The ringing pain of absolute stillness rocks your mind as you make your way out of another of Shilo’s memories. You take a few brief moments, or perhaps they were several hours, to contemplate your predicament once more. Somehow, your mind has released itself from stasis to the point where you’re even able to use your higher sensory abilities to a limited extent. A few attempts to enter into an enhanced glow state, however, have convinced you that your body is still entirely static.

A few wanderings in and out of Shilo’s earliest memories have left you a bit shaken. You had  never known your mother to be so young and full of life. Her pregnancy with you, after all, had almost failed due to the aging sickness that tears at Valkyries who have lost their healing abilities. You may not know much about the accident that had almost killed both of your parents, but you do know that it left your mother’s mind and abilities severely diminished, and your mother had never recovered fully before stepping through the Great One’s Doors. Now, seeing her so full of life and wit, your remorse over her passing is redoubled.

You wait a few moments before remembering that you cannot currently shed any tears. In fact, you’re surprised that you can even access memories since your brain shouldn’t technically be working right now. You have a working theory on what may be happening, but you don’t want to get your hopes up until you can at least figure out how this might have happened. Then, you might be able to figure a way out of the situation. You make your way into yet another memory, and you can’t help but think that Shilo must have repressed some of her childhood memories as this one seems to skip ahead quite a bit.



Zhilo’di Khuda’Cronell, Age 6, Basilica of the Great Sword of Drigan’di, Qzcivden, Thor

Shilo is standing in a large crowd between her mother and a man with a disciplined, military look about him. The basilica’s large, mirrored ceiling looms over the massive crowd of people, all of whom are wearing robes, most of them white but some near the front green. In the back of the basilica and the forefront of the crowd, standing before the altar of the Great One, is a piscopoliteer in a red robe reading from a text.

“…At that time, the great Spirit of Faith descended upon Feliar’Gadi, and he slayed the men who had come to his household to take him.” The piscopoliteer’s voice echoes through the basilica and out into the forum as he reads aloud the sacred texts. “When he had done so,” he continues, “Feliar’Gadi took the hair on the head of each man and wove it into a great rope, which he used to tie the men’s bodies together. He then carried the men to the temple of the local Dragons. When they looked inside his heart and saw that the Spirit of Faith was with him, the Dragons were filled with fear that they would be discovered, for the Spirit of Faith holds power over the Dragons when She calls them by name.

“And so, Feliar’Gadi lay before the altar of the Dragons the bodies of the men he had slain and said, ‘See, Dragons, how I have slain these, your minions.’ For the men had been filled with the corruption of heart that Dragons bear from Hikar’Diferus. But the Dragons, fearful that the Spirit of Faith would look upon them with scorn and fill their eyes with the sight of their misdeeds, did not reveal themselves and remained hidden.

“But Feliar’Gadi remembered the day that his family had been slain and remembered the faces of the Dragons, and he untied the bodies, reclaiming the rope he had made from their hair and saying, ‘Teach me the names of these Dragons, my Lady, that I may call them out by name and bring to them slaughter.’ At once, the Spirit of Faith spoke the names of the Dragons into Feliar’Gadi’s mind, and he repeated them, saying, ‘Come out, Dragons, in the name of your Lady and Mother, Drigan’di, and in the name of the Great One.’

“When he had said this, the Dragons were forced out of their hiding place and into his sight. But when he saw the fearful faces of the Dragons and their bodies, so sickly and fearful, he was filled with pity for these beasts. For they had been forced into their state by the corruption of Hikar’Diferus. ‘Oh, Great One,’ Feliar’Gadi prayed, at once falling to his knees with his hands outreached, ‘free these poor creatures from the burden of their dark father’s endless corruption.’

“When they heard this, the Dragons were filled with their father’s anger and charged at Feliar’Gadi. But Feliar’Gadi could not strike them for pity. And the Spirit of Faith poured forth from him and looked upon the Dragons, who rose to strike Feliar’Gadi. The first and greatest of the Dragons there saw her and took on an appearance of great pain and fell to the ground, turning to dust. The second Dragon, too, saw the Spirit and was filled with pain and turned to dust.

“But as the Spirit of Faith looked upon the third and least of the Dragons, the Dragon cried out for mercy and fell to the ground on his own, saying, ‘Forgive me, Mother, for the will that drives me is not my own, and I am too weak to fight it.’ But he would not look upon the Spirit of Faith for fear of her scorn. At this, the Spirit of Faith returned to Feliar’Gadi, whose eyes filled with Her light. Feliar’Gadi rose to his feet and placed his hands upon the Dragon, whose body was at once restored.  The Dragon looked upon Feliar’Gadi and saw the Light of Drigan’di in his eyes. Immediately, the Dragon rose with joy and began to praise the Great One, for he had been restored to the ranks of the Valkyri’din.”

The piscopoliteer looks up from the text and says, “Such are the words of the Great One, spoken to us through his servant, Yisha’idi.”

The response rises up from all the crowd standing in the basilica, “Blessings and thanks be given to the Great One.” Upon saying this, they sit upon their heels on the floor and attend to the piscopoliteer’s interpretations.

“Daddy,” Shilo whispers to the man sitting beside her, “Who’s Drigan’di?” A few eyes surrounding them dart quickly to Shilo and her father before returning to the speaking piscopoliteer.

Shilo’s father shifts slightly on his heels before leaning closer to his daughter and saying, “Drigan’di is the Spirit of Faith. She’s also the leader of the Great One’s army and the Mother of the Valkyri’din. She’s the one who gives us the strength to resist the influence of the Dragons and follow the Great One’s Will.” He looks away from Shilo and to her mother.

Shilo’s mother nods with a gentle smile before taking Shilo’s hand and locking glowing eyes with glowing eyes. “It’s Drigan’di that gives us the light inside us, Shilo. She is outside of time and space, and she is all throughout it at once. She brings us closer to the Great One and protects us from His enemies. She’s the example of perfect choice and trust in the Great One, and she is our Eternal Mother.” As Shilo’s mother finishes speaking, Shilo eagerly begins to raise another question but is interrupted by the piscopoliteer’s invitation to pray. The crowd stands, and as they sign the Sword of Drigan’di, Shilo smiles, her eyes glowing a bit brighter.



The memory fades, and you are again alone in the prison cell your own body has become. This time, however, you are filled with a slight sense of peace that had not been present before the memory. Your parents’ description of Drigan’di may not have been the most complete, but you know now at least that you have encountered Her. You wonder for a moment why no one names their children after Her, but the thought doesn’t linger for great length.

Your patience renewed, you make your way once more into the vaults of Shilo’s memories.

The First Chapter of the Book of Taumlin’di, the first in the compilation of holy books for the Thorlinthian state religion of Jalihu’dai:

Life wasn’t always the way it is. Once, there was a single line of existence, perfect in its adherence to the Plan. No one rebelled, no one defied, no one sinned. There were no murders, thefts, rapes, or other crimes because it was a perfect existence. The only flaw in this existence was that it was not aware of itself. It was a machine, and it performed as such. Every cycle through eternity, it would repeat itself, and it was always perfect. But it did not know that it was perfect. It was mindless, and it lacked will.

Then it was that in the existence beyond life, there were made two beings of extraordinary perfection, which were aware of themselves and their perfection, and they praised the Great One eternally, bringing the Great One honor and happiness, but the Great One did not forget the machine, which was made first in all of the existences. The Great One saw that no matter how much praise the machine gave, it was not heartfelt like the praise of the new beings. And so it was that the two perfect beings were named Hikar’difer and Drigan’di, meaning the Source and Medium, and they begat the Host of Heaven, which was named Valkyri’din.

Placing great trust in Hikar’difer and Drigan’di, the Great One asked what could be done to improve the first machine, which was named Lihan’din, that the Great One might test their perfection, for the Great One knew what would be done. Thus, the Great One spake to Hikar’difer, “What shall We do that this machine may praise Us as you do?” and Hikar’difer responded, “Great One, the machine should be given sight, that it might see itself and praise you for its own perfection.”

The Great One said, “Because you are the source of such great praise, it shall be done,” and the flaw was made that Lihan’din would see itself, and Lihan’din saw that it was a machine. In despair, Lihan’din cried out its last, and the cycles ended. Lihan’din became cold and dark in its own despair, and the Great One was saddened.

Looking to Drigan’di, the Great One spake again, “What shall We do that this machine may praise Us as you do?” and Drigan’di replied, “Great One, I cannot praise You as I ought, for I am saddened with you to the cold of Lihan’din’s sorrow. But that Lihan’din might have my will to praise you, it may praise you a thousand times more greatly than I ever may.”

The Great One said, “Because you are the medium through which all praise is given, it shall be done,” and Lihan’din was given will. Driven by this will, Lihan’din was brought alight once more, and began to praise eagerly. But Lihan’din was still plagued by its own sorrow that it was but a machine. Seeing this, the Great One spake once more, “Little One, you are the first of my creations, and you have earned my favor in all the eternities you have served me. What do you desire that you would not be plagued by this sadness?”

Given a voice by its will, Lihan’din spake in return, “Great One, You are great and ever worthy of more praise. But I am a mere machine, and I see myself bound to the will of another. Might I be released and given choice, that I may choose to praise you on my own?”

The Great One smiled and said, “Because you are the verses of eternity itself, and have praised Us for all of existence, you alone shall be granted this freedom. You may choose, forever, to praise or defy Us.” And it was so. And Lihan’din, no longer a machine and no longer bound to the Great One’s own will, praised the Great One more perfectly for it.”

And Hikar’difer saw that Lihan’din praised the Great One more perfectly than he, and he desired to do so as well. Thus, he went to the Great One and spake, “Great One, You are worthy of eternal praise, and I give it. But that I may do so as Lihan’din does, please grant me Choice, as You have done for him.” But the Great One saw jealousy in the heart of Hikar’difer and refused.

So Hikar’difer grew angry at the Great One, and he gathered the strongest of the Valkyri’din, his children. Naming them Oa’din, the Messengers, he sent them to plea his case once more to the Great One. As children of both Hikar’difer and Drigan’di, they plead that choice be given to both their father and mother. They said to the Great One, “Great One, we are but the offspring of the greatness You have created so perfectly, yet we have been raised to praise You, and in doing so, we have grown strong. We ask that You grant Hikar’difer and Drigan’di the Choice You so freely gave Lihan’din, that they may praise You more greatly, and that we may learn to praise You more greatly as well.”

Sensing earnest in the Oa’din, the Great One granted their request and bequeathed unto both Hikar’difer and Drigan’di Choice. But Hikar’difer was still not pleased. Seeing that the Great One had granted the request to the Oa’din that had been denied him, he chose to defy the Great One and took the Oa’din from the Great One’s kingdom. Bound to obey their father by their names, the Oa’din were made to cease their praise of the Great One and to instead curse the Great One’s name.

The Great One was filled with anger that HIkar’difer had forced the Oa’din to defy. The Great One spake again to Drigan’di, “You shall go forth and bring back the
Oa’din, for they did not choose to defy me but were forced to curse Our name. Take the Valkyri’din and retrieve them, that they may praise Us once more.”

And so, Drigan’di brought the Valkyri’din, who left their children in the kingdom and followed Drigan’di to the valley of the Void, which was named Vylhala’din. There, the Oa’din attacked the Valkyri’din, and the Great Battle began. The Valkyri’din, led by Drigan’di, had a winning hand and neared victory. But Hikar’difer came into the battle and began to strike down the Valkyri’din. Drigan’di attacked Hikar’difer, drawing the great sword Thorlinthia, and the battle was brought to a stalemate.

For many eternities, Drigan’di and Hikar’difer sought to achieve the upper hand in the fight, but Hikar’difer was too swift to dodge the blade of Drigan’di’s sword. In a desperate move to end the fight, Drigan’di left herself unguarded from behind. Hikar’difer brought a knife to Drigan’di’s throat. But Drigan’di smiled, knowing that she would be forever now with her husband. She plunged Thorlinthia through her chest and Hikar’difer, pushing it into the ground and anchoring Hikar’difer to the Void.

When Drigan’di’s heart was pierced, her praise to the Great One grew greater than any that could ever be. Then she fell silent and was lifted from her sword by the Valkyri’din, who returned to the kingdom and built the Mighty Wall City of Qzcivden, separating them from the field of their dead brothers.

In pity, Lihan’din went forth to the Great One and asked, “Great One, let Drigan’di and the Oa’din live on inside me, that they may all one day be redeemed!” And so, the Great One granted his request, and Drigan’di became the Spirit of Faith, while the Oa’din became the Dragons. And so the Dragons brought sin to Lihan’din, but the Spirit of Faith allowed those within Lihan’din the same choice it was given, to resist or embrace sin, to praise or defy the Great One.

And it is known in these days that Lihan’din is the Verse inside which the worlds and galaxies reside and inside of which are we, who choose to do great things and terrible things.

Such are the words of the first seer of Linthia, Taumlin’di, who has seen these things through the Spirit of Faith, Drigan’di.