The Torch's StoryThis is how the Torch began: The Beast, the Snake, and the Grand Wizard.In the beginning, the Grand Wizard needed a friend, but did not know where to find one. So, he walked for moons and suns and many days and nights. He was tired and fell asleep. In sleep, a vision of a hunt. He hunted, but he was not good at it, for he was not a Hunter. He hunted bird and fish and every four-legged animal, but his magic did not work. When he woke, he cried out, “I am undone. I will die.” He wept and went to sleep. Another vision: a great Beast had in its mouth a burning stick, and touched his hands. It burned him, and frightened him greatly. “Why do you hurt me?! I did nothing to harm you, great Beast!” “You are weak, and fire will consume you!” And the Beast dropped its head to gore the Grand Wizard with his many pointed horns, dropping the stick and setting the land a-blaze. When he woke, he cried out, “I am undone! For even the land burns, and I do not! I am without strength, I am without food, I am without fire!” And he wept and went to sleep once more. Yet another vision: he saw all the animals he could not catch, all the birds and the fish and the four-legged animals crying. And he asked them: “Why is it that you are crying?” “The fire is consuming everything! The Beast is too wild, and will not listen! Please save us!” “But I do not have strength. See? My magic is gone and will not sustain me!” said the Grand Wizard. “I will grant you my courage!” said the lion, shaking his mane. “You shall not fear him!” “I will grant you my speed! You can outrun him!!” offered the hare, hopping around on its back legs. “I will give you my cunning! You’ll devise a plan to trap him!!” cawed the raven, beating its wings. “I will grant you my bite!” said the snake. “Of what use is your bite?” scoffed the Grand Wizard. “You have no limbs to tear your foe, and no wings to beat them about the head, no claws to scratch their faces, and a single strike from a heel will crush your head flat!” “That is true, oh great Wizard, but one bite from my fangs causes the Beast to tremble and foam at the mouth. One nip of my fangs, and the prey is paralyzed. One bite from my fangs, and there is nothing the Beast can do, and he will go quickly into the gray beyond.” “This is very good indeed, Snake. I shall take your bite, then.” said the Grand Wizard. And then he walked for a long time and found the Beast. Because of the Lion’s Courage, he did not fear the burning stick, nor the Beast at all. “Stop what you are doing! All creatures have a right to live in this world!” “Nay!” shouted the Beast, his voice thundering through the rocks and trees. “I shall burn what I like, and I will cull the weak!” And using the Speed the Hare gave him the Grand Wizard and the Beast chased each other round and round, but then he realized that this was tiring the Beast while spreading fire everywhere. Using the Cunning of the Raven, he dropped to his knees. “I am injured!” he cried out, and the Beast thought ‘Now is my chance!’ and placed both forelegs on the Grand Wizard’s shoulders. “Now I shall trample you, foolish Wizard, and this land is mine!” “You are the foolish one!” The Grand Wizard turned his head, biting the Beast on the right foot. The Beast reeled in pain, trembled and fell over. “Beast, you are defeated, and no more will you be in charge of Fire!” And the Grand Wizard took the stick and gave it to Snake, for it was his bite that allowed him to win the day. When he woke, there was a snake there, holding a small twig that was smoldering, and the remains of a great beast that had sought to kill him as he slept. The Grand Wizard gave the snake the ability to speak. “You are truly a friend that I wish to have, for you carry the fire as I have granted you, and your bite saved my mind, body, and soul!” he said to the Snake. “Tell me, what is your name?” “My name is as long as the reeds and as short as the scales on my skin,” replied the snake as he took the stick from its jaws. “That will not do for me,” said the Grand Wizard, and he tapped the stick to the snake and to the remains of the beast, creating a naked man with horns, scales, muscles, fangs, and fire within. “I will name you Rel, and you will be the keeper of the torch, keeper of the fire, and use it to create as well as destroy. You will be my friend.” And thus the two men embraced and Snake, now called Rel, lived a long time, teaching his ways to his people. We are the Keepers of the Fire, that the Circle can see their way in the Darkness. Those who are our enemies, we shall burn. That which is spared burning will be hunted, and hurt by fangs. We will never raise fangs or torches against another shifter, for all shifters come from the Moon Goddess, who granted skills to the Grand Wizard who bestowed it in Rel, who gave it to all of us. If a shifter who is wrong raises fangs or torches against us, or the Circle, we shall sacrifice them, for this will make us stronger as we send their soul on to gray beyond. This is our History. Keep it well. (This is how the Torch was taught this all started. - Aven) |
Created by Janna Oakfellow-Pushee at 11-01-12 01:18 AM
Last Modified by Janna Oakfellow-Pushee at 11-01-12 01:20 AM