The Scroll of Suratican
Vincent James
Author Bio
This is my first manuscript, will be published end of September. I began writing shortly after my recent retirement from a career in technology. I have always loved the power, beauty, and emotions words can
convey. This is the first opportunity for me to use them in a fictional setting. My six grand children, ages five through nineteen, were the inspiration for my first endeavor.
Description
The story, for young adults and young-at-heart adults, follows two young characters with significant physical and cultural differences on a world in the early stage of development. They meet on a journey to the mountaintop domain of Suratican where they hope to gain entrance and meet the mysterious Grand Vizeer, rumored to be from an advanced but unknown society with powers to aid in their search for answers they cannot obtain within their own cultures.
One, a young Banishanti, lives under a very rigidly controlled set of rules he can no longer tolerate. The other, a young physically deformed Fincalistan, wants to explore the world beyond his village and comes to ask about the nature of his god.
The story begins with their meeting on the strange island of Ashantic, the awe-inspiring futuristic world within the walls of Suratican, the knowledge that will turn the Banishanti’s rigid society on its head, and the deep friendship that develops between the two travelers despite their obvious differences.
In a gesture of friendship, the young Banishanti invites the Fincalistan to visit his homeland where they uncover deeply buried secrets about his tribal ancestors. They discover shocking proof the ancient Banishanti were in contact with the advanced society within Suratican. They travel to the Fincalistan homeland where the deformed young tribesman gains the respect he never had with the new understanding of their god and the unknown history he and his young Banishanti friend uncover within his village. The Fincalistans’ rudimentary delving into astronomy reveals a strange object in the night sky with shocking results.
Book excerpt
After a few moments of indecision, Morglisec leads the way into the castle. He takes a deep breath and cautiously enters the stark, featureless realm. Garek, a bit less certain, hangs back. Whether he opens his eyes wide or squints, Morglisec cannot discern anything – walls, roof, doorways, stairways; nothing. A white expanse surrounds him, the likes of which he has never encountered before.
Adding to Morglisec’s discomfort is the total absence of any sound whatsoever, not even his own footsteps. The effect is eerie to say the least. Cautiously, Garek follows suit, passing into the room and walking hesitantly until he reaches his new friend. They stand transfixed, scanning the scene around them, unsure what to do next.
Then, in a deep, loud voice emanating from somewhere within his outsized frame, Garek calls out, “Hello, is anybody here?”
Morglisec jumps, surprised by his outburst. Garek’s voice reverberates throughout the chamber, echoing from the featureless interior surfaces. Even Garek flinches at this result, putting his hand on his friend’s shoulder for reassurance. When the reflected sound ultimately fades, they hear… nothing.
“I’ve had enough,” says Morglisec. “They allow us to come through the gates and enter the castle. They should be more hospitable; leaving us to stand here without any guidance is very rude. We’re going on, and whatever happens, happens.”
He squares his shoulders, and with an air of determination, walks into the depths of the unnerving void. Garek quickly follows suit. Moving cautiously into the strange environment, they soon notice undefinable shapes and forms, appearing then vanishing in a rhythmic, pulsating manner. Their eyes take a while to adjust to the bright whiteness, but eventually they do. The interior strikes them as something otherworldly. There are no breaks or corners where the floor meets the walls or where the walls meet the ceiling, giving the appearance of one continuous surface. The impression left by their undulating, smooth texture is equally disturbing.
The surfaces continually change from almost transparent to solid, with an eerie, luminous quality. They begin to discern the faint outlines of shapes and forms that, like the walls and ceiling, seem to change in a continuous manner. Add to this the absence of any sound, and the experience is incomprehensible to them, beyond the limits of their minds to grasp. As they walk, their footsteps upon the hard surface produce no sound, only silence.
Then, as if waiting upon their arrival, a doorway suddenly appears directly before them. After hesitating a few moments, they pass through and into another chamber. This room has the same iridescent quality, the curved surfaces sometimes shimmering, sometimes appearing translucent. All the while, the transition from one to the other occurs in a smooth, almost imperceptible manner. It is as if the undulating changes are responding to the music of a symphony whose silent rhythmic flow guides their transition.
Along one side of the room is a winding ramp ascending upward from the floor. It follows along the natural curvature of the wall. Garek and Morglisec’s gaze follow the continually rising surface ever higher until it disappears through the top of the chamber and into a higher level. No protective railing exists along the outer edge, but the ramp is wide enough for at least four to ascend side by side.
Suddenly, the same voice they encountered outside the entry gates bellows, “Follow the ramp up to the next level if you want to continue your quest and be heard by the Grand Vizeer.”
Morglisec looks at Garek. “We’re finally getting somewhere,” he whispers.
As they walk up the ramp, they realize the surface is transparent. The floor they left behind is clearly visible through its surface as they rise higher and higher. Garek feels a knot tightening in his stomach as he proceeds. This whole experience is taking him further from the reality he knows and the comfortable experiences of his own familiar world.
The shapes and forms they encountered earlier have disappeared. As they continue to climb, Garek places his hand on Morglisec’s shoulder in hopes of feeling less intimidated by the surroundings. He gains comfort from touching the more knowledgeable and experienced friend by his side.
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