The prose version of the Legend is quite extensive, and is often provided as
a dramatic rendition by a Shan'e, a performance artist, trained to
recite the work from memory. Such persons provide different tones and postures
for the various characters in the story; they also add wing-positions not listed
in the printed text which add subtlety to the presentation (at least for audience
members capable of reading them.) The Shan'e will also pause in the
presentation to indicate change of scene (for example, between Qu'u's colloquy
with the Servant of esLi and his interview with Lord e'Yen.) The reader
should note, however, that these pauses are absent in the printed text - which
has always been rendered in one continuous flight. Some scholars find this continuity
jarring, but this is no more than a human bias - zor scholars, after all, know
where the Shan'e pauses. For human readers, however, links are provided
at the top of the text to navigate through it. Several short annotations are
provided in the text where clarification is necessary.
Wing-positions are shown to the right of the text; these vary depending on
recension, but the ones listed here are the most common ones found as part of
the Legend. For further reference, consult the excellent Wing-Speech
in the Qu'u Legend, Dr. Ariana Sontag, New Chicago University Press, 2316.
| 1. In the time of the warring states, before the Hierate of
the High Nest, there lived a warrior in the service of Nest-Lord A'alu,
whose name was Qu'u. In the Highspeech Qu'u is a name of great power; but
the Highspeech had not yet evolved in that fargone day. Qu'u was of good
report and well-trained, though not of noble blood; the principiate which
he served, that of e'Yen, was constantly at war with its nearby rival, the
mountainous region of u'Hera. |
[Honor to the High Nest]
[Cloak of Defense]
|
| 2. Each of the two contending provinces had spent considerable resources
in trying to subdue the other, to little avail. e'Yen, a rich and bountiful
land, was dotted with many fortified castles, wrought in strong stone and
wound about with many charms and spells, while u'Hera, a poorer and meaner
land, was gifted with many natural barriers and obstacles, making it difficult
to overcome. During Qu'u's preparation and training as a warrior, the two
lands fought many bitter battles, some between enemy armies, and others
by more subtle and less honorable means - for the people of that time were
without the Inner and Outer Peace and knew no bounds in hate or war. But
though those ancestors did not know honor, they did know Despite, and felt
the heavy hand of esGa'u meddling in their disputes. |
[Wings Contend]
[Barrier Before Despite]
|
| 3. The armies of u'Hera had been driven off in an invasion late in the
season one year, and the warriors of e'Yen had taken up winter quarters
in several fortresses along the border between the two lands. Qu'u, who
had acquitted himself well in the preceding months, had been assigned with
his contingent to the castle Ne'esLl'e, which means Guardian of the
Nest of esLi. Though winters were harsh in that part of the lands,
the e'Yen'i warriors were mindful of the potential for treachery, and made
sure to guard their charges by day and night. |
[Guardian of the Nest]
|
| 4. On a particular night, when first moon was high in
the sky, Qu'u was walking along the watchtower scanning the skies for the
wings of invaders. Keen of eye and brave of heart, he was attentive to his
duty and would not have expected that his diligence could be evaded. Nonetheless,
as he reached the end of his post, he heard the noise of wings fluttering
behind him. He turned quickly to face a distinguished elderly person, settling
into a perched position on the wall of the castle. |
[Posture of Approach]
|
| 5. "Friend or foe?" Qu'u asked, holding his blade out before
him. The stranger, unperturbed by the obvious threat Qu'u posed, merely
settled his wings in a posture of deference to esLi. |
[The Drawn Chya]
[Deference to esLi] |
| "You are in a war zone, distinguished Elder," Qu'u said, unsure.
He looked around. To his surprise, no one else on guard seemed to be taking
notice of his encounter. "I must ask you to - " |
|
| "You are Qu'u, son of Che'e," the stranger interrupted. "Warrior
of the e'Yen?" |
[Stance of Qu'u]
|
| "I am Qu'u," Qu'u replied. "And you - " |
|
| "My name is unimportant. I am a messenger and I have a message for
Qu'u." |
|
| "What is your message?" |
|
| 6. "I bear the greetings of the Lord esLi," the older
one intoned, and the holy Name echoed through the air like the pealing of
a great bell. "The Lord wishes to convey His respects and gratitude
to you, mighty warrior Qu'u, for your diligence and bravery as an honorable
warrior. |
[Honor to esLi]
|
| "It is no idle thing that the Lord chooses to speak to you, warrior
Qu'u, for He proposes to lay upon you a joyous and terrible burden. The
servants of the Deceiver are abroad in the lands, and seek to destroy all
of the Nests through a weapon of horrible power; without your help, they
might well succeed." |
[Descent to the Plain] |
| 7. "Without me?" Qu'u asked. "I am a warrior, as
you say; I have fought in combat for my Nest, but I am young and have not
as yet achieved full mastery. You must not want to charge me with any burden." |
|
| 8. "On the contrary, mighty warrior," the messenger replied.
"The Lord esLi asks for your service and yours alone.
You must undertake a journey for Him and undertake a most important task. |
|
| "You must travel to the Plain of Despite and find the sword that
will become the gyaryu, the talon of esLi." |
[Talon of State] |
| 9. "And how could I find such a weapon or even travel to such a place?"
Qu'u menaced the messenger again, wondering whether he was being deceived.
"I am not a Sensitive, and cannot sense the power." |
|
| "Again you deny me, mighty warrior Qu'u. But esLi has seen
your future, and knows your worth." |
[Parting the Shroud] |
| 10. "What of my responsibilities here? I must maintain my post here
on the walls of Ne'esLl'e, to watch for the treacherous u'Hera.
As you have said, I am a warrior and must place my duty to nest and Lord
above any personal glory." |
[Honor of the Warrior] |
| "I could say to you that your duty to the Lord esLi overweighs
any other duty; I could point out to you again the significance of your
own role in the upcoming struggle between the Light and Dark Wing - but
your warrior's duty would still remain. I hail you, honorable Qu'u and assure
you that you will be relieved of that burden ere you depart for the Plain
of Despite." |
[The Dark Wing] |
| 11. Qu'u looked away from the stranger, the moonlight catching his profile.
"There is one other thing that you must know before you place your
hope and expectation with me. Though I am a blooded warrior and have been
trusted with the duty you see me here carrying out, I am unworthy of your
burden because I have tasted great fear. I am cowardly, distinguished Elder,
though it pains me to express it and it stains my family honor to let it
be known." |
[Confronting anGa'e'ren] |
| 12. "Mighty Qu'u," the messenger replied, "it is not dishonorable
to know fear. It is a foolhardy warrior whose actions are not tempered by
thoughts of his own mortality, for surely there is no greater waste than
a warrior who gives up his life while achieving nothing. To die in battle
is glorious only if some great purpose is achieved. What is more, you are
no coward, for it required great courage for you to speak your fears aloud
to me. |
[Honor of the Warrior]
[Glory of Outer Peace] |
| 13. "I accept you, mighty Qu'u. You are brave, honorable, responsible
and modest; you have denied me four times and I have answered you. When
your watch ends, go and prepare with your friend and companion Hyos for
your journey to the Plain of Despite." The stranger clapped his talons
together - |
[Honor to esLi] |
| As Qu'u watched in wonderment, a bright flash of light obscured his vision.
When he could see once more, the stranger was gone. |
|
| 14. When his duty time was finished, Qu'u left the battlements of e'Yen
to take his rest. But the visit of the stranger filled him with disquiet
and did not permit him to sleep; instead he spent the night seeking the
peace of esLi. Even within the confines of the dormitories, the
darkness was full of shapes and patterns that disturbed his contemplations. |
[Cloak Against anGa'e'ren] |
| 15. On the next sun, Qu'u sought out the Lord of Nest,
an elderly and honorable person who had seen many turns and fought many
wars. Qu'u had frequently seen Lord e'Yen from afar, but had never spoken
or grasped forearms with him; his father Che'e had taken an oath of fealty
many turns earlier - directly from the Lord's talons - and had transferred
that honor to Qu'u when wounds and weariness made him unwilling to continue
as a warrior in the service of e'Yen. It was not fear that kept Qu'u away
but rather respect: the talon does not guide the path of the wing. |
[Fealty to the Nest]
[Respect to Elder Wing] |
| 16. When Qu'u came to the esTle'e of the Lord of Nest, Lord e'Yen
was waiting for him in the Stance of Patient Expectation To his surprise
he was permitted to approach the Lord directly; he placed his wings in the
Posture of Polite Approach and waited to be addressed. |
[Stance of Patient Expectation] |
| 17. "If you had not come to me, I would have sent for you, young
warrior," Lord e'Yen said, without preamble. "I have had a disquieting
night." |
|
| "Myself as well, my Lord," Qu'u replied. "I received a
visitor as I performed my duties at the watchtower." |
[Stance of the Warrior] |
| "I know this. I was . . . visited as well. It was troubling, but
I knew that it was the wing of esLi: in my vision I grasped the
forearms of the Lord of u'Hera and many other Lords of Nest as well." |
[Honor before esLi] |
| "You did, my Lord? Then - then the servant of esLi has indeed
changed his mind." Qu'u could not decide between relief and disappointment. |
|
| 18. "No," the Lord of Nest answered. "Your flight has not
changed, for this too was revealed to me. You have still been chosen for
the journey to the Plain of Despite. No other warrior will take this task
from you, including myself: my wings have flown too far to undertake this
quest. The Eight Winds blow where they will, and the Lord esLi
sees their pattern far more clearly than do we. It is your duty and honor
to carry this quest to its end." |
[Shield Before Despite] |
| Qu'u dipped his wings in respect. "I understand, my Lord e'Yen." |
|
| 19. "You will require a guide," Lord e'Yen then said. "You
will also require a companion. I give you leave to choose a brother warrior
to accompany you. Two others will join in order to place the quest in proper
configuration. You must journey far from e'Yen, first to the sanctuary of
the hermit S'tareu; the servant of esLi directed me to the forest
where you will find it. S'tareu is wise and faithful to esLi and
he will see clearly where you should proceed - and he knows the path to
the Plain of Despite." |
[Four Paths Join] |
| "I will go," Qu'u answered. "I choose my companion Hyos
to accompany me." The Lord e'Yen nodded and dismissed the hero Qu'u
to commence his quest. |
[a'Li'e'er'e] |
| 20. Qu'u chose well when he asked his brother warrior
Hyos to accompany him. Like Qu'u, Hyos was a young warrior who had not yet
seen many turns at campaign, but his hsi and his faith in the Lord
esLi were strong and he had been a fast friend and companion to
Qu'u - not only at Ne'esL'le but elsewhere within the domains of
esYen. |
[Strength of hsi] |
| Before he departed e'Yen, Qu'u sought the advice and teachings of the
sage M'hara, who had made his home in Ne'esL'le to be a teacher
to the warriors and scholars of the state of e'Yen. M'hara taught him much
about the Plain of Despite and the terrible powers of the Lord esGa'u,
He Who Looks Away From esLi, and the esGa'uYal who have
turned away from the Golden Circle to serve Despite. |
[Wing of Despite] |
| 21. The forest where the sage S'tareu was said to dwell lay some distance
from the lands of e'Yen; it required the two companions to overfly the lands
of u'Hera, including the cursed Plain of Se'kath, where many battles between
the two Nests had taken place. |
[Wing Over Shadow] |
| The two travelled carefully by night to avoid patrols, yet withal they
found the lands strangely quiet as if a way had been prepared for them.
Neither enemy warriors from u'Hera, nor servants of esGa'u the
Deceiver assaulted Qu'u and Hyos as they traveled northward. |
[Wings Of esGa'uYal Beneath the Sun] |
| 22. At last they came to the end of the u'Hera domain and into a wide
and uninhabited land. There, they flew through a narrow mountain pass in
the range that is called the Spine of the World, searching for the hermitage
of S'tareu. It was further than Qu'u had ever traveled from e'Yen; and every
shadow seemed to contain a wing of esGa'u. |
[Spine of the World] |
| 23. In time the pattern of the forest below formed the
glyph Li'hs'e'e, which means The Concealed Truth; Qu'u and Hyos descended
through the trees and found the hermitage, just as the servant of esLi
had said. The hermitage was a structure of twined wood, a series of trees
that had been caused to grow together; as they approached, they saw S'tareu
waiting for them on an upper level. He descended to the forest floor and
offered the Stance of Polite Approach. |
[The Concealed Truth] |
| 24. "Qu'u," S'tareu said. "Be welcome to my home." |
|
| "I was directed to this place by -" Qu'u began, but the
hermit raised his hands. |
|
| "I know why you are here, honored warrior. And you and your companion
have been sent here in the service of the Lord of the Golden Circle. I am
honored to serve that Lord as well; and He has entrusted me with the hsi
of one who will accompany you on your arduous journey." |
[Honor to esLi] |
| 25. "The hsi . . ." Qu'u arranged his wings in
a respectful pattern. "I fear risking the hsiof another at
the Fortress of Despite." |
[Duty of the Warrior] |
| "This is a noble statement, se Qu'u," S'tareu answered.
"But you will climb the Perilous Stair without companions.
When you enter the Fortress of Despite, you will be alone." |
|
| 26. At this, both Qu'u and Hyos felt surprise and a hint of fear. They
knew well what lay before them: descent to the Plain of Despite, a passage
through the Ur'ta leHssa, the Valley of Lost Souls, and climbing
the Icewall to the Fortress of Despite; but neither had contemplated the
possibility of being separated along the way. |
[Descent to the Plain] |
| 27. "Why must I journey alone?" Qu'u asked the hermit. |
|
| "Only one may obtain the Dark Understanding," S'tareu replied.
"Only one may climb the Perilous Stair. There is no other way; you
cannot protect the hsi of your companions, nor can you guard the
hsi of the spirit-guide, as you climb to the Fortress. |
[Wing of the gyaryu] |
| "Servants of the Deceiver are already abroad. They seek you and know
that you have evaded them in your flight from the lands of e'Yen. Already
their wings blot out the sun." |
[Cloak Against Despite] |
| 28. "How can I avoid falling into their talons?" Qu'u asked.
"Surely this quest is doomed to failure. The Lord of Despite has many
servants in these evil times, and they can find us wherever we go." |
|
| "Despite has more enemies than it can count," S'tareu answered.
"The true warrior knows but one." |
[Stance of the Warrior] |
| 29. Qu'u did not find this answer reassuring, though he understood its
import: he was a warrior, and would take the warrior's part. After a moment
of contemplation, he said to S'tareu, "Honored Elder, please tell me
of the spirit-guide." |
|
| 30. "I am charged to entrust the hsi of a great sage to
you. E're'a, who will serve as your spirit-guide in this quest, traveled
far and wide in the World That Is when the world itself was younger; he
flew over many mountains and learned many truths. No longer does he hold
the Outer Peace; but his hsi has remained without the Golden Circle
so that he may aid you on this quest." The sage stepped forward and
grasped the forearms of the warrior Qu'u: and to his wonder, Qu'u felt the
presence of another mind within his own, and both were guarded by his wings
of his own Ssthe'e-self. |
[The Golden Light of esLi]
[Stance of Found Wisdom] |
| Qu'u could not speak, but placed his wings in a posture of respect to
the sage who had given him this gift. |
|
| 31. "It is for the glory of the Lord esLi," S'tareu
said. "In these days of trouble, the Flight of the People is cast to
the Eight Winds; though the Army of Sunset no longer ravages the Land, there
is withal no Legion of esLi to defend it. With the gyaryu,
there will be peace in the land . . . and without it, we will be subject
to the predations of the Deceiver." |
[Wings Contend] |
| 32. S'tareu spoke more to the companions of the journey they were to undertake,
and revealed to them the place where the World That Is gives way to the
Plain of Despite: a darkened land far beyond his ken, where they would find
the object of their quest. When their weariness and their curiosity had
been sated, they began their journey. Qu'u and his companion traveled
many days and nights from the forest of the hermit. They followed his directions
as best they could. By day, Father Sun's heat beat down upon them as they
flew over ever-rockier lands. By night the moons silvered their wings as
they flew ever northward. |
[The World That Is]
[Burden of Day] |
| Qu'u felt the hot breath of pursuit, and could scarcely bring himself
to stop his progress until his fatigue overwhelmed him. |
[Approaching Danger] |
| 33. Qu'u was yet young: He was both unchanged by the events that were
to come and untroubled by the responsibilities that would come later. Still,
he had never felt as driven. He knew that the servants of esGa'u
were abroad and he believed that they had to know his destination. |
[Cloak of Defense] |
| No matter how much he feared it, however, this could not deter him - and
he did fear it, though he could not communicate this to his companion
Hyos, who followed him devotedly. All the while, the presence of E're'a
reassured him that he and Hyos did not travel alone. That the hsi
of so noble a sage as E're'a had been held apart from esLi's Golden
Light made him feel the presence of that One and the protection of His Wing
was reassuring, but also that his life had been irrevocably changed by the
new mission that the Lord esLi had laid out for him. |
[Duty of the Warrior]
[Protection of esLi] |
| 34. As Qu'u and Hyos continued northward, they
could see mountains climbing higher over the horizon until they crouched,
malignantly, across their entire field of view. As they traveled, the weather
grew ever colder. While in flight, there was no defense against the biting
winds and cruel rains, but when they were afoot they could wrap themselves
in cloaks and move like artha, ghostlike and shrouded. |
[Confronting the Icewall] |
| 35. At last, on a cold and stormy day, they came in sight of the long
canyon that had been described to them. They perched for a several moments,
listening to the screaming gales that whirled around the place and watching
the clouds scudded across the sky, quickly forming and unforming horrific
patterns. Qu'u gathered his courage at last and flew downward toward the
far end of the canyon, where his fate awaited. |
[Winds of Despite]
[The Drawn chya] |
| 36. "You will find the entrance to the Plain of Despite through an
overhanging rock," E're'a told Qu'u's Ssthe'e-self. "I
found it once during my travels long ago, but had not the courage to enter." |
[Winds of Despite] |
| "Will we find it guarded by esGa'uYal?" Hyos asked.
|
|
| Qu'u spoke the question to the spirit-guide, who answered: "Neither
esGa'uYal nor esHara'y venture near the place; it is said
to be cursed both by those who follow the Light and those who turn their
faces from esLi." |
[Honor to esLi] |
| 37. They flew for many eighths of a sun, looking for the rock that E're'a
described. There were many that could have been the place of Descent: forbidding
teeth of rock that cast monstrous and frightening shadows on the canyon
floor below. Yet as they approached, none had passageways or tunnels that
they could see. |
[Burden of Day] |
| When darkness came, they found perches in a secluded place and contemplated
the problem. From above, they had not found the entrance that they sought,
yet they knew from the sage S'tareu that they had come to the place where
it must lay. |
|
| 38. At last, when night had passed, Qu'u and Hyos took flight. Instead
of flying high in the open, they traveled close to the canyon, risking the
inimical blasts of the wind that threatened to hurl them against jagged
stone walls. Twice Hyos nearly struck an outcropping of rock, only to be
saved by Qu'u; twice Qu'u nearly lost wings or legs, only to have Hyos pull
him out of danger. |
[Wing of Danger] |
| 39. As Father Sun descended behind angry clouds toward the horizon, the
companions were taking what rest they could on a narrow ledge when Hyos
gestured toward another precipice not far away. |
[The Path Revealed] |
| "Look at those strange shadows," Hyos said. "They seem
incomplete." It was true: the angular shadows of late day were present
all around the rock toward which Hyos pointed, yet there was an area on
which they did not fall. Curious, the two warriors took flight once again,
coming under the precipice - and suddenly, from beneath the rock, they could
see ghostly, pale light from within a hidden tunnel: one that could not
have been seen except from directly below. At last, they had found the path
through which they would descend to the Plain. |
[The Dance of esGa'u's Wing] |
| 40. Though night was descending, Qu'u flew to the opening in the rock.
It was part of the underside of an overhanging rock, like the upper part
of a great bony jaw. The opening itself was narrow; Qu'u needed to fold
his wings as tightly as possible to squeeze through. With his wings thus
folded, a misstep might have sent him hurtling to his death on the rocks
below; yet Qu'u was an able and strong warrior, and with some effort he
was able to pull himself within. |
[Cloak of Defense] |
| "Should we not wait until Father Sun rises again?" Hyos asked
Qu'u from without. |
|
| "Day and night are meaningless on the Plain," Qu'u answered.
"Sooner would I continue with our quest, regardless of whether the
heat of day is upon my wings." With some effort, Qu'u pulled his companion
through the narrow opening and into a tiny chamber at the near end of a
long, narrow tunnel that led away, lit by the unearthly light. |
[Descent to the Plain] |
| 41. Hu'asChy'e, the fear of being trapped underground, was acute
as they traveled through the long tunnel. The ceiling was too low and the
width of the corridor too narrow to allow flight: they were confined to
the tunnel floor, trudging along in silence. |
[Approaching Danger] |
| 42. At first there was no sound but that made
by their passage. Neither Qu'u nor Hyos found energy for speech; the gloom
that had seemed to descend on them made it difficult even for either of
them to raise his head to speak to the other. Soon, however, sounds began
to seep into the heavy dark quiet; at first they were almost indiscernible,
but gradually they became more and more apparent. There were cries and shouts,
low thrumming sounds and irregular crashes and thumps. When the two companions
stopped for a rest after what seemed like a sun's worth of walking, the
echoes resolved themselves into a pattern that Qu'u recognized. |
[The Drawn Chya]
[Warrior Against Despite] |
| "They are fighting a war," he told Hyos quietly, and the word
war echoed about the cavern. |
|
| 43. As they descended ever further, the tunnel narrowed and constricted,
heightening Hu'asChy'e. At last they could no longer travel side
by side but were forced to go single file; Qu'u, his blade out before him,
led the way. The walls of the cavern lost their roughness and became smooth
and then shiny, distortedly reflecting the two into carnival-creatures,
the images further warped where the wall had been bent or dented. To their
heightened senses, it seemed almost as if grossly altered forms hulked along
on all sides of them, shadowing their every move. |
[Cloak of Defense]
[Winds of Despite] |
| 44. The war, far off and muffled, grew louder to their ears with every
step. The tunnel finally came to an end and before them they beheld the
Plain of Despite: swept by icy winds, bombarded by missiles fired by one
group of combatants against another. The sky was dark and filled with fire,
and in the distance the companions could see the edge of the plain and the
great, dark form of the Icewall. |
[The Drawn chya]
[The Perilous Stair] |
| 45. To cross the Plain of Despite, the companions needed to avoid the
contending esGa'uYal who fought the Endless War. Those that served
the Lord of Despite but who were not favored with tasks that took them above
into the World That Is were caused to vent their rage in battle. They were
sent beyond the Outer Peace, mangled and dismembered by their rivals, only
to rise intact and hale a fourth of a sun later, in pain and seeking revenge. |
[Rage of the esGa'uYal] |
| 46. It was too dangerous to take flight over the Plain, though had they
been able it would have sped their journey. Instead, they huddled close
to berms and rocky outcroppings, moving furtively like artha in
open terrain. It was in no way a warrior's flight, but Qu'u judged that
there was no place for false heroics on the Plain of Despite. They made
their way gradually forward, using the Icewall and the directions of E're'a
the spirit-guide to find their way. |
[Cloak of Defense] |
| 47. To travel across the lands of Despite, Qu'u and the companions needed
to travel across the Mountains of Night, a great and barren range dirtied
with the ash of eight thousand fires. In those peaks they caught their first
sight of the Ur'ta leHssa, the Valley of Lost Souls. The sounds
of the Endless War seemed muted and far away, as if they were swallowed
by the iridescent fog all around them. |
[Ur'ta leHssa] |
| 48. It was the mesmerizing effect of the Valley that
kept Qu'u from turning first. A sudden expression of fright in the wings
of his companion, Hyos, caused him to whirl in position, chya in
hand, to face a sight that few warriors have ever witnessed: anGa'e'ren,
the Creeping Darkness. |
[The Drawn chya] |
| Qu'u heard his name being spoken from within the dark mass that lay before
him. "Mighty Qu'u," said the voice. "My Master has watched
you as you crossed His domain. Now we shall see what sort of warrior you
are." |
|
| 49. Qu'u stepped between the darkness and his companion. He could feel
his fear, but put it aside the best he could; he was more afraid for Hyos,
whom he had bid accompany him to this place of Despite. Indeed, he had been
chosen by the servant of esLi - Hyos was an innocent, a brave warrior
but not beneath the wing of the Lord of the Golden Circle. |
[Honor to esLi] |
| "Yes," said the voice. "Consider what you have done, Mighty
Qu'u. The Crawler -" by this was meant the Lord esLi, for
this is the evil name that the esGa'uYal give to the One from which
they have turned away - "has chosen you, and his wing protects you;
but your companion could be plucked and left in Ur'ta leHssa, a
lifeless statue facing the Icewall he can never reach." |
[Despair of the Hssa] |
| 50. The utter darkness before him moved and writhed. Within it he could
see tentacles and pseudopods, dark and greedy staring eyes, weirdly glowing
articulated wings moving to obscene positions - and in his mind Qu'u felt
the terrible despair of the thing: pain and fear and the terrible knowledge
that he, too, would never reach the Perilous Stair and begin his ascent
to the Fortress of Despite. After a moment he turned away from the terrible
sight and fled, but at last the darkness overwhelmed him and for a time
he saw no more. |
[Mantle of Fear] |
| 51. At last, Qu'u awoke. Somewhere far off, Qu'u heard the tolling of
a bell calling the custodians of the shrines of esLi to prayer: but
he knew that they were not listening. |
[Honor to esLi] |
| It was not rebellion or blasphemy that caused them to behave thus, but
rather indifference born of despair. The beautiful and sacred shrines to
the Lord of the Golden Circle became unkempt and fell into disrepair, until
they crumbled at last into rubble. From under the earth there was laughter
that cascaded upward through the air. |
[Despair of the Hssa] |
| 52. "se Qu'u." |
|
| He winced at the speaking of his own name, feeling that it somehow offended
the Lord esLi to hear it. The tolling bell and laughter continued
unabated. |
[Condemnation to Life] |
| "You must awaken: we must seek shelter from the battle." |
|
| "It does not matter," he said at last, deep within the spirals
of his dream. |
|
| "se Qu'u, we must seek shelter. The servants of the Deceiver
will find us." |
[Cloak of Defense] |
| 53. It was Hyos' voice: he recognized it. The tolling of the bell became
resolved to become the sound of shells exploding, and the laughter the insistent
hum and rumble of weapons engaging each other. He opened his outer eyelids
and then the inner ones and saw Hyos standing over him, chya held
ready. |
[The Drawn chya] |
| To Qu'u's surprise, the sight of a drawn chya did not strike fear
into him, and its glow and cry seemed a statement of defiance against the
war that raged all around them. The war was of a violence and intensity
that they had never seen, though conflict between the Clans had raged for
decades. Artillery shells exploded overhead, victims wailed in pain in the
distance; the sky - a night-time sky, but with no visible stars - glowed
weirdly from light reflecting on the undersides of low hanging clouds. |
[Posture of Defiance]
[Crossing the Plain] |
| 54. "The quest, se Qu'u."
| |
| "The servant of the Deceiver has thwarted our quest, my companion.
I turned away - I fled -" |
|
"It does not matter," Hyos replied. "There is nothing to be done about
the dishonor. The e'chya-bearer turned you away and now seeks to
use that turning to destroy you. Yet the Lord esLi has not abandoned
you. Look." He gestured beyond the rocky outcropping that sheltered them
toward the distant, frozen mountains. |
|
| 55. Slowly Qu'u raised his head and looked where his friend had pointed.
He could see a castle there, seemingly growing from the sheer rock wall,
accessible only by a curving, treacherous stair. Lightnings cascaded around
and down upon the castle illuminating it weirdly. Beyond it he could see
the ghastly white-blue of the Icewall. |
[The Perilous Stair] |
| "On the Plain of Despite, warriors travel with their gaze directed
toward the ground," Hyos said. "Only heroes can cast their eyes upward,
and thus see the signs and portents of their quest." |
|
| 56. Qu'u reached for the comforting presence of his own chya and
found it still there and ready for use. anGa'e'ren had taken his
courage and perhaps his honor: but as his sensible friend had suggested,
it had not deprived him of the burden of his quest. |
[The Drawn chya] |
| Somewhere in the Fortress of Despite was the object of that quest. Somehow,
he and Hyos would have to obtain it. |
[Posture of Resolution] |
Of this experience Qu'u would later give a more detailed account; and
this story is called the Lament of the Peak, of which more is
spoken elsewhere.
Editor's Note: The reference to the later poem
does not appear in most older versions of the Legend, for it had not
yet been written. However, Shan'e traditionally include a reference
to it at this point in the performance.
|
[Lament of the Peak]
|
| 57. When the companions had rested for a few eighths
of a sun, they began to descend the steep slide toward Ur'ta leHssa,
the Valley of Lost Souls. This place resembled a large, spread-out L'le.
The inhabitants moved about within, looking neither to the left nor to the
right; they seemed to walk crouched, never extending their wings to fly.
The dust of the Plain of Despite was heavy on them. Tendrils of iridescent
fog moved among them like living creatures with no particular place to go. |
[Dust Resting On Wings] |
| 58. As Qu'u and Hyos entered the Valley, they found another walking with
them. At first Hyos was alarmed and placed his claw on his chya,
but Hyos held out his hand. |
|
| "si E're'a," Qu'u said to the newcomer, who placed
his wings in the Posture of Polite Approach. He had the bearing of a noble
warrior, with his harness and attire that of one from many eights of turns
earlier. |
[The Spirit-Guide Revealed] |
| "We should make haste, se Qu'u. The esGa'uYal do
not enter, but if we delay we will become trapped as the Hssa." |
|
| 59. The spirit-guide spoke truly. As the three progressed into the Valley,
they found their steps slowed as if by great fatigue. None of the Hssa
took any notice of them as they passed. In the outskirts of the L'le
the inhabitants seemed to mimic the activities of a normal sun, but as Qu'u
and his two fellow warriors moved further in there was less and less movement
- the Hssa scarcely moved, their wings only occasionally ruffled
by a tenuous breeze and rearranged into more despairing positions. |
[Despair of the Hssa] |
| Beyond, they could see the great bluish-black façade of the Icewall
looming up and out of sight. It became more and more difficult for them
to incline their gaze upward. |
|
| 60. "Do not fear," E're'a said, his wings scarcely able to assume
a posture of honor to esLi. "On the Plain of Despite, only
a true warrior can lift up his gaze. Yet if we progress any further, we
will be unable to continue." E're'a gestured toward a zor warrior across
the square, standing as still as a statue. |
[Honor to esLi] |
| "Yet if we turn back -" Qu'u began, but E're'a held up a hand. |
|
| "If we progress," E're'a said, gesturing to Hyos, who
looked at Qu'u with eyes full of despair. "We will remain, se
Qu'u. You must progress to the Icewall without us." |
[Stance of Patient Bravery] |
| The other two companions turned so that they faced away from each other,
and held their chya at the ready. |
|
| 61. Qu'u traveled alone, feeling fear for his companions. He also felt
anger that they should be trapped thus; for though the esGa'uYal
fear to enter the Valley of Lost Souls, Ur'ta leHssa is a creation
of the Lord of Despite - the ultimate enemy of the Lord of the Golden Circle.
In a matter of moments his companions were out of sight, and he could see
the base of the Perilous Stair before him. |
[Posture of Righteous Anger] |
| 62. At the Stair, Qu'u saw a warrior of the People standing guard, his
wings held in a posture of honor to esLi. With his back turned,
the warrior was unrecognizable, but when he turned, Qu'u recognized him
at once: he was Sse'en e'Yen, the son of the Lord of e'Yen, who had been
slain at the Plain of Se'kath a full turn past. Qu'u could hardly contain
his joy at seeing the great warrior before him. |
[Light of esLi] |
| "Great hero Qu'u," Sse'en said, his chya before him.
"You are in search of the gyaryu," he added. |
|
| "That is my quest," Qu'u replied. "It gives me honor to
speak with you again, ha'i Sse'en." |
|
| 63. "I serve esLi," Sse'en replied. "I am here
to guide you to the Perilous Stair. This is a shNa'es'ri, a crossroads,
mighty Hero. By it you may ascend to your eventual destiny. It is a stair
which only has one direction." He pointed upward, where the steps disappeared
into the fog. "If you step onto it, you have committed an irreversible
act." |
[The Perilous Stair] |
| "I understand," Qu'u answered. "I am prepared to proceed." |
|
| Sse'en stood aside, and Qu'u stepped forward, placing his foot upon the
first step of the Perilous Stair. As he did so, the Valley of Lost Souls
became insubstantial, disappearing behind him into the iridescent mist. |
[shNa'es'ri] |
| 64. With the Valley of Lost Souls left behind, the hero
made his way upward on the Perilous Stair. The Stair was a treacherous path,
sometimes no more than a set of handholds barely wide enough to accomodate
his talons; elsewhere, there were places where he could stand and even walk
forward and upward. Beneath the talons of his feet, he was chilled by the
indigo rock of the Icewall. |
[The Perilous Stair] |
| After Qu'u had climbed some distance, he paused to rest. The winds tore
at his wings and threatened to pull him away from the Stair, and the chill
of the Plain of Despite made his body shiver and his talons clench. His
chya remained sheathed: there were no enemies to fight, and he
needed talons on both hands and feet to maintain his purchase. |
[Winds of Despite] |
| 65. Though it pained him to do so, Qu'u flew the path of his quest: from
the first appearance of the servant of Qu'u, to the journey with his friend
Hyos to the forest sanctuary, to the entrance to the Plain of Despite. As
he rested, he wondered if he could go on; then he remembered the admonition
from S'tareu: Despite has more enemies than it can count. The true warrior
knows but one. Even through the encounter with anGa'e'ren,
he remembered his one true enemy: the sorceror whose Fortress lay far above,
hidden in the shrouding fog. |
[Flying the Path] |
| Below him, on the Plain of Despite, the war continued between the contending
factions of esGa'uYal. Sometimes the fog parted, allowing him to
view the battles: there were scenes of violence that far exceeded the battles
between e'Yen and their enemies in u'Hera. |
|
| Thus is the Perilous Stair climbed, he thought to himself. One
step at a time. |
[The Perilous Stair] |
| 66. Step by step and one clawhold over another, the
lone hero Qu'u climbed the last several sixty-fours of wingspans, coming
at last in sight of the Fortress of Despite. Lightnings cascaded across
the turrets, highlighting the profile of the battlements with fiery light. |
[Cloak Against Despite] |
| Qu'u did not believe that he approached unnoticed. The encounter with
enGa'e'ren had convinced him that servants of the Deceiver were
everywhere in the Plain of Despite. |
[Eyes of esGa'u] |
| Indeed, he thought to himself. How can I hope to prevail
if Despite can command so many allies? What will confront me now? |
|
| 67. "Well you may ask this, Mighty One," a voice said to him.
From the Fortress, a warrior of the People approached, lightning heralding
his arrival. Qu'u could sense the presence of an e'chya in the
warrior's talons; he recognized the voice that had spoken to him from within
anGa'e'ren. He knew the identity of this opponent: and his duty
outweighed his fear. |
[Wing of the Dancing Blade] |
| "You are Shrnu'u HeGa'u," Qu'u said, and his chya snarled
in the presence of the warrior of Despite. |
|
| "It is unfortunate that the Crawler sends such a nestling to my Master's
fastness. You should have remained below with your Hssa friends,"
Shrnu'u said, gesturing down the length of the Icewall. |
|
| 68. Qu'u felt the desire of his hyu to leap forward and attack
the esGa'uYe swordmaster: but something held him back, keeping
his chya in readiness. Again and again Shrnu'u HeGa'u taunted him,
but Qu'u kept his distance. |
[The Inner Peace] |
At last Shrnu'u advanced in anger and engaged Mighty Qu'u in combat.
They were evenly matched: with the calm of the Inner Peace and the blessing
of esLi in his talon, Qu'u matched the terrible Shrnu'u strike
for strike and parry for parry. Unable to defeat Qu'u as easily as he
might have done, He of the Dancing Blade became enraged: in a desperate
attack he hurled himself forward and was caught in the tearing winds beyond
the edge of the Icewall. The cry that emerged from his throat contained
words that stain the Highspeech to convey.
Editor's Note: ¶ 67 and 68 do not appear
in all recensions of the Legend, and is sometimes omitted from the telling
by more traditional Shan'e schools. The reasons for omission
or inclusion are not widely understood by human scholars.
|
[Cloak Against Despite]
|
| 69. As Qu'u advanced into the Fortress with chya before him,
he felt as if sixty-fours of sixty-fours of eyes were gazing upon him. The
fog on the Stair was left behind, and the angry sky roared above, lightnings
crashing upon the battlements as if drawn there. |
[Uncloaked before the Deceiver] |
| Before him he could see an open courtyard, swept by wind and drenched
by rain. There were eight statues placed there, each showing a warrior of
the People horribly wounded. They seemed terribly lifelike; Qu'u would have
passed them by with no more than a respectful wing-gesture, until he realized
that the statues were not of stone or clay - but were instead living
warriors, trapped in their frozen positions by some sorcery of Despite.
The pleading eyes cried out to him, but the wings could not move to form
a phrase. Like the warriors trapped in the Valley far below, theirs was
a prison with no escape. |
[Tortures of the Hssa] |
| 70. Beyond the courtyard was a long hallway, well lit and with no obstacles
or hiding-places. At the end of the hallway Qu'u could see a chamber with
a shrouded perch partially obscured from the entrance; in the center of
the chamber was a sword-rest that held a weapon that commanded his attention. |
[gyaryu At Rest] |
| 71. The gyaryu was a fine sword made of some black metal, chased
with intricate hRni'i that Qu'u could not read; it seemed to be
drawing all of the light in the room into it, so that it glowed with obsidian
light. From within his mind, Qu'u - who had never shown a hint of Sensitive
power - heard the gyaryu calling to him. |
|
| "It calls to you," said a voice. Qu'u was drawn away from the
sword to the sound of the voice, which was coming from the shrouded perch.
The voice was deep and sonorous, yet compelling and strong. He knew it to
be the voice of esGa'u, though he was not sure how he knew. |
[Turning Away From esLi] |
| 72. "I have come to receive the Dark Understanding," Qu'u said.
"I am ready to use my chya to obtain it." |
|
| "You do not need a chya," the Deceiver said to him,
still without revealing himself from the shrouded perch on which he perched.
"It is there for you to take up, Mighty One. No one is stopping you." |
|
| "You have trapped it, Lord of Despite," Qu'u said carefully. |
|
| "It is not of my work," esGa'u replied. "You have
come for the Dark Understanding, warrior Qu'u; I have watched you as you
trespassed in my domain, as you touched your Crawler-blessed talons in the
Mountains of Night, as you ascended the Perilous Stair. Why would I place
a trap upon the blade? Your coming is no surprise." |
[Plain of Despite] |
"I do not understand." |
|
| "Take up the sword and understand." |
|
73. Qu'u then sheathed his chya and laid
his talons upon the gyaryu, and received the Dark Understanding,
of which no other than a bearer of the sword may speak; and after a moment
his hsi returned to the Fortress of Despite full of knowledge
to defeat the Deceiver.
Editor's Note: ¶ 73 does not elaborate (in
any recension) about the meaning of the "Dark Understanding".
|
[The Dark Understanding] |
| 74. But before he could move the Talon of State to carry out an attack,
the perch bearing the Lord of Despite became visible: and Qu'u beheld the
awful visage of the Deceiver. |
[Pulling Aside the Shroud] |
| "Fool," esGa'u said, holding the ni'chya before
him. "You have obtained the Dark Understanding: but you are forever
trapped in my Fortress, from which there is no escape." He raised his
talon and a cold blue light emerged from it to enwrap Qu'u who writhed in
pain: but the mighty hero kept both talons fastened on the hilt of the gyaryu
even as he was driven to the hard stone floor. |
[Treachery of Despite] |
| 75. The cold of the sorcery of esGa'u became gradually more and
more unbearable. Qu'u felt the heat go forth from his body, knowing that
this evil sorcery was the means by which the statues in the courtyard had
been preserved, frozen, for the amusement of the Lord of Despite. |
|
| "Yes," the Deceiver said. "You shall be placed in their
midst, with the gyaryu still in your frozen talons. Even the Crawler
cannot save you." |
[Pride of esGa'u] |
| 76. The strength of the great hero Qu'u had nearly ebbed, yet he drew
on his last reserve and his final breath to say the word: "esLiHeYar,"
which means, to the everlasting glory of esLi; he neither
begged for mercy nor sought to avoid the fate that the Lord of the Golden
Circle and the terrible Lord of Despite had prepared for him. Reliance upon
the providence of the Lord esLi had brought him before the enemy
of the World That Is: even at this terrible hour he knew that he had not
turned aside from his quest, his duty, his honor, or his Lord. |
|
| 77. The echo of that single Word carried upward and beyond the Fortress
of Despite: beyond the skies over the Plain of Despite, beyond the Icewall,
beyond the World That Is and to the Golden Circle of esLi. With
the power of the Circle, the Talon of the Lord descended and rescued Qu'u
from his torture. |
[The Golden Circle] |
| "You have served Me well," the Lord esLi said to Qu'u
as he bore him home. "Your companion Hyos has also been true beyond
the Icewall, and shall return as well." The hero could not behold the
face of the Lord, who does not reveal Himself to the People: but Qu'u knew
that the enfolding Wing that had brought him forth from the Plain of Despite
was that of the Lord of the Golden Circle. |
|
| 78. When Qu'u came to e'Yen he was met by M'hara the
Sage, who spoke to him of the terrible battle on the Plain of Se'kath where
the Lord e'Yen had been slain by vile treachery; yet there was a new Lord
of e'Yen, A'alu, eldest daughter and blooded warrior. At the return of Qu'u
there was much rejoicing, but all of e'Yen fell silent as the voice of the
Lord esLi spoke to the new Lord, who would be High Lord of all
the People: |
[Te'esLi'ir] |
| 79. "Recite this in my name. Tell all of the generations of My people,
alive and yet to come, that I have commanded this: that among the People
there shall be one High Nest and one High Lord. |
|
| "Say to them: the Lord esLi has looked upon the works of
His people, and hasd chosen in His grace to send them a sign whereby His
will should be done - that a hero should be find. This hero should be of
great and noble heart, and though young and not well tried, he shall go
forth to the Plain of Despite, and recover that which was lost, and that,
with my own assistance, he shall have regained. |
[The Will Of esLi] |
80. "Tell them that the hero has returned to them, and that he
bears a sword that I have [re]forged for him.
Editor's Note: Some recensions use 'forged' and
some 'reforged' for the verb above. No concensus seems to exist among
scholars.
|
|
| "Tell them that by this sword shall My people become one People,
and the Nest of the hero shall become the High Nest of My People. This shall
be the sword of the Nest, the sword of the hero that pierced the Icewall,
who will stand within the Circle when the armies of the Deceiver come to
the gates." |
[The One People] |
| 81. With those words, the voice of the Lord Over All ceased; but by his
words did Qu'u and A'alu follow the path of honor and esLi's will.
And thus did e'Yen become HeYen, and did the People join in a single flight,
from that day to this. |
|
