Trials Of Destiny ~ III

At the heart of Trials of Destiny lies a struggle of self-discovery through the halls of power, masked figures, and shifting truths. A faun, the eternal dreamer, steps from the forest into the court, donning armor he found by the ghost of a knight in a field. To wear the suit is to engage in the theatre of history, to submit oneself to the trials of those who have come before. And yet, the deeper one walks, the more apparent it becomes: the journey is not through a kingdom of men, but through the mind itself. This is a story of ambition, seduction, and betrayal an odyssey into the machinations of power, where every lesson is a test, every gift a snare. The King, he discovers, is a reflection of the self, of history ~ he praises, then undermines. Teaches, then mocks. It is a method familiar to any who has stood before a so-called mentor, drooling promises of ascension. TRIALS OF DESTINY III A hall vast enough to hold the heavens, Its ceiling painted with scenes of triumph and despair, I would need a helmet to protect the world that was in my head, Then I saw it; A suit of armor, Shining in gold, Etched with the history of Elysium it told. I turned to see a suit of armor beside me, Above its head a constellation of stars A fate that shifted with every breath. The cool metal hummed against my fingers, As I lifted and placed it over my head. KING “At last you came, Do you know how long I have been waiting?” FAUN “Since I called your name?” With a serpents tongue that twisted over itself, he hissed. KING “Little Faun, you’ve come so far, Through labyrinths spun beneath the stars. I’m so proud of you my little friend, You are so close to reach the end. But seduction’s art must first be sung. Make them move while you stay still, Want burns brighter than force of will. To rule, you must command the heart. Wether it goes out or remains inside, Your will is the true key to paradise, Ambitious men covet crowns. Seduced by gold’s fleeting gleam. Offer them dreams, And they’ll sleep forever. Take humble tools to make your start, A simple hammer and a tether.” But his words were not a gift to me, Each held a trap I couldn’t see. Growing branches on the poison tree. He’d test my will, my mind, my pride, And watch as doubts grew deep inside. Once, he praised my skill, Said my voice could charm the fiercest birds from their perch, “Seduction, Faun, is a subtle game, To make them move while you stay the same. Flatter their hearts, then pull away, For want will bind them more than sway.” Yet when I used his lessons well, He turned and laughed with endless doubts, KING “You’ve learned, my child, But not enough. A master gives love, But stands on ground.” Another time, he gave me gold, And watched my hands, both young and bold. KING “Spend it wisely,” the King did say, “For power’s bought with the price you pay.” But when I sought to wield its glow, To buy favor and make it grow, He took it back with a sly remark: “See how wealth leaves you in the dark? The richest men are those who know, That nothing owns them ~ they own the show.” He handed me a blade, a test of war, To strike when the moment’s pure. But when I swung, too fast, too late, His eyes disappointed, his teeth did grate; KING “Patience, Faun, is a king’s true might, Know this and learn to fight” I struck again, “Too soon, my Faun, the moment’s fled. A king strikes not to make a sound, But when the blow will shake the ground.” Then came the cruelest test of all ~ He sent whispers to make me fall. Seduced a friend to speak of me, To whisper lies beneath the poison tree. Set a fire to stoke my shame. I ran to him, my heart betrayed, But he just laughed at the trap he’d laid. FAUN “Why speak ill of me?” I cried, KING “To rule, my child, Is to sow dissent among the fools , And watch where loyalty’s seeds catch hold.” But his smile concealed the truths he’d tied. “A King must test if loyalty binds, Will you follow me, or your fair-weather friends?” From the shadows they appeared, Naked in the heat, But it was she that stepped forth, An empress in bare feet. NYMPHS “Lay with us in endless pleasure” FAUN These were the snares he set for me, To test my strength, my loyalty. Each trial burned like fire within, And still, I played ~ he made me spin. For every time I thought I’d learned, Another lesson burned like sin. KING “Be calm, Faun, and hold your ground, For poetry speaks loudest when kings are crowned.” As I reached the hall, my legs grew weak, The serpent hissed and bit my feet. The mirrors lining the towering walls, Showed not my face, but distant calls ~ Fragments of text, his haunting words, Cutting sharp as blades, absurd. The crowd dispersed as I strode near, Their masked faces betrayed no fear. Golden light from the vaulted dome, Made this place both grave and home. And as I knelt before the throne, His voice rang clear, in regal tone: FAUN “It all led to this moment.” The people shone, Elysium’s light their crown. A chorus swelled, The sound eternal. The serpent writhed within my hands, Its bronze scales warm, like shifting sands. KING 2 “Do you know why I brought you here?” FAUN “To seek the truth?” KING “You think you’ve learned the ways of power, But it was the labyrinth of your own desire, That sets your soul to endless fire. You need water, Look up at the sky, You see? Above the clouds? A helmet made of sea, Paradise is one, One sphere, One dome, This place we call home is all we need, Protect it.” He stepped from the dark, His hand outstretched, And from my hands, I offered the serpent. KING “You brought me this, a gift divine, But in its reflection, what do you find? Your face, Faun ~ do you see it now? The King and you, the same somehow.” As he stepped closer, I saw him ~ His face was mine. His form, my own. I stared into the serpent’s eyes, I could only laugh to tell the truth, For it was I that wore the suit. KING “Do you see, my child? The final test, Was never war nor bliss. It was to face yourself and find, The throne was always in your mind.” And in that reflection I did see, The labyrinth was always within me. And as the light began to fade, I smiled, for the price was paid. I was walking toward a mirror, The King and I were bound together. KING / FAUN “I am the one whose name you called, And it echoed through the dawn.” FAUN “It is I! It is I! It is Destiny!” KING “You see now,” he said, “You have always been me. The serpent and the monarch, The seeker and the sought. This is the labyrinth of your soul, And it is seen. You stand at its heart. You thought you were on the outside looking in, But we’ve been here all along. We are the writers of your song, We placed the stones, All the while you were unknown, Time is all our friend, And we believed in what was shown, To enter another man’s paradise, Is really to enter your own, You are a fortunate man, And we before you are the gardeners of this land, A pawn, a flower, A single cup of sand, Which falls within each hour. Each of your trials was a map you wrote to reach the gates, And the weight of the world will fall away, We are the Kings and Queens of the day, And you’ll try and try again to improve, But you may never get it right, And it’s ok if you always loose, But what if we show you inside, We cannot let it be too soon. And each and every man has two hands, In one an open palm and in the other a fist, Greet the world with a hug, And remember that takes both to grow the land.” My breath caught. FAUN “This cannot be.” The labyrinth began to crumble. And I began to see. My voice did reach the void, For my love she (possessed) The Moon FAUN “You tried to break me like glass ~ thinking the shards would reflect your image. But I did not shatter; I became enlightened. You threw mountains in my path, But I became the river, Slipping through every rock. The taker has become the giver. It is fate! And fate you cannot stop. A beautiful surprise. Victory, to the King of Paradise!” Cinematic poetry by Laurence Fuller @LaurenceFuller www.laurencefuller.art