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

]