Die Rueckkehr

Die Rueckkehr: Buch Eins

Come Monday, everything is new in the grey. They've been on the road for a few weeks, their last Journey taking a shorter time. Hanz had tried To stop them, through his various occult means. He summoned storms and turbulent winds, great rain That could wither rock like breadcrumbs in red wine. He made clouds of gnats appear, which bit the boys For hours without mercy. He made the Sun Feel seven times hotter than on normal days, And raised massive hills in the roads they trod. He even made the nights hot, almost as warm As the World of Light, which fumes at five-hundred And twenty-five degrees Celsius. He made The water in the streams and rivers taste like Vinegar, and made every plant and herb in The area as rotten eggs in flavour. He hid the Moon behind dense clouds, and the stars Were covered in shadows as a shroud of death. He made beetles crawl all over the boys' camp, And rats eat their rations. He made the night birds Screech endlessly, keeping them awake. He swapped Road signs and made wild boars chase them in the woods. Ants filled their blankets and fat worms filled their shoes. When they caught fish or rabbits, they tasted like They'd been dead for months. The tree branches grabbed them, Their roots tripped them up. The ground sometimes moistened Like quicksand, dragging them down. Wild beasts like bears, Wolves, and feral dogs chased them, and even stones Hailed from the sky occasionally. But they Didn't give up. Like the nixen from Lightworld, They chose to always be joyful. Circumstance Would not dictate their inner state of mind. They Ate cursed food like it was ambrosia of gods, And welcomed the pestilences of land-beasts And weather. No day was too hot for them, no Night too dark to traverse. They were on a quest, And they would finish it, by grace of great Min. Their journey lonely, dark, and deep, but they had Miles to go. When times got rough they sang a song, Dusted themselves off and carried on, as kings And queens of the past had done so. They knew that Hidden foes sought to stop them, but they would not Yield or concede. Their destiny carved in stone, With much more yet to be engraved. Even great Hanz was amazed at their determination. Now they face a great obstacle. They're on their Own, making their way to Parsifal's kingdom. Young Heinrich, bored, decides to make some small-talk. 'Where did zauber come from, Parsifal?' he asks. 'Zauber was first brought over by the Fay Kings, Seventy-two zauberers, mighty rulers: Vehujah, Jeliel, Sitael, Elamjah, Mahaschjah, Lelahel, Achajah, Kahetel, Haziel, Aladjah, Lavijah, Hahajah, Jezalel, Mevahel, Hariel, Hakamjah, Luvijah, Kaliel, Levujah, Pahaljah, Nelchael, Jejajel, Melahel, Hahvijah, Nit-Hajah, Haajah, Jeratel, Schehejah, Rejajel, Omael, Lekavel, Vascharjah, Jehujah, Lehahjah, Chavakjah, Menadel, Aniel, Haamjah, Rehael, Jejazel, Hahahel, Mikeel, Vevaljah, Jelahjah, Sealjah, Eriel, Aschaljah, Mihael, Vehuel, Daniel, Hahaschjah, Imamjah, Nanael, Nitael, Mevahjah, Poviel, Nemamjah, Jejalel, Harahel, Mitzrael, Umavel, Jahahel, Anavel, Mehiel, Damavjah, Manakel, Ejael, Havujah, Roechel, Javamjah, Hajajel, Mumijah. These immortal scientists blessed the nine worlds With zaubic power, for better and for worse.' Zauber flows through the world like blood through large veins; The power originates from the Archons, Most ancient Forces: Horaios, Elohai, Asterphanos, Adonai, Tzevaot, lord Yeho, and their leader Ariel, known as Yalda-Bahut. They taught nine goddesses, who Taught the great Fay Kings, and they the sons of men. With it, many excellent technologies Have graced the far-as-eye realms the boys call home. Its most natural manifestation is In the riesen, or joetnar, giant beings with Exceptionally long lifespans. Eight-million Four-hundred thousand human years is one big Purvanga: eight-million four-hundred thousand Purvangas are one Purva. Each riese lives No less than eight-million four-hundred thousand Purvas. The beings descend from Imer's sons, kings Of their original land, twelve lofty lords: Olpaged, Zirakah, and great Hononol, Zarnaah, Gebabal, and mighty Zurchol, Alpudus, Kadaamp, Zarzilg, Lavavoh, Zinggen, and Arfaolg, sons of Aurgelmor, Their title for the primordial Imer. The boys know no spells or incantations, as They've barely reached seventeen cycles in age. But Parsifal is of royal blood, Heinrich Of a reputable middle-class. They are Following the Dreiunddreissig Goetter, stars That represent ancient deities, whom the Early settlers matched with some constellations. First gods of the elements: Dara, Druwa, Soma, Aha, Anila, and Anala, Pratjooscha, Prabaasa. Then the gods of just Warfare: Mrigavjaada, Scharwa, Niriti, Adschaikapaad, Ahirbudnja, Pinaakee, Dahana, Ischwara, Kapaalee, Staanu, And Bawa. Then the twelve gods of Energy: Daataa, Mitra, Arjamaa, and great Schakra, Waruna, Amscha, Baga, and Wivaswaan, Pooschaa, Sawitaa, Twaschtaa, and Upulwan. Then the two Horsemen: the Prince of Sacrifice, Great victor, and Heaven's Auspicious Offspring. The Horsemen ride across the sky every day, Fighting the fierce serpent Teli, who seeks To swift devour every sun, moon, and star. They hunt rarely, too tired to care. Heinrich Proposes they find shelter soon. Being young, They brought no steeds for this trip, wanting to be Like the early heroes, journeying on foot. Names come to mind, like Gunter and Lord Hagen, Who met Freudenland, daughter of Daniel, Who married Mazaldan ben Schimon and bore Two mighty sons, half-nix but still powerful. Having time to kill, they camp for the evening. The next day they set off at the Sun's rising, Sehul taking Mehnot's place, the chariot Of the heavens tearing through the clouds. They reach The city of Gurnemanz, brother of queen Herzeleide. The kingdom of Angharad. Its structure is gold brick, held together with Gypsum mixed with quicklime and pozzolana. It has twelve pearly gates, three on each side. It's Twelve-thousand stadia in length, height, and width, A perfect cube, one stadion six-hundred And seven feet. It floats high up in the air, A single ladder on its side to scale it. Built by dwarrows as a gift to King Kastis, Once lover of Queen Herzeleide the Bold, At whose feet grim Azarel, with four-thousand Wings and seventy-thousand feet, dug a grave. Its shadow covers miles and miles of land, the Eye of Heaven blocked out by its massive form. They mount the steel ladder, each rung feeling more Distant than the previous. They reach the top. 'Who do we meet first?' 'My uncle. He'll know what To do.' So they enter the city of gold, In pursuit of Parsifal's tutor and friend. Eventually they find him: a noble Knight of royal pedigree. His great frame shakes With coughing. From fine volcanic particles Gurnemanz has contracted a lung disease, Known as Pneumono-Ultramicroscopic Silicovolcanoconiosis. The Boys greet him in the town square, buying apples. 'Hello, uncle!' 'Peredur! My dear boy! It's Been so long!' They hug. 'I assume you're here on Urgent business.' He nods. 'We aim to stop an Invasion by Wotan's sons. They will soon be Here.' 'Indeed. My sources tell me as much. We Have no time to lose. I will organize a Meeting to discuss what must be done. Until Then, you boys can stay at my house. It's not much, But it should suffice.' By 'not much', the knight means Three-hundred and sixty-five thousand metres Square in floor area, eighty-four metres Tall, with one-thousand one-hundred lavish rooms. The boys grin. 'It should suffice us quite nicely.'

Die Rueckkehr: Buch Zwei

'Titurel had Frimutel and Rischoide. Rischoide and Kailet married and vanished To the winterless land of the deathless fay. Frimutel had Herzeleide, Gurnemanz, Trevrizent, Repanse, and Schoisiane. Schoisiane married Kiot and had fair Sigune, and Repanse had a child with Feirefiz: Johannes Presbuteros. He Still lives, though in a distant land. My mother Herzeleide wanted to inform me, but She passed away from her heart complications.' 'But how did your brother even have a child? He was…not very attractive.' 'I assume Some zaubic craftiness was involved in the Strange conception of Johan.' They're in the old Family library, flipping through some books. 'How many languages can you speak, Heinrich?' 'Well, I can read some writing. Like the cursive Script of the Arabers: Alif, Ba, Ta, Tha, Dschim, Xa, Cha, Dal, Dhal, Ra, Zajin, Sin, Schin, Tzad, Dxad, Txa, Zha, Ejin, Ghajin, Fa, Caf, Kaf, Lam, Mim, Nun, Ha, Waw, Ja. Their twenty-eight letters. I also know some casual Arabisch.' 'Impressive. The great Dschingis only spoke one Tongue, yet he nearly conquered all of Mitgart.' 'Why were Amfortas and Lustig struck from the Line's records?' 'Maybe the family ousted Them because they were born of different mothers.' They're called in for the meeting, overseen by The Judges, also called Assessors, rulers Of the malachim, forty-two in number: Lords Aurfaniel, Boel, and Gavriel, Then Jofiel, Tumiel, and Tzadkiel, Kavtziel, Rafael, and Azuziel, Lords Schemschiel, Taviel, and Nagdiel, Then Nachliel, Gavoriel, and Danel, Lords Jehudiel, and great Kevaschiel, Then Schaariel, blessed Berachiel, Tavtaviel, Rachmiel, Tzafiniel, Terumiel, Gedudiel, Chaziel, Kumiel, Barakiel, Tahariel, Lords Nuriel, Amiel, and Jisrael, Gariel, Lehaviel, and Peniel, Zachariel, Kedoschiel, Schalgiel, Lords Karviel, Vaviel, and Tzuriel, Ilfiel, and Tavriel. Seven are the Greatest among malachim: Auriel called Arsjalaljur, Rafael called Labiel, Reuel, Michael called Schabatiel, Zerachiel, Gavriel called Hamon, and Ramiel, in the forms of a cosmic bull, Serpent, bear, lion, dog, eagle, onager; They each have six white wings and two-hundred and Fifty-six faces, each face with two red eyes. Sigune, Parsifal's cousin, is there too. Gurnemanz stands at a round table, chairs on The perimeter. The gathering begins. 'Wotan son of Bor son of Buri seeks to Send his sons to ravage our lands. We must stop Him.' 'Wih Lodur and Wili Hoenir, Wotan's Brothers, invaded years ago. We stopped them.' 'But Bestla's sons are relentless. Her father Was the savage Boltorn, and his descendants Too got his unpacifiable spirit.' 'Maybe Freja, gentle soul, will hear reason.' 'Fricka is too loyal to her mad husband.' 'I suggest we have another voice in here.' Gurnemanz gestures to an empty space. With A burst of flame a figure appears: Loge, Son of Farbauti and the goddess Laufi, Brother of Helblindi and Bileist. He grins With vulpine cunning. 'Dark daimon! Prisoner Eins-Neun-Zwei-Sechs-Null-Drei-Zwei-Sieben-Jot, what Brings you here?' 'He was summoned by Trevrizent,' Explains Gurnemanz. 'Your mad brother always Makes the worst choices.' Loge laughs. 'My time in Jail seemed nicer than this welcome. But I can Understand your hesitation.' His eyes hiss, Watching Sigune like a ravening wolf. 'Why are you here, Lord of Mischief?' 'I've been brought In to help with the war effort. Rally troops.' 'We don't need your help,' says Heinrich, adamant. 'On the contrary. I'm the only one who Can help. I have received a prophecy of What is to transpire. And I know what must Be done for victory.' Silence in the room. 'I have tricked Hoder, blind god of archery, Into killing Balder with a mistletoe Arrow. Hoder has been slain by Wali, and My son, Narfi son of Sigin, has been killed By the god as well.' 'You seem rather calm...' 'My Son's time had come. He was meant to die. So a Battleground has been arranged in Wigrid, a Vast field far from here.' 'What have you done?' 'I've bought You time, ungrateful snot-wads. In the form of Tock, an old crone, I have been spying on the Enemy side. This war had to happen. I Relocated it.' 'So what should be done now?' 'They're sending a fighter, the Red Knight, to this Kingdom. Two days. Iter of Kukumerlant. And Parsifal must slay him.' To show he's true, Loge calls a figure from the shadows: lord Njord, who can't lie. Njord confirms all of his words. The meeting is cut short. The Judges leave for Their realm, beyond the Nine Worlds, deciding that This war is not theirs to fight. Gurnemanz and The boys leave for home. All is confusion now. One night Heinrich is having trouble sleeping, So he asks of his friend a simple favour: 'Can you tell me a story, Parsifal? A Tale to help me rest?' Parsifal agrees and Sings 'Thanchvil and her Cyramman,' a story His dear mother would sing as a lullaby: 'Tanaquil, your beauty exceeds them all, From the crown of your head to your toe tips. From the early morning till curtain call, The dread ravens hear the songs of your lips. They entertain you with their cunning quips, They dance, flap, and caw at your every whim, As the ghostly Love Star rises and dips, I can only watch from my tower's stem, Oh those dim ravens! How I wish I were one of them. Kiraman, our union cannot be, You're a lukanthrope, I a vampire. When I watch you, a monster I don't see, But walls are between us, lakes of fire. Wasting away in my lonely spire, With a warm aching in my cold dead heart, I long for your arms, quench my desire! But forces on each side keep us apart, If we ran away, Kirry, where would we even start? Tanaquil, I have no answer for this. But in my bosom I know for certain, That when I transform, I glimpse your kind face, And it turns me back into a person. You are the north light, easing my burden, The vast Sun with Her fiery fervour, The Moon with His horned self untaciturn, So let us leave Faerieland forever, A werewolf and his sanguinarian, together. Kiraman, the world we live in is strange, People judge by appearances, by looks. They shun moving forward and making change, Seeing the Other as nothing but crooks. We have been manipulated like rooks, Made to see our neighbours as enemies, But we two can run far beyond these brooks, And build a world beyond these ancient seas, Our fates are tied, and there are no stronger bonds than these. So Kiraman and Tanaquil take flight, Escaping their respective citadels, Their feet carrying them into the night, Abandoning tradition and its hells. Leaving behind their society's yells, Its old policies against race-mixing. They ignore their inner looming fear-knells, The brass bells of panic ever ringing, And, lo, they have escaped! The dread ravens are singing. Time sees a new world, a new time, begin, Where what's outside will no longer matter: People won't be judged by what's not within, But by the content of their character.' 'That was beautiful.' 'My father wrote it for My mum before he left for war. It was his Last message to her. I was born soon after.' The burden of blood weighs heavy on his heart. They wish each other a pleasant night's rest, and Parsifal silently cries himself to sleep.

Die Rueckkehr: Buch Drei

Parsifal has never killed a human being. Today's the day. Gurnemanz has been training Him, and they're on their way to find the Red Knight. They pass through a dark forest ruled by Gello, The great zauberin with sixteen other names: Lilit, Abitu, Abizu, Amorfo, Shadowed Kakos, Odem, Ik, Podu, Ilu, Tatrotah, Avanuktah, and Shatrunah, Kali, Batzah, Tilatui, and Piratshah. She hails from a foreign land, testimony To the simple maxim: 'It matters not where You came from. It matters where you choose to go.' Chamuel is Parsifal's obsidian Sword, from Chavah Kadmonah, Koenigin der Luft und Dunkelheit. On this gift some words are Carved: 'Ego Eimi ho Artos tes Zoes, Ego Eimi to Phos tou Kosmou, Ego Eimi he Thura ton Probaton, Ego Eimi ho Poimen ho Kalos.' On the Hilt: 'Ego Eimi he Anastasis kai He Zoe, Ego Eimi he Hodos kai He Aletheia kai he Zoe, Ego Eimi he Ampelos he Alethine.' It draws its power from the thirty mighty Aeons: Buthos, Sige, Nous, Aletheia, Bios, Rema, Anthropos, Ekklesia, Then Buthios, Mixis, and Ageratos, Henosis, Autophues, and Hedone, Akinetos, Sunkrasis, Monogenes, Makaria, Parakletos, and Pistis, Patrikos, Elpis, Metrikos, Agape, Ainos, Sunesis, Ekklesiastikos, Makariotes, Theletos, Sophia: Undying gods beyond the Nine Worlds, who gaze On the Dreifaltigkeit. He can activate The broadsword by yelling: 'Senoi, Sansenoi, Semangelof.' Parsifal is scared and lost. 'How can I go through with it? What if he has A family? Children? How can I end his Life?' 'Going by Loge, it must come to pass.' The many-named sun-goddess and moon-god guide Them, Dag and Nott keeping the time with Delling. Watching the falling leaves, Gurnemanz muses: 'Four Ages govern each world: the Golden Age, Or Sun of Teskatlipoka, one-million Seven-hundred and twenty-eight thousand years; Silver Age, or Sun of Ketsalkoatl, one Million two-hundred and ninety-six thousand Years; Bronze, or Sun of Tlalok, eight-hundred and Sixty-four thousand years; and Iron Age, Sun Of Tschaltschiwtlikwe, four-hundred and thirty Two thousand years. These four Ages compose one Cycle, a Sun of Witsilopotschtli. Two Thousand Cycles are one day to a god. One Year has twelve months of thirty Days each, and the Worlds will be destroyed after twenty-seven Septillion and nine-hundred and ninety-three Sextillion and six-hundred quintillion Years, Then be remade, then destroyed, for forever. Twenty-nine Remakings have happened so far. Life's meaningless.' 'I don't believe that. Maybe I don't want to.' 'Gott ist tot. Gott bleibt tot. Und Wir haben ihn getoetet. Das heiligste Und maechtigste was die welt bisher besass, Es ist unter unsern messern verblutet.' 'That's not true.' 'It's true enough to a man with Nothing left to live for.' He whispers in his Nephew's ear: 'My pestilence will take me soon. The doctors gave me two years at most. I'm a Gone man, son. So, yes. Perhaps life's meaningless.' 'If life is meaningless, I want to live a Full life despite the Cosmos' pitiless Indifference. I will put meaning into a Meaningless existence.' Gurnemanz smiles. 'That's My boy.' The two make camp for the evening. That Night Parsifal has a dream. A woman clothed With the Sun, and the Moon under her feet, and Upon her head a crown of twelve stars. Her robes, Sea-blue, are stitched with gold letters: Alef, Bet, Gimel, Dalet, He, Vav, Zayin, Chet, Tet, Yod, Kaf, Lamed, Mem, Nun, Samech, Ayin, and Pe, Tsadi, Kof, Resh, Shin, Tav. She laments in a Language foreign to his ears, arms spread out in Grief, from her eyes pooling tears. Her voice ripples: 'I hold your broken body, My hands on your torn up skin, Wondering if this was right, If I could have stopped this night, If I had said 'No' to you, So you would not see this through, Now only regret fills me. I held your hand as a child, As you stumbled on our walks, I gave you shelter and food, If only I'd understood, The things I did were in vain, Now all I can feel is pain, Oh precious son on my lap. You look so peaceful, sleeping, Like you did as an infant, But your face which I once kissed, Now covered with bloody rips, Scarred beyond recognition, Fear shadows my cognition, It looks at me, now sightless. Your gentle hands are drilled through, Your right side pierced with a lance, I cradle your bloodied spine, Wishing your death had been mine, Kissing your sundered forehead, But there's no life in the dead, All to me is vanity. Yaakov and young Yosef, Yehudah and shy Shimon, My stepsons, your brothers, watch. In you was no guilt, no splotch. They see your form in my arms, With wrappings and healing balms, But these cannot bring you back. When Gavriel first met me, With his six-hundred jade wings, I doubted his prophecies, Now I just see them as lies, That malach was a devil, A deceiving fiend from hell, Or maybe grief maddens me. What I do know for certain: You did not deserve this, son. At least I saw you grow up, Before life emptied my cup, So I bid you my farewell, Imanuel, swiftly killed, My yachid, my Yeshua.' A voice responds: 'Ho Kurios meta sou! Eulogemene su en gunaixin!' The Gratiaplena, and the Coredemptrix, Mediatrix, Sempervirgo, Deipara, Regina In Caelum Assumpta, and the Daystar-spangled Regina Sine Labe Originali Concepta, vanishes. He awakes, confused. They leave camp, dawn shining. The Red Knight of the Forest of Cinqrois claims Descent from the cursed god-beast Tuphoeus, a Great earth-born monster with a large pair of black Leathery wings, two-hundred arms consisting Of fifty fingers per hand, each finger a Long serpent, two hissing adders in place of Legs, and a hundred snakes' heads for a human's. He and his spouse Echidne were trapped under The earth many years ago, their vile offspring Populating the lands. It was to stop these Parasites that zauber was brought into the Human world by the nixen. They find the Knight: Son of King Antaios and Queen Tindscha, he's Invincible as long as he remains in Contact with the ground. His vermilion suit Of armour glows in the sunlight. His feet are Left bare. With the strength of seven men, Iter Squares off with Parsifal. They toss for hours, Till Parsifal realizes he can't beat Iter by throwing or pinning him. So his Uncle holds the knight aloft in a bear-hug, And Parsifal spears him with his sword. Iter Goes limp, collapsing on Jord's soft grassy bed. The knight coughs out some final words: 'Percevaus, Tu heriteras le monde.’ He gives up the ghost. Parsifal takes his armour and puts it on. They leave the darkling woods. Winter has begun.

Die Reise