c. 1993 · Alander, under a tyrant, looking for a way.
There is a poem of this name, written in the same period: read it in verse.
He had lost hope. There were no answers to his questions, and the only light that shined came from the descending sun, and that would be gone within the next hour. Alander’s soul cried in despair, and while the fire that burned within his soul slowly diminished, his eyes searched the premises for any kind of hope.
He needed a sign. The Tyrant held his strangling authority over the people of Eriad for over one-hundred years. And while the rest of the world was at peace with the Lords, Eriad remained isolated and helpless against the Tyrant’s oppression. Despite all of Alander’s attempts to find a way–any possibility–to overthrow the Tyrant, it always led to the bitter truth that he would inevitably fail.
But he knew there was a way. Even though for three days he had done nothing but ponder for the answer–three days and nights in the comforting reclusion of the forest clearing–he knew that there must be a way. Alander glanced at the sky gain. It was now filled with the bright stars that were servants to the celestial Lords. Sun and Moon: when put together they formed the paradoxical Eclipse. He fathomed the vast emptiness and depth of the heavens and thought of God, the first creator.
He would find God and ask Him for enlightenment. There was a way to succeed, and God would know it. Alander put aside his belongings and lied down on the ground, gazing into the star-lit sky. He imagined the stars as cosmic energy; fuel to feed the power-hungry Lords. He glanced at the argent sphere that was Moon.
Her pale ambience caressed the forest’s canopy, blanketing the wood with a spell of slumber. Alander soon found himself within his dreams.
He looked into the face of God. The golden luminescence of the Most Holy One blinded Alander, sent his mind reeling in the confusion and madness only Lords could control. Alander was thrown backward; sent descending many hundreds of leagues away from the holy kingdom back to his clearing in the forest. The confusion was gone, and he had gained wisdom.
He was awakened by a bear as it searched through Alander’s packs. Alander froze, then relaxed. He didn’t dare attack the great animal as it devoured all of his food. Finishing the last bit of Alander’s rations, the bear lumbered off into the dew-dressed forest, quite content with his morning find. Alander was strangely happy. He had simply survived the encounter by his ability to remain calm. “And the meek shall inherit the earth.” The answer seemed to lie within himself. By being humble, he could finally make the most of what was available to him. He would be content with what he had. Humility was the key! Quickly saying a prayer to God, Alander departed the forest toward Ahrin in Khomad, Eriad’s free neighbor, and toward the sea.
Composed 1993 · part of the Short Stories collection · authorship documented on the Provenance page.