The Trials of Hallac- Part II: The Dead

Rest did I take those last hours
That still held the darkness of night,
Guarded by the ghostly people
While others slowly rebuilt walls,
Making headway over tomorrow’s windy and sand destruction.

I woke before the morning sun,
When that fiery ball did rise,
Rising up past the horizon,
The ghostly people faded, their forms disappearing where they stood,
Leaving me alone with the day.
Got I to my feet quickly, ignoring the hunger in my gut
For I had a promise to keep,
Service that I had sworn to do.
North I turned, searching for forest
And the priest who dwelled within it.
The welcome shade of the treetops
Was a blessing after the beating sun of the desert city;
Relished in it I did, and found,
Upon bushes scattered around,
Fruits on which I filled my stomach.
A clear stream I passed and drank of,
Quenching my thirst and washing up.
The whole while I ate and drank well,
I maintained my search for the priest
But saw no sign of a man there.
Morning went by, and then did noon,
Worried I became that the priest was, in fact, now dead and long gone,
That this search was to be in vain.
Then lo, before me, swathed in the bright light of midday sunshine,
Was a man, poorly clothed, unarmed.
He had been following, I knew,
Though he said not a word of it.
There was no hut near, no hovel--
Even the clearing we were in
Could hardly be called a clearing.
I knew this was not where he lived,
But I said not a word of that.
‘Knowest thou why I am here, sir?’
Asked I quietly of the priest.

‘Know I do,
Thou good man
Why thou hast come to this place.
For those dead
In the ruined Ounceireile,
On the behalf of those men
Whose pride led
To a sudden, harsh downfall
Do you come.
One question
In regards to those people
Must I ask:
Tell me, thou errand-boy of a dead king:
Think’st thou that they have learned well
Their lesson?’

Considered I long this question,
Debating whether I did think
The ghosts had achieved this high goal.
An answer did I reach, and spake,
‘A simple soldier am I, priest,
Not meant to judge this type of thing,
Nor to pass another’s judgement.
‘Tis not my place to make this call
To declare their lesson well-learned.
Also, it is not in my place
To argue for or against them
As I am truly not involved
In this; ‘tis between you and them.
I came because I owed service,
And ‘twas their request that I come.
That I have done; the rest is yours.’
The priest did nod and smile at me.

‘That is true,
Well-spoken,
And honest.
Understand thee well, good man,
The lesson I have tried to teach them.
‘Tis good humility that
Stayed thy tongue.
Perhaps if you had been king
In his place,
Ounceireile
Would never have been destroyed.’