The Zem: History of the Ancients

"Our Ancestors came from the East""Aboard vessels of great size""They spread wings like birds""Used the wind to carry them across the depths where dangers lurk""Where the waves are born" "The Ancients breathed the sea""Like air""Though they may journey far from its sight""Their thoughts always returned to it""Before sleeping" "The Ancients reached Skara on the darkest night of the cycle""When all the Gods were hiding behind clouds""They heard the land before they saw it""With a great shudder and crash""Their ships ran aground" "When Celem rose again from his resting place""The Ancients saw their new home""A mighty river flowing out of a wooded land""Covered in mist" "From the wreckage they swam to the land""And wept""For great was their loss""All except one of their vessels lay destroyed by the waves""That had carried them so far" "After a period of mourning""Our Ancestors commended themselves to their fate""They found the trees that bear fruit""They saw the fat Waachi that swam""In the shallows""And they began to learn a new kind of happiness" "Our Ancestors learned many lessons""How to build dwellings on poles""To stay off the wet ground""And to avoid the solitary creatures""That wandered hungry in the night" "How to walk through the mist""Without getting lost""How to hunt on land, build fires and wield sharp stones""There still belonged to Our Ancestors one vessel""Floating""So they cast lots as to who could use it""To travel further""To where Celem slept and perhaps""So far that they might return""To where the waves are born" "When Celem had burned the mist away for a time""The winners of the lot""Boarded their vessel and headed south""For it could not head against the waves" "A great distance those on board journeyed""Past the misty forests""Past a barren coast of cliffs and sand""Till the distance was pierced""By land of great height""They met the clouds and disappeared" "As the vessel neared this strange land they noticed a Tower""It was straight and tall""Came up as if out of the water""From the center of the land itself""Atop the tower drifted a great cloud of smoke""And hid it from view" "Through the period of Celem’s sleeping""Our Ancestors waited—their ship drifted towards the tower""As if by force""And they heard strange noises""Like singing""And through the smoke they saw a light bright as Celem himself burning" "Fear gripped many of our Ancestors’ hearts""But one let curiosity enkindle courage""He offered to climb up and see what was atop the Tower""When Celem awoke" "Celem broke over the horizon and the youth""Began to scale the tower" "Up and up he climbed""Till those below could see him no longer" "Celem passed that place three times""Our Ancestors heard nothing from the youth""But above the light, the drums, and the singing continued""Finally he returned""But he was no longer the same youth""His skin was pale""His eyes looked far off""And words no longer passed by his lips" "In his spell the young man remained dumb""No amount of medicine could cure""No amount of questioning could revive""Our Ancestors sensed a curse""So they let the youth be""To sit at the bow and look into the distance" "With a new fear for what lay ahead""Our Ancestors decided to return""Any way they could""To their brethren in the misty forest" "They turned the ship around""Altered the sails""Adjusted the wings""But to no avail""The vessel would not point in the direction where the waves are born" "With heavy souls""Our ancestors prepared to leave""The last vestage of their old life""They set the wings to point to where Celem sleeps""Set it on fire""As a sacrifice""And got out""to walk back the way they had come" "But the youth would not leave the vessel""No amount of fighting could displace him""Finally with a drug they took him from that place""Carried him to land""Put a fold over his eyes and a rope around his hands""To lead him whither they desired" "It was many more of Celem’s journeys""Before finally our Ancestors returned to their kin""On that particular occasion""They held a feast""Thanked Celem for allowing them to be once again together""And Alive" "The youth never recovered""For the rest of his life he remained""Deaf and dumb""Staring into the horizon" "He died of old age""On the rock looking""To where the waves are born"---

Continue reading more Stories of the Ancients: The Ravaging of Kon Lin