Tristan Soul Searcher

The Beginning

The Queen of the Fair Folk loomed angrily with my lost love by her side and I flinched with each accusation that justly rang out in the echoing caverns of my banquet hall. "You swore, Mortal, to Love, to Trust and to Protect my sister always. Knowing this, and knowing that she gave up her powers, her people and her future to be by your side. Knowing that she was helpless and alone in a hostile, friendless world without your favor. You allowed her to be falsely accuse of killing your son. By not hearing her cries of innocence, you have failed to Trust. You have broken Oath.

By allowing her to be cast forth from shelter, forced to sleep in filth and to bear on her back all visitors to the hall where you sat in comfort as punishment for her "crimes" By allowing your people to taunt and abuse her both in spirit and flesh You have failed to Protect. You have broken Oath.

By denying her the comfort of your words, your touch. By bringing to your bed and to sit beside you in your banquet hall, a new "wife" You have failed to Love. You have broken Oath.

Know that I shall have Justice done and Debts repaid, Mortal, if my judgement endure longer than the mountains or the sea, I shall see Justice done. May the gods of this place and the gods that my people and yours swear by, hear this, My Oath, and lend their strength to my fury. Fear not for your life, Mortal. Although I see you quiver with fear that I might kill you, I have Sworn to my sister not to cause you bodily harm and I keep Faith with her and break not my Oath. I will not curse you with Death. Instead I curse you with Life. Time and time again will you born and live and die. Never resting, always searching for the soul that you have Bond to yours by your actions. With each turning of the cycle, no matter how weary you may be, you will dance the seasons until, my sister, born anew will you find, and Love, Trust, and Protect her though it cost you dear. Only then, can you rest, only then can you cease, only then can you be set free. This I Swear by all that is Holy! And I will not Break Oath."

With her last words still filling the room, she clapped her hands together and was gone from the hall and my Lady with her. But I thought I could hear my Beloved's voice whisper one last word to my heart. "Remember." And I, he who was now doomed throughout countless ages, could only stand in my prison of a hall, and cry out my lost love's name just once before collapsing to the cold stone floor.

"Rhiannon!"

On This Day

I open my eyes in the dark and weep at my weakness. Many turnings of the cycle have passed, and indeed I am weary. My avatar taunts me with my failures and it speaks with the voice of she who has condemned me to this fate. It was easier to endure when I slept, but with this cycle, I have Awoken to the new Knowledge and to an old Truth. I can dance to the music of Time and I see with shamed eyes, my betrayal and my failure. I see with despairing eyes so many failures, so many betrayals. I have failed her with each life,   Lover, Brother,  Friend, Child, so many faces masking the same spirit that bears each time a  fresh scar from the time before. It is almost time for the Dance to begin anew. The same steps taken beneath the same sky. I can hear her whisper, "Remember," and know that soon we shall meet again and Redemption will be just beyond my grasp. I pray to the gods that sit in judgement over me that I shall not fail again. I know not why this cycle could be different but as I wake in the darkness of night, screaming her name, my avatar curses anew. "You cannot fail again, Mortal. On peril of your soul, you cannot fail again!"

Comments

Tristan is a Verbana mage, skilled in Time, Life and Entropy. He is a handsome young Irishman who travels around in Ren Faires and such, making a living by performing harp music, mock combat and/or acts of acrobatic and daring. However, he is constantly on the lookout for the reicarnation of Rhiannon and ever anxious to make amends this time.