“The village exists because the Kingdom exists. When the Kingdom falls the village must keep its Promise or all hope is lost.”
The Story of Hope
The etiquette of the Kingdom is presented and explained to each new citizen when they walk through the final archway of the inner wall; when they are granted access to the City of Light for the first time. The process is unassuming and for all but the first citizens of the Kingdom, the Lady has conducted the initiation.
She awaits all new citizens just inside the archway of the inner wall. She is usually standing next to or in front of the Fountain of Knowing, and the brief introduction described below commences without ceremony or fanfare:
The Lady greets each person with a handshake or a hug depending on their preference, and says, “Welcome home. My name is Celeste, and I walk in the Light. I am here to welcome you and to initiate you with knowledge and perspective. As a new citizen, you are asked to do only one thing upon your arrival. You will not be harmed in any way, but you will not be the same when you have completed your task. Please step forward and state your name, then I will hand you a cup of water from the Fountain. I ask only that you drink from the cup.”
Inevitably, the new citizens ask questions, but they are only answered with the offer of water from the Fountain and reassured no harm will come to them. After they have given their name to the Lady and sipped from the cup, they are asked to sit on the edge of the Fountain while they come to terms with the gifts they have received. After several minutes, and in some cases hours can go by before a person is ready to move forward, Celeste asks them each the same question; “Do you have wisdom?”
The only answer ever given is, “No. I have knowledge and perspective, but not wisdom. That will take time...lots of time.”
Celeste then asks if they would like to bathe or wash up after their long journey. The offer is rarely refused. Subsequently, each person is directed toward a small building just off the main entrance and told that new clothes, should they wish to change, are waiting for them inside. Most people change into the “standard robes” after they have washed, but it is never required.
After refreshing themselves and changing, the newly initiated citizens tend to rummage through their packs, bags, and boxes to remove the few sentimental items they carried across the Wastelands. After they pull these items from their gear, they typically ask Celeste where their old things can be left or if there is some way they can be donated to those outside the City. Some just wander away from their belongings to explore the Kingdom and to find their place in it. No one ever returns to pick up what is left behind. And those who wish to have their effects removed or donated, are accommodated without question.
One of the many things taught to the citizen when the water is accepted is “the Way of the Light”. During this silent process, there is a deeply personal commitment made between the citizen and the Light. This promise is not spoken aloud, it is not an agreement between two people; it is an oath, a covenant between the person and the Light.
When the conversation is complete, there is a clear understanding of what is not acceptable. And the consequences are simple.
If you take the Kingdom for granted, and you don’t follow “the Way of the Light,” you can be banished. Based on the severity of the offense, the exiled may or may not be given a choice of where they are sent.
If a choice is offered to those who have broken their oath, the choice is simple enough. They can either choose to live out the remainder of their life in the village or not.
For those brave enough to re-commit themselves to the Light there is a village nestled in the crags of the far western end of the Spire Mountains. It has no proper name, appears on no maps, and no one has ever visited it except those who have always lived there or those who always will.
Those who do not choose to live in the village are exiled far beyond the borders of the Kingdom, the gifts of knowledge and perspective fade and they may never return.
As with all choices, there is a burden to those who make them. The choice between knowledge and ignorance can be overwhelming. The choice between hope and hopelessness is sometimes even more difficult when others must share the burden.
Those who choose life in the village instead of banishment, bind themselves and their future children, should they have any, to the same commitment of their parents. When this commitment is made, those who are sent from the Kingdom to the village also receive additional knowledge. Knowledge not provided by the water of the Fountain.
Life in the village is not without comfort or friendship. Quite the opposite is true for those who live there. For centuries now, families have been raised in the village.
The knowledge given to those sent there by the Light may not be written down. It must be passed on to the next generation through stories. Each person, each family, and each generation is responsible for keeping the knowledge alive. Over time, this burden has become a privilege, the privilege has become an honor, and it is only through the women of the village that this knowledge can be used to fulfill the Promise.
When the Promise is fulfilled, those who helped keep it will be the first to re-enter the Kingdom. In this way, the debt will be repaid, and the Kingdom will be reborn. But these things can only happen if the knowledge is passed down; if the commitment remains strong and if the “Wanderer’s Promise” is kept.