All That Is Evil Is Not Dark/Chapter 52

Jano finished the last of his meal, a dessert course of an unusual hybrid fruit the likes of which he had never eaten.

"This is magnificent."

"Fruits and plants grow in K'eld Ner which grow nowhere else, even in other K'elds. Some have been extinct for centuries, others are our own experiments in botanical arts."

"Whichever this was, I count it a success."

"The latter, and yes, its creator is most pleased with its reception."

Jano turned back to the storyteller, for it was clear he intended to resume his tale.

-

Now servants of the Lord of Light saw this and they took it as ill. The peoples of the world were dividing and choosing sides one against the other, and they fought amongst themselves. So the Brilhado went to the Lord of Light and cried out to her.

"Lady! Let us end this folly, for surely their war will turn to us in time. They are driven for blood even to destruction of all we work for."

But the Light Lord reproached them and said, "This must be allowed to go as is, for it is part of the cycle we have made."

The Uncreator, overhearing this, saw much opportunity, so he presented himself to the Brilhado and spoke to them.

"I tell you I am sore afraid. I have seen the peoples, how they learn, grow, and advance. They will come into this kingdom in time. I have spoken this to my consort, but she has denied me, saying, 'They should be allowed to continue as they choose,' but I say we must protect our own."

This swayed many of the Brilhado but the Uncreator was unsatisfied. "How can we protect ourselves if we are divided within? Among you there is doubt and fear. Let only those who are certain beyond all doubt come unto me."

The Brilhado fell aside and many returned to the Uncreator. The Lord of Darkness saw this and was troubled. "What folly is this, that you are mislead by fear and let him reign so?"

Yet many Brilhado stayed with the Uncreator, who saw a great opportunity and cried out to them, "Look how the Darkness Lord makes to use us. Better you use him, for surely he intends to turn on us and his element is your downfall. He is opposite to you even as death is opposite to life. Let us raise an army that defies both death and life and create something that is in it neither. The Darkness Lord himself has researched the possibility, and in this shall it be realized. In this, neither death nor life shall turn aside what we make."

The Brilhado consented but they asked of the Uncreator, "Who would serve as the foundation of this? Of the people of the earth, we shall raise wizards to make us more, but we must start somewhere."

The Uncreator then did a most wicked thing. "Let us find such among your brethren who fear to serve, who doubt. Let us release them from their doubt into true immortality, lest they turn upon us in ruin. In doing so we will be sure that the Brilhado are undivided." So the Brilhado went out and slew their own and raised the beginnings of the army of undead, even as the Uncreator corrupted several of the Darkness Lord's own necromancers to his purpose.

The others were outraged and afraid.

"Lorithia, your mate seeks to destroy creation."

"Indeed. I fear your cycle is broader than you expected."

They tried to get her to move further but she demurred. "We cannot directly save creation among ourselves, brethren. If it would be saved, it must redeem itself from within."

The powers saw the wisdom of this, but saw also that the Uncreator interfered directly. They decreed that what he would do, they would as well, and they called from among the temple people the first of their communicants to serve as their mouthpieces in the war to come.