The Next Morning:
"Tah-ge-mah b'zoo ah re-kor. Tah-ge-mah b'zoo ah re-kor," repeated Cho to himself as he walked into the Temple, rehearsing for when Atrus or Katran would return- be it tomorrow, a few months, several years, or never. "Tah-ge-mah b'zoo ah re-kor. I will memorize this line so I will fulfill the duty of my master. Tah-ge-mah b'zoo ah re-kor."
He quickly proceeded to the hidden door near the corner where the front and left walls met, and quickly shut it behind him. He was away from the gigantic imager, so now there was no threat of Gehn overhearing him. He could stop sucking up now.
"WHY!?!" he groaned in his native tongue, just in case Gehn could still hear him. "Why in the name of my forefathers did I ask for a promotion? If anything, I received a demotion!"
He walked down the stone corridor. Cho passed the familiar metal door on his right. He was always tempted to enter it, for it was rarely locked, and he tried once. However, Gehn yanked him back and hissed, "If you EVER enter this room, it will be the last mistake you've ever made." Still, he wondered what was behind that door. As Gehn slammed the door shut after Cho had attempted to enter, he saw what looked like the a gigantic cage with one stone chair in the middle.
Soon, Cho made it to the gate, and he quickly reached for his key to open the lock on it. He would have enjoyed crawling under it, as he did when he was younger, but unfortunately the last time he tried, he was stuck in the gate. Eventually, he was freed, but it cut open his finest uniform, as well as his back.
Cho walked up the stairs to the entrance of the Gate Room. He hissed, "This will be like watching a quarter-inch blade of grass grow until it is considered a new Great Tree. In slow motion."
"WHAT DID YOU SAY, MAINTAINER?!?!" roared a voice that sounded like Gehn from inside the Gate Room.
Cho shrieked, "I'm sorry, master! Please forgive me!"
Suddenly, Gehn's voice was replaced with familiar laughter, "Ha Ha! Cho, you should have seen the look on your face." Out of the Gate Room stepped Guildmaster Rifih, also of the Guild of Maintainers. He was friends with Cho, though he had a lower rank. Still, Cho envied him. Rifih had a family, he was respected in the community- two things that Cho knew that Rifih had and he probably would never have.
"Rifih," said Cho, still panting from the shock, "Why, I ought to..."
"Sorry, Cho," chuckled Rifih, "I couldn't resist. By the way, I would like to congratulate you on your promotion. Guarding the Cage sounds more relaxing than what I have to do: protect the village from Moiety from mini-attacks. After all, they are very hard to catch, even though they do so few things to annoy us."
"But that's the point," said Cho, "Atrus will never come back. Katran will never come back. Not in a million moons. If they do, would they ever bring the key to free Gehn from his troubles?"
Rifih sighed, "Well... there is a small chance that they would come to trap Gehn- or accidentally link into Riven. Who knows?"
Cho muttered, "Like that would happen."
"Sorry, I must go, "said Rifih, walking back into the Gate Room towards the bridge to Book Assembly Island, "Just, do your job. You'll get used to it. You didn't receive the Maintainer Dagger for nothing!"
Cho stared at his dagger. This was the special dagger given as a graduation diploma to all those who were accepted into the Guild of Maintainers. Of course, Cho just missed failing his final tests and having to start all over, but he still was a servant of the all-powerful Gehn.
Finally, Cho marched down to the infamous Fissure Plateau. The first thing that caught his eye was a gigantic dagger which stabbed the earth next to the cage. According to Gehn, the dagger, as well as the other daggers that were spread throughout the islands, was a symbol of the sins of the citizens of Riven. And if they were to follow Gehn's deeds, it would become a symbol of their new era. Of course, Gehn himself looked shocked beyond belief when the daggers first fell out of the sky to pierce the earth, and it was now the Moiety symbol.
The second thing that caught his eye was probably the most disturbing: the Star Fissure. Of course, it was now covered by a large iron plate, but Cho did not want to tread on it in fear of crashing through the plate and falling into that mysterious, infinite abyss. Who knew what met the "travelers" at the bottom?
Gehn said that he used this abyss to defeat his foe and claimed-to-be-son, Atrus, though how could he have destroyed him when Gehn himself admitted that the Fissure was safe to travel, and how could Gehn have won when Atrus forced Gehn to make linking books from scratch in the aftermath? Sometimes, Cho began to believe that the Black Moiety's beliefs of Atrus being a true deity- Gehn being false- were true.
The Star Fissure, Cho recalled, was also used as a form of punishment for transgressors of Gehn's law. Gehn would shove the transgressor into the Fissure, then follow the unfortunate person with the telescope he built to see what awaited him or her at the bottom. The people screamed their lungs out when they fell- noticeable indeed- yet their screams quickly faded away into the vast expanse of stars like a candle being extinguished. The people desperately shook all of their limbs as if they had a chance to grip something to prevent falling down, but their appearances faded out of view. No one knew their fate.
Cho looked at his dagger. He was given a purpose and he couldn't give up on his master. He looked confidently at the Cage, and proclaimed, "Atrus, Katran, I am not afraid of you. Come out now and show yourselves- for the sake of the lord Gehn!
************************
When the wahrks will learn to fly
And every sunner begins to die
Decades will pass, and what about I?
The Fissure Cage I guard!
When Gehn links into another Age
And locks up all the Moiety into a cage
Guess what I'll do- you don't have to be a sage.
The Fissure Cage I guard!
Cho stopped singing to have a drink of water from his canteen. Cho had paced back and forth across the Fissure Plateau for over a year now, and neither Atrus nor Katran arrived! He found a few Moiety rebels sneaking around once in a while, but they all managed to evade him. In his native tongue (in fear of his master overhearing), he continued:
The day I turn one hundred and twelve
And Gehn gives up his quest to rule a thousand realms
They'll say, "Cho, old Cho, what are doing? Please tell?"
The reply: The Fissure Cage I guard!
Suddenly, Cho heard soft foot steps from behind him. He turned around, and nobody was there- obviously behind one of the large rocks. He thought of only one person who would be doing this (besides Rifih in a silly mood)- the Black Moiety.
Clang! The Cage bars went up, but Cho knew that was because a Moiety rebel through rocks into it as a distraction. Cho fell for this a few times, but not again. He instead directed his attention to the rocks behind him, and the man in the red-and-black uniform sneaking out from behind them.
In one swift action, Cho knocked down the Moiety rebel, and pinned him to the ground by stepping on his chest. Cho unsheathed his Maintainer dagger, and held it above the rebel's throat.
"So," Cho hissed, "You thought you'd get away with it, eh? You would have distracted me, then escaped to do whatever you want. But it seems that Gehn and his servants won again."
The Moiety rebel, struggling to breathe, pleaded, "Sir, let me go, please. I have a family to take care of, and..."
"Another rebel convention to attend," scoffed Cho, "you are an enemy of lord Gehn, and you deserve to die."
"Are you Cho?" asked the rebel.
"Yes," hissed Cho. How did he know his name?
"Well, Cho," the rebel continued, "What about all your inner hatred towards Gehn? I listened to the song you just sang, and I heard about your," the rebel's mouth slowly turned upward into a grin, "promotion."
"ENOUGH!" roared Cho. He raised his foot off of the rebel, only to slam it down harder onto the rebel's chest, "you are to die, and nobody is here to save you."
"Well," the rebel coughed, "There is my brother who is standing behind you."
"I won't fall for that one!" yelled Cho. If he looked back to check if there was another Moiety rebel behind him, the rebel under him would take the opportunity to kick Cho in the unmentionable area.
Cho stared at the rebel eye-to-eye, and said, "Any last words?"
The rebel yelled, "Fire!"
Suddenly, Cho felt very weak and sleepy, and he felt a pinch on the back of his neck. He turned around, and saw another Moiety rebel, holding an empty blowgun. Cho wondered as the dagger slipped out of his hand: But where was the dart? Cho felt the back of his neck. Oh no!
Cho quickly became weak, and collapsed on the ground. The last thing he felt before he lost consciousness was a sensation of being dragged on the ground...
************************
When he came to, the first thing that Cho felt was that he was wearing a harness around his body. He looked up, and saw a ten-meter shelf of rock. Suddenly, Cho felt a sickening lurch, and began to rise into the air.
In a minute, Cho rose to the Fissure Plateau, where he saw several Maintainers dragging him up- Rifih being one of them. After he was safely on the Plateau and out of the harness, he asked Rifih, "What happened?"
Rifih explained, "Well, you were just hit by a Moiety tranquilizer dart and fainted, and the Moiety rebels pushed you onto the shelf of rock down there. I also have some bad and good news."
"Tell me," said Cho.
Rifih began, "The bad news: the rebels who knocked you out cold sabotaged the Gate Room. Now, whenever you push a button, the Room rotates at 100 rotations per gor-ahn. And Cho- the good news- you'll never believe what happened! Gehn succeeded in making a link!"
Cho gasped, "A link? To another Age?!"
"Exactly," said Rifih, "The Age is harsh and desolate- no-one can live there- but Gehn is still calling it a success. He wants to build an office there- on his 233rd Age."
*******************
83.9.11 I've finally made a breakthrough. I have succeeded in modifying the Fire-marbles to generate enough power to hold a Descriptive Linking Book in a stable matrix: I have linked to a new world! It is a harsh and desolate Age - but is nonetheless well suited for my purposes, and so I have designated it my 233rd. By studying it closely, I believe I will eventually be able to create a more appropriate Age for us to resettle on. For now, I will build an office and set up my living quarters there, in order that I may conduct my experiments in safety and without distraction.
- Gehn
**********************
To be continued...
How was my second chapter? Please review.
"Tah-ge-mah b'zoo ah re-kor. Tah-ge-mah b'zoo ah re-kor," repeated Cho to himself as he walked into the Temple, rehearsing for when Atrus or Katran would return- be it tomorrow, a few months, several years, or never. "Tah-ge-mah b'zoo ah re-kor. I will memorize this line so I will fulfill the duty of my master. Tah-ge-mah b'zoo ah re-kor."
He quickly proceeded to the hidden door near the corner where the front and left walls met, and quickly shut it behind him. He was away from the gigantic imager, so now there was no threat of Gehn overhearing him. He could stop sucking up now.
"WHY!?!" he groaned in his native tongue, just in case Gehn could still hear him. "Why in the name of my forefathers did I ask for a promotion? If anything, I received a demotion!"
He walked down the stone corridor. Cho passed the familiar metal door on his right. He was always tempted to enter it, for it was rarely locked, and he tried once. However, Gehn yanked him back and hissed, "If you EVER enter this room, it will be the last mistake you've ever made." Still, he wondered what was behind that door. As Gehn slammed the door shut after Cho had attempted to enter, he saw what looked like the a gigantic cage with one stone chair in the middle.
Soon, Cho made it to the gate, and he quickly reached for his key to open the lock on it. He would have enjoyed crawling under it, as he did when he was younger, but unfortunately the last time he tried, he was stuck in the gate. Eventually, he was freed, but it cut open his finest uniform, as well as his back.
Cho walked up the stairs to the entrance of the Gate Room. He hissed, "This will be like watching a quarter-inch blade of grass grow until it is considered a new Great Tree. In slow motion."
"WHAT DID YOU SAY, MAINTAINER?!?!" roared a voice that sounded like Gehn from inside the Gate Room.
Cho shrieked, "I'm sorry, master! Please forgive me!"
Suddenly, Gehn's voice was replaced with familiar laughter, "Ha Ha! Cho, you should have seen the look on your face." Out of the Gate Room stepped Guildmaster Rifih, also of the Guild of Maintainers. He was friends with Cho, though he had a lower rank. Still, Cho envied him. Rifih had a family, he was respected in the community- two things that Cho knew that Rifih had and he probably would never have.
"Rifih," said Cho, still panting from the shock, "Why, I ought to..."
"Sorry, Cho," chuckled Rifih, "I couldn't resist. By the way, I would like to congratulate you on your promotion. Guarding the Cage sounds more relaxing than what I have to do: protect the village from Moiety from mini-attacks. After all, they are very hard to catch, even though they do so few things to annoy us."
"But that's the point," said Cho, "Atrus will never come back. Katran will never come back. Not in a million moons. If they do, would they ever bring the key to free Gehn from his troubles?"
Rifih sighed, "Well... there is a small chance that they would come to trap Gehn- or accidentally link into Riven. Who knows?"
Cho muttered, "Like that would happen."
"Sorry, I must go, "said Rifih, walking back into the Gate Room towards the bridge to Book Assembly Island, "Just, do your job. You'll get used to it. You didn't receive the Maintainer Dagger for nothing!"
Cho stared at his dagger. This was the special dagger given as a graduation diploma to all those who were accepted into the Guild of Maintainers. Of course, Cho just missed failing his final tests and having to start all over, but he still was a servant of the all-powerful Gehn.
Finally, Cho marched down to the infamous Fissure Plateau. The first thing that caught his eye was a gigantic dagger which stabbed the earth next to the cage. According to Gehn, the dagger, as well as the other daggers that were spread throughout the islands, was a symbol of the sins of the citizens of Riven. And if they were to follow Gehn's deeds, it would become a symbol of their new era. Of course, Gehn himself looked shocked beyond belief when the daggers first fell out of the sky to pierce the earth, and it was now the Moiety symbol.
The second thing that caught his eye was probably the most disturbing: the Star Fissure. Of course, it was now covered by a large iron plate, but Cho did not want to tread on it in fear of crashing through the plate and falling into that mysterious, infinite abyss. Who knew what met the "travelers" at the bottom?
Gehn said that he used this abyss to defeat his foe and claimed-to-be-son, Atrus, though how could he have destroyed him when Gehn himself admitted that the Fissure was safe to travel, and how could Gehn have won when Atrus forced Gehn to make linking books from scratch in the aftermath? Sometimes, Cho began to believe that the Black Moiety's beliefs of Atrus being a true deity- Gehn being false- were true.
The Star Fissure, Cho recalled, was also used as a form of punishment for transgressors of Gehn's law. Gehn would shove the transgressor into the Fissure, then follow the unfortunate person with the telescope he built to see what awaited him or her at the bottom. The people screamed their lungs out when they fell- noticeable indeed- yet their screams quickly faded away into the vast expanse of stars like a candle being extinguished. The people desperately shook all of their limbs as if they had a chance to grip something to prevent falling down, but their appearances faded out of view. No one knew their fate.
Cho looked at his dagger. He was given a purpose and he couldn't give up on his master. He looked confidently at the Cage, and proclaimed, "Atrus, Katran, I am not afraid of you. Come out now and show yourselves- for the sake of the lord Gehn!
************************
When the wahrks will learn to fly
And every sunner begins to die
Decades will pass, and what about I?
The Fissure Cage I guard!
When Gehn links into another Age
And locks up all the Moiety into a cage
Guess what I'll do- you don't have to be a sage.
The Fissure Cage I guard!
Cho stopped singing to have a drink of water from his canteen. Cho had paced back and forth across the Fissure Plateau for over a year now, and neither Atrus nor Katran arrived! He found a few Moiety rebels sneaking around once in a while, but they all managed to evade him. In his native tongue (in fear of his master overhearing), he continued:
The day I turn one hundred and twelve
And Gehn gives up his quest to rule a thousand realms
They'll say, "Cho, old Cho, what are doing? Please tell?"
The reply: The Fissure Cage I guard!
Suddenly, Cho heard soft foot steps from behind him. He turned around, and nobody was there- obviously behind one of the large rocks. He thought of only one person who would be doing this (besides Rifih in a silly mood)- the Black Moiety.
Clang! The Cage bars went up, but Cho knew that was because a Moiety rebel through rocks into it as a distraction. Cho fell for this a few times, but not again. He instead directed his attention to the rocks behind him, and the man in the red-and-black uniform sneaking out from behind them.
In one swift action, Cho knocked down the Moiety rebel, and pinned him to the ground by stepping on his chest. Cho unsheathed his Maintainer dagger, and held it above the rebel's throat.
"So," Cho hissed, "You thought you'd get away with it, eh? You would have distracted me, then escaped to do whatever you want. But it seems that Gehn and his servants won again."
The Moiety rebel, struggling to breathe, pleaded, "Sir, let me go, please. I have a family to take care of, and..."
"Another rebel convention to attend," scoffed Cho, "you are an enemy of lord Gehn, and you deserve to die."
"Are you Cho?" asked the rebel.
"Yes," hissed Cho. How did he know his name?
"Well, Cho," the rebel continued, "What about all your inner hatred towards Gehn? I listened to the song you just sang, and I heard about your," the rebel's mouth slowly turned upward into a grin, "promotion."
"ENOUGH!" roared Cho. He raised his foot off of the rebel, only to slam it down harder onto the rebel's chest, "you are to die, and nobody is here to save you."
"Well," the rebel coughed, "There is my brother who is standing behind you."
"I won't fall for that one!" yelled Cho. If he looked back to check if there was another Moiety rebel behind him, the rebel under him would take the opportunity to kick Cho in the unmentionable area.
Cho stared at the rebel eye-to-eye, and said, "Any last words?"
The rebel yelled, "Fire!"
Suddenly, Cho felt very weak and sleepy, and he felt a pinch on the back of his neck. He turned around, and saw another Moiety rebel, holding an empty blowgun. Cho wondered as the dagger slipped out of his hand: But where was the dart? Cho felt the back of his neck. Oh no!
Cho quickly became weak, and collapsed on the ground. The last thing he felt before he lost consciousness was a sensation of being dragged on the ground...
************************
When he came to, the first thing that Cho felt was that he was wearing a harness around his body. He looked up, and saw a ten-meter shelf of rock. Suddenly, Cho felt a sickening lurch, and began to rise into the air.
In a minute, Cho rose to the Fissure Plateau, where he saw several Maintainers dragging him up- Rifih being one of them. After he was safely on the Plateau and out of the harness, he asked Rifih, "What happened?"
Rifih explained, "Well, you were just hit by a Moiety tranquilizer dart and fainted, and the Moiety rebels pushed you onto the shelf of rock down there. I also have some bad and good news."
"Tell me," said Cho.
Rifih began, "The bad news: the rebels who knocked you out cold sabotaged the Gate Room. Now, whenever you push a button, the Room rotates at 100 rotations per gor-ahn. And Cho- the good news- you'll never believe what happened! Gehn succeeded in making a link!"
Cho gasped, "A link? To another Age?!"
"Exactly," said Rifih, "The Age is harsh and desolate- no-one can live there- but Gehn is still calling it a success. He wants to build an office there- on his 233rd Age."
*******************
83.9.11 I've finally made a breakthrough. I have succeeded in modifying the Fire-marbles to generate enough power to hold a Descriptive Linking Book in a stable matrix: I have linked to a new world! It is a harsh and desolate Age - but is nonetheless well suited for my purposes, and so I have designated it my 233rd. By studying it closely, I believe I will eventually be able to create a more appropriate Age for us to resettle on. For now, I will build an office and set up my living quarters there, in order that I may conduct my experiments in safety and without distraction.
- Gehn
**********************
To be continued...
How was my second chapter? Please review.