The Ulangar: Book III, Part 9

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

Ulangar thought long and hard on these words

[

talks about training Adar in magic

]

The next sibling visited by god-forging Ulangar

was black hairéd Creusa

who said of her death

'That meddling Tuoni did not snatch me

nor was he man enough to ravish me

I slayed his minions bred of air

with blinding speed and stunning agility

Each one died by my swift stroke

but Tuoni fearful as he is

ran from our fight and left me to suffer in life'

Ulangar squinted and spake such words in response

'I inquire from you O sister from the now dead earth

a better description of your punishers

of the shapes of the minions

and of the faces of the ruler of the wretched land'

Creusa was long in her reply

attempting to resist memory's poison

and then she tried to reply

many times she attempted

and many times she failed to send her mental picture across the airs

but at last she did and such words erupted from her lips

'My memory is foggéd

for that night or dreary day was as a dream

it does not remain clear in memory long

I only remember of those minions a great blur

of wind and steel

but of Tuoni's haughty face I shant forget

his thick black mane and night beard

flapped to the whims of the four elements

and his wide grin exposed his icy gates

His laugh was like thunder which rips the sky in two

with energy surging from Anshar to Kishar

and his eyes yes his evil eyes

how they pierced my very soul

the fires grew within them

burned my inside and out in flames

colder and blacker than the lost secret of Blackflame

which burns metal and melts trees'

So amazed by the similarities with his own glimpse

of that towering Tuoni was Ulangar

that he could hardly utter a farewell suitable for his sister's rank

hardly

[

insert Inan's story

]

The Ulangar: Book III, Part 8

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

After Ulangar had risen from the sheets

and hastened in his morning duties

of cleansing in the clear waters of Ahto

and dressing into fine fabrics soft to touch of red and black

and eating a hearty feast from cheese to apples

he traveled to Adar's chamber to inquire about the night

'Adar son of Nugredth

valiant giant of the wooden staff

tell me of your death inflicted by my son

of the journey to the dark world which none return save us'

To these words Adar this said

'After falling to Tuonela that dark turf of earth

I felt the presence of a great energy

both racing across the sky and surging from below

And from this below a great fellow clad in robes of black

with silver runes covering his black cuffs

and on an ashen staff wielded in his right

rose from the dust and dirt

Sensing danger as is the ability of all my race

I ran at the figure and attempted to tackle

The figure was too swift and he eluded my grasp

and I was thrown to the ground like a child flinging a toy

The man formed wordless words on his lips

and lightning shot from the sky to my tempered flesh

My body only absorbed the energy

and remained free of mar

I rolled onto my knees as he began singing another spell

and I leaped for his legs

This time my aim was true and my grip was strong

and the cloak fell to the earth in humbled silence

All went black until the light returned to my eyes

when I appeared in my bed untampered'

The Ulangar: Book III, Part 7

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

Ulangar awoke in a bed with familiar black formless hair

sprawled across the sheets and bodies

and his stirring awoke the figure beside him

'What is this scar along your back

this unaccounted for remnant of combat

which happened not on that field of battle'

Ulangar rose himself onto his elbows

and responded to his wife 'Indeed for they sprouted

from the flailing of wrights in my death-dream

Tell me of your encounters with these dreams

in the powerful land of Tuoni'

Startled by this change of subject Nefthys sat replacing the pieces

of the memory puzzle before she spoke with such words

'It seems like an eternity ago to my forgetful head

but perhaps this loose-knit story will aid thy inquiries

I remember awaking to a green sun rising from a purple sea of grass

into a lacerated sky black and red and raining fish

but ahead laid a sparkle of clean light which seemed to summon me

Every specific of the landscape was ever changing

and the path on which I traversed

was here and then there and then here again

The path's substance too was never constant

it was mud to stone to pebbles

to mason's medium to Ahto's element

to an ink which stuck to every pore of my body

and at every step I sensed a pair of seeing organs

staring into my heart for weakness

waiting in the shadows of darkness to pounce upon my most sacréd soul

but he dared not a showing of his features

and to the light which was an exit I went

and I returned to this earthen moon to love a man'

The Ulangar: Book III, Part 6

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

When the two lovers rose to the day star's coming

the others journeyed to the surface to divide into teams

Nergal being the creator of the Games of the Immortals

divided the players into teams

On the first team was placed Nergal the axe-man

and also was there Creusa the wielder of the claws

and finally there was Adar the giant of flame

On the other team was chosen Lamaraz the master of sword

and there was also spear wielding Painex

and also Fatirac the hammer carrying woman with the stature of man

So were the teams divided missing the ones not trained in the soldierly ways

sitting on the sidelines to support the fighters

When the battle began with the glittering gear charging forward

Lamaraz in his suit of steel plate ran the fastest and with the most blood thirst

and from the other side Nergal met the fighter's challenge

The two collided with the clang of steel on steel

and Lamara left a bloodied body groaning for relief

while tripping on his innards and slipping in his purple life

Lamaraz regrouped with the women

Creusa at his left and Fatirac at his right each running in step

but Creusa could not withstand the force of Painex's hurled spear

which crushed through the jaw and skull

slicing the brains and moving them to outside the body

in a gory puddle of ichor

With tall Fatirac at his side Lamaraz charged

wingéd Adar and swift Painex

The wooden staff struck the sword master's head

as the herbal blade sliced from right to left through the chest

stopping only at the left nipple of the scaled hide

showering both with a blue fluid

as a fountain shimmers in light

Painex without her spear could not withstand

the smithy blows of red-hairéd Inan's hammer

forged by the master smith Bartoc

when the world was young and the gods

were still enjoying their play with man

The blows melted bone and eroded flesh

forming a puddle of sticky goo

which once was woman fine

So did the battle end with Lamaraz and Inan side by side

soaked in blood of friend and self

and with the black gore gushing in great amounts

and grins of sadistic pleasure coated in black bile

The Ulangar: Book III, Part 5

This continues Book III of the epic I wrote between 1991 and 1996. This
is another section that was slated for rewrite.

[

That night Lamaraz returned to Ulangar

and returned to lay beside Nefthys once again

He brought himself close to his lover

and in his caress of her he spoke such words

`What shall I compare thee to

An Autumn wind or a Winter's flame

Nay your whole cannot be sing'larly described

but aye your eyes

what shall they become

Their glittering glass should be compared to gems

But nay again for they compare oh not to your sparkling marbles

Gems instead should be indeed compared to thine eyes

How then is your hair in place with such ideas

Its flowing formless soft resembles that twice distant creature

that gobbles the worlds and stars and moons

and like that same monstrosity

these leaves consume my heart

What else does that bottomless soul desire

of these petty metaphors and similes between heaven and earth'

Such words were spoken and sweet Nefthys responded

`My sire and keeper speak not in mockéd anger

for it does not become you

Speak only of that poetic thing which you refuse to identify

and that one fire is amor

Compare thine love to whatever thou desires

If thou just speakest it to my things that hear

with your heart of words so pure

then perhaps mine own heart may remember these syllables

and indeed in the positive fourth it may be recalled again and again

my love'

So were the words of Nef

and her ears traded with her mouth

and her eyes failed to glitter

in preparation for his so noble response

But not a sentence nor letter fluttered from his lips

But not a syllable nor chant flew away from his cords

Instead he too shut his spectacles

and with a touch of grace and caring unparalleled in his life

his lips enchanted her mouth with a soft et gentle kiss

]

The Ulangar: Book III, Part 4

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

The next day when Dawn lifted her bright wheel into the darkness

and spread her rosy fingers to all parts of the sky

the family gathered together to discuss their future

`I say we shall collaborate and discover the secrets of the world'

spake Enki the Master of Mind `and become true masters of this universe

for knowledge is the true might and answer to all troubles if

IT can conquer us then surely we can discover how to conquer IT

and this is attained only by wisdom and knowledge'

To this Lamaraz responded `Indeed do I take your words for truth

and never shall I disagree for the sake of argument

but some things cannot be taken by knowledge

There are brute forces which only understand their own nature

and thus must be the response in the honorable fashion

What is life without honor What is honor without life

And what is life and honor without Truth or Courage

I ask you this my friend of the Rose and Iron

while Nefthys and Adar stand behind me

what are their answers'

Enki rose his voice and said `I thought you dead Lamaraz

but wrong was I who dwells in harmony and mastery

Your questions mean nothing to me

and your thinking even less

Go back to your caves of moss and grime

and go back to your half-men ancestors of greasy hair tied up in bonnets

We have no need of you and your barbaric ways'

Nergal interrupted the rest of Enki's speech by these words

causing land slides with its force

`Petty bickering does no one here good

now stop that chattering as two little boys

who rest in the comfort of their mother's ever protecting arms

Besides who cares about the domination over other forces

we have everything we need here on this globe thanks to Ulangar

the forger and Kali of worlds

I think we shall play a sporting challenge to pass the time

one that came from my Old Country in the north

The ancient way of playing this game is to gallop on riding mounts

while trying to subdue the opposing team into defeat

We could do this but no equestrian beasts will be used

nor will that singing art be allowed to be woven on this field of honorable battle'

Lamaraz became caught up in the speaking of Nergal

`Yes Yes And the fairy way of subduing will be replaced with slayings

that glorious way of battle that turns grass lands into swamps of gore

Perhaps this will be an excellent way of passing the days

This Game will be perfect for our warlike ways'

Enki glared and Lamaraz and snapped in return

`Speak for yourself you barbaric corpse

your ways are worse than those wintry murderers

that come before my eyes in anger

You all make me sick in your agreement with these boys

and their archaic ways of bloodshed

This is a time for peace and knowledge

not war and battle and its notorious way of death

Go and do your vile and retchéd deeds

but never shall you see me pay heed

to your cries from the grave'

Lamaraz stood now and walked towards Enki of the Rose

with Nergal and Fatirac at his heels all looking in the same fashion

Before the three could strike and deal a mighty blow

to the one wearing robes of white silk

Nefthys jumped from her spot on the ground

to block the charge of Lamaraz and his entourage

and she spoke such words `My love

why does such unwarranted hate fill your eyes and heart

all for one whose hasty and unthought words were spoken

They are gone and with them the idea

but in your minds all your minds you hold these words

with steel bonds and behind steel cages impenetrable

Can you not use your keys and free them

so that they can join the words in the air

so that they too may die

If hatred so consumes your soul that sharp reason cannot pierce it

then let the blanket of my love smother it and make another fire grow'

Lamaraz shook so from the sight

and the feelings which came from her eyes

He crumbled before her

and fell down on his knees with heavy heart eye

reminded of the time on the knoll when the brothers were slain

The Ulangar: Book III, Part 3

This continues Book III of the epic I wrote between 1991 and 1996. This
section in brackets makes references to how it should be changed to reflect
later developments in the story.

Ulangar from these others learned of the remaining two

of Re'u Raduti from Adar

who came from the Sea of Dust

and of Oudun the dwarf of the Crepshaues

the descendants of the first men

from the gigantic Nergal

Thus the ten were known

[ Discussion between Enki, Adar & ulangar (the last 3!). Here is where Adar is to begin training for magic, not book IV. Throw around lots of symbols which will develop later in the epic. Have Adar tell of his children. Discus their origin & why - don't get into Highlander-esque philosophy, but hint at the cycle of threes. Ulangar needs to discuss his vision of Tuoni & have them discuss Phojola, using what they originally said later, put here here instead. Still have Enki discuss heart.

That night instead of Nefthys' loving touch

he consulted Enki about his wisdom

for Ulangar had not known of his new found knowledge

singe the time of the Islands of Iron

Enki started the conversation with such words

`Ah my brother of war and sword

how have you been keeping yourself

I spy your scars and wounds and take note

for the rest have none such things

How did these come about'

Ulangar the master of sword and soul responded

`Your eyes are strong and that mind is swift

Enki of the rose know you not

I fought those Tuoni spawned wraiths in Pohjola

summoned from the deaths

and my guard was lowered and their irons pierced my skins

Your face expresses confusion

Have you not encountered these beasts of shadow

that hunt immortal flesh

until so many have perished by the fist

of one so fragile and strong in bone'

Enki the peace maker and mind master spoke then

`True I have experienced that Surma curse

but these iron wielding wraiths have I not found

Instead I find pastures of green and skies of blue

and trees blooming with fruit painted purple

and I find myself seeking an item

To gain it I must cunningly avoid a guardian

dressed in dark furs with a club'

After such words were spoken by Enki

Ulangar spoke `Ah so I see that you too

have seen that death-master Tuoni who lurks in the dreams

I have spoken to his avatar

and he tells me we cannot be reaped into his grasp

Do you not see what he has told us

We are free to roam without fear my brother

Nothing can kill us and nothing will'

Enki interrupted the speech

`Then explain those who died' he said

`the two who did not survive the ruin of Siglar

We are not free from his grasp

Sometimes we elude Tuoni's grip

but we eight have been lucky' Ulangar kept his tongue still

so Enki continued `My apologies to you

I did not intend to bring your joy to the grave

but my intentions were to gift you with the sight of reality

so come now and cheer that face

and tell me of why you came'

Ulangar sat and collected his thoughts and responded with his lips

`When I first met you on that island

I learned of your mastery of the mind

of those psychic waves and energies

If I could learn to be master of it

then I could truly claim my mastership of the soul

since the mind controls all others'

To these words Enki shook his head and replied

`That old belief was disproved

I reformed that way of thought

and discovered the new part of the body

the heart

If the soul creates the emotions

and the mind creates reason and stores ideas

and the body proper houses all these

then the thing that pulls these three together

is that pumping thing of blood

It must be mastered before the rest

else conflict within will devastate the training of the rest'

Ulangar pondered on these words and asked another question

`What of your system of beliefs

what the ultimate goal of your people

and their way of thinking is'

Enki heard such words and with a laugh responded

`That is a short question which requires a long reply

but perhaps the Muses will aid me in my answer

My peoples believed in the same gods yours did

but the school of thought which I developed

reformed these ancient ways

for the ultimate paradox of religion is that

the gods know

However my belief structure is different than my religion

but it could be called a religion

It does not focus on irrelevant things like

```why the universe was created''' or

```who created the universe'''

Such things can never be answered by us

Instead we focus on each personal ruling force

also known as conscience

and on the mastery of the mind

We strive to be human

because to be a human is to be separate from the natural kingdom

The first human beings tried to do this

with the use of tools and language

but all they did was create an intelligent being

that required from the absence of nature

social interaction

You may ask if this is a contradiction

not calling them true humans

yet saying that they have an absence of nature

Not so

for though they tried to be separate by creating cities

removing much of nature

they still were connected with nature's call

How we strive to be entirely human

is to complete the fissure with nature

by removing all instincts and conditioned responses

so every action is one with the mind'

Ulangar considered this response and worded his next question carefully

`But where I came from

we harnessed our soul to control emotion

to thus be a ```social and complete man'''

Were they wrong in their thought

and you correct'

Enki the maker of peace

smiled at this question and answered with his mouth

`The blue that you learned

is the green that I know'

So was it that Ulangar learned the ambiguous nature of words

]

The Ulangar: Book III, Part 2

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

Halfway through that day Ulangar spied another soul

in the condition which was earlier Enki's

Upon snatching this one from the vast

and upon her apparition forming her flesh

he experienced the exchange of thought with her

as when Enki glared into Lamaraz's jewels

her deep black hair reflected no light

resembling the Void which surrounded the tiny well

Nefthys and Lamaraz met with rubies

courtship dreamt in woken minds

[add character development between Lam & Nef]

With rosy-fingered Dawn's awakening

whose light fell upon endless burning buildings

covering the landscape

five of the same sire were found

The first was Nergal a gigantic man

with deep ebony skin

from the Western Wastelands

he wielded a huge axe to match his stature

with two blades each five hands long and two hands wide

and a spear point two hands long and a shaft one meter long

[elaborate on story]

The next was Creusa from the Southern Swamps

she had speed beyond compare with long glossy black hair

wielding two rods each two forearms long

with steel talons of an eagle to tip those metal stalks

[blah blah blah story]

Adar was the next brother found

a giant of flame from that Krox Peninsula

with wings spanning ten meters

and a wooden staff unshatterable and tipped with brazen points

which extended to a length of three meters

[blah blah blah]

Fatirac was also discovered and also known as Inan

a manly woman with blazing red hair and a wide jaw

and a stature to match that maw

and in her sinister she wielded a hammer weighing four stones

and its handle was one meter long

She came from the Eastern Barbaric Forests

where men and woman hunt as one

[blah blah blah]

Finally the brown-hairéd Painex was found

who lived in a human village

which lied between those

Giants of Fire on the Krox Peninsula

peaceful at times great wars at others

With skin dark and Golden Glory she carried an

ashen spear eleven forearms long

and tipped with hard steel

and on her left she held a rounded shield

with a brazen boss and steel rimmed with tassels

It hung from its strap while describing the fate of Painex

the wheel revolved depicting the birth from a ravished mother

and her rapid growth was also depicted as was her skill at arms

it showed when she was three completing the Quest of the Warrior

of her entering a cave and battling blindfolded an agéd giant

not of flame but of the mountains and weak in mind but strong in arms

and showing her valiant spear bury itself deep in the breast of the beast

and it showed her gift of the shield

then the bottom half showed things not yet come to pass

of her wandering the desert and the encounter with Re'u Raduti

one of the Ten and of the desert men's tribe

and of her battles with the Giants of Fire

some victorious and others of retreat

and of Siglar's destruction

and of her physical death and spiritual torment

and of her discovery of the Others

and of her battles with Abhorations

and displayed in the center around the boss

was her body sprawled on dust with arrows bristling from her skin

The Ulangar: Book III, Part 1

This is the start of Book III of the epic I wrote between 1991 and 1996.

Argument: This is the Book of Immortals, concerning the finding of the Ten and the beginnings of the new universe. It also tells of the refining of the religion Necoism from the teachings of Enki of the Rose.

One prisoner Diomedes asked of the poet these words

"At the beginning you mentioned ten brothers

and that you were one of them

What ever was the fate's will

upon their unearthly flesh O poet and keeper"

These things having been sent through the airs to open ears

Lamaraz responded by drinking ambrosial wine and wholesome bread

and these words "Patience my fellow inmate

you have not listened long enough to answer your question

Now pay attention and your questions shall be filled

After Ulangar forged his tempered steel armor

upon which light glittered off a rounded helm

of a skull and brow reinforce and upper and lower bevor

and rondel and the silvery gorget plate

each four gauge steel hardened to immortal strength

and off of decorated breastplate and its lower

depicting the pinpoint flashes of suns gobbled up

by the black monsters which were then depicted

upon the glittering one gauge backplate

as eating each other off the same platter

and it winked off steel skirt with rump guard

each consisting of sixteen plates riveted with golden spokes

and to these with light of stars glimmering from their rosy heart

the tassets of mysterious steel were hung with the rough hide of Fire Giants

slain in the slaughter of the surface land

and it also flashed reflections off of a shirt of mail

showing beneath the skirt and between the tassets

a coat of mail wrought three-ply with tiny links of gold

and off of the pauldron connected to the breastplate

which then allowed the cowters and vambrace with its cannons

to be hung by golden axles and the gauntlets of well forged tempered steel

and it also shown from the legs of the cuisse and poleyn and greave and sabaton

and thus it shown off the armor whole

he felt his head spin and reel

that feeling of ūser again

So by no natural pull of his own

he led himself to his observatory

where as before Ulangar spied Universe with spinning eyes

but no item save that void of blackness could he detect

Yet that tingling persisted

urging him ever closer to his view

when through the nothing something knotted and twisted

moving silently and waiting

Ulangar wove a net about this knot

and pulled his catch into his moon

When finally the knot was retrieved

a man appeared of familiar shape

Enki of the Rose

Ulangar gave greetings and informed his guest

of the home deep below the surface

Eventually Enki was shown to a bedding chamber

and Ulangar left the brother's side

to pursue untiring in the Void

for signs of other strings

The Ulangar: Book III, Preview

When I came back to Book III, I found it in a state of needing significant updates. There are large sections simply marked "add more", while other sections were marked in detail with what needs to be placed there. The ending to this book had never been written, as it was intended to be a truely large "epic list". By its nature, that list couldn't ever really be complete. For this, I marked those places in square brackets ("[ blah ]") to indicate where my editing notes were.

Also, there were some just general fixes that needed to be done. I noticed that I had made an effort to remove the letter "z" from standard English words, except in names. I think some of those non-z words made it into the other books, but I've been making an effort to just use the standard spelling.