Chapter Two
Twenty years later
Dominick stood on the plateau above his village with a usual scowl on his face. He knew every person in the village, though none truly knew him. He watched them, day after day walk around gathering fruits and meats to put in their baskets to take home. He watched them squabble over the price of a fruit and sometimes, on a clear day, he could even hear them talk about the baker's daughter. The people saw him; however, rarely and not for very long. He was merely a silhouette on the horizon. And he was the son of their former deity. When the day got hot, he wandered down the low plateau and mingled among the people. He did this only a few times, and he enjoyed the space people gave him. They only knew him as very aloof and mysterious. Which is what attracted all of the women of the village to him. Though they couldn't get too close. He bought his mother a Jarbon fruit and his grandfather a Shade Fruit. All the money he had left went to the dancers and musicians on the street. The long hike back up the rise was no effort for him, though it used to tire him. He had grown taller in the last few years and he had filled out quite quickly. He had his mother's wavy dark hair, but she always said that he had his father's eyes. And everytime she did, she would get a distant look in her eyes and turn away. He spied his house in the distance and walked up to it. He opened the door to find the same sight that greeted him each time. His mother was reading a book and his grandfather was pacing the floor muttering to himself.
"Ah F'Saem, you're home. I see you got some fruit for us. Thank you son," his mother said and returned to her reading. In all the years that he had been alive, she had never turned the page. Not once. And she said that to him everytime. He shook his head and looked away. She always called him F'Saem even after he told her that he would be going by the name his grandfather gave him. Dominick stood in front of his grandfather and pressed the fruit into his hand. Gehn stopped and looked at it before shoving it into his mouth and continuing to pace the floor. He kissed his mother on the cheek and set the fruit in her lap. Maybe she would eat it. Maybe not. He retired to his room and lied down on his bed. He stared at the ceiling and wondered where his life was going. His grandfather, or great-grandfather, was raving mad, and his mother never put down her book. What was the book, anyway? Why was she so interested in it? He decided that it was time to find out why everything had gone wrong. And Dominick had a hunch that it was in the book. When he returned to the living room, his mother had gone to sleep, the fruit still in her lap. His grandfather was now pacing in the kitchen, knocking over bottles and pans. Dominick sighed and carefully took the book from his mother's hands. She stirred, but did not wake up. What he saw in the book; however, took away his fear. There was a screen in the book that showed a beautiful island world. He could read some of the words in the book and they all described the world. His grandfather had taught him D'Ni before he.crashed. Dominick fingered the words and moved to the screen. Something was drawing his hand to the book.
Dominick opened his eyes and stared at a vast library. There was no door, but there was a fireplace-thing that was open. Dominick crawled into it and saw another book, quite like the first. Wishing there was someone to explain all this to him, he put his hand on the screen again.
He was in some sort of cave, but there was no way out. Rocks blocked off all of the exits and there was a lonely looking desk in the middle of the floor. Dominick could see all sorts of papers and books like the two he had just come from. But there was one that caught his eye. It looked like it had people in it and he had to hope that they would know something. Praying, he put his hand on the screen.
Catherine surveyed the dusty region and felt someone behind her. Thinking it was Atrus, she didn't turn around. But nothing happened. Atrus would have said something by now. Catherine held her breath and turned around. What she saw; however, caught her breath. It was Sirrus! She couldn't step back, but she leaned against the railing and averted her eyes.
"Sirrus, what are you doing here?" she breathed. He looked at her in confusion and then smiled. It looked as if he had never smiled before.
"My name is not Sirrus. Sirrus was my father. My name is Dominick," he told her and Catherine relaxed. Now that her fear was replaced by curiosity, she could see the differences. Dominick had wavy hair and was quite a bit taller than Sirrus ever was.
"How did you find your way here?" she asked.
"I don't know. I have come a long way and I am very confused. There were strange books that showed worlds and strange worlds that held books. Where am I? And who are you?" he asked slowly. Catherine smiled and led him into Atrus's study to introduce Dominick to his grandfather and aunt.
Atrus studied the boy carefully. There were similarities in the boy to his father, but they didn't seem to extend to personality. Dominick seemed to resemble Atrus in that aspect. And this is what was puzzling to Atrus. Was the abuse of power something that is passed on down families, like hair or eye color? It seemed to skip a generation like looks generally tend to do. But that posed a more difficult question. Would his daughter be corrupted as well? As Atrus explained everything to the boy, Dominick started to reveal things about his past. How his mother had told him a story of Atrus and how he destroyed their world. And about how she freed Gehn and Dominick had somehow escaped his madness, quite like Atrus did. But, for Atrus, the hardest thing to hear about Dominick's story was that the boy didn't have the slightest idea that he could never return. And Atrus, fearing a wrath that might rival Dominick's father, refused to tell him. But soon the time came when Dominick started to ask about his home. About what had happened. And how he could get back. So Atrus decided that the time was right for Dominick to realize the truth and try to get on with his life.
"Dominick, I have taught you many things about my way and the books, the worlds that I can link to. But there was one story I omitted, fearing that you would not understand. But I think that you are ready to hear his now, and hear why your mother sought me out," Atrus began.
"But, she already told me this." Dominick interrupted.
"No, she didn't. This is the true story. I found the journals of my sons. I want you to read your father's." He handed Dominick the leather bound journal.
Twenty years later
Dominick stood on the plateau above his village with a usual scowl on his face. He knew every person in the village, though none truly knew him. He watched them, day after day walk around gathering fruits and meats to put in their baskets to take home. He watched them squabble over the price of a fruit and sometimes, on a clear day, he could even hear them talk about the baker's daughter. The people saw him; however, rarely and not for very long. He was merely a silhouette on the horizon. And he was the son of their former deity. When the day got hot, he wandered down the low plateau and mingled among the people. He did this only a few times, and he enjoyed the space people gave him. They only knew him as very aloof and mysterious. Which is what attracted all of the women of the village to him. Though they couldn't get too close. He bought his mother a Jarbon fruit and his grandfather a Shade Fruit. All the money he had left went to the dancers and musicians on the street. The long hike back up the rise was no effort for him, though it used to tire him. He had grown taller in the last few years and he had filled out quite quickly. He had his mother's wavy dark hair, but she always said that he had his father's eyes. And everytime she did, she would get a distant look in her eyes and turn away. He spied his house in the distance and walked up to it. He opened the door to find the same sight that greeted him each time. His mother was reading a book and his grandfather was pacing the floor muttering to himself.
"Ah F'Saem, you're home. I see you got some fruit for us. Thank you son," his mother said and returned to her reading. In all the years that he had been alive, she had never turned the page. Not once. And she said that to him everytime. He shook his head and looked away. She always called him F'Saem even after he told her that he would be going by the name his grandfather gave him. Dominick stood in front of his grandfather and pressed the fruit into his hand. Gehn stopped and looked at it before shoving it into his mouth and continuing to pace the floor. He kissed his mother on the cheek and set the fruit in her lap. Maybe she would eat it. Maybe not. He retired to his room and lied down on his bed. He stared at the ceiling and wondered where his life was going. His grandfather, or great-grandfather, was raving mad, and his mother never put down her book. What was the book, anyway? Why was she so interested in it? He decided that it was time to find out why everything had gone wrong. And Dominick had a hunch that it was in the book. When he returned to the living room, his mother had gone to sleep, the fruit still in her lap. His grandfather was now pacing in the kitchen, knocking over bottles and pans. Dominick sighed and carefully took the book from his mother's hands. She stirred, but did not wake up. What he saw in the book; however, took away his fear. There was a screen in the book that showed a beautiful island world. He could read some of the words in the book and they all described the world. His grandfather had taught him D'Ni before he.crashed. Dominick fingered the words and moved to the screen. Something was drawing his hand to the book.
Dominick opened his eyes and stared at a vast library. There was no door, but there was a fireplace-thing that was open. Dominick crawled into it and saw another book, quite like the first. Wishing there was someone to explain all this to him, he put his hand on the screen again.
He was in some sort of cave, but there was no way out. Rocks blocked off all of the exits and there was a lonely looking desk in the middle of the floor. Dominick could see all sorts of papers and books like the two he had just come from. But there was one that caught his eye. It looked like it had people in it and he had to hope that they would know something. Praying, he put his hand on the screen.
Catherine surveyed the dusty region and felt someone behind her. Thinking it was Atrus, she didn't turn around. But nothing happened. Atrus would have said something by now. Catherine held her breath and turned around. What she saw; however, caught her breath. It was Sirrus! She couldn't step back, but she leaned against the railing and averted her eyes.
"Sirrus, what are you doing here?" she breathed. He looked at her in confusion and then smiled. It looked as if he had never smiled before.
"My name is not Sirrus. Sirrus was my father. My name is Dominick," he told her and Catherine relaxed. Now that her fear was replaced by curiosity, she could see the differences. Dominick had wavy hair and was quite a bit taller than Sirrus ever was.
"How did you find your way here?" she asked.
"I don't know. I have come a long way and I am very confused. There were strange books that showed worlds and strange worlds that held books. Where am I? And who are you?" he asked slowly. Catherine smiled and led him into Atrus's study to introduce Dominick to his grandfather and aunt.
Atrus studied the boy carefully. There were similarities in the boy to his father, but they didn't seem to extend to personality. Dominick seemed to resemble Atrus in that aspect. And this is what was puzzling to Atrus. Was the abuse of power something that is passed on down families, like hair or eye color? It seemed to skip a generation like looks generally tend to do. But that posed a more difficult question. Would his daughter be corrupted as well? As Atrus explained everything to the boy, Dominick started to reveal things about his past. How his mother had told him a story of Atrus and how he destroyed their world. And about how she freed Gehn and Dominick had somehow escaped his madness, quite like Atrus did. But, for Atrus, the hardest thing to hear about Dominick's story was that the boy didn't have the slightest idea that he could never return. And Atrus, fearing a wrath that might rival Dominick's father, refused to tell him. But soon the time came when Dominick started to ask about his home. About what had happened. And how he could get back. So Atrus decided that the time was right for Dominick to realize the truth and try to get on with his life.
"Dominick, I have taught you many things about my way and the books, the worlds that I can link to. But there was one story I omitted, fearing that you would not understand. But I think that you are ready to hear his now, and hear why your mother sought me out," Atrus began.
"But, she already told me this." Dominick interrupted.
"No, she didn't. This is the true story. I found the journals of my sons. I want you to read your father's." He handed Dominick the leather bound journal.