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The Fortress
The Fortress
AlaststandattheFortress! Wehaveseenthemcoming,toweringshapesoccludingthesun,edginginonall sides.Wehaveguessedthefuture,butrefusedtoaccept.TheFortresshasbeen ourrefugeinanincreasinglyhostileenvironmentforyears,whereelsewouldwego? Intimesofwar,thewallsofafortressrepresenttheultimatedefense.Now,enemy forcesareatthegates.Demandingoursubmission,theirmachinesstandreadyto strikeourleadersalreadyforcedintoexile. Mostinherehavegivenup,theircontortedshapeslitterthehallsastheylie apathetic.Butamongthehopeless,therearethoseofuswhoareonlybent,not broken.Apprehensiveofthefinalstrike,wehavedecidedtonotgiveupthefight.If thepointhasbeenreachedwherethereisnoreturn,whygiveintothat,which insistsonputtingusdownandleavingussilent?Weknowourworth,andareproud ofourheritage. Refusingtobereducedtonothing,welifteachotherup,asweseektheinnermost confinesofwhatusedtobeoursiteofpower.Knowthatwecreepintothecoreof whattheywanttotakefromus.Inalastjointeffort,aswelookinwardandseeka sanctuary.Intentonbarricadingwithin,weseektoenduretheinvasion.Wewill eitherberelievedbythereturnofourexiled,orbytheultimatedeathasthewallsare torndownaroundus.Thereishopeintheclosenesswefeelherepressedtogether intheheartofourFortress. Letusprepareceremoniallyforwhichevercomes,beittriumphormartyrdom,letus decorateourbodiesincolorsofcelebrationandwar.Appearinguniformly,weshow howwewillstandasone,facingeitherendwithequaldignityandforce. Iftheybraveourwallsandbreakdownourgates,theyshallnotfindus.Unifiedwe hidewithintheverystructureatonewithourbelovedFortressasinseparablein lifeasindeath.Andwhentheirevildeedsaredone,ourdeadbodieswillemerge fromthesettlingdustcoveredinvibrantcolorstellingoftheundyingspiritwithin. Thuswearevictoriouswhateverendawaits,ourtalewillbetoldandcontinueto inspireotherstoresistaswehave. Mayourcollectivestandbeknownandourcollectivebodybecometheimageof whatstandtolose. Thisisourfinesthour. Thisiswhenwebecomeourfullpotential.
Oslo,11.April2013