The Hymn of the World - Found Fragments I

type=book

title=The Hymn of the World

subtitle=Found Fragments: Part I

author=Acidrik Fenlapanse

'There's nothing here'. For ages and ages, it was the only thing that could be heard about the nook of the Universe mentioned in this book. But you did feel it too, venerable reader, didn't you? That's for sure or you wouldn't be reading those lines... Oh! Reckless reader, you can guess it, you even know it : History has started!

A new World is about to blossom under your own eyes! But be careful : it's a very special birth we're talking about! Those who are expecting a soppy story, the kind we tell nice kids before they go to sleep, may as well close this book right now. There will be no fairy Godmother, no fireworks, no well-hung archers in tight leather suits, and certainly no valiant paladins addicted to testosterone – Oops, I got carried away... The following pages describe the genesis of a World which will soon be plunged in an absolute darkness.

Torn apart by bloody wars. Thrown to the beasts! To the boors! To the barbarians! This is the story of a World which used to get its magnificence from half a dozen eggs: the very same eggs which plunged the World into chaos.

But Let me introduce myself, sublime Reader: I am Acidrik Gutsplitter, Bachelor of divination and aruspices. To clarify: I can interpret the past and future by observing the entrails of any living beings that moved on the surface of this World. I can follow portents in the head of beer (as long as it comes from Amakna), as well as read pork loins but only if they have a three star rating. In the following pages, you'll find everything I've seen about the creation of the World. You'll casually talk to the gods and goddesses, you'll wander around battlefields... And so much more! Dear Reader, you'll soon understand that the World described in these lines is anything but uneventful.

Prologue

'To begin this story, you must know that one single god would not have been enough to create a world by himself. However, the World we're talking about owes a lot to Osamodas, a taciturn god who'd rather be in the company of animals than of the other gods. Some even say he specialized in animal summonings to hace some company... which came in quite handy to his followers. Osamodas's disciples could call upon the most beautiful representatives of the wildlife in Amakna: from the Tofu - yellow-feathered swanlike creature, to the Gobball - a gracious herbivore with a white wooly coat, not to mention the Prespic - a fat creature whose stings could make the toughest of men cry.'

'During one of his lonely walks, the god Osamodas found himself face to face with a strange sign. From this find and thanks to the god's dragons, a new world was born.'

There's nothing here'. Written in flame-letters on a platinium sign, these words blinked one after the other. They seemed to be floating in the middle of nowhere. Launched as many others through the sidereal void, a cold dreary star revolved around the sign. Reading the sign was about the only thing you could do out there - at least as long as you were a god and your name was Osamodas.

Osamodas took a break from the long walk he has set himself on and glanced around the sidereal void where he now found himself. It was so different from all the others he knew of. You didn't come across such a pure, unlimited void every day... neither in your circle nor in the god Iop's head - Osamodas chuckled at his own little joke. In his eyes, god Iop was the fieriest, the most impetuous, and the roughest living being of the Universe.

It was a well-known and established fact that Iop - who juggled with still palpitating hearts at breakfast, and who could crack a dragon backbone as easily as we'd crack stick - could make Osamodas's well-sharpened teeth gnash... It's true that Iop had a very personal type of humor. Some millenia ago, they parted on these words:

'Tell me Osamodas... Is it true that your divine body is naked under these rags?'.

In fact, Osamodas and his disciples dressed in genuine pieces of clothing made out of their enemies' skins... There was nothing funny about it, at least not in the eyes of the god. While thinking about it, he sighed heavily.

So, it was a first-class sidereal void, one came across only once in a cosmic existence that was spreading under Osamodas's eyes. The void. A sign. A star was revolving around the sign, in a nook of the Universe that he had no idea existed.

Not surprising: he had to walk a long time to forget about god Iop's humor. As usual, he'd left alone, surrounded by his three dragons. But this time, he could feel an unusual joy around him and his beasts. He thought it was a sign of unforgettable events to come. And he was right!

Helioboros, his white dragon, and Ouronigride, his black dragon, were both quite boisterous. They were chasing each other. This could be quite a terrifying sight for those who weren't used to it. Spiritia, a multicolored dragon, stayed on his shoulder, whistling through its thick chops a tune familiar amongst other multicolored dragons. If the surroundings hadn't been so dark and gloomy, and so unfavorable for a hide-and-seek game, the sight of Osamodas and his creatures could have appeared jolly.

Contemplative, Osamodas leant towards the sign and carefully inspected the flame-colored letters. He was waiting for the snippets of future he'd just seen to crystallize into the present. The round stone revolved around him.

Suddenly, Ouronigride the black snapped its jaws shut and a dark lightning spread whithin the space. The glaring crest which adorned the tail of Helioboros just about managed to get away from its teeth... And yet immaculate white strands were crackling in the mouth of the black dragon. It giggled. Its unique eye, squinting with mischief, suddenly opened up: Helioboros, furious, was charging Ouronigride to spur on its left flank! To avoid the attack, it sort of capered - surprising itself as it did a grotesque somersault which saved it - and then twirled around in a growl. The immaculate lightning which sprung from the nose of Helioboros heated Ouronigride's ribs... It had been that close! While the white dragon was getting ready to charge Ouronigride again, the latter flew towards Osamodas.

The black dragon started whirling around the stone at its Master's feet, closely followed by Helioboros. The two dragons were now forming tighter circles, contracting their bodies, space and time. The first one tried to lose the other. They were going at a breathtaking speed. The stone was turning red and a muffled hiss rose from it as it go hotter and hotter. Now it was nothing but a white-hot magma. The melting crust had a hole; a shrill hiss rose up from it...

At that very moment, Osamodas flicked Spiritia and the multicolored dragon understood straight away. It swooped down on the stone and coiled around it to protect it. A deflagration of shade and light spread over the Universe.

Osamodas raised an eyebrow. A new world was born. He could hear the other gods rushing up to see this... Peace was over... He sighed heavily once again.

He started whirling around the stone at his Master's feet, closely followed by Helioboros.

The two dragons are now forming tighter circles, contracting their bodies, space and time. The first one tries to lose the other. They are going at a breathtaking speed. The stone is turning red and a muffled hiss rising from it as it's getting hotter. Now it's nothing but a white-hot magma. The melting crust has a hole; a shrill hiss rising up...

At this very moment, Osamodas flicks Spiritia and the multicolored dragon understands straight away. It woops down on the stone and coils up around it to protect it. A deflagration of shade and light is spreading over the Universe. Sparkles are slowly zigzaging towards the surface of the stone, like light streamers. The round stone softly whistles now, it continues to whistle more and more gentle notes, seven in total.

Bright corpuscles born from the race of the dragons are gently whirling round the round stone, radiant with the rainbow colors. Sun, moon, stars are being born.

Osamodas raises an eyebrow. A new world is born. He can hear the other gods rushing up to see that...Peace is over... He heavily sighs again.