[Updated]

[Brittany]

My story is ongoing. I felt compelled to write another chapter. This one I have transformed into a fable, characterizing myself as I realize that we are all characters in a much larger production. Please forgive the length.

Sometime long ago, in a village right on the edge of the universe, there was born a soul named Ahktu. Now, seeing how this village was on the edge of the universe, Ahktu's people had a good, clear view of the Void which lay beyond the Known Reality. In fact, they had such a clear view that many of them came to see the Void as All There Was, aside from themselves of course.

Ahktu's people spent a great deal of time observing the void, studying it and telling stories of what might lie within or beyond it. A great many of them even came to worship the Void. They brought its qualities into their lives and did rituals before it in hopes that it might bestow them with knowledge and understanding. At times, some of Ahktu's people would even step off the edge of the Known and hurl themselves into the Void. The rest of them perpetually waited for the day those individuals might return and share their experiences- share what communion with the Great Black truly entailed.

Now, Ahktu’s people were a curious people, and they loved learning new things. Most of them were so fascinated by the Void that they were fixated upon the mysteries it contained, but Ahktu was even more inquisitive and impetuous than the rest of the villagers. For Ahktu, enough was never enough. She never ran out of questions to ask, nor was there an obstacle too imposing for her to turn away from a chance to explore. It was not at all uncommon for her to land in the most precarious of situations due to her inability to just let things be.

Some of the villagers thought Ahktu’s mischief was amusing. Some just shook their heads, saying that her antics would bring trouble one day. Still, Ahktu was a good student who excelled in all her studies. In spite of all her eccentricities she faithfully learned all the history and wisdom her people had passed down through the ages. Like the rest of them she sat atop the roof of her house and contemplated the Void and its mysteries every night. Her exploits were never too over-the-top, and as she grew and matured she became well respected by her people.

Apart from a keen, eager mind, Ahktu had a sensitive soul that let her see into the deeper meaning of things. Quite often when she looked at people they would comment that they felt as if she were staring into their very soul. At times she came off as clumsy or even oblivious when it came to everyday matters, but there was a deeper wisdom somewhere within that could sometimes be seen shining out of her eyes. As she grew older her sensitivities bloomed into psychic gifts, and she easily learned her people’s magic. She achieved a position of high status as a talented Magi, and people would flock to her for healing, or to learn the secrets of power, or just to hear things about themselves, for nothing seemed to be hidden before her eyes.

Ahktu enjoyed being able to do these things, and the fact that others respected her opinions- even the ones who had considered her foolish. In her adulthood she had established a very comfortable life filled with luxury, safety and stability. However, that curious child within her never quite died. Though she was renowned for her wisdom, a part of her felt empty, as if there were a space in her mind waiting to be filled with some knowledge that was just out of her grasp. As the years went by and she grew older this inner hole only seemed to grow and she became more and more despondent and restless. What was she missing? It was like an itch that couldn’t be scratched, and each day it felt more and more as if there were another person inside a cage within her body, rattling the bars and demanding to be set free.

Each night Ahktu sat on her roof and stared up at the Void, asking for the answers to these questions she couldn’t quite put into words. Each night she felt the velvet blackness wrap around her comfortably, caressing her reassuringly, but the questions remained. At times she was sure she could hear whispers coming from the inky depths, but they were always too soft and quick to understand. Every night Ahktu would let go of more and more of her thoughts and her personality, believing that if she could make herself like the Void- empty and unfeeling inside- then she might finally be able to understand its whispers.

In time Ahktu’s spark seemed to fade. She was so focused on her search for answers that she began to neglect the duties she had once valued so highly. When the other villagers smiled and talked to her she scarcely saw them, for her eyes were ever on the Void, in case it should suddenly discharge the answers she sought. Eventually she even stopped finding the time to eat, to sleep, to work her magics. That unexplainable inner thing was consuming her bit by bit. She simply laid on her roof as her body grew thin and her thoughts grew blurry, her heart lost in its pining.

Then, one night, Ahktu received a visitor. He appeared before her in a cloud of dark smoke, and his clothing seemed to be made of shadows, swirling about his body like living fog. A deep hood covered his face, and he held a staff of brittle wood that somehow seemed stronger than even the most finely crafted of swords. Never before had Ahktu seen such a sight, and it was enough to cause her to sit up in spite of the weakness she had brought upon her body. The embers of that once-lost spark could be seen flashing in the depths of her eyes as she stared up at the Dark Visitor.

“Are you the Void?” she asked hopefully, thrilled that the Darkness might take on form just for her.

“No.” said the Dark Visitor, his voice like autumn leaves. “I am her brother. Some call me Death.”

“Oh.” Ahktu’s face fell a bit. It was not the Void Incarnate after all. But surely the Void’s brother could have interesting things to say as well. She had never even known the Void had a family, just like her. “Well, Death,” she said slowly, trying to sound as respectful as possible, “can you answer any of my questions? Can you tell me why I feel this way inside?”

For a moment Death was silent, regarding the girl from beneath his dark hood. “My Child,” Death said softly, “I am not of the mysteries of this world. I am the Gatekeeper to what lies beyond it. When they are ready, I ferry those who have gathered all that they can in this place to another learning ground- a world of things beyond this realm’s understanding.”

If she had had the strength, Ahktu would have jumped up and clapped with joy. “You’ve come for me, then? To take me there?” she asked excitedly. “I would very much like to see this world of new things.”

Death placed a hand on top of Ahktu’s head, and it felt like the coldness of the mountain streams. “My Child, you rely so much on the Void for learning that you are passing by all the lessons this life has to offer you. Why would you be given eyes and ears simply so you could stare at Nothing all day? If you devote yourself to Nothing then you shall become Nothing inside, and even I am incapable of reaching Nothing. You have turned to Emptiness to understand Fullness, and in very little time there shall be Nothing left to fill.”

Death swished his staff through the shadows and Ahktu suddenly realized that its end was tipped with a long, shining sickle. “My blade will be forced to cut you down as a green chute, before you have grown to the point of harvestibility, and all the beautiful potential inside of you shall not have the chance to bloom and scatter seeds into the world beyond. Such is a fate of pain and separation, but it is the way of things. I have watched you with interest for many a year, Young One, and it would bring me sorrow to see such an outcome.”

Ahktu regarded Death in confusion. Was he telling her that, after all her years of seeking and searching, after as hard as she had worked and dedicated herself, she still knew little more than Nothing? A part of her felt insulted that he would even suggest such a thing. Another part cringed in shame at the realization that it was true. “Oh, Death,” she said in a meek voice, “I didn’t mean for it to end up this way. Is there any way at all to make things right?”

Though she could not see his face, Ahktu could feel something strange radiating from Death’s being- a warm, embracing feeling she wouldn’t have expected from something so dark. “My Dear,” Death said, “the questions and the answers always lie with you. The Choice has always been in your hands. Through Choice you have brought yourself to the brink of my domain before your appointed time. The fact that I may speak with you in this way only proves how dimly your flame is flickering. However, as long as you have fire left in you, you may Choose to alter the path beneath your feet. You must act quickly, however, for though I am keeper to this blade, I cannot hold it back when it falls.” As he spoke, Death’s image grew fainter, his voice barely a whisper.

“But Death,” Ahktu pleaded desperately, “can’t you tell me a little more than that? I’ve been searching for so long and I still don’t know where to start!”

“Stop looking…” Death’s voice was barely more than a night breeze. “Simply open your eyes and see.”

And then Death was gone, and Ahktu was once again alone on the roof. She stared up at the Void and in the past, where it had always comforted her, its vast expanse now made her feel more alone than ever. Her heart was filled with sorrow, but her brush with Death had rekindled her desire. She knew now that she couldn’t Die before she found the answers she sought. She would find a way.

She rose from the roof and weakly stumbled into her home. For the first time in what seemed like months she ate food and bathed herself and rested. She hadn’t realized how exhausted she was until now, and she instantly feel into a deep sleep. She had a dream that night, that she was standing on the very edge of the village wall, staring out into the wastelands that lay beyond it. Nobody ever went into the wastelands, for it had been concluded that there was little of interest to be found out there. However, in the dream Ahktu was filled with a strange feeling- one might even call it a compulsion. As she stared into the wastelands her feet seemed to be trying to pull her forward of their own accord, and though she clung to the wall in resistance they pulled her onward, until her own legs had kidnapped her from her home, carrying her ever farther away from it even though she screamed in protest.

The next morning Ahktu awoke with a start. The dream had frightened her, yet it had also stirred something deep within her- a stirring she had not felt since she was a child creeping into forbidden places. She quickly dressed and hurried through the village before the sun had fully risen. Normally this would be a time of meditation and preparation for the duties of the day, but the yearning in Ahktu’s heart could not wait a moment longer. The early morning air was cool on her skin and by the time she reached the edge of the village she was really wishing that she had brought her cloak, and perhaps a better pair of shoes. Still, she pressed onward, climbing up on top of the village’s wall and staring out into the wastelands as the wind whipped her hair behind her head.

Few were up and about yet, and it was quiet enough for Ahktu to hear her heart pounding anxiously in her chest. She waited in silence, half expecting her dream to come true and find her feet taking control of the rest of her. She waited until she could hear the clangs of pots and pans as the village residents began preparing breakfast. Soon they would notice her absence, and someone might come looking for her.

And then, there! In the sky! Ahktu stared in wonderment as a great flash rocketed through the air, falling like a shooting star into the wilderness. She could hear a vague rumble as whatever it was touched down, and she thought she could see a small cloud of smoke rising from a point nearly beyond her vision. It seemed too large and obvious to be a falling star, and she was quite nearly sure that she had seen some sort of shape within the flying light. No one ever ventured into the wilderness, but at that moment Ahktu was an excited, curious child all over again. If she could see the smoke it couldn’t have landed too far off, and she had never examined anything that had fallen out of the sky, save the rain. It was something new…something she had never seen before.

With a bravery she had not possessed since her youth Ahktu climbed down the outer side of the wall and scurried off into the wastelands. Only after hours of travel did she begin to doubt the wisdom of such an action. As her stomach gurgled she wished that she had at least thought to bring some food and water on the journey with her. She could no longer see the smoke, and her feet were tired and blistered. She realized that she could no longer see the village behind her, either, and wondered with dismay if Death might be back to claim her sooner than he desired.

She longed to rest…a good part of her wanted to flop down on the ground and cry and pound her fists into the dirt at the absurdity of it all, but, like in the dream, her feet carried her on in spite of herself. It was nearly nightfall and she was nearing the point of utter exhaustion when at last the barren expanse gave way to a sight she had never dared to imagine.

Sitting amidst a clump of dry brush was an enormous metal disk. It was absurdly large- why, one could probably fit half the village inside of it. There were little windows around its edges, and metal legs coming out of the bottom, holding it up off the ground. Ahktu blinked in amazement at the sight of the disk, not knowing what to make of such a discovery. It took some time before she gathered the courage to approach the disk, and she ran her hand along its smooth surface. It was cool and sleek, and it reminded her of Death’s touch. She could see her reflection in the polished metal and gasped when she realized how worn and thin her body had become.

“Hello there.”

Ahktu nearly screamed at the sound of the voice. She turned sharply to see a man coming out of the disk, walking out from a door that had opened without a sound. He was a strange-looking fellow. She had never seen such an odd skin tone, or such strange clothing. He was smiling widely at her, and there was a brightness about his features. For some reason Ahktu felt comfortable around this strange, foreign man. Somehow she felt as if she had known him her whole life, though they had just met.

“Who are you?” she asked inquisitively. “Are you from another village?”

The man’s smile grew even wider. “You might say that.”

Ahktu regarded the metal disk. “Is this some sort of chariot?” She rapped her knuckles against the metal. “Or do you live inside of it?”

“Both, perhaps. Or neither.”

Ahktu wondered why the man was giving such cryptic answers. Were his words a riddle she was supposed to figure out? Was this some sort of test, perhaps even an initiation?

“What are you doing out here?” she asked. “I’ve never seen a flying chariot before. Forgive me, but it’s quite strange.”

“Well…” The man looked Ahktu directly in the eye as he spoke, causing her to become completely absorbed in his words. “I travel all over, looking for people to join me in my adventures. I have no home to call my own, so I visit other people’s, and I share in their lives and their experiences. Each place I go, I learn something new.”

Ahktu’s face broke into a smile. “I like to learn new things, too.” she said merrily.

“Say, would you like to come with me?” the man suddenly asked, waving toward the door of his ship. “My last companion left some time ago, and it would be good to have company again.”

Ahktu regarded the man in awe. “You’d let me ride in your chariot? But why? You don’t even know me!”

“We all know each other.” the man said in that same cryptic tone. “Sometimes we just forget we do.”

A lot of what the man said didn’t make sense, but the thought of getting to ride in the giant metal disk was enough to make Ahktu’s heart burst with joy. “I would love to come!” she practically shouted, realizing that if she had forced Death to take her, this moment would never have come to be. “Just let me get my things and…”

“I’m afraid there’s no time for that.” the man’s voice was even and steady, but there was a hint of something like sadness in it’s depths. “I cannot stay in this place long. If you want to come, you must come as you Are.” And he held out his hand to her in invitation.

For a moment Ahktu hesitated. She thought of all her books, her magical tools and all of the precious mementos she had collected of her people. She thought of all the people she had come to regard as her friends and teachers, of how much she would miss their company. But as she looked at the man’s face, something in her heart whispered that if she passed up this opportunity, she would never find another like it. She reached out and took his hand.

“Alright.” she said in her bravest voice. “I’ll come with you. Though you are welcome to come back to the village for a bit if you like. I’m sure my people could teach you many new things.”

The sadness in the man’s voice grew a bit more potent. “I’ve come here many times.” he said softly. “You are the first one to see my ship, because you looked in a place no one else cared to. I cannot show myself to those who are not ready to see me. That is the way of things.”

Ahktu wasn’t sure how anyone could miss something as obvious as a flying chariot, but she knew she wasn’t likely to get much else out of this line of questioning, so she simply took the man’s hand and let him help her onto the ship. “I’m Ahktu, by the way.” she said as she climbed through the door. “What’s your name?”

The man smiled again, and his eyes twinkled a bit. “Oh, a lot of folks call me Wander.”

Ahktu’s amazement at the inside of Wander’s ship was outdone only by the sight of the worlds he took her to. She had scarcely thought of other villages, but now she was encountering whole new planets, each one more spectacular than the last, each one full of beings that told stories so fantastic she could scarcely comprehend their words. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that all of this could exist beyond her village walls. How long had her people sat in seclusion simply because they didn’t care to search?

Ahktu loved the new sights and sounds, and she lapped up the experience like a thirsty kitten. Yet she also noticed something strange. The people of each planet she visited were happy to tell her of all their Gods and Goddesses and the rituals they had created for them and the shrines they had erected to honor them. But not once did she see a shrine for the Void, nor did she hear a chant sung in her honor.

Stranger still, it seemed that while many of the peoples she met knew nothing of the Void at all, some had come to see her as the embodiment of evil and wickedness. They told stories of the Void to their children to scare them into behaving, and some went so far as to blame all their hardships on the Void, as if she were a monster prowling about waiting to devour them. Ahktu found these beliefs disturbing, and everywhere she went she tried to enlighten those she met to the truth of the Void- to erase their meaningless fears. Surely to set them straight would allow them more peaceful lives.

But no one wanted to hear Ahktu’s stories of the Void. In fact, the more she talked about it, the more people looked at her with suspicion and distrust. They began to turn away from her whenever she came near. Their hatred of the Void ran so deep that in time Ahktu came to wonder if that which she had grown up to see as sacred really was something wicked…if perhaps she was tainted with that wickedness. She began to feel lost and alone, and the mysteries that had once driven her forward began to fill her with disdain.

Desperate to leave her loneliness behind, Ahktu tried to forget about the Void and the way it had once called to her. She began to worship the Gods and Goddesses of the people around her instead, determined to cleanse herself of the wickedness that kept her so alone. A lot of the people she encountered worshipped the Sun of their solar system. The Light, they said. The Light was the way to salvation. She had always wanted to be a Good Person, and though her world had known nothing of Light, she prayed to the Light as hard as she had prayed to the Void, so that purity might flow through her veins and Happiness and Love might find their way to her.

Eventually Ahktu became so caught up in her quest to reform herself that Wander’s journeys lost their intrigue. She rooted herself into the ground, and he said nothing when she failed to continue traveling with him, for he could only speak to those who saw him. She hardly noticed his absence, because here she belonged. Here she was learning how to be a Good Person, because everyone knew that Bad People could never be happy. That was the way of things.

As the years went by, Ahktu quite nearly forgot the Void altogether. In fact, she quite nearly forgot everything about that life she had once lived, in that village on the edge of the universe. She found new names to call herself, new rituals to practice. She remade herself in the image of the Light, and, just as they had in that village long ago, everyone around her came to love and respect her.

But…just as it had happened before, a tiny piece of Ahktu’s heart refused to be filled. The Light was bright and beautiful, and those who followed it were so lovely and kind to her, giving her all the Love and Acceptance anyone could ever want in life. Yet there was still that implacable longing- a small splinter in her soul that grew slowly into an aching wound. WHY did she still feel empty inside? She had been redeemed in the Light. She was a Good Person. Wasn’t that the point of her journeys? Wasn’t that enough?

In time the smiling, happy faces of those Good People around her only came to increase her sadness. Their words of affection began to sound hollow. The Light wrapped around her with warm, tingling affection, but, just like the Void, it never answered the questions she asked long into the night. Ahktu began to wonder if she could ever be happy- if anyone could ever be happy. Or was it all just some cruel game people were forced to play?

One day Ahktu walked out into the mountains of the new place she had made her home, seeking solitude to clear her mind. She walked out farther than she ever had before, until she came to a cave whose dark mouth looked out of place amongst the sunshine and flowers. Cool air wafted out of the cave and a strange feeling came over Ahktu as she stared into its depths. The darkness within frightened her a bit, but something inside also seemed to be calling to her. It seemed familiar somehow. Tentatively she stepped inside.

The father into the cave Ahktu walked, the colder the air became, until she was shivering and scraping her feet on rocks and once again wishing she had remembered to bring along a cloak and better shoes. The air grew thicker, until it seemed to be pressing in on her from all sides, and she began to feel like a small animal being cornered by predators. Still, she was drawn forward by a soundless siren’s song, unable to resist going just a bit further, and a bit further after that.

Finally Ahktu stood in the very heart of the cave, where the air was the coldest and heaviest, and the blackness was at its thickest. She stood in the pitch darkness, waiting for the wisdom she sought to reveal itself.

“I was wondering when you would come visit me.” an icy voice said from the shadows, causing her to shiver even harder, for there was none of the affection she was so used to in the voice. Slowly a pale blue glow began to fill the dark space, until Ahktu’s sight grew clear enough for her to realize that she was standing before an enormous creature with horns and pale scales and great wings and luminous, flashing eyes. The sight of the creature was enough to drop her to her knees, though through the terror she felt there was also something akin to admiration. This creature was obviously very powerful, and looked as if it knew an awful lot of things.

“I beg your pardon.” Ahktu squeaked in a tiny voice, “I didn’t mean to disturb you in your er…home.”

“Oh, not at all.” The creature reclined back against the cave walls, uncoiling its long tail around the space where they stood. “It isn’t often I get visitors…ones worth talking to, anyway. Those few that dare to enter my domain usually run away screaming before they can even witness my true glory. Aren‘t you frightened like the rest of them?”

“Well, honestly, I am quite a bit frightened.” Ahktu said in a small voice, wringing her hands. “But you look like you are very wise and powerful, and none of the Good People down below can explain this emptiness I feel in my heart. Perhaps you could?”

The creature gave a hiss of scornful laughter and smoke rose from its nostrils. “That’s because those people are stupid.” it said matter-of-factly. “I can tell just from looking at you that you’re different…special. But they don’t see that, do they? I bet they convinced you there’s something wrong with you…converted you to their little club, didn’t they?”

“But they’re Good People.” Ahktu argued, suddenly feeling very conflicted inside. “They are full of Light, and the Light brings Happiness…doesn‘t it?”

The creature laughed so hard that the air became clouded with smoke. “They love telling people that.” it finally grunted. “They preach the Light because they’re afraid of the Darkness. They’re afraid of the power it offers, so they make up all sorts of reasons not to touch it. They’re weak cowards who make slaves of themselves when they could be kings, simply because they are too threatened by their own potential. They are a crowd of peasants crying out for direction!”

The creature’s words stirred something deep inside of Ahktu. What was it? Anger? Agreement? Or maybe, somehow, even a feeling of satisfaction? “I don’t want to be a slave.” she said, with a bit more confidence in her voice. “I don’t want to be lost in the crowd.”

“Of course you don’t.” The creature extended one of it’s claws, nearly as long as Ahktu’s whole arm, and brushed it against her body lightly. “You have abilities they could only dream of. You’ve seen things they wouldn’t dare to understand. You are a Goddess among insects.”

That strange feeling was growing ever-stronger in Ahktu, swirling within her gut. It was a heavy feeling, but also oddly pleasurable. “Even so, what can I do?” she queried the creature. “None of them will like me if I don’t follow the Light. I will be alone.”

“Who cares what they think?” the creature snapped. “Why would you want blind fools for friends? They are nothing more than tools to be used. You have power inside of you. Let it out and you can rule them, and they will be unable to harm you or force you to follow their code of slavery. You can have anything, anyone you want, and people will do whatever you ask them to. And beyond that, if you use your power wisely they will adore you and throw themselves into battle for you. They will Love you as they have never Loved you before.”

“I don’t understand…” Ahktu began, turning the creature’s words in her head. “Why would people Love me if I treated them in such a way? Wouldn’t they be afraid of me?”

“At first, perhaps.” The creature gave her a sharp-toothed smile. “But people are easy to manipulate. Your gifts let you see people’s desires easily. You can see their weaknesses and use that to your advantage. You are an intelligent girl. You could easily spin your words like silver, and they will scarcely realize the power you hold over them. They will bend to your will like stalks of wheat, and be all the Happier because of it.”

Ahktu pondered the creature’s words for some time. “Perhaps you are right.” she finally said. “Perhaps it is the duty of the strong to rule the weak. I could show them a better way.”

“Yes, yes!” The creature’s voice rose an octave, causing the walls of the cave to rumble. “You are doing them a favor by giving them direction to follow. Now listen, I can tell that you have seen places and learned magics that are foreign to me. Take my mark upon you, let me see through your eyes and gain your knowledge, and I will add my power to your own.”

“Your mark…” Ahktu eyed the creature nervously. “What does that mean, exactly?”

“Oh, it’s just a formality. Think of it as an exchange…a symbiosis, if you will. After all, I have given you the answers you seek, and am offering you much more still. Don’t you owe me something in return? You never get Something for Nothing. That is the way of things.”

Suddenly the creature seemed more threatening than ever, but perhaps it was right. She had offered more to faceless Gods who had never answered her. “Alright.” she said, though hesitantly. “If it‘s really for the best.”

“Oh, yes, it is.” The creature bent its long neck down until its large face was right in front of Ahktu’s body, it’s vivid eyes seeing into the depths of her being. She gasped as it suddenly expelled breath over her stomach and an icy numbness washed over her, followed by a dull burning sensation. She gingerly lifted up her tunic and realized that a symbol had appeared on her flesh- a circle within a circle.

“Now go.” the creature hissed. “I must remain hidden here. That is the way of things. But you shall carry my power with you into the world.”

And so Ahktu emerged from the cave feeling like a New Person. The longer the mark was upon her, the more confidence she felt. Her whole body seemed to be overflowing with power, and there didn’t seem to be a thing she couldn’t do simply by thinking about it. It was such a heady rush, and her mind was filled with all the dark passions that she had spent so long repressing. Never had she known such unbounded freedom. She let out a primal roar that echoed through the mountaintops, strength boiling in her veins.

Ahktu descended back among the Good People, and just as the creature had said, it took little more than a few pretty words to have them falling all over her. She had only to display the slightest bit of power to inspire terror…or adoration. There were a few that resisted her actions, that tried to warn the others against her, but they were easily villainized and crushed beneath her foot. Ahktu quickly rose in power until she was proclaimed Empress by the people of her home, and she was moved to a grand palace that people would take long journeys to reach simply to behold her glory.

At times the mark would burn against Ahktu’s flesh. At times it made her feel like a sponge being wrung of all its fluids, but surely such small discomfort was nothing in comparison to what she had been given. Often she could feel the creature’s presence nearby, though it never showed itself, and at times she could hear it whispering in her ear, guiding her with its wisdom and teaching her new techniques. She had but to ask and the creature would whisper answers to all of her questions, holding nothing back and never speaking in riddles as those other annoying beings had.

A number of years passed, and then one day a man showed up at Ahktu’s palace, seemingly from nowhere. He wore a simple traveler’s cloak and carried nothing but a battered old walking stick. As he made his way into her throne room she stared down at him disdainfully, wondering what such a lowly creature could possibly have to offer her. “Who are you and what do you want?” she asked impatiently, eager to get him out of her sight. Some implacable thing about him made her uncomfortable.

The traveler removed his hood and stared up at Ahktu with eyes as dark as the Void itself. For a moment the web of power surrounding the woman seemed to falter. Those eyes…they brought back a feeling that had become so distant she had forgotten what it meant. He bowed deeply before her.

“Oh, great Empress,” he said in a deep but melodic voice, “I come to you to warn you that you are in great danger! There are those plotting against you who would have your power for themselves.”

“Hmph!” Ahktu stared down at the man haughtily. “Who would dare to oppose my power?” she scoffed, though there was the slightest hint of apprehension in her voice.

“There are great Dark Ones.” the man continued. “They are very powerful, and want your power as well. They will stop at nothing until they have destroyed you.”

“How could you know such things? You’re little more than a beggar.”

The man gave the smallest of smiles. “You might say I have Foreseen it, my Lady. Like you, I have gifts not commonly known to men. If you would have me, I would stay and offer you my counsel, and keep these Dark Ones from achieving their ends.”

Ahktu regarded the man coldly. His words were creeping through her veins like spiders. “And how do I know you’re not just trying to deceive me and seize my power for yourself?”

The empress watched as the man dropped his staff to the ground, then got on his knees and bowed his face to the floor. “I come before you unarmed, my Lady, and I shall only grace you with my presence when you request it. If at any point you have the slightest notion that I mean you harm, I will bare my neck to you and you may take off my head at your leisure.”

The sight of such humility made something inside of Ahktu cringe. This man claimed to have powerful magic, yet he dressed like a peasant and prostrated himself like a slave. Surely he was mad. Yet something within his words gnawed at her to the point that she couldn’t bring herself to have him put out of the palace. “Alright, you may stay. But no funny business or I’ll have you tortured in the dungeons!”

The man climbed back to his feet and bowed to her again, smiling. “Of course, my Lady.”

Over the next several weeks the Seer made good on his word, staying out of Ahktu’s sight, though he always came immediately when she called for him. In time, she found herself calling on his counsel more and more, and eventually their conversations strayed from his advice on how to protect herself to more casual topics. The discomfort he had initially caused her was replaced with a fondness she had felt for no other in a great while. Soon she found herself telling everything to the man, even her most vulnerable secrets. For some reason she felt as if she could trust him with anything. Perhaps it was the way that his eyes, though so full of Darkness, never held judgment when she spoke of her past flaws. Perhaps it was the way his voice never wavered, the way his calm never faltered even when she lost her temper and threatened him with all manner of horrible fates.

Perhaps it was just because for the first time since her meeting with the creature, she felt as if there was someone on her level she could talk to, who might understand her. Yet while the creature had bonded with her for its own gain, this man seemed to have nothing to gain from her company. He offered himself freely- a sacrifice she could not understand. His generosity seemed so foolish. It frustrated her to no end, yet she could not bring herself to send him away.

One morning Ahktu called to the Seer in pain. The mark was burning especially bad. For the first time she lifted her shirt and showed him the brand. The man’s eyes widened in something that may have been sympathy. “Who forced such a mark upon you?” he asked tenderly. “Who would strike you with such a burden? Perhaps it is those Dark Ones working magics that even I cannot detect…”

“Actually…” Ahktu’s voice lowered in something akin to shame. “Actually, no one forced it upon me. I allowed the creature in the cave to place it there.”

The man tilted his head curiously. “Why would you do that?”

“Because he showed me how to get this power.” Ahktu couldn’t believe that such a thing wouldn’t be obvious, especially to someone as wise as the Seer. “He answered the questions no one else would answer. He showed me how to stop hurting inside, and I let him put this mark on me in return. You never get Something for Nothing. That’s the way of things.”

“It is true the universe runs on a barter system.” the Seer sighed. “But, my Dear, I’m not sure you understand the currency. It is impossible to give Nothing, just as it is impossible to do Nothing or to be Nothing. Everything is Something.”

Something inside of Ahktu’s head seemed to cave in upon these words. They stirred Something so deep within her, but she couldn’t remember… “Why do you talk in songs and riddles so suddenly?” she hissed at him.

The Seer bowed his head. “My apologies.” he said humbly. “But may I ask just one more question, my Lady? Did the Dragon’s mark really take your pain away?”

“Of course it did! I‘ve never been happier!” Ahktu winced, clutching at the mark as she spoke. The Dragon was hissing in her head, demanding that she put the Seer out. He only sought to tear her down with his lies! The mark was burning so badly that she feared it might start sizzling.

“Are you sure? What about the day you met Wander?”

The Seer’s words struck Ahktu so hard that she instantly dropped to her knees. “You…how could you know about that? You can’t possibly…” Her own words grew faint in her head as the memories rushed in like a tidal wave, their roar so loud that the Dragon’s whispers were utterly drowned out. That day, so long ago, when she had left everything behind to climb into a flying chariot and see the worlds beyond her imagination…That moment of childish glee had raised her spirits more than any of the years she had spent in pleasure and luxury as empress.

Tears began to fall from Ahktu’s eyes as she recalled Wander’s face for the first time in years. “That was the grandest day of my life!” she sobbed as the memories of such potent feelings ripped into her like knives. She could still taste the happiness she had held that day on the end of her tongue, knowing that it would never be hers to savor again. “I wanted to travel with Wander forever! How could I forget his face? How did I not notice his absence? Oh, God, I have given up all I hold dear, and for what? To sit in a palace while nameless people grovel before me? They don’t Love me. The Dragon doesn’t Love me. The one who truly cared for me is gone by my own foolishness! I am alone!”

And Ahktu wept bitterly at the trap she had set for herself, falling so easily into the temptation to conform, and then into the temptation of power, thinking that somehow it could block out the pain that she felt. She now realized that the Dark Ones the Seer spoke of were not a faceless unknown enemy, but that which she had brought into herself of her own free will. And she now saw clearly that, in spite of all her riches and glory, she still felt just as empty as she had during that moment when she had lain dying on her own roof on the edge of the universe, ready to be sucked into the Void.

Ahktu fell at the feet of the Seer, unable to even look him in the eye. “I do not deserve your wisdom.” she sobbed. “I do not deserve to look upon you. Can you ever forgive my foolishness?”

The Seer smiled down at her, and a warm, embracing feeling seemed to emanate from his being, as if his essence were reaching down to hold her close. “Without erring, how would we ever learn? It is our falls that inspire us to rise up and move forward, stronger and better than before. My Child, there has never been a moment of your existence when you were not beautiful. You need only to see that beauty for yourself and you will have all the answers that you seek.”

The Seer reached down and helped Ahktu to her feet, and she realized that the mark had stopped burning. In fact, she could no longer see it or feel it at all, nor could she hear the Dragon‘s whispers in her ears. She felt as if she might die of shame, but the Seer’s warm smile and steady gaze gave her the strength to stand and face the path her feet had put her upon.

“I should leave here.” she whispered. “I don’t deserve to rule these people.”

“You do not have to control these people to lead them.” the Seer said softly. “Ahktu, through your journeys you have acquired great wisdom and power. You have walked within the Light and within the Darkness, and you can now gaze upon both with an understanding that so very few manage to attain. This position may have been gained through a Dark means, but the Shadow only serves to define the Light…the True Light that shines down on all things. Long ago your people valued your counsel. Think now of how many more you can help with all the understanding that you have acquired! Do not let guilt and shame devour all the Good that may yet be done.”

“Seer, I do not know what to say.” Ahktu struggled to dry the tears from her eyes, still having a hard time even looking the wise man in the face. “With a few words you have reminded me of who I Am after I was lost for so long. How can I ever repay you?”

“You have already given me more than you will ever know, my Child. As I said to you before, it is impossible to give Nothing. Now dry those tears and do not be heavy in your heart. Rejoice that the dawn is breaking!”

The Seer turned and began to walk toward the door, and somehow Ahktu knew in her heart that she would not see him again…at least not in this form. “I never even asked your name…” she called after his retreating figure.

“My Child, do you not remember?” The Seer smiled, and then he was gone, just as the sun began to rise in the sky. Ahktu searched the palace for him, yet she already knew that he would not be found. Still, his words remained with her, glowing deep within her heart.

After that day Ahktu left the palace and took a home amongst the people, walking among them and doing her best to come to know each of them personally. At first most were suspicious of the sudden change in her demeanor, but her countenance had come to possess a certain radiance, and a light shone from her eyes, even when they were closed. All of the channels the Dragon's icy tendrils had carved through her heart now opened a space for warmth to flow out of- more warmth than she had ever felt before. It did not take long at all for the people to become truly at ease in her presence.

In time. people from all around came to seek Ahktu’s counsel, wanting to hear of her journeys through the Light and the Darkness, and she spoke freely of both. She never turned away those who sought her aid, no matter the state of their heart, for she remembered the amount of humility and bravery it took to seek Truth. She spent many long years serving her people, healing, teaching, learning and seeking. And as time passed and she grew into old age she began to turn ever inward in search of the answers she had sought for so long.

Ahktu had come to realize that Gods and Goddesses, Lights and Voids, Good People and Bad People were not the ones that had the answers to her questions, for the answers were already inside of her, just as the memories of Wander had been within her when she needed them. If one looked hard enough, those answers would radiate out from the self and show up in every aspect of one’s life…one could find lessons in Wanderers or Dragons or even Death itself if they only looked with true Sight. She looked back fondly on all of her teachers, the loneliness in her heart replaced with a Love for everyone she had known along the way.

Finally Ahktu came to the end of her life, and as she lay on her deathbed, surrounded by those who had come to truly Love her, she was calm without a trace of fear in her eyes. As she drew her last breaths her vision dimmed into Light and Void, and she knew in her heart that they were and always had been the very same thing…that All was One. She smiled as her eyes drifted closed, knowing that an old friend would be by to visit her soon to ferry her on another grand adventure