Role

Chapter 6

One of the benefits of protecting life is seeing all the ways life can surprise
you, even when the surprise is disappointing. Even heartbreaking. The War is like
that. Many of the things she thought would be challenges are not, and many things
she thought would be simple are the real challenges. The most important is the
knowledge of magic. She knew from her own people that it would be difficult. That
the powerful addiction of magic would make it difficult for the mages to stop.
But in her heart of hearts, she thought, hoped, even assumed, that at least the
goodly folk would see how important it is to stop. She does not fault anyone
for having used magic, for studying it. She herself lived a childhood where magic
was common. But only because the truth was unknown. Everyone had lived under the
false belief that magic was merely a tool. But with the truth revealed, that magic
is the heart of evil, a poison that kills, she believed it would merely be a
matter of spreading the truth, and that would win half the war immediately. Only
the dark hearted, who cared nothing for life, would continue, as they did anyway.

She was wrong. So wrong that one of her own kind, an elf named Masbent, after
being told the truth of magic, attacked Ethlerrereva! She has always given those
mages of good heart the chance - many chances - to change ways. She asks. She
cajoles. She explains and even begs. But to little avail. One member of the
fortress, a Zipwherp, lied to her face. That is how powerful the magic's pull is.
And with each she warns that if after many times speaking and trying to convince
of the truth, the last resort will be violence. There are things it seems that
only a minor death can teach. Lessons it can instill. She herself knows, having
died many times, and each time something new was learned. She knows if the mage
dies and spends a few hours in a ghostly state it is not eternal, or even very
damaging. And she takes comfort in the hope that spending those few hours after
the violence will imbue the mage with the strength and resolve to do what is right
and fight against magic as she does. Doing otherwise, now knowing the truth, is
the very definition of evil. Selfish use of power to the knowing detriment and
destruction of others. It makes her sad to see.

However, some of the War and her life is uplifting. Her times with Ergush renew
her spirit and sense of joy in life, even if they are less frequent than she might
hope. And she has seen a dark elf kill another dark elf, a villager fighting the
War. She has no love of these dark folks, but their setting aside of personal
greed and lust for power to fight in the War is, in its way, inspirational. And
she has discovered things in the far wider world than she could have imagined.
Sights to behold, items of great beauty and power. Things of abhorrent evil only
seeing is believing. All unexperienced, but for the parchment viewed long ago.