The World of Yesod - Earth: The World of Yesod, #2

By Marzia Bosoni

Continuing the story of Avir, Karka, Esh and Mayim who, having faced the dangers of the kingdom of Air, now find themselves crossing a dry and desolate country: the fertile and luxuriant kingdom of Earth is succumbing to the drought caused by the Enemy, which may even be waiting for the young Seekers right in the capital, Oldstone. From the unstable border hills to the caverns under the capital, and eventually reaching the distant Hills of Dorim, the friends continue their search for the legendary Key of Earth through dangers and puzzles, but also start bringing to light some truths about the history of the whole land of Yesod.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BadPress
• Release date: Jan 13, 2021
• ISBN: 9781071583753

Book preview

The World of Yesod - Earth

Marzia Bosoni

Translated by Charlotte Fleming 

The World of Yesod - Earth

Written By Marzia Bosoni

Copyright © 2021 Marzia Bosoni

All rights reserved

Distributed by Babelcube, Inc.

www.babelcube.com

Translated by Charlotte Fleming

Babelcube Books and Babelcube are trademarks of Babelcube Inc.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

The World of Yesod - 2 - Earth

Chapter 1 - Different opinions

Chapter 2 - Back on the road

Chapter 3 - An important discovery

Chapter 4 - The border

Chapter 5 - Prisoners!

Chapter 6 - An explosive idea

Chapter 7 - Earth!

Chapter 8 - Something to learn

Chapter 9 - A perilous meeting

Chapter 10 - Pelekh

Chapter 11 - Towards Oldstone

Chapter 12 - A rough awakening

Chapter 13 - The capital of Earth

Chapter 14 - Deceit

Chapter 15 - All is lost!

Chapter 16 - A gift for Esh

Chapter 17 - New puzzles

Chapter 18 - Signs and dangers

Chapter 19 - A hundred doors

Chapter 20 - In the Library of Earth

Chapter 21 - The map of Earth

Chapter 22 - Fake!

Chapter 23 - A precipitous flight

Chapter 24 - East

Chapter 25 - A strange encounter

Chapter 26 - Khor’s story

Chapter 27 - The Rocky Mountain

Chapter 28 - The strongbox

Chapter 29 - Danger in the dark

Chapter 30 - Distant memories

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Are You Looking For Other Great Reads?

For David,

patient as an old tree

and unsettled as young rock:

custodian of the kingdom of Earth and its stories.

Chapter 1 - Different opinions

The Great Meeting Hall in the Palace of the Governor of Silverlight was also known as the Hall of the Thousand Vortices because the innumerable columns of white marble were carved with grooves that turned towards each other, giving the effect of white whirlwinds.

Near the tops of the columns there were also openings, invisible from below but designed and cut with the greatest precision, that gave the Great Hall its other name: the Organ.

Before the Enemy returned to the land of Yesod, whenever the wind blew through the graceful arched windows in the walls of the hall, the air passed through the openings in the columns and, thanks to the different-sized cavities inside the marble vortices, produced a soft, melancholy melody that reverberated around the high vaults just like an organ. An organ with a thousand marble pipes.

But even if the wind had still been blowing strongly, its music would not have been heard above the confusion of voices that filled the Great Meeting Hall after the departure of the Company of Seekers.

Because, while Avir, Karka, Mayim and Esh rode northwards following the map that would lead them to find the first Key on the Plain of the Wind, the representatives of the kingdoms had stayed in Silverlight to discuss the mission.

It’s absurd to have entrusted such an important job to four children! shouted an ambassador from Fire.

If these talismans, these Keys, can really protect the kingdoms, maybe it would be better to leave them where they are, suggested a prudent counsellor from Air.

These Keys haven’t protected us in the past and they won’t be able to help in the future: the legends are only fairy-tales for children, another guest from Fire cut him short.

And, indeed, children have been sent, mocked a sage from Water.

At the end of the room, standing beside a column, the old Zalyan listened to the various factions and shook his head without interrupting.

For days already, the important people of the kingdoms, who had come to Silverlight along with the chosen ones and their families, had been debating without reaching any conclusion. Some thought it had been mad to entrust the mission, on which Yesod’s entire future might depend, to four completely unprepared children. Others did not believe in the legend of the Keys, so the chosen ones’ whole mission made no sense to them.

Still others, though, had listened to the Zalyan’s words and, either through conviction or desperation, had put their hopes in the tiny little group they had watched leaving. Fortunately, this group was gaining the upper hand over the others, largely thanks to the words and repeated interventions of Karka’s uncle, Ambassador Virn of Oldstone.

He had, after all, spent years studying the books in his impressive personal library, the same volumes that his niece had consulted secretly, and he knew the Zalyan’s words were confirmed by several old texts.

"Gentlemen, please! As I see it, there are only two possibilities: either the legend is a complete invention and the mission makes no sense, or else it’s all true. Now, if the story was nothing but a tale without foundation, we would gain nothing, but neither would we lose. Those who believe this therefore have no reason for not sending the map to the chosen ones when they reach the other capitals.

If, on the other hand, the legend is true, we would run a terrible risk in opposing it.

But these chosen ones are only youngsters! a delegate from Water interrupted him. Maybe they’re right, the people who say it would be better to entrust the mission and the talismans to trained people, sages or at least to soldiers who know more about facing dangers?

Several people loudly approved of this interruption and Virn waited patiently until silence fell again.

"A battle must be faced by soldiers, a kingdom must be guided by sages, but who can say who should be trusted with a mission like this one, of which we know practically nothing? If I needed to search the huge Mountains of Thoram, I’d ask the help of an eagle of the peaks, but if I needed to send a message through a wood a little sparrow would definitely be better!

The Power has sent unequivocal signs to indicate who should undertake this mission: let us trust in what has protected us for centuries from our own total indifference, and accept the wise words of the Zalyan, which may hurt our pride but open our eyes.

New murmurs arose in the hall and the old Zalyan turned to leave: the ambassador of Earth would manage to convince his stubborn colleagues and he had other matters to deal with.

Once they had returned to Oldstone, Virn and the other representatives from Earth had told the Governor everything, each giving his personal interpretation of the facts. However, the Governor respected Virn highly, having known him for decades, and the ambassador’s insistence had almost persuaded him to trust the Zalyan’s words when one of the old counsellors intervened emphatically.

It’s a lie! Governor Erden, you must not do what they say in Silverlight!

Virn, who had never much liked the man and thought he was a sly opportunist, thundered, Someone is accusing me of being a liar? Or of conspiring against our own kingdom?

Counsellor Nokel continued mellifluously, Ambassador Virn, nobody could ever doubt your loyalty and I would be the first to jail anyone who dared to gainsay it.

The man paused and smiled slightly at Virn, who responded with a disdainful look, then continued, raising his voice so everyone could hear. "I am sure of your good faith, but you have been fooled. They have tried to hoodwink all of you.

"Did you never stop to wonder why, among all the strong and valiant inhabitants of Earth, it was your niece who was the chosen one? Your niece! An incredible coincidence, wasn’t it?

It was done on purpose to mislead you, to convince you that the Zalyan’s words were sincere and make us give up the precious map that shows the position of the talisman of Earth. With the Power gone, the Key is the only thing that still keeps the kingdom alive: sending it to those children is like sending it to the Enemy!

Virn was hard put to control his indignation. That is absurd! If the children reach here, and I hope with all my heart that happens soon, it means that they have already retrieved the Key of Air and they will thus have proved they are up to the task! We must find the map and send it to them so that the second prophecy can be fulfilled.

At those words, a dangerous light shone in the counsellor’s eyes, though he continued to speak in an ironic tone of voice. The second prophecy, indeed. Have you seen it, Ambassador Virn? Has anyone who was with you seen it? No, of course not. Because it doesn’t exist, it’s just a trick to get us to send the Key of Earth to our enemies!

Enemies? Although controlled, Virn’s voice revealed how angry he was. Do you really not understand what’s happening? The only enemies of our kingdom are us, who have allowed all this to happen, forgetting Atai, the Power and the old alliances!

Counsellor Nokel appeared to have expected this and spoke in a slow and suave voice. Ambassador, don’t you see the deceit in your own words? We are the enemies of our own people and our friends are the other kingdoms that have never actually done anything to help us… And since we are the cause of all our ills, now we should be delighted to give the talisman of Earth to some kids who won’t be able to do anything to defend it! And all of this will be for the supreme good of the kingdom and the whole land of Yesod?

Nokel looked around and only then did Virn realise that the entire Council Chamber and the Governor himself were listening in silence to their dispute, uncertain which side to take. Virn had hoped that they would have seen the counsellor’s speech as extreme and would not have listened to it; now he realised that he had underrated his adversary and had not played his cards carefully enough.

Taking advantage of Virn’s silent pause for reflection, which many of those present took to mean he had no arguments to counter the counsellor’s statements, Nokel continued, addressing the Governor in a falsely pleading voice.

Governor, I don’t blame Ambassador Virn for having believed the false hopes that Silverlight offers, because we would all like to grasp the mirage of a prophecy that will bring back the Power thanks to the courage of four innocent babes, but you, who have much greater responsibility than us to protect the kingdom and guide our people wisely, cannot give credence to an old man’s fables! The map of the Key of Earth must not leave Oldstone. If ever the children reach here, and I too hope very much that that will happen, he added, with a nod towards Virn, we shall welcome them with joy and help them in every way, but we absolutely cannot give them the last talisman of the kingdom.

The Governor nodded gravely but Virn stopped him before he could speak. Governor, if the Power doesn’t return, the Key by itself won’t help at all. And if we don’t allow the chosen ones to complete their mission, we destroy the only hope we have left and condemn the whole of Yesod to death. We have had many years to find a cure for the drought that is killing the kingdom but it doesn’t seem to me that anyone has ever found a way to cure Earth, not even the wise and prudent Counsellor Nokel. If the chosen ones should reach here carrying the Key of Air, why doubt that they will know how to protect the Key of Earth equally well?

Virn noticed too late what a mistake it had been to always refer to the chosen ones as children, because now all the counsellors and the Governor thought of them only as youngsters and not as the Company of Seekers whom the Power had called on as its last hope.

And Counsellor Nokel’s concerns had seriously undermined the Governor of Earth’s already low belief in requests originating in the kingdom of Air.

The Council has heard the reports of those who were in Silverlight, the heartfelt appeal of Ambassador Virn and the legitimate doubts of Counsellor Nokel. We shall now retire to discuss them and try to reach a wise and just decision.

The Governor’s words put an end to the argument and Virn could only bow his head and leave with the other ambassadors, followed by the satisfied smile of Nokel, who ardently hoped to see the four chosen ones and the Key of Air arriving very soon.

Within a couple of days, Ambassador Virn’s worst fears were proved right: on the orders of the Governor, the map was not to be given to the chosen ones and must not even be searched for. Wherever it was, it would remain safe in the vast Library of Oldstone.

Virn tried several times to talk privately with the Governor, as he had been accustomed to do in the past, but now it seemed that Counsellor Nokel had become the inseparable shadow of the head of the kingdom of Earth and even when the ambassador finally managed to meet the Governor alone, he realised that the Governor already spoke with the counsellor’s words.

I understand, Virn, that you are sincerely concerned for the kingdom and also for your niece, but I am sure that you will agree with me that sending those children the map of the strongbox would be like opening the gates of the kingdom to all our enemies.

Enemies? Governor, for years we have accused the kingdom of Fire of being the cause of the drought that is destroying us, while the kingdom of Air accused us of having changed their hills to high mountains that shut off their wind…

Stupidities! We have never done anything to the kingdom of Air!

Exactly, sir! Just as the kingdom of Fire has done nothing to us! There are no enemies trying to destroy us, except the one great Enemy that wants to annihilate the whole of Yesod!

The Governor silenced him with an impatient gesture. "The Council has taken its