He ran. Across the massive hallway, through the corridors of Vita, he ran. Doors appeared on the left and right, promising escape from his turmoil. He opened them, and experienced what it had to offer, in the hope of finding one which would offer him the sweet release of peace, love, belonging. But every door he opened seemed to lead him further away from what he craved. Undeterred, he continued on, opening door after door, and running through it only to find another. Deep inside, a voice that once seemed familiar called out, "Champion, return to me." Ignoring the voice, he kept up his pursuit. Suddenly, he found himself distracted by an Idol that seemed to take hold of his entire being, promising him the happiness he was looking for. He would not rest until he found that Idol, and savoured what it had to offer.
As he opened yet another door, he found himself standing in a large room, more lost than he could ever imagine. The voice called out again, "Champion, return to me." But it was lost to his ears, as in front of his eyes, in the middle of the room, a jar appeared, and hovering atop it, a bee. Breathless from his chase, and enraptured by the sight of the jar, he took several shaky steps toward it. The bee continued hovering above it, providing a clue as to the contents of the seemingly simple yet elegant and beautiful jar. He stepped up to it, and his suspicions were confirmed. In the jar, filled to the brim, was honey. Pure and golden, still and undisturbed. The bee noticed his presence, but did nothing to stop him from taking the honey. If anything, the bee itself seemed inexplicably tied to the jar, as if it and the honey were one and the same. He knew then, that he had to taste it. He stepped closer, and reached out a hand...
The Idol called out to him, warning him against it. He knew that to have one would mean to forsake the other, and for a moment, he hesitated. The bee, seemingly realizing his doubts, seemed to encourage him further, buzzing gently on top of the jar, producing a sound that soothed his emotions. The jar seemed to expand and contract before his eyes at the same time, the honey looking sweeter than ever. Tossing his worries to the wind, he reached out for the jar.
"Champion!". The voice inside him boomed aloud, and he whirled around, to see the face of magnificence standing behind him. It was Erus. "Touch not that jar, and forsake the voice of the Idol. It will only lead you to empty promises, before destroying you in the end. Return to me." Images flashed before his eyes, images from his past, from a time that seemed too long ago. He saw himself, broken and defeated, chained in the lair of Umbra, unable to escape, unable to die. Erus had saved him then, seemingly giving Himself up for his freedom, then appearing to him again when he had escaped into the wilderness. He had given him his freedom, and initiated him into His order then. A champion.
"I saved you then because I had more in mind for you than this", Erus said. "There is much more for you to do, much more in your life for you to fulfill, for if you partake of that Jar, you will surely die". It was then that he saw, that the jar and the bee were indeed one and the same. And that by partaking of the honey he would taste immense sweetness, but also be exposed to the venom of the bee's sting. "Return to me my Champion. You have heard my call, and have ignored it. You have went on your own search for happiness, when you should have known that happiness is only a call away. Remember the heights from where you have fallen! Return, and do the things you did at first. Or I will remove your name from the Book of the Order, unless you return. Yet, for you, I have devised all of this to show you that whatever you do would be in vain, if it were without me. I have allowed your travails, to show you that there is only one life, one love, and one promise. Return to me, for long have I waited for this day, when my calls would not fall on deaf ears, and my love, on a hardened heart."
He fell to his knees then, weeping in despair. He had searched for happiness, for love and for belonging, and every door seemed to offer him an aspect of it, but never the fullness of it all. He had searched in vain for the Idol, knowing full well that it had to offer was only a pale comparison of what he needed. He had wanted the honey, knowing full well that the bee's sting would very well kill him. He remembered how he had turned his back on Erus, utterly forsaking His calls, and deafening himself to His whispers. He had forsaken the one who had saved him, and had left to find his own happiness, to be his own master. He remembered the times when he contemplated returning, but had deceived himself with the lie that Erus would not give him a second chance, despite knowig that Erus would always open the gates to a Champion if only he was willing to return. Guilt gnawed at his soul, and he cried in desperation. "Forgive me master. I have strayed far from you,"
Suddenly, a hand reached out, and lifted him off his kness. He looked up and beheld the face of Erus, and he felt what it was that he was looking for. "You know that I have already forgiven you," Erus said. "Come now my Champion, let us go home. I have prepared a feast for you, and your brothers and sisters will rejoice at your return, as I do,"
He held the outstretched hand of Erus, and his surroundings began to blur as Erus took them both home. And while the call of the Idol and the Honey were still audible in his ears, and tugged at his heart, he knew that he had found what he was looking for. Nothing else mattered as long as he was with Erus. He was loved. He was home.
As he opened yet another door, he found himself standing in a large room, more lost than he could ever imagine. The voice called out again, "Champion, return to me." But it was lost to his ears, as in front of his eyes, in the middle of the room, a jar appeared, and hovering atop it, a bee. Breathless from his chase, and enraptured by the sight of the jar, he took several shaky steps toward it. The bee continued hovering above it, providing a clue as to the contents of the seemingly simple yet elegant and beautiful jar. He stepped up to it, and his suspicions were confirmed. In the jar, filled to the brim, was honey. Pure and golden, still and undisturbed. The bee noticed his presence, but did nothing to stop him from taking the honey. If anything, the bee itself seemed inexplicably tied to the jar, as if it and the honey were one and the same. He knew then, that he had to taste it. He stepped closer, and reached out a hand...
The Idol called out to him, warning him against it. He knew that to have one would mean to forsake the other, and for a moment, he hesitated. The bee, seemingly realizing his doubts, seemed to encourage him further, buzzing gently on top of the jar, producing a sound that soothed his emotions. The jar seemed to expand and contract before his eyes at the same time, the honey looking sweeter than ever. Tossing his worries to the wind, he reached out for the jar.
"Champion!". The voice inside him boomed aloud, and he whirled around, to see the face of magnificence standing behind him. It was Erus. "Touch not that jar, and forsake the voice of the Idol. It will only lead you to empty promises, before destroying you in the end. Return to me." Images flashed before his eyes, images from his past, from a time that seemed too long ago. He saw himself, broken and defeated, chained in the lair of Umbra, unable to escape, unable to die. Erus had saved him then, seemingly giving Himself up for his freedom, then appearing to him again when he had escaped into the wilderness. He had given him his freedom, and initiated him into His order then. A champion.
"I saved you then because I had more in mind for you than this", Erus said. "There is much more for you to do, much more in your life for you to fulfill, for if you partake of that Jar, you will surely die". It was then that he saw, that the jar and the bee were indeed one and the same. And that by partaking of the honey he would taste immense sweetness, but also be exposed to the venom of the bee's sting. "Return to me my Champion. You have heard my call, and have ignored it. You have went on your own search for happiness, when you should have known that happiness is only a call away. Remember the heights from where you have fallen! Return, and do the things you did at first. Or I will remove your name from the Book of the Order, unless you return. Yet, for you, I have devised all of this to show you that whatever you do would be in vain, if it were without me. I have allowed your travails, to show you that there is only one life, one love, and one promise. Return to me, for long have I waited for this day, when my calls would not fall on deaf ears, and my love, on a hardened heart."
He fell to his knees then, weeping in despair. He had searched for happiness, for love and for belonging, and every door seemed to offer him an aspect of it, but never the fullness of it all. He had searched in vain for the Idol, knowing full well that it had to offer was only a pale comparison of what he needed. He had wanted the honey, knowing full well that the bee's sting would very well kill him. He remembered how he had turned his back on Erus, utterly forsaking His calls, and deafening himself to His whispers. He had forsaken the one who had saved him, and had left to find his own happiness, to be his own master. He remembered the times when he contemplated returning, but had deceived himself with the lie that Erus would not give him a second chance, despite knowig that Erus would always open the gates to a Champion if only he was willing to return. Guilt gnawed at his soul, and he cried in desperation. "Forgive me master. I have strayed far from you,"
Suddenly, a hand reached out, and lifted him off his kness. He looked up and beheld the face of Erus, and he felt what it was that he was looking for. "You know that I have already forgiven you," Erus said. "Come now my Champion, let us go home. I have prepared a feast for you, and your brothers and sisters will rejoice at your return, as I do,"
He held the outstretched hand of Erus, and his surroundings began to blur as Erus took them both home. And while the call of the Idol and the Honey were still audible in his ears, and tugged at his heart, he knew that he had found what he was looking for. Nothing else mattered as long as he was with Erus. He was loved. He was home.
