The Gale

A short poetic story of a larger than life hero that must make peace between two kinds. It reflects motifs and common themes in epic poetry throughout the ages, but is not strictly so.

¨The Gale¨

Scourged is the world

Covered in ice

Long dark trees short forth like shadows

Against the blank white array it casts on

If it were not to be hospitable

Then the gods up so very high would understand

Throun, lord of this world and the next

Would lay his doubts to rest

As the bones of those below lay to waste

But, somehow so strongly life perseveres

In the white washed world lays the savages

Creatures of the deathless destroyer

Of the wicked one

Kept in imprisonment in this painful land

Horrors are brought forth to demonstrate his rage

His name to be uttered only by God

For all else down below live in fear

The monsters he set forth are tall and wide

They are dark and without structure, amorphous like blood

So fluid they can live anywhere they wish

In land or in water or even the air that is breathed

Those that are innocent

Wish for luck to live with

So often fate meets them eye to eye, prematurely

And the young die so and the old live to watch

In this world there is one that lives without fear

One that can battle any demonic creature

The name of this fiend of fiends one may ask?

Well let it be known to the world that it is Gale

Mightier than the wind itself

Fear does not reside in his eyes nor his heart

But rather in that of his opponent

Born from Throun himself and that of a she-wolf

He was born part god and wolf

The image of divinity encompassing him so

While ingrained in his body and soul are the powers of the wolf

Faster than any man or monster

Fiercer than any whirlwind

Death does not seem like a possibility for Gale

So seemingly, the world resides in his hands.

Sadly is it now that Throun the lord of all

Abandoned his son for he could not bear to accept him

As an affair with a mortal creature is nothing more

But pure blasphemy to the mighty name he calls his own

Amongst people Gale would never fit

His strength, speed, and cunning would surely give him away

For he is more man than animal

So Throun the lord made his choice and Gale was brought to the mountains

Far away from any dangers

Far away from the wicked one’s minions

The world was plagued while Gale lived in solitude

Suffering the wrath of the nemesis of Throun and his followers

Alas, not entirely was his company abandoned

For Throun seeing his son alone could not leave him so

Two wolfs were sent to his side

One large and gold, by the name of Ayue

The second small and silver, by the name Aegi

Both were strong and fast, and invincible to worldly dangers

For they lived not from this world, but the next.

In the lone dark woods

The boy slowly grew

A beard as dark as the night less sky soon erupted from his face

The wolves serving as eternal companions were his only company

Through miles of forest games would be played

Distances were to be traveled as easily as breathing

Through this life of living in the woods

Amongst the cold dark landscape

Happily existed with a bounty of food for no prey could escape Gale’s speed

The boy learned to use his skills

And grew strong and powerful

Able to climb the tallest of trees like the sun climbs the sky

Run like the winds streak across the world

And bore into the eyes of enemies when needed

As monsters came forth at times breaching his isolation

Quietly though the wolves of gold and silver would strike

Leaving Gale in wonderment as he simply watched

Gale for some time lived happily

But nothing lasts forever.

A man came to the isolated woods where Gale resides

Sleeping on the cold, icy snow itself, Gale awoke

Quickly and cautiously as it was still dark

Upon hearing the man and his clumsy ways

His elevated sense of hearing brought him to the person

Silently like falling leaves before him the two wolves followed

The distance of an hour journey was covered in just one minute

And to the face he came to see was that of an old man

Astonished by this visage, for it looked similar to that of his

As all men are created in image of Throun himself

He came closer and tapped his shoulder and quietly without thought uttered into his ear

“Brother”,

“No” the elder replied apparently confused by such a manner

“But news I bring that could unify you as such in my eyes”

“Tell me” said Gale as silently as a fleeting breeze

“Throun has sent me personally to send you on a journey

He grows impatient and knows only you can stop the wicked ones way’s”

“Not do I know of this wicked one” replied Gale in a frenzy

“Tell me of it, but do not delay for it seems of an imminent manner”

The elder cleared his throat and began:

“Long ago there was Throun and the wicked one

Brothers eternally they were all that was alive

Born onto this world itself they grew up together

Long ago this world was beautiful

Filled with a unique majesty

The brothers found chaos when they wished to each claim this world as their own

The two brothers fought and fought and eventually the world was stripped of it’s glory

The green was gone as the world was scarred and from the ashes of the burning wreckage

Came forth this land you see now

White and encompassing of all that is and ever will be

Throun left this world and created his own knowing that it was lost

But not before he created his likeness in the people such as I that walk this world today

The wicked one reached the end of the rainbow

Finally was able to claim this world as his own

Only then did the enemy of good find the pot full of snakes

Anger boiling inside him like the fiery rock of a temperamental volcano

Now we live without Throun

As enemies in the wrong territory

The wicked one sent forth his army

Of monsters and savages to claim us to death itself

But at least in our death we return to Throun in his own world”

Gale bellowed  “What does this have to do with me?”

The old man responded sharply:

“As the strongest of all creatures

And surely holding some level of divinity

Throun has told me directly in a dream that it must be you

Gale, to ensure our lives until death

And destroy the wicked ones army

It must be you, Gale”

Gale remarked almost casually “I'll see what I can do”

In so conveying his true emotions the two wolves

Ayue and Aegi howled off into the now dawning sky.

It was dawn the next day

The sun was rising like the hopes of the old man

Gale and the elder held the sun in their eyes until it burnt that morning

For the world was to be faced

Not with the utter grimace of impending doom

But with the sureness that could only be validated through the strongest of faith

¨Come with me, my wolves will pull you¨ Gale ordered the old Man

The whitewashed face responded with nothing but refusal

¨I shall stay here now, it is safe, but you must go¨

Understanding without further a due Gale lept off

And so a gust of wind is all that could be seen

As the speed emanated a turbulent force of warmth

Streaming so gracefully before

Ayue and Aegi formed a fog of gold and silver

Kindly embracing Gale.

The village appears before his very eyes

Wood constructing houses so dark and rich in texture

Blending into the forest around them it would not be hard to miss

If not for the sea of white causing the appearance of a floating city

Amongst a gentle cloud

To the center of the village the wind swept softly as Gale entered quietly

Here he found a statue of the great almighty Throun

Praying before at its feet were the village people

Gale came to one and said to her confidently

¨What ails your kind, I am to help¨

The woman could barely respond

The thoughts of all her pains and sufferings came to her mind quickly

Soon they fled as the most imminent of such remained

She told him now reassuringly

¨Do you see that hill yonder off in the horizon

Up about ten miles away

There lives a monster who is strong and fierce

Believed to be the son of the wicked one himself

He comes at night and eats our cattle

Slay him now and save our kind from starvation¨

As if by command Gale lept forward towards the hill

It was only seconds when he reached the hill and bellowed and brayed

¨Monster, minion of the dark one come forth¨

For a while nothing happened, but soon Gale felt shuddering

As if like an earthquake was unleashing it’s strength

Oddly enough it sounded rather melancholy

Like the shuddering and sobs of a crying baby

Coming forth from the ground finally as Gale would not relent

A monster with two heads each shaped like half a moon

Silver as the wolf Aegi it sprung forth

Teeth bared at Gale it came to eat him whole

Gale soon found it in his heart to leap forward

Around the neck of the creature his arms soon went forward

Slamming him to the ground almost as if without effort

An onlooker may say that the monster did not fight

Instead it simply accepted his fate

The force of the blows received were killing the monster surely

Without further a due it spoke its mighty last words

¨Gale, I know of you, son of Throun and the She wolf

Here me now or never listen

Not do you know us by our true name but the fear you think us to be

Like you we live in this world simply trying to survive

Though our shapes may seem formidable

We all share the same heart

If you wish for our two kinds to get along go to the wicked one

Their you must offer him peace and peace alone

Then the eternal feud may end

Go forth”

The monster's  voice then dropped with his eyelids eternally.

The world under Gale quickly dissipates

He is taken to a desolate place under the very earth itself

His two wolves of gold and silver fall down with him

Here a new world forms

That of darkness and caverns hidden to all but those that are made to know

A man sits on a throne in front of him

He is short and small and a little bit shaky

he says to Gale ¨Come forward¨

Nothing of the sort avails Gale’s feet

Again in a kinder tone he repeats the message

This time he follows the orders so smoothly

Before he can talk words flow from the man´s mouth

¨Gale, son of Throun you must have heard of me

The wicked one, the nemesis of good, the deathless destroyer

Angered have I been for so many years

For your father left me to this wicked world

I ask of you a favor

One that can be answered quickly and surely

Take my role on this earth so I can join him in happiness

So long I've lived in the darkness

Now I wish for the light

Rule this world with greatness

Rule this world with strength¨

Gale came forward eye to eye with the god

As smoothly as a summer wind he spoke

¨If I must take position as king of this world so you can be a man of the next

I accept, but only if the feud between your people and Throun´s may end¨

The godly one spoke

¨They shall do whatever you please, noble Gale

But lead with vigor and intelligence

Or the world shall fall to chaos¨

With that the godly one leaped off his throne and dissipated into mid air

To the next world he went.

Gale now sits on the throne

His wolves of gold and silver next to him

Rising from the darkness into the world above

It is their that he formed his palace

It is there that he told all that they are now kin

May it be known to all

Gale is the king of the mortals

For the world cannot be led by man, beast, nor god

But by something simply in between.

Author's Note

Ignore Grammar