In my dream I am holding a key. A crystal in the shape of a key. The shape of this crystal is of no matter. All that matters is what it is made of. The An call it Harmonia, powerful crystal that resonates with the sound of the world. As it resonates, it provides my people with miracles and power. It sustains and founds our way of life.
I must bring this key to the edge of the motherland, my home the An call the Dark Land. An fear the darkness. They are weak and gentle, sustaining their beauteous hearts on sensations and joy. They are not warriors like we are. Hatred does not flow through their blood. Despite knowing this, I cannot convince them, or my people that we are not enemies. We are of little consequence to each other. My people demand wrath, slothfulness and gluttony; The An demand greed, envy and lust. I alone am left with the pride of both peoples, and of myself. I need them, and yet refuse them.
The world around me is dark and unloving. The people do not harbor me. The An do not accept me. I walk alone down a path known only to my own feet. My wings are tattered, burnt, slashed and frayed. Each step burns my heart with the feeling that my sacrifice will only be met with betrayal. Each step drives small bits of pain into my tender feet that have only known the freedom of the sky.
I am walking to the edge of a cliff, the edge of my lands, covered in ash, and jagged rock. No one has ever seen the other side of the burning mountains, but our hearts know it. Only fire and death await those who venture into its hateful valleys.
The ground burns. I cannot breathe the miasma anymore. I am dead already, but my body is forced to move by my soul that refuses to end its mission...I leap...no...I simply fall over the edge of the cliff to the hateful water and deadly rocks below.
I gasp awake, letting out a cry. The dreams are becoming more and more vivid. I look down at my tender feet and see they are still fine. I reach back to feel like dark, glossy wings in their full untarnished beauty. One of my canine ears twitches and alerts me to the approaching body to my right.
"Shatelle? Are you alright?" This is an An speaking to me, a being not unlike me, but without the blessings and strength of the world they live on. This one is male. Its care of me is sexually driven. It finds me lovely to view and speak with. The females of my kind share much in common with their females. Our genitalia are in the same areas, and preform the same functions. The An are not bothered as much by our slight differences as my kind are.
"I am alright. Thank you." I reply. This being, this An, cares only for my well-being. They do not see me for my worth, or my purpose. I find it a strange mix of insulting, but take comfort in knowing this is customary of them. The more they adore something, the more they see to its care and provide for it. My people are much different. The more we are provided for, the more we see something's care. How does one care for something they provides no use? It is a silly concept, the An's concept of affection, but it is not derogatory treatment of me, but what their society has grown to do.
"Let us know if you need anything, alright?" It speaks to me, attempting to comfort me. It's soft, soothing voice attempting to mimic that of a father. It does not know it only makes itself sound weaker. Less useful.
"Of course." I reply....
I arrived in the An settlement they call Black Mission. Black is to describe the color they preceive my homeland, while Mission describes interactions with other ethnic groups for the purpose of spreading culture. It is an appropriate name, as far as names go. My purpose here is to seek out the An and their knowledge of the beings they venerate; the beings they call Angels.
Many years ago, before my birth, my people received a message through the harmonia of a beautiful An-shaped being. It was female, the way the song weaver described it, attributing its form to lust and desire, despite it being An. This is what they call perfection. They said she had black, glossy wings with sparkles of gold and copper within them. She wore steel like she was unclothed. Her being was wholly otherworldly, but they could not deny how comfortable they felt with her visage.
When I grew to a breed-able age, an old shaman recalled the account upon seeing my tempting form. I have differences from this being but my likeness is remarkable, according to those who have experienced the vision. I am similarly adorned with beautiful, black wings that sparkle with gold and red flecks, centuries worth of careful breeding.
During a contentious time, An had arrived on the land's eastern shore, being born of the hateful water. We attempted to exterminate this intrusion, but the An were good at defending themselves. Similarly, they wielded powerful magic, like our harmonia. They did not seek out to attack us, and only defended themselves at first. However as they proliferated, they claimed more land, driving more conflict between our people. Currently, there is uneasy peace between us, which has allowed my safe passage to their Black Mission.
I assumed I would need to explain myself to these An. The language barrier between our people would be too steep, and years of discovery would be required. Instead, they looked upon me with awe. "Angel" they called me. "Tahi Relle" they called me. While the language barrier between us prevented many functions, they knew why I had arrived. I came to learn of Angel for my people's benefit.
The building they took me to was the building they drove my people's curiosity into the one they called Angel. Within and outside this building was craft displaying similar likenesses of "Angel". I learned there was more than one such "Angel", and my likeness was modeled after one in particular. The An's Angel would be here, or so we thought. Instead, it was a building where the An assembled to have visions of Angel.
Here I have been learning of the An, and their culture, and their beliefs. My people know the harmonia, the producers of all things. The An know the Angels, the givers of all things. My people are thus focused on the use they are to the harmonia, the world, and their people, while the An are focused on what they can gain from the Angels, the world, and their people. There are parallels between us, and neither group denies that our origin must be divine in nature, due to our likeness to each other's creators. Whether either's birth is benevolent or malevolent is left to debate.
The An are quite curious. I grow to adore them like pets the more I learn of them. Instead of being born from the waters of Hate, the ocean to the west of the homeland, they are tamers of it, riding upon constructs of wood and fabric. Rather, they attempt to tame hate. The An are here because their taming vessels failed them.
Instead of being slaves to Lust, they tame it through ritual and self sacrifice, attempting to appease not only their desire, but the desire of the object of their affection. This is the basis for their procreation, unlike my own which is based on merit and forceful claim. I ponder what would happen if an An were to attempt to claim me? Would the seek feelings of "Love" afterwards? Would they use me as a breeding vessel? I believe it would be the later, as the An's concept of union is so alien to me, one who goes outside of their practiced and accepted ritual would certainly not seek to return to such ways.
Their greed and desire to possess material gain is a most baffling system. I have had it explained to me, and see it in action through the trade and wealth being garnered in the Black Mission. What I cannot fathom is how such a system would have come about. Value is assigned, arbitrarily, to objects, called "coins" and "currency". These objects are useless on their own, but they are used for symbols of wealth. The mere existance of these objects places value and wealth upon other objects due to their desire of the objects. Rocks are not desired, because they are easy to obtain. Their value is low. But if one wanted to create a fortification, they would desire stone. Then, they would provide their coin for the stone, instead of gathering it themselves. Stone then becomes valuable while the person with coin desires it.
I will learn more of these An. They will learn of me. I will become "Angel" to them. They will become "Follower". I will become their supreme, and they my lesser.
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