And the Enemy is in the Emptiness
The Realms had become no stranger to the little blue wanderer over nearly eight years of exploration. With this exploration though, came a price -- Emptiness. Introversive as this creature often is sometimes introversion isn't a painless affair.
Emptiness is not a thing he'd ever wished to keep inside him.
Emptiness is far, far too painful to keep.
It hadn't been too long after Silver had thrown him so violently from Veldri -- fool mistake on Renne's own part at the time -- that he'd met many others. Some had turned out as enemies.
Others turned out as saviours.
And while Renne learned the hardest of lessons all over again after the Falling of the Worlds, he'd learned the greatest and most precious of these lessons right alongside.
Artesia. Amadeus. Pendrell. The Aventeals.
And then he met the Maritime.
Harry and Archie were, as he thought, odd humans. Humans; he knew that part. But what made these two stand out were their emotions, their actions, their words.
In the beginning, he had not understood them.
In the beginning, they had not understood him.
And in the beginning, it had begotten a hellish parting, a very hellish parting.
Thinking back on it now though, the blue-skinned creature returns to the same realisation he'd come to those years ago both at the Maritime and on Veldri Niahar'dro.
He'd not let anyone know him.
He'd not let anyone understand him.
That was a mistake paid for twice but never again. Ever.
He owed them better than that.
For some years after the night he calls "Night Thundering", Renne had done more wandering and had begun to cultivate the leader inside him.
For that part of him wise in the ways of non-humans, wise in the ways of leading of a sort, there was and is Xaskahl Isle.
Still, the emptiness remained.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
December 24 was a night like any other in the beginning. It was cold, eventually too cold for him to handle without risk of freezing to death.
Some might call him weak for not withstanding the winter chill for more than an hour. However, those some might then marvel at the extreme-high temperatures Renne withstands, even thrives in.
It was the cold that drove him along and eventually, to a place familiar.
The Maritime.
As soon as that door opened, the typical too-cold-to-bear night turned into a night he'd not soon forget.
His education had begun.
Some months later, Renne had gone off again to explore. It wasn't just to explore and strengthen his leading side this time though. This time, the exploration came from within as well as without.
Understanding Emotion is half the equation.
Understanding the root behind Emotion is the answer.
So he'd studied, explored, lead and learned.
He came back to the Maritime.
He came back home.
It's amazing sometimes how life delivers its lessons. Life is harsh, angry and unforgivingly cold. Life is warm, welcoming and strong. This time would be different, he'd vowed.
He wasn't sure how, but that too would be revealed.
It came in the emptiness.
Harry had asked him to stay behind, even reminded Renne of a time he'd paid the price for his own innately stubborn streak. The blue one had acted out of tremendous fear and worry.
He'd acted out of love.
His timing was off, however.
Very off.
So this second time with a reminder and a lesson in faith from a traveling priest, Renne had followed a request to the letter without as much fear for the first time and it had paid off.
Harry and Archie came home safely.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The emptiness had been gone since Renne had returned. Xaskahl, his Strength. The Maritime, his Family. This emptiness however, has its odd way of returning in other forms.
Oh, the imp could hear Harry or Archie whenever they'd come in. For now, he stays unobtrusive and out of their way. Keen ears allow for keen hearing and he could hear the wariness in their steps at night.
So when all is quiet, the blue one affectionately known as the Tree Biting Imp Extraordinaire creeps down to keep the Maritime clean, tidy and shining.
No doubt the Duo may go on another adventure.
And no doubt the Imp will worry and wait for them to come back home.
In the meantime, he'll do whatever they may ask of him.
Gladly.
The Realms had become no stranger to the little blue wanderer over nearly eight years of exploration. With this exploration though, came a price -- Emptiness. Introversive as this creature often is sometimes introversion isn't a painless affair.
Emptiness is not a thing he'd ever wished to keep inside him.
Emptiness is far, far too painful to keep.
It hadn't been too long after Silver had thrown him so violently from Veldri -- fool mistake on Renne's own part at the time -- that he'd met many others. Some had turned out as enemies.
Others turned out as saviours.
And while Renne learned the hardest of lessons all over again after the Falling of the Worlds, he'd learned the greatest and most precious of these lessons right alongside.
Artesia. Amadeus. Pendrell. The Aventeals.
And then he met the Maritime.
Harry and Archie were, as he thought, odd humans. Humans; he knew that part. But what made these two stand out were their emotions, their actions, their words.
In the beginning, he had not understood them.
In the beginning, they had not understood him.
And in the beginning, it had begotten a hellish parting, a very hellish parting.
Thinking back on it now though, the blue-skinned creature returns to the same realisation he'd come to those years ago both at the Maritime and on Veldri Niahar'dro.
He'd not let anyone know him.
He'd not let anyone understand him.
That was a mistake paid for twice but never again. Ever.
He owed them better than that.
For some years after the night he calls "Night Thundering", Renne had done more wandering and had begun to cultivate the leader inside him.
For that part of him wise in the ways of non-humans, wise in the ways of leading of a sort, there was and is Xaskahl Isle.
Still, the emptiness remained.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
December 24 was a night like any other in the beginning. It was cold, eventually too cold for him to handle without risk of freezing to death.
Some might call him weak for not withstanding the winter chill for more than an hour. However, those some might then marvel at the extreme-high temperatures Renne withstands, even thrives in.
It was the cold that drove him along and eventually, to a place familiar.
The Maritime.
As soon as that door opened, the typical too-cold-to-bear night turned into a night he'd not soon forget.
His education had begun.
Some months later, Renne had gone off again to explore. It wasn't just to explore and strengthen his leading side this time though. This time, the exploration came from within as well as without.
Understanding Emotion is half the equation.
Understanding the root behind Emotion is the answer.
So he'd studied, explored, lead and learned.
He came back to the Maritime.
He came back home.
It's amazing sometimes how life delivers its lessons. Life is harsh, angry and unforgivingly cold. Life is warm, welcoming and strong. This time would be different, he'd vowed.
He wasn't sure how, but that too would be revealed.
It came in the emptiness.
Harry had asked him to stay behind, even reminded Renne of a time he'd paid the price for his own innately stubborn streak. The blue one had acted out of tremendous fear and worry.
He'd acted out of love.
His timing was off, however.
Very off.
So this second time with a reminder and a lesson in faith from a traveling priest, Renne had followed a request to the letter without as much fear for the first time and it had paid off.
Harry and Archie came home safely.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The emptiness had been gone since Renne had returned. Xaskahl, his Strength. The Maritime, his Family. This emptiness however, has its odd way of returning in other forms.
Oh, the imp could hear Harry or Archie whenever they'd come in. For now, he stays unobtrusive and out of their way. Keen ears allow for keen hearing and he could hear the wariness in their steps at night.
So when all is quiet, the blue one affectionately known as the Tree Biting Imp Extraordinaire creeps down to keep the Maritime clean, tidy and shining.
No doubt the Duo may go on another adventure.
And no doubt the Imp will worry and wait for them to come back home.
In the meantime, he'll do whatever they may ask of him.
Gladly.