The Colloquy of the World
October 19th, 2005 by Salem
Chapter 9 – The Gemini Twin HexBlade Masters, Salem and Selene walk the paved streets with Christina to the SaintBlade Cathedral in the middle of town. The cathedral is the largest building in the trade city of Barter. It is the center of the city’s religious community. The large building is decorated with carvings of the Caretakers and their Blades. Also on the building can be seen carvings of religious leaders of the past and stone creatures to scare off evil spirits. The three Blade Masters walk through the large doors of the cathedral and enter the grand hall where the mass will be held. Rows of pews cover the black marble floor and windows with stained glass depicting the fourteen most important milestones in Colloquy history. As people shuffle in and take their spots, the three blade masters take a back hallway to climb some steps to access a balcony reserved only for traveling Blade Masters. Christina takes one of the front most seats as Salem and Selene sit on the seats behind her. From here they could see everyone in the congregation. It also appears that some of the warriors have arrived to attend the mass. The place was filled to the point where most people were left standing on the side aisles. Young monks in black robes prepared the altar and the religious objects used in the mass ceremony. On the wall behind the altar was a large brass plate shined up to the point of resembling gold. On the brass plate were raised images and carvings. The most prominent of the raised images was an ornate copy of the SaintBlade surrounded by small images of other blades of which were made up by the artist who made the three story tall brass plate. On either side of the SaintBlade were the eleven thousand words that made up The Colloquy of the World and were the only part of the plate where light can pass through to give the words a glowing look.
The bells in the cathedral’s towers began to ring signaling that mass is about to begin. The young monks had left the grand hall without being noticed and are now reentering through the same door the crowd had entered accompanied by the Sermon Sayer, The Fable Reader, and the High Priest. The Sermon Sayer and the Fable Reader were volunteers from the congregation and so were dressed as everyone else except for the purple banners across their chests letting the rest of the congregation know what rolls they will be playing in the ceremony. The High Priest was dressed in the ceremonial robes of a man in his position and moved to the altar in a fashion that a ceremony like this deserves. A knock on the door behind them startles Salem who was letting Pawn clean her ear out with his little tongue at the time it happened. Selene answered the door. It was one of the young monks. “His Highness wishes to bless your Blades and have them take part in today’s ceremony,” says the young girl. None of them saw any harm in it so they gave her the GullBlade, the WitchBlade, and Salem unloaded the GunBlade before handing it over. The young monk left them as Selene closed the door. They could see their Blades being taken on red felt pillows up to the altar by 3 of the young monks. The GunBlade was placed on the left side of the altar, the WitchBlade was placed on the right side, and the GullBlade was given a perch to stand on. The bells had stopped and silence fell onto the great hall.
“Ladies and Gentlemen of The SaintBlade Cathedral of Barter. We are very fortunate to have with us three members of the Temple of the Blades here attending our mass today. They bring their Blades for us to bless and have as a part of our ceremony,” said the High Priest to the congregation. A vary large air powered organ starts to play as the High Priest turns and places a copy of the SaintBlade in the middle of the altar. One of the young monks walks up to the alter holding a small bucket with a rod in it. The High Priest takes the rod and shakes off the sanctified water that was in the bucket onto all of the blades then dips the rod in the bucket again and gives another splash of sanctified water on the Blades as he says a prayer too low for the congregation to hear. The High Priest places the rod back in the bucket as the young monk walks back to a place next to the alter out of view of the congregation. Another young monk places a cone shaped object connected to a cord in front of the High Priest and walks away. “Let us stand,” says the High Priest as his voice is now amplified by the device in front of him and his voice is broadcast through cones placed throughout the grand hall. We thank you Gin for this beautiful day and for the many people who come and give you thanks for your great sacrifice, in this we thank you, Sanon” says the High Priest and the congregation responds by saying, “Sanon.” Christina too responds by saying Sanon then sits as the congregation takes their seat. Salem and Selene were sitting all this time and were not participating at all. They knew everything that went into this ceremony and even know where it had changed over the many years they have been alive.
“These Blades,” continued the High Priest, “like all Blades are part of the real Sacred SaintBlade, and so we are happy to have these Blades with us today. Now if you will turn your masselets to page 48 and read along with our Fable Reader. The Fable Reader walks up to a podium where another cone was placed for the acoustic system. The Fable Reader was an old woman wearing what looked to be her best garments and had large round glasses that made her look owl like. She read a story about a boy who had disobeyed his parents and ended up being a beggar by the time he was an adult. A man showed him pity and taught the young man how to work and gave him a job. The twins have heard this story thousands of times before and were not even paying attention to what was going on anymore. The Fable Reader took her seat once again after reading the story to the congregation as the High Priest stands up behind the altar again but this time singing, “Oh Great Gin” as the congregation quickly stands again and sings with the High Priest ending the song with, “Sanon.” The organ begins to play once again as the High Priest and the young monks change positions and move the GullBlade to a new spot next to the podium. These are the words of the Colloquy of the World, the words of Gin as he made his wish to the SaintBlade to create the perfect world for us all to live,” says the High Priest as one of the child monks lights some filament causing a fire to ignite behind the brass plate and lighting the words from behind.
“Gin was a soldier from another world who had traveled across the stars looking for a place where his family can live in peace. He had found a planet bathed in darkness and was empty as a fresh canvas. Gin took his mighty Blade and decided to use the last of its power to make a wish on it. He told the blade what kind of world he wanted and was adding idea after idea until it became a great colloquy. Finally he came to the end of his colloquy for the perfect world and told his mighty Blade, Sanon. Sanon, This is what I wish for. He said to his Blade. The Blade had heard all he said and was ready to create and grant his wish but it would cause the Blade to be destroyed and never again be whole. What would you give in return asked his Blade. Gin thought of this and said, I give you my life’s energy in exchange. The Blade agreed and so it broke into 8 pieces. The first piece landed on the empty world and created the sea and the first day. The second piece landed on the world and created the land and the second day. The third piece landed on the world and created the air and the third day. The forth piece landed on the world and created life, death, and the fourth day, The fifth piece landed on the world and created the plants and the fifth day. The sixth piece landed on the world and created the heat in the center heating our world and becoming the glue that held it together. It was almost ready for Gin’s family to live on. The 8th piece stayed in the sky and became the sun to light the world and sustain the life that was created on it. Finally, Gin and his family landed on the world with the seventh piece to create the seventh day and give Gin his last hours with his family until finally the piece took Gins life. But instead of taking his spirit, the Blade sent his spirit into space where he had come from and it created the second sun. The Brightest of the two where all who have gone will join Gin. And so we call our world Colloquy”
After saying this, The High Priest took the SaintBlade replica in his hands and lifted it high over his head, “This is the seventh piece, the piece that created the world using the words of Gin’s Colloquy.” The organ began to play as the High Priest walked around the altar with the replica in his hands and took it to the front of the alter where the congregation started to form a line from each pew. Members of the congregation walked up to the High Priest and kissed the SaintBlade replica then walked back to their seats as the organ music played on. Christina had left the balcony so she too can join the line and kiss the sacred object. “What I do not get is, how do they know that those are the words Gin spoke as he made the Colloquy of the world in order to make his wish to the SaintBlade? They never say he wrote his words down or that anyone was around him to hear his words,” says Salem to Selene who was looking at the congregation move around in the great hall. “It is just taken as being the truth,” says Selene. The congregation takes their seats once again as the Sermon Sayer takes the podium.
“For many years after, the world was a wonderful place until evil and darkness began to cover the world of Colloquy like a sickness. It was Jebus, a direct descendent of Gin who two thousand and five years ago, took up the SaintBlade and knowing that the SaintBlade could not change the wish of another. He did not want to undo his ancient ancestor’s wish either. So Jebus wished to have the Blades return to man and make safe the world once again and the Blades did return,” said the Sermon Sayer as he patted the head of the GullBlade, “and our world is indeed safe once again.” The High Priest began to sing, “We thank you Jebus for returning the Blades to us.” Then the organ began to play as the congregation sang, “Thank you, thank you, thank you oh Jebus. Sanon.” “That is the end of our mass, go now in peace and fill the world with love,” said the High Priest as he waved his hand and the organ began to play again and the congregation sang “Oh Sanon, oh Sanon, Ooooooooooh Sanon, Sanon.”
Leaving the Cathedral the young monks had returned the Blades to the three Blade Masters. “I feel better, how about you?” asked Christina. “I cannot believe they still think that is true,” said Salem. “Believe what?” asked Christina. “Oh, that story about Jebus,” said Selene “Well you guys were around during his time. Did you meet him?” asked Christina. “Who do you think gave him the SaintBlade?” said Salem. “The Blades were around even before our time,” said Selene, “Blade masters stayed in hiding because back then before Jebus, we were regarded as devils and the Blades were seen as being black magic.” “When Jebus became master of the SaintBlade, he wished for understanding of the Blades and the people stopped seeing Blade Masters as evil and began treating us the way we are being treated today.
“That is when Salem and I began to make more Blades now that people not only understood us, but a few like you wanted to become Blade Masters.” said Selene. “Wait. You mean you made my GullBlade?” asked Christina. “Yes we did, and sixty three others that are at the temple now.” said Salem. “But you said that only I can find everything my Blade can do. How can you not know what it can do if you made it?” asked Christina. Selene took Christina aside and told her, “You know it takes a master violin maker to make the perfect Violin. But only when that violin is owned by a master musician will it play a perfect song.” “Oh, I see,” said Christina finally understanding. The three Blade Masters make their way back to Bill’s Miller.