Valiant

Chapter 31: Truthseeking

Rydir takes a long draught of grog, and then stares expectantly at me.

"Well, erhm... I believe that you should go first. It is your culture that was the issue of the conversation," I awkwardly mumble.

"Very well, pup. I shall impart onto you the tale of creation, and the beginning of my tribe.

"When all was chaos, there was nothing but the darkness and the cold. Great storms swept across the deep, and life was not even a concept. Then, a lightning bolt hurled from the heavens found its mark in a vat of sludge, and by miracle alone, this spark took on the faintest form of life.

"On and on, the eons grew, and gods rose and fell to claim dominion over this most rare of phenomenons. From all over the cosmos, they came to wage war. Life grew and took shape in all of its forms because of the gods' influence on their homes, and they adapted to survive.

"Enter the age of dragons. Sons of blood and fire and sky, these great lizards ruled the earth, and turned the sacred place into a bloodbath of conflict. The gods realized that if the dragons were to continue on their path, the most precious of miracles would cease to exist all together, so they awakened the hidden power that was chased away by the sun. The cold arose to protect life and to kill it, driving the dragons from this realm, while sparing as much as she could of their works on earth, so that the lessons taught by the dragon could forever be displayed in the bowels of the earth.

"More eons passed, and the gods drove the cold back into the earth to establish a kingdom over all of life again. Then, a certain monkey ventured to an enchanted pool to drink deep of its waters. Over this period of time, the fountain took hair away from this monkey's body and put the spark of something just as rare as life into his head- knowledge.

"Instantly, the gods took sides against or for the ape, and another great conflict ensued. Some argued that this advantage over the rest of nature would blot out life and rule over the sacred realm again. Others were completely against the killing of something so rare. In the end, men were allowed to live, but their knowledge was to be controlled and limited.

" All the while, man carved his place into nature, content to gather food and to befriend other animals. Man had no claws, so he built spears. Men could not tear down a tree, so they invented the axe. Men could not carry heavy loads, so they enlisted the horse to help them in exchange for food and shelter.

"Men were happy in this way, and worked wonders out of nature to please the gods. Some even took their own lives so that the gods would shine upon their descendants. Then, one god who's name is lost forever in the sands of time betrayed his own. He lead three brothers of men, Pyros, Ferrus, and Maegus into the woods away from the sight of the gods and taught each a forbidden secret. To Pyros he gave the gift of fire, for the ability to draw disease from meat. To Ferrus, he gave the gifts of iron and steel, to carve sturdy homes from the gifts of the earth. To Maegus, he gave the gift of magic, to shape the world around him to his will.

"This god was cast down into eternal torment, and became the first demon for his betrayal, but that is another story all together. Men, however, had become too powerful to control. Wielding these forbidden arts, they forged great nations in the sight of the gods and drove other creatures to the dust. Many phases of war and peace happened among the men, and the gods became reclusive, almost submissive to the rise of man.

"One tribe instead chose to abandon these secrets, and the corruption they brought in favor of the older way of life. They nested in the range of the Hoarfrost Mountains, and you know their descendants today as barbarians for being favored among the gods. Thus is our creation."

I sit back, and mull this over for a second, pondering. Rydir had drained the rest of the grog, but I am not thirsty so I do not mind. A question bubbles up to my lips, and I pop it with my tongue. "I still am having trouble understanding why the barbarians chose the cold as their patron element, or their god. I mean, your children too know the bite of winter, and what is colder than the bite of steel? The cold is a cruel goddess at best, as far as I can see."