Cave of Sleepers: Verrain

Written by Rich DiTullio

Sixth Entry
 

Greetings to all my distant kin.  At last I have both time and strength.
Life has becomes more confusing but infinitely more pleasant.

I awoke once more still strapped into my bed but not alone.  A shapely
woman busied herself over the stove and I smelled soup.  She turned
around and her face lit up that I was awake.  I thought it was Flora at
first but she was more heavily muscled than Flora ever was.  "Oh
darling!"  She cried happily and before I could respond bent down to kiss
me.  The kiss was so sweet and so full of need, I truly wished I was her
Verrain.  She pulled back with a smile that faded as she noted the
surprise on my face.  "What's wrong?"  She asked.
        "Who are you?"  I rasped.  Her face fell at that.
        "You don't know me?"  She murmurs and could see in my eyes that I
did not.  "What did those bastards do to you?"  He says eyes tearing.
She quickly pulls herself together.  "I am Strella, daughter of Flora. We
were lovers once."  She murmurs.  "Do you know who you are?"  She asks.
        Well I did but not here.  "I know I am Verrain.  Nothing more."
She sighs and moves to unstrap me.  "Then let me tell you."

        Her story was incredible.  It bears similarities to your's
Cassandra.    Here too the Pattern was damaged beyond repair, and here
too Oberon fell.  But here, the Serpent's Eye was split into three
Jewels:  The Jewel of Judgment for Amber, the Jewel of Reflection for
Rebma, and the Jewel of Insight for Tir.  So when the original Pattern
fell, three Patterns were drawn, one by Corwin, one by Llewella, and one
by Fiona.  Each of them was an isolated island of order in a sea of Chaos
constantly beset by Chaos forces.  Then the counterattack came.  Each
realm pushed back the forces enough to start a Golden Circle.  Then Fiona
hit on using the Jewel offensively.  She drew another Pattern and then
Bleys drew one.  As their armies conquered more territory a Pattern was
built to enforce order on the lands.  Never again would they vulnerable
to Logrus.  Soon Patterns were beings strategically placed by all three
of them locking more and more of Shadow into a dull rigidity.  That
normal looking shadow I was trapped in was on the edge of the Black Zone
of Chaos.  Ordered reality has pressed even into the lands beyond Ygg.
Shadow is no longer the place of infinite wonders it once was.  The
Elders seem content to have stability and safety and ruthlessly seek to
destroy any traces of chaos that still exist.

        A few Elders have realized the horrible damage done here, the
horror that is this bland order.  Bleys and Julian have defected to
Chaos.  So did I it seems because here I am Verrain of House Jesby.
Strella was a sympathizer in Amber.  It took the news of imprisonment to
finally make her show her true colors and organize my escape.  She sleeps
in my arms now.  It would seem that here it is Chaos that needs
defenders.  I must ponder this, to seek what is truly best for all.

Any advice my distant kin?
 

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