As anyone who inspects the skies is aware, there exist many Authorities. These Authorities hide their lights when the Great One, Se-Lim is awake. But when he goes to his rest, they peer out.
Most of the Authorities are respectful of the Order and Beauty that reigns in the All. But there are some whose desire reached farther than their light could reach.
Drin was one such Authority. His light was the first to fade out when Se-Lim woke, and his took the longest to shine when Se-Lim had gone to sleep. When the other Authorities were laughing and dancing in their glory, Drin remained calm and forlorn, thinking of how his Glory might increase.
Finally, Drin looked down upon the distant world, and saw that there too were lights. These were not the lights of the Authorities, but the lights of mortals. Finally Drin decided to come closer to see if he might steal some of the mortal’s light, to make his glory shine brighter.
This was not allowed by the Holy Order that had been established for all Authorities since the beginning, so Drin decided to move in the time of the transition, just before Se-Lim’s glory was to show.
He crept closer to the world, looking upon the lights, which had burned low and were but coals and smoke. Drin saw that the light was not like his, and became very sad. He caused the Great Water to boil from anger with the injustice of the Holy Order.
But then Drin was shocked out of his anger. For out of the window of a dwelling shone the bright face of a Na-Shizu, Kon-Lin, the most beautiful Na-Shizu that had ever drawn inner-wind.
Her eyes shone with the rising glory of Se-Lim. Her skin, burnished like fine bronze, glowed with attracted light. Her locks shimmered and danced with every graceful movement.
So spell-bound was the Authority Drin that he nearly forgot to disappear as Se-Lim’s face rose to look down upon all of Creation. Drin quickly returned to his lowly place and crafted a plan.
Kon-Lin spent every day, as most mortals do, caring for her elders and their dwelling. One of her duties was to bring fresh water to her dwelling when Se-Lim went to sleep.
One passage, she was bending over into the moving water of the river to fill her jar. In the gathering dusk, Drin approached her from behind. Grasping her by the waist, he fled back to his place before the Lesser Authorities could see what had happened.
Kon-Lin shrieked with shock and fear all the way into the sky. Though Drin’s touch was like the liquid fire that comes out of the mountains, Kon-Lin was not burned, for the glory afforded by her beauty and grace had turned her into an Authority. As they approached Drin’s place, she indeed turned bright, brighter than Drin, causing all the other Authorities to look towards them in awe.
Quickly the Authorities began to chatter, eventually overcoming their nervousness to point and call at the New Authority.
But Kon-Lin did not speak the language of the Authorities. All she could hear was the tinkling of bells.
Then Drin came forward to take advantage of her beauty, hoping some of it would rub off on himself. He was just about to accomplish his will, his dark hands shaking with excitement at grasping her light, when Kon-Lin saw Drin’s face for the first time.
Her rage burned hot as she slapped at Drin’s advances, causing even him to burn and bruise.
Though hurt, Drin did not give up, knowing with patience Kon-Lin would grow tired and give in. He grew weak, occasionally letting go to dodge her tireless beating.
Sensing her freedom and desiring above all else to return to her home and place, Kon-Lin fled across the skies looking for it, her desire burning a trail as she went. Sometimes she got close to the world, and other times she remained far off.
Her desire, and beauty with which she burned was visible, and Drin managed to find it to grab her and bring her back to his secret place of quietness.
But Kon-Lin never gives up trying to return to her home. Sometimes you can see her light flashing bright in the sky as she runs among the Authorities seeking her way home. IF you see this flashing in the sky in Se-Lim’s absence, remember to wish Kon-Lin luck. Some say she will one day return to her home and fill it with the everlasting light of an Authority. Others say she will slay Drin and take his place, the brighter light of all.
Continue reading Stories of the Ancients: The Legend of Tso-Tso