Yeesha's bedroom was actually Melody's old bedroom. It was just as she had remembered it. The bed in the alcove, the desk beside it. A large bookcase with glass doors was next to the desk. The glass doors were locked, so she ignored them. On the floor next to it were a bunch of pillows and a game that Atrus had made for Yeesha. Melody picked it up. It was a maze game with a marble. You have to tilt the whole maze to get the marble from one end to the other, while avoiding the holes. Yeesha had always gotten frustrated with the game, going too fast and tilting the maze too sharply.
Melody herself had yet to beat it as well, but that was because Atrus had made it too hard.
On the dresser was a tall aquarium with several brightly colored fish inside. Melody smiled. She remembered bringing Yeesha those fish from an Age called Vaelyn. The little girl loved to care for animals and make things grow. She was a natural born caregiver. Melody couldn't wait to see what worlds Yeesha would write links to once she finished her study of the Art.
Next to the bed, on a hanger, was a red dress that was Yeesha's size. Catherine had obviously made it for her. The necklace glowed as she approached.
Yeesha's voice, pleading. "Please can I wear it today Mommy?"
Catherine laughing. "No. Don't you want to keep it nice for the ceremony on Serenia next week? Anya told me you are getting a special necklace to go with it."
Melody touched the material sadly. The ceremony… was that the event that Yeesha had wanted her to attend? Melody had been so busy helping Pence and Amery with their wild boar in Jelis that she hadn't been able to make it. Yeesha must have looked adorable in the dress. How could I have missed something so important to her? Melody asked herself guiltily.
Turning away from the dress, she began to search the desk. She found a quill, a pot of ink, a box of shells, a beaded ornament, several papers with scribbled D'ni symbols and what looked like a carved crystal of some kind.
The necklace glowed as she picked it up.
Yeesha's voice, this time excited. "Look Mom! Look what Sirrus made for me! The symbol for water, just like I described to him! Isn't beautiful Mommy?"
Melody studied the object in her hand. It was a blue crystal that was in a curving shape, like a wave on the ocean. As far as it being a symbol, she didn't recognize it. Maybe it was the symbol for water in Serenia? It was beautiful, which made it all the more surprising that Sirrus had made it for her. Melody hadn't thought him capable of making anything beautiful. And he had made it for Yeesha. That was so… sweet. Completely unlike Sirrus.
Had he actually changed after all? She decided to reserve judgment until she met him face to face.
Back in Atrus and Catherine's room she found the secret compartment in his desk that Atrus had mentioned. Inside were two books, red and blue. On top of the journals was a piece of paper with the fireplace code written on it. That seemed kind of sloppy of Atrus. Usually he had some kind of intricate puzzle to solve before you could find important things like this. Maybe Catherine had complained and he had decided just to write it down instead.
Because it was closer, she pulled out the red book first.
Spire, I have called it.
For that is the image I kept in mind as I wrote the Book that would link here. A soaring, rock and crystal spire rising out of the dense clouds like the watchtower of some gen-studded castle. Now that I am here, and am exploring the Age in person, I find it to be exactly as I had envisioned. Beautiful, yet so very deceptive.
From the tower formation upon which I sit, an ocean of clouds spreads out below me. Rough stone steps descend toward them, ending at an empty terrace area. Created over centuries by the erosive power of wind, these steps are so evenly matched that I almost believed they were manmade. Yet how could they be? For Spire had never had any inhabitants.
Steps are not the only example of how the illusion I sought to create in this Age holds true. Shortly after linking here, I walked through massive archways of stone, searching for a view beneath the clouds. As I walked, I felt as if the ghosts of a past civilization walked with me. This feeling was only enhanced by the beautiful harmonic sounds heard everywhere I went. I would have liked to determine the source of these sounds, simply for my own edification, but other concerns take precedence.
Having found the floral caverns and assured myself of Spire's ability to support human life I am at last ready to leave. I even feel more comfortable with my decision to use this Age as a prison world if I must. Yet I am sad to leave it too. There is still so much I could learn about the Art simply by spending more time here and comparing the Age with my original intention for it.
Unfortunately, once I link away – dropping my Myst book into the clouds as I leave – I know I will never be back.
And I truly must go. For I still have another Prison Age to investigate.
Well that was certainly interesting, Melody thought as she replaced the journal. Considering what she had read in Atrus' journal in the observatory and because the book was red, she concluded that Spire was Sirrus' prison Age. Plus Atrus wrote about crystals and the carving that Sirrus had made for Yeesha was made from a crystal.
It looked like that was where she was going first.
A crystal code for Spire was on the last page. Curious, Melody copied it down on a piece of paper and returned to the crystal viewer in the observatory to see what it looked like. Maybe she would be able to tell if Sirrus was still there.
Once she had entered the code, she pressed the button and waited. The static turned to a crystal clear image of the Age of Spire. The view was surprising in itself and she had to study it for a while before she understood what it was she was seeing.
The ground was made of black rock, which caused the green crystals she was seeing to stand out in stark relief. The crystal itself was very large and had been carved into an unusual shape. She could only assume that Sirrus had done it.
The scene he had created was that of a painting she had seen many times in Atrus and Catherine's home. It was in the Age of Myst. Catherine sat smiling at two small boys who were playing with a toy boat in the reflection pool. Atrus stood over the boys, writing in a book.
To carve something so intricate out of crystal must have taken him a long time. It couldn't be a coincidence that it was set up in front of the viewer. What did it mean? Was this Sirrus' way of showing remorse for what he had done, that he too longed for the days when they were all together and happy?
The sound of the cable car docking made her jump. Was that Atrus? Had he returned? Or was it someone else? Sirrus or Achenar?
Melody looked around for a weapon of some kind. She found a heavy book about electromagnetism and stood off to the side, waiting. The door of the observatory opened. All she registered was that the person was a man and too tall to be Atrus before she brought the book down on his head.
The man fell to his knees with a pained grunt and whirled around, grabbing her arm as she tried to hit him again. The moonlight was bright enough to show his very annoyed face.
"Trace!" Melody exclaimed and dropped the book.
"Are you still that mad at me?" he asked in an irritated tone, rubbing his head.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know it was you," she insisted, then hugged him tightly. "I am so glad you are here."
He grunted again, this time in surprise. This was going to be a lot easier than he'd thought. Then he noticed she was trembling. He pulled back and searched her face. "What is it? What's happened?"
"Yeesha's gone!" Melody said, tears falling down her cheeks.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean she's been kidnapped! Atrus and Catherine's sons, one or perhaps both of them, escaped and took her!"
"Their sons? But you told me their sons were dead."
"I thought they were," she told him and explained everything that had happened.
Trace was frowning darkly by the time she was finished. "And you say you don't know which one might have taken her or where they might have gone?"
"No. I've been exploring and I'm about to head to Spire to see if Sirrus is still there or if that was where he took Yeesha."
He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Calm down Melody. We'll find Yeesha, I promise."
Melody nodded, trying to stop the tears. "I'm sorry. I know you don't like hysterics. But I am just so relieved not to be alone in this."
To her surprise, he wiped her tears away. "I'm here now Melody. You don't have to do this alone."
She stared at him, sniffled a couple of times, then narrowed her eyes. "Who are you and what have you done with Mr. Grump?"
"He's still here," Trace told her. "But a little wiser now."
Melody smiled a little. "You've been talking to Catherine."
He snorted. "More like getting a scolding from Catherine. She loves you very much."
"I just wish she had trusted me enough with this. It breaks my heart to think that they were going through this without me. I love Atrus and Catherine so much. I want to be there for them. They needed me, but didn't let me in."
"They were trying to protect you."
"That's what I keep telling myself, but I'm still going to have a long talk with them after this is over."
Trace looked at the image of Spire in the viewer. "So we are going to Sirrus' prison first?"
"Yes, I believe that is best. I have a gut feeling he's not there. Whether or not he is the one who took Yeesha remains to be seen."
Together, they made their way to Atrus and Catherine's bedroom. It was a tight squeeze with both of them inside the fireplace, but Melody pressed the button to lower the panel. She entered the code from the paper in the desk and they held on as the fireplace became an elevator.
The door opened to reveal a large cavern underneath Atrus and Catherine's bedroom. A massive door had once sealed away part of the cavern but it was now in pieces, blown away by the explosion that had taken out the bridge and knocked Melody out.
Trace examined the remains of the security door. "Whoever did this likely didn't know you were walking on the bridge above. Their objective was to destroy this seal, not kill you."
Melody snorted. "But they didn't help me either. So even if it wasn't intentional, they must have considered it a bonus."
Trace stood. "A matter I will discuss with him when we find him."
Melody almost wanted to laugh. From the way Trace had said it, she didn't want to be a part of that 'discussion'.
Beyond the destroyed security door was the linking chamber. It was a circular, 'capsule' looking structure. Once they stepped inside and pulled the lever, the whole thing rotated, sealing them off from the rest of the cavern at the same time as it opened both prison books.
Melody shrugged at Trace's look of surprise. "Atrus is all about security."
They studied the linking panels of the two books. The red book showed a dark, rocky landscape with a large black spire rising out of a thick cloud bank.
Trace looked at her. "Ready?"
She nodded. "I'll go first," she said and placed her hand on the page.
Okay! So Melody and Trace are going to be working together on this one! Exciting right? I hope so...
Anyway, got some great Trace/Melody moments in store. Revelations was my fav game so I can't wait to give you guys my take on it (if anyone is still reading this)
See ya'll in Spire!