Of the Crimeless Traitors - SCP Foundation

Prologue: In Principio Erat Verbum | In Memoria, Adytum

Of the Crimeless Traitors

I.

In times of old, an age long-passed

the world was into conflict cast

The War of Flesh, as it's now known

on its sides, factions two alone:

In one camp — titans tall as sky

their burning ANSWERS to deny

heretic calls the world then held

one leader to his men compelled

Their enemies — those brave with will

Once slaves with fearless faith instilled

that rose from shackles, led by One

and four Saints that were ruled by none

In chaos, one can hardly find

a man that truly kept their mind

But one of Gyaros found his chance

by skill alone he held his stance

Though sealed in cells as dark as night

he got to live, a newfound right

II.

The man was young, and skilled like few

his voice a rule, his magic true

His warden — rare and pure of soul

through day and night, she would patrol

his cell and watch the man within

her metal frame bereft of skin

Metal plates and gears formed her bones

She'd guard the man in flesh-like robes

They eyed each other, through and through

and over time each of their crew's

orders so questioned in the night:

"How can this be so just and right?"

For the two were merely recruits

by the war itself made half-brutes

So to oppose what they were told

was in their nature brave and bold

When passing time made neither free

the man said: "Run away with me"

III.

She raised a brow ("Was this a plot?")

but took the hand of who she caught

and with slight fear went where she'd please

to embrace the Nälkän breeze

It was a shock, to see so close

the men that anger past provoke

And though they varied widely still

they were not men that she could kill

The men within were young and old

and unalike all she'd been told

in godlessness, they lay unbound

in rule of will, they beauty found

She turned towards her new-made friend

and — forcing her worldview to bend —

she offered him the gift of choice

for him to listen to her voice

And so, shrouded in careful trust

he left home to embrace her rust

IV.

On far horizon he then found

a fortress with coherence bound

where men and women like gears turned

In this dance, of their god they learned

Where reason always reigned supreme

they had no king and had no queen

just laws of god they need abide

as taught by prophets in loud pride

The young man gasped, for what he saw

was nothing like he'd known as law

He'd always thought young they did kill

yet they had merely wills of steel

that so in knowledge widely grew

and made of chaos logic due

He saw so much he never dreamt;

shock to his heart a message sent

But time was up, that they both knew

They headed back with new taboos

V.

Next months pretending they both spend

as if no such event occurred

But after many sleepless nights

the Nälkä said: "This is not right

I can no longer like this do

and therefore I must ask: can you?"

She closed her eyes, and focused deep:

"I hear them every night in sleep

Their beast-like screams, kids thrown as bate

I think — I want to meet this fate?

The answer's no, and break the wheel

we just must for once and real"

He moved his head with hope in eyes

his soul and words just simply wise:

"Then let's together out there go

to tell the world of what we know"

And so, though the two made no crime

they were now traitors of their time

VI.

They went away so far and wide

but never once did they decide

to turn their way back to their homes

even though they gave up their thrones

In alone time shared love they found

With no-one but themselves around

in years alive, they old did grow

still remembering years ago

But the world them remembered, too

and warlords knew exactly who

ran away in the past long gone

And in anger forth their swords drawn

They tried to run, they tried to hide;

no-one could understand their side

In mutual unbroken care

they still were for each other there

And even when darkness them took

not once did they regret their book

VII.

But ages pass, and so do lives

and their love too abides said rights

Hence millennia later two

none of the lovers still ensue

They both fought well, they both fought brave

but nature takes what it once gave

Pierced by flesh swords and vibrant spears

they faded into empty tears

So thanks to hate and thanks to time

the everlasting lay divine

in crypts below an unchanged world

in loving arms so gently curled

No sound to hear, no light to see

a promise empty to be free

fulfilled in death and nothing more

as cogs and flesh wage final war

And there they lay, within the deep

untill Ion wakes again from sleep

Translation notice: Originally written in an ancient dialect of the Ämärangnä language, the excerpt provided above is a translation of a part of a previously unknown, larger body of poems of anonymous hand, retailing the events of the War of the Flesh from the perspective of war victims and prisoners. Despite other Sarkic pieces of literature and tales appearing worldwide, we have found, so far, no evidence of a similar collection existing anywhere else. Reasons for this lack of existence — whether intentional by any parties or not — remain unknown.

— Dr. Judith Low, Senior Adviser at the Department of History, Religious GoI threat analysis

╡In Memoria, Adytum╞