The Wise Ones say the world was a place of much water and rich with green vegetation before the Gods came. They left it a ruined desert. The Gods came from the sky and settled Raaij's world, living here for a time too long to be measured. As they came, so they left; rising back into the heavens. In that God Time, Raaij's people were not allowed near the city. The Gods might come to you--or for you--but you never went to the Gods. They forbade it. That ancient edict holds even to this day; Raaij's people shun the place as if the Gods still lived there. The God's left their city in Raaij's grandfather's grandfather's time. It's towers stood waiting, silently refusing to give way to the corrupting powers of nature. The Gods never returned. The city always loomed in Raaij's mind. When he was a boy, his mother's brothers took him close enough that he saw the distant towers shining in the sunlight. They went no closer, but the metropolis spread across the entire horizon and as far Raaij could see. It filled him with awe and fear--and fascination. His sleep thereafter was filled with dreams of the place. Raaij grew into a man and found his true love, Shiah. They jumped the coals together becoming one. Shiah bore them two children; first a daughter then two circles of the sun later a son. They were happy with each other and their children. In this world, happiness does not last say the Beings. The Gods had turned the Beings' world from one of plenty to one of hardship. The temporary bounty of a good year of hunting and gathering would inevitably be followed by several desperate ones. One of the bad years saw their cherished children dead from a combination of starvation and disease. They blamed the Gods. It seemed to Raaij and Shiah that their children might still be alive--if the Gods had never come to their world. One day, Raaij told Shiah, "Hitch the beast to our wagon. We're going to the City of the Gods." "Why?" She looked scared, appalled. "We've heard many stories of the magic they could do. Old man Naoe claimed they could restore the dead." "So? They're gone. Why go?" "Everybody says they are gone; but are they? Nobody knows. Nobody has ever gone into the city to see if any Gods remain. What if some did? If we found them, perhaps they would restore our children to us." Shiah was not completely convinced, but the possibility tugged at her own heart's desire enough to get her reluctant agreement to go with him. That was a full moon's journey ago. Now they were rapidly approaching the edge of the city. What would they find? Both filled with anticipation and terror as the towers in front of them grew steadily taller. TO BE CONTINUED: ____________________ This one's for you, mininessie. Thanks for being one of my most cherished cyber-friends and encouragers. I appreciate you a lot! Same for all of your who drop by to visit my gallery, make comments, etc. Jeremy