A World Forgotten
Sirrus walked away from, his home, the cabin, holding his journal in hand, he took a deep breath as he walked into the open air, and it smelled of pine. He hadn't seen his Father in almost two years, almost a year a year since he had last seen his brother, Achenar. It had been a long two years on Myst Island, and he had spent most of his time in the library reading the journals his father had given him access to. The journals were old and some of the worlds were dead or dying; most of the worlds were only used for learning the Art. He sighed, it was too quiet on the island, and it always was even when the seabirds called from their home on the island. That is why he tried to write his own ages, but they always seemed to fail or were never finished. Sirrus was never properly trained in the Art, for his Father, Atrus, never seemed to have time for him or his brother, Achenar. His Mother, Catherine, raised them. Atrus was always linking to the worlds he had written, he had never seemed to care for his boys.
The low light glittering on the floor of the library as Sirrus entered the library, he started searching through the journals looking for a certain Age's journal, without much trouble Sirrus found the journal. As he flipped through the pages, Sirrus noticed that that the handwriting was not his Father's but of his Mother. His Mother could write Ages!?
"Hello, Sirrus," said a voice behind him.
Sirrus snapped the journal shut and spun around to find Achenar at the entrance to the library. "What do you want?" he sneered.
Achenar was a short, stout young man who took after their Father, and repulsively sick in his brother's eyes, "Nothing, dear brother, I'm just here to let you know that Father and I are back." Achenar replied smoothly.
"No, you're after something of mine, you always are."
"Sorry brother," Achenar reached for the journal, snatching it out of Sirrus's grip.
Instead of fighting over the journal Sirrus turned and walked out of the library door, running into Atrus. "Hello, Son."
"Hello Father when I saw Achenar was back I wanted to find you so I could ask you something." Sirrus said nicely. Sirrus was about a head taller than his Father, and very lean, if anything he took after his Mother.
"Well what did you need, Sirrus?" Atrus replied to his Son.
"Does Mother know how to write Ages?" Sirrus asked Atrus.
Atrus hesitated, and Sirrus knew right away that this was something his Father did not want to tell him, "Yes, your mother can write Ages." Trying to keep his son from getting upset he added, "but I didn't teacher her to write your Grandfather did."
But it was too late Sirrus was furious. "You could teach Mother to write but not us? You never seem to have time for us!"
Sirrus turned and walk towards the Channelwood linking book, and was gone. Atrus sighed, "That boy can be so difficult sometimes."
A voice came from behind him, "Which one of our sons are you talking about?"
"Catherine!" Atrus turned to find his wife walking up the path to him, the waning light making her more beautiful then ever.
"Welcome home." She kissed him softly. "Now which one of our boys were you talking about?"
Atrus smiled and replied, "Sirrus."
She frowned, "He just needs some of your time Atrus, you are always going on adventures with Achenar. You have to give Sirrus some of your time too."
"I know, but he always says he doesn't want to go." Atrus sighed, "I know the boy needs my time, but only if…"
Catherine kissed him before he could finish his sentence. "Go finish your lesson with Achenar and we will talk later."
"Yes, my love." Atrus turned and walked into the library where Achenar waited.
****************
Sirrus stepped into his room in the Channelwood Age; it was dark and the fire marbles in his room burned vividly. He was very disappointed in his Father. Sirrus slammed his fist down on his desk causing a few miscellaneous objects crashing to the floor; it seemed to him that his Father always had time for Achenar or his Mother but not for him. "I didn't teach Mother how to write Ages." Sirrus said mockingly. Out of a second fit of rage Sirrus picked up a chair and threw it agents the wall where it hit a broke into numerous pieces.
Sirrus sat down at his desk and began to write in his journal, if only his Mother and Father were as easily manipulated as the people in Father's Ages. At that moment there was a knock at his door. "Go away!" He yelled thinking it was one of the locals coming to greet him.
"Sirrus, it's your Mother." Catherine's sweet voice came from the other side of the door.
Snapping the journal shut he got up and opened the door, "Sorry Mother."
"That's okay. I know you like the locals bothering you." She stepped into Sirrus' room.
"Mother, I know you have talked to Father that is the only reason why you are here." He sat down at his desk.
"Sirrus your Father loves you it's just hard for him sometimes when you don't want to come with him and Achenar to his Ages."
"I know, I know," Sirrus replied, "but it would be nice if Father let us go to his Ages alone; he only lets us go to the Channelwood Age because he knows it's safe. Achenar and I can take care of ourselves. If anything I can watch Achenar, I am older."
Catherine looked out the window for a moment, the fires of the local tree dwellers burned bright against the night sky. "Your right, you two should be able to go alone to the worlds your Father has written." She sighed, "I will talk to your father."
"Thank you, Mother."
Catherine leaned over and kissed him, "Your such a good boy."
As she left Sirrus opened his journal to finish the entry he had started which was now outdated. It seemed his Mother was just as easily manipulated as the people in his Father's Ages; he smiled and closed the journal and walked over to his bed. It sickened him to think about how Atrus would do anything to please Catherine, but for once his Father's fault would work to his advantage. He would wait two days here in Channelwood, this age of tall trees and swamp, then he would link back to Myst. Sirrus laid down in his bed, it would be a long two days.
***********************
"Yes, I think the boys could take care of themselves in your Ages." Catherine said for the third time.
Atrus sighed, "Your right, Sirrus is almost sixteen, and Achenar almost fifteen. I just hope nothing to my Ages."
"Thank you Atrus," Catherine said adding a kiss. "You won't regret it, and Sirrus will be happy with you for once."
Catherine turned to walk out the cabin door and as she did Atrus sighed.
Achenar stopped outside the door of the wooden cabin; he heard Catherine and Atrus talking about letting Sirrus and him be allowed to use some of Atrus' Ages alone. Before Catherine could see him in the low light, he turned and ran to the Channelwood linking book.
Sirrus heard a knock on his door once more, "Please, I would like to be left alone."
"Sirrus, Sirrus open the door!" Came Achenars' frantic voice from the other side of the door.
"Achenar, go away!" Sirrus snapped.
"But Sirrus, I have something very important to tell you."
Sirrus got up form his bed and opened the door, "Fine tell me and then leave."
"Yes, thank you brother," Achenar stepped into the luxury of Sirrus' room was unsurpassed, and this was the simplest of all of Sirrus' rooms. "Well?" Sirrus asked impatiently.
"Oh, yes, right, I over heard Mother and Father talking about letting us use Father's Ages alone." Achenar said excitedly.
"Really?" Sirrus said not at all surprised with what Achenar said.
"Yes, yes. It sounds almost to good to be true."
"Thank you Achenar, you may go now." Sirrus declared dismissing hi brother.
"Right." Achenar turned and left.
Sirrus smiled, he knew his Father would do whatever his Mother wanted him to do. Sirrus looked out the window, he would leave tomorrow to fine out if the news was true. It wasn't like he didn't believe Achenar; it was just that he wanted to find out for himself. Sirrus laid back down on his bed and pulled the silk sheets over himself, he was soon asleep.
*************************
It was late on Myst Island an Achenar was asleep, but Catherine and Atrus were still up in the main room of the cabin. Atrus sighed. "What's wrong love?" Catherine asked.
"I don't know what Ages to let the boys have access to." Atrus replied.
"Well give them access to older Ages, like Stoneship. That Age is simple and the boys can't get into too much trouble."
"That's what I'm afraid of. What if giving access to the books isn't a good idea?" Atrus looked up form his writing, "Catherine look at the boys, Sirrus likes lavish rooms and Achenar keeps his rooms simple. They are both so different, what if they get into trouble?"
Catherine laughed, "Atrus you worry too much. The boys are different, Sirrus takes after Father and Achenar takes after you. My brothers were just as different."
"Your right, you always are. It's the fact that Sirrus takes after my Father that really worries me, he is crazy Catherine, you know that look what he did to you." Atrus got up and touched the scar on her neck.
"Atrus that is the past, what's done is done. So Sirrus takes after Gehn, you can't change that, talk to the boy Atrus, it's as simple as that." She took his hand off her neck and kissed it, "Please talk to the boy Atrus." She dropped his hand, turned, and walked to their room in the cabin.
*******************
Sirrus woke with a start; it was early the next morning, the light was barely shining through Sirrus' window and once more some one was knocking on his door. "Sirrus it's your Father, we need to talk." Came Atrus' voice from the other side of the door.
"Okay, one moment Father." Sirrus got up and made up his bed as best he could in a few seconds and quickly changed. He walked over to the door and opened it, "Come in Father."
Atrus stepped into Sirrus' room and sat down in a chair near Sirrus' desk "Son, I need to talk to about my books as well as your mother being able to write."
"Yes, Father I shouldn't have gotten so upset with you over Mother being able to write," Sirrus sat down in front of his desk and looked out the window for a moment. "Tall me about Mother first."
"Okay Sirrus, what do you want to know?"
Sirrus thought for a moment. "You told me that Mother learned to write from Grandfather, but how did she get that scar on her neck?"
"That," Atrus started, "was also from your Grandfather."
"Why, why did he do something like that?" Sirrus asked sounding concerned.
"Because she was part of Grandfathers' writing Guild, I guess it was his way of showing that she was his."
"If Grandfather was teaching Mother to write why does she talk so badly about him, shouldn't she be happy?"
"Well," Atrus sighed, "Your Grandfather wanted to marry her, to keep her from me."
Sirrus was taken aback but he did not show it. "What did you want to tell me about your books?"
"Ah, yea that is the reason I came to talk to you I have decided to let you and Achenar, free reign to some of my books. I think you two are old enough to take care of yourselves."
Sirrus smiled, Achenar had told the truth, so he tried to be surprised. "Thank you Father."
Atrus smiled. "I know it will give you two a chance to have some time alone and write your journals as well as your ages. I know you don't know how to write very well but I hope having free reign to my Ages will help."
Atrus stood, "I hope to have the Ages open to you by tomorrow but I cannot be sure."
"Well I have no business here so I will link back to Myst with you."
"Okay I will be leaving soon so be ready in about half hour." Atrus turned and walked out of the room.
Sirrus closed the door behind his Father. Everything was going as planed his Father had taken the bait better than he had expected, now he would be able to go to the Ages unsupervised. Sirrus picked up his journal and left the Channelwood Age.
**************************
"Sirrus, Achenar, come here for a moment here for a moment. I need to talk to you before I can let you link. Achenar ran over to his Father as Sirrus acted as though he was in no hurry. "What I need you to do is both to link to the same Age, that way it would be easier for me to keep track of."
Sirrus looked at Achenar, and Achenar returned the look, "We understand Father."
"Good. You boys can look through the Ages and decide on an Age whenever you want. When you do I will check up in three days, got that?"
"Yes Father," Ahcenar replied, "but when will we make up our lost lessons?"
Atrus thought for a moment, "When I come to check up on you, and Sirrus you are welcome to come and have me help you with your Age."
"Maybe I will come this time." But Sirrus had decided to ask his Mother a few things before he left, in hopes to get some answers he had not got from his Father.
"Good, I will leave you two to decide and let me know when you do." Atrus stepped out of the library and started towards the cabin.
Achenar grabbed at the books pulling them across the table, a few books falling to the floor. Sirrus made a look of disgust at Achenar's greed. As Sirrus bent over to pick up the books that fell on the floor, one book had opened to he linking panel.
The panel showed a forest world with trees of many different heights and colors, Sirrus watched the panel for a moment then closed the book to read the name on the leather cover. Ancam Age, Sirrus stood and walked over to the shelves where the journals to all of his Father's Ages were kept, he hesitated for a moment then started looking through the journals to find the one for the Ancam Age.
"What are you doing brother?" Inquired Achenar, looking up from the six open books he had open front of him.
"I think, brother, I found the Age we should go to." Sirrus grinned.
"Well let me see it then." Achenar got up and walked over to where Sirrus was standing, he began to read the book Sirrus was holding.
"So Achenar what do you think?"
"That looks like a good Age to start using our freedom." Achenar giggled.
"Let's go find Father and tell him we found an age. That way we can leave as soon as he will let us." Sirrus side stepped around his brother and walked out of the library to find his Father, Achenar fallowed.
********************
Atrus smiled when he saw the age his sons had picked out for their first lone journey to his Ages, "You picked a good world, how did you find this one so fast?"
"I found it on the ground when Achenar greedily pulled the books towards him to look at them," Sirrus said and shot a wicked Achenar when Atrus wasn't looking.
Achenar returned the look, "I didn't mean to Father, I tried to grab a few books and one fell out of the stack."
"No matter, sometimes the greatest ideas come from the same way." Atrus smiled, "You two must learn that the best things sometimes don't take time and effort, they may come from momentary ideas or a mistake you learn a lesson from." Atrus looked at the Ancam linking book, "You may leave as soon as everything you will need is packed."
****************
Sirrus and Achenar were ready in less than a half hour; in the mean time Atrus was making sure he had everything he wanted to give the boys. "Father, we are ready!" Came Achnar's voice from the library.
"Alright, I'll be there in a moment. Catherine lets see the boys off." Atrus stated to his wife.
"Okay," Catherine walked out of the cabin holding a book.
"What's that?" Atrus inquired.
"A little gift for Sirrus, he had asked me for it last night." Catherine replied with a smile.
They walked up to the library, where Sirrus and Achenar waited. "Boys in my hand I have a linking book for each of you, just in case of the off chance you to get split up and need to return to Myst." Atrus handed the boys each a linking book.
"Sirrus I have what you asked me for last night, though I don't think you will have much time to read it while your gone." Catherine smiled and handed the tiny leather bound book.
"Now I will come and check on you two in three days." Atrus opened the book, "Have fun and please don't get into trouble."
"We won't Father," Achenar said sincerely.
The boys liked to the Ancam Age leaving Atrus and Catherine alone on Myst Island.
**********************
Sirrus walked away from, his home, the cabin, holding his journal in hand, he took a deep breath as he walked into the open air, and it smelled of pine. He hadn't seen his Father in almost two years, almost a year a year since he had last seen his brother, Achenar. It had been a long two years on Myst Island, and he had spent most of his time in the library reading the journals his father had given him access to. The journals were old and some of the worlds were dead or dying; most of the worlds were only used for learning the Art. He sighed, it was too quiet on the island, and it always was even when the seabirds called from their home on the island. That is why he tried to write his own ages, but they always seemed to fail or were never finished. Sirrus was never properly trained in the Art, for his Father, Atrus, never seemed to have time for him or his brother, Achenar. His Mother, Catherine, raised them. Atrus was always linking to the worlds he had written, he had never seemed to care for his boys.
The low light glittering on the floor of the library as Sirrus entered the library, he started searching through the journals looking for a certain Age's journal, without much trouble Sirrus found the journal. As he flipped through the pages, Sirrus noticed that that the handwriting was not his Father's but of his Mother. His Mother could write Ages!?
"Hello, Sirrus," said a voice behind him.
Sirrus snapped the journal shut and spun around to find Achenar at the entrance to the library. "What do you want?" he sneered.
Achenar was a short, stout young man who took after their Father, and repulsively sick in his brother's eyes, "Nothing, dear brother, I'm just here to let you know that Father and I are back." Achenar replied smoothly.
"No, you're after something of mine, you always are."
"Sorry brother," Achenar reached for the journal, snatching it out of Sirrus's grip.
Instead of fighting over the journal Sirrus turned and walked out of the library door, running into Atrus. "Hello, Son."
"Hello Father when I saw Achenar was back I wanted to find you so I could ask you something." Sirrus said nicely. Sirrus was about a head taller than his Father, and very lean, if anything he took after his Mother.
"Well what did you need, Sirrus?" Atrus replied to his Son.
"Does Mother know how to write Ages?" Sirrus asked Atrus.
Atrus hesitated, and Sirrus knew right away that this was something his Father did not want to tell him, "Yes, your mother can write Ages." Trying to keep his son from getting upset he added, "but I didn't teacher her to write your Grandfather did."
But it was too late Sirrus was furious. "You could teach Mother to write but not us? You never seem to have time for us!"
Sirrus turned and walk towards the Channelwood linking book, and was gone. Atrus sighed, "That boy can be so difficult sometimes."
A voice came from behind him, "Which one of our sons are you talking about?"
"Catherine!" Atrus turned to find his wife walking up the path to him, the waning light making her more beautiful then ever.
"Welcome home." She kissed him softly. "Now which one of our boys were you talking about?"
Atrus smiled and replied, "Sirrus."
She frowned, "He just needs some of your time Atrus, you are always going on adventures with Achenar. You have to give Sirrus some of your time too."
"I know, but he always says he doesn't want to go." Atrus sighed, "I know the boy needs my time, but only if…"
Catherine kissed him before he could finish his sentence. "Go finish your lesson with Achenar and we will talk later."
"Yes, my love." Atrus turned and walked into the library where Achenar waited.
****************
Sirrus stepped into his room in the Channelwood Age; it was dark and the fire marbles in his room burned vividly. He was very disappointed in his Father. Sirrus slammed his fist down on his desk causing a few miscellaneous objects crashing to the floor; it seemed to him that his Father always had time for Achenar or his Mother but not for him. "I didn't teach Mother how to write Ages." Sirrus said mockingly. Out of a second fit of rage Sirrus picked up a chair and threw it agents the wall where it hit a broke into numerous pieces.
Sirrus sat down at his desk and began to write in his journal, if only his Mother and Father were as easily manipulated as the people in Father's Ages. At that moment there was a knock at his door. "Go away!" He yelled thinking it was one of the locals coming to greet him.
"Sirrus, it's your Mother." Catherine's sweet voice came from the other side of the door.
Snapping the journal shut he got up and opened the door, "Sorry Mother."
"That's okay. I know you like the locals bothering you." She stepped into Sirrus' room.
"Mother, I know you have talked to Father that is the only reason why you are here." He sat down at his desk.
"Sirrus your Father loves you it's just hard for him sometimes when you don't want to come with him and Achenar to his Ages."
"I know, I know," Sirrus replied, "but it would be nice if Father let us go to his Ages alone; he only lets us go to the Channelwood Age because he knows it's safe. Achenar and I can take care of ourselves. If anything I can watch Achenar, I am older."
Catherine looked out the window for a moment, the fires of the local tree dwellers burned bright against the night sky. "Your right, you two should be able to go alone to the worlds your Father has written." She sighed, "I will talk to your father."
"Thank you, Mother."
Catherine leaned over and kissed him, "Your such a good boy."
As she left Sirrus opened his journal to finish the entry he had started which was now outdated. It seemed his Mother was just as easily manipulated as the people in his Father's Ages; he smiled and closed the journal and walked over to his bed. It sickened him to think about how Atrus would do anything to please Catherine, but for once his Father's fault would work to his advantage. He would wait two days here in Channelwood, this age of tall trees and swamp, then he would link back to Myst. Sirrus laid down in his bed, it would be a long two days.
***********************
"Yes, I think the boys could take care of themselves in your Ages." Catherine said for the third time.
Atrus sighed, "Your right, Sirrus is almost sixteen, and Achenar almost fifteen. I just hope nothing to my Ages."
"Thank you Atrus," Catherine said adding a kiss. "You won't regret it, and Sirrus will be happy with you for once."
Catherine turned to walk out the cabin door and as she did Atrus sighed.
Achenar stopped outside the door of the wooden cabin; he heard Catherine and Atrus talking about letting Sirrus and him be allowed to use some of Atrus' Ages alone. Before Catherine could see him in the low light, he turned and ran to the Channelwood linking book.
Sirrus heard a knock on his door once more, "Please, I would like to be left alone."
"Sirrus, Sirrus open the door!" Came Achenars' frantic voice from the other side of the door.
"Achenar, go away!" Sirrus snapped.
"But Sirrus, I have something very important to tell you."
Sirrus got up form his bed and opened the door, "Fine tell me and then leave."
"Yes, thank you brother," Achenar stepped into the luxury of Sirrus' room was unsurpassed, and this was the simplest of all of Sirrus' rooms. "Well?" Sirrus asked impatiently.
"Oh, yes, right, I over heard Mother and Father talking about letting us use Father's Ages alone." Achenar said excitedly.
"Really?" Sirrus said not at all surprised with what Achenar said.
"Yes, yes. It sounds almost to good to be true."
"Thank you Achenar, you may go now." Sirrus declared dismissing hi brother.
"Right." Achenar turned and left.
Sirrus smiled, he knew his Father would do whatever his Mother wanted him to do. Sirrus looked out the window, he would leave tomorrow to fine out if the news was true. It wasn't like he didn't believe Achenar; it was just that he wanted to find out for himself. Sirrus laid back down on his bed and pulled the silk sheets over himself, he was soon asleep.
*************************
It was late on Myst Island an Achenar was asleep, but Catherine and Atrus were still up in the main room of the cabin. Atrus sighed. "What's wrong love?" Catherine asked.
"I don't know what Ages to let the boys have access to." Atrus replied.
"Well give them access to older Ages, like Stoneship. That Age is simple and the boys can't get into too much trouble."
"That's what I'm afraid of. What if giving access to the books isn't a good idea?" Atrus looked up form his writing, "Catherine look at the boys, Sirrus likes lavish rooms and Achenar keeps his rooms simple. They are both so different, what if they get into trouble?"
Catherine laughed, "Atrus you worry too much. The boys are different, Sirrus takes after Father and Achenar takes after you. My brothers were just as different."
"Your right, you always are. It's the fact that Sirrus takes after my Father that really worries me, he is crazy Catherine, you know that look what he did to you." Atrus got up and touched the scar on her neck.
"Atrus that is the past, what's done is done. So Sirrus takes after Gehn, you can't change that, talk to the boy Atrus, it's as simple as that." She took his hand off her neck and kissed it, "Please talk to the boy Atrus." She dropped his hand, turned, and walked to their room in the cabin.
*******************
Sirrus woke with a start; it was early the next morning, the light was barely shining through Sirrus' window and once more some one was knocking on his door. "Sirrus it's your Father, we need to talk." Came Atrus' voice from the other side of the door.
"Okay, one moment Father." Sirrus got up and made up his bed as best he could in a few seconds and quickly changed. He walked over to the door and opened it, "Come in Father."
Atrus stepped into Sirrus' room and sat down in a chair near Sirrus' desk "Son, I need to talk to about my books as well as your mother being able to write."
"Yes, Father I shouldn't have gotten so upset with you over Mother being able to write," Sirrus sat down in front of his desk and looked out the window for a moment. "Tall me about Mother first."
"Okay Sirrus, what do you want to know?"
Sirrus thought for a moment. "You told me that Mother learned to write from Grandfather, but how did she get that scar on her neck?"
"That," Atrus started, "was also from your Grandfather."
"Why, why did he do something like that?" Sirrus asked sounding concerned.
"Because she was part of Grandfathers' writing Guild, I guess it was his way of showing that she was his."
"If Grandfather was teaching Mother to write why does she talk so badly about him, shouldn't she be happy?"
"Well," Atrus sighed, "Your Grandfather wanted to marry her, to keep her from me."
Sirrus was taken aback but he did not show it. "What did you want to tell me about your books?"
"Ah, yea that is the reason I came to talk to you I have decided to let you and Achenar, free reign to some of my books. I think you two are old enough to take care of yourselves."
Sirrus smiled, Achenar had told the truth, so he tried to be surprised. "Thank you Father."
Atrus smiled. "I know it will give you two a chance to have some time alone and write your journals as well as your ages. I know you don't know how to write very well but I hope having free reign to my Ages will help."
Atrus stood, "I hope to have the Ages open to you by tomorrow but I cannot be sure."
"Well I have no business here so I will link back to Myst with you."
"Okay I will be leaving soon so be ready in about half hour." Atrus turned and walked out of the room.
Sirrus closed the door behind his Father. Everything was going as planed his Father had taken the bait better than he had expected, now he would be able to go to the Ages unsupervised. Sirrus picked up his journal and left the Channelwood Age.
**************************
"Sirrus, Achenar, come here for a moment here for a moment. I need to talk to you before I can let you link. Achenar ran over to his Father as Sirrus acted as though he was in no hurry. "What I need you to do is both to link to the same Age, that way it would be easier for me to keep track of."
Sirrus looked at Achenar, and Achenar returned the look, "We understand Father."
"Good. You boys can look through the Ages and decide on an Age whenever you want. When you do I will check up in three days, got that?"
"Yes Father," Ahcenar replied, "but when will we make up our lost lessons?"
Atrus thought for a moment, "When I come to check up on you, and Sirrus you are welcome to come and have me help you with your Age."
"Maybe I will come this time." But Sirrus had decided to ask his Mother a few things before he left, in hopes to get some answers he had not got from his Father.
"Good, I will leave you two to decide and let me know when you do." Atrus stepped out of the library and started towards the cabin.
Achenar grabbed at the books pulling them across the table, a few books falling to the floor. Sirrus made a look of disgust at Achenar's greed. As Sirrus bent over to pick up the books that fell on the floor, one book had opened to he linking panel.
The panel showed a forest world with trees of many different heights and colors, Sirrus watched the panel for a moment then closed the book to read the name on the leather cover. Ancam Age, Sirrus stood and walked over to the shelves where the journals to all of his Father's Ages were kept, he hesitated for a moment then started looking through the journals to find the one for the Ancam Age.
"What are you doing brother?" Inquired Achenar, looking up from the six open books he had open front of him.
"I think, brother, I found the Age we should go to." Sirrus grinned.
"Well let me see it then." Achenar got up and walked over to where Sirrus was standing, he began to read the book Sirrus was holding.
"So Achenar what do you think?"
"That looks like a good Age to start using our freedom." Achenar giggled.
"Let's go find Father and tell him we found an age. That way we can leave as soon as he will let us." Sirrus side stepped around his brother and walked out of the library to find his Father, Achenar fallowed.
********************
Atrus smiled when he saw the age his sons had picked out for their first lone journey to his Ages, "You picked a good world, how did you find this one so fast?"
"I found it on the ground when Achenar greedily pulled the books towards him to look at them," Sirrus said and shot a wicked Achenar when Atrus wasn't looking.
Achenar returned the look, "I didn't mean to Father, I tried to grab a few books and one fell out of the stack."
"No matter, sometimes the greatest ideas come from the same way." Atrus smiled, "You two must learn that the best things sometimes don't take time and effort, they may come from momentary ideas or a mistake you learn a lesson from." Atrus looked at the Ancam linking book, "You may leave as soon as everything you will need is packed."
****************
Sirrus and Achenar were ready in less than a half hour; in the mean time Atrus was making sure he had everything he wanted to give the boys. "Father, we are ready!" Came Achnar's voice from the library.
"Alright, I'll be there in a moment. Catherine lets see the boys off." Atrus stated to his wife.
"Okay," Catherine walked out of the cabin holding a book.
"What's that?" Atrus inquired.
"A little gift for Sirrus, he had asked me for it last night." Catherine replied with a smile.
They walked up to the library, where Sirrus and Achenar waited. "Boys in my hand I have a linking book for each of you, just in case of the off chance you to get split up and need to return to Myst." Atrus handed the boys each a linking book.
"Sirrus I have what you asked me for last night, though I don't think you will have much time to read it while your gone." Catherine smiled and handed the tiny leather bound book.
"Now I will come and check on you two in three days." Atrus opened the book, "Have fun and please don't get into trouble."
"We won't Father," Achenar said sincerely.
The boys liked to the Ancam Age leaving Atrus and Catherine alone on Myst Island.
**********************