Shape of Things to Come Part 3:Seeds of Time Chapter 28 ‘All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts' ...William Shakespeare. As You Like It

During the time that Evil was commencing its sieges and attacks on Good, the demon watcher, the Guardian Proctor vigilantly remained at his post observing the battles and connivances of both sides, then advised those who needed to know of the events. Proctor understood his role well. This was the second time he had watched and shared the machinations of change after an eclipse. He had come to his calling just before the magic eclipse of the medieval years and the previous Source took power. In fact, his first duties as a Guardian were to observe the changes to magic after that eclipse and advising those who needed to know then.

Proctor, having learnt from the earlier eclipse that small easily missed events often had the greatest impact on the future of the magic world had barely left his post since Tempus created the demon Briareos, except to pass on information or directly observe some events close-up. Mostly he sat beside his large open fireplace while his screens at the end of the room flashed away at a manic pace, allowing the watcher to observe events large and small, magic and mortal in all the earthen and surrounding realms. Sometimes, he looked away from the flashing screens to stare into the flames of his fire, and contemplate what his observations meant. Proctor found clarity and comfort in the familiarity of the flames, as well as a justification of his journey when he answered his calling as a Guardian maintaining the balance in the earthen realms.

As he observed the actions of the new demon Briareos, Proctor noted with a certain cynical amusement the cleverness of Briareos’ master, the new Source Tempus. He observed how the slowness and caution of the early years of Tempus’ reign were now replaced by the sudden speedy changes to Evil, its hierarchies, and the way its minions fought. Proctor also observed that the patterns of the Elders’ panic, and even that of some higher-level creatures of Good, were similar to the ones he observed in the first decades of the previous Source’s reign. This time however Proctor was prepared for the way the leaders of Good would respond to protect their callings.

Last time, as he had admitted to his friend the Guardian Therold, Proctor had been disappointed when he watched witches sacrificed through hangings and burnings as Good protected itself. Therold, sage and seer, had explained that the magic world had its place in the natural world and thus followed the laws of the natural world, where new life had its origins in the death of old life. And sometimes, when the life that must end was very powerful, for the natural order and balance to continue, their deaths could be harsh. Whilst this explained many things to Proctor, it did not alleviate his disappointment.

Proctor watching the manic speed of change on his screens, recalled at the start of the previous Source’s reign, the mortal and magic worlds had not realised that five hundred years of medieval history was about to change, to die. Ordinary inhabitants of the realms he guarded were unaware that Evil and Good were in open conflict, and how it would impact their lives. Considering that the last eclipse had heralded nearly as much Evil as Good, just as the balance of the magic universe decreed, Proctor decided that ignorance was best for those whose lives, beliefs, and perceptions of events would drastically change over the next centuries.

From his long-life experience of watching the earthen realms, Proctor also recognised that the large changes to all the realms he guarded would not be understood for centuries, although even as he watched, mortal and magic historians and observers of current events of magic, both Good and Evil, were recording them. If he took the time to watch, Proctor could observe the seers, scribes and sages of all realms frantically recording events, from their own perspectives. Sometime in the future, Proctor knew, that those who recorded history would comment on the ‘important’ events of the past, after perusing the records of these events, creating a narrative, a history that may or may not be a true interpretation of the events he now observed.

In truth, Proctor already knew from his experiences of the last five hundred years that only the very wisest commentators would ever truly understand these happenings because only they would recognise the small events, mortal and magic that provided the basis of true change. Events such as a fifteen-year-old witch taking part in her first demon battle, or another witch distraught with grief, unwittingly setting off events that would change the course of magic. Watcher that he was, it was Proctor’s role to ensure that these small occurrences were noted, and when he discovered commentators wise enough to recognise the true nature of history, bring these small events to the attention of the a few wise archivists and record keepers. Knowing that understanding that the truth of the past was the key to ensuring the balance of the future, Proctor chose to let the greater events of history be recorded by other watchers and observe most carefully the creatures of the earthen realms, magic and mortal that were affecting the small changes.

Proctor observed particularly the vanquishment of the whitelighter Caleb. An heroic mythology was already being attached to the first whitelighter lost to Evil in the current battle. According to the Guardian Therold who collected records of parts of the future that were already written, this passing was the foundation of great changes to the function and role of the Elders.

This knowledge cause Proctor some cynical amusement because he had observed that the whitelighter’s demise from the earthen realms, was more attributable to Caleb’s failing to understand his role as a guide, and insert himself into the action than any heroism. Proctor had already observed that in both his mortal life as a doctor and whitelighter life, Caleb served Good and believed in it with a steadfast devotion. In both incarnations he had done his duty admirably, following the advice of his superiors to the letter and earning their approbation. Nevertheless, Caleb in his incarnation of whitelighter, Proctor had noted from casual observation, had not been an angel who inspired great love or even liking amongst his charges. Much the same as had happened in his mortal life as a doctor.

In his mortal life, Caleb allied himself with the medical world of the late nineteenth century and he had practiced and lived by their precepts. As a whitelighter he had respected the hierarchy of Elders. All who had known him in both incarnations conceded his devotion to his duty and yet none of them had truly respected him for it. Indeed, many had actively disliked him. This was not only because of his pomposity. Some magic charges of the whitelighter, just like his patients when as a doctor he had followed unwaveringly, the highly ineffective and even dangerous rulings of the senior medical practitioners of his time, had suffered unnecessarily because of Caleb’s inflexible devotion to the Elders’ declarations. Indeed, Caleb as Proctor had observed more than a century ago, had been called to his whitelighter incarnation because as the medical world had changed, his inflexibility and belief in his own infallibility had led the Elders to fear his very calling was at risk as Evil targeted him to act unwisely. Proctor had noted on numerous times, that under the rule of Good, many of those whose inflexibility was putting them at risk were summoned before Evil could destroy the worthiness of their existence. Where Caleb’s soul went, Proctor did not know because he could not observe the whitelighter’s soul in any of the earthen realms he guarded.

Proctor held a pragmatic view of inflexible beings such as the whitelighter Caleb. Although he took a certain satanic delight in refusing to label his understandings as wisdom, his observations of the earthen realms led him to the conclusion that there was a very necessary place for those who, sometimes benignly and more often determinedly, enforced rules. Indeed, Proctor recognised that the balance of the universe as he knew it, where Good prevailed when, and only when, it was countered and tested and held to account by Evil, depended on the enforcement of strict rules. Proctor the demon watcher saw that those who ensured the balance by enforcing those rules, either as hierarchical, duty-bound enforcers like Caleb or even as a Guardians of the earthen realms, received very little rewards in terms of appropriation or even acknowledgement of their devotion. In truth like Caleb’s passing, their loss was rarely mourned to the level of their service.

After noting the passing of several more souls, magic and mortal, whose existences ended before temptation and disappointment destroyed their legacies of genuine service, Proctor continued continued his observations of those whose lives were impacted by the great changes to magic. In contrast to the life of the unloved whitelighter Caleb, he watched the actions the Guardian’s guide Francesca. Proctor loved Francesca and knew more of her than any other being in the closer earthen realms and perhaps even those who inhabited much higher up. He knew much more about her than the Guardian Arturo whose role was to oversee the balance between all the realms. He probably knew more than the lore master, seer, Guardian Therold. Certainly, knew more than the arbitrator of right and wrong Durand, and the purveyor of justice Belthezor.

Proctor knew her to be a creature of light not an Elder, but an Elder’s Elder’s Elder. Through careful observation of the earthen realms, he had some suspicions of the journey of the soul that inhabited her mortal body and became Francesca. He knew of her passages through the spirit winds to higher realms and understanding of higher places. He had even smiled to himself when he had observed her avoid answering Belthezor’s questions of the origin of his calling, when even with his lawyer’s skills Cole had not realised that she had avoided answering his questions. Then Proctor reflected that he knew Francesca to be a creature of absolute Good so perhaps she had answered the absolute truth. Proctor was still uncertain.

This time Proctor’s observation of Francesca was not just for the pleasure of seeing her. Because his understanding of change in the years following the elevation of a new Source of Evil, Proctor knew that true creatures of Good had a fallibility, a curious combination of humility and arrogance that sometimes meant it was incomprehensible for them to consider they could be vulnerable to Evil. Witness the recent loss of one of the Great Ones still connected to the earthen realms, causing the Archangels to intervene when Evil crossed into the territories of higher beings.

Many times, Proctor observed this rashness in Francesca despite all her warnings and disapproval of the recklessness in others, for example of the demon Belthezor and his beloved Phoebe. Yet Francesca, Proctor had observed could be just as determined to disregard risks. Proctor had also observed that in these times of change, those who had served well and honourably often moved on from a life connected to the earthen realms. He knew that the nature of the balance of magic decreed old wisdom became history and that the holders of that wisdom were often disregarded in the new order and he had his concerns for her.

In noting the contrast between Caleb’s life and passing, and the role of the Paragon of Good, Francesca, despite the momentum of events, Proctor felt it necessary to leave his Tibetan monastery surrounded by snow to visit the loneliness of the Yorkshire moors where his friend and fellow Guardian Therold resided. Proctor needed and wanted reassurance from records of what was written that changes which were occurring were for the better. Something Therold was unable to do. The sage, Guardian, lore master, had merely snorted his scepticism and reminded Proctor that the balance of the earthen realms ensured the magic universe remained constant. He then offered Proctor more tea and assured him that the changes were necessary for the natural order and the magic balance.

Proctor had passed his observations of the changes to Therold. Because Therold was his genuine friend and knew of Proctor’s love for one of the paragons of Good, Therold assured him that it was written that Francesca’s role in the earthen realms was not over but something in the way it was said alerted Proctor to the need to protect her, so as Therold watched his reaction to this news, Proctor renewed his vow to continually watch out for Francesca. Therold then acknowledged that it was written that the race of whitelighters and orbing creatures connected to the earthen realms would not be destroyed. However, he suggested, certain interpretations of what was written suggested the role would greatly change so they could adapt to the new order of the recognised establishment that would develop in the reign of the new Source. He mused to his friend Proctor that their ‘war’ with darklighters could be the catalyst of change. Therold even admitted that some interpretations of what was written did suggest the unloved and not truly respected whitelighter Caleb would be regarded as the symbol of that change.

“But of course” Therold reminded Proctor as he stood up to make more tea “We both know that while things that are written do happen, they do not often happen in the way we expect.”

Proctor agreed to another pot of tea, and bowed his head to his friend’s wisdom.

Because of this acknowledgement, Therold was unable to resist the temptation to share with his friend Proctor, that there were some in later times, those who had known Caleb as a whitelighter who would express their disbelief that the one they had known could even have been the hero of the new order. Proctor who often observed the irony of the earthen realms progress laughed satanically.