The Stranger
The Golden Ostrich
* * *
For the first time in my life I was allowed off of Jungle Island today...my mother requested that I and my sister Ophene travel to Temple Island in order to deliver our offering to the Whark gods. Ophene, being older than I, has made the journey many times, but my mother has decided that I am old enough to begin traversing the islands.
We made the trip by means of the MagLev...it was one of the most fantastic experiences of my life. Ophene sat in the front of the small car while I stood in the back, clinging to the seat as we shot out across the ocean. It was incredibly wild...I could see the waves below us, blurred from our speed, and out to the other islands. I thought for certain that the car had jumped off the track at one point...we practically flew upwards through a gathering of rocks, and I'm almost positive that we did momentarily lose contact with the line. Ophene seemed quite indifferent throughout the entire time...almost bored. I don't see how this could be possible, but I suppose if you've been traveling this way for several years...
The MagLev finally rose up to the top of a cliff and halted with a great deal of labored sounds. The stairs pivoted down and we clambered out, dropping onto the rocky soil below. I gazed around the station in wonderment...it was nothing special, but I was delighted to be standing on another island.
"Ythaime!" called Ophene, already standing near a short staircase. "Come, don't just stand there gawking." Her arms were wrapped around a basket of fruit and she was sending me an impatient, but slightly amused look.
We walked up the stairs and she pushed the two great bronze doors...they opened to reveal what I presumed to be the temple.
Positioned in the center of the back wall was a huge spherical cage, dwarfing the two Whark idols that lay on either side. There were already several baskets of fruit lying there; I wondered who gathered the food at the end of each day. Surely these stone monuments had no use for them...perhaps Gehn feasts upon our labors every night.
Ophene lay down our own basket and murmured something incomprehensible under her breath...I stood there awkwardly, still surveying the temple.
"All right," she said, backing away from the statue. "Are you ready?"
"What's through there?" I asked, pointing at a squat stone door embedded in the left-hand side of the room.
"It leads to a tunnel out to the rest of the island," she replied, smoothing her skirt gently.
"Let's go have a look."
"No," she shook her head. "Gehn doesn't like the villagers to go nosing around here...this is where the great Golden Dome is located, as well as the terrifying gate away from Riven. It is not a place for us to be found."
I frowned at her, but followed as she walked out of the temple through the huge bronze doors. Gehn is a master at disguise...why would he allow a door to forbidden places to be so obvious?
These thoughts were soon dispelled though as we climbed back into the MagLev. If at all possible, the ride back was even more extraordinary than before...I still don't understand how Ophene could not be thrilled by it all.
Back on Jungle Island, we followed the familiar paths back to the village...up the worn, meandering stairs, across the ancient bridge, over the desecrated remains of the forest, and through the caves lying past the watchman. He set off the alarm as we passed through...that haunting sound that vibrates through the air. I've long speculated how the noise is created...I believe the round pieces on either end of the spinning bar are magnets. When they are rotated fast enough, the magnetic fields collide and create that eerie melody. This is all just contemplation of course...I never proved to be any genius in the scientific studies at school.
My mother is pleased that the trip went well...this means she'll have more time to stay home and take care of our little sister Riy. She's just pushing a year and a half now and has taken up a career in destruction...mother has her hands full from sunup to sundown, so until Riy becomes less of a threat to the pottery, Ophene and I will take care of the errands.
Tomorrow we'll be setting out for Crater Island to bring back some of the bright aqua water...
* * *
Author's Note: I know this chapter was a little slow; I promise it'll pick up from here. Please review!
The Golden Ostrich
* * *
For the first time in my life I was allowed off of Jungle Island today...my mother requested that I and my sister Ophene travel to Temple Island in order to deliver our offering to the Whark gods. Ophene, being older than I, has made the journey many times, but my mother has decided that I am old enough to begin traversing the islands.
We made the trip by means of the MagLev...it was one of the most fantastic experiences of my life. Ophene sat in the front of the small car while I stood in the back, clinging to the seat as we shot out across the ocean. It was incredibly wild...I could see the waves below us, blurred from our speed, and out to the other islands. I thought for certain that the car had jumped off the track at one point...we practically flew upwards through a gathering of rocks, and I'm almost positive that we did momentarily lose contact with the line. Ophene seemed quite indifferent throughout the entire time...almost bored. I don't see how this could be possible, but I suppose if you've been traveling this way for several years...
The MagLev finally rose up to the top of a cliff and halted with a great deal of labored sounds. The stairs pivoted down and we clambered out, dropping onto the rocky soil below. I gazed around the station in wonderment...it was nothing special, but I was delighted to be standing on another island.
"Ythaime!" called Ophene, already standing near a short staircase. "Come, don't just stand there gawking." Her arms were wrapped around a basket of fruit and she was sending me an impatient, but slightly amused look.
We walked up the stairs and she pushed the two great bronze doors...they opened to reveal what I presumed to be the temple.
Positioned in the center of the back wall was a huge spherical cage, dwarfing the two Whark idols that lay on either side. There were already several baskets of fruit lying there; I wondered who gathered the food at the end of each day. Surely these stone monuments had no use for them...perhaps Gehn feasts upon our labors every night.
Ophene lay down our own basket and murmured something incomprehensible under her breath...I stood there awkwardly, still surveying the temple.
"All right," she said, backing away from the statue. "Are you ready?"
"What's through there?" I asked, pointing at a squat stone door embedded in the left-hand side of the room.
"It leads to a tunnel out to the rest of the island," she replied, smoothing her skirt gently.
"Let's go have a look."
"No," she shook her head. "Gehn doesn't like the villagers to go nosing around here...this is where the great Golden Dome is located, as well as the terrifying gate away from Riven. It is not a place for us to be found."
I frowned at her, but followed as she walked out of the temple through the huge bronze doors. Gehn is a master at disguise...why would he allow a door to forbidden places to be so obvious?
These thoughts were soon dispelled though as we climbed back into the MagLev. If at all possible, the ride back was even more extraordinary than before...I still don't understand how Ophene could not be thrilled by it all.
Back on Jungle Island, we followed the familiar paths back to the village...up the worn, meandering stairs, across the ancient bridge, over the desecrated remains of the forest, and through the caves lying past the watchman. He set off the alarm as we passed through...that haunting sound that vibrates through the air. I've long speculated how the noise is created...I believe the round pieces on either end of the spinning bar are magnets. When they are rotated fast enough, the magnetic fields collide and create that eerie melody. This is all just contemplation of course...I never proved to be any genius in the scientific studies at school.
My mother is pleased that the trip went well...this means she'll have more time to stay home and take care of our little sister Riy. She's just pushing a year and a half now and has taken up a career in destruction...mother has her hands full from sunup to sundown, so until Riy becomes less of a threat to the pottery, Ophene and I will take care of the errands.
Tomorrow we'll be setting out for Crater Island to bring back some of the bright aqua water...
* * *
Author's Note: I know this chapter was a little slow; I promise it'll pick up from here. Please review!
