naftakin, the blind            
                                   
                                          
 a student  at the charcoal  guild... his 
 eyes  sewn shut  from  birth... the most 
            successful student            
                                          
 but one day he fell down into  a crystal 
 cavern. it  was  deep in the mountain, a 
 great  hall  with  only  a  single  tiny 
 inlet   for   both   light  and  falling 
                students...               
                                          
 in the  fall, the  quartz sliced off the 
 threads in his  eyes, opening  them  for 
 the   first   time.   before  him,   the 
 crystals mirrored and refracted  the one 
 light smidge into  a  whole  night  sky, 
 and  he   was   struck  down   with  awe 
                                          
 but also  with  shame,  because his eyes 
 had  seen.  hurriedly,  he  used  thread 
 from  his  robe   to   sew   them   back 
 together, and when help came  he did not 
        tell of his transgression.        
                                          
 for years he studied  at  the  guild. he 
 became a  master,  and then  a  pilgrim. 
 yet the image from  the cave  never left 
                   him.                   
                                          
 at  the end of his  life,  when  at  the 
 edge  of the world  he opened  his  eyes 
 for a second time, stars had  hatched in 
                  them...