A Sermon of Chains and Chaos

1

THE ENCOMIUM

The Book of Aethya

Chapter 1 THE INCEPTION: Verses 1-6

1 THE INCEPTION The Gods are born from the intent of Balance, which resides in chaos. 

1 In the beginning, the Balance of the universe breathed the duality of its existence. The void held the absence in which nothing was intended. The Aether held the chaos in which everything was intended. This was the Balance of the universe, and Balance would prevail. 

2 Everything was still, though the attraction and repulsion of existence intensified until it exploded, causing the Aether to move. This was the Balance of the universe, and Balance would prevail. 

3 The inception of the universe had begun. The movement from the Aether bore wind. The Aether's explosion and the wind's movement bred friction, which bore fire. The explosion of the Aether, movement of the wind, and friction of the fire condensed to bear water. The explosion of the Aether, movement of the wind, friction of the fire, and condensing of the water coagulated, which bore Erthe.

4 The explosion of everything and nothing birthed the elements and their kin. For with creation comes creators. This was the Balance of the universe, and Balance would prevail. 

5 Aethya was born from Aether, Zephyrus from wind, Audyra from fire, Unday from water, and Liro from Erthe.

 6 The creators had to be the intention of the chaos, for it held everything that could and would be. They now held the fate of chaos as creators do, making them gods. In the void, they breathed Aether for the first time. This was the Balance of the universe, and Balance would prevail. 

 Delwyn has to admit her city and the Tabernacle she currently sits in are beautiful in the winter. Yet she hates both, though living in the north and being the daughter of the High Apostle of Caelum make it impossible to escape either. 

She admires the stained-glass windows, which are various shades of every color. They depict stories that she's heard more times than she could count. They are beautiful yet feel more like the bars of a cell than breathtaking artwork.

 She loves watching the snow fall and the image of white blankets on top of the glorious mountains that the castle juts out of, yet the absence of the sun and warmth makes her sad and sleepy. 

"And Balance would prevail. This is our reminder that there is a force bigger than even the Gods. It does not say that Zephyrus will prevail. Or Unday, Liro, Audyra, or even Aethya. Aethya was born from the very element that held the chaos. The element that was the space and breath for the inception. No, It says Balance will prevail. The Gods answer to chaos and the void from which Balance was born. This reminder is frequently used throughout the book of Aethya, and it is important. It is important because it means that the Gods cannot answer everything. Not everything can be answered in this sacred scripture. It is okay to be unknowing, but it is the Balance that we must fall back on. It is faith that we..." 

She looks away from the towering windows and the artistic stained glass to her father: the owner of the voice that never wavers in front of that pulpit. He wears his gold robes, to signify his status as High Apostle, the only person in the hierarchy of the church to wear the rich, metallic color. He only wears them for religious holidays or if he is presented at court. He finds them unnecessary and says they make him look impalpable when he is here for the people and should be approachable. It's a way he humbles himself, Del supposes, or appear so. As someone on the royal council, as the High Apostle always has been, he wears them more than not. She appreciates the sentiment her father attempts.