|
Post by Remus on Jan 27, 2015 12:25:57 GMT -6
Things were broken up for a moment. Not moments after Nayru's light hearted jests the sound of stirring happened as Owain tossed about. Amelia moved with a reaction that showed this had not been the first time this happened as she eased back even in her cocooned state. Remus released grip of his staff in a manner that allowed it to fall with a wooden clack against the corner of the wall and the desk while he moved forwards quickly. No sooner had Remus arrived to Owain and started scooping the child up that he began to shout with a frightened scream. He lifted the child with one hand supporting his lower back and rear to hold him the other pressing to the back of his head to quiet him soothing him by shhhing him while the child shouted. A series of rather intense shivers ran down his spine, and his pale skin looking a ghostly shade added to the rather unsettling sight of the boy in such a terrorized state. He began to mumble almost incoherently.
"Fire. Fire. Everyone- fire..gone..fire.."
Remus slowly closed his eyes as he hugged the child close and tried to quiet him further. When he spoke the Priests tone had taken one of not only comfort, but almost a protective tone. As if he would shield the child from the entirety of the world had he the power. "Owain. We are here. We are not gone. You are safe." The child quieted his swift mumbles to a soft panting, before slowly going less tense in the priests embrace. Remus eased the boy down after a few moments of him seeming stable. The child turned and slowly made his way back to the bed, where the Amelia helped in her own...way. From beneath her cocoon of blankets she wiggled her eyebrows and tried to cover him in pillows. Owain though smiling climbed under a blanket and curled back up quietly with his back to everyone but Amelia. Remus paused, waiting till he was in bed before walking over and grasping his staff. He looked to Nayru, about to explain when Amelia chimed in. "He does that alot. Ever since the fire." Remus nodded, adding to make the statement seem more sensible. "My apologies Miss Nayru, for not warning you. Owain..and Amelia saw the remains of the Orphanage. We returned..as a trio to find it in the state left by the..brigands. He has taken it the worst. Any time he attempts to sleep for long duration he recalls it and awakes with a start. The road to recovering from the sight is..slow. He can sleep longer now..but not sleep in full I fear."
He gazed to the young boy with a soft yet sorrowful smile. The young, pillow covered boy. Amelia was determined it would seem to share her nest with him and help him in any small fashion. As she did, it seemed he was content to try sleeping again. Remus hoped this time rest would be easier for him.
|
|
|
Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Jan 27, 2015 13:25:15 GMT -6
"Ah." She would have said something more meaningful if she could, but without having been there, there was little more she could offer than meaningless sympathy - what she said could not change the past, nor could she understand what it had been like for them... though she had ended up standing in the burning ruins of the corpses of villages more than once, albeit under very different circumstances. What could she say, really? 'You have my sympathy?' Preposterous. It was that very kind of meaningless lip service that people relied on to avoid actually having to care.
"Against their kind, there can only be blood for blood," Nayru murmured to herself. Worrying about killing innocent people was one thing, but exterminating bandits was a public service, more akin to pest extermination than murder. She could spend the rest of her life hunting them down and eradicating their kind, and it would be time well spent from start to finish - while she shared their sins to a degree, Nayru refused to have anything else in common with them.
At least Amelia seemed to be willing to try to help. Nayru didn't know Owain well enough to do anything on her own, but it appeared he was in good hands nonetheless. When she finally spoke up, still not yet moved from her spot by the door, Nayru's voice was a bit more pensive than before. "...I wonder what path those two will take in the future... and the memories of that raid will change them." Would they become warriors, fighting for others? Priests, seeking to save men's souls as well as their bodies? Might the violence and cruelty have desensitized them, leading to one or both eventually turning to darkness themselves...? "The power of choice is a privilege not offered to all. Those two are strong, but strength must be tempered by wisdom lest it be turned against others eventually."
|
|
|
Post by Remus on Jan 27, 2015 14:11:19 GMT -6
Remus, now having a moment once again to retrieve his staff did so. He was seldom seen without it; having come to associate his full identity with it and feeling somewhat naked and exposed if he did not have it. Fingers coiled around it with him lifting one hand to rest atop the gemstone upon it. It was smooth of surface and cold to the touch, yet oddly calming. He looked to Nayru as she spoke. Blood for blood. As a man of healing, his entire being was against the notion. Such wanton violence disturbed him. He was not naive enough however to believe all men could be swayed to the way of peace. Remus shifted the staff so it rested parallel to the ground with hands clasping it close. He tilted his head examining Nayru briefly before actually speaking. As if deciding how to word his thoughts.
" As I'm sure you can imagine, my personal beliefs would oppose such a sentiment of violence befits violence. However the history of humanity would argue the exact opposite. It is not for me to decide what actions others may take, so while I know I will not sway all..or likely even many in my life time to peace who would otherwise act violently..I shall make my attempts. This life, and path is not for many however; so I had long since told myself I will not expect others to follow in such footsteps. I simply wish to break the chain violence ensues. "
Remus smiled lightly while acknowledging his own doubt at the goal. It would be a life long undertaking, and one he would most likely not see the fruits of in his life time.
"Alas, what can I say other than this is the path I chose to walk? Just as you chose to walk yours. "
She brought up the children. The sight of the raid. He could only hope and pray it would shape their life for the better. That they would endure the hardships through support from eachother and close loved ones to become people befitting their unique and pure personalities. Remus walked over to the bed upon which one lay and the other sat. He knelt, his staff leaning against the crook of his neck while he smiled warmly at the giggling blanket monster and her now once more slumbering companion. He chuckled as he spoke, gaze upon the two. "What ever path they take. I shall do my best to guide and support them along it." While he talked, Amelia attempted to flounder towards Remus to knock him back playfully only to flop onto the bed by Owain's feet laying on her stomach and looking up helplessly in a somewhat pitiful manner. Remus laughed a bit more as she determinedly scooted closer.
|
|
|
Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Jan 27, 2015 15:53:29 GMT -6
"Hm." She hadn't expected him to actually hear that, but then sometimes she... fairly severely... misjudged what exactly human senses were capable of. It varied so much that she could be excused for not always knowing what to expect, Nayru consoled herself. While dragons had a much higher average in that regard, they didn't vary as much, so it was easier to estimate. "You have good hearing." Nayru chose not to argue the point. There was nothing wrong with his beliefs on the matter, and she would have expected little else from a priest dedicated to peace.
If anything, she truly wished she could subscribe to his belief system, but there was little hope for that. She was a weapon, whether or not she liked it... but there was always the choice of who her abilities would be used against. So long as used them against the evils against the world... "It takes both dreamers and doers to create a new world," the dragon mused aloud, responding to his comments in her own way. "Some problems can be solved with diplomacy, others not... and sometimes you can only pit one evil against another. Whoever loses, Elibe wins."
Was that a pragmatic outlook? She wasn't entirely sure. Nayru didn't plan to spend the entire visit feeling sorry for herself, but neither did she see much point in pretending to be something she was not. If she could atone for her sins by protecting others... that wasn't such a bad way to live. Whether or not Remus would understand the implications of her words, or that she had been referring to herself, was of little concern - she didn't much care whether he did or not. Maybe it would give him something to think about.
As for the choices of the children... that was the truth of it. Humans and dragons alike had to make their own choices. The most one could do was try to guide them into making the right ones, and Nayru could only wonder if she had done a very good job of that with Elly. If nothing else, she was thoroughly aware by now that she would not make a particularly capable mother. "Far be it from me to judge on that subject. It was more a... rhetorical question, I suppose. Choice is a strange beast, and if I have learned anything over the years, it is that all humans hold great capacity for both good and evil in them... no matter which of the two they seem to lean towards outwardly. The unending riddle of free will and what that actually entails."
|
|
|
Post by Remus on Jan 27, 2015 16:39:07 GMT -6
"You have good hearing"
Remus chuckled with a smile. Spending an infinite number of times in silent prayer, and at times spending countless hours awake merely reading he had grown accustomed to picking up smaller nuances. His talent for it had especially developed in his times before priesthood. When he was expected to have memorized countless pages of holy text and would be holed up in his chamber reading for hours on end in absolute silence. Even a whisper could be loud in the dead quiet...or the turning of a single vellum page. When she commented once more he looked up with a tilt of his head while silently observing her. Both dreamers and doers. That seemed most certainly true. He lifted his hands as he clasped the staff to rise it along side his body once more. Slight subtle constant shifts in body stance or poise as he spoke kept him from getting overly comfortable in-case Owain had another outburst. "I would most certainly label you as a doer milady. I speculate however that I myself am limited woefully to a dreamer. I've not the power nor means to actually change the world; though it shall not stop me from attempting to. Though..though it is sorrowful for me to admit it is indeed true that sometimes two wrongs must destroy themselves if peace is to be obtained. "
He shifted his gaze for a moment. Thinking upon that word. Peace. However he spoke his thoughts aloud after a moment or two. "Such a frail thing. Peace. I wish there was a universal means to apply it..but I fear as long as our nature as humans is to continue allowing for both great goods and great evils..well..evil will linger as an option. So some must ever continue to strive to ensure it does not gain an edge over good." His gaze softened once more before he looked back up at miss Nayru. "Choice is indeed strange..but I feel that the harder ones serve to allow us appreciation for the smaller ones. Hardship..can be a terrible terrible thing...and yet; for all it's bad it seems those fleeting moments of peace we do earn feel all the grander. Such is the peace after a war, while the war may be unjust or the violence terrible...seldom does unity grow stronger than when a people help each-other to recover." The combat of bern came to mind. The conflict between Bern and Lycia was horrible, yet within the church he heard tales of some great kindnesses performed by others to ensure aid arried.
|
|
|
Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Jan 28, 2015 11:37:23 GMT -6
"...But above all, the world needs dreamers that do."
She smiled. Whether or not her words had any deep wisdom to them, Nayru didn't truly know. She liked the quote, always had, but that did not necessarily mean anything. Still - she liked to think it did. She had been forcibly disillusioned of her own dreams to a degree, but when she interacted with people like Remus, Nayru certainly thought that it would be nice if they could succeed. And if she had to be the evil needed to fight evil... well, at least she had experience with the job.
Peace was another subject she didn't have the answers to, another transient ideal with a tenuous connection to reality. The human understanding of peace, as a species, seemed flawed; even after completing their genocide of dragons and eradicating the so-called threat, they had simply turned on each other and stayed at each other's throats for the next thousand years. Conflict bred evolution, one train of thought went, but there was a difference between competition for the sake of excellence, and the sort of simple greed and treachery that kings and emperors used their countries like weapons in the name of. Religion, resources, 'peace' through the eradication of all resistance - a thousand pleasant words, but a scant few true reasons.
"And how long does that peace last, Remus? I cannot imagine you are blind to record history - no sooner does one conflict end than another takes its place elsewhere on Elibe, and even the peaces forged between two peoples rarely last more than a few centuries, if they even survive a decade or the ascension of the next king to office. Calling such a reprieve 'peace' is naught but to grievously misuse the word; it is merely the calm before another storm." She shook her head. This whole conversation was getting pretty depressing, but reality often was. "If humanity are to be the stewards of this world, as a species it must find within itself the capacity for change - work towards it - fundamentally alter itself as a collective species, rather than simply following those with the power and charisma to control others."
"...And while I have seen hope in individuals, rare individuals whose... ability to love and respect others allows them to see past differences that might otherwise separate them from others, rarely have I found cause to hope for the collective." Veigue was a greater man than most she had met, Elly had hope, Hayle had hope - but what were three against the countless thousands or millions of others across Elibe? Xenophobia and suspicion were omnipresent, even within a country, a village, a community.
|
|
|
Post by Remus on Jan 28, 2015 12:21:10 GMT -6
"...But above all, the world needs dreamers that do."
That was a thought. That was what he would have ultimately aspired to be, but being humble to a fault and finding his own aptitude to change others woefully lacking Remus held an uncharacteristically realistic hint within his mind. He spoke, a bit to himself but not overly quiet. "Dreamers that do..the leaders of the world. Something to aspire to..." Looking up with a bit of a sheepish gaze, his un-occupied hand rubbed the back of his neck as he looked to Miss Nayru while tilting his head. "I fear I may be limited to just a dreamer. I will pray however, and do my best to find and assist those that would do, or dreamers that do even."
He shifted his staff and lifted it, propping it to the side of his temple in thought as he crossed arms with his exposed hand's knuckles propped under his chin folded. Pondering how to word his thoughts, he felt an admitted pleasure in the conversation. Theological and ideological conversations were scarce in the company of the two orphans. Amelia's ideologies consisted of what she could do to rule the world and why couldn't she turn into a dragon. Owain's consisted of sleeping and tending animals. With all the justification to boot that one would expect of a child in either case. Smiling as he conformed his thoughts he tilted his head with a lift of his gaze. Though his staff lowered his knuckles remained under his thin thoughtfully. "The ability to lead. Arguably the biggest symbol of humanities duality. In our histories, there have been rulers who brought about unparalleled peace, kindness and prosperity. Others however have brought unto themselves and these peaceful kingdoms a legacy of war violence and cruelty. It would take nothing short of a miracle. However these people..those who can love and display such kindness, must rule in simultaneous times. Perhaps not every ruler, but those grand enough in their ideals that they can inspire. " He shifted his poise once more. "Inspiration can push men to places they never imagined they could go. It would take the right people..but I believe that is how we would be able to take steps towards a lasting peace."
However after a moment he lifted his hand from his chin waving it slightly. Not to dismiss the belief, but he realized he was beginning to sound almost arrogant in the degree at which he spoke; atleast he believed he was. "Forgive me, milady I have started taking a tone akin to a man preaching lip service. Here I, but a young man ignorant to the ways of the world stand with the audacity to speak of how rulers should behave. It is no befitting of my station, and I apologize for acting so uncharacteristically. "
He moved to sit down after a moment or two. Though she insisted to stand at the doorway, Remus would never have admitted he was still weary. For him, there was seldom time to rest. Though when ever the notion approached he found his own fire to help the children burn way the ache of fatigue. He was blessed to have such focus, truly.
|
|
|
Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Jan 28, 2015 15:20:19 GMT -6
Nayru allowed the statement about unparalleled peace to pass without argument, but her eyes were looking elsewhere, to something not inside the room, as she thought of those words. Of a world where that was actually true - a world not ruled by humans.
Arcadia.
It was both the penultimate example of how humans and dragons could coexist... and the most fragile environment to pin one's hopes that she could think of. A place where both dragons and humans held power, where neither lorded over the other, but a bubble nonetheless, one waiting to be popped by harsh reality. What did it prove, would it prove, in the end? Could it be the template for a still more glorious new dawn, or would it eventually be little more than a footnote in history, an interesting but ultimately unimportant failed experiment that failed to stand the test of time?
That, in essence, was the core problem with human leadership. No matter how great a man might lead, no matter how invulnerable to corruption he might be, no matter how great his love for all the peoples of the world... he was only a man. He would die, and his empire would likely not long outlast him. "Not only simultaneous times," she mused, still thinking about Remus's words, "but for all time. No matter how perfect peace may seem, men die. It is the way of the world. Humans age, grow decrepit, grow ill, die. Even if one were to have the peace you speak of, like the world in the wake of the Scouring... it scatters like so much chaff in the wind when the guiding hand leaves the helm of the ship."
But what was the solution? Nayru did not know, and she suspected she never would. Dragons were, in their own ways, only human as well - more prone to egotism than most humans, and often resistant to changing their ways of thinking, convinced that their experience was absolute. Yes, they would outlive any human... but they had failed to govern well enough to prevent the Scouring. So, then, what had they done wrong? There were as many theories as there were grains of sand in all the beaches of the world. It was humanity's fault - dragonkind should have experimented the filthy monkeys long ago. It was the dragon's fault - their unjust leadership was to blame for the poison in the hearts of men. It was the fault of the individual, or individualism as a concept.
Maybe none of them were true. Maybe there was a kernel of truth in each and every one. They could argue it until the end of time, but without testing, without experimentation...
Finally relinquishing her silent vigil by the door, Nayru acquiesced to Remus's earlier offer and mirrored his example, moving to the chair not yet taken. "...And please. Call me Nayru." She grinned. "I'm no lady."
|
|
|
Post by Remus on Jan 28, 2015 15:54:38 GMT -6
He had to confess, she was correct in her astute observation. Sitting up a bit, with his staff angled slightly but yet propped on the around to his right he moved both hands to clasp near the top now. Shifting himself, he took in what she said and yet found himself a bit remorseful. The Scouring. A great war, upon which his very faith took foundation from yet also behind the eradication of the dragons. Humans and Dragon waging war, until a series of eight humans of remarkable power rose to fight them off. They won the war...yet Remus couldn't help but speculate. At what cost? Doubtless, if the dragons had won the humans would have been a similar subject to genocide...however that did little to change the fact that one species had taken it upon themselves to judge and doom another. If ever there was a question he could ask Saint Elimine, it would have been where the good in such violence could come. While most humans thought to dragons as powerful monstrosities; Remus had often enjoyed reading over the other aspects. Their knowledge accumulated over the years or their ability to speak on spectrum's unknown to people, and yet with all of his reading he had found that there was little history left of them. Truly it would seem history was only told by the victor.
Remus had a bit of a quieter tone as he spoke next, even while the woman sat upon the chair closer into the room. "Alas. The Scouring. I...admit it is a point of history I've tried to scry as much as possible from texts. I suppose it saddens me to know beings that could live for hundreds of years, accomplish amazing feats..are gone from the world. Man commits sin upon himself, yet it is found that he can find his own flaws in his foe and justify. However to another race entirely..? I learned early in my youth living within the church that it was a topic I was unable to question or attempt to earn enlightenment from. I remember the scolding I got for once asking...to the degree I actually shudder a bit asking now but; if Elimine believed in the health of all things how could she condone..or even contribute in the destruction of another? Perhaps I'm a bit to soft of a man. I simply believe one with the power to heal should not then contribute in destruction."
When she spoke of her being no lady, Remus chuckled with her before shifting his gaze to her and tilting his head. "Ah, well you'll have to forgive me if I settle for Miss Nayru instead of simply your name. The life in the church has forced formalities unto my very way of life." He chuckled once again tilted his head examining her.
|
|
|
Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Jan 28, 2015 18:16:56 GMT -6
"History is written by the victors."
She spoke neutrally, born both of years of practice and the simple fact that she had not been forced to live through that holocaust herself. Nayru was no impartial observer, needless to say - raised in Arcadia, surrounded by evidence of what the Scouring had reduced her kind to, she had little doubt in her mind as to the morality of the situation. But she was far enough removed from the reality of it to not be consumed by hate born of it; blind hatred only begat more of itself, and she had more than enough issues with hate of her own without becoming a proxy for that of others.
"Man cannot even coexist with his own kind. What is the saying? 'It was me against my brother; me and my brother against our father; my family against my cousins and the clan; the clan against the tribe; and the tribe against the world.' Perhaps the Scouring was always inevitable... humanity unwilling to share the continent with their cousins?"
Her words were not exactly an indictment so much as an open question, inviting a response from Remus rather than arguing a point. She had her own opinions on the subject, but they were malleable, incomplete. Without having been there herself to witness the facts, without truly knowing the relative innocence of dragons, Nayru did not feel able to hold a stronger set of beliefs on the subject. There had been plenty of Scouring survivors in Arcadia, but the human side was five hundred years, more than a dozen generations, beyond the humans who had helped found Arcadia, and the modern human population of the city mostly did not care for the outside world or the subject of the Scouring in equal parts.
"I have asked myself the same question, brother Remus, but I had not the jealous gaze of the Church weighing heavy on my shoulders to taint the outcome - nor will I ever. A faith based on hypocrisy and genocide will never appeal to me, no matter how honeyed its words... or how many good men and women serve it truly believing they are doing the right thing."
|
|
|
Post by Remus on Jan 28, 2015 19:20:44 GMT -6
It would be a lie if her words hadn't contained a bit of a hammer blow to the anvil that was his faith, and pride. Being a priest meant acknowledging truths if he was to better provide spiritual comfort to others seeking help. He had just acknowledged Saint Elimine had contributed in the destruction of the dragons, so he was not wrong. It still didn't ease his wounded pride to hear his faith referred to as genocidal...or hypocritical. He knew some provided false faith. Lip service, or exploited it for their own gain. However at his core he /knew/ the faith had been established for good. He simply couldn't believe in any other thing. Call it a short coming, call it blindness; he called it faith. Though the Priest masked his discomfort at her words fairly well by acknowledging that bitter though they were; she wasn't entirely wrong. He had to remind himself that could come to believe such. Saint Elimine had helped in the destruction of the dragons, and had even championed along side the other 8 heroes to bring about the end of the war. So in a way the source of their faith had assisted in committing genocide. He was hesitant to speak, leaning forward with his staff being once more propped to his shoulder and he clasping his hands with intertwined fingers.
"I realize the way of Saint Elimine's faith is not for all. At times not many seem truly suited for it. Bishops that lounge in luxury while citizens in the outskirts of Etruria rely on roaming patrols for safety. My home may be a nation of power now..but that power is ill used and I am not blind to it. I just wish...that I could do more to change it. I am but a priest, a young priest who has yet to see much of the world. At a time when it is easy to be impatient, I am forced to be just that..patient. " He spoke now as if he was confessing, just as much as speaking. Almost like he spoke to himself. The slightly messy blue locks of hair assisted in covering his face as he looked down before lifting his head to gaze at the woman. However despite his tone the kind smile had seemed to remain, a chuckle following. Even after such thoughts he seemed to find a bright side. Ever the optimist. His gaze now turned to the bed opposed of Nayru. Little Amelia who had been sitting up slept where she sat; her nose, closed eyes, and lips peeking through the mass cocoon of blankets. Remus looked fondly unto them.
"Perhaps we have but to entrust it to others. What we do not have the time to do. So others can shape the future and continue our legacy. Only time could tell."
|
|
|
Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Jan 29, 2015 11:46:50 GMT -6
Aaaand this was why she didn't talk religion often - she had a... tendency to get carried away at times, born of her own resentment. Eliminism itself might deserve it, but Remus had already proven himself too freed of that poisonous dogma to deserve that treatment himself. Nayru at least had the decency to look a bit uncomfortable and apologetic when she responded, feeling a little bad now for letting her mouth run off like that. "...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I know you're just doing what you think is right, that you can't change a monolithic faith on your own, and I should not have included you in my ire, even tangentially."
She still didn't care much for Eliminism, but that didn't mean everyone in it was guilty. In a way, though, while it was harsh, it was in some ways true... each good person serving the Church simply helped give it a positive face. But to break away from it took courage and a disregard for one's own livelihood that she couldn't blame them for not having - they did not have the opportunity to simply walk away from it - and just as importantly, there was little alternative in the world today. Eliminism was not the only religion, but it was by far the largest and best-known, and if it gave hope to the common citizens, it wasn't all bad.
Maybe that was what bothered her the most about it - it was corrupt to the core and built on lies... and yet still, in its own way, the only hope many people had, and in many ways a positive contribution overall to human well-being. Simply destroying it, even if it were in her reach, wouldn't do much - one would need a replacement, and theological concerns like that were well beyond Nayru's limited abilities.
The more she interacted with humans, the more Nayru realized how precious the gift of unending life actually was - something most dragons took as a matter of fact, that even she had once taken as a simple fact of life, had turned into a curse as she wandered for years. Now she was in part free of the crushing burden that had nearly consumed her, but had little true idea what to do with that gift... perhaps it was wasted on her, perhaps Remus or a truly strong leader of men would make better use of it, if it was in her power to give it.
And then there was the prospect of outliving Veigue, something that had come to mind more and more lately, and she did not care to think too hard about.
"The curse... and blessing... of mortality. Doomed to fade to dust in a few short decades, rarely to see the fruits of one's labors... but every one possessing a spark of possibility that can be ignited to burn brighter than any flame. And then, like a candle at the end of its wick - only darkness remains."
|
|
|
Post by Remus on Jan 29, 2015 12:05:24 GMT -6
He knew his faith wasn't for all. That there were many who saw the powers of his church as little more than simple mindless politics stapled atop the pretense of a holy text. Her words had been heard before, in some form or another; nor would it be the last time Remus heard them. It was just merely difficult to hear that which his life drew guidelines from described so..differently. The blue haired priest shifted his gaze a bit as he smiled to her, in retrospect seeming far more upbeat now as he chuckled a bit. He truly disliked the idea of another feeling the need to apologize to him, and was somewhat quick to speak. "Miss Nayru you've nothing to apologize for. I'm certain you have a right to view the church as you do, and I did not take your opinion of it to myself directly. To be frank; slanderous as my words may seem? The words you speak are not false. While it would not be apt for a man of my faith to word them as such..Elimine did assist in the destruction of the dragons. So your statement there holds weight. Priests and men in standing with the church now do take advantage of their power to benefit while others suffer. Hypocrites. I may have stock in my faith, but I believe I must also be responsible for acknowledging short comings in it. Again, a mind-set I was scolded for quite often. Haha...ahh..mayhaps it is for the best I am not confined to a church. I may be looked down upon and children kept from me for fear of turning them into wayward souls."
He looked to his own charges for a moment. He could only hope, no pray; that he could guide them well. That the impression left upon him in their time of growing would be enough to lead them on a path which would bring them much joy. How they turned out, and how they fared often bogged his mind and thoughts admittedly. When nayru started to speak again he looked to her with a bit of a smile, acknowledging the bittersweet blessing of morality. His tone almost a sad agreement. "My father used to call it Man's gift. Everything we do is limited in time. Everything seems...brighter when you know it won't last forever. It seems all the more special. Men worry of a legacy. So that they might not be forgotten; history tells it's tales and we often keep to our thoughts those no longer there precisely to inquire what they themselves would have done. It is all we can do, at times I fear. To make the greatest change..knowing that while you may not live on your deeds will. Then again..can one really imagine it any other way? I know not what man kind would do with out such mortality. While the good would still be alive; so too would many a brigand or fiend. I believe it is truly for the best this way. "
|
|
|
Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Jan 29, 2015 13:48:41 GMT -6
If nothing else, it was certainly becoming quite clear why the good sir Remus was out gallivanting about the countryside instead of dutifully studying and preaching to the converted - while his faith in his religion was strong, he held no shortage of unpopular or downright heretical views on the subject. She had misjudged him more severely than she had even considered, Nayru realized, which was a pleasant surprise to one who struggled with thinking that had seen all there was to see of humanity at times. She knew intellectually that she had not, and likely never would, but too many humans blended together into the same sea of mediocrity.
Something about his wording sparked a thought of her own. “In between my duties and opportunities as a wanderer, I have some interest - a hobby, if you will - in being a historian... learning of the past, the connections between it and the present, and discovering... and memorializing... those who went before. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly the world forgets the dead, how even the noblest sacrifices and the kindest souls alike fade to oblivion so quickly after their last breath. A day, a year, ten years, fifty - what separates them from the stories that do endure? There are patterns, but I have not the breadth of knowledge nor view to make sense of them all..”
She didn't particularly see any need to mention that she had lived through most of that - Remus, as most humans, would naturally assume she was speaking of what she had read and heard. Lying by omission, perhaps, but was it entirely her fault if it was merely taking advantage of the human perspective? “If there is a god - whether it be your saint, a personification of Mother Earth, an overwhelming existence that watches from beyond the stars - I cannot imagine they are pleased by what they see. One wonders what a Saint or an avatar might do if brought back to life, even for a time... I seem to remember hearing tales of the Bandit King resurrecting Elimine as a mere shade of her former self some years back, though how those tales end, and exactly how in control of her own faculties she was, is wrapped in some degree of confusion and disagreement.”
Nayru paused, pensive, as she tried to imagine it. “I cannot imagine sleeping a thousand years after the completion of my great task, only to be awakened to a world like this one. To have my name attached to a religion, interpreted a thousand different ways over the years...” She smiled. “I imagine it would be quite disorienting.”
|
|
|
Post by Remus on Jan 29, 2015 23:07:46 GMT -6
He was feeling to be in his element once more. Talks of history and theory or ideological aspects. Perhaps it was better to say, he was finding his barrings again. He had never really left his element; merely stumbled a bit in the passion of her words compared to his own and her comment on his faith. He had to confess, he found her scholarly habit a bit surprising. He had inadvertently, or perhaps subconsciously labeled her as the rough quick to act type. Though their conversations had prompted deep philosophical insight from her it hadn't established a studious nature. As usual, her words prompted thought. As if trying to solve a riddle he pondered the questions posed. Validity certainly present within them he tilted his head to gaze at her curiously. He lifted his staff and sat up straight before crossing a leg with his staff resting upon his lap lengthwise. His tone hinted to an answer practiced; as if he had searched this question prior.
"Men only know the tales that are told to them. The duty to record such feats and accomplishments so that they might further inspire man kind has never been officially assigned. I confess I believe the church would be well suited in this noble goal. History remembers the brave. However it does not remember each brave. Merely those who had some prejudged worthiness to be the hero. Nobility is remembered. Royalty. Gods. Greatest of generals. However the average man that performs miracles would go unnoticed if not some higher force went so far as draw attention to it. This is why I say the church could perform this task. It would be a most noble goal...yet such would be deemed folly by them in their current standing. "
Her next choice of words however found him taking a far more narrowed gaze. As if he squinted to examine the smallest of pinpoints. He looked to the ground in thought. When he responded, he smiled and spoke the words perhaps most true to his heart. "Saint Elimine..would be most disappointed. Of this I've no doubt. Our neighbors suffer blights of untold misery in Lycia while we amass out military. Bern lies in civil war with it's people scattered. What help offers Etruria? No, should be able to stand tall and lift others to our height when they can not stand. What one man does for another we should be able to do for our allies. Elimine desired that we would guide those who are lost, shelter those who are weary. We do these when it is convenient. What of Lycia's orphans? The children on the outskirts of Ostia that barely manage to survive for a week or two before perishing finally? I love dearly, my faith. It is how I configure my very life..and I have seen the great goods brought about by the church. However...if are not doing all that we can, then we are not trying hard enough to be worthy of the values Elimine has entrusted to us. Were she..the real elimine mind you to awaken? I fear she would leave us with not but a word, disappointment bitter in her mouth. "
Such words would not have been spoken to another priest. However even Remus, kinda seemingly eternally happy Remus had a boiling point. It was a relief to inform someone of his true thoughts, and not merely responding with sections of text from the holy book.
|
|