Role

Chapter 3

The late day sun cast long shadows over The Village. Djetmai had spent the
morning honing his skills in a distant monastery, and then happened upon (and
defeated) a particularly elusive and rather surprised shapeshifter as he
returned to The Village, utterly exhausted after being chased across the
lands by the Tribunal. He was ready to rest.

Yet as was so often the case, his mind was restless. To pass the time, he
would tie various knots and experiment with ropes and wires, learning the
intricacies of these tools which, when combined with the proper strategy,
were more useful and deadly than any blades. He often thought about how
impressed his father would be, so focused and disciplined, even if sometimes
falling back to wandering thoughts of treasures and other temptations. He was
strong, scarred by many battles and was finally becoming the mage-killing
weapon that he was raised to be. Amidst the legendary warriors of The
Village, he felt at home.

For Djetmai, to be without a cause, without enemies or ambitions, seemed to
be without meaning, without motivation- an impossible and dull life indeed.
He pondered those that would seek peace, like the monks in the monastery he
so often frequented, and he could only feel confused. Who would want such a
thing- and why? He also considered those who submit to all temptations. How
could one be so weak? As he pondered these thoughts with Commander Akedeh, he
had come to realize that such actions were a sickness.

As Djetmai sees things, conflict is the nature of our (internal and external)
world. The wars of the world reflect our inner minds and they ultimately
define who we are- we must be focused and dedicated if we are to thrive in
the midst of infinite distractions and temptations. We must decide what is
worth fighting for.

For Djetmai, to be a skilled thief who embodies the art of war is the
greatest triumph against temptations (even if one falters to distractions of
material wealth). War nurtures strength in the body, mind, and spirit, and it
leads us toward glorious adventures and well-deserved rewards of treasures
from across the lands (which Djetmai would likely admit only to himself set
his heart aflutter more so than any young woman ever could). To be without
war would be stagnation and surrender to the cruel winds of fate.

Whether intentional or not, the magi had made a declaration of war when they
stole powers that they had neither earned, nor deserved, and thus they were
the enemy. Plain and simple. They were like common greedy thieves (who
Djetmai actually disdained almost as much as the magi) who had focused only
on theft and had thus failed to focus their minds and bodies to become
strong, to realize their true potential. They suffered from an illness that
must be eradicated.

As he grew into maturity, Djetmai knew that he was only beginning- that only
the most disciplined mind would persevere against the challenges ahead.