Chapter 134: The Three Tales (1/2)
”First tale,” Fray clapped his hands and the chandelier went off. In an instant, their surroundings changed to a vast meadow covered in flowers of all varieties.
Rakna raised an eyebrow as he could still feel the wall behind him; just that it was invisible. His three companions were looking around in wonder and after a few seconds, they all spotted a peculiar white flower in the middle of the field. It exuded an attractive aura that they just couldn't ignore.
”There was once a flower of legend,” Fray began with his fan over his mouth. ”It was said to hold the world's beauty within its petals. The one who would pluck it would become the most beautiful man or woman to have ever existed.”
”One day, an ordinary farm girl found the flower,” he said as a tattered woman appeared in the scenery that was being projected in the room. ”She was destitute, had no talent or special feature whatsoever, and lived her life day to day. But, like everyone else, she dreamed of grandeur and if given the opportunity, how could she renounce the opportunity?”
”Thus, she approached the flower. She reached for the stem and… it spoke to her.”
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- What do you wish beauty for? -
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A voice echoed in the room and everyone's attention was caught by the image of the girl crouching by the shining flower, releasing waves of pure energy.
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- I want to live a good life. I want the beauty that others have had the chance to possess. I wish to be treated as I deserve. -
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- What makes you think that you deserve beauty more than others? -
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- Because I am here and not them! -
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- Well said! Grab me and your wish will be granted. -
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”As such, the woman picked the flower,” Fray told and the image followed. ”The petals detached themselves and cloaked her body. Her long blond hair became glossier and as soft as silk. Her skin became as exquisite as jade and her face was modeled as if she was the incarnation of the Goddess of Beauty herself.”
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- You now have the beauty you sought. But there is a price. You will be cursed to never be able to be with your soul mate. This can still be revoked within a solar cycle. What do you choose? -
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”Charmed by her own beauty, the woman didn't even think before choosing,” Fray said and waved his hand, changing the image to a bustling city. ”She decided to keep this appearance. She walked to the city, eager to display herself to the world. Everything she did, people would watch. All she asked, would be granted. All men she met, would fall for her.”
”She won over the hearts of nobles, princes, and kings. They fought for her and shed blood over her affection. But she was not naïve nor was she unwise. Taking advantage of those that wanted to woe her, she built her own reign. She made pacts, built businesses, amassed wealth, power, and fame. She sat on a throne, taking control of all below her as her beauty entranced all that laid eyes upon her.”
”Years later, she had become an untouchable figure. She had become something that they revered but never dared to touch. Then, she met the one person that would shake the very foundation of her being,” Fray declared and a man, handsome beyond words, was projected on the image.
”This man also had everything; a prince with immense influence. When the two of them met, they instantly became enamored of each other. The young girl readily pursued a relationship and the feeling was mutual. But… she had forgotten the flower's words.”
”Every advance they made, every date they planned, every meeting, would end up in disaster. Rain would pour, lightning would strike, the earth would quake, people would fall ill, and in due course even the prince became bedridden.”
”It was only then that she remembered the curse. She became desperate. The fact that she was forced to stay away from her beloved and unwillingly causing his sufferings afflicted her with a heartache that she could not have imagined. She restlessly returned to the place where she had found the flower in hope of finding a solution. There, she found the flower back in the ground but without petals.”
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- You came back. Are you satisfied with your beauty? -
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- I am! But I implore you, tell me how to dispel the curse! -
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- …so, you are satisfied but complain about a risk you voluntarily agreed to? -
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- Please, I will do anything! -
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”The flower considered her request,” Fray said solemnly. ”And it replied.”
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- I will dispel the curse. However, instead, you will now become unable to bear children. -
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”The girl hesitated but she ultimately accepted,” Fray said. ”As long as she could be together with the one that she loved, even if they wanted children, they could just adopt them. That's what she believed as a former commoner; blood wasn't everything.”
”When she returned from her trip, her beloved was healed and they were finally able to properly love each other. They married happily and several years later, she became pregnant. At first, she was bewildered but after months, she concluded that the curse had been foiled somehow. Sadly, when the day of labor came… she had a miscarriage.”
”The sorrow she felt that day, the cries she shared with her husband, brought her back once more to the flower. She implored for a solution for the second time and it answered.”
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- I will dispel the curse. However, your children will never love you. -
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”This time, she accepted without hesitation. All she wanted was to atone for the unborn life that she had unwillingly denied and soothe her beloved. In the two following decades, she gave birth to two children. And as the flower had told her, they never loved her. They couldn't. Hence, there was only one thing they could possibly do; loathe her. They, in turn, envied her wealth and power and worked to dethrone her.”
”In their machinations, many lives were lost, assassinations were attempted, and her husband was almost kidnapped. As such, for the third time, she returned to the flower.”
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- I will dispel the curse. However, your beauty will become eternal. -
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”She didn't understand what it meant. But this was the best deal she had heard yet from the flower and happily agreed to it. When she did so, the traces of time that had begun to blemish her godly appearance disappeared. She was ecstatic and she returned to her family. Her children could now fully express their love and they lived in harmony.”
”Time passed. A year, five years, ten years, twenty years, thirty years… and she never aged. Beauty that would not surrender to the erode of time. She watched her loved ones get older and older as she remained as young as the day she found the flower. The sight of her elderly husband close to death compelled her to return to the flower.”
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- I cannot do anything for you. -
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”The flower answered negatively for the first time.”
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- Then take my beauty back! I don't need it! -
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- That is not possible. The blessing that was given to you cannot be taken back. -
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- Why?! Why did you do this to me?! -
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- It was your choice. You wanted to erase the curses. I did so. -
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- There is obviously still one! -
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- There is not. The curses were made to keep the balance. The perfect beauty does not exist. As such, it is needed a flaw. The three curses were made to protect you. However, once the flaws disappeared, a distorted perfection befell you. Your beauty will never die. But beauty is ephemeral. A beauty that is eternal, is a flaw within perfection itself. -
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”She listened to the flower's words and left the meadow distraught, never to come back. When she arrived at her house, she was told that her husband had breathed his last while she was away. Her usual self-assurance shattered as she saw her deceased husband. She continued to live in despair without a way to end her life. After the death of her children, the country began to accuse her of witchery and she was forced to exile herself.”
”As she walked on empty roads, through forests and seas, she asked herself.”
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- Where was I wrong? -
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With that last line, the room returned to normal and Fray looked at Rakna. ”The End. That is the question I ask you; where was she wrong?”
Rakna's raised an eyebrow as everyone turned toward him. 'Where was she wrong? She shouldn't have sought beauty in the first place. She shouldn't have accepted a deal that would lead to a path of self-annihilation. Worse, she went further on that path until there was no way to turn back.'
'But what should I answer? He said the opposite of the correct answer. In this case, what is the correct answer in the first place? Should she have chosen to live as a farm girl? Should she have relented to seek fame and power? Should she have ignored her feelings and never bear children? Should she have let her children abhor her forever?'
'She was wrong on every turn. But taking the literal opposite of each one of them cannot possibly constitute an answer to a question worded that way,' he thought and glanced at Fray. 'I also don't believe that he told me those rules about the answers I should give for no reason. Why ask me to say the opposite? Does he want me to-… ah, I see… this guy already knew what I was going to think about all of this, huh?'
”Nowhere,” he eventually said and the storyteller smiled.
”Tell me more. I need to hear your explanation to accept this answer.”
”She was never wrong. Like everyone, she looked up to grandeur. Like everyone, she yearned to be free. Like everyone, she wished to be respected and acknowledged. Is it wrong to take chances when they are offered to you? No. Is it wrong to yearn for love? No. Is it wrong to attempt and fix your faults out of guilt and grief? No. Is it wrong to save your family and others? No. Is it wrong to wish to die alongside your loved ones? No.”
”She made mistakes. Took wrong turns and roads. Made wrong choices out of foolishness. But that foolishness wasn't wrong. Her decisions weren't wrong in nature. Her paths were wrong but her drive wasn't. She played with fate and fate played with her. That's all there is to it.”
Fray nodded twice whilst clapping lightly, his fan clasped close. ”You're right. You found out pretty quickly, as expected. A tale is meant to convey teachings and you did well unraveling their material.”
Rakna snorted. ”Whatever you say… move on with the next. I don't have all day.”
”Of course,” the writer chuckled and played with his fan. ”All right. Second tale,” he announced and the room changed again.
This time, they appeared in a sort of drill ground for trainee knights. There were numerous people in armor sparring around them but the image seemed to be focused on a certain youth.
”There was once a young and inexperienced boy. With fervent determination and honor, he swore to give everything to his country. With his village overrun and destroyed from the war against the demons, his resolve was like none other.”
”His name was Leos. His talents for the blade and magic arts were immense. He was enrolled into the royal knights without delay where he endured harsh training for years,” Fray told as they all watched images of the boy going through all sorts of exercises.
”His first battle took place four years after joining the knights. It was a fierce battle where demons launched a coordinated attack on an important hub city of the country. He was part of the army's reinforcements that day. When he arrived at the city, he saw the outer walls broken, houses on fire, and countless soldiers and knights fighting within the city against the invaders.”
”The cries of pain and hurt from both fighters and civilians sent him in a rage. He stormed through the battlefield, swinging his sword with wild abandon. He had no mercy for demons. He was filled with hatred and revenge.”
”In his fit of madness, he spear-headed the army and decimated countless demons by himself. As the conflict neared its end, he spotted one of his dearest friends in the knight corps attacked from behind by a demon. He screamed at him to dodge and reached for him as fast he could. But he was helpless as he saw his friend's life being taken away right in front of his eyes.”
”He slew the demon and held his bloodied brother in arms. His hatred turned into sorrow and he cried to the heavens. Miraculously, his calls were answered,” Fray said and looked up, everyone imitating him. The ceiling was displaying a cloudy sky before a streak of light divided it.
”The skies split and a pillar of holy energy fell on Leos. His body and soul were branded by God and he obtained the necessary power to save his friend from near death. When he returned to the capital, he was personally welcomed by the King and he was promoted to Paladin by the Church.”
”On a peaceful night, Leos, who had come to learn to have faith in his God, prayed to him. His mind was one plagued by hatred and war. But, there was something he needed to know. Something that would always keep him awake. And so, he asked,” Fray said as they watched the armored man kneel in the hall of the Church whilst illuminated by a ray of moonlight.
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- My Lord, why have you created demons? Why are they so evil? -
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- My Child, I have created naught. I planted your seeds. I am your Father, not your Maker. -
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”The God's answer only served to confuse him more.”
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- But… if we share the same seedling bed, why are they so different? Why do they seek war? -
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- My Child… do you really wish to know? -
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”Leos was first surprised by this answer. He was suddenly gripped by anxiousness. Something was telling him that he wouldn't like the truth. But he was not turning back now.”
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- Yes. Please tell me. -