Chapter 147: Maelle
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The Kingdom of Crescentia can be barely called a kingdom before. It is home to a secluded and a little nomadic group of people, with many divisions and other tribes. They just all collectively agree on the encompassing power of the Crimson Wolf.
The Crimson Wolf is not regarded in the same way the Holy Dragon Lord is a 'god', per say. Not a god that people will always worship, devote themselves to, and follow a set of commands made by said god. It is not a ruler, but rather a powerful companion.
A wandering spirit that does not abide by any rules, not even its own. Both ferocious and reserved. That was what the Crimson Wolf is.
He helped many Crescentian heroes in myths, yet also contributed to their suffering. Especially in the case of the Reborn Hero, Rouge. It is through Rouge that reincarnation began, and people may endlessly suffer in their lives, or endlessly experience bliss and happiness.
Maelle is a devout follower of the Crimson Wolf, and he had devoted a lot of his life to becoming a young priest for it.
But not in a way that Ilvedian priests do. Maelle takes care of his Crimson Wolf gemstone, polishing it once everyday before going to sleep, and yet it hangs on a simple string on his neck. There are no strict rules in being a priest under the guidance of the Crimson Wolfe either, no ideals or moralities to uphold. As long as you align with his unbounded and free-spirited self, then you can be considered a follower already.
Maelle got his gemstone just from telling the high priestess of his dream about the Crimson Wolf talking to him. The next day, the priesthood was already bestowed upon him in a short ceremony.
A priest is a friend of the Crimson Wolf, one may say. If you feel close to it as you would a real human friend, then you can be a priest, no matter who you are. Young, old, poor, rich, man, woman, or other... You can always be a priest of the Crimson Wolf if you desire so.
The followers of the Crimson Wolf do not go on missions to spread the belief too. They would rather you join their religion on your own, by receiving guidance, by seeing the Crimson Wolf with your own eyes and believing him. What he represents, no matter what it means for you, will be accepted.
This, he had tried to explain to his new friends here in Ilvedia.
As part of the treaty between all the Thirteen Kingdoms, peace talks and symposiums had been held, along with representatives in all walks of life to visit one another and help the kingdoms understand each other more. Maelle was picked in terms of religion, and his destination was to Ilvedia, the very 'enemy' of their kingdom itself.
But he doesn't mind.
Because like the Crimson Wolf, he barely minds anything. A free-spirit, through and through, merely following the swaying breeze of life, letting its waves take them where they want to.
"Maelle Heaisen." He was called forth by the Ilvedian king.
"Yes, sir." He nodded, and didn't bow. He didn't care for the looks the people gave him when he didn't bow before the presence of the foreign king.
"Barbarian." Some of them whispered.
"Illiterate."
"A fool!"
Maelle maintained a carefree smile.
Standing as tall as 8 adult-sized heads stacked upon each other, he has a composure that is neither lax, nor stiff. He twiddled with his necklace, a crimson red agate that is the shape of a crescent moon. His hair was stark white despite his young age, rare in Ilvedia. His eye color, bright yellow, is also unfound in this kingdom.
There's a triangular banned tied over his head, and his clothes are gossamer thin. His chest is fully exposed and what keeps his white shirt with swirling gold and red patterns together and not falling off is the wrapping over his belly. This wrapping serves as a pocket of sorts, where he can tuck several things, including a ceremonial dagger curved at the tip like a small scythe.
His brown pants have the same strange embellishment that does not seem to be embroidered, and sparkling at a closer look. One would realize the longer the look that these were very small colored glass shard, attached to the cloth through muck and tar. His boots were high and pointy-toed.
He does not look like a priest to the Ilvedians at all, but rather, an entertainer or a pirate.
The King of Ilvedia was not displeased by this priest's lack of tact, and was merely intrigued. He was one of the kinder kings that did not try to wage war.
"Pray tell us what your belief system is like." The King said, placing a hand over his chin.
"It is a very simple belief system, Your Highness." Maelle answered, grinning. "It could be explained by a single story."
"And how long is this story?" The Queen asked a little too harshly, though she is fascinated by this stranger as well. "We do not have all day to listen to a strange tale from a faraway land, and we have many more representatives to meet and entertain with our presence."
"My story would not be for long. In fact, it should only take a round of this small hourglass to finish."
He presented a small hourglass from the wrapping on his waist, and placed it by the steps where the throne of the king and the queen was. The sand had already started falling to the other side. By estimation, the sand at the top side will reach the bottom side in five minutes or so.
Maelle cleared his throat, and dramatically stretched his arms.
Then, fire appeared in his right hand!
"A magician!"
"Monster!"
"Witch!"
Unperturbed by the people's alarm, he merely moved his hand as smoke began to coalesce around him. With his free hand, he opened the cap of three vials hanging by a tiny belt. These vials have three different colors: red, blue, and purple.
He dipped his finger on the purple one, beginning his tale as he blew the glittering object at the vial, turning the fire and smoke into purple as well!
"Listen well, all ye! To the tale of the Crimson Wolf, the man who had never seen night!"
They blinked, confused. He said Crimson Wolf, and yet also said 'man'. Which is it, wolf or man?
Maelle grinned at the spectacle he had caused. He continued to move his hands, molding the swirls of smoke into a figure. "There was once no human in the world. No color. No darkness. No gods."
"There was nothing." The smoke turned into a sphere. "Until....."
"In the nothingness, a person was born. An individual, just like us. All alone, in this empty void." He dipped another finger towards the red vial, and bluff the glitter, changing color again.
It was now deep, deep, crimson red.
Maelle danced around and created a man-like shape from the smoke. "He has no name, no identity. And so, he went to search for one."
He made the man-made of smoke travel. "The longer he traveled, the more he felt alone. He wanted someone like him, or even someone not like him. A force that does not fleet, a force that is grounded. And one day....."
"That force was created." He then dipped his finger in blue, and the smoke changed to blue. "This force has a name for himself, and another color compared to him. This figure, he began to call, as Life."
"Life and Man stayed together for a long time, just having each other's presence. But just then...."
"Life ceased to exist." He blew out all the remnants of the blue smoke, only letting the red one to remain. "The Man was distraught. He doesn't want things to end, he doesn't want to be alone again. Life had shown him many things, Life had created the world for him. He made the sun, and the trees, and the animals, and the cloud, and the sky, and the seas."
"Life was his everything. Without him, there is only Nothingness."
"But then.... Something new appeared." He dipped his finger on the purple again, but this time, instead of making it into a normal sphere, he made it into the shape of a person. "This new person, is the representation of the lack of Life, of Nothingness. This is Death."
He made Death and the Man who will soon be Crimson Wolf look at each other.
"Man and Death did not like each other very much." Maelle said. "Man mourns for Life, and Death is baffled by the loss of Life as well. Man keeps on begging for Death to return Life, Death keeps on begging for Man to cease existence so it will return to Nothingness again. Death keeps on trying to kill Man, but Man does not want to let go."
"And yet, Time is a separate entity to everything." He pointed to the hourglass that is soon reaching its end. "Through Time, things change. Through Time, enmity can turn to acceptance, misunderstanding into understanding. Soon, Death and Man came into an agreement. They no longer despise each other, and worked co-exist peacefully."
"Life came again, but this did not stop Man and Death from their peaceful relationship. They both love Life very much, for they could not exist without it. Death would not appear without Life, Man wouldn't be living without Life. It is this three, always this three... together."
We then clapped his hand, and the fire and smoke all disappeared. The last grain of sand went down the hourglass.
He smiled. "Did you like my story, Your Majesties?"
The Ilvedians were confused, and complained.
"How is that related to the Crimson Wolf? When did he see the night?"
"What is this even saying about your religion? That you simply acknowledge the existence of Life and Death?"
"Who is the real God in this story?"
Maelle just smiled, and waited for the whispers to die down without answering any of them. He relied on time to make them go silent, and silence them, Time did.
He then spoke with all seriousness.
"The Crimson Wolf is Man. This is his origin, or rather, the state he continues to live in. In co-existence with Life and Death. Life is the morning in which he rejoices, and so that means Death is ....."
Then, he paused, noticing someone in the corner of his eye.
A man was standing by the door, listening to his story with arms crossed. A fellow priest, but Ilvedian.
He has beautiful purple eyes.
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The Kingdom of Crescentia can be barely called a kingdom before. It is home to a secluded and a little nomadic group of people, with many divisions and other tribes. They just all collectively agree on the encompassing power of the Crimson Wolf.
The Crimson Wolf is not regarded in the same way the Holy Dragon Lord is a 'god', per say. Not a god that people will always worship, devote themselves to, and follow a set of commands made by said god. It is not a ruler, but rather a powerful companion.
A wandering spirit that does not abide by any rules, not even its own. Both ferocious and reserved. That was what the Crimson Wolf is.
He helped many Crescentian heroes in myths, yet also contributed to their suffering. Especially in the case of the Reborn Hero, Rouge. It is through Rouge that reincarnation began, and people may endlessly suffer in their lives, or endlessly experience bliss and happiness.
Maelle is a devout follower of the Crimson Wolf, and he had devoted a lot of his life to becoming a young priest for it.
But not in a way that Ilvedian priests do. Maelle takes care of his Crimson Wolf gemstone, polishing it once everyday before going to sleep, and yet it hangs on a simple string on his neck. There are no strict rules in being a priest under the guidance of the Crimson Wolfe either, no ideals or moralities to uphold. As long as you align with his unbounded and free-spirited self, then you can be considered a follower already.
Maelle got his gemstone just from telling the high priestess of his dream about the Crimson Wolf talking to him. The next day, the priesthood was already bestowed upon him in a short ceremony.
A priest is a friend of the Crimson Wolf, one may say. If you feel close to it as you would a real human friend, then you can be a priest, no matter who you are. Young, old, poor, rich, man, woman, or other... You can always be a priest of the Crimson Wolf if you desire so.
The followers of the Crimson Wolf do not go on missions to spread the belief too. They would rather you join their religion on your own, by receiving guidance, by seeing the Crimson Wolf with your own eyes and believing him. What he represents, no matter what it means for you, will be accepted.
This, he had tried to explain to his new friends here in Ilvedia.
As part of the treaty between all the Thirteen Kingdoms, peace talks and symposiums had been held, along with representatives in all walks of life to visit one another and help the kingdoms understand each other more. Maelle was picked in terms of religion, and his destination was to Ilvedia, the very 'enemy' of their kingdom itself.
But he doesn't mind.
Because like the Crimson Wolf, he barely minds anything. A free-spirit, through and through, merely following the swaying breeze of life, letting its waves take them where they want to.
"Maelle Heaisen." He was called forth by the Ilvedian king.
"Yes, sir." He nodded, and didn't bow. He didn't care for the looks the people gave him when he didn't bow before the presence of the foreign king.
"Barbarian." Some of them whispered.
"Illiterate."
"A fool!"
Maelle maintained a carefree smile.
Standing as tall as 8 adult-sized heads stacked upon each other, he has a composure that is neither lax, nor stiff. He twiddled with his necklace, a crimson red agate that is the shape of a crescent moon. His hair was stark white despite his young age, rare in Ilvedia. His eye color, bright yellow, is also unfound in this kingdom.
There's a triangular banned tied over his head, and his clothes are gossamer thin. His chest is fully exposed and what keeps his white shirt with swirling gold and red patterns together and not falling off is the wrapping over his belly. This wrapping serves as a pocket of sorts, where he can tuck several things, including a ceremonial dagger curved at the tip like a small scythe.
His brown pants have the same strange embellishment that does not seem to be embroidered, and sparkling at a closer look. One would realize the longer the look that these were very small colored glass shard, attached to the cloth through muck and tar. His boots were high and pointy-toed.
He does not look like a priest to the Ilvedians at all, but rather, an entertainer or a pirate.
The King of Ilvedia was not displeased by this priest's lack of tact, and was merely intrigued. He was one of the kinder kings that did not try to wage war.
"Pray tell us what your belief system is like." The King said, placing a hand over his chin.
"It is a very simple belief system, Your Highness." Maelle answered, grinning. "It could be explained by a single story."
"And how long is this story?" The Queen asked a little too harshly, though she is fascinated by this stranger as well. "We do not have all day to listen to a strange tale from a faraway land, and we have many more representatives to meet and entertain with our presence."
"My story would not be for long. In fact, it should only take a round of this small hourglass to finish."
He presented a small hourglass from the wrapping on his waist, and placed it by the steps where the throne of the king and the queen was. The sand had already started falling to the other side. By estimation, the sand at the top side will reach the bottom side in five minutes or so.
Maelle cleared his throat, and dramatically stretched his arms.
Then, fire appeared in his right hand!
"A magician!"
"Monster!"
"Witch!"
Unperturbed by the people's alarm, he merely moved his hand as smoke began to coalesce around him. With his free hand, he opened the cap of three vials hanging by a tiny belt. These vials have three different colors: red, blue, and purple.
He dipped his finger on the purple one, beginning his tale as he blew the glittering object at the vial, turning the fire and smoke into purple as well!
"Listen well, all ye! To the tale of the Crimson Wolf, the man who had never seen night!"
They blinked, confused. He said Crimson Wolf, and yet also said 'man'. Which is it, wolf or man?
Maelle grinned at the spectacle he had caused. He continued to move his hands, molding the swirls of smoke into a figure. "There was once no human in the world. No color. No darkness. No gods."
"There was nothing." The smoke turned into a sphere. "Until....."
"In the nothingness, a person was born. An individual, just like us. All alone, in this empty void." He dipped another finger towards the red vial, and bluff the glitter, changing color again.
It was now deep, deep, crimson red.
Maelle danced around and created a man-like shape from the smoke. "He has no name, no identity. And so, he went to search for one."
He made the man-made of smoke travel. "The longer he traveled, the more he felt alone. He wanted someone like him, or even someone not like him. A force that does not fleet, a force that is grounded. And one day....."
"That force was created." He then dipped his finger in blue, and the smoke changed to blue. "This force has a name for himself, and another color compared to him. This figure, he began to call, as Life."
"Life and Man stayed together for a long time, just having each other's presence. But just then...."
"Life ceased to exist." He blew out all the remnants of the blue smoke, only letting the red one to remain. "The Man was distraught. He doesn't want things to end, he doesn't want to be alone again. Life had shown him many things, Life had created the world for him. He made the sun, and the trees, and the animals, and the cloud, and the sky, and the seas."
"Life was his everything. Without him, there is only Nothingness."
"But then.... Something new appeared." He dipped his finger on the purple again, but this time, instead of making it into a normal sphere, he made it into the shape of a person. "This new person, is the representation of the lack of Life, of Nothingness. This is Death."
He made Death and the Man who will soon be Crimson Wolf look at each other.
"Man and Death did not like each other very much." Maelle said. "Man mourns for Life, and Death is baffled by the loss of Life as well. Man keeps on begging for Death to return Life, Death keeps on begging for Man to cease existence so it will return to Nothingness again. Death keeps on trying to kill Man, but Man does not want to let go."
"And yet, Time is a separate entity to everything." He pointed to the hourglass that is soon reaching its end. "Through Time, things change. Through Time, enmity can turn to acceptance, misunderstanding into understanding. Soon, Death and Man came into an agreement. They no longer despise each other, and worked co-exist peacefully."
"Life came again, but this did not stop Man and Death from their peaceful relationship. They both love Life very much, for they could not exist without it. Death would not appear without Life, Man wouldn't be living without Life. It is this three, always this three... together."
We then clapped his hand, and the fire and smoke all disappeared. The last grain of sand went down the hourglass.
He smiled. "Did you like my story, Your Majesties?"
The Ilvedians were confused, and complained.
"How is that related to the Crimson Wolf? When did he see the night?"
"What is this even saying about your religion? That you simply acknowledge the existence of Life and Death?"
"Who is the real God in this story?"
Maelle just smiled, and waited for the whispers to die down without answering any of them. He relied on time to make them go silent, and silence them, Time did.
He then spoke with all seriousness.
"The Crimson Wolf is Man. This is his origin, or rather, the state he continues to live in. In co-existence with Life and Death. Life is the morning in which he rejoices, and so that means Death is ....."
Then, he paused, noticing someone in the corner of his eye.
A man was standing by the door, listening to his story with arms crossed. A fellow priest, but Ilvedian.
He has beautiful purple eyes.
The Kingdom of Crescentia can be barely called a kingdom before. It is home to a secluded and a little nomadic group of people, with many divisions and other tribes. They just all collectively agree on the encompassing power of the Crimson Wolf. The Crimson Wolf is not regarded in the same way the Holy Dragon Lord is a 'god', per say. Not a god that people will always worship, devote themselves to, and follow a set of commands made by said god. It is not a ruler, but rather a powerful companion.A wandering spirit that does not abide by any rules, not even its own. Both ferocious and reserved. That was what the Crimson Wolf is.He helped many Crescentian heroes in myths, yet also contributed to their suffering. Especially in the case of the Reborn Hero, Rouge. It is through Rouge that reincarnation began, and people may endlessly suffer in their lives, or endlessly experience bliss and happiness.Maelle is a devout follower of the Crimson Wolf, and he had devoted a lot of his life to becoming a young priest for it.But not in a way that Ilvedian priests do. Maelle takes care of his Crimson Wolf gemstone, polishing it once everyday before going to sleep, and yet it hangs on a simple string on his neck. There are no strict rules in being a priest under the guidance of the Crimson Wolfe either, no ideals or moralities to uphold. As long as you align with his unbounded and free-spirited self, then you can be considered a follower already.Maelle got his gemstone just from telling the high priestess of his dream about the Crimson Wolf talking to him. The next day, the priesthood was already bestowed upon him in a short ceremony.A priest is a friend of the Crimson Wolf, one may say. If you feel close to it as you would a real human friend, then you can be a priest, no matter who you are. Young, old, poor, rich, man, woman, or other... You can always be a priest of the Crimson Wolf if you desire so.The followers of the Crimson Wolf do not go on missions to spread the belief too. They would rather you join their religion on your own, by receiving guidance, by seeing the Crimson Wolf with your own eyes and believing him. What he represents, no matter what it means for you, will be accepted.This, he had tried to explain to his new friends here in Ilvedia.As part of the treaty between all the Thirteen Kingdoms, peace talks and symposiums had been held, along with representatives in all walks of life to visit one another and help the kingdoms understand each other more. Maelle was picked in terms of religion, and his destination was to Ilvedia, the very 'enemy' of their kingdom itself.But he doesn't mind.Because like the Crimson Wolf, he barely minds anything. A free-spirit, through and through, merely following the swaying breeze of life, letting its waves take them where they want to."Maelle Heaisen." He was called forth by the Ilvedian king."Yes, sir." He nodded, and didn't bow. He didn't care for the looks the people gave him when he didn't bow before the presence of the foreign king."Barbarian." Some of them whispered."Illiterate.""A fool!"Maelle maintained a carefree smile.Standing as tall as 8 adult-sized heads stacked upon each other, he has a composure that is neither lax, nor stiff. He twiddled with his necklace, a crimson red agate that is the shape of a crescent moon. His hair was stark white despite his young age, rare in Ilvedia. His eye color, bright yellow, is also unfound in this kingdom. There's a triangular banned tied over his head, and his clothes are gossamer thin. His chest is fully exposed and what keeps his white shirt with swirling gold and red patterns together and not falling off is the wrapping over his belly. This wrapping serves as a pocket of sorts, where he can tuck several things, including a ceremonial dagger curved at the tip like a small scythe.His brown pants have the same strange embellishment that does not seem to be embroidered, and sparkling at a closer look. One would realize the longer the look that these were very small colored glass shard, attached to the cloth through muck and tar. His boots were high and pointy-toed.He does not look like a priest to the Ilvedians at all, but rather, an entertainer or a pirate.The King of Ilvedia was not displeased by this priest's lack of tact, and was merely intrigued. He was one of the kinder kings that did not try to wage war. "Pray tell us what your belief system is like." The King said, placing a hand over his chin."It is a very simple belief system, Your Highness." Maelle answered, grinning. "It could be explained by a single story.""And how long is this story?" The Queen asked a little too harshly, though she is fascinated by this stranger as well. "We do not have all day to listen to a strange tale from a faraway land, and we have many more representatives to meet and entertain with our presence.""My story would not be for long. In fact, it should only take a round of this small hourglass to finish."He presented a small hourglass from the wrapping on his waist, and placed it by the steps where the throne of the king and the queen was. The sand had already started falling to the other side. By estimation, the sand at the top side will reach the bottom side in five minutes or so.Maelle cleared his throat, and dramatically stretched his arms.Then, fire appeared in his right hand!"A magician!""Monster!""Witch!"Unperturbed by the people's alarm, he merely moved his hand as smoke began to coalesce around him. With his free hand, he opened the cap of three vials hanging by a tiny belt. These vials have three different colors: red, blue, and purple.He dipped his finger on the purple one, beginning his tale as he blew the glittering object at the vial, turning the fire and smoke into purple as well!"Listen well, all ye! To the tale of the Crimson Wolf, the man who had never seen night!"They blinked, confused. He said Crimson Wolf, and yet also said 'man'. Which is it, wolf or man?Maelle grinned at the spectacle he had caused. He continued to move his hands, molding the swirls of smoke into a figure. "There was once no human in the world. No color. No darkness. No gods.""There was nothing." The smoke turned into a sphere. "Until.....""In the nothingness, a person was born. An individual, just like us. All alone, in this empty void." He dipped another finger towards the red vial, and bluff the glitter, changing color again. It was now deep, deep, crimson red.Maelle danced around and created a man-like shape from the smoke. "He has no name, no identity. And so, he went to search for one."He made the man-made of smoke travel. "The longer he traveled, the more he felt alone. He wanted someone like him, or even someone not like him. A force that does not fleet, a force that is grounded. And one day.....""That force was created." He then dipped his finger in blue, and the smoke changed to blue. "This force has a name for himself, and another color compared to him. This figure, he began to call, as Life.""Life and Man stayed together for a long time, just having each other's presence. But just then....""Life ceased to exist." He blew out all the remnants of the blue smoke, only letting the red one to remain. "The Man was distraught. He doesn't want things to end, he doesn't want to be alone again. Life had shown him many things, Life had created the world for him. He made the sun, and the trees, and the animals, and the cloud, and the sky, and the seas.""Life was his everything. Without him, there is only Nothingness.""But then.... Something new appeared." He dipped his finger on the purple again, but this time, instead of making it into a normal sphere, he made it into the shape of a person. "This new person, is the representation of the lack of Life, of Nothingness. This is Death."He made Death and the Man who will soon be Crimson Wolf look at each other."Man and Death did not like each other very much." Maelle said. "Man mourns for Life, and Death is baffled by the loss of Life as well. Man keeps on begging for Death to return Life, Death keeps on begging for Man to cease existence so it will return to Nothingness again. Death keeps on trying to kill Man, but Man does not want to let go.""And yet, Time is a separate entity to everything." He pointed to the hourglass that is soon reaching its end. "Through Time, things change. Through Time, enmity can turn to acceptance, misunderstanding into understanding. Soon, Death and Man came into an agreement. They no longer despise each other, and worked co-exist peacefully.""Life came again, but this did not stop Man and Death from their peaceful relationship. They both love Life very much, for they could not exist without it. Death would not appear without Life, Man wouldn't be living without Life. It is this three, always this three... together."We then clapped his hand, and the fire and smoke all disappeared. The last grain of sand went down the hourglass.He smiled. "Did you like my story, Your Majesties?"The Ilvedians were confused, and complained. "How is that related to the Crimson Wolf? When did he see the night?""What is this even saying about your religion? That you simply acknowledge the existence of Life and Death?""Who is the real God in this story?"Maelle just smiled, and waited for the whispers to die down without answering any of them. He relied on time to make them go silent, and silence them, Time did.He then spoke with all seriousness."The Crimson Wolf is Man. This is his origin, or rather, the state he continues to live in. In co-existence with Life and Death. Life is the morning in which he rejoices, and so that means Death is ....."Then, he paused, noticing someone in the corner of his eye.A man was standing by the door, listening to his story with arms crossed. A fellow priest, but Ilvedian.He has beautiful purple eyes.
