Story: Dance of the Elements by Yin Khuan

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Story: Dance of the Elements by Yin Khuan

Name: Yin Khuan
Pen name: Lady Lanyara Artemisan
Title of Story: Dance of the Elements
Genre: Fantasy, General
Summary: A man who has given up on the life that he leads finds freedom in the world of Mother Earth... Oneshot story. Sorry if my summary leaves much to be desired.



Story: Dance of the Elements

As I lay spread-eagle upon this empty clearing, I wonder what my life has been about. The endless struggle to live. Meaningless actions repeated since time untold. Those empty faces that showed nought but contempt and envy behind their masks of smiles. How nice to just stop thinking of the world around me. Ah what bliss this feeling is. The snow beneath my hands, the warmth of the winter sun. This mixed experience that opposes yet does not repel. It fills my empty mind with a myriad of feelings and overflows my senses. How wonderful this earth is!

How bright the star above my head shines. A faint sound floats to my hearing. A sweeping pour. A slight crackle. A gentle creaking. An unending whisper. The heat beats down on my face and my vision wavers. The sounds blend in my ear and is it music I hear? The rumbling pour becomes the steady footsteps of little feet dancing. The crackles gently evolve into laughter. The creaking vanishes, and there is song. The whisper raises pitch to become a whistling, then a piping tune. The tree branches that sway in the wind within the range of my vision turn to hands waving to a lively beat. Slender hands of young girls, strong muscled arms of able men, willowy limbs of elderly pairs. All moving in sync to the piping tune. Little feet step together in a sacred dance and voices lift up in song. Voices so clear and pure, untainted by the filth of the world.


Let this tortured soul find peace in rest.

Set free the spirit to fly with us.

Release this mind from the shackles of its wretched realm.

And we’ll claim back this empty shell, battered and bruised.

Be rid of all binds and find freedom at last.

Come join us in our sacred dance, this dance is just for you.

For there is celebration ahead!

A child has returned to us!

A child grown-up but pure once more.

Mother rejoices with the return.

For hark! Mother sheds tears for joy.

Her child has returned~!


It must be raining. Raindrops are falling for sure. For my eyes are wet and Man had long forgotten how to create tears. Man had long lost the ability to see. They have vision but they cannot see.

Let this tortured soul find peace in rest…

My mind feels heavy, my body exhausted. But it is a nice feeling. The steady steps of the dance have a hypnotic feel to it and the music washes over me like a cleansing breath.

Set free the spirit to fly with us…

That sounds nice. To be free and fly away. Maybe I’ll do that. Just spread out my wings and soar with the birds in flight.

Release this mind from the shackles of its wretched realm…

Flying away. Sounds like a dream. But a good dream nonetheless. Soaring in the blue sky overhead. Living as the birds do. Gliding in the wind without a care in the world. Ah what a happy sight below! Sylphs are playing of the pipes while the gnomes and dryads sing and dance in little circles around their homes. Salamanders are laughing at the sight and frolic merrily around. The undines are dancing a pretty pattern around a strange creature in the centre. I wonder why it looks familiar to me…

And we’ll claim back this empty shell, battered and bruised…

Oh well, they beckon me to join them! What fun! Perhaps I’ll play a little tune with the sylphs. They seem like a happy flighty bunch. Oh, the gnomes are moving that poor creature so the undines can dance some more. Odd thing that is. Oh! The dryads tell me it’s my body. Ah well, that hardly matters. They can do as they wish with it. No concern of mine. I just want to sing and fly free with the wind. And perhaps dance a little. A nice sylph said he’ll teach me the steps to the dance the undines are dancing. It’s our turn next. They do this once every time a child returns pure. How wonderful! It’s called the Dance of the Elements.

©YinKhuan2008