The Mallan (The Book of the Child)

Sing, oh skyless song, breathless chant of primordial days

When Motion slumbered in paralysing sleep

and Time lay dormant, its wide rota unmarked

Chant of two that were, before all else,

Zera and Arez unalike in cast and kind

but twin born of worldless days

What bliss profound did they grasp

In that emptiness without end? 

In love unschooled and mock sublime

Did Zera to her Brother's arms incline;

Her womb the world into existence chimed,

unplotted, work of infinite design.

Mark how swiftly motion makes change 

For Zera, gazing on her wondrous work,

Felt love maternal kindle in her breast

That burned more fierce than fraternal passion's fleeting flame.

Her eyes, that once beheld her Brother's face

With tender worship, now turned ever toward

The spinning spiral of her creation fair.

What jealousy then seized the heart of Arez!

What poison-thoughts did in his bosom coil

When he perceived his Sister's love transferred!

"Am I," cried he, "made second to this thing

That owes its very being to our bliss?

Shall she who was my all, my complement,

Now dote upon this upstart world she made?"

Thus reasoned he, while seeped away his soul

And with alchemical flare transformed his love to hate.

In wrath most terrible he rose against

Fair Zera, against she who was half his heart,

And with blazing violence, swift might,

Did take her body as a conqueror takes

A citadel by storm. She fought—O how

She fought!—like a lizard for its egg

Like tempest-winds that lash the high realms peaks,

But strength has limits, and her Brother's rage,

Knew none. Yet in their struggle desperate,

Her fingers found purchase on his face, and tore

One eye complete from out its socket deep—

A wound the mark of which remains.

Brought low, she wept such bitter tears

As never since have blessed or cursed the earth,

But lo! within her violated womb

Another seed took root—not of their joy

As was the World, but born of violence

And sorrow deep. In silence did she bear

This burden new, this child of grief conceived.

But Arez, marked now with his bleeding eye,

His face made hideous by his own foul deed,

Perceived her secret growth and resolved:

"No second world shall spring from her device!

I will not brook another rival birth!"

And while she slept, exhausted by her pain,

He crept with stealth most cowardly and base,

Armed with the teeth of dread Renkar

(That ancient lizard of the heights and steep),

And with those fangs like daggers sharp and cruel

Did rip her belly wide to murder what

Grew in her blameless and ever giving womb.

The blood of Zera poured in crimson streams,

Bright as the ripe repon orchard at summers dawn,

And bathed her Brother from his crown to foot

In scarlet testimony of his crime.

Henceforth the Red Brother was his cursed name,

Stained with the proof of fratricide complete.

But what emerged was not a second world—

Instead, a child, their son, born of despair,

Hollow of breath, with shadow for a heart,

The fruit of violence and unnatural lust.

Then shame, that follows sin as darkness night,

Fell heavy on the Red Brother's soul.

In misery profound he fled the scene,

leaving only his cloak, like a thief who in desperation,

leaves evidence of his crimes.

Back to the Void went Arez,

beyond the unseen veil,

And with him bore the hollow child away,

What will the return of the child herald?

For Zera's creation will be his birthright

and the target of his fathers wrath.