Midsummer Story
by Blayze

There is a place that stands outside of time and space... a land far away, yet only an indrawn breath from where we stand. A land that is at once Mighty in breadth, yet small as a mist shrouded isle in the midst of a great sea. A land that reflects our lives as we mirror the Land. It lies where three hazels grow, at the meeting of long roads, at the fording place of a stream. It is under the Hills and above the Waves... it spirals through the sky and is formed of glass that shimmers by the light of Moon and Sun.

The Stones of the Earth remember and renew this Place... the trees draw nutrients from it's soil and our blood flows in its mighty rivers. This is the land of Vision and Magic, the place whree our seasons turn and the Wheel of Life is danced in ever returning circles.

High in topaz blue sky shines the Sun - the power that warms the Land as we bask under the light of the Longest Day. 

This is the place I see and I give to you images of its glory and beauty. I have travelled by secret roads and sweet waters... I stand in both worlds and in between.

I am the Goddess who rides the winds of Winter and Spring to sing to you the story of Summer. 

I come to you at the time of Light, I come to you as a spinner of the tale of my Beloved, my King, my Lover, my Son... I come to you as She who is both Shadow and Moonglow, Mother, Maiden and Crone. I am she who walks the Hidden Realms.

Will you hear of my journey?

Will you share my Sight?

Then may beauty and terror be one within you!

Hear now the tale of Kings...

My Beloved stands at the crest of a hill that is crowned with a circle of stones. He glows with vigour and the brightness of the Orb which is His Kin. 

He is Sun, He is Forest, He is the Green of the Land. He is Hunter and Husbander, Judge and Enforcer. He is my Beloved, My King. 

I smell the grass that grows amongst the stones...
	I hear the songs of birds on the wing...
		I feel the warmth against my skin and breathe the flower scented air...
			I see all, yet my gaze lies only upon this one being.

He is in His Prime as is fitting for My consort. His body ripples with muscles that hear the weight of his Mighty Spear. His countenance shines with the power of the Sun, of Fire and Heat and Sex.

Smell the clean sweat of primal man as he dances figures with his Spear. Golden is his armour chased with sunbeams. Leaves of Oak adorn his hair. His tunic is the green of Summer grasslands, hued with Sun colours where his power has marked the cloth. Wild designs of copper, bronze and gold entwine and writhe along hem and yoke. His long hair is blown in a cloud by the wind engendered by the movement of his shining weapon. His legs are as powerful as the trunks of trees, red down furs his thighs.

Do you see Him? 

Can you understand why He is my Chosen, my Beloved? 

I am immortal yet each year my heart is given to One such as He... He is the spark that renews me throughout my long existence.

Shining One, King of the Summer Lands. King of Forest and Twin Soul of my heart. He is the Son of Kings Past and the Father of Kings yet unborn.

My beloved, my heart. Lord of the Sun!

He dances with his spear as the Sun moves across the sky. Gleaming point of light, rod of power, he draws the Sun's warmth and life giving energies into the Land. His is the Seed and Root that impregnates me with his Power.

His steps awake the passion in Me, flames consume me and lust ignites my Soul.

The Sun has been guided across the sky to its Zenith now. Called to height by the King. The energy has built to the ultimate climax as he plunges the spear deep into the Earth at His feet. The world shakes and ripples with the passion of it. Violated but welcome... life is at its peak.

He sinks down to embrace the earth as his spear stands erect in the ground. In Me!

The stones are suffused with a golden light as power is channeled through the lines connecting the Land. Stone to Stone, Tree to Tree, Man to Woman... the seed awakes. The net of Sun energy is cast and travels to all points.

Feel the Light within you as I feel it within Me!

(PAUSE)

But look at the Spear. It has begun to cast a shadow upon the ground. My Beloved's bright rays have dimmed as they move across the sky. The Shadow gradually lengthens as the Sun moves across the sky. The King lies in the earth's embrace, spent by the act of creation.

The shadow grows thicker upon the ground. Spear shaped,  now man shaped. It appears to rise above the earth itself, drawing darkness to it.

The King gradually moves and begins to stand up... as he does so, the Shadow follows him. Glowing King noew dimmed, faces the shadow that has awoken in the land. Man shaped and carrying a shadow spear the dark form lengthens and darkens.

My Beloved... my King, your shadow has entered the Land. Power such as yours cannot be sustained for ever.  My Beloved draws his Spear from the Earth and the Two Kings, One Bright, One Shadow, cross spears with each other.

They draw back their mighty arms and the spears cross again with a sound that rumbles as the heartbeat of the Earth. They stab and parry and circle each other. But... Oh... they are so evenly matched. Shadow Self and Sun King, the ancient dance continues once more.

Blow for blow they come together in a battle as passionate as the one of Love and Creation lately fought.  Spear points spark and woods knocks together with a crash that sends the wildlife scurrying for shelter.

Endlessly they dance... a dance of death and sacrifice... or is it? The Shadow appears to weaken. It is no match for it's sunner Self. It turns and begins to slither away. My Beloved rests his Spear upon the ground... it bears his weight as his breath comes in ragged gasps.

Suddenly the Shadow King turns and hurls his spear at  the Sun King. Weakened by his earlier magic and the unexpected battle, the Sun King is slow to block the Shadow Spear's flight. It embeds itself in the King's oak hard thigh and the Sun dims as the King falls to the ground.

The King of Shadows retrieves his Spear from His fallen foe... twins of darkness and light... father and son and the cycle continues.

The Shadow walks away through the stones as the glowing Sun sinks behind the hill. There is one burst of bright rose gold light before the darkness claims the Land...

Dawn brings with it a less vibrant glow than the day before. It illuminates a figure in Golden armour lying in the centre of a stone circle. The King slowly amd painfully rises from the ground illuminated by the sunrise that is the colour of his blood which marks the grass.