The Ulangar: Book II, Part 8

This continues Book II of the epic I wrote between 1991 and 1996.

That night Ulangar was visited by Shai-Thoth

the transparent eyeball glided over the satellite

and Ulangar saw the many features of the moon

the rivers named after hate and sorrow and lamentation and fire and oblivion

Beyond this watery hole north of the ocean

lies a frozen continent where storms rage

endlessly abusing the tormented land

and a building lies amongst this dire hail

seemingly ruin and encased in centuries of snow and ice

that will not thaw for only once a year shines here that closest star

and then only for mere seconds at a time

The land between the snow-fed ocean and the icy terrain

is a wetland profound as the bog of Serbon

Ulangar saw other continents as well on this globe

surrounded by that toxic water of Brokenia

which was moved to Krox after the Ruthzan creation

by that mage-prince Krutan of Slaverec whose mind was bent by wife

and then it was moved to this Volx after interplanetary travel was possible

As Ulangar continued south again over the ocean

his sight detected the weaving knots of magic strings

They wrapped the moon and through it into two identical globes

a northern one and a southern one

They would connect these yellow strands

at the planetary poles and equator center sphere

but for a vortex at the poles in conical form

the base spanning ten kilometers

and both cones converged at the vertex at the center between the two globes

Here Ulangar discovered the apex of universal magic power

but what lay there he could not see

for the goddess withdrew the sight of Hellethalain

and the horn gate closed and Ulanger passed into the ivory gate

Many years passed since that day

and long was the time that Lamaraz

unlearned his savage ways of etiquette and combat

and long was it till Lamaraz learned the ways of Farfein

One day as the two were sparring

Lamaraz retreated from Farfein's lethal blow

and yielded to catch his breath and to speak these words

`O Farfein my mentor and master

I have trained long and hard to become the man I am

When will you give me my adult name O great mentor

and thus settle my inner peace'

Farfein removed his guard of iron magical

and thrust his sword into the earth

and thought hard on this question and responded

`Indeed your time has come to gain your name

you have learned much and left more behind

There is one thing you need to gain before you earn your name

that numerologically correct set of syllabic symbols

and that is manhood

You refuse to accept the burden of mortality

thus I can give you no other name

then that which you give yourself '

At these words spoken by his mentor

Lamaraz stood glassy-eyed until his rage exploded from his soul

He attacked with sword high and foot fast

and Farfein fell to the blade after the failure of his heart

and the empty shell collapsed in a pool of black

drinking in opened eyed stare