Alone....
Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2007 10:33 pm
Skaalib sat at the edge of the water, and peered out to sea, to where his people had come from, and where his people belonged, some would say. He turned and glimpsed at the temple, mother’s temple, and he saw a desolate, lonely place, not the joyous, happy place it should be.
“We have neglected it….we have neglected Mother” he thought to himself, and a single tear rolled down his cheek. And at that time, he thought back to the words of his former master, and friend Zharrukal and he realised that the harsh, bitter words he had spoken were true. And at that moment, sitting in silence at the water, only the rustle of the trees and the gentle lapping of the water to comfort, he felt more alone than he ever had been. He looked down at his hands, his green, scaly hands, and cursed the way Zelphia had made him. This land was not made for him, for his people. No one here, would, could understand him. Sure, some had been friendly enough to him, and he was even a Squire of Kallahorn, but there had always been a feeling of distance between him and them, as if they both knew he was different.
“Where were his brothers?” he thought. He could not remember the last time he had spoke with Taliss, or Gil’dran, or any lizard. He smiled a little. He would even be glad to see Ssafar right now, he thought.
A single tear rolled down his cheek as he realised “There is nothing here for me now”. And he slid gracefully into the ocean. Swimming easily, he began to swim away from the island of Gobiath, to close a chapter in his life.
“If anyone notices I am gone, that is” he remarked bitterly. And he sank deeper into the sea’s depths, glad of the water to surround him, so sick of air he was. But as he swam further and further away from everything he had known on that isle. An image flashed into his head. An image of Zharrukal, his face twisted in anger, his voice spiteful and cruel, and muttering “You are a fool Skaalib”, and he stopped dead in the water.
“No, my master, let me show you how wrong you are”, he thought subconsciously; as he found himself almost betrayed by his legs, which now turned him back towards Gobiath! And he thought of how he had cursed Mother, and he whispered in the lizard tongue “I am sorry mother, please forgive me”, and as he made his way back to Gobiath, he felt, for only the briefest of moments, a warm presence touch him, and he knew he was forgiven. Stronger he kicked, anxiously to return, and soon enough he found himself, crawling out of the water, gasping for breath as his lungs once again took a few gasps of air, and he once more felt the wonder of this land. For a long time he just lay on his back, gazing up at the stars above him, until he stole a furtive glance at the temple beside him, and realised what must be done.
He hauled himself up from the ground and paced towards his people’s haven on Gobiath, his hand clenching into a fist, uttering a single, clear sentence.
“But never again shall we neglect her”
And he set about the long, arduous work of restoring the temple to its former glory. He swept the dust and leaves away; he removed the cobwebs, ignoring his tiredness as he worked through the night. And in the morning, he looked around, and he saw there was nothing more to do here.
Satisfied, he knelt before the altar and muttered a prayer to his mother, Zelphia, the new found confidence in himself confirmed. “I hope you like it Mother”, he remarked as he left, a smile firmly on his lips. “Forever more, I do everything in your name”
“We have neglected it….we have neglected Mother” he thought to himself, and a single tear rolled down his cheek. And at that time, he thought back to the words of his former master, and friend Zharrukal and he realised that the harsh, bitter words he had spoken were true. And at that moment, sitting in silence at the water, only the rustle of the trees and the gentle lapping of the water to comfort, he felt more alone than he ever had been. He looked down at his hands, his green, scaly hands, and cursed the way Zelphia had made him. This land was not made for him, for his people. No one here, would, could understand him. Sure, some had been friendly enough to him, and he was even a Squire of Kallahorn, but there had always been a feeling of distance between him and them, as if they both knew he was different.
“Where were his brothers?” he thought. He could not remember the last time he had spoke with Taliss, or Gil’dran, or any lizard. He smiled a little. He would even be glad to see Ssafar right now, he thought.
A single tear rolled down his cheek as he realised “There is nothing here for me now”. And he slid gracefully into the ocean. Swimming easily, he began to swim away from the island of Gobiath, to close a chapter in his life.
“If anyone notices I am gone, that is” he remarked bitterly. And he sank deeper into the sea’s depths, glad of the water to surround him, so sick of air he was. But as he swam further and further away from everything he had known on that isle. An image flashed into his head. An image of Zharrukal, his face twisted in anger, his voice spiteful and cruel, and muttering “You are a fool Skaalib”, and he stopped dead in the water.
“No, my master, let me show you how wrong you are”, he thought subconsciously; as he found himself almost betrayed by his legs, which now turned him back towards Gobiath! And he thought of how he had cursed Mother, and he whispered in the lizard tongue “I am sorry mother, please forgive me”, and as he made his way back to Gobiath, he felt, for only the briefest of moments, a warm presence touch him, and he knew he was forgiven. Stronger he kicked, anxiously to return, and soon enough he found himself, crawling out of the water, gasping for breath as his lungs once again took a few gasps of air, and he once more felt the wonder of this land. For a long time he just lay on his back, gazing up at the stars above him, until he stole a furtive glance at the temple beside him, and realised what must be done.
He hauled himself up from the ground and paced towards his people’s haven on Gobiath, his hand clenching into a fist, uttering a single, clear sentence.
“But never again shall we neglect her”
And he set about the long, arduous work of restoring the temple to its former glory. He swept the dust and leaves away; he removed the cobwebs, ignoring his tiredness as he worked through the night. And in the morning, he looked around, and he saw there was nothing more to do here.
Satisfied, he knelt before the altar and muttered a prayer to his mother, Zelphia, the new found confidence in himself confirmed. “I hope you like it Mother”, he remarked as he left, a smile firmly on his lips. “Forever more, I do everything in your name”