The Song of The Faithful
By Ashiq Ibn Al Darboukim Ben Ahmar Eyeed
(H.Patrick O'Connor, A.K.A. Lord Patrick the Butcher.)
When first the gods made the world, it was beautiful and perfect and upon it no shadow or sickness yet lay.
They filled it first with all that grows and is green or gives forth bloom, so that the world was filled with
endless colors. Then they brought forth all beasts that walk, fly, swim or crawl, so that every element would
be filled with sound and movement, thus does the world sing the song of creation and dance the dance of life.
After all was ordered to their will, then did the gods fashion men and made men like unto themselves in form
and image, to remind them of the powers from whence they came. Then they put men into the world saying unto
them "Tend this world, and keep it as we have made it, for thou art the stewards of our creation. Prosper and
be fruitful, and keep all good things in reverence of we who gave you life." Then the gods gave unto men the
two gifts of power. The first gift was the spear, so men could be safe from beasts of horn, tusk and tooth.
The second was fire, so men could hold back the darkness and the chill in the wild places of the world.
Deeming that the children of their thought had all that they should need, the gods returned to the heavens
to listen to the music of the world that they had made, and men were left alone for a time to their own devices.
Now men are not gods and had not the wisdom to match such mighty gifts. So in their ignorance and avarice they
slew all beasts that they caught and they burned all that might catch. Until the sun was hid in the reek of
their burning, all creatures fled before them and the very grass upon which they trod went yellow beneath
their feet. Thus men became a pox upon the world that they were meant to preserve, they caused the music of
the world to falter and discord to arise. When the gods looked down upon the world to see what had befallen,
there they saw men at their folly and all the woes that men had wrought.
Then the gods were wroth and they spoke, saying "Men have forgotten us and the sacred charge given to them. Yea,
with our own gifts they would destroy all that we created. We shall unmake men and take them forever from the world."
And so would have been the doom of men but for the voice of Fatima who spoke forth and rebuked the gods, saying
"Blame not the child when parents fail to teach! Men are as you have made them and if they know not good from evil
it is because they were taught not. Yet we alone can teach them, so teach them I shall. Then men may yet fulfill
that purpose for which they were made."
So Fatima gathered unto her all those spirits that were faithful to her and she taught them to sing the song of
creation and to dance the dance of life. She taught to them the secrets of lore and art and the ways of peace
and filled the faithful with a love and skill for all that is beautiful and fine wrought. When the faithful
were grown great in their skill and knowledge she laid her blessing on them and said "Take now mortal forms and
go forth into the world and with the power that I have given you teach unto men the ways of peace. Bring an end
to the darkness that they, in their ignorance, have wrought and teach them to heal the hurts they have done upon the earth.
When first the faithful of Fatima descended from heaven to walk upon the earth the world was a place of ash
and sorrow and they wept for all that was fair and had been lost. Yet the faithful obeyed the will of Fatima and
they began to sing and to dance. The tears of the faithful washed the ashes and filth from the world and all
the lands were hallowed and made clean. The strength of the song of creation cleared the reek from the sky and
the sun showed forth its glory and the faithful danced the dance of life and whither their feet touched the ground
the earth brought forth shoots of grass and the world was filled anew with life. It is said that the faithful of
Fatima danced for a hundred years and never once did they stop and being mortal their hands and feet became chafed
and bloodied but they received no hurt from it, for the grace of Fatima was in them. Then the faithful came among
them and men named them the Ahmar Eyedeen, the Red Hands Tribe, and hailed their coming as a blessing. So did they
appear to men in the dawn of the world and such was their splendor that men ceased their warring, burning and
slaying, and stood amazed. So the faithful went among the people of the earth, from tribe to tribe, and did the will
of Fatima and taught to men the ways of peace and the knowledge of lore and of art, thus did wisdom descend unto us.
And some men repented their ways and returned to that duty for which man was made, and so it remains to this very day.
So Men were saved from the doom of the gods and the world became the world we know today; filled with both joy and
sorrow. But what, you may ask, became of the Red Hands Tribe - the Faithful of Fatima? Some say that when their
task was complete they returned to the heavens to take their place at the feet of the gods and that their light is
gone out of the world. Some say that in taking mortal form, the faithful were doomed to a mortal fate and so grew old
and died, taking all their magics with them.
But perhaps not...
For if the faithful were indeed mortal could they not have had sons and daughters? Perhaps even now there are still
some among us who's every heartbeat beats in time to the song of creation - who's every step is a step in the dance of life.
Brothers and sisters, we thank you for listening to our humble tale and we hope it brought you a little of that joy
that the first faithful brought to the fathers of men so very long ago.
I am Ashiq Ibn Al Darboukim Ben Ahmar Eyeed and we are The Red Hands Tribe.
We bless you and bid you good night.
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