The Allegory Of Triberias: The Call Of Destiny .

Through The Woods

THE ELYDRIAN FOREST,
West of Bethesda,
2420 A.A,

Havillah's trek through the woods continued and with every step that she took forward, her mind continued to ponder this new discovery. She had heard of it before, the fading of the newborns that is, whose first robes had always been a lovely cream white, the purest glory in that day and age which 'faded' when the children came of age sometime during their second year.

With their ascension in rank, the colours would change. Their robes transformed to reflect the potency of their Virtue and thus, the occurrence that they called the Fading.

"You can't tell me more about it, can you?" She questioned her Guide even though she now knew very well what his answer would be.

"Not yet." Her Guide confirmed her thoughts. "After all, it is not just the end that is important, but the means to the end as well. You cannot truly appreciate all that you accomplish. All that it is worth until you have walked the full length of the journey and discovered it." 

Havillah mulled over the words in her mind even as she shook her head at the empty space that was beside her.

Empty, not because there was no one there, but rather, because she was not yet enlightened, whatever that meant. All in all, the words sounded weird. They were not straight forward, neither were they cryptic enough to warrant a moment of awe. Instead, the words were just- there. As if they had just been construed only for the sake of further boggling her.

"Mmm...Somehow I was expecting something more flowery than that."

"Like you can do better than that?"

Havillah tilted her head at the challenge before proceeding to shrug her shoulders after a small moment of thought.

"I guess... Maybe I can if I put my mind into it. Or maybe not. " She finally told him after some time.

"This is not Poetry." Her guide dismissed her even as her mind worked overtime to attempt to come up with a better, more cryptic version of the words that had just been spoken. "What is important is that you understand its sentiments. Otherwise, you might as well be deaf to the meaning that was intended . To hear is one thing. To understand is another and the comprehension of the message is what will bring about true change and in this case, your enlightenment." 

The words flowed out, the lesson changing and at the end of it all, Havillah was left feeling more confused than she had been before. What did he want? For her to know or to understand? What was she supposed to change into and what was this journey that she would have to walk? Enlightenment? Did that mean understanding or did he mean that by the end of it all she would finally be able to see him?

Havilalh was just walking and yet, she knew not the path that she had taken, nor the destination to which it would lead her. What was she even doing? What was the purpose of it all? Would she continue to walk in the dark with just a candle to light her path? She mused.

"This has gone on long enough." Her Guide interrupted the mental barrage to repeat the words that he had just spoken earlier. "Is it South or West? Through the Forest or across it, For you have long lost your way and are heading down the wrong path."

"I thought the journey is as important as the destination." She replied quite sassily, smiling at the way she had managed to twist his own words and use them against him.

"Well...I cannot stop you if your intention is to spend another night in the canopies. That is a good lesson as any and you will not find me protesting. However, the sooner you move forward the faster we will get this over with."