Scene 1: Edge of Chivalry

[Curtains open.]

[Enter Burne, sitting on the large rock, staring toward the sea.]

Illuim: Unfortunately, only a few days earlier from now I lost my best friend, Wolfe. Who was the center of my first ten chapters of the book of Illuim, but after our final fight with Asriel who escaped unscathed, even with the ancients on our side; our group of mercenaries was forced to depart on the basis that our leader was dead. Prince Jebadiah did manage to retake the throne as king, thanks to us, but now that Wolfes gone... it feels as though it was never my goal. But anyway, back to the story at hand. After my loss of will all I could do was return to where I started. Hidden Beach. I used to live there back when my profession was to ride a boat looking for new land on the sea of creation. It was also the place I met Wolfe... passed out from exhaustion. I did and I found someone else there. He was sitting on a rock staring at the sea. I was surprised, for most Pepal are shocked by the discovery of the ocean. Only because the first three kings were asked by the ancients to build an unbreakable wall around the border. But it was breakable, in fact. One of Lord James's squadrons broke the wall down behind Goldstone castle to discover what was behind. By doing this he gained access to a cave that leads under the ground and past the wall. It leads to my home actually, hidden beach. From my lone house the only thing you can see on the beach is a rugged rock, the sea, the cliff jutting from the ground with a hole in it, the wall just above that, and sand... a lot of sand. Well anyway, this man was sitting on the rock staring at the ocean. He looked mighty peculiar. He wore black armor, and his skin was a cold white, even though I could tell he is in the Sol all the time. His hair was white as snow, further reflecting the pale, and his hair also reflected a rather unique style. His mouth was frowning eternally. He yielded a sword and shield, but they look made limited. It was definitly not equipment of an average soldier. In fact, his armor was unique as well, it looked almost devilish, as if it were warped somehow. But thier was one physical trait that I was most interested in... his eyes. Grey and dull, as if he was a zombie. But that was impossible, wasn't it? Here was our conversation in exact words:

[Enter Illuim, coming from Silent cave.]

Illuim: May I ask your name, trespasser?

Burne: Burne... nothing more.

Illuim: What is your perpose here. This is private property!

Burne: None... I will leave if you only ask.

Illuim: You sound a bit younger than you look. May I ask your age?

Burne: The only thing I know is my name.

Illuim: Have you been struck with memory loss?

Burne: Something like that, I suppose.

Illuim: You look ill. Will you come with me into my home please?

Burne: I thank you for your kind offer, but I must defy.

Illuim: And why is that, boy?

Burne: Your old talk in your middle-age makes me think you of Bard status. Am I correct?

Illuim: Answer my question, child!

Burne: I am alone. I have always been. I always will be.

Illuim: Why do you look so ill if it is just a phase?! There is something you hide from me. Tell me your pain, and I will show you a way from it.

Burne: My pain cannot be released from mere words. The only way of release is through sin.

Illuim: Do you mind clarifying?

Burne: Yes... you have already heard far more than was necessary. Either tell me to leave, or begone yourself.

Illuim: Very well. I take my leave.

[Leaves Illuim, back to his home. He stares through the window, staring at Burne with book in hand.]

Illuim: Later not much happened in my life. There was nothing to happen, my book was at a stalemate and I slowly turned to nothing. Little did I know, the very child of unknown age outside has already reached that point long ago. I was worried, every day I would check out the window and see if he was still on the rock, and indeed he was. Every day, it was exactly the same. He was unmoved in every way. He never changed. A week into checking on him I started to write the book more, about Burne, of course. Unlike the previous section, this one had a name, but I had no idea why I named it this. I named it Edge of Chivalry, for absolutely only one reason. The feeling that came from him every time I stared through that window. That was the only three words that could describe it. I feared for him, no matter his very teenage attitude. About a month later, I went back out to check on his unphased self. I never knew a man could go so long without any Energi, I've heard days, but not an entire month! These were the words of that converse:

[Illuim enters, back to the same spot as before.]

Illuim: How are you still alive?!

Burne: I am?

Illuim: I would think so, you breathe don't you?

Burne: Actually, I don't really need to. It just hurts if I don't.

Illuim: What are you saying?

Burne: Can't you just leave me alone.

Illuim: I'm sorry, but you are the first thing I see through my window, day after day! I have to worry about you!

Burne: Worry?

Illuim: You don't consume Energi! If you do that for too long you will die! Or were you unaware?

Burne: Your worries are misplaced.

Illuim: I'm growing very tired of talking to myself, here!

[Action: Burne turns his head to stare at Illuim, but not his body.]

Burne: I don't care.

Illuim: No wonder your alone on this rock! You're impossible to deal with! Can't you see I just wan't to help.

[Action: Burne returns to original state.]

Burne: I don't need your help.

[Leaves Illuim, going to his house. Now staring through the window with book open in hand.]

Illuim: Well... at that moment I stormed back into the house. I just couldn't stand him any longer! But I began writing about him in a weird way. I wrote storys about him as more like theory's of his past. But none seem turning up to be true. I guess it will be a mystery that will be deprived of me a bit longer. I kept asking on routine now, if he wanted my extra Energi. He wouldn't even respond. I got pretty mad eventually and threw an Energi at his head. But as it was only an inch away from his head, in that second before collision, he drew his sword and sliced the green orb into four perfect slices that landed on the sand only to evaporate. It was such a blur that all I saw was his normal sit, a slight blur, then four peices of Energi in the air, Burne standing tall with sword in left hand on top of the rock. If I remember correctly, he then turned his head right through my window and said these words with grey eyes wide.

Burne: I am ready for anything. Remember that.

Illuim: Then he returned to his original position at a speed slightly more visible to the naked eye. After that were more days of silence. A huge storm was coming one day, I saw it from the window infinitly to the end of the ocean.

[Sound: Thunder rumbles. Lights grow dim.]

Illuim: It began to rain hard. I couldn't help but ask him to join me in my house again. But again, the answer was only arrogance. I even had trouble staying dry and warm inside my log house, and the fact that he stays on that rock, uneffected in every way. Was in all ways unsettling. That next morning I confronted him:

[Enters Illuim, carrying the book from the house. Returning to the same spot.]

Illuim: Burne?

Burne: Random guy?

Illuim: My name is actually Illuim, not that you care.

Burne: Your right. I don't.

Illuim: Why don't you accept my help?

[Burne turns around on the rock, now facing Illuim instead of the ocean.]

Burne: I don't need your help!

[Burne pauses, bowing to the ground.]

Burne: I don't want your help...

Illuim: Tell me your pain... please.

Burne: I feel no pain.

Illuim: Why?

Burne: I just dont.

Illuim: Liar!

Burne: So... no one truly looks and yearns for the truth. They only wish for the lies that fit to thier perspective, so they could be right. But in that way, they are not true. They are false even more, that way. But at the same time... The stronger the liar, the more convincing the lie, which makes it truthful to others? I do not care for truths or lies! I live only by facts!

Illuim: Wow... I think that is the most you have ever spoken.

Burne: To you, yes.

Illuim: You speak to other people?

[Burne turns back around and lower his head yet again.]

Burne: I... I don't know.

[Pause of silence.]

Illuim: You are the most unique person I know, alright. You are my only company and it led me to want to know and help you, but I see you will never change. So I shall go back home.

[Action: Illuim prepares to leave and turns around.]

Burne: Wait.

Illuim: Yes?

Burne: Don't feel bad because of my ill fate. I always had this personality. It didn't come from it.

Illuim: You know I can't do that.

[Action: Burne shuts his eyes.]

Burne: Try.

[Exits Illuim, without response.]

Illuim: I say nothing more. I couldn't bring myself to. I was growing attached to this moody statue. He is a bit like a rebellious son to me, even though he probably thinks of me differingly. Well... again, not much has happened besides our once in a lifetime conversations. But I was starting to really grow curious about why a young man like him would grow a whim to sit on a rock and stare at the ocean for all eternity without even living his rebellious years! So I created the second section of the book of Illuim, Edge of Chivalry.

[Curtains close.]