~ X O ~
The First Librarian
In Palestine, a calm day before a barrage strikes suddenly, buildings
destroyed in the wake. Inside an urban school, Aedera stands
between
shelves in the school library. With the explosions it suddenly
collapses around her.
In the settling
dust she's leaned over breathing hard. The bookshelf on her back, the
rubble on the bookshelf. Breathing deeply she coughs blood, the shelf
and rubble shifting with her every move.
A tear, she closes her eyes and breathes deeply, with a jagged breath. She exhales to relax and let it fall.
A child's voice - "Ms. Aedera ?"
She breaks into tears in the dark, with the growing sound of children coughing and crying out around her.
________________
In the hut.
She
leans over the nameless, his body overgrown with moss and clover, and
kisses him on the cheek, the mouse crawls up her hand to her shoulder.
She
stands taking the blunderbuss and powder bag, blue light fading to
darkness. In the night's dim light she walks quietly out the door.
~ The Scribe ~
A Domesday Book of Sanctuary
Aedera - In the dim light, "It's okay. They're coming for us. You hold on, and so will I."
The rubble shifts and she cries out.
Aedera - To the growing sounds of fear, "No. A story."
~ The First Librarian ~
Aedera - Voiced in the dark heavy breathing smoothing to tones, "I give you my secrets ... as many as ... they would have been for my finest student, through life, and that is one of you."
As she speaks the tale takes form in the dark, briefly lighting their faces before fading to tale, following her words in sweeping view of the scenes.
Aedera - "It was the high northern mountains, they say in the year of their AD eight forty-nine. Deep into the mountainsides they lived, the Dwarvenkind."
"There they ruled a silent hold on the world's alchemy and gold. Their men, warriors trained hard, made stout by the thousand year mines."
Guinnvera walks down the deep temple hall with her guard from the wood to a woman waiting.
Aedera - Voiced as they walk, "But when they speak of the hidden Dwarven treasures, eavesdropping fools assumed they meant gold. And indeed it usually was. But their most sacred and secret treasure was always the hidden queens of Dwarvenkind"
Guinnvera - Handing over The Book of Names, "You will not leave the temple until the book is retrieved. You will protect it with your life, and you will transcribe. And for this you will gain it's secrets as far as you may chose to look look. Do you agree ?"
Librarian - Taking the book, head low, "I do."
Guinnvera - A short inspecting laugh, then a thought, "You know I find myself both jealous ... and yet so disposed to mock your choice. I believe you to be the wiser of we two, my sister." Turning away with a laugh, "But the first librarian will outlive us all I think !"
A hard stone slab slides shut, slot at the bottom for food and volumes. An empty book for transcription slides through followed by a meal, worthy.
________
Years pass as empty books fill with volumes, another fine meal slides under the door. She sets down her quill, book open, then return she sees the tiny white mouse.
Librarian - "You cannot be here little mouse."
A squeak.
A furrowed brow, a piece of bread offered, and together they read chewing while she transcribes.
________
More shelves are filled, a meal slide under, pushed forward by another volume.
Librarian - Leaning back with her food's leg, "My meals were always so shy ... were you here before I, little mouse ?"
The mouse looks up at her, then back the book, digging her nose under to turn a page before continuing to read.
Librarian - "The first librarian ..."
_______
With the heavy cranking of ancient gears the door is hefted back up. Morgan stands waiting dressed as for the 1590's, Guinnvera and guard behind.
Librarian - Mouse on her shoulder, holding out the book, "How long ?"
Morgan - Looking to the mouse looking back curiously, then to her, "Seven hundred thirty two years and a season."
Guinnvera - Stepping up, "I didn't think I'd make it that long, sister. It's been busy." She takes her hands, smiling at the mouse, then to her. "Would you like to see the sun ?"
They walk out to the high cliff terrace buried in the rough, sweeping across the high northern mountains.
The Second Dragon King
The sound of digging past the rubble, a voice ...
"Is there anyone still in there ?"
Aedera
- Crying out, pained from the weight, "Yes ! Come quickly ! I can't
... I can't ..." She takes deep breaths, and continues.
~ The Second Dragon King ~
Aedera - In the darkness - "It was his first battle in rule, the second dragon king, the first to hold that title since the dying times died."
"But then the day the dead did walk again, and so did rise the dragons and a king."
Her descriptions take form in the dark, briefly lighting their crowded space before it take over the view.
Aedera - Voiced over the scene, "The enemy in line, roaring their despise, myth and monster, man and monstrosity, and against them to protect the land, the Goddess, no other came. Alone was the first order of the second dragon king.
"So young ... a chamberlain required."
Chamberlain - Approaching the new king's side, "Be brave, they will follow."
The second - After a pause staring across the enemy, a smile, then pensive, "Fools will fall. But am I worthy of this ?"
Chamberlain - "Was ever a king worthy ? In all the time prior or since ?"
The second - "Was he ?"
Chamberlain - "For you to judge."
________
The dinosaurs in their earliest forms, scavengers against the insects and wild, their king at the head peering through weed, directing their gathering against the unknown.
They grow and diversify, wandering the long beaches as a massive herd.
Chamberlain - Voiced over, "We prospered and evolved well under his rule, there was never a challenge, never a need, that he ruled ... was."
In later forms he watches from the cliff, chamberlain at his side while the massive herd roams lazily.
First - To the chamberlain, "There is no way to sustain this. Where we go, we devour." He looks to the chamberlain, "I fear we must divide the people."
Chamberlain - Turning back to a devoured field, then down to the herd with sadness, "It is wise."
Chamberlain - Voiced over as the herd divides into many directions, a dark day, "And so it was done." As their path regrows over time, "And it was good."
In seasonal cycles they meet happily at the waterhole, sharing tales of many directions.
Chamberlain - "Until ..." A comet flies over ...
A flash.
Chamberlain - "But we did survive, I know what those fools cross field have told you, but survive ... we did."
As the world grows to wasteland ... in the cycles the watering hole shrinks.
Chamberlain - "But not much else."
The hungry beasts, fully differentiated stare across the small pond at each other, a distance from it's muddy shore.
The chamberlain walks to the fist king, staring from the cliff, both appearing now carnivorous, as their packs gathering behind. Behind them they his and grunt small roars, hungry, thirsty.
Chamberlain - "And what to do."
The first stares a long time in silence, scenting the wind, looking across at the angry herds below, posturing to each other, swinging weighted tails as they edge closer to the water.
First - "Eat them."
____
The field pulls back to the roaring enemy line, taunting cross field.
Chamberlain - "And he swore the title king no more, that day ever after."
Second - Looking across the field, "What does it mean ?"
Chamberlain - "Nothing."
Second - Looking across, sighting their ruler, "What happened to him ?"
Chamberlain - "He died at your side. Three years ago."
Second - Looking down, "I remember him." Looking up with a nod, "He fought well."
Chamberlain - "That he did."
The pause in remembrance.
He roars forth their charge, the field fills with their collision.
The Third of Three
Stones are moved, shifting the ruble, collapsing on her weight as she
stains, taking deep breath between the tears, a tiny light shines
through.
The voice - "Are you still in there ?"
Aedera - In a near scream, "Please !"
Breathing and composing, stones shifting, she continues.
________________
Aedera - "Firsts and seconds, they sit around the fire after dusk ...
the ladies of fate, freed so briefly of their thirds of three."
The fire glows in the room under her face as she speaks dripping tears to steam, the saddest tale for her to tell.
____
Naamah - A small bird on her stick, "So the men are dead ! Ran
off to war and died in a blast. Hm ! I read in peace."
Crone - Twirling a stick with a fish, "Oh yes ... run they did. Hee hee ! Run they did."
Lilith - A marshmallow, "Well not all the men ..." She sideways glances Naamah.
Mother - A lizard, "What do you know about it ? You only date birds !"
...
Lilith - "You know I've always wondered. Who's the man that made you the mother ?"
Crone - "Oh !" Leans back on her rock "He was handsome !"
Mother - "I really think she should be here for this story ..."
Crone - "Well she's Not ! So I get to tell it."
~ The Third of Three ~
Crone begins voiced over as the maiden walks down the street in the twenties wearing a flapper dress, 20ish years old, attracting much attention.
Crone - "It was another of her little getaways ..." she cackles.
Mother - "And the whole world goes to shit every time she does ..."
Cars swerve and restaurants explode in old Chicago as she walks by. Gangsters jump out and shoot each other down in her path as she steps over them and into the speakeasy, pulling a cigarette.
She smiles looking up as the bartender lights it and opens the door behind the bar and closes it behind her.
Naamah - "No one ever did credit her ability to run numbers."
The maiden sits at the head of a table of dangerous looking men holding cards, the biggest pile in front of her as she lays down her hand. "Cry, bitches."
Crone - "It's true it's True ! Always a prodigy." Tosses her hair laughing and dancing to their clapping, "Just look how she turns out !"
The men are stare confused when she rakes the money into a large bag and slings it over her shoulder, picking up lastly a set of car keys from the table in front of one of the silent unlucky, stunned as she kisses the scar on his cheek.
Maiden - Before leaving the backroom, door open, "And boys, if you really want to keep killing each other, try a Thompson."
The door closes.
________
Venus leans back on the railing overlooking the gun factory in the 20's on near the platform office in a 20's, checking over her shoulder while a man examines blueprints, smoking a cigar with shock.
________
Mother - "You see ? Total walking shit storm."
Crone - "Hee hee ! My turn next !"
________
Crone - "And she saw him standing there ! Right in the middle of the road !"
Maiden - Many more bags of money (dollar signs) bouncing around in the back seat while she tears dangerously down the night time road in the rain, swerving near the cliff, "! Woooo ! ... Huh ... ?"
A time slowed focus to his face looking directly at her in the headlights, a long suit coat under an overcoat, all fitted to his square frame, strong jaw beneath a broad hat.
Maiden - Car slow-time barrelling toward him, "Oh ..." Then as normal time returns, "Oh fuck !"
She swerves to miss him off the cliff, car tumbling as she rolls around inside, money flying out of the bags in the back seat. "Fuck ! Shit ! Dammit !" as she rolls and bounces.
Then off a high cliff, in the air, "Oh fuck ..."
A long silence before an explosion sounds, lighting the woods.
"! Damn it !"
____
At the bottom of the cliff the man in the road sees her standing with her arms crossed staring at the burning car, half burned money is everywhere, her dress shredded and burned.
Man - "Hey ... miss ? Are you alright ... ?"
Maiden - "Oh ! Ummm." Falls to the ground, horribly faking. "Umm ... ouch. I'm not."
Man - Approaching slowly, "How did you survive that ?"
Maiden - "Oh that ? ... No idea." Laying back and feigning great 'pain', "Hey, I don't suppose you'd like to carry me back up that hill ..." She lazily gestures to the nearly impassable cliff.
Man - "I'm not sure I should move you ..."
Maiden - "Oh no. You should definitely move me."
____
In his car, she's curled in the passenger seat staring at him, his coat tied tightly around her. "Why were standing in the road ?"
Man - "My car just stopped. It was strange ... and ... also that it started right back up again just now." He looks over at her as she closes her eyes to sleep.
Maiden - "Eyes on the road, sunshine. You never know what'll come up next."
____________
With a painful jolt of rubble, Aedera watches as one by one they're pulled free by the reaching arms, until the last, leaving the light shining through.
Aedera - Closing her eyes, whispers, "Thank you."
It collapses.
~ 2018 ~ For Palestine ~
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