Once, long ago, there was a proud and powerful kingdom ruled by a mighty and wise King. With a kind heart and unfettered knowledge, the King brought into his counsel a man of strong character who was looked up to by all he knew. The King showed the man, called Thelath, all the wonders of the kingdom he had created, and watched as Thelath’s interest grew. Impatiently, Thelath waited for the moment when the King would trust him completely.
One day, the King called for Thelath and led him through the bright hallways at the height of the castle which led into the hollow center of the mountain. Inside, the light reflected off of the sparkling rocks on the walls and blinded Thelath, angering him. Face red with frustration and anticipation, the man walked quickly behind the King who led him to the very heart of the entire kingdom.
Once they had entered the chamber which held the kingdom’s heart, the light strengthened and softened to caress those who walked inside of it. Thelath ignored the touch of the light and focused only on the thing that floated gently from wall to wall and from ceiling to floor. It was a strange but beautiful tapestry woven with many colors which Thelath had no name for. He gazed greedily upon it and asked what its purpose was.
The King showed Thelath that the tapestry was the King’s own creation. It was the world all around them, and it extended on and on by the King’s power. The King loved this creation immensely, as its design was based solely on the King’s heart. Thelath desired the tapestry, but more than that he desired adoration.
Leaving the chamber, Thelath left and gathered to him a group of men who were corrupted by his speech. Together, they rose up against the King and tried to drag him from the throne. They failed, and were cast out of the kingdom.
Before he was caught, however, Thelath made his way to the heart of the world and gazed once more upon the glorious tapestry. Bribing the two guards, also the creations of the King, Thelath asked them to help him destroy the tapestry, and told them it would free them of the ropes which bound them to the tapestry. With swords raised, they tore through the cloth and ripped it into thousand pieces. But there, stretched through the tapestry, there was a single thread which wound around and through each of the ripped pieces, holding them together still. No matter how he tried, Thelath could not break this strand, which was bound in the shape of a sword.
With no time left, Thelath was taken, and cast out into the darkness, pleased by the thought that he had nearly destroyed the King’s creation. But always, there was the sense that it was unfinished, and the King was prepared to piece the tapestry back together. Thelath gritted and gnashed his teeth in rugged determination. He would do all he could to keep the King from repairing his world.
What Thelath could not see in that moment was full effect of his actions. The guards who had been bound to the beauty of the tapestry had indeed cut their bindings, but they had been grabbed again and dragged into the dark blackness that now consumed the center of the kingdom. Only the light of the King allowed for anything to be seen, but the tapestry shrugged and bent away from his light of its creator.
The King had a plan to redeem his creation, but Thelath’s followers snuck through the worlds each day, tugging the hidden strings of each person’s heart, and pulling them further away from their creator. Beginning at the middle of the worlds, where they all connected briefly, the King began to weave a strong thread that moved outwards into all the other worlds. The tapestry shrugged away from him still, and he looked at the ugliness that now invaded his creation and sighed in sorrow. Putting his tools down, the King guided the worlds back to him, and they broke away. He toiled day and night without end, but his righteous anger for the darkness that spoiled his work burned like a fire within and warmed the dark threads in the tapestry with its heat until they crumbled like dust.
Thus life went on for a long time. The King would create, and burn. The servants of Thelath crept around and pulled the pieces apart which the King pulled back into the design. The chaos of darkness and the shadows of rebellion clung to the guards that the King had entrusted with his world.
The King’s only son, knowing his Father’s mind, entered the chamber at the heart of the kingdoms and gazed upon the tapestry with sorrow. Stepping closer, he wove the threads around himself so that he, as a part of the kingdoms, could help to pull it together while his Father worked to secure the light that was left in the tapestry. When his work was nearing completion, the prince cut himself out of the tapestry, his blood staining the strings and turning those which had seemed dark before into a brilliant red that glinted with the purity of snow. These threads, moving with the will of the King, spread out among the worlds and rubbed the filth off of the stained threads. At the same time, the dark threads which did not change and resisted the light still were cut out by the King.
And so went the time after. The King wove and the prince held the strings so that they might lead back to the light. What happened inside the kingdoms themselves? Many things. The darkness that engulfed them stretched throughout, but the brilliant lights that the King sent through the worlds connected them and allowed them to fight back in a battle hidden to the untrained observer. This was how life went on. This was how life was saved.
One day, the King called for Thelath and led him through the bright hallways at the height of the castle which led into the hollow center of the mountain. Inside, the light reflected off of the sparkling rocks on the walls and blinded Thelath, angering him. Face red with frustration and anticipation, the man walked quickly behind the King who led him to the very heart of the entire kingdom.
Once they had entered the chamber which held the kingdom’s heart, the light strengthened and softened to caress those who walked inside of it. Thelath ignored the touch of the light and focused only on the thing that floated gently from wall to wall and from ceiling to floor. It was a strange but beautiful tapestry woven with many colors which Thelath had no name for. He gazed greedily upon it and asked what its purpose was.
The King showed Thelath that the tapestry was the King’s own creation. It was the world all around them, and it extended on and on by the King’s power. The King loved this creation immensely, as its design was based solely on the King’s heart. Thelath desired the tapestry, but more than that he desired adoration.
Leaving the chamber, Thelath left and gathered to him a group of men who were corrupted by his speech. Together, they rose up against the King and tried to drag him from the throne. They failed, and were cast out of the kingdom.
Before he was caught, however, Thelath made his way to the heart of the world and gazed once more upon the glorious tapestry. Bribing the two guards, also the creations of the King, Thelath asked them to help him destroy the tapestry, and told them it would free them of the ropes which bound them to the tapestry. With swords raised, they tore through the cloth and ripped it into thousand pieces. But there, stretched through the tapestry, there was a single thread which wound around and through each of the ripped pieces, holding them together still. No matter how he tried, Thelath could not break this strand, which was bound in the shape of a sword.
With no time left, Thelath was taken, and cast out into the darkness, pleased by the thought that he had nearly destroyed the King’s creation. But always, there was the sense that it was unfinished, and the King was prepared to piece the tapestry back together. Thelath gritted and gnashed his teeth in rugged determination. He would do all he could to keep the King from repairing his world.
What Thelath could not see in that moment was full effect of his actions. The guards who had been bound to the beauty of the tapestry had indeed cut their bindings, but they had been grabbed again and dragged into the dark blackness that now consumed the center of the kingdom. Only the light of the King allowed for anything to be seen, but the tapestry shrugged and bent away from his light of its creator.
The King had a plan to redeem his creation, but Thelath’s followers snuck through the worlds each day, tugging the hidden strings of each person’s heart, and pulling them further away from their creator. Beginning at the middle of the worlds, where they all connected briefly, the King began to weave a strong thread that moved outwards into all the other worlds. The tapestry shrugged away from him still, and he looked at the ugliness that now invaded his creation and sighed in sorrow. Putting his tools down, the King guided the worlds back to him, and they broke away. He toiled day and night without end, but his righteous anger for the darkness that spoiled his work burned like a fire within and warmed the dark threads in the tapestry with its heat until they crumbled like dust.
Thus life went on for a long time. The King would create, and burn. The servants of Thelath crept around and pulled the pieces apart which the King pulled back into the design. The chaos of darkness and the shadows of rebellion clung to the guards that the King had entrusted with his world.
The King’s only son, knowing his Father’s mind, entered the chamber at the heart of the kingdoms and gazed upon the tapestry with sorrow. Stepping closer, he wove the threads around himself so that he, as a part of the kingdoms, could help to pull it together while his Father worked to secure the light that was left in the tapestry. When his work was nearing completion, the prince cut himself out of the tapestry, his blood staining the strings and turning those which had seemed dark before into a brilliant red that glinted with the purity of snow. These threads, moving with the will of the King, spread out among the worlds and rubbed the filth off of the stained threads. At the same time, the dark threads which did not change and resisted the light still were cut out by the King.
And so went the time after. The King wove and the prince held the strings so that they might lead back to the light. What happened inside the kingdoms themselves? Many things. The darkness that engulfed them stretched throughout, but the brilliant lights that the King sent through the worlds connected them and allowed them to fight back in a battle hidden to the untrained observer. This was how life went on. This was how life was saved.