Gonisha, holding the cube of the Kolafum. He quickly dropped it to the ground, for it was larger and heavier than any stone he had carried this cycle of light.

To the sitting prophet Gonisha, Goareth said:

Please try this cube, sister, for it is much more appropriate for your rest.

And Gonisha rose from her stone, awestruck by the sight of a Kolafum stone and with much reverence she set herself upon the cube. The prophet touched the stone on which Gonisha previously sat and he disappeared again.

EJ

The prophet stood inside the Kolafum hall. And the stone of Gonisha had replaced the cube that Goareth had taken. The prophet was not seen by prophets of the Kolafum, for the leaders of the castes were blind and they ruled blindly over the land.

EK

To the Kolafum, prophet Duzam said:

Indeed, partner Yuzam, our city must expand. More sentients are flocking to our gates ever since the fall of the giants. The threat is gone and the city must prosper again.

The chair of the Kolafum, the prophet Holesh, said:

Why are we so certain that the northern border poses no threat? The hunters of the land²⁶ reside by the edges of Holath. Do we believe that they shall ever remain peaceful and inhabit these deserts free from all strife?

EL

Gonam said:

The caste of Go is mighty and brave, our prophets were the first line of defence during the attacks of the giant Aran. We shall protect the borders of our city if needed.

Yuzam said:

Then I propose a vote for this High Kolafum - The city shall accept new residents and they shall live at the edges of Godaf, thus the city could grow and expand to the north. In exchange, the caste of Go shall receive precedence in access to Holathian markets, for we must feed the hard working builders.

Duzam said:

Indeed, this city craves more residents to support our ever growing trade with our allies beyond the desert. I shall support your proposal, partner Yuzam.

Holesh said:

Then, we are to vote on the proposal of the partner Yuzam.

EM

To the Kolafum, Gonam said:

The new residents should spread across every territory in Holath, not only Godaf. Why must we bear the burden of the foreigners along with the burden of construction? The caste of Go will not accept such an offer. One vote - reject.

The prophet Yuzam said:

Partners of this high gathering, you must see that my proposal will help this great city grow and prosper. You all know of my terrible prophecies of hardship and suffering. Still, partner Duzam and myself know that we can restore the great days of glory that have once graced this city, back when the great warrior walked the land and blessed each caste with the knowledge of our lords, material abundance and good fortune. Three votes - approve.

The prophet Duzam said:

It is true, we have not known such days of peace and ease of movement in living memory, we must not renounce this blessing that pours upon us from above. We must improve the lives of our prophets, even more so for the hard working builders of the caste of Go. Let this city shine once more. Five votes - approve.

To the Kolafum, the chair Holesh said:

As per tradition, we must keep the vote of this Kolafum unanimous. We are all in agreement, the city must develop further, the prophecies of my ancestors shall manifest during our days upon these lands. Yet, we must also agree upon the trivialities of such a spread in our city, for it shall shape the lives of generations of prophets to come. And so, we must not break our sacred partnership as we build our city. Seven votes - reject. With the power bestowed upon me by this High Kolafum, I reject this proposal. We shall reconvene again soon and further make the voices of the city heard. We shall do so until we are in full agreement and the voice of the city is one.

EN

Gonam said:

Thank you, chair Holesh. We must preserve the sacred pact of the four tribes who made one city of four castes. I implore you, partners Yuzam and Duzam, do not renounce our traditions, for they are as sacred as our pact. And furthermore, we cannot welcome every single foreigner into our city. They must prove that they are worthy of being residents of our glorious city and that they will respect and follow our ways.

Yuzam said:

I must remind you, dear partner Gonam, we have approved your proposal to let a stranger reside in this city. Despite my personal objections, I have voted with you for the unity of this Kolafum, I expect you to do the same on our next vote.

Vice-chair Duzam said:

Let us not spread the truth of fools, partner Yuzam. We were tasked by the lords to give our verdict on a matter of the land, and the proposal was to allow the prophet to return to his rightful place among his brothers in the caste of Go. We had never dealt with foreigners before, and thus this vote was divided and we had to find the path that best reflects the law of the land and the light of our lords. Let us call on to our lords, with a plea for ever lasting peace and consensus in this city of prophecy.

Chair Holesh said:

Very well, partners of the Kolafum, let us scream together and let the walls of this Kolafum vibrate at the same pace and frequency of the lords. For Their hall shall ever be the source of all light in our great city.

EO

And the partners of the Kolafum were all screaming, and the hall vibrated and Farfa was upon the High Kolafum to guide all who listened. And Goareth was listening, for he always knew the lords in Their presence. And the Kolafum did not hearken the words of Farfa, for they were screaming, and were deaf to every sound that was not their own.

EP

The prophet returned to the territory of Godaf. The prophet Gonisha was sitting on a desert stone once more and again, the cube vibrated along with all the other cubes that surrounded the hall of the High Kolafum.

EQ

To Gonisha, with renewed vivacity, grateful to the lords, who had blessed the city with Their presence, Goareth said:

Sister, help me, we must gather all of our brothers, the movers of stones. Our leaders are deaf and we are blind, yet we know the lords and all shall know Them as well, for They are upon our city.

ER

And Gonisha walked between all the piles on the path of the stones, and summoned every stone-mover. Those who refused were brought by force, for the might of the lords was upon her.

ES

The prophet Goareth went to stone-breaker Gofaef once more and said:

Brother, we are severing only this loop. Join us or be consumed by your actions.

To the prophet Goareth, stone-breaker Gofaef said:

I will not join fools who reject labour and defy the ways of our caste.

ET

The prophet said:

Your will is the will of the lords, for there is no will but the will of the lords.

EU

Goareth joined the gathering of stone-movers and to all prophets of the caste he said without mouth:

Brothers, our lords are upon this city, for all vibrates in Their presence. Hence, we shall combine our actions so that we act as one along the vibrations, and our movement shall be one, and the lords will cast Their beams upon us, for we know that we are seen and that our movement is known to all.

EV

And the stone-movers were confused, for they did not know the lords.

The prophet said:

Tell us what you know, and you shall see that you too know Farfa.

Stone-mover Gozaz said:

We thought the lords to be ever upon the city.

The prophet said:

Indeed, brother Gozaz.

Stone-mover Gothaev said:

The vibrations of which you speak are beyond our senses.

The prophet said:

Indeed, brother Gothaev.

Stone-movers Gothum and Goad said:

The stones did not move along the vibrations and now they move no more.

The prophet said:

Indeed, brothers Gothum and Goad.

Stone-mover Gonisha said:

The prophets did not move along the vibrations and now they stand together in the presence of the lords.

The prophet said:

Indeed, sister Gonisha.

Stone-movers Goameth and Gozum said:

And the might of the lords is upon Their ambassadors who walk the land and none may refuse such might.

The prophet said:

Indeed, brothers Goameth and Gozum.

Stone-mover Goredo said:

I see we must perform one action and one action alone. And this action is one and whole, and it is not made of smaller actions and it cannot be divided into smaller actions.

The prophet said:

Indeed, brother Goredo.

Stone-mover Gonai said:

Our action was one, yet it was not whole, for we have failed to follow the vibrations of the land as our guide.

The prophet said:

Indeed, brother Gonai.

Stone-mover Goba said:

And this uncoordinated action was not the vibrations of our lords but the blinding movement of Yaketh²⁷.

The prophet said:

Indeed, brother Goba.

EW

To Goareth, Gonisha said:

What action shall we take, brother? What is the movement that resonates along the vibrations? And how shall we make this known to every prophet?

Goareth said:

Return to your piles, touch your stones and you shall know what our next actions will be. For too long you have walked aimlessly from pile to pile, and so the offspring of Ura possessed your actions. Now you know our lords, and along Their vibrations our movements shall be as one and Their might shall be upon us. And through the vibrations of the land, the knowledge of our path shall spread to every prophet.

EX

And the stone-movers returned to their piles and touched their stones. And they shouted, for the stones were the cubes of the Kolafum and the Kolafum was remade from desert stones and the cubes vibrated in the presence of Farfa.

EY

And yet Gofaef, breaker of walls, continued to pile up his stones. No prophet took stones from the pile and it became as tall as the Kolafum. The shout of the prophets vibrated throughout the city and Gofaef’s pile vibrated, and it was trembling and collapsed, and all the stones fell on Gofaef. And so, the breaker of stones was broken by stones and was no more.

EZ

The city was in a loop no longer and stones no longer moved in the territory of Godaf. The sand was once again upon the land and the air of Godaf, clear and proper it was, for the beams of the lords blessed the city. And the beams were seen by all, for the blind had perished and those who remained could now see.

FA

The stone-movers knew Farfa, for their actions were one and whole, and they knew they were seen, for all who are, are seen.

FB

On cubes the prophets of the Go caste sat and hungered. The prophet Goareth, a great teacher he was. All who attended his teachings looked upon him with awe and reverence, for they knew he spoke the true words of Farfa.

FC

The prophet said:

We sit on the stones of the prophecy, made not by the forces of the land. Nay, these cubes were forged through the power of the prophecy. For all prophecy is one under Farfa. Wonderful and marvellous it is, now the great Kolafum made of the stones of the land, as it should. And evermore it shall be judge and ruler in the domain of the land, as it should. And all is as the lords willed it to be, for there is no will but the will of the lords.

FD

To Goareth, Gothaev said:

Great ambassador of the lords, together we have carried stones aimlessly throughout the land, until the lords heard our cries and blessed us with these cubes. We serve our lords obediently, we build the stages of others, though our stages are cracked and broken. We protect this city, we have erected walls and stopped the terrible loop, yet we are not protected from the terrible hunger. Tell us prophet; have the lords willed it as well? Have They willed our hunger? Do They will our deaths? Have They willed our pain?

And Goareth listened with much care, for he knew the pains of the land and the apathy of the lords. For the land was the domain of life and death and the lords ruled over all creation and knew no pain.

FE

Goareth said:

You ask fine questions, and yet the knowledge you seek is already in existence. You all know, for you are here. You know the lords and you honourably starve in Their presence. Sister Gonisha, share your knowledge with us on this matter.

Gonisha said:

I know nothing, for I hardly know our lords, brother.

Goareth said:

Yet you starve with us, sister. We have many brothers and sisters who do not hunger for food or sit on the cubes of the prophecy. Have they another source of knowledge? Have they another prophecy?

Gonisha said:

They who eat from poisonous hands, posses no knowledge. For these hands belong to those who do not know our lords. They who move as we moved when we carried the stones. They know not the path and what is behind them, what is in front of them and what is above and below. For they are blind and the blind shall walk aimlessly in light and in darkness. Until sight be upon them, for all shall know Farfa and speak Their prophecy.

Goareth said:

Indeed, sister. Still, they walk honourably and we sit and hunger, our actions too are honourable. Are all honourable in the presence of the lords?

Gonisha said:

Yes, brother, this city has been blessed by the beams of our lords night and day. And all revere the lords, even those who do not know Them. And we all live honourably, for the prophecy compels it. And so it shall be in the city of prophecy.

FF

Goareth said:

Ah, sister, yet the prophecy does not compel. Indeed, brothers, it cannot compel, for the lords do not perform actions in this domain of the land. Brother Gozaz, share your knowledge with us on the matter.

Gozaz said:

The lords are upon this land and They are ever present, yet the actions in this city are the actions of prophets.

To the cube-sitters around him, Goareth said:

Indeed, brother Gozaz. And are the actions of the prophets the same as the prophecy itself?

And the prophecy flowed through the land and the cube-sitters spoke the words of the lords.

Gothaev said:

No, brother, for the prophecy is beyond all actions. It shall occur regardless of our actions.

Goareth said:

Indeed, brother Gothaev, and still, movement is action and action is movement. Yet the prophecy is not action and there is no movement without prophecy. What is the prophecy then?

Goad said:

The prophecy is honourable and all movement along the vibrations of the lords is honourable as well.

Goareth said:

Indeed, brother Goad, and movement is action, and action is not prophecy, for prophecy is always honourable. What is action then?

Gothum said:

Action is all movement upon the land. And in the presence of the lords, movement may be honourable and it may be dishonourable. Thus, action in Holath might be dishonourable.

Goareth said:

Indeed, brother Gothum, and what might a dishonourable action be in the presence of our lords?

Gonisha said:

We eat in the presence of the lords and we starve in the presence of the lords. All the same, when the land provides food we eat and when the land does not provide food we starve. And in the presence of the lords, prophets who starve might devour each other, for their actions are dishonourable.

Goareth said:

Indeed, sister Gonisha, all true prophecy must occur and no action can avert it, and yet our actions upon this land are of our own making. If nourishment is abundant and flowing across the land, we shall help spread it and none shall starve among us. And if food is scarce and our brothers around us perish, we shall too famish. For we have distanced ourselves from the offspring of Yaketh and their wicked ways, and choose the path of honourable actions. Brothers, make your actions honourable in the presence of Farfa.

FG

The prophet concluded the teaching. All sat in silence on cubes, for the teaching was done. And all cube-sitters knew no expectations and no desires, for the knowledge of Farfa flowed through their words and beyond their words. For in their silence, the knowledge grew and intensified.

FH

To the cube-sitters, Goareth said:

Guard your cubes, brothers, remain seated. For the cubes of the prophecy are for the prophets and the stones of the land are for those who rule the land. Share the knowledge of Farfa. For all shall know Farfa and speak Their prophecy. I shall walk the land in search of food. And if the lords allow it, we shall feast once more in Their presence and light shall be upon us.

FI

The prophet returned to the territory of Godaf, and there, caste-leader Gonam was.

FJ

To Gonam, Goareth said:

Brother Gonam, your prophets are starving.

To Goareth, Gonam said:

Resume the movement of the stones and you shall starve no longer.

FK

Goareth said:

The movement of the stones put our city at great risk, brother, and the devour was almost once again upon us. Surely, a great prophet such as yourself would have felt it and passed the knowledge on to your partners at the great Kolafum.

Gonam said:

It is you who puts our city at risk and lets our brothers starve. Our great Kolafum is now a pile of stones. Return the cubes of the prophecy and move the stones back to Godaf and the Kolafum shall hear the knowledge you wish to share.

FL

The prophet Goareth said:

I cannot fulfil your requests, for all the stones were moved in a single movement by every stone-mover of our caste, along the vibrations of Farfa. Yet, the stone-movers are the cube-sitters now, for they must guard the cubes of the prophecy. For the evils of chill lurk in every corner of this city and only the mightiest of prophets, blessed by the lords, can protect the cubes from harm.

Caste-leader Gonam said:

Very well, brother Goareth. Still, if guarding this city and its residents is your goal, you have much to learn, for in your single movement, our brother Gofaef was claimed by Yaketh. I expect you and the rest of the cube-sitters to attend the commemorations.

The prophet said:

If Farfa allow it.

Full of anger, the caste-leader said:

I allow it! And you shall be there!

FM

Goareth accepted this ruling of caste-leader Gonam, for his ruling was law in the territory of Godaf, and the actions he ruled were honourable in the presence of the lords.

FN

To Gonam, Goareth posed one final question:

Great caste-leader Gonam, whose word is law upon this territory of Godaf. Look upon your prophets with compassion and see that they starve for no reason. Our land is rich and fertile and the city of Holath lacks nothing, food it has in abundance. Still, we starve in silence and wait for the grace of the lords. May I exit the walls of the city and hunt along the Gufams? I must guard my brothers; I won’t let them die of hunger.

To Goareth, Gonam answered:

If you leave the walls of this city, you will never return. Remember, brother, I have allowed you to enter this city, I can banish you just the same. If you wish to guard your brothers, you should tell them to resume their movement, and all the nourishment they need shall be upon you.

Goareth accepted and said:

Thank you, oh great leader of our caste. May your rulings ever bless this land.

FO

And as the prophet walks back to the cube-sitters, the prophecy is upon him and a huge Jaukonoth²⁸ appears, wider than a stage, taller than the wall of the city. The creature lowers itself and bows before the prophet. And the prophet mounts the beast, for this is the path the lords have laid before him.

FP

The prophet rides atop of the Jaukonoth. Atop mountains they travel beyond Holath, beyond Ankash, beyond the desert, beyond every land that the prophet knows.

FQ

They reach the mountain of Rumokhos²⁹, tall and narrow it is. Its peak cannot be seen, for it is higher than clouds and only the lords shine above it. And at the foot of the mountain of Rumokhos, a large body of water reflects the beams of the lords.

FR

The prophet knows not if the beams shine brighter from above or from below.

FS

And the Jaukonoth charges forward and runs down the mountain. The prophet holds tight as the creature plunges into the water. And the prophet is submerged in the water of the lake.

FT

The water is scorching, yet the prophet does not burn, for the presence of Farfa is upon the prophet and upon the lake and upon all.

FU

And in the water, the prophet sees the city of Holath, and it is vast, and the stages grander and every resident prospers and all practice the prophecy and walk the path of light and the city is the source of knowledge and inspiration for all the other cities. And sentients from the cities of Rumez and Dumak come and go through holes in the carcasses of the children of Yaketh.

FV

The prophet flows through the warmth of the prophecy and has no weight and moves in every direction that pleases him.

FW

And the water becomes cold and the prophet is heavy and struggling for air.

FX

Without ears, the prophet hears the voice of Farfa.

FY

To Goarreth, Farfa speak:

Prophet, why do you bear the knowledge of the cooling alone? Must we remind you of our pact?

FZ

Through the water, the prophet sees the beams of the lords dwindle and vanish between the delicate movements of all that is liquid, for the prophet is drowning.

GA

And the prophet sinks further into the depths and his feet touch the ground and he stands in total darkness.

GB

To the lords, without mouth, Goareth speaks:

Oh great lord of light, please be patient with thine ambassador. I am spreading the knowledge of the path of light, of the prophecy and of honourable actions. And indeed, the cube-sitters are honourably sitting and starving for they follow thy path. As a resident of the land, I am subject to the ruling of the lands. The false-prophet Gonam, leader of the Go caste, forbade me from speaking on the matter of the cooling. Please, mighty provider of warmth, guide me and help me spread thy knowledge further.

To Goareth, Farfa speak:

You have done well, prophet. Still, you can further spread the knowledge of the prophecy and you shall further spread the knowledge of the prophecy. Gonam has only ruling over the caste of Go. You shall speak before the caste of Yu and pass on the knowledge of what is to come. You shall speak the prophecy, for it is the most honourable action of all. You shall do as we ask and our light will shine, upon you and upon all who know the prophecy, from the spheres above.

GC

All is light and the light weighs on the prophet and the prophet succumbs to the shine. He opened his eyes and saw the stages of his brothers from the caste of Go. The surface was sand again and the prophet was dry.

GD

To the territory of Yumak the prophet walked.

GE

And in Yumak, the prophet saw no stages of great size. Every stage of the caste of Yu was the same shape and size. Small and rectangular the stages were and without any cracks. Vast quantities of stages spread across the territory in an endless grid-like pattern.

GF

Each stage could host no more than a single prophet. The prophets walked in the narrow corridors between the stages.

GG

Without eyes, the prophet could see the number-manipulators³⁰ of the Yu caste. Sitting in the dark, alone in their stages. And they took numbers and combined them and a new number was forged, never before known. And they took numbers and broke them apart and an old number was revealed, known, yet long forgotten.

GH

Outside the stages, the prophets of the Yu caste were covered in dark and tight clothing. And their bodies were small and slender, for they need no force to perform their work.

GI

And the prophets sat on the stages in rows and each rubbed the head of another prophet, for they were weary of the manipulation of the numbers.

GJ

To a group of prophets, Goareth said:

Brothers, could you please direct me to the great stage of Yumak? For I bring a message from the lords.

To Goareth, the prophets said:

Begone, faceless one! You are not a brother of ours. Begone from our territory.

GK

The prophet jumped on a stage and without mouth he spoke to the caste of Yu. And all the prophets of the caste, be them inside or outside of the stages, heard the prophet and hearkened, for the word of the lords is unmistakable.

GL

The prophet said:

Hear me, brothers from the caste of Yu, for I speak the words of Farfa, for I am Their ambassador upon every land. And I shall spread knowledge throughout these lands, and you shall know it to be true, for you shall know the lords.

GM

A prophet of the Yu caste jumped onto a stage nearby Goareth and to his caste he said:

Let us hear the words of the faceless, brothers, for we too have no face to bury in the ground³¹.

GN

And the prophets of the Yu caste laughed and no longer hearkened to the ambassador of the lords, for they found no peace in silence³².

GO

The prophet Yuzam, leader of the caste of Yu, emerged from the crowd and said:

Let our guest speak, brothers, for if he speaks the true words of the lords we must listen and heed the words. Yet if he is another false prophet from the caste of Go, our brother and my counsellor³³, Yuok is here to ridicule all fools who dare to falsely represent our lords.

GP

And all were silent, and the prophet spoke once more:

I am Goareth of the caste of Go and I shall now speak the words that have descended from above. These words which I have heard without ears and speak without mouth are the words of our lords Farfa and they shall spread across all lands and be known to all. Let it be known, my brothers from the caste of Yu, children of the great prophet Yumak, manipulators of all that can be counted, let it be known throughout this territory of Yumak, above, between and within the stages, let it be known to all prophets, let it be known to all deal-setters, number-manipulators and land-sketchers, let it be known and never forgotten that today We shall make the prophecy known and today you shall know the prophecy, for you shall know Us. And Our light shall bless this land and Our heat shall ever flow through your internal-organs. Let it be known that this great city, formed and shaped by the great prophet Holath, who employed the might that We have bestowed upon him and slew the terrible Mamak and united all prophets of the four castes, that this city shall grow and prosper and it shall be the greatest city upon the land. Still, let it be known that a day will come and this great city will fall.

GQ

The prophet Yuok interrupted and to his brothers of the caste of Yu, he said:

We are most impressed, partner Goareth, and even more so by the content of your epic prophecy. We have never foreseen such a day in which a prophet of the caste of Go shall come here and tell the tales of future devastation. Let it be known, brothers, a day shall come and a prophet of our caste shall go to the territory of Godaf and tell grand prophecies. Alas, I do not know what kind of knowledge these prophecies would entail, as by my reckoning, there is no one in this crowd who has heard a Go prophecy in an age. Have you other true prophets in your caste partner Goareth? Or were you cast out? For the caste of Go despises all prophecy.

And every prophet in the caste of Yu laughed.

GR

The prophet remained calm and composed, unfazed by the mockery, and once more spoke the words of Farfa to the caste of Yu:

Hear these words, for they concern your actions, prophets. Hear these words, for you must know the actions of your brothers and you must know them to be dishonourable in Our presence. Hear these words, for a day will come and this city will fall. And at the fall of the city, the caste of Yu shall be there, and they shall carry fire and burn all the food supplies in the territory of Duosh, and a terrible starvation shall be upon the prophets of the caste of Du.

GS

To Goareth, the prophet Yuok said:

Foolish prophet, you speak as if this would be a dishonourable action, yet the Yu burn only the worthless and the unnecessary. If our city shall prosper, as you say, and resources shall be endless and food shall be upon us in abundance, then it would indeed be worthless and it should be burnt, for it would surely occupy unnecessary space.

And some prophets called in cheers of agreement and some prophets whispered to each other in fear, for they also knew times of scarcity.

GT

To Yuok, the prophet Yuzam, leader of the caste of Yu said:

Let the prophet speak, brother, for if his prophecies are to happen, we must consider our actions. Hear these words, brothers, for these are words of graver times, as we have foretold time and again. Yet this knowledge is new to our ears and it must be spoken.

GU

To the caste of Yu, Goareth resumed the prophecy and said:

And every caste shall perform dishonourable actions in Our undeniable presence. And the prophets of the caste of Go shall carry their axes and their stones and they shall come to the territory of Yumak and break the skulls of every prophet of the Yu caste and the caste of Yu shall be no more.

GV

To the horrified prophets of his caste, Yuok said:

Is this the great prophecy? Are these the true words of our lords? Are we expected to heed the words of this fool? Brothers, please assist me, for I might be old and memory might no longer be my ally. Yet as far as I can recall, it was the caste of Go who required the help of the caste of Yu during the tribal wars and not the other way around. The prophets of this caste are not afraid of a flock of lowly stage builders.

And to the prophet Goareth, Yuok said:

Begone, false prophet, I believe we have heard enough.

And the chants of the prophets grew stronger and they were shouting and throwing sand at the prophet Goareth.

GW

To the uproar of prophets, caste-leader Yuzam called:

Calm yourselves, brothers. Let the prophet finish his false prophecy and leave the territory of our caste never to return.

And the prophets emptied their hands of sand and replaced their shouting with impatient murmurs as they stared at the faceless prophet.

GX

To the prophets of the caste of Yu, the prophet Goareth unequivocally said:

The words which I spoke were the words of our lords Farfa, not my own. I have no more words to speak before you. The prophecy has been delivered, the knowledge passed on, now do with it what you will.

GY

The prophet descended from the stage and walked back to the territory of Godaf.

GZ

From behind, through the howls and sneers of the crowd, the prophet heard Yuok speak to him once more:

Yes, begone, prophet of the land. Leave Yumak, leave Godaf and leave Holath altogether and help rid us of the false prophecies that you have brought with you from the lands beyond the walls of this city, lands of death and cruelty.

Angered, the prophet turned back and said:

I come from Ankash, where I have learned the ways of the land and the path of the prophecy. If you see no path but the streets of this city, it is you who is the false prophet!

Youk said:

Ankash you say? I was once in Ankash. Let me tell you, brothers, it is a land of true cruelty, where they let great prophets die. If cruelty is prophecy, then you are a great prophet, partner Goareth. And then again, rumour has it that it was you who completed the walls of this city. Nevertheless, it seems to me that you understand the dangers and the cruelty of the land more than any other prophet, you fled the land and rejected it like the lying coward you are.

And the prophet could not contain his anger and attacked Yuok.

HA

With a single swift movement Goareth pounced through the air. And Youk lay flat on the ground, weighed down by the heft of the prophet.

HB

And the hands of the prophet bore the heat of the lord, and they were blazing. And the prophet touched the skin of the fallen Yuok and it burnt.

HC

In agony, Yuok cried. Yet his brothers could not help him, for the might of Farfa was upon his attacker, Goareth.

HD

And in the eyes of Yuok, the prophet saw the fear of the traitor Hanf³⁴ and the prophet halted his actions and lifted his head to take in his surroundings. Surrounding him, the prophets were terrified, for they knew the prophet bore the true might of Farfa.

HE

The prophet stood up, releasing the unconscious Yuok from his hold and left the territory of Yumak. All were silent. All were afraid. And the prophet, full of shame was he, for his actions in the presence of the lords were dishonourable.

HF

The commemorations of stone-breaker Gofaef were already underway as the prophet Goareth returned to the territory of Godaf. All but the cube-sitters stood around the great stage of Godaf as caste-leader Gonam officiated the ceremony. And the prophet Goareth was among his brothers and sisters at the edge of the crowd.

HG

To the prophets of the caste of Go, caste-leader Gonam spoke:

Brothers, indeed the terrible Yaketh have once more claimed one of us. Some have said that the complete-wall of this city would have protected us from those of the land who wish to harm us. Yet Yaketh strikes again, and we cry for our brother whose flesh returns to the factory of the land. Still, brothers, some of us do not adhere to the warnings of our lords. Careless they are, and with ignorance and arrogance they act. Such prophets are not among us today, they sit on the cubes of the prophecy and refuse to partake in the sacred act of our caste, the act of construction. Indeed, these prophets seek not to build, but to destroy. To them I say - do not test the endurance of our caste. We are brothers still. Yet, all who seek to tear³⁵ us apart will find themselves torn to pieces beyond all recognition. And let the lords be our witness, for it shall be so.

And all mourned Gofaef and the turbulent times their caste had fallen into.

HH

And Goareth grew tired of the words of the false prophet Gonam and turned away from the crowd.

HI

And as the prophet walked away, a messenger approached with a tablet for the caste-leader Gonam.

HJ

And Gonam read from the tablet and to the prophets of the caste of Go, he said:

Hear this, brothers, for unfortunately, the cube-sitters have once again made a mockery of our caste - “The faceless prophet known as Goareth was last seen in the territory of Yumak spreading false prophecies and attacking land-sketchers”. Brothers, this is not the path of the Go caste. I hereby order the immediate capture of the leader of the cube-sitters, the inciter, the false prophet, Goareth.

HK

The prophets of the caste of Go were confounded by this knowledge. For they knew Goareth to be a true prophet of the lords and Their ambassador upon every land, for they have seen the true light of Farfa radiating from his skin.

HL

Through the cracks of his stage, Gozath, a prophet with skin where eyes should have been, stretched his arm and pointed at Goareth, and to the other prophets, he shouted:

Behold, for here he stands, the prophet of the land, a disgrace to our city.

Through the crowd, the stone-breakers made their way at a hasty pace. All the prophets turned and the stone-breakers began chasing after Goareth. And the prophet was on the run.

HM

The prophet ran. Without eyes he could see the prophets of Go behind him. The prophet saw anger in their eyes and he was frightened. To the cube-sitters he ran, for he knew that with them he would be safe. Weak and fragile they were, for they hungered for days, and still, the power of the prophecy was upon them and together, when they moved as one, they were fiercer than any ruling of the land.

HN

To the edges of the city the prophet ran. And as he reached the pond of the dancing fish, another group of prophets approached. As they saw the faceless prophet, they began chasing him.

HO

And the prophet turned back, afraid and confused he was. Yet the might of Farfa was still upon him. He moved between the stages in the territory of Godaf and the hands of prophets attempted to grab him and stop his movement. And every hand that touched the prophet burned, for the heat of the lord was upon the prophet. And the burned prophets were in pain and they grew angrier and further surrounded the fleeing prophet.

HP

In the centre of the territory of Godaf the stages were plentiful, and between them was the path the lords laid before the prophet. Through narrow passages he ran, tighter and tighter they became, as the angry prophets of Go closed in on him.

HQ

Left with no further passages to escape through, the prophet jumped high through the air. The light of the lord shimmered on his skin. The prophets halted and gazed at Goareth, in awe of the might of the lords. The prophet landed beyond the stages. And all were dumbfounded at the sight of the flying prophet.

To his brothers, stone-breaker Gontus said:

Do not be fooled by his trickery, for these are the ways of the demons of the land. Let us seize the fool, for he has brought shame upon our caste.

And the mass of angry prophets resumed the chase.

HR

The prophet Goareth advanced still, and ahead of him was the great wall of the city. Forward he bolted with all his might, through the path Farfa had laid before him and with the might Farfa had laid upon him. And without eyes he saw, from the stages of the territory of Godaf, prophets swarming towards him. The prophet ran, straight into the complete-wall of the city. He dashed forward and collided with the stones that were once the body of Mamak. And all was dark.

HS

In total darkness, the prophet runs and knows Farfa to be with him, for he knows Farfa to be ever present.

HT

And running turns into walking and the prophet walks calmly in the dark, for he knows he is alone, where the unhinged can not harm him.

To Farfa, Goareth says:

Oh lords, I am ever grateful for thine eternal grace. Please hear my plea, may thy light guide me back to the true path of the prophecy.

HU

A sharp stream of glaring rays pours through the air and through the prophet. And the beams of the lords, distinct and unique they are, for they penetrate through the skin of the prophet and each puncture is felt individually. The blinded prophet crouches in pain and looks upon the flares of the lords, some he is able see with his eyes and others can only be seen without eyes, through the prophecy.

In the presence of the piercing rays, the prophet breaks down in tears and exclaims:

May no prophet ever expunge thy radiance with our acts of foolishness and dishonour. May ye forgive us and thy rays shall ever gleam upon us, on land or in holes.

HV

Goareth moves forward and the dazzling light of the lord glares ever brighter with each step of the prophet. Without eyes, the prophet gazes at the reflective sands of the desert upon which the heat of the lord now pours with all of its prowess. He is in the desert of the Gufams.

HW

As the warmth struck the skin of the prophet, a long object of solid matter struck the back of his head and the prophet fell unconscious.

HX

Water sprinkled over his faceless head as Goareth awoke. Alarmed, he was to the sight of the insides of a desert hut. And in the hut, a tiny pond. And the fingers of a Gufam dipped into the pond and splashed drizzles of water upon him.

HY

And the extent of alarm diminished with each splash of water. And the prophet was once more confused.

HZ

To the bewildered prophet, the Gufam said:

I am Bunarf of the tribe of Zanuth. You were obstructing my hunt so I had to strike you down. Yet the lord of heat is merciful and kind and I was compelled to spare you, for you are the ambassador of the lords upon every land and the lands of Gufam are no exception.

IA

To Bunarf, Goareth said:

I am undeserving of your mercy and of the honour to be called ambassador. How can I spread the knowledge of the lords and speak of honourable actions in Their presence while my own actions lack all honour? I am undeserving of the knowledge of Farfa, for in my hands this knowledge brings about nothing but chaos and destruction. Why have you spared me, Gufam? I deserve no such impunity. The few prophets who entrusted their fate to the hands of Farfa, through the mediation of my worthless hands, are now starving. I have failed the lords, and I have failed the land. Call me ambassador no longer.

IB

To Goareth, Bunarf said:

And yet ambassador you are. Though it seems to me, ambassador, that the knowledge of the lords has been a burden rather than the gift you describe it to be. We, in the tribe of Zanuth, and in every tribe of the desert, do not bother ourselves with such matters. We know of the knowledge of Farfa and have access to this knowledge, for we walk these lands of heat and are aware of the presence of the lord in every action and movement we take. Yet, we are not tempted by the knowledge of the lords. We are merry and proud in our ignorance, for this is the path of heat.

IC

Angered by the words of the desert dweller, Goareth said:

How dare you deny the knowledge of our lords? How could you deny the prophecy? Have you no dread in the face of the cooling?

To the troubled prophet, the Gufam said:

It seems once more that the vibrancy of the city has brought tension upon you, ambassador. You must calm yourself. Let the warmth, placed upon us by the lords, soothe your muscles and unburden yourself of all the knowledge you carry.

ID

To Bunarf, the prophet, with less anger, asked once more:

How, brother Bunarf? How do you remain so indifferent in the face of all knowledge? Have you a plan to survive the cooling?

Bunarf said:

You ask me questions of knowledge, yet it is you who knows more than all. None could survive the cooling, for all that the lords have willed shall be. And whoever tries to defy Their will shall live in fear and die a fool. We remain free of such fears, for we have entrusted our being to the hands of Farfa. We are, for Farfa are. Still, Farfa are beyond all. They transcend all sentients and all knowledge and understanding. We do not seek knowledge outside of our own being.

IE

The prophet said:

And yet, you are wrong, desert dweller. We are, for we are seen. And we are ever seen by Farfa. We are seen in Their presence and we are seen in Their absence, for Their shine is everlasting and Their flame shall ever burn within our internal-organs. As you said, the prophecy is ever true. Still, the prophecy cannot compel and every sentient has access to the source of all knowledge. The living shall seek the knowledge of the ever-life, the dead shall seek the knowledge of the living, and the prophets shall have the knowledge of the prophecy and every sentient shall seek the knowledge of the prophets. And the prophets shall build cities and the desert shall be diminished, and mountains shall fall and great stages for our lords shall rule the land, for Farfa are monarch upon all creation. And what shall be of the Gufams? Do they not need knowledge? Need they not ambassadors? For beyond this age of glory the land shall suffer, for the land shall betray our lords. Need you not the knowledge of the fate of the tribe of Zanuth, brother Bunarf?

IF

And the prophecy was upon the Gufam, for he walked the path of heat. He placed his hand on the faceless head of the prophet and shouted:

You seek knowledge, aye prophet? Then surely you know that you seek none but demise. For knowledge is of the dead and only action is of the living. You say the tribe of Zanuth lacks the knowledge of the prophecy. Well, prophet, here is my prophecy to you - your seed shall never touch another, and your womb shall never swell. Such is the knowledge of all. Is this the knowledge you seek, prophet? The demise shall be upon all sentients, ambassador, even upon those who know everything.

And the prophet knew these words to be true, for he knew that every path of the lords is just.

IG

Warmth spread across the prophet’s internal-organs. The prophet was composed and serenity was upon every shard of his existence, for he was free of all fear. Goareth knew the prophecy to be true, for he knew the source of everything.

IH

To Bunarf, Goareth said:

May the lords bless you and your tribe, brother Bunarf, for you have humbled this servant of our lords and showed me the path of heat. A path which I too shall walk, when the time is right. And I shall ever be proud and content with my knowledge and with my ignorance and I shall anger no longer, and my actions shall ever be honourable in the presence of the lords. May these lands know no war nor suffering. May all dwellers of the land know our lords and may all be honourable in their actions, for Farfa are ever present.

II

Bunarf said:

Thank you, ambassador, I am ever grateful to the lords for gracing the tribe of Zanuth and all tribes of the land with your shimmer. Still, I must resume the hunt now, for my tribe too, must be nourished. I shall explore the path of light no longer, for all is known. You may remain here with us for as long as you need, until you have regained your strength.

Goareth said:

I wish to join you in the hunt, brother Bunarf of Zanuth. I am also trained in the art of survival and learned the skills of the desert-hunters from Danf of Ankash. We shall hunt and our tribes upon this land shall hunger no longer.

To Goareth, Bunarf said:

Very well, prophet, let us hunt.

IJ

From a cave, the prophet emerged and was in the desert. Tall the cave was, for the prophet could stand on the shoulders of another and still the ceiling would be above them. And deep the cave was as well, for it could host every prophet of Go and still the prophets would have much room to roam around. Now the prophet walked with Bunarf of Zanuth to the entrance of the cave. And it was this hole that he had emerged from when he first walked the sands of the desert.

IK

And inside the cave, 320 Zathtas³⁶ they hunted, for Goareth and Bunarf walked the paths of the lords, and the paths, infinitely profound they were.

IL

To the prophet, the Gufam said:

Take all Zathtas but one, for your tribe starves while we hunt daily.

The prophet said:

Thank you, brother, I shall do so, and all shall know the honourable ways of the tribes of the desert.

IM

And at the edges of the territory of Godaf, the cube-sitters remained and starved, ever loyal to the words of the prophet.

IN

The enforcers who served caste-leader Gonam came and went, for they feared the cube-sitters, as they knew the might of the lords was upon them.

IO

By the cubes, the meat of the Zathtas began to appear. And the meat was broiled by the heat of the lords. The prophets ate the meat and it was delicious, and all knew it was the work of the ambassador, the prophet Goareth.

IP

The meat was ever coming and the prophets ate until they hungered no longer. And still, the meat came and the cube-sitters knew that the lords had blessed them for their patience and devotion to the path of light.

IQ

A mountain of meat accumulated in front of the cube-sitters, and still, the prophet was nowhere to be seen. And as the last piece of meat arrived, the prophet Goareth held it in his hands, the hands that were blessed by the heat of the lord. The cube-sitters looked upon the prophet with much reverence, for he appeared out of thin air. And still they knew the prophet was ever present, for they have felt his movement through the vibrations of the land.

To the cube-sitters, the prophet said:

Our lords have blessed us, for we walk in Their path and follow Their beams. We sit and soak up Their heat and our bodies shall ever remember Their eternal presence, for we know the lords and we know that Farfa are above creation itself. For They are the successor of all destruction.

And all looked in awe at the prophet, and all cried tears of joy, for they knew Farfa and they knew that they were seen.

IR

To the prophet, the female-prophet Gonisha said:

Brother Goareth, great prophet and ambassador upon these lands, we have kept the cubes safe from the touch of those who still answer to the false prophet Gonam. Let us walk to the great market in the territory of Duosh and display the wonders brought forth by our lords.

The prophet said:

Indeed, sister, so it shall be, and all will know our lords. The path of light shall appear before them and they shall see it, for the path is seen by all who know they are seen. Still, sister, what shall be of the cubes? Will the enforcers of Gonam not return for them?

Gonisha said:

You shall go ambassador and spread the knowledge of our lords, and I shall remain here and guard the cubes, for I know the lords and Their might is ever upon me.

IS

And so the prophet and the cube-sitters walked to the territory of Duosh and they were not barred by the enforcers of Gonam, for all knew that the might of Farfa was upon the prophet and his disciples. And all trembled before them, for their actions were one and they moved along the vibrations of the land.

IT

In Duosh, to all prophets of the Du caste, the prophet who bore no face, called without mouth:

Show me the market in which the deals are set and I shall display my hunt, for I bring goods from the desert for every prophet to consume³⁷.

IU

The stages of the Du, made of metal they were. And the visitors from the caste of Go knocked on every stage and their action vibrated throughout the territory of Duosh.

The cube-sitters called:

Come on, come all, and witness the wonders of our lords Farfa. Come, eat in Their light! Come, eat in Their light!

IV

The prophets of Du were large and they stood tall and broad. Their eyes hidden behind mechanical shades of many functions and their bodies, covered with metal appendages they were. They gathered around and followed the row of cube-sitters, who held the hunt of the prophet and marched towards the market.

IW

In the market of Duosh, the prophets of Go piled up the meat of the hunt and called:

Desert meat! Desert meat! Fresh Zathta meat for the prophets to eat!

IX

A prophet from the Du caste approached the visitors and said:

The goods of the Go are not welcome here. Leave our territory and try your luck back in Godaf.

To the prophet of the Du caste, cube-sitter Goredo said:

Cast your eyes upon our stock and see it to be of high quality, for it is the blessing of our lords that brought this meat upon us.

IY

The prophet of Du unfolded his mechanic arm outwards and one of his shades stretched forward and connected with the arm, forming an extended eye of great length and precision.

He looked at the meat and flinched back in dismay. To the cube-sitters, he said:

No prophet of Go could ever hunt and cook such fine fare. You have stolen your lot from the Gufams! I shall not consume stolen meat.

And the cube-sitters knew these words to be foolish, and they refused to engage in foolery.

To the long eyed prophet of Du, cube-sitter Goba said:

Indeed, our brother, inspector of quality. It is meat of the highest standards, blessed by the lords and by the hands of Their ambassador, the prophet Goareth.

The suspicious prophet of the Du caste looked at the faceless prophet who stood as silent as a stone and considered the words of his followers.

And the cube-sitters spoke as one once more:

Come all and consume the hunt of the prophet Goareth, ambassador to Farfa upon all lands.

IZ

The prophets of Du heard the cube-sitters and saw that their actions were one. More prophets gathered around the pile, for the quality was undeniable. And some deemed the goods to be stolen and left and others stayed and asked further questions.

JA

The prophets of Du knew the lords in Their presence. They made their movement one and so they spoke as one to the visitors from the caste of Go.

The stock-dealers asked:

Have you more objects of such quality, prophets of the Go caste?

The cube-sitters replied:

We have only what the lords have placed in our hands and desire nothing beyond that.

The shop-keepers asked:

Will you charge fairly for your lot, prophets of Go? Will all prophets be able to consume your goods?

The cube-sitters replied:

Our deals are fair, for they are set by the consumer, not by the greedy deal-setters of the Yu caste.

JB

And all Du prophets in the market of Duosh rushed to the pile of meat and offered their possessions in the exchange, for they knew it to be of the highest quality and lowest fee.

JC

The Du prophets made many offers. Land sketches carved on stone; mechanical body appendages that reflected the light of the lords well; and so too shined the sharp flesh slicers; and shinier still were the light reflectors, carrying the light of the spheres to the land during night time. Further bids were made, and on display were strange and unique objects that the prophets of Go had never seen before. Such were the sphere observers, time trackers and number transformers, which all came from the distant cities of Rumez and Dumak. Furthermore, stone tablets, tablet scrapers, preservation cloth, hallucination generators, skin protectors, voice enhancers and other goods from the merchants of Du were offered³⁸.

The prophet stood by and observed the exchange of meat and market goods and he did not intervene, for he knew the cube-sitters walked the path of light. Out of all offers, the cube-sitters accepted only stone tablets, tablet scrapers and preservation cloth, for the spreading of knowledge of the prophecy was their goal upon the lands.

JD

All meat was exchanged and the cube-sitters were pleased, for they walked the path of light.

JE

The market fell silent as the silhouettes of the Holathian Magum appeared in the distance. Tall and imposing they were, larger than all other prophets who walked the city. Their lavish garments glowed against the shining goods as they made their way through the stands of the terrified merchants.

The magumites halted by the cube-sitters and to the prophet they said:

Goareth son of Kanf, in the name of the great Kolafum, you are to cease all action upon these lands. You are set to be confined in the stage of Robatha.

JF

Every prophet, bar the cube-sitters, fled the market of Duosh, for they feared the might of the Holathian Magum. Still, the cube-sitters knew no fear, for they knew only Farfa.

JG

To the Holathian Magum, the prophet Goareth said:

As ambassador of the lords upon all lands, I must accept the rulings of the land. I shall oblige and come with you, for this is the path that the lords have laid before me. Still, noble warriors of Holath, know this - if you lay your hands on the virtuous cube-sitters, the wrath of the lords shall be upon you and you shall know no peace.

JH

To his disciples, the prophet said:

Take all that you exchanged for the blessings our lords placed upon us, and return to your cubes victorious, for you now own goods upon this land.

And the prophet was escorted by the magumites to the stage of Robatha, where prophets await in solitude for the judgement of the Kolafum. And yet, the cube-sitters were not lost, for they knew the lords and they ever walked the path of light.

JI

In the territory of Godaf, the cube-sitters carved the teachings of the prophet onto the tablets and the knowledge of the prophecy spread throughout Holath.