- Year 167 vc -
Hello journal,My name is Alethes Brighton. I am currently 16 years old. Technically I live within the realm of Arria, but my home is Miras, which is just down the hill from where I live. There's a creek down there - Battle Creek - which marks the border between Arria and Miras. I love the story behind the creek and its name.
See, Arria had a terrible history of forcing their religion on people. Generation after generation of Arrian kings claimed to be gods - they were believed to be upright and sacred, even incapable of being wrong. This veil of so-called uprightness covered all kinds of wrongdoing. I don't even like to think of the injustice, cruelty, and filthy abuse that went on so commonly in those days under the kingship of Arria, when it practically ruled the world for centuries. But as a Miran, I know how important it is to remember what happened in history and take it seriously. It will happen again.
I can't express what a wonderful privilege it is to be a Miran, to stand for all Miras has stood for from the beginning, to share in the great light that blesses us. It is a grave responsibility, really. I just think of all the people who go on in darkness, not realizing what they're missing. And I have to reach them. I want them to know what I have gained, and to share in the glorious light.
...You know, it's a good thing this isn't an actual book I'm writing. I've gotten so off-topic. It's just that the zeal overtakes me and I can't seem to help it. But maybe someday I'll be able to do some real writing, share my story and my light, and make a difference. And really, if I go on like this in my journal, as if I'm talking to someone who knows nothing of the things I know like the back of my hand, I guess it'll give me practice sharing the light with those in darkness. I hope I'll write faithfully.
Anyway, in recent centuries, the kingship of Arria gradually became less powerful, and less openly barbaric. Not everyone always wanted to follow its dictates, and in spite of its use of force, of torture and death, people rebelled all the more against it. It was very stubborn, but over time, I guess it learned to accept the fact that some people simply would not follow its rule. I mean, those who rebelled set up their own governments anyway, establishing realms of their own where they did things the way they believed in, leaving behind whatever Arrian dictates they didn't believe in.
But even just 200 years ago, there were some parts of the Arrian way that the new governments not only kept, but enforced. Foremost among them were the gatherings of the moon. Of course most Gadrians gather under the half moon even now, roughly twice a month. It doesn't matter what they say, the half moon celebration is an Arrian tradition! I'm going to be very blunt here with you, journal, though I would be very careful with people. You have no sensitive feelings, no preconceived ideas, as they do. And they cannot help it.
Those who rebelled against the Arrian kingship in recent centuries did so at a great price. I feel so inspired when I read of their courage, to stand up to such a great and terrible empire for what they believed in. But I am saddened that as time moved forward, they stayed where they were. And when the descendants of the rebels saw people struggling to progress two centuries ago, they did not share the empathy which their own history ought to have aroused in their hearts, but rather made things even harder on those who already had the difficult task before them of blazing a new trail.
And that is the part of the story I meant to tell from the beginning of this entry - how our young kingdom of Miras came to be.
Most people believed in Gadrianism, but of course there are different kinds of Gadrianism, as the Gadrian Legends have been repeated so many different ways. Arrian Gadrianism claims to be the oldest and truest form, but we know that isn't true. I mean, Gadriel himself celebrated the full moon, not the half moon. He was and is the light that shines in the dark, the god of the moon, and it honors him most when we honor the moon at its fullest light. I know most Arrians and other half-moon Gadrians don't realize what they're doing, but the half moon celebration originally wasn't even Gadrian. Long ago, when Arria converted to the worship of Gadriel, they brought the celebration of the half moon into Gadrianism from their old religion. Know what it represents? Well it's pretty obvious if you just actually think about it. Just look at the half moon - a half circle of light instead of a full and perfect circle of light. The other half lies in the dark. And that's what they celebrate: light and darkness, good and evil. We really ought to cut off evil entirely and embrace only good.
Anyway, close to 200 years ago, people from various lands were discovering new light. They were going over the Legends and noticing things they'd missed. Some of the old prophecies created quite a stir. They realized Gadriel would soon visit Lumenagea and everything would change. Those who had pleased Nalick, the pure goddess of the sun, would return with Gadriel to his perfect and beautiful kingdom on the moon (the Kingdom of Light). But those who had brought upon themselves the displeasure of Nalick would be sent to the sun, where they would suffer being burned alive. It sounds awful I suppose, but Nalick is very serious, and rightly so, like a parent who understands the need for discipline, as love requires. And Gadriel, well he has visited our world before as a lumen and knows what it's like to be one of us, so he's the more understanding parent, you know? Nalick's perfect purity itself would burn up anyone in her presence who was not pure. But Gadriel is pure enough for her presence, so he's the go-between for her and us lumens. That is only for now. One day we will be pure ourselves, if we choose.
Well, the majority wasn't into the whole return-of-Gadriel thing. Most Gadrians were content to stay in Lumenagea and continue life as usual, assuring themselves that death was the portal to the Kingdom of Light and that they would join Gadriel there at the end of their lives, and no sooner. Those who believed he would come soon became very serious, wanting more than anything to be in good standing before Nalick, to be faithful and close to Gadriel.
And oh, how I want that too. That's why I love our history, because it reminds me of what's important and worth fighting for. So now that I've started this journal with the story of our beginnings, I think I'll just keep coming back to it until I've written as much as it takes to satisfy me. Who knows? Maybe someday I will be able to share this story with others. By then I should be a better writer, if I'm practicing now. But I can't do it all at once! I'm rather exhausted already. This has been quite a lot to write in one morning. Now to take on the day! But I promise you journal, I shall be back!