The quiet of night, a recollection of the past, a story of pain...
Summary[]
Arthur and John come upon an abandoned village. Setting up camp for the night, they encounter a supernatural being known as Malam: a servant for dead children. He reveals truths about Arthur’s daughter Faroe and warns that a god-being known as Mother Darkness is pursuing them.
Synopsis[]
Arthur, John, and Yorick arrive at a river. Arthur notes that the water tastes foul, possibly from something dying upstream. They have lost sight of the road. Briefly, they discuss resting, though Yorick points out that the sun will set soon.
They briefly reminisce on New York City, England, and the sensation of home. This leads them to recount that Yellow and Larson were sent back to the Dreamlands by Kayne. Noel’s whereabouts are currently unknown. Arthur notes that if they fail in Kayne’s task, then Kayne will ensure Noel is dead – or worse.
Given Kayne didn’t answer John’s calls for help with the witch, they theorize that this time and place is a blind spot for him. John notes that Kayne was capable of sending them here.
Alexander, the owl, appears to the party.
Arthur discovers a weaved fish basket in the river, a sign of nearby humans. They find a dirt footpath. Although Arthur is reluctant to make contact, after their encounter with the wish, Arthur agrees. He supposes they might be able to request shelter. Before they follow the trail, Arthur puts Yorick in a bag, as it might give people the wrong impression of him.
They follow the path to a small clearing, in which are four wooden structures. Three have walls, one does not. A large fire pit sits in the center; a massive tree grows to the left. The fire pit is cold and the buildings appear empty. Though John sees no livestock, he sees an intact fence.
Inspecting the structure without walls, John describes it as a stone floor with a large disk, similar to the grindstone in the mill.
Arthur and John investigate the first building, calling out in greeting to no response. It is a small building. The walls are sticks laid horizontally, rubbed with mud. A simple straw bed is on the floor, along with a pot in one corner and a basket in another. He cannot see much more with the setting sun.
They decide to stay in the village overnight. Arthur refuses to stay in one of the houses, citing that it felt ‘unnaturally cold’, likening the sensation to the one John felt around Marie’s home. Instead, they make a campfire in the fire-pit.
John is curious about the process, and Arthur recounts his days in the Boys' Brigade. He joined when he was twelve, during a difficult time in his life. He disagreed with many of the lessons they tried to teach him, but found moments of hope nevertheless. Arthur made his first real friend there, but declines to tell John who that was.
They retrieve hay from the nearby animal pen for kindling. As they do, John believes he sees someone at the edge of the woods, but dismisses it as a trick of the light. Together, they finish starting the fire.
John reminisces how far they’ve come from his first impression of Arthur (bewildered, stammering). Arthur teases that John would not have fared much better, but ultimately expresses concerns that there are multiple versions of himself and John. It makes him feel small, and Arthur theorizes that it’s possible many versions of himself and John failed in Kayne’s quest. It makes everything they’re doing seem meaningless.
John insists that they must find their own meaning, and Arthur chimes in to add that they must supply their own light: ‘I am the captain of my own soul’. Even if other versions of themselves failed, they will not.
The conversation stops when John notices that someone has approached the fire. The unknown figure asks to join, to which Arthur agrees.
Arthur strikes up conversation. This is not the man’s village, but he was drawn to Arthur’s inviting light. His name is Malam – a palindrome, which Malam acknowledges.
John describes Malam as a somewhat older man with a dark complexion, flecks of white in otherwise black hair. His beard is graying and he has heterochromia. Two parallel scars run along the right side of his face, his right ear is missing, his hands look bruised, and the nails on one hand are torn off.
Malam does not believe that anyone will be joining them from the village. Arthur asks what happened, upon which Malam asks if Arthur was drawn to the light as well. Arthur, confused, states that he started it for warmth.
Though Malam understands, he states that he would not have started a fire for fear of what it would invite. Arthur takes this as a warning, and Malam asks if Arthur wants him to leave. When Arthur responds in the negative, Malam clarifies: he is merely passing through the woods with no destination. He just goes where he is needed. He had been needed here.
A man had come to the village from the direction Arthur came from, with hope, fear, and purpose in his heart. Briefly, the story is interrupted so that Arthur can add more wood on the fire. Malam notes that Arthur is unlike those who were here, and asks him: "A man kills a child. Does he deserve to die?"
Arthur hesitantly replies in the negative: he cannot condemn a man to death because he committed an atrocity, not without knowing the details. For one thing, it may have been an accident. Malam concludes that intention matters to Arthur, to which Arthur agrees, referencing rule of law.
At Malam’s questions, Arthur becomes agitated and demands to know Malam’s identity. Malam returns to the story.
The stranger arrived at the village from the river, soaking wet and very upset. The villagers fed and clothed him, before discovering the body of a little boy upstream. The village became riotous and, not listening to the man’s explanation that he tried to save the body, kill him. Malam asks how Arthur would have felt.
Arthur says that he would never condone a monstrous act like failing to save a child, and that he would hate the man for what he’d done, and that he’d wish pain, suffering, and guilt on him. However, if it was an accident, he wouldn’t deserve to die – even if Arthur might want him to.
Malam clarifies the stranger did try to save the boy, and Arthur acknowledges that he can’t blame the parents for their actions. The stranger, according to Malam, did. Malam explains that when a child dies, he is awakened and drawn to their light. He answered the boy’s request to avenge the man by exacting vengeance on the village. He describes himself as a servant for the children, and explains that the village is no more.
Noting that Malam was drawn to the light, Arthur asks who Malam thought lit the fire. Malam thought a child had lit it. Ignoring Arthur’s question as to what child, Malam explains that children are hope, and what remain after the parents die: they are hope for the future beyond one’s own life.
Malam answers that Arthur has found a spark of hope on his journey towards “our day of wrath” and claims that it was Faroe’s light in this fire that he sensed. He explains that she is the spark within every firelight that Arthur creates and torch he carries. It is Faroe with Arthur who gives him light.
Arthur asks if Faroe can hear him, but Malam refuses to answer. However, for Arthur’s kindness towards him and to reinforce Faroe’s belief in Arthur, Malam offers Arthur a gift: either a truth or an item. Arthur chooses truth.
Malam prays to the children and returns with an answer: the children of the forest see him and will tell him about the shadow that follows Arthur. Arthur is being pursued by a being known as Mother Darkness, also known as the Witch, the Shroud, the Dimming Light, has been around since life first appeared, and is potentially a god. She is more powerful than Malam and also feels a draw towards children.
She seeks them before their demise and twists their mind to create disciples, bestowing ‘gifts’ upon them. All of these disciples are given tremendous power and share a mind. Therefore, Mother Darkness sees what her disciples see. Malam further states that a piece of Mother Darkness lives within each disciple, though she has a physical form of her own. She shares many of the same needs as humanity, including a need to constantly feed. Her disciples often propagate flesh for themselves and her.
She cannot be killed by normal weapons. If she was killed, it would only bring out her true form.
They are interrupted by Alexander the owl. Malam goes to leave, thanking Arthur, and Arthur thanks him in return. Before Malam leaves, he notes that it is inevitable Mother Darkness will find Arthur. She is active now and has always been. Malam finally warns Arthur to "be careful of him. He is not what he seems.” John assumes this is Yorick.
When Malam leaves, John inquires after Arthur, and Arthur replies emotionally that Faroe is still with them. The conversation drifts back to the Boys' Brigade, and how tonight must have been very different. Arthur admits that the name of his first friend was William.
Votes[]
- Chapter 221: Stay In The Village [206] / Stay Outside The Village [101]
- Chapter 222: Let Him Join [220] / Deny Him [66]
- Chapter 223: Yes, He Deserves to Die [123] / No, He Does Not Deserve to Die [209]
- Chapter 224: A Truth [272] / A Item [41]
- Chapter 225: No vote.
