Ryzom

Dear Homins have you heard the tale of a civil act.


It was there, and it was very real. The screams had gone out over the entire
city just a few minutes ago, the Kitin were approaching, and that fast. The
city guards had run out into the night to strike at any thing that came in
their way. The call for all Homins that could hold a sword or cast a spell
was thrown out of every mans throat. They were all needed.

There, in the back of the city, he lived. He was a nice man, never to harm
anyone. He heard the call, but as he was to leave he heard a voice comming
from the back of the house.

"My dear, is it what I heard ? Be it so that they have finally come?" The
words was from his wife, his beloved.

He stopped in the doorway and stared into the front yard of his house,
knowing that it would soon turn into a battlefield. "Yes, the scouts, those
that made it back alive has reported so. I must leave now.." He said and
ran out through the door.
Within he held a grave fear, for his house was close to the outer border
of the village, not far from an unprotected hill. He had to find guards to
aid him in the battle to defend not just his house, but his family. His wife
Ba'jo, his lovely daughter D'nima, they all had to live through this or he
had not worth left to live for. He had to see them safe..

"Why, you are a guard officer of this town, why cannot you spare two men to
guard the hill behind my house. I can fight with them, but if my house falls it
means that they will have almost a clear path to the town. Can't you not see
this?" He asked the officer in charge that prevoiously declined his
request for additional protection.

"I cannot spare the men, in fact, you are to report in under my orders to take
part in the outer defence of this town." The officer replied.

The outer walls of the town held a wall of towers stretching throught the lands
around the city. These towers had the best of the sharpshooters in town. They
could hit a stinga seed flying in the wind 200m away. They could strike down
the enemy before they could even see what was attacking them. And behind these
towers the casters stood always ready to take on what slipped through. This
was the defencial tactits used ever since the city was built, and it had proven
effective everytime.

"But you know of the capacity of the towerwalls, you know that if the enemy
strikes through it will fall for the casters or the swordsmans hand, why can
you not spare two of your men just to aid my house ?" He asked once more..

"Be quiet soldier and move to your new posting behind the towerwall. Do
this or concider not to be a soldier of this city" The officer screamed in his
face and left him standing there.

"I cannot be part of such army that declines an open path, nor that not takes
its responsibility for the weaker Homins that are in utter danger, I shall
return to my house and fight until we are safe or the spirit left my body."
He screamed out in anger and ran towards his house.

As he ran the tears started to fall down his face, how could they not see that
if his house, be it only a house, fell it would mean an almost clear path to
the city centra. Even if they never had attacked this way before, what
guarantees will it give that they will not now. He ran, faster and faster,
he needed to see his family again.

There is a saying; "When you guess something ill, never hope that it will
turn into truth"

This time, it did turn into something sad.. something ill and eternal haunting
of the mind of a Homin faithful to both his town and his family. This time they
did attack they way he had guessed..

As he arrived to his home he saw how his wife attacked with spell upon spell
while his daughter used all of the energy to heal her mother. As he came closer
he saw that they had been batteling for some time, they were both exhausted,
tired and worn out. He ran in front of them, taking a hard blow from a Kitin
that would otherwise have struck his wife.

"Ruuun, get away, get into the city where you are safe, I will hold them back
meanwhile, run now!" He screamed as he taunted a Kitin that was in tis way
towards his daughter and casted an rooting spell on a Ragus that was nearing.
The last thing he saw was his beloved wife and her daughter running towards
the city. "They will be safe" he thought and fell into the slumber of
predecending death..

He walked down a long pathway of trees, the sun was clearer than it was
before and the wind was refreshing. Even without noticing or knowing why
he walked towards the end of the pathway, why ? As he came to what seemed
to be the end of the pathway he saw a small pond of water. At the side of it
was a small waterfall from which where the water fell with such calming noice.
He sat down by the water and stared into its surface.

"grrkokk krrrmmm svrannnas krrmimiim" The noice came from behind him.

"Wha... what ? Oh I am sorry, is this your place, I shall move" He said in
defence and suprise.

"krrroam ?" The little animal said while looking at him.

As he saw the little animal that stared at him he notices that it had a small
body, small feet and legs, same was the arms. On a a bit chubby body with
a larger head and large blue eyes that whifted into purple.

"He asked you why you are here my friend, why are you at this pond now?"
A female voice said from nowhere. The voice, it was so nice and gentle. But
from where did it come ?

"I am sorry, I fell into a slumber, the last thing I remember is..." was all that
he said..

"That you saw your wife and daughter run towards the city... Yes I know...
But still you have not answered why you are at this pond of life beyound, it
is not your time yet my friend." The female voice said, and the little small
animal looked at him and clapped its hands.

"But, why am I here then ? Is it not my time you say ?" He asked into the
void surrounding him, he was greatly confused by hearing all this, from the
voice and the little animal that stood there in front of him.

"This is only the beginning of your suffering dear Homin, and you will wish
that your time would be now. But so it is not, and to help you along this way
that you must walk I shall send you a friend. One that you cannot see, but
feel when you have lost all. This friend is named Hope and shall follow you
throughout this all.
Now, follow him back to where from you came, and when time is right I shall
let you drink from this water but not now. Farewell Homin and remeber Hope.

The little furry animal made a small noise and then extended its arm towards
him, it gripped in the air telling him to hold its hand. Slowly he took its
hand, he was much bigger than the little animal so that it could only grip his
finger, yet this seemed enough for as soon it grabbed his finger it started to
run back through the tree pathway, back to where from he came.. and as
they reached the end, it made a small movement, still it was enough to toss
him through a portal that was there, a few seconds ago it was not there, but
as he flew through the air it appeared.

"waaaaaa..." he screamed as he fell through the portal, but did he ? For as
soon as he screamed he woke up at the battlefield in front of his house,
screaming of pain.

"Hey relax, youll open the wound again" A voice told him.

"My wife, daughter, my familly, where are they" he squeezed between his
breaths of pain.

"they.... they...." The healer said..

"Spit it out, where are they, where did they find shelter, answer me" He
screamed loudly

This scared the healer a bit. "Im afraid that... they did not find shelter...
when we found them they sat there. She held her daughter as whe was
crying.. the little girl she was just staring, out through the eternity.. And
she... she cried so much.. but as I reached her she looked at me.. "He is
over there, please see to him.. tell him that we shall meet again, when the
time is right" - was all that she said... then ... then she joined her
daughter... I am so sorry.. I could do nothing.." The healer said with tears
in his eyes, for it is within every healer to save any Homins life that is within
his reach.

"Then there is nothing you can do for me, leave me be and let me join them.."
He said, for now it was all lost, he would never find himself again, who could
when noone was there to hold your hand throughout time. He tried to sleep,
to reach the deep sleep again.

"I cannot allow that, I cannot do that..." the healer said as he sedated the
man.

Time passed, and a few hours later the man woke up at a small temporarily
hospital that was set up in the city.. His wounds did not hurt as much as they
did before.. Still he had a great wound within, one that healers could not
mend.

Later that evening he was able to move by himself again, despite the wounds
on his body he could stand on his own legs. And as soon as he could he was
thrown out of the city.. For he had refused to join the soldiers at the
towerwall, he was concidered a betrayer of the town.. even though , by pure
chance, the officer had sent a scout after him on his way back. The scout had
seen the attack on his familly and reported in , thanks to that they could stop
the attack before they reached an critical point. By following this betrayer
the city was saved... For this he had to pay the worst price, the loss of his
beloved wife and daughter and the decline of being one of the villagers.

As he ran through the corridor he grabbed a knife, he knew what must be done
now. There was no other way out through this, not now. He ran and ran, noone
followed him, he was a traitor was he not ?

As he reached the gates of the village he sat down, his body was worn out.
His mind dark and sad.. He sat there for a few minutes, catching his breath
and watching the knife in his hands. And then, he decided, he aimed for his
heart and as he stabbed, something, somewhere, grabbed his arm stopping his
movement. He could not bring it closer to his chest no matter how much he
tried, and as he used more force he could see the shape of a hand on his arm,
leaving marks as they struggled. But who held him, who was it for before him
there stood noone, it was just him there at the gates. Yet he could not win
over this force.
He leaned his head back closing his eyes and said out loud "Who are you?
Why can you not let me leave this world and join them now"

"Now that I cannot do, dont you remember who I am. I was to follow you
through this, did she not say so ? Well if you have forgotten me, then I shall
tell you my name. I am Hope. And I will not let go of your arm until your ill
deed have left your mind." A voice said from nowhere, it whispered in his ear.

"Oh, you.. I thought that was nothing , I am nothing.. leave me" He said, it
was over, he couldnt even leave to see those he loved, those that would never
leave him or call him the names he had been called the last few hours.

"I am afraid that I cannot do that, and you know it. you can do whatever you
want, but I cannot let you harm yourself." the mysterious voice whispered in
his ears. As he heard it he tried once more to stab himself, this time the
grip on his arm was so hard that he lost his hold of the knife. "Now stop this
sillyness and get yourself together, I will not let you be like this"

He stod up, looked into the distance and started walking, without a word.
He walked and walked, killed what attacked him, and walked further..
As quite some time he reached a village. It was a large town close, or
rather it was in the waters. He did not care, he walked to the bar and
stared into the eyes of the barman. "Give me a bottle of your strongest
firewine, now"

"We dont have firewine here, but we have some fine stingaru.." the
bartender replied and put a bottle on the bar.

"Whatever, give it to me" He interrupted and payed the dappers. Then he left.
He sat down by the water and looked onto the village. then he started to
drink, and hevailly.. How much time that had passed since he started through
this journey he did not know, he did not want to know, he wanted it to end.
And that it ended now.. He fell asleep by the wall of the stable that was
close by the water.. he slept and slept and dreamed.

"I see that you have turned to the bottle my friend, it will not harm you as
your previous thoughts did. But it will not ease your pain, only you can"
There was this voice again..

"I dont care, the pain I have is that I cannot see them anymore, I will not
hear their voices in my house, not feel their hands on my skin. That is the
pain I have.. I want it to end." He replied in vain.

"Only you can do that my friend, I cannot.. And I see what time brings to
you now.. I think that I can leave you now, for another one has appeared
my friend, you will be well" The voice said while fading out..

"I will be wha.." He said as he woke up.

"Hello there, I asked you if you were alright my friend, you look terrible"
A voice in front of him said.

He opened his eyes, his sight was still blurry from the morning sun. Yet
the voice, was like the voice he had heard at the mysterious pond, yet
still it was not alike at all.

"How are you, can I get you something" The female voice said again.

His sight grew clear, what he saw, or what he thought he saw he would
almost not belive. There, staring at him with large purple eyes and purple
hair, she stood. He did not know who she was or from where she came.

But as soon as he heard her voice and felt her touch, he knew.
he knew why hope had left him in his last dream. He knew for now deep
within in him it started to grow once more. His own hope...

This dear Homins is the tale of a civil act.
A tale I wish to devote to a to me very special Homin. *bow*

Another beautiful tale.