Fragmented Memory Stone: 2 of the 9 Tales of the Snake that Ate + Intro

[Transcribed from a-broken-family-memory-stone-turned-memospore-saved-to-dreamsleeve.]

Introduction; My son, you are one who clings to the teat at my recording of this. And your brother in the womb now. My name is Kazir, son of Samu’El. I am a Crown under the Sentinel Banner. I vowed that my blade would only fall on the battlefield after I slew my father in Harbatal and gained his prized blade during the Ililac Wars. We were champions of the great Raimoon Ebond’arm, The Black Knight, sadly on opposing sides. Ebond’arm is known to putting an end to bitter and bloody wars and having roses spring from the noble graves while riding his noble steed War Master. His presence would put an end to the fighting as all parties would send forth a delegation and make a statement before him. He would favor those whose claim was correct and end the petty squabbles of petty kingdoms with clear and mighty words. But one day two parties were correct in aggression so Ebond’arm decided each should send forth one champion for Harbbatal, the battle of champions to decide with very little bloodshed.

Thus became the first champions of Ebond’arm, though only one lived that day to become the first of many. Not many can say they are descended from the first true champion of Ebond’arm, now can they my sons. My father, your grandfather loved to tell me the Nine Tales when I was a child, and he was a much better teller than I. But I will do my best because with this because I’m afraid I’ll be gone, dead, before I can tell you in person. As these wars go on, and these borders change, I will carry my scimitar and the ebony scimitar of my father, so all of the glory I gain, he gains with me. My sons, you come from a long line of Ebond’arm champions. I hope to one day give you this ebony scimitar so that we may gain glory through you. Perhaps you can pass this stone onto your own childrens so they may learn the tales if the elders are unavailable.

First of the Nine Tales of Snake that Ate: Satak Was the First Snake;

Satak was the snake that came before. He was sooo big that all the worlds rested upon his scales. There was worlds under those worlds, and even more worlds under worlds under worlds under those worlds than you can even think of my son. There was so many worlds that the number was unknown to even Satak, but that was because Satak saw itself as nothing more than one. There was nothing outside of Satak because he was so big, that Satak was everything. Remember my sons, to everything, is to be nothing.

These worlds upon its scales were constantly coiled and colliding and choked and constrained. It was a terrible time for the worlds. Some of the worlds called out to be saved, then more, than all of the worlds began pleading for help. They wished to be things other than scales locked within scales locked within even more scales of Satak. But Satak wished to be Satak, and nothing more. This is when Akel heard the pleading of the worlds. It was not one of the scales so it wasn’t trapped, and made itself known to Satak by growling, by whistling, (a sound some ancients called SYJJJ’uu....or was it SLUJJ’ii...either way, ) Satak heard the sound and was bewildered. It had never heard anything other than itself and never known to be more than one. It was confused a great deal and pondered Akel. It knew Akel as nothing, nothing more than unending hunger, my sons. With nothing else to eat, Satak bit itself (the ancients from the homeland had a name for this, and called it the qi-waez “the opening or striking bite”) and began to eat and eat and eat the worlds of its make.

Not all worlds were lucky enough to even breathe and got eaten right away, but this allowed many, many, many more worlds to live, to be, to breathe, to stretch their limbs in anyhow they wished. These worlds became the spirits and they loved their new freedom. But they were new, and had never been spirits before so they made mistakes. Some things had gave up on themselves, so used to being nothing they were, they ended right then and there. Some spirits were just no good at all...To weak to last. Some worlds had just got to stretching their limbs but got eaten by Satak mid stretch. It was a terrible terrible time for the spirits(but still better than when they were scales). Akel had made Satak eat and eat and eat without end, until he caused Satak to bite down on its own heart and died. All of the things ended with Satak when it died. (Some of the elders say he just went into a deep deep coma, cardiac arrest and all.)

Akel however, was No Thing. And this not-thing knew itself as nothing but unending hunger, so when Satak the Everything died, Akel the Nothing that was his hunger lived on. So Akel caused Satak to shed its dead skin so a new could grow, thus Akel raised Satak anew. Thus, was born Satakal the Everything, the Nothing, the Worldskin, the hunger driven snake that made the worlds to be eaten.

The Second of the Nine Tales of the Snake that Ate: Ruptga and The Strange Ways of the Ur;

It has been a few weeks since I last recorded on this stone, but I will begin where I left off This is one of the longer tales, so sit and get comfy children of mine.

As Satakal began, the scales of this new worldskin were looser and it took longer for the spirits to call, but they did call eventually. And again Akel whistled the sound unknown, and Satakal bit down, struck yet again, and all of the worldscales uncoiled, slithering into spirits. But this time the spirits were different, much different my sons. To them, it was as if it was easy to become spirits when they had in fact not been spirits at all before. Some were still weak got dissolved into nothing by the hunger quick. Other yet dissolved into many smaller things to be eaten later. Many spirits were dissolved by the stomach, some half spirits were eaten after the split then the other half eaten much later, yet even more were eaten but not completely. This continued for a time until only the strongest spirits were able to keep from being dissolved into smaller weaker selves. The smaller weaker spirits were easier to be devoured by the stomach that saved yet sundered them. The larger more powerful spirits took names to distinguish themselves. The first of these was Ruptga, the future chief of the soon to be enlightened spirits.

Ruptga after naming hisself strode about the worldskin looking for others. He had given some names by which they could remember and strengthen themselves and other named themselves before he reached them. Soon there was a group of spirits left and nothing but them and the hunger. In fear of the savior-destroyer they banded together and consulted one with another. There was an aloof spirit amongst them who only joined their club to see what it was like to be part of a group. He enjoyed it only enough not to hate it. He noticed the hunger approaching yet said nothing. He was an anti-social spirit who did not enjoy the company of others very much and preferred lonesome. He was the Ur, the first sprit split from the Satakal, the strongest of all spirits, yet unlike all the others he had no name by which he was called. Ruptga had tried to name him, but that rebellious spirit threw all of the names back at Ruptga. Ruptga noticed the quietness of the still nameless spirit, and looked upon his gaze. He saw the hunger rushing towards them. Ruptga who had never known panic, panicked. He would be eaten with those whom he befriended, they trusted him and yet there they were cornered and soon to be devoured by their destroyer-savior. In his nervous panic he was pacing back and forth between the shrinking space thinking of how he might save them. Then the Ur laughed and spoke to Ruptga,

“Ruptga,” he said, “you gathered these, the final spirits here to be eaten in a corner, near the center, near the heart? Do you not know that even if we avoid the hunger, when it reaches the heart, all inside the snake will perish.”

Ruptga said, “No. I had not known, but we are thinking of a way. A way for all of us to escape this doomed fate.”

The Ur said, “I know of a way.”

“Show us. Show us the way!” Ruptga pleaded.

“This way is not meant for the weak, and there are many weak ones amongst us,” the Ur said.

Ruptga seeing the hunger drawing closer still, rushed his words, “Then assist them, strengthen them, empower them. You are strongest of the spirits, you can help us. For we all are spirits anyways doomed to be eaten otherwise.”

“Very well.” said the Ur, “But the hunger is everywhere and nowhere if it were to have eaten or split us then it would have done so. Remember that the hunger is two-fold, our savior and our destroyer. Forget this not Ruptga, I will make the way but not all will survive.”

With this, the Ur-spirit grew as many hands as he needed to grab all of the spirits near, and extras since the hunger began dissolving, splitting the weakest amongst them.(This is also how the spirit Morwha learned to make more arms to grab husbands, but her story is reserved for another tale.)

When he grabbed hold of all the spirits near he demonstrated the strange-angled-jump. The spirit moved up-sideways, twisted downside-up, flipped in a way the only spirits can move, all at the same time. The spirits then found themselves outside of Satakal. Just as the spirit had said not all survived the journey. As they looked back at Satakal all saw a sword like letter. All of them realized that they were all in fact Satakal, they were all everything, yet nothing. This was too much for many, even some of the stronger spirits to handle or comprehend, and the hunger snatched them back into the nothingness of before. Just over half of his hands now empty,he retreated the many-fold arms back unto his self as they propelled away from Satakal. In a safe place between the skins they rested away from the hunger.

The Ur shook his head, “Did I not say that there was many weak ones amongst us.”

“But there was many small spirits that survived the trip. How do you reconcile this?” Ruptga asked.

“Strength is not in size Ruptga, but in will. I exist as I do because the hunger enlightened me first. I let no thing stand in my way, not even the hunger that begat me and I make way. You named certain spirits and some relied on you, not themselves for survival. It weakened their will. You named other spirits and they took those names for themselves of their own will, which made them stronger. Others named themselves,and I took no name like myself, yet some survived and others didn’t based on their own willpower”

“You are the strongest among us, will you become our chief?” Ruptga asked him.

“No. I do not like the spirits to crowd around me. Like the nothing, I enjoy space, and like the nothing I too enjoy the freedom of the spirits. To become chief that would mean the spirits would rely on me. Something I do not like. You Ruptga, you are better suited to be the helpful Chief-King of spirits. I feel I have spoke too much and will remain silent until the new worldskin has grown.”

“Then as Chief-King I will name you a good name, better than all of the other you have thrown back at me.”

He named the Ur-spirit, Hoon-Ding( way, way maker, way of perseverance, sustainer of the path, path finder, trailblazer) It was the only name that the Ur did not throw back at him, and could not object to his silent vow.