Chapter 1 - Within this unknown realm I call upon the great tradition of Madi to lead me forward in my journey to follow the visions that have taken hold of my sleep and now even sometimes in waking hours. I see suffering taking hold with an intensity of blinding white. Pain, fear, and the destruction of the world beneath our feet.
I am not aware of my task or how it was placed upon my shoulders nor where it will lead. I can no longer attempt to ignore this peril, eating away at the recesses of my mind. So I have only kept moving, for days on end, to fathoms beyond fathoms. The stink, the horrendous heat, blackness. I know not if this is the clouded vision of my own mind. I now stand alone, racing through time, I seem to be the only one aware or am I lost?? I must start at the beginning, where I came from.
I am Ouseyi, meaning gentle learned one, may I be that, the name given to me upon my acceptance of the calling of Madi. I was born to parents in the tribe of Willow Beard, in the far west of Mia. I lived a famer's life until the day of my master's coming. I was proud youth full of air and stone, unable to look beyond my own field. But then the day arrived when my master, Yioun, may we ever be one, appeared before me. In my blindness I dismissed him and his calling to the wind. A tragic moment for my fate, but my master did not so easily let me escape, besting my indulgence, bowing me in humility, I finally saw the way.
Under his tutelage I begun my first path in my journey, the following of the Mia. I was with him for many years learning the ways of the Madi until with my sorrow my master said it was my time to take my rightful place among the Madi. We traveled solemnly to the Monastery, the eternal path, and finally the day came when I was united with the brethren. I received my name and my calling within the fold. After several more years of study in the Monastery I was deemed ready to fulfill my role and sent into the land.
Blessed were those days among my people, carrying them through their glories and defeats. As Madi of old and the great gatherings around the Tree Path. These were my most satisfying moments when the world seemed full and moving in harmony. Ahh, to be a Madi, to feel the connection of your people, to pass to them the Mia. If only those days were not now so distant in my memory.
Until the day of passing, the flowing of my great master Yioun into the whole, may we ever be one. On that I returned to the Monastery to find the council waiting for me. My master beyond my reasoning had named me as the next confident in the council of Mia, a position I felt was not my calling, I a young, foolish Madi. So many others stood closer to the councils path, to the calling of their wisdom.
I could not accept, paying my rites, releasing my words to my master, I left the Monastery to the land again. However, before I finally departed Numa, the great council Mother, entrusted to me a scroll I had never seen the likes of before. She said only, follow your path as you live your wisdom.
As I journeyed over hill and dell the scroll burned inside my cloak. I feared it with me, feared my inability to hold its merit. Returning to my calling I shared the stories with the people, but somehow something had changed, I was lost for words, lost for joy. I felt weak and unsure, until I decided I must separate myself from the fold.
I knew it must be this scroll eating away at my heart and mind so finally I read it contents. It told of a Madi who lived many SHE ago, I had never heard of him before. His name was Anfa, a Madi in the long past. He spoke of a place outside Mia, a place of foreign origin and existence, which was larger and fiercer than all imagination. I was afraid, fearful what this story would do to my heart, so I set it down in panic. But within a day I was ravaged by yearning to let the story finish its course, to hold its wisdom. The scroll said this distant place was a place of destruction and ultimately death and warned of its eventual coming to Mia. It called on the Madis wise to prepare for that day, and then the story abruptly ended. At the end was only the ancient character for Mia, and the words may Mia ever be present.
I was terrified of what this could mean for Mia, for my people, and bewildered why the council was leaving me with this knowledge. In fear and frustration I tore up the scroll and begin to travel as quickly as I could away from the place I had read the scroll. With every step I took the images of death and destruction of Mia flashed in my mind. I cursed the day of receiving the scroll and vowed to push it from my mind, deciding to return to my old village to clear my mind.
The torment continued though, clouding my mind, pulling me into deeper despair. I tried to move more quickly, but to no use. Finally one night in my traveling while laying down in exhaustion in a valley I fell into a deep sleep. Suddenly I was far above the earth floating with the clouds. The gods were all looking down on me and calling me, I was full of Mia reaching for them, but them far below me was a thud and I looked and saw boulders rolling across the land destroying everything in their path.
Then my people were running, ghastly creatures, huge monstrous beasts, were tearing into their houses, burning their fields. I cried out in pain and horror but to no avail I was held motionless in the air. My people were dying as was our land. Finally I saw the Tree in the distance, its growth defiant the burning sky and I gained hope. But then a piercing screech and crushing sound carried through the sky and with piercing pain the Tree began to tear apart, being pulled down by horrid black whirling clouds. I again tried to dive down to its aid and was able to move, but only slowly. I was dying inside with grief as all was being destroyed.
When I finally got to the Tree only its severed parts were left and all was afire. I broke down in tears, but suddenly before me was Mia, the character etched into the wood of the now stump. I crawled to it and tried to brush the dust off its surface, tracing its lines. It began to glow, radiate its core. I stepped back in awe, as a resonant sound begin to fill the air, shaking everything around it, building into a roar, and suddenly a ominous voice called out Mia. Light shot out of the character in a burst of energy knocking me back.
I woke up in the field in midday, tense and shocked at the nights dream in my mind. Standing to brush myself off and continue my journey I suddenly found the scroll once again in my cloak. I cried out with surprise and threw it down. But now I knew what I must do, yet I still feared this path. I could not bear to think of my world in ruin, but doubted my ability to follow.
I decided to continue to my old village, hoping to find resolution there, leaving the scroll behind I set out. But that night the dream occurred again but this time more fierce and terrifying than before. I woke up in a sweat and again found the scroll with me. I could not take anymore so I began to run, run away from everything, just continuing until I could not go any further.
Days on end I traveled in a daze without hope, without direction, and alone, until I fell into a pool. I thought to let my self sink away, let me disappear into the flow. But then before stood my master Yioun looking solemnly on me. I called to him, wished for him to help, but he remained silent in peace. He then began using his hands in the dirt drew the character of Mia, slowly and methodically he completed each stroke and then the sound began again to rumble, and with a final burst he called Mia.
I suddenly found myself within a dark cave the only light coming from the floor as glowing Mia. I was not sure if I was awake so I tried to wake myself, but I seemed to be present, I seemed to be aware, and actually felt more rested and clear than I could ever remember. I tried to stand and examine that which was around me stepping into the light of Mia I looked around me. Suddenly the room was aglow with characters carved into the smooth walls of the room. All different colors and shapes I then realized that these characters were the language of the Mia, but in a form I had never seen before. They were all beautiful and I could feel the energy flowing from then, I could feel the Mia of the ancestors within them.
Not knowing what to do I called out to Mia and suddenly the entire room began to resonate with the voices of a chorus seeming to come from each character. And then I found myself again in the pool. Pulling myself out I tried to find a place to rest, but I was lost far from anywhere I had been before. It was then that I realized the road I must follow. Pulling the scroll from my cloak I traced the character of Mia on the ground, methodically brushing each stroke, and then the sound began. I called Mia and suddenly was filled with a burst of enlightenment as the ancient script raced into my mind, and through my body, I could feel each piece building towards Mia, so many pieces, so many elements, and knowledge all contained within their bounds. I was shaken, like lightning passing through me, Mia overpowered me and I collapsed.

This is where I now find myself. I know not where I am or where I am going but must journey onward as the torment of the horrible unknown seethes inside. I cannot bear this load and only find relief in pressing further on, journeying to where ever the road ends.
The power of Mia is within me, but I know not what I can do with it. I can see and feel the characters within me, but somehow still locked to my understanding. Mia is the only one open and seems to be road to the others. As I travel on my feet, I also hope to find the answers to these riddles inside my head.
I wander without, may I walk within. Mia be with me to the end!



Chapter 2 - Encountering the Outside
Ouseyi stands alone looking over a snow bank, dirty, tired, exhausted, he's on the brink of collapse from the taxation of this journey. Yet, he can't stop. To stop would be to end his existence as if the gears would suddenly come to a hault and could never be revived again. So he presses on stumbling through the wilderness in any direction he can. Suddenly, a sound startles his concentration on each step, something seems to be coming his way and quickly. The sound grows louder piercing the emptiness. He attempts to move away, find a place to hide, but in his hurry he trips over a stone in his path and is sent tumbling down a long snow bank. He yelps as he falls crashing through some underbrush.
And then it is suddenly upon him; a large beast bursts through the brush, snorting and growling, large tusks extruding from its lower jaw. Ouseyi quickly swings himself into a nearby tree out of reach but not completely out of the grasp of the hungry animal. It begins to knock and scratch the tree in attempts to force Ouseyi out continuously until night fall. Ouseyi becomes hungry and finally his exhaustion gets the better of him and he looses conscieousness. The beast rests also but when morning climbs to the horizon again it is rowsed. Ouseyi thinking the animal had gone makes for an escape but just as he drops to the ground the beast charges forward. Ouseyi leaps away but not without being pierced in the arm by a tusk. Ouseyi lets out a cry of pain and yanks himself free.
Then from out of no where a creature upright and wearing the hides of animals runs through the bushes. Quite tall and sturdy this humanoid seems to be a mighty hunter. He sees the beast bearing down on Ouseyi and at first only stands watching curiously. Ouseyi calls out to him in desperation. Startled at hearing such a strange sound the humanoid takes a step backwards breaking a twig under him as he does. The beast suddenly turns and see this new opponent and immediately charges. Being agile the humanoid dodges out of the way while letting fire a arrow into the beasts thick back side. In pain the beast finally retreats.
Ouseyi is unable to pull himself up as his arm is badly wounded. The humanoid approaches with bow raised, Ouseyi is shaking with fear, but also cannot move and slumps back as he faints.
When he wakes is startled to find a fire roaring beside him. His wound still aches but has been covered with a cloth and there is a smell of something roasting. To his horror he realizes there is a small animal being cooked over the fire. He gags at the sight as suddenly the humanoid returns with another killed rodent. Fearful of his own fate Ouseyi quickly looks for his stave and tries to prop himself up. The humanoid seeing his fear precedes cautiously forward, and tries to offer him some of the roasting meat, simultaneously he begins to utter sounds of a pecuilar nature, yet seems to have melodics and organization to it. Ouseyi realized that this must be another language. Stepping back away from the meat being offered he insteads concentrates on the sounds coming from the humanoid's mouth. Its as if he had heard some of these sounds before, in some far distant place. He realizes that the humanoid is offering the meat to him as food, that his creature actually eats other creatures like the dark animals. He is disgusted by the thought of eating meat, but set at ease at the humanoid's intentions he sits down again.
The humanoid continues to talk coming closer to him. Ouseyi listens carefully to each rising and falling tone.
Concentrating deeply he recalls in the script of the Mia speech, as the creature talks Ouseyi slowly draws the symbol into the ground with his stave as he murmurs the Mia name. Suddenly the script begins to illuminate as both their words flow from the their mouths. The humanoid now jumps back in fear and races for his bow. Ouseyi continues the illumination concentrating on the words until the humanoid lets off an arrow at him. Being reengerized from his encounter with Mia Ouseyi darts of the arrow's way. There is silence and darkness as the fire has now also gone out, but Ouseyi discovers strange new words filling his mind, as if swimming in a new sea. Stuttering at first he calls to the humanoid in this new found tongue saying, Hold, Friend, No Harm. The humanoid comes out from behind a patch of trees bow still drawn but shocked at what he is hearing. Ouseyi continues, Thankyou, help me, no harm, friend. The humanoid repsonds with what he understands as Evil Magic, Dangerous. Ouseyi places his stave on the ground and raises his arms, again saying No Harm. The humanoid approaches slowly bow still drawn. Ouseyi tells him his name is Ouseyi. The humanoid says his name is Glug while lowering his bow. And a bond is made.
The two of them then continue together improving in communication, but not without still some caution. There is still a sense of fear on both sides. Ouseyi is still unsure of Glug's intentions yet appreciates his help and company. They travel together until encountering a party of peasents who are of the same kind of Glug and do not seem to notice Ouseyi. It seems something terrible has happened at Glug's home, though Ouseyi is baffled as to what should be done about it. Without a real sense of where he is or where he is going, or even how is supposed to get anywhere, Ouseyi is left to following the one company he seems to have made: Glug. He eventually finds himself on a massive boat the likes of which he has never seen hiding on the lower decks waiting for Glug's return. It seems things are going sour on the boat, a bad air is about. Ouseyi knows so little about this world it is constantly overwhelming, the current situation is far too much for him to comprehend, but he knows that something is wrong and that something bad seems to be imminent in happening. Mia now seems far away and feels weakness warrying on him without that bond. Yet he must go on. So he anxiously waits.