History Lesson

by Serpent Mage

Yet another Exile journal.

4. Edanna

Edanna

I, yet again, felt my stomach lurch. The world around me came into view. It was beautiful. There was little around me but twisting pieces of the tree that Edanna once was, but a few plants were visible. A massive blossom dangled from a twisted piece of wood above me. It faced a net of vines. In the distance I could see two, enormous, screw like plants, one's fins (which is about the best word for them) were clamped tightly to the stalk. I heard the sound of a chirping bird. This place was gorgeous. All worries and concerns flowed out of me as I took in my surroundings.

I discovered that the dangling flower could be used as a telescope. I saw, within the vine cage, a J'nanin linking book. I backed away from the plant, and went to explore. There was a path leading to the open screw like plant.

At one spot, there was a crack in this world's massive trunk. I looked out to see Edanna's crystal ocean. It reminded me of Riven. Its waters were so warm, and Riven water was so much thicker than most water. I was comfortable there, just like I was comfortable here.

It wasn't like J'nanin or Tomahna. They both seemed so barren and forbidding. Where J'nanin wasn't dry, it was wet and much too cool for me, for those spots were in the shadows. And just thinking about Tomahna made me thirsty. How could Atrus pick a place like that to live?

A slight breeze woke me from my reverie and I continued reluctantly down the path. That great plant was an impressive sight. It stretched up to the top of this enormous tree. Its stalk was hard and woody. I discovered, quite by accident, that stepping on the fins made them ungulate, forcing me, quite quickly, upward. This ride was not fun. I held onto the stalk as much as I could, considering that I was spiraling upward. When I reached the top, I was deposited, with catlike grace, flat on my face. I never wanted to do that again!

I forced myself up and looked at my surroundings. I could hear the wind through all of the crevices of the tree. The top of the elevator plant was just strange, beyond my description. Beside the plant was what looked like a large bowl filled with water. The plant had sent down a tendril that seemed to send the water to the plant. Odd, usually plants got water from the ground. This plant probably just needed more water than normal plants. I was suddenly reminded of how thirsty I was. I cautiously took a handful and, finally sure that there was nothing wrong with it, gulped it down. I had several mere handfuls before I was satisfied.

From here I could see an enormous bird's nest resting over the net of vines. The source of the chirping I heard earlier was a baby bird. I got as close as I could to look at it, then noticed one of those dangling plants. Several buds also hung beside it. I looked through it for a better view. I eventually stepped back.

I looked around. There was another hole in the tree. I got close and saw that there was a path beyond it. I heard the cry of a bird, a BIG bird. I turned to see what I assumed was the mother bird fly to the nest. I got close again. She had brought her baby what seemed to be a bright colored fruit. I looked into that blossom again. The mother tore strips of fruit to feed the chick. She also gave a cry of what I assumed was warning to me. I went to explore that path I had seen earlier.

I walked down it and saw the top of the other elevator plant. I had just approached it when the great bird took off to find more of the fruit. She flew down and out of my view. I went back to the plant. It too had one of those bowls beside it, but it was empty. Suspended above it was some sort of pod filled with water. How to get it to this thirsty plant was another problem. And one that I had a terrible feeling I would need to solve. If going up these things was a nightmare, I didn't even want to think about going down.

I continued down the path. I reached a tall plant with fan-like leaves. Each leaf was at the tip of a tall stalk. I looked down to the spot where each stalk came together. There was a sort of bulb there with five petals. When I touched it, the stalks straightened and the leaves closed. This revealed a J'nanin linking book resting on a branch. At least now I knew that I had an accessible way back, but I felt no desire to use it. First, I hadn't gotten any of the symbols, and second, I didn't think that I ever wanted to leave.

I turned to see another large, orange, blossom. When I brushed against the stamen, the petals opened to reveal another natural lens. I looked through to see the second elevator and its bowl. I saw burn marks on the wood beside it. A new burn was also beginning to smoke. This plant seemed to work as a magnifying glass. How would that pod react to heat?

I directed the beam of light to it. After a few seconds, it burst, dropping all of its water into the bowl. The thirsty plant drank, visible bulges of water being sucked unrealistically through its tendril, and its fins opened. I backed away from the flower and rushed down to the plant. I looked at it for a second and, having nothing else to do here, stepped onto it.

This ride was twice as long and terrifying as the last. At one point I fell and ended up sliding down the rest of the way. I was finally deposited just as gracefully as the last time. My nose was beginning to hurt. I was becoming convinced that these plants were out to get me. Didn't it look smug…

I looked up to see a wooden corridor. I walked down it, past some of those split-leaved plants I saw on J'nanin and towards one of those bowls. In it was a blue fish whose mouth parts gave off an orange glow. Every once in a while it attacked a poor plant whose roots grew in the bowl. It seemed that this fish produced electricity.

I continued on down a rather confusing path. When I reached the end of it, there was another, empty, pod. At its end was what almost resembled a button surrounded by spikes. Not sure of what this thing would do, I pressed the button. It seemed that it now sucked water from the bowl, complete with fish. It didn't seem to be any worse off than before.

I turned and found a new path next to the one I came from. In front of it were more of Saavedro's journal pages. I was so entirely baffled with them that there is no real summary.

"I have desecrated the poem

he placed in the columns. I

could no longer stand to see

Naryan's artistry in his worlds.

I think I can do

something with

sap to cover the

second one, but

I'm not sure what

to do about the

island. I don't

know how to alter

the current.

Perhaps, if I bring in some of

the unusual floating stone from

Amateria? Something about the

molecular

composition of

the rock in

that age

causes it to

attract and

repel other

stone quite

forcefully.

Maybe, if I introduce some of

it to the soil on the island it

will interfere just enough to

damage the last poem.

I will have to conduct some

experiments."

Surrounding this were more diagrams and pieces of math that I couldn't read. I shoved the pages into the journal and explored the new passage. It opened into a larger room. I walked out onto a branch that served as a path. Above me was a flower that gave off light. On my right side a rotting log covered with those round, red plants from J'nanin served as a bridge. Past that I saw a small ledge that held what looked like a trap, a curled leaf at the end of a large tube, and, dangling from a branch above them, what looked like a blue vine. To my left were another ledge and another curled leaf. Under all of this was a bed of leafy plants.

I walked onto the bridge and nearly fell when I was startled by what sounded like a very unhappy mother bird coming from my left. Having no way to get to her, I continued across the bridge. This path took me through the tube I had seen earlier. At the end was what looked like the flower at the end of the passage I went through earlier, only closed so that little light came through. I noticed that a coil came down from the flower. Knowing the way that plants seemed to react around here, I gave it a small tug. The petals curled up to let light out. The large leaf uncurled in response.

I set my books down before I cautiously stepped onto it. Surprisingly, it held my weight all the way to the tip. This was where the vine I saw before was. This was my way to the ledge! I wasn't exactly sure what to do, but I swung towards the ledge. My feet brushed the leafy plants. I discovered that the log bridge got in my way, and I was forced back to the leaf. I decided to try the ledge with the trap.

This time it actually worked. This ledge held the only man made items I had seen on Edanna so far. Besides the metal and animal skin trap, there was a handle that I found rose the trap, and a lantern shedding a little light on the subject. A rope stretched from this spot to the leaf.

Behind the trap I found a plant with hard pink berries. Bait? I decided to try it. I plucked a berry and set it under the trap. Now all I had to do was leave.

I found a natural ramp beside the trap mechanism. When I tried to step down it I slipped and ended up sliding down, landing at the bottom with a thump. This place was going to give me more bruises…

I found my way back to the leaf, this time noticing a small handle beside it. I looked at the ledge. A small, white, furry creature emerged from its home in a hallow log behind the trap. It was the little squeaking creature from J'nanin. It began to munch happily on the berry.

Not knowing what else to do, I pulled the handle. The trap fell down on the unsuspecting creature which began to squeak madly. That didn't do any good. What does one do with a furry little creature? Nothing, I decided. I swung over to let it go. It ran back into its log.

I sat on the ledge by the trap. What was I supposed to do with the trap and how could I get to the other ledge? I pondered this for some time, until I figured it out.

If I removed the log I could get across, but how to do that was the problem. The log was covered with those round, red plants from J'nanin that expanded when my cute little friend chirped. If I could get it close enough to the log and squeak, perhaps that would be just enough stress on the log for it to break. It looked just unstable enough for my plan to work.

But how to get the creature close enough? I had to get it to come out (which in itself was easy) and perhaps scare it to the bridge. When I trapped it and let it out it just ran back into its nest. I had to block the way to the nest. Of course! The trap would block the way. If I placed the bait a little away from the trap then let it fall, it would scare the creature and it just might go for the bridge. If it went another way, however, my one way of getting across would be lost. I had to try.

I plucked a berry and put it on the ground a short distance from the trap. I slid down the little ramp, this time prepared. I went back to the leaf and waited for the creature. When it eventually came it began to eat the berry. I let the trap fall. The creature, being unable to get to its nest, ran for the log. When it reached the log, it chirped. The plants began expanding and it jumped over before the log broke and went crashing down to the bottom. Success!

Now I was able to swing to the other ledge. I gathered my books and swung awkwardly over. Here I found the other curled leaf and one of the lamps. I opened the blossom. This leaf provided a way to a path leading back to the path with the fish.

I decided to examine a tunnel leading to someplace behind the ledge. As I continued on I began to hear a noise like something trying to get out of a sac. I hurried down the path and found the "sac." Here sat one of the trap plants from J'nanin, except this one was large enough that I could fit in it. The thing inside rose enough that I could see it's head through the crack between the rim of the trap and its leaf. It was the mother bird. I tried to pry the leaf away, but it wouldn't budge, and I almost got pecked for my trouble. I remembered that this plant also responded to electricity. Where's an electric cattle prod when you need one?

I wasn't exactly sure what to do, so I looked around. I found a path different from the one I came from. This led to yet another part of Edanna. Somewhere under the trap I found another pod and a wall where someone (obviously Saavedro) had painted something. The mural showed two figures, unmistakably Sirrus and Achenar, talking to a crowd of people who seemed to be hanging onto every word. Piled at their feet and in their hands were books, linking books by the rectangles on their pages. This was yet another of the little bit's that I didn't fully understand. I could translate somewhat, however. The brothers seemed to be seducing who I could only assume to be the people of Naryan with these other worlds. It seemed like their style, even though I didn't exactly know what their style was.

Until now I hadn't thought about Saavedro or Releeshahn. All I thought of was the beauty of the age and the puzzles. Now I remembered the urgency of the situation. I had to retrieve Releeshahn. My thoughts wandered back to Tomahna. Was the fire under control? Were my friends alright? I would have thought that Atrus would follow by now.

I forced my thoughts back to my surroundings. I pressed the pod's button and the fish and water were transported. This shed more purple-pink light on the mural. This time when I looked at it, I saw more than the picture. I saw Saavedro's pain. Somehow Sirrus and Achenar had managed to destroy Naryan. A bit of rage bubbled up in me. Those two had destroyed so much!

The great bird's cry reminded me that I had something I needed to do. From the pod I saw two paths, one to the left and one to the right. I tried the right path. Here I found three large, lavender blossoms. They reminded me of a kind of orchid I once had. The first I couldn't reach, the second was in the shade, and the last was in the sunlight. I found that they reflected the sunlight with their large petals. I had the feeling that I would need them later.

I retraced my steps back to the mural, then took the left path. This took me down a natural staircase, past some weird glowing plants, then to another pod and basin. I pressed the pod again, pulling that poor fish to me. Then an idea struck. The trap's roots dangled into the basin. Electric fish, electricity responding plant. What I had to do was get the fish out of the pod and into the basin, but how would I do that?

I continued along the path as I thought. At one point the path split somewhat. At the end of the short section that extended from the original path was a strange device. When I pressed a button, I discovered it to be a sort of hologram device. Saavedro left this message:

"What's the matter Atrus? Can't remember how things work? Yet you explained this class so well when we first spoke of it on Naryan. 'I want Sirrus and Achenar to learn everything they can, Saavedro. First from Amateria, Edanna, Voltaic, and finally from Naryan. When my boys see your people, I want them to see Naryan's traditions at work, so they can see how civilization can balance an age.' Do you know what they did when they finally came to us? You never came back. After class was over, you took your boys away, and you never came back. Sirrus and Achenar did."

The message ended, leaving me standing there, pondering Saavedro's words. What part did Saavedro play in Dumb and Dumber's teaching? I had assumed that they knew each other from Saavedro's earlier remark of "old friend" on J'nanin. I replayed the message several more times, before the bird cried out again, calling me to my task.

I continued down the path to find another curled leaf but no handing light. That was useful. I needed light.

Of course, I thought. I needed light! I remembered the way that the pod at the top of Edanna burst when a concentrated beam of light shown on it. The orchids! I rushed back up the path, to the mural, then down the other path.

I ran to the third orchid, only to be disappointed when I was unable to reflect light to the pod. If I tried, the orchid's petals blocked the light, rather than reflecting it. The angle was wrong. Could I use the second orchid if I directed the light to it? I positioned the last orchid so that it reflected light to the second.

Unfortunately, this orchid couldn't reflect to the pod, either, but it did reflect to the leaf. It uncurled and I raced to it. Across the leaf was a large, hollow branch. I worked my way up it and to a new hollow branch.

This one led me to a sort of ledge. Here I found another of the orange flowers from the top of Edanna, and a fourth orchid. The petals that had covered the amber lens before had been ripped off, and it was pointing to the pod. How would I get light to it? I remembered the orchid. It wasn't in sunlight, and the one orchid that was wouldn't reach this one, but I wondered where the first orchid pointed. It seemed to be this direction. If it did point this way, I could position the orchids so that the third orchid reflected to the first, which reflected to the fourth, which reflected to the orange flower, which focused the light and popped the pod. I positioned the forth orchid and made my way back down the branches, this time noticing a different one above the first branch.

I went back over the leaf and to the third orchid. This place was getting exhausting! I repositioned the correct orchid, and everything worked perfectly. The pod popped, the fish escaped and attacked the plant, the plant opened, and the bird escaped. With a cry she flew over my head and out the crack that let the sunlight in. Now to explore that other branch…

I moved the orchid back to its previous position and went all the way back up the branches to get that upper branch. My legs were beginning to hurt. In the middle of the branch I found another journal entry. I leaned against the wall to read.

"The book sits on the floor of

the tusk, its swirling panel

reaching tentacle-like arms

out to grab me. I want to

close my eyes, to shut out

these false illusions before

they suck me into the fog. I

do not want those swirling arms

to touch me.

Why? Why am I so afraid of his

book?

I want to remember. I must.

I think-

I think this man may have come

to our village. But he was

younger then. Dark haired.

Tall. Wearing the same

strange flowing brown robes.

He carried a book in his hands

then too and he's always using it.

Always writing down notes. His

eyes are covered by thick

glasses but his face is warm

and friendly. He tells me his

name. He says it's Atrus.

I remember now. His name is

Atrus.

Atrus says he's come to our

village from a faraway place

because he wanted to learn

about the Tree. He says he'll

only stay awhile. Doesn't want

to stop our endless labors. He

says he wants to help, if we

will let him.

Oh Tamra. Why did we let him?

This Atrus stayed with us for

months. I taught him how to

trim the delicate Lattice

roots. How to splice old and

new growths together so the

walls of our houses will grow

strong. I tell him the

traditions of the weave. How

by using the spores to support

the growing branches, we keep

the Lattice Tree alive. He

wants to learn everything I

know. He wants Naryan to

survive.

I take him to the rift, to

where the sea flows through

gaps in the world. Steam flows

up from the waterfall. The

puffer spores are ready to

take flight. We stand in the

shadows of dusk and watch

the spores begin to rise. He

says they look like pearls

against the sky. Then he points

to one of the spores. It's

smaller than the rest. Small

enough to fit the niche we'd

woven into the branches that

morning. Its skin is milky

white. With just the faintest

touch of pink.

That one, Atrus said. That

should support your new

daughter's room perfectly, I

think.

I remember I nodded. Then I

raised my pipe and played.

Atrus stood beside me, holding

his breath as my song drew the

hollow spore close. As soon as

it was near he threw the net

and dragged it in.

This is what I remember.

This is why I said he could send

me his sons."

A teardrop fell onto the paper, then another. For some reason I stared crying. I stuffed the paper into the journal before I could soak it any further. I let myself slide down to the bottom of the branch, letting my books drop and scatter on the floor.

Silent tears of combined rage at the brothers and sorrow for Saavedro and Atrus streamed down my face. It just seemed like too much. I wasn't sure that I could stand the details of their friendship, considering what happened. If only Atrus had known what his sons would become! But then again, what would he do if he did? It was a good thing that Sirrus and Achenar never learned to Write. I shuddered at the thought.

I eventually calmed enough to move on. I gathered my notebook and the journals, stuffing papers back into Saavedro's journal. I got up and moved on.

A narrow path led me to another blue vine. I glanced around. This time there was no way to go but down. I gripped one of the branches framing it and looked out. There was such a pretty view of the ocean. I sighed. Stalling did me no good. It did Releeshahn no good. That thought got me moving. I made sure that I gripped my books tightly. I went over to the vine, held on, and let myself drop to what I imagined was certain death.

It wasn't. Whether that was good or not I'll let you decide. I watched the vine retreat back up. At least I was closer to the ground, now. I saw two paths before me. One was a natural staircase, the other a narrow path beside it. Between was another of the weird greenish glowing plants. I tried the stairs.

This led me to an abnormally large leaf whose split tip curled up above my head. I, not knowing how it would react at the time, stepped onto it to look at it more closely. It suddenly began to rock upwards. It reached the short path that led me to the blue vine, and its tip curled tightly around a branch. I stumbled off and watched it fall back down. I was a little stunned. I stared at the spot where the leaf had been until I realized that I had to go back down. I groaned. These plants had it in for me!

I survived my second trip down as well. This time I tried the other path, making a mental note to stay away from abnormally large leaves. This let me through a sort of natural arch and into a dark, wet chamber. A path skirted a large swamp. In the middle of the swamp was a large, ball like plant. The sounds of animals filled my ears, and the scent of a combination of sea water and swamp water filled my nose. I wasn't too sure I liked this place.

I followed the path until I found another path that I decided to explore later. I continued along this original path until I found a bright spot. Here was another enormous crack so I could see the ocean. The sound of waves splashing against Edanna's trunk drowned out other sounds. As I gazed across the waters I wondered what other islands or continents this world held, and what civilizations might be found there. What plants or animals might live there, and what things might live in these oceans? I wondered if Atrus ever had these thoughts.

Here another of the orchids also grew. I looked through it and pivoted it to gaze at the large plant. Much to my surprise, when the spot of light fell on the plant's stamen, they uncured, reminding me of the antennae of a bug. With one final glance at the aqua waters of the ocean, I retraced my steps back to the other path.

This led me to a new, lighter chamber. This swamp was dominated by another of the large, round plants. This one, however, was open, and a swarm of insects flew around it. I shuddered, hoping that they didn't bite. I was very prone to biting insects.

From my position I could follow the path that circled the swamp two ways, left or right. The right path led my up to a spot where I could see picked at fruit. So this was where he bird was getting it. But she wasn't going to get any more from this one. I had to get the other plant to open. It was probably full of fruit.

The path then led me back down past a large, hollow root with a large hole cut into it, to one of the large flower's leaves. Odd mushrooms covered it. I accidentally stepped on one. The mushroom shot up spores, making me sneeze.

It seemed that the insects didn't much like them, either. They began to fly away. The moment they left the flower's stamen, the plant began to close. The spores quickly settled, though, letting the insects come back and the plant open. So the plant needed light and insects to stay open? How could I close this one and get the insects to go to the other flower? I had to block out the light, but how?

It was then that I saw the closed fan plant in the light. It looked as though the other path would take me there. I retraced my steps and found the other path. It led me past some beautiful dangling white flowers and to the fan plant. I pressed its center and it opened its leaves. My view of the large flower was blocked, but I heard it close. I quickly moved to where I could see it.

The plant had closed but the stubborn insects wouldn't leave. I raced back to the mushrooms and stepped on the one closest to the flower. The spores shot out and the insects flew away. I hurried to see the other flower. The plant was indeed open and full of fruit. Now to explore that root…

I entered the large blue root. One way was flooded, but I could easily travel the other direction. A short way along the root I found yet another journal entry.

"The final painting is almost

done. It's been hard to work in

the heat, but he must see

everything that happened. As

he follows the instructions I

have left him, he will feel the

pain I've suffered.

If he doesn't, perhaps both of

us will die."

I didn't know about Atrus, but I was definitely feeling his pain. I refused to think about the last sentence. Stuffing the paper in the journal, I quickly continued down the root.

Some distance ahead, the root turned sharply upward, and I found myself inside the open flower. Specifically, I was inside a sort if cage. I looked down at the pink fruit at the bottom if it. I realized just how hungry I was, and cautiously plucked some of it off. I carefully sampled a bit of it. It was delicious! I moved to get more of the fruit, but stumbled, I grabbed onto an odd looking piece of the cage and used it to pull myself back up. When I let go, it moved back up, and something shot from the top of the cage. I was wondering exactly what happened when the mother bird flew in. She grabbed the cage and lifted it, and me, up and out of the tree. I held onto the cage for dear life as she flew around and up to her nest. There she deposited me and shortly after landed. She squawked, clearly telling me to leave. I was happy to oblige.

I grabbed some more fruit and hoisted myself out of the cage. Unfortunately, I found myself sliding down a twisted piece of wood. When I stopped, I found that I was in the vine cage I had seen when I first arrived in Edanna. Here I found, besides the J'nanin book, a vine suspended in hardened sap. It twisted to form an unusual shape that I was convinced to be one of the symbols. I hurriedly drew it on a blank page of my notebook and approached the linking book.

I looked around me at Edanna. I would miss it. It was a place I would like to visit under different circumstances. I thought about that vast ocean and wondered one last time what might lay beyond those waters. With a sigh I reluctantly flipped the book open and placed my palm on the page.

I thought that I would NEVER finish this! It feels so good to finally be done! The thing with the other continents and islands is something that I've been thinking about for a while. Consider how unlikely it is to have a world about the size of Earth be covered in water except for one little speck of land. It's virtually impossible! Just think, when Riven died, just how many unknown civilizations may have gone with it? Just a thought.

Review, please.