The fourth circle of Dio

Day 266, 10:16 • Published in Pakistan Pakistan • by Dio Brando

Endure. In enduring, grow strong.


The Fourth Circle

Know that the Rising of the People against the illisweed was a thing built upon many ten-turnings of labor. Many of the People were gathered and taught in secret the ways of defeating their illisweed masters. They were taught to shield their minds, and use them as weapons. They were taught the scripture of sand, and most importantly, they were given the knowing of freedom.

Some of the People learned the nature of freedom and took it into their hearts. The knowing gave them strength. Others feared freedom and kept silent. But there were those that knew freedom and knew slavery, and it was their choice that the People remain chained. One of these was Dylbold.

Dylbold saw no freedom in the Rising, but opportunity. He saw that the illisweed had spawned across many of the False Worlds. Their Worlds numbered so many that their vision was turned only outwards, to all they did not already touch. Dylbold’s eye saw that much took place that the illisweed did not see. To the Rising, the illisweed were blinded.

Dylbold came before his master, the illisweed Zhigzaris, with the knowing of the Rising. Dylbold added to his chains and offered to be their eyes against the Rising. In exchange, Dylbold asked that he be rewarded for his service. The illisweed agreed to his contract.

At the bonding of the contract, a dark time occurred. Many were betrayals Dylbold committed and many were the People that the illisweed fed upon to stem the Rising. It seemed that the Rising would die before it could occur, and the illisweed were pleased with Dylbold’s eye.

It was near the end of this dark time when Dio came to know Dylbold’s treacheries. In knowing Dylbold’s eye, Dio forced the Rising to silence itself, so that Dylbold might think at last his treacheries had succeeded, and the Rising had fallen. He knew that Dylbold's eye was filled only with the reward he had been promised. He would see what he wished to see.

With greed beating in his heart, Dylbold came upon the illisweed Zhigzaris and spoke to his master of his success. He said that the Rising had fallen, and the illisweed were safe to turn their eyes outwards once more. He praised their wisdom in using Dylbold’s eye, and he asked them for his reward.

In his greed-blindness, Dylbold had forgotten the knowing of why the People had sought freedom. He had lost the knowing of what slavery meant. He had forgotten what his illisweed masters saw when they looked upon him. And so Dylbold’s betrayal of the People was ended with another betrayal. Dylbold came to know that when Dylbold’s eye has nothing left to see, Dylbold’s eye is useless.

The illisweed gave to Dylbold his reward, opening the cavity of his skull and devouring his brain. Dylbold’s corpse was cast upon the Fields of Husks so its blood might water the poison-stemmed tundra.