c. 1993–94 · A later, condensed rewrite of the three pieces above. The wording differs.
He stood at the peak of the mountain, staring at the diminishing gap between the two Lords. Sun was bright, of course, but he was brighter than Alander had ever seen. Sun’s fiery emanation nearly overwhelmed the pallid glow of Moon. Stars burned like embers around the Lords; coals to fuel their demanding needs. They randomly winked out of existence as Sun and Moon consumed them.
Each Lord had his own aura. Sun’s aura emitted waves of integrity and cognizance that clashed against Moon’s shielf of duplicity and bewilderment. Within minutes, Alander witnessed the Eclipse.
As Moon first stepped into Sun’s burning glare, a black wave of devastation seeped out from nowhere. Like a vile acid it consumed Sun’s rays; it’s ravenous hunger ending all days. Wherever the unspeakable entity went, it destroyed what was there before it. Large as life and black as death it swallowed Moon and began its aimless path toward Earth.
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 fires that burned in 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 seclusion of the forest clearing—he knew that there must be a way. Alander glanced at the sky again. 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 handle. 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 its 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 and made his way toward Ahrin in Khomad, and toward the sea.
After his encounter with God, Alander spent the next three years working as a shepherd and learned the greater values of humility. Three years later, he bought a small ship from a desolate merchant, and set sail toward Aveleshar, the Crown of the World. Aveleshar was home to the Druids. Earth granted the Druids eternal life and lore for their unending service to the world. It was said that there was nothing unknown to the Druids and Alander needed their knowledge. On the seventh day of his voyage, the sea became restless and a storm rolled in.
Being native to Eriad, seamanship was a talent Alander learned as a child. He lowered the sails and threw down the anchor so that the waves would not throw his ship on its side and therefore sink it. The storm worsened and the winds shred his sails and split the mast. Lightning struck the iron reinforcements of the hull, and with an explosion of wood and iron, his ship descended into the boiling waters.
Alander awoke to find himself on the shore of an unrecognizable beach. Lying on his back, he stared into the sky, and noticed an immense rocky spire reaching to the stars. He stood up and realized he had achieved Aveleshar. Aveleshar seems to have no limits, climbing from under the sea to far beyond Sun and moon themselves. Full of both excitement and apprehension, he advanced toward the mountain, and discovered a path that lead through its side.
He could feel the life and power of the rock surrounding him as he climbed through the passage, and the energy of the ground beneath his feet seemed to give him strength to continue forth at an amazing pace. Within minutes, he entered Druid’s Vale.
He stood atop a ledge overlooking a vast valley of green and brown. The valley was enclosed by the mountain, and inside the valley was a thick circle of trees hiding a mystical grove. He knew that he would find Earth there. While admiring the spirit that dwelled within Aveleshar, he was surprised when a Druid he had not noticed before called for him to approach. Following the Druid’s command, he neared the grove and stopped before him. The Druid wore the colors of nature: green, brown, red, and yellow. His face was wrinkled with age, and his eyes were wells of wisdom. The Druid spoke to Alander, “My child, do not fear. I have rescued you from the sea. You know not what you must do, and I must tell you, for the sake of everything. Many aeons ago, I defied Paradox in a great battle. It was not won without cost, though. It is important to me, therefore, to explain to you what you must do to save us all. Only you are capable of it. Understand that the Sun and Moon are opposite in nature. When two opposites combine, they result in nothing. Nothing exists. It is something capable of uncreation. Like God can create, this paradox can uncreate. It is worse than destruction. Destruction only causes separation. Uncreation…is something that defies nature. It is evil. It must be stopped. And now Sun and Moon will come together again for the second time. Paradox awaits, and I am helpless to prevent it. I say to you, child, ‘hear me well!’ Paradox can be defeated only by the same way it is born. An opposite needs to be found—something so potentially moral that instead of being unmade, it to creates nothing, but nothing born of nothing—and thus unmakes Paradox. So as was done in the beginning must be done now. Climb to the top of Aveleshar and meet Paradox tonight. You understand goodness—you have virtue!”
Without another word, the Druid passed through the trees and went into the grove. Alander turned away from the enclave and returned to the ledge from where he had entered. He scaled the first part of the mountain, and Earth’s power gave him strength to achieve the summit.
He waited at the crest of Aveleshar, the Crown of the World, for the Eclipse. Only you are capable of it… Meet Paradox tonight… You understand goodness—you have virtue! But what was he supposed to do then?
Composed 1993 · part of the Short Stories collection · authorship documented on the Provenance page.