A strange and absurd tale.

Now it came to past that Mr Suan came to sojourn in Circwood. And later on in the Place Where Everything Comes From...

I feel much better now. I was in a bad state when I went to church this morning. Not that I'd let anyone notice that.

The past week in Circwood and the Place was really bad for me. Bad in the sense that I was exposed to many of my shortcomings I never knew existed. Good in that same way too, I guess.. By the end of the week, however, my esteem was at its lowest level and I never felt so much self-loathe in my life.

Before I go into detail, allow me to describe Circwood. It is not a big forest, merely the size of 3 Wings. I share my loft with 3 other fellow sojourners, and each loft is enchanted such that the atmosphere remains cool despite the weather. Although each loft is small, it suffices for one such as I.

The food in Circwood is the best I've seen so far in Ah Gong's Legion. I had horfun for lunch the first day I stepped in, and glutinous rice for breakfast the next day. I guess the modest size of the grounds made the place seem cosy and comfortable at first sight. Whether the truth differs from impression, I can only know as more days pass.

The second day in Circwood, we traversed to The Place for Advanced Arrow-shooting in another part of the Lion Realm. That was when trouble started.

I never was much of a shooter, see, and fact that they gave us older modelled bows did not help matters. Never once did I pass my practice shoots bar one day shoot. Imagine the beating I gave myself in my head!

I kept telling myself that I couldn't shoot and true enough, the prophecy was self-fulfilled. Haix. Thank God I was able to pull myself together on the actual test and score a 17/28. Hardly a marksman score, but at least I wouldn't have to retake the test.

Other days in The Place was spent on an Exercise whereby senior sentients made us move heavy stuff around and made us do many exercises to earn our place in The Place and Circwood. This, of course, was marked by our Hat.

It was during this particular Exercise where I felt my mortality and frailty strongly once again. I hate that feeling. That feeling when the Little Man inside overtakes me and tells me that I should give up because I cannot do certain things, and I actually listen! What is wrong with me?! Where in my mental strength? Do I even have any?

The individualistic nature of my fellow sojourners did not help matters.

Where there once was Light in the form of the Epitome, there now is Darkness, since the Epitome departed for the South. I guess I am just suffering the withdrawal symptoms of the lack of Light. I've got to get used to this Darkness and cope with it before it consumes me. That would mean I would have to go it alone. Argh.

Other thoughts I shall not reveal now. It all seems pretty silly to me now. But thank you, Epitome.. somehow you always help without knowing it yourself.