Strife Of The Eclipse

Facing The Trickster

The four people suddenly hold Aiden’s body and pinned him down. Aiden tried to free himself, when he heard a voice he knew.

“Calm down Aiden, just listen to us first.” Hugo speaks.

“Hugo, is that you? Wait, you all five are here? What happened?” Aiden was confused.

“Gentlemen, let’s release him first.” Hugo says as the others release their locks on Aiden’s body.

Aiden turned his body and lay down on the ground, exhausted. “Well, we all have been tricked since the beginning…” Hugo seems ashamed admitting something.

Suddenly, The Minotaur came and laughed hard at Aiden. “ Let me rephrase the words, All your running is for naught, but still i enjoyed the game…”

Hugo then explained that the first one who run away as he informed them that this is a game of chase and run actually the minotaur himself, as he caught the first one as he is the one in the back all alone guarding everyone, we all are so focused on the murals so our cognitive mind react when we are told to run for a game added with only out movement skill active when we were about to confront the minotaur behind the door in the central area.

Hugo was so ashamed when he was caught and got laughed at by the others that realized the first situation was so weird at first and they stopped to run and tried to fight the minotaur first. Instead, the minotaur then changed them into the chaser and asked them to join the fun. That is when somehow the chaser suddenly multiplied. 

Aiden then slapped his forehead hard. “Fuck, i’ve been tricked easily…”

“The only permanent scars are the invisible ones that make you feel like your soul is being ripped from your body only to be left to bleed out on the cold hard ground every second you are awake.” The Minotaur suddenly spoke to someone as the other nodded back at the minotaur.

Let me tell you, the trial of a champion is not like what you imagine, let’s move…

Come, Let’s go to my room. Everyone then followed the Minotaur back and entered his room.

In the room, The Minotaur then asked, so who is the chosen champion now?

Aiden then walks forward. “Ah, The Last Runner, fantastic. Now sit.’

Aiden then sits at the stool in front of a small circular table facing The Minotaur. The Minotaur then conjured a smoke in his body and he suddenly transformed into a gypsy-like lady. 

Let me introduce myself, I am the one they called The Trickster, and you have been tricked.

“Welcome, The Loyal One, now please, choose a rune from this glass jar.” Aiden then put his hand into the glass jar filled with round stones and pulled out a stone with a rune mark on it. He then put the stone in the center of the table.

Ahh, fantastic… The Berkano meaning is related to the birch tree, which is very common in the north star areas, like Sylgarth, i guess that is where you came from, right?

There is no coincidence for this because the birch tree is usually associated with another meaning of this rune, the goddess. “So, your Loyalty is for a woman… How charming…” the trickster teased.

Trees are seen as the spring heralds, for when it comes, their beautiful green leaves give a feeling of birth, renewal, and a new beginning, which this rune is all about.

Talking about goddesses, the Berkano rune is related to the mother of all things, the Earth Goddess or should I say here, the original water goddess? hmm… The Trickster frowned. Everyone, I am sorry but I have to shut you all except the champion for now, don’t be panicked, I will restore everything back after this. Hugo and the rest then became deaf and blind. 

So, Champion. Your goddess is banished eh, now that is interesting. My question is, What do you want?

Aiden then thinks for a while and says, I want to meet her and ask for the truth to avenge her with all my power if she ever wills it.

So, Champion, Is that all? Here let me explain.

 The symbol is represented by the breast, and the letter, as it can easily be observed, looks like a mother’s bosom turned sideways.

Motherhood is a mundane of the rune stone, and it depicts the mother who protects her womb where a new soul is bound to be born. The secrecy of it, because no one else knows the feeling of a mother except that very same mother, is represented by the unexplained phenomena on a spiritual level, given by the childbirth.

Berkano is also a symbol of child protection by the mother or the goddesses of each world.

The mother, as the first person a child meets in the world, is seen as a shelter, a place where even the now-grown child can return for protection and liberation when everything else is against him. In order to help him, a mother can use the Berkano rune like a direct action towards new beginnings or a renewal to new ways of life.

Female emancipation regarding the sexual needs can also receive help from this rune.

As said above, another quality from the Berkano rune is the feelings of healing and protection. It can help a tormented soul regain confidence and maintain a healthy way of living, with a clear mind and the feelings of crystal cold.

As the old stars say, a healthy mind can lead to a healthy body, so this is where the healing capacity comes in to help.

Do you understand? Well, you will understand… The Trickster cut short.

Next, Please Draw 3 cards from this deck…

Aiden then drew the first card and put it below the stone in the middle, and the Trickster stopped him from drawing again as she held her hand.

Fuck me good ol stars… He draws the Empress… the trickster became serious all of the sudden. Her demeanor changed..

Looking straight at Aiden, she finds no doubt or fear in his eyes, only conviction and assurance. She then took a deep breath and explained.

Champion, The Empress represents mothering love, an authority figure that is looking out for you and is often a kind guardian.

She is wise and has attained her place in the hierarchy of the older gods through her own missteps and finding her way. She has learned her lessons and is now in a position to bestow her wisdom upon you. 

This is usually a motherly representation in one way or another indicating that you need to look out for someone around you or that someone is looking out for you. She can be represented as an older woman with authority in her own right that has come from wisdom and experience.

The Empress also represents a pure form of extroverted abundance.  You have received this card in your reading, you are going to be well taken care of. You will get everything that you desire and more. The Empress card symbolizes the Land of Milk and Honey after a long journey of hard labor and introspection. 

There is no need to fear. Having the Empress on your side is like having a fierce mother, protecting you always. Receiving this card in your reading means that you are making the right decision, that you are supported, and that there is a vast array of possibilities for abundance currently transiting around you. 

Many rewards are coming your way. The lessons that you have learned in your life will now continue to benefit you. As you apply what you learn, you will reap the benefits of emotional rewards. She encourages you to express unfiltered emotions because you have earned the right to do so.

And now, since you pick the Empress card and the Berkano Runes, I am afraid I have to take you to the third part instantly since I can feel the calling of the stars for you strongly, your fate is strongly intertwined with your patron goddess.  Fuck my rear, your reading really scared the hell out of me…

The Trickster then brings a glass bead and gives it to Aiden. She then returned the sight and hearing of everyone. “Sorry for that boys, but some secrets of the stars are not meant to be told to anyone except the receiver…” Everyone then replied instantly, “ Yes milady..”

Aiden then holds the glass beads and then thinks about Vexira in his heart. Everyone’s eyes then glued to the glass bead as a phantasmal spirit started to form above the glass bead and a black smoke started to rise up from the glass beads into the phantasmal spirit.

Fascinating… this is… a panther? no… this is a black panther…

Aiden then put the glass bead and observed the floating phantasmal spirit closely.

Champion, this is your animal totem spirit, it is a black panther. Black Panther is a symbol of regaining power, aggressiveness, protector, feminine, death and rebirth, knowledge on dark, lunar control, astral movement.

Black Panther is considered as a channel through sacred power across many god cultures.

The sacred power is the moon. In ancient constellation, people used to dress up with panther tails as collars and belts as a belief that it would guard them and make them stronger. Panther represents leopard, jaguar and puma. Their ferocity crosses that of lions and tigers although being smaller to them. 

They are rapid swimmers and climbers. Their actions are firm and quick as they can shoot at great speed from time to time mostly as hunters. Panther cannot keep up with the same speed at a stretch. 

Listen up champion, people with a panther totem need to build perseverance. They need to practice patience and also know how to tame themselves from putting too much effort on a task at a time.

Panther leads isolated life according to their own choice. Panther people enjoy living completely by themselves and often enjoy the company of others who prefers solitude. . 

Panthers are flexible beings, they possess over 400 muscles which allow them to escape any hostile situations or become stiff to camouflage with surroundings. The most gifted trait of panthers is their quietness, they are silent predators. 

They can ambush and pry without causing a slight hint to their prey. They are aware of themselves so much that they know when to become visible and when not, but I guess you have mastered this part as you are an Equinox Hunter too.

Panther also represents the unseen and untold truth of the world which only resides in darkness. Thus panther has its link with lunar powers. Black Panther holds mystery within them and portrays realms of night and looks for the knowledge endowed within darkness. 

Panther people often come up with cosmic wisdom and are devoted to it. They also guard their knowledge and hand it out to only those who can have the grasp of it. People having panthers as their totem animal can sense subtle changes around them.

Panther is a symbol of sexuality with their silky and satin appearance. If the image of panther crosses over one’s mind then one may need to explore more in the realm of sensuality. Well, you are some sort of Elven race too so that is a birth trait. The most salient feature of a panther is its unbeatable stare which goes beyond eye-contact. Panther-people use their eye-sight to cure one’s mind and body by gazing at them.

Now champion… What do you want to ask after everything has been said for your future, present and past now? The Trickster asked.

Can I kill a god? Aiden asked straight. 

The Trickster replied, Instantly? No. But if you cut the source of his power, well… maybe..  the trickster then smiled back mischievously. You have wasted your chance to ask the most important one… She laughed. 

She then handed a deck of cards and said, you can choose one card here… if it is your fate, you will get the mark of godslayer. 

Aiden then took Hugo’s hand and used it to point out some truth on the card, and then a card was picked and when it was flipped open, A Tower was in the drawing…

The Trickster speaks… “Change, albeit forceful change is being thrust upon you now and though it may feel like it is happening against your will you need to remember that this is for your own good. Often this card comes up when change has been in the works for some time and you have resisted or ignored it but now you have to face it. There have been small problems that are increasing and situations are getting out of control.”

Well off you all go now… as the trickster waves her hand, everyone was evicted out from the world of the trickster instantly and appeared in the coliseum once again.

“You should have asked me about the whole meaning, Aiden Dawnwhisper… but your clouded heart makes your judgment clouded too, that is why you kept running in the maze, thinking that everything is so urgent here and there… that is why you lose your focus…” the trickster just sips her tea and relaxes in her world…

Everyone cheered for Aiden as they saw that he is the one that passed the dungeon run in the end. But for the combatants in the coliseum, it gave them a bitter after taste in their heart. But they are thankful that each of them got the guidance that they need from the trickster. A feeling of loss lingers in Aiden’s heart…