Light Lessons

XIV.

Deep in thought, Roxanne read and read, consumed by the massive library of books and knowledge that surrounded her. She wanted peace and the answers that would help her piece together her life story, yet the world was becoming much more complicated than she had ever imagined, possibilities expanding before her eyes. She read through the history of the Lighthouse prior to the Schism, shocked at the similarities and the striking differences. The idea of Keepers appeared to be relatively recent in the progression of the Lighthouse, adapting from the previous idea of simply letting the Light shine and following the path that it showed, not manipulating it to show what you wanted shown, what appeared to be the current practice of the Keepers. This revelation was shocking to Roxanne, rocking her perspective of the world and the positions of the Lighthouse, the League and even The Glare.

Roxanne put down the book she was reading, engrossed in the role that the Keepers should play in spreading the Light to others. Caught up in the ideas that she had read from the past, curious as to the reasoning of the change and what was right, what was the most just position for the Lighthouse to have.

“Who are we to keep the Light and use it for our own purposes? If we really have our chief loyalty to the Light, shouldn’t we let the Light decide where it’ll shine, when, how bright? It seems wrong for us to dictate what the Light should do, when the Light is what brings us together. We can’t control the Light, the Light is greater than anything we could ever do, without it, we are nothing, yet somehow, we came to believe that the Light could be parceled and given out, controlled according to the dictates of some Chief Keeper, some man ideally with a love for the Light and Tiesa. Even The Glare wants control. Not by the Lighthouse, but by chaos. For him, there is nothing that can channel the Light or guide it. The Light needs to be left entirely to its own devices, and there is no understanding, no growth, there is only Light and Shadow, constantly fighting. It seems like the Light would be free then, that all could follow the Light, but in reality they want the people to follow them, to inspire perpetual chaos. Perhaps, that is how it must be. The only way for us to truly know the Light is to see Light and Shadow together, to cause the Lighthouse to fall.”

Roxanne mused on, trying to understand the motivations that led to the current state of affairs in Tiesa. Her book was open to a page that detailed the mass exodus from Tiesa during the years leading up to and in the midst of the Schism. Then the Light was given freely, going to any and all corners and crevices of the city, driving out Shadow and revealing what had been hidden. The filth and crime that lurked within the city frightening many of Tiesa’s people, showing a side that had never been acknowledged before. The cost of the openness was high, yet those that stayed had a higher, increased sense of loyalty to the Lighthouse and to Tiesa. They never wanted to betray that trust, realizing how difficult it would be to open up your closet and bring out all your skeletons, figuratively speaking of course. It appeared that the Keepers noted the loss of citizens and weighed it against the increased loyalty, finding that it was better to lose less and maintain loose relationships by scaling back the Light, throwing large areas of the city into Shadow, immediately claimed by those that once lurked there.

The loyalty to the Lighthouse largely decreased in proportion to the openness. Fewer left Tiesa and fewer fought against the Lighthouse, but something seemed dialed back, almost hidden. Was the cost worth the risk? That is the question that the Lighthouse faced and that ultimately led to the Schism. What was the purpose of the Lighthouse? Were they to lightly touch as many lives as possible or should they deeply impact lives for good or ill, inspiring unwavering loyalty? Was the Light to guide Tiesa and the actions of the Keepers or should they base their decisions around the ideas and philosophies of men? The Keepers and the League were in disagreement. The debated and argued heatedly. Sparks flew, the debate raged continuously for years, until the Schism occurred and the League was ejected from the Lighthouse and over time association with the League was viewed more and more harshly, resulting in a streamlining of thought within the Lighthouse, outside or contrary opinions were tolerated less and less, which brought a tight bond to the Keepers and a sense of community and betrayal whenever anyone would leave, regardless of the circumstance. This unification of thought also began to draw lines in the sand of expectations for those that professed to be Keepers and to love the Light. Only those that acted a certain way or held certain beliefs could truly want to protect the Light, anyone who thought a little differently was silenced or rejected.

Roxanne saw the evolution that was taking place within the Lighthouse and received a glimpse into the trajectory that was likely to continue given the recent attacks against the Lighthouse, physical now instead of purely rhetorical. Roxanne was divided, loving the Lighthouse and knowing that her friends remained inside, like Erin, yet recognizing that injustice was perpetuated by the Lighthouse and wanting to advocate for a return to the openness and loyalty that marked the days before the Schism, where loyalty to the Light came above all else. Roxanne still had hope that the Lighthouse could change and bring Tiesa into the peaceful home of all that it once was, bridging the Schism once and for all.

Roxanne prepared to leave the library, crafting a plan of action in her head. She would return to the Lighthouse and approach Bartholomew, telling him of what once was, begging him to negotiate with The Glare and bring peace to Tiesa. She knew it would be a long shot, but she believed she could do it. If he refused, she would leave and join with The Glare, working to return the Light to the people, letting the Light guide, not trying to keep it restricted and limited to a certain path or people.

As Roxanne left the Library to go to her room, she walked passed the Ambassador, his hood placed so that it masked the majority of his face as had become the custom of dignitaries in Tiesa, particularly those that associated with the League. The Ambassador beckoned to one of the Guardians.

“Make sure that her whereabouts are known always. She’s wanted by Bartholomew and we can’t have him whisking her back into the blighted Lighthouse. She may be the one to save the League and bring it out of the shadows that Bartholomew has cast over us.”

“Of course, my liege. She will never be out of sight of a member of the League.”

“Make sure it is so.”

The Ambassador wandered back to his office.

“Ha! ‘An overabundance of Light brings blindness’? Darkness brings blindness Bartholomew. Darkness and Shadow that soon will become your old friends.”

*

The excitement and energy that crowded the streets and invaded the homes of the people of Tiesa was now tinged with apprehension and paranoia. The Lighthouse had placed Wanted posters up for various individuals that had ended up on the wrong side of the Lighthouse, due to leaving or vocally opposing them or perhaps supporting the actions of The Glare. Much of Tiesa was in a panic, scared to leave their homes or be seen with certain people for fear of arrest and trial at the hands of the Light Police, as the guards had come to be known.

The Light Police were not afraid to use brute force when necessary, striking any that resisted with their crystal clubs. The force had increased in size and ferocity since the ambush by The Glare had decimated their ranks. A new approach colored their efforts- they now targeted individuals, with or without large amounts of evidence, bringing in those that seemed likely to oppose the Lighthouse or fraternize with the League or The Glare. The Light Police were more successful in arresting individuals, but the increase in arrests seemed largely to serve as cause for anger towards the Lighthouse and fuel the fire that The Glare had started with their dramatic blinding and attack on Resolution Day.

Protests and acts of violence seemed common throughout the city. The oppression by the Lighthouse was equaled, if not exceeded, in violence by The Glare and their sympathizers. Skirmishes between the groups were second nature, what used to require some provocation, now occurred simply because a disagreement existed and the two parties crossed paths.

Many wished the violence would end, not having strong feelings one way or the other as to the correctness, but wanting to be able to leave their homes without fear of assault or attack for not supporting one side or the other. Neutrality was increasingly intolerable. The Light Police viewed neutral views as one step away from treachery and not enough to secure safety, while for The Glare, anyone not fully for them was against them. The absolute paradigm was enforced by The Glare rather harshly. If you came to know of The Glare or their efforts, but did not embrace them, there was no turning back. Without your full devotion, you became a liability and that was cause enough for death. Families were torn to shreds in the chaos. The League of Light had diplomatic ties outside Tiesa that protected them from invasion or direct investigation by the Lighthouse or the Light Police, which was the only thing keeping Roxanne from being dragged before the Council for high treason and likely being sentenced to the same death that her father suffered.

Executions had skyrocketed, throwing the city off balance. Often the executions were performed at night, without announcement, so as to avoid the embarrassment of another attack during a public event. The corpses were left as reminders of the danger that opposing the Lighthouse held.

Studying and living with the League had kept Roxanne largely out of touch with the chaos that was exploding all around her. She knew bits and pieces, but hadn’t engaged in enough conversation with other guardians to truly grasp the gravity of the situation. Perhaps if she had, she would not have been so intent on heading out into the chaotic, violent, protest-filled streets of Tiesa to return to the Lighthouse.

Roxanne packed and steeled herself for what she knew was going to be difficult. Not wanting the pains of saying goodbye she left out the back door. As she left, she noticed desolation and destruction everywhere. Terrified and distraught at the damage, she stopped, unable to believe what had happened to Tiesa. As she dropped to her knees, surveying the burning, panic-filled city, everything went black.