Faulfenzair Scrolls

Faulfenzair with Scroll

History Scrolls

History scrolls involve information about the Faulfenza when they lived on Quzen. They are retained to allow the Faulfenza to remember how they once lived, but are not necessarily of specific religious or cultural import.

Example:

 This day of Second-Year-Division of Ten,
 Six bushels of grain,
 Four ingots of metal.

Teaching Scrolls

Teaching scrolls provide useful information that should be passed down to enhance the lives of future Faulfenza, but, like history scrolls, are not necessarily of specific religious or cultural import.

Example:

 In order for the clay to harden, you must first purify it. To do this,
 take the clay and wet it until it is soft. Using a straining pan, push
 clay through the pan from six to eight times until the rocks and weeds
 have been caught in the mesh and the clay is soft.

Soul-Feeding Scrolls

Soul-feeeding scrolls involve prayers, meditations, and other words that feed the souls of the Faulfenza.

Example:

 What day is this that Faulza has made!
 And how beautiful you are, oh my daughter...
 How strong are you, oh my son!
 Let our family and our love never fade.
 See how the serdu of the forest....

Wisdom Scrolls

Wisdom scrolls provide important religious information, history, and prophecy. They are the most important scrolls to the Faulfenza, and all Faulfenzair communities have copies of at least the Greater Wisdom Scrolls.

• The Mythic Era includes Greater Wisdom Scrolls prior to the arrival of the Messiah, where Faulza spoke directly to the Faulfenza.
• Scrolls (of all kinds) that were written before the arrival of Qufal are known as pre-Messianic scrolls. These include the Mythic Era's Greater Wisdom Scrolls, but there are more kinds of scrolls in the pre-Messianic roll than Wisdom tales.
• Wisdom Scrolls after the pre-messianic era are typically known by their messiahs, so: the Qufal Era, and the Faullaizaf Era. After the Faullaizaf Era scrolls, there is a lapse in Greater Wisdom Scrolls again, until the arrival of the third Fireborn.

Scroll of Creation

In the beginning before everything, there was Nothingnes...

 In the beginning before everything, there was Nothingness, 
 and that Nothingness was everything and everywhere...
 and to that Nothingness came the FireDancer, 
 the God, 
 Faulza.
 
 And it was that way for a long time that was a brief momentlessness, 
 because Time had not yet been Born...
 but Faulza, seated in His Forge on the Shoulders was sad and lonely. 
 Faulza was Love, 
 and He had nothing to Love, and so He felt incomplete....
 for the Love of Faulza is such that no matter how much he is given to Love, 
 there is still twice as much Love left.
 This is the nature of Faulza, whom we love.
 
 Faulza was lonely, in that Nothingness...
 and so, in a moment of inspiration, He decided to make the Universe. 
 And He made Time first, 
 blowing warm breath into His cupped palms 
 and letting it out into the Nothingness.
 And as Time began, He told the Nothingness the Rules by which it must live.
 
 And then, the God took a spark from His Forge
 and threw it into the center of the Nothingness, 
 where already Time was swirling and the Rules were coalescing...
 and the Universe was born,
 flooding out of the center like the Earth sprouting with seed,
 and Faulza was the Midwife to its Birth,
 for Faulza is every kind of Love in the Universe.
 
 And the worlds began to spin, and the suns kindled, 
 and the FireDancer was, for a moment, content. 
 But that moment was soon gone, 
 for in this Universe, there was nothing that could Love Faulza as He loved it.
 And so Faulza knew that it was time for Him to create His Children, 
 for He was longing for the faces of His sons and daughters, 
 longing to Love them and be Loved by them.
 
 The God took a handful of sod 
 from His most beloved and the most beautiful of his worlds
 and set it on His Forge, 
 and He began to shape it delicately, but sternly, 
 for in Faulza there is the love of the Mother and the Father both.
 And soon, He had shaped the first of His Children, 
 to be the model for all the others...
 but something was missing.
 The soul Faulza had made for His first child was quiescent.
 It had no spark.
 
 And then Faulza knew what was missing.
 He reached with His hands into His own Soul, 
 which is all made of the First Fires, 
 the Everdancing Light so hot it cannot be looked upon,
 and extracted from Himself part of His own soul.
 This he put into His Child, and to His wonder and delight, 
 the soul sparked.
 
 With love,
 Faulza put His Child down on the most loved world
 and was content as His Children grew stronger and grew to love
 Him as He loved them.
 
 And so the Universe was born, and Time Became,
 and we were Made, His Children.

The Choice of Qudii, First Mother

And so I shall tell you of the Choice of Qudii, First-Mother...

 'And so I shall tell you of the Choice of Qudii, First-Mother, and the days before
 we were what we are, the Faulfenza, when the world was dark and we
 were black with birth.
 
 The small tribe looked all around in fear, and that night huddled cold and
 miserable in the darkness. Finally, Liiwen said to Qudii, "Call on
 the gods for intervention, or surely we will die."
 
 And Qudii agreed. She was afraid, but her people were helpless.  So she walked
 into the forest and prayed and fasted for nine days.  On the evening of the tenth
 day, her prayers were answered.
 
 The God came upon her there, and He was so bright a white-orange she could
 not look upon Him.
 
 'Child,' said He, 'I have heard your pleas for aid. What ails you?'
 
 'Oh Holy One,' Qudii answered, shaking, a small figure in black, 'we will
 die... we have no claws to kill food or protect our young, and our teeth
 are not enough.'
 
 The God looked upon her and slowly nodded. 'Little Mother,' He said,
 'You will choose for your people their defense.'
 
 And Qudii was frightened for that she might not choose well.
 Nevertheless, she answered with brave retort, 'if it is your
 bidding, oh Mightiest. Lay the choice before me.'
 
 And the God said, 'Choose amongst these four of the five -- fire, water, 
 earth, and air. Choose carefully and think cautiously, little
 mother, for you will make for your children ever after their
 defense.'
 
 Qudii thought long and hard where she kneeled before the God.
 She considered carefully, and for many hours. Finally, she spoke.
 
 'I choose fire, Holy One,' she said.
 
 And the God smiled on her and asked, 'Why?'
 
 Qudii answered bravely. 'The air that gives us to breathe is good,
 but you cannot touch it, nor barely feel it save when the wind blows.
 What good is a defense that cannot be felt?'
 
 The God smiled. 'That is true, little one.'
 
 Qudii continued, 'The ground beneath us gives us a place to walk
 and shelter in its caves... but it does not move. What good is a 
 defense that cannot move to its attackers? For a defense can often
 be an offense, also.'
 
 The God seemed to smile. 'You are wise beyond your years, little
 one. Pray continue.'
 
 Qudii was nervous, but she went on. 'The water gives to drink and
 quenches our throats and eyes... but it has no rhythm... it does not
 dance. What good is a defense that does not dance? For the defender
 who walks or stands still is dead before the first engagement. The
 beasts give no quarter.'
 
 The God said nothing.
 
 Qudii finished. 'I choose fire, Holy One... that our defense might be
 hot with anger, swift with dancing, true with striking, fast with moving.
 I chose fire for that we may live.'
 
 The God was quiet.
 
 Qudii finally asked timidly, "Have I chosen well, oh Holy One?"
 
 The God shook his head and laughed, like joy made into sound.
 'Call me not that, nor any other made-name. Know now my true
 call-name, child. I am Faulza, the FireDancer, and the FireDance itself,
 and I say you have chosen well!'
 
 With that he touched her cheek, her ears, her hands, her chest, 
 tail, feet... painted her black fur in red, the color of fire, and white,
 the color of smoke.
 
 'I name you the First-Mother, the Mother of all your people.
 You will be a race of Dancers,' Faulza said, 'And though fire
 will be your first defense, water and earth and air will move to
 you as well in smaller ways. For the truest defender is the one
 in balance with the All... and that is the fifth essence.
 Never forget, nor use what I give you unwisely.'
 
 Qudii was amazed when the God brought her hands to his mouth.
 
 'Go forth,' said Faulza, 'and worship me. Love each other, and 
 be swift. Be strong. Be Dancers... like the fire you have chosen.'
 
 Qudii exclaimed, and then the God was gone.
 
 From that day forth, we were the Faulfenza, children of Faulza, 
 Dancers, fire-makers, swift, strong, and sure.'

The First Hunt

(A partial only)

In the days following the Painting of the Faulfenza...

 In the days following the Painting of the Faulfenza in the colors of the God,
 when they brought forth fire to warm their infants
 and comfort the elderly whose bones shook in their joints
 when they nourished fires that pushed away the night
 and scared the beasts of the shadows from their camps
 when they lit the fires that drew the vital energies from their meat
 and drank the salty broth and grew strong on it—
 In the days following the claiming of the Faulfenza by the touch of the God,
 There was rejoicing, and gratitude, and prayers and praise.
 
 But the iifaul was canny, and unlike other beasts, it was patient
 And a killer and eater of children.
 It waited until the Faulfenza left their camps, and then pounced.
 
 Qudii First-Mother went to her people and said,
 ‘Praise be to the God, who has given us His gifts!
 In his generosity He has granted us the power to hunt the hunters.
 Let us gather and go into the forest.
 Let us kill the iifaul, so it will kill us no longer.’
 
 ‘First-Mother!’ cried the Faulfenza. 
 ‘If we kill the iifaul, we kill only one iifaul.
 There will be others to fill their role.
 The death of one iifaul will not save us!’
 
 ‘The death of one iifaul,’ said the First-Mother,
 ‘will teach us that any iifaul can be defeated.
 And that is what will save us.’

The Gift of the Lifemates

Danced in Tandem only at the rite of Bonding of lifemates.

In the days afrer Qudii returned from the forest...

 In the days after Qudii returned from the forest,
 the night-dark of the Faulfenza faded, 
 burnt away by the colors of smoke and fire,
 the colors of Faulza.
 
 The Mindfire Kindled in the Faulfenza,
 and no longer did they run in fear from the creatures of the forest.
 They had been elevated beyond that darkness.
 
 And all praised Qudii’s name,
 and all looked upon her and found her fair and strong and great.
 And gentle Qudii, who had borne the first Paints of the God
 became troubled and distressed.
 Whom among all these would she choose?
 Whom among all these would be best for her?
 How could she possible decide among so many worthy males?
 And so Qudii went to the Forest, seeking the God again.
 
 ‘Oh Faulza!’ cried she, ‘If You are of a mind,
 come again unto the bearer of Your word and Paint,
 and undo this new riddle!’
 
 The God came, and He shone like another Sun,
 for He loved this, the bravest of His Children.
 ‘Tell me what it is, little one, that brings you to Me.’
 
 ‘Great FireDancer, I am beset by choices.
 All around are those who would woo me,
 who would have me as a mate.
 I sense this is a choice of great importance, 
 for children are the immortality of our race
 and Your Name. Tell me how I should choose!
 What shall I look for?
 Help me to see clearly, so that I might honor Your name,
 and my children should Dance Your praises.’
 
 And Faulza said, ‘You are wise, little mother,
 to see the import of a mate. Know you this, then:
 that all of my Children are made upon My Forge
 beyond the Shoulders of the Stars, and they
 are split with a chisel of stars. 
 All of you were originally one with another,
 and this do I promise you, little mother:
 that you, and all your children, will ever know
 who that other-half is.
 Go then, and have no anxiety;
 the choice will be made clear.’
 
 And Qudii backed away, filled with gratitude.
 She ran from the forest and returned to the village,
 and there began to walk among the homes
 of her people for whom she had raised her voice
 to the great God.
 
 And there upon a swelling hill, seated,
 was Zar, night-dark and slashed with the
 bright fire-red and white of Faulza.
 He looked upon her and he saw her, and was moved.
 
 He said, ‘Qudii, you are for me.
 This is the way it was intended,
 and I know not how,
 nor even do I know you well 
 save as the savior of our People,
 but we are for one another.
 This is how it must be.’
 
 And Qudii knew this was true,
 for within her breast burned a fire as white
 and hot as the halo of the God.
 ‘You it is, Zar, and I know you not,
 but I have known you since the moment I was made.’
 
 Together, they returned to the village center
 and proclaimed, ‘Hear us, Faulfenza!
 For the God, the FireDancer has said that all of us shall
 ever know without doubt, without hesitation,
 without need for else, who we are meant for.
 Look now upon one another,
 And see that it is true.  
 The FireDancer another gift has given us;
 that our children shall be born always in righteousness,
 to parents who cherish one another and will never part.
 Praise the FireDancer!
 Give thanks to Faulza, our God! For He has seen,
 and He has known our every need, and provided for us.’
 
 And much rejoicing swept through the village, and forever
 have the Faulfenza seen with His eyes when their mate has
 passed before them.
 At no other time do we see so clearly,
 or own so much of Him.

The Dance of Vows

Danced after the Gift of the Lifemates at the Bonding rite:

I do now welcome back to me the piece of me...

 I do now welcome back to me the piece of me
 that was broken from my soul at Forging
 by Faulza Everlasting.
 Great FireDancer!  Help me to be true to myself,
 that I may be true to this, my other-half.
 Help me to be honest with myself,
 that I may be honest with this, my other-half.
 Help me to understand myself,
 that I may extend understanding to this, my other-half;
 help me to know myself clearly,
 that this knowing will communicate itself to this, my other-half.
 Great God, Walker in Secret Places,
 Observer of all things,
 Maker of all that moves and is;
 Grant us the strength that makes a family strong,
 the wisdom that makes a family happy,
 the love that makes a family meaningful.
 Let us do justice to this honor that You have made possible.
 Faulza, be with us always,
 and in that being, give us Your Blessing.

Quzen's Cry

The Scroll of Quzen’s Cry was part of the cycle of the messiah Qufal’s ministry, and as the calendar incremented, it would be followed by the Dances that spoke of the famines that led to the Fireborn’s arrival among them.

(partial)

And the land groaned beneath its burden...

 And the land groaned beneath its burden, and 
 the people groaned beneath the weight of their hunger,
 and all suffered, and strained, and cried out to the God: 
 how can love lead to pain?
 How can we choose between our children and their children
 for if the choice was between our mouths and theirs, we would feed theirs,
 but we cannot force the land to bear,
 this land given to us by a loving God,
 this land that should have been enough, and isn’t—
 
 Faulza! That we should be called to choose between our future,
 and our stewardship of Your gift!

(partial)

Faulza, aid Your children!...

 Faulza, aid Your children! For we know not where to turn—
 Faulza, we die, or our land dies, or our hearts die
 and we cannot find the path between these choices
 Faulza, help Your children! For You alone are our refuge.
 Rescue us, for nothing is beyond Your power
 Rescue us, for nothing is beyond Your wisdom
 Feed us, for we are Your children, and we starve.

Qufal's Dream

It was nearing the time of Decision...

 'It was nearing the time of Decision. Qufal, the Painted FireBorn of Faulza, 
 was at a loss. He had been a FireBorn all his life, been Painted since the
 day his dark mother had given him life, but in all the time he had lived his
 life, no clue had Faulza given him as to what would be the work, the Will
 of Faulza that he was required to fulfill.
 
 Qufal was in despair. The people of Quzen wanted to know what it was
 Faulza wished, that He had sent unto them a FireBorn Painted. Each
 day, they asked him, 'What does the God wish of us? What must we do?
 Guide us, FireBorn!'
 
 But Qufal did not know. Each day when he came home, he said to Faulza
 in anguish, 'Faulza! What do You wish of me! Tell me what it is You wish, 
 tell me what Your plans for me are!'
 
 Finally, he could wait no longer. Qufal went into the mountains, and there
 he fasted and did not sleep for nine days. On the tenth day, he could no
 longer stay awake. Exhausted, he slept.
 
 Qufal, the Painted FireBorn of Faulza, dreamt. He dreamt that he walked
 upon a plain, littered with bodies. Death and darkness were everywhere.
 The rivers were swollen with waste, so that the fish in them sickened and
 died. The skies were thick with dirt and things that made him choke to
 breathe, clogged with a smell that made him fall to his knees and retch.
 He began to cry, for he could see that this was Quzen, and that all
 those who had died were people he knew.
 
 But in the distance, through eyes choked with tears and burning with acid,
 Qufal could see a shining. Slowly, the shining grew and grew, until before
 the FireBorn was a figure who was both white and orange, so bright He
 burned, but somehow Qufal's eyes were not struck blind.

 Faulza said unto Qufal, 'These are My children's fears for the future. Fear
 destroys the soul. Teach them not to fear, so that they may go forward
 to the destiny which is theirs.'
 
 Qufal gasped, 'But what if they are right, FireDancer? What if this death,
 this ending happens because of what I do?'
 
 'If such occurs,' the God answered, 'Then I will again take care of My
 people. You have heard My Will. Go forth, and make it as I will.'
 
 'As You say, so shall it be done!' Qufal cried, and he awoke. And He
 came down the mountain, and cried to all the Faulfenza, 'Do not let
 fear blind you! The God has spoken to me... it is time to go forward!'
 
 And so did the Dream of Qufal take us past the Fear of Machines, 
 and the Faulfenza of Quzen went forward unto the Destiny determined
 for them by Faulza.'

The Scroll of Leave-Taking

Quzen behind a bright spark of red remained...

 Quzen behind a bright spark of red remained, and the thrum of the engines
 beneath the decks had settled into the long rhythm of memories
 that mimicked the heartbeat of a Faulfenzair.
 Bright were those memories still, though the bright grass of Qufiil
 threatened to overcome and erase them.
 
 The world was new and clean, and the Faulfenza had not been upon it for one week,
 when Jiizel came to Faullaizaf. 
 She came dressed in long body-wraps, glittering with opalescent snow-spheres,
 she came crowned in their gifts, for she was much-loved of the people
 and had a kind and gracious manner
 with each and all who deserved it.
 
 Faullaizaf smiled.  ‘I know what it is you have come for.’
 For he and she had run among fields together, gone to schooling together,
 he and Lena, Jiizel and Danel.
 
 ‘I wish to have one of the ships we used to make our sojourn here,’
 Jiizel said, for she wished to say it anyway,
 ‘I wish to take it, to find the Others,
 so that one day I may bring them back to you.’
 
 ‘It will be a long journey,’ Faullaizaf said.
 
 ‘But we will make it,’ Jiizel answered.

 ‘It will be a long time before you find the Others,’ Faullaizaf said.
 
 ‘But we will find them,’ Jiizel answered.

 ‘You will be as lost to us,’ Faullaizaf said.
 
 ‘But there will be a returning,’ Jiizel answered.
 
 And Faullaizaf laughed, for Jiizel since childhood had had a spirit made of
 unbreakable metal. He said, ‘The ships are yours. Take all of them but one.
 We will save it in memory, of Quzen… and of you.’
 
 ‘We will leave in three days, at sunset,’ Jiizel said.

 Three days later, the Faulfenza who would become the Lost Kin crowded
 into the ships they had just lately come from, five thousand of them spread
 through a vastness meant for fifty more thousand. On the gritty dirt of
 a landing site not yet touched by metal or synthetics, Jiizel stood in her finest
 body-wraps, made of threads of bright gold and sea-spheres, starfires and
 opalescent snow-spheres, and blood-fires like five thousand tiny eyes.
 
 Faullaizaf met her, and she bent her head to him, and he to her. And then, no
 words spoken, Jiizel of the Severed Kin boarded the last ship.
 
 Faullaizaf watched them go and knew one day they would serve the Promise.
 He turned his back on the sunset
 and went home to sleep,
 and dreamt of dawn.

The Scroll of the First Stewards

Faullaizaf, great hand of the God, brought us to our new home...

 Faullaizaf, great Hand of the God, brought us to our new home, and seeing it, saw that it was right.
 Faulza’s people had come to their refuge
 They drew deep of its winds, tasted its clean waters, gathered its flowers
 They rejoiced, and they Danced their gratitude, and for many days, they Danced their praise and thanks.
 And then they asked: ‘Fireborn, there are two worlds! Which do we settle on?’
 ‘Both,’ said he. ‘For both these worlds were meant for our habitation. They are His gifts.
 Go forth and fill them.’  
 
 This was the Fireborn’s word.
 But two were troubled, and they were named Niidza and Jenai.
 Niidza was a mother, made in Qudii’s mold, strong with years but still vital. Jenai, a male gone pale with age, who had rejoiced to live to see the end of their journey.
 ‘Fireborn,’ said Niidza. ‘We filled the first world given to us by the God
 And destroyed it.’
 ‘Now He has given us two new ones,’ said Jenai. ‘If we fill them again,
 We will destroy them as surely as we did Quzen.’
 
 The Fireborn said, ‘Continue, brethren of the God.’
 
 Niidza spoke first.
 ‘These worlds will not last forever,’ the mother said. ‘We should prepare for the day we will be called to mourn them, and move on.
 We should build a society that faces the stars, so we need never die on a single world again.’
 Jenai spoke next.
 ‘We should be better stewards to these worlds,’ the elder said. ‘So they will sustain us. We must not forget the lessons of the past.
 We should build a society that preserves our history, so we need never learn those lessons again.’
 ‘We are no longer children,’ they said to the Fireborn. ‘To thoughtlessly squander our parents’ gifts. How much greater are the divine gifts? We must treat them with reverence.’
 
 Faullaizaf said, ‘How fortunate we are in our God!
 And how fortunate are we in our long-sighted people!
 I declare both these proposals worthy. Listen now to the word of the Firedancer’s Hand.
 
 This world we stand on, where we landed, will be known as Quapendai.
 From here we will seek the future.
 We shall build a society that faces the stars, so we need never die on a single world again,
 And you, Niidza, shall lead it.
 
 The world that rises in our skies will be known as Quafiirla.
 From there we will honor the past.
 We shall build a society that preserves our history, so we need never learn its lessons again.
 And you, Jenai, shall lead it.’
 
 As the Fireborn said, it was done: two stewards appointed, to safeguard two worlds and one people. Until such time as the Faulfenza are called onward, we honor the past and seek the future. Faulza be praised!

The Promise Scroll

Across the ages I do speak to you...

 'Across the ages do I speak to you. Across the years do I speak to you.
 Across the ageless universe, and the long years between stars, these
 words come to you.
 
 In the name of Faulza, I tell you this tale. In the voice of Faulza, I
 bring you these words. With the authority of Faulza, with His will etched
 indelibly into my mind with words of flame, do these words come to
 you.
 
 I am Faullaizaf, Painted FireBorn of the God. Since the day I was born
 with his Paint on my fur, I have served the will of Faulza. Through the Time
 of Ashes, as Quzen beneath our feet fell to the first Nothingness from 
 which He created everything, I have been for the Faulfenza the Messiah of
 the God.
 
 Past the Time of Ashes have I commanded the Faulfenza in His name.
 Through the stars have I sent the Faulfenza in His name.
 To Qufiil, a new world filled with new life, I have brought the Faulfenza in His name.
 
 And my work is almost done.
 
 But there were those who went their way. Those who went on Faulza's
 errand, and continued on. Those who, shrouded in cloth and decorated with
 jewelry, gave grave farewell to their sisters and brothers, mothers and
 fathers, and moved on.
 
 I had words for them as well. They had a mission that was different from
 yours, Children of Qufiil.
 
 The Severed Ones, the Lost Kin, went in search of Others. Others who
 were made by Faulza, wearing a different face, giving a different name.
 Others to make with the Faulfenza, Lost Kin and Children of Qufiil a partnership
 of such strength, such steel, such fire, that you will know an age like no
 other. A Golden Age of Fire.
 
 Beyond the stars. Beyond your doubled world. Beyond your sun that glows
 like Faulza Himself... there are those who would become unto you as
 sisters and brothers.
 
 With the mouth of Faulza, I bring these words to you. With His voice on
 my tongue, I speak to you. With His fire, and His will, 
 I bring this news to you...
 I bring this prophecy to you...
 I bring this Promise to you.
 
 The Promise of Faulza, to his Children on Qufiil: 
 In a day when you have reached what you believe to be 
 the best age of your world, once again, you will find the Lost Kin. 
 In a day when you have reached what you believe to 
 be the most you can be, you will find the Others who will be unto you
 like brother and sister. And with one hand in the hand of your Lost Kin sister,
 and the other hand in the hand of the Other brother, the Faulfenza will
 go into a golden age that will never end, a time so perfect, and so true that
 only Faulza can know the words with which to describe it.
 
 This is Promised to you. Never forget. Never stop seeking. When
 least you expect Faulza's oath to you to be fulfilled, it will be. And then
 you will see that what you have now will be as unto nothing before what 
 shall be.
 
 So do I say to you, in His Name.'

Voice's Scrolls from the Previous Ages

These are private Scrolls/Dances recorded by the Voices (and sometimes, their FireBorns). They are Danced in a dialect known only to those who learn the Dance directly from the God. These Scrolls are shared only with other Voices and Hands.

Narelu Speaks

I met him as a child, a babe washed in red...

 I met him as a child, a babe washed in red in the arms of his mother.
 Faullaizaf, she called him: Fire-star,
 little knowing his mission to us as I did,
 I the Voice who foretold his coming.
 I held him in my arms, that babe that did not cry, looked into those eyes, already so serious and so hard.

 I was his minister; I was his aid.
 As he grew through life, I was his buttress
 and his shoulder, though rarely did he need it.
 I found I had no wants when I was with him;
 in his shadow, I felt no hunger;
 no thirst came to me when I walked at his side.
 And never did the fire of Entwining touch me.
 Never did I see the other-half of my soul;
 like Efaulii before me, Qufal’s Voice,
 I never found my other-part.
 Like him, I wonder if I had one.

 Faullaizaf once said to me,
 ‘Narelu, I am tired. I long for a child to play at my feet.’

 I replied, ‘Beloved FireBorn,
 surely Faulza has set aside a lifemate
 for you, who have labored so long in His service.’

 ‘That is not my legacy,’ he answered,
 ‘Faulza’s promise to Qudii has no hold on me,
 for His FireBorn are set apart, and can love no Faulfenzair
 greater than he loves any others, not in the way two Bondmates love. 
 Just as you have no hunger for a mate,
 so I cannot love one as she would need to be loved.’

 And it was so... when I Danced before him, 
 when I followed in his footfalls,
 when I kept his home and put forth my body 
 to the crowd, to tell them of him,
 I felt no desire.

 I felt no loss, nor regret over this lack.

 ‘But Faullaizaf... you do have that hunger.
 Why would Faulza give you the hunger 
 and not the gift of quenching?’

 ‘Who can know the mind of Faulza?’ 
 he replied.

 Later, when he met Lena, I was certain he had been wrong.
 But I, who knew him so well, could see that though he was gentle to her,
 though he cared for her and showed her every kindness,
 the fire of Lifemating was not there.

 Did she know? I couldn’t tell.
 But I thought that
 Lena was content with her lot,
 and for Faullaizaf’s sake I give thanks to Faulza for
 that.

 Qufal died young, unBonded;
 Efaulii never found his mate.
 I have not, and Faullaizaf never did.
 Could it be that there are souls who are destined to
 carry so great a weight
 that Faulza cannot spare any part of their essence to shape into another?

Scrolls from the Age of the Third FireBorn

The Voice Revealed

Since the day my mother birthed me...

 Since the day my mother birthed me, I have been unPainted, a piece of the
 night cut from the sky and folded around a soul. Never did I ask myself,
 ‘who am I?’ for I have always known that I have
 no identity, save for what I am. I am a Voice, the Voice
 of the God, and I was born for a purpose.

 For a hundred and ten years, I lived in the Sainai with the creatures that roamed it.
 I was a nomad, a prisoner, held in chains waiting for the sweet surcease, the
 release of the God’s will. Who was it that I would prepare
 the way for? What new age does Qufiil turn her face to now?

 Fasting was my way of life. My body was not mine to own, to feed, to shelter.
 Never have I run from storms, nor fled the cold. I waited in need and
 agony for the Word.

 And then... the Vision came. On a night as dark as an unPainted coat,
 upon the heights of the Sainai, my eyes clouded,
 and no longer could I see the world around me.
 The sounds of the mountains were not there... nor the
 scents of the mountains.

I saw the sun bursting over the edge of Quapendai, shedding its light like
 a golden crown to cover Quafiirla. All Qufiil began to shine in space, as if
 covered in molten, precious metal. And on the plate of those two spheres,
 I saw three walking abreast, hand in hand.

 A Faulfenzair, Painted, the color of Flame... the FireBorn.

 A Faulfenzair, black and tipped with white, streaked with crimson, dressed
 in a body-wrap of scarlet, with jewelry, but no life- mate.... a Lost Sister.

 And a creature with a strange face, without fur, mane waving and tangling
 behind it, dressed in body-wraps that formed on its frame a definite
 shape... an Other.

 I cried out in ecstasy! ‘Faulza! Is this Your will? Am I the Voice who will be
 blessed to prepare the way for the Messiah of the Golden Age, when we
 will be united with our Lost Siblings and our Soul- Brethren?’

 And a voice came to me and filled my ears until they rang without ceasing,
 ‘You will be the one. Go now, and make My worlds and children ready.
 The time is at hand.’

 The time is at hand, children of Faulza... the Promise waits to be fulfilled,
 in your lifetime, in mine. Make ready your hearts for the FireBorn Messiah
 of Faulza, who comes behind me, treading the paths I have Opened.

 Make ready!

Prayer for Lost Quzen

Quzen, you bore our people...

 Quzen, you bore our people
 until you could bear no more
 We left you to heal, and long you slept in hope of renewal
 and now you lie slain

 Beloved Faulfenza of the Laizafzafiir, you carried our people’s hopes
 Until you could carry them no longer
 We brought you home to rest, and there you wait in hope of remembrance
 and there you lie slain

 You will be forgotten no longer
 this I promise you
 I, third FireBorn, FireDancer’s Hand,
 am returning, and bringing your stories with me.

The Promise Renewed

Across the doubled worlds do I speak to you...

 Across the doubled worlds do I speak to you. Across the field do I speak to you. Across from you, I breathe these words to you, eye to eye, speaking truth.
 In the name of Faulza, I affirm the Promise. In the voice of Faulza, I renew the Promise. With the authority of Faulza, and His will wreathed around me in a halo of sacred flame, I make this vow.
 The Promise is real. All that was promised to the Faulfenza is true. And the future will bring us a Golden Age of Fire.
 Fire burns as it purifies, and between us and the fulfillment of that Promise, we must consent to be cleansed. But there will come a day when fire can no longer hurt us, and will usher in the greatest era of our people.
 With the mouth of Faulza, I bring these words to you. With His voice on my tongue, I speak to you. With His fire, and His will, I bring this news to you... I bring you this prophecy... I reclaim the Promise.

 When the Lost Kin are found.
 When the Others are embraced fully as kin and not solely companions.
 When you have reached what you believe to be the most difficult age of your world, when you believe you have lost your hearts, when even belief is hard and you fear it is dross, and worthless... then you will go into the Golden Age.

 Beyond your doubled world. Beyond your sun. Into all suns, connected forever in a web of perfect fire. Time itself will bow to love, and interfere no more with Faulfenzair growth.
 Faulza’s Promise is true. Rejoice, Faulfenza!

Scrolls from the Age of the Fourth Messiah

The Fourth Voice

Comes the Golden Age at last...

 Comes the Golden Age at last
 When my FireBorn shall be the Firebringer
 When all the stars will Blaze and the galaxy set aflame
 Prepare the way
 Prepare the way
 Prepare the way, for the FireBorn is at hand
 The Golden Age comes!

The Promise Fulfilled

Faullaizaf promised us the worlds...

 Faullaizaf promised us the worlds
 And his dream propelled us into the stars
 Explorers, ripe with longing, sweet with hope
 Like youths before Entwining, seeking completion

 Zafiil opened the worlds to us
 And her voyage prepared us for its challenges
 Explorers, armed with caution, calm and open
 Like the lifemates at their Bonding, ready for adventure

 The promise given
 The promise renewed
 And now, the promise fulfilled

 I have walked the places touched by the third messiah's feet;
 The obstacles, the griefs, the shocks have made themselves known to me.

 I have traveled the bridges opened by the second messiah's hands;
 The mysteries, the hardships, and the costs have been made clear to me.

 I have seen the ruins abandoned by the first messiah's decree;
 The sorrows, the desolation, and the price have come to my shoulders.

 The promise predicted
 The promise prepared
 And now, the promise on the cusp of payment

 Rejoice, Faulfenza! Qiifaula comes in your lifetime.
 Rejoice! It comes now, in a halo of fire.
 It will purify and ennoble all it touches,
 And what is refined will last forever.

 Prepare!

Appeal to the Crew of the Laizafzafiir

O you, the stricken of the Laizafzafiir...

 O you, the stricken of the Laizafzafiir
 Whose laughter fueled the will of a FireBorn
 Whose footsteps opened the way to the Golden Age
 Whose memory sustained a doubled world through crisis
 You died afflicted but not in vain

 We who abide in your absence
 Ask your blessing now on our final endeavor
 From the Shoulders, grant us again the fuel for our wills
 The map to our promised land
 And the sustenance to triumph over adversity
 You who never knew war
 Who now know the faces of our enemies
 Help us in our final battle
 Light our way in fire