A Story of Forever

Part 11

There were stories of victory and joy, even amidst all the pain and suffering. The Yemars used their collective cleverness and cunning to win for themselves many small victories amidst the great defeats. There were even occasional stories of escape.

Like the story of Eiley, the man who was imprisoned by an Uzra lord who ruled over a sizeable tract of land.

The Uzra lord thought himself very important indeed, and he wanted to have fine things the likes of which no-one had before. His heart was very greedy and very prideful. And he wanted to own many fine objects made of silver and gold and platinum and bronze and jewels and pearls.

So he went to Eiley, who was well-known amongst the lands for being exceptionally talented at blacksmithing. The lord captured him and brought him to a dungeon of his castle. And there he forced Eilay to forge and forge and to make more and more and more fine things for him.

Eilay had to work by the hot, sweltering forge all day without any breaks to cool off. He had to work for hours and hours, late into the night. And he wasn't given enough food or water to sustain him. He was very miserable indeed, working for the lord. And he longed for the days when he could go to freedom.

The lord in the meanwhile grew richer and richer, and all of his domain and the domains around him were amazed at how many beautiful, fine objects he had. They all awed him and revered him. This reverence pleased the lord to no end, and he worked Eiley even harder to make him even more things which he could show off.

Eventually, after years, the lord's sons each came to Eiley one by one. Eiley's heart was full of hatred, and he took the opportunity to trick each of the men into their deaths. He then fashioned fine objects out of their bones, and sent them to the lord and his wife.

They were horrified at seeing their sons dead, and they decided that they would kill Eiley for having done this. They were full of rage and fury, as well as grief and mourning. They sent their guards to go to Eiley's cell and put an end to his life forever.

But when the guards got to his cell, they saw that he was not there.

For he had borrowed Filla's feathered cloak, and with it he had turned into a bird and flown away.

When he reached the land where he could be free, he hid himself in the wild lands where Puri was still alive. And there he was never seen again until the day that he died. How he escaped being seen by Karkion's spies I know not, but I know that he did avid them and I know that he was free in the wild lands.

When he died, Molia looked at him with displeasement in her eyes. She told him that he had caused death unnecessarily, by killing the lord's sons. And for that he must atone himself before his soul could be ready to fight in the final battle between the Uzras and the Yemars. The council took in Eiley and they taught him how to atone for his sins so that he did not end up like the brutal and bloodthirsty Uzras.

But before his freedom, there came the story of another escapee, who died and was avenged rightly by the tricky Mamon.

Many escapees became fish and swam through the rivers to escape. Many escapees drowned in the river to their final freedom in the greens and whites and golds of Oellon. Many escapees were able to emerge from the river and move through the wild lands to the next stage of their lives, helping others escape in turn.

But Otis the Uzra guarded the riverways with his three brothers. He would dive down and catch any fish he found, and would kill them. Therefore, the rivers were dying. And therefore very very few people could escape.

The Yemars knew that they must do something about this. They made many plans but all the plans failed. Until finally, one plan didn't.

Mamon changed form to take the form of Karkion's brother Hali. They quickly came upon Otis when his back was turned and killed Otis right there. His brothers however, saw this and planned to get their revenge from Hali.

They attacked Hali, the real Hali, when the man was at his great palace. And they tried to strike a killing blow to him. But Hali fought them off, and he told them to go to Karkion to settle whatever feud they had with him.

And so the brothers went to Karkion, and told him of what Hali had done to Otis. But Hali swore up and down that no, he had not done this thing. Karkion, naturally, believed his brother over the minor Uzra who held less power than him. But he did not say this out loud.

Rather, he told Hali to pay back the brothers in ample gold to make up for the loss. Hali was betrayed but he agreed.

But Karkion took Hali down the hallways of his palace, and told him that he truly did not want him to pay such slander any prize. Instead, Karkion told Hali to bring the gold to him in secret before he gave it to the brothers, and he would curse the gold.

And so Hali did and he gave the cursed gold to the brothers. And the gold caused them to go mad. And such was their madness that they could no longer guard the rivers and take the fish.

And once again, people could escape.

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