Dictated

[lightbranded]

 Sometimes, I think it is too quiet here.

[The opening of the art gallery had gotten Will to start thinking about his brother Max, who was away at art school. And from there Will had started to think about his other siblings. Stephen, away in the Merchant Marines. The twins, Robin and Paul. Barbara and Gwen and Mary. James, only a year older than Will.

He missed them all desperately.]

Comments

apologies if I mess up on play. Its been years since I've played cribbage

[lightbranded]

[Will sets down his first card. A two of spades.]

I find it hard to explain, sometimes. Much of what I can do, I can do simply because of what I am.

It's ok, we can handwave details!

[theabjectauthor]

What you are? That sounds like there is a rather interesting story behind it. [and a seven of spades. Lemony pegs himself two points on the board for fifteen. either a pair, or 31 will net the next score]

oh good!

[lightbranded]

An Old One of the Light. It is not something that anyone here is failiar with, I am thinking.

[ Will sets down another card. The three of diamonds. He pegs his points.]

[theabjectauthor]

[honestly, it sounds to Lemony like something out of a horror story, but thankfully, he has known Will long enough now to be able to curb any snap judgements about that sort of thing]

I'm certainly not familiar with the term. ... Is it something you are allowed to talk about, or must you keep the details of it secret?

[lightbranded]

[Will shakes his head.]

It isn't a secret, really. It is simply something that is now known. Once men lived with magic as fish live with water. But the world is smaller now. Most humans don't believe in magic any more.

[He hesitates.] Humans... some of them do not take it well when told that the world is not quite as they believe it to be. So we exist in secret, as half forgotten stories to tell children. And that is the way it must be.

But for those who already know of magic, it is not a secret.

My kind...

In my universe there are many kinds of magic, and each has a role to play. Above all other kinds of magic is the High Magic, which oversees the operation of the universe and which has the duty of judgement over all other magic. And just beneath the High Magic there are two opposite forces. Poles, you might call them. Which we call the Light and the Dark.

Since the beginning of time the Light and the Dark have fought against each other in a war for the future of humanity. The Dark would see a world where there could never be any question of things like goodness or humanity or mercy. A world where nothing existed but hatred and prejudice, and where no one could even make a choice for something better. The Light exists only to oppose the Dark and to protect that right of choice.

For if the Dark is a great dark pit as deep as the universe, the Light is a cold white flame that burns.

And my kind... Those like me were created to serve the Light.