The book is about the absolute. What would reality be if you had the opportunity to do whatever you wished, with only one stipulation. The prerequisite that you had to accept responsibility for all of your actions, would it really be any different than the reality you experience now? The story relates the effects of massive rationalizations that befall us all, regardless of the circumstances, it flows from the ridiculous, to the demonic, and asks the one unavoidable question, where am I, and how the hell did I get here? All of the players find themselves rolling the proverbial blind dice, and then making a random, disconnected choice based on serendipity, even the given reality is a juxtaposition between oblivion and the unknown. It's all about, " The Danger in Being," choices, and the slings and arrows that inevitably follow.

FORDESS

By J. Han

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2011 J. Han
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4567-2605-8

Contents

1. Home and Home Again.........................12. The Danger in Being.........................473. Bogies and Betty's..........................804. Revelations.................................1045. Sides.......................................1346. Chances.....................................1657. More Then One...............................2018. Arizo on the Block..........................2359. Sliding.....................................26810. New Who?...................................30611. Juxtapose..................................34412. Bluff and Circumstance.....................37813. Boooo and Reminisce........................41214. Hunting Wabbits............................44215. Fordess Triumvirate........................45616. Pied.......................................481

Chapter One

Home and Home Again.

"How can this be, why would anyone commit such an insane act," the sail maker was truly perplexed. It was odd enough that a murder occurred, but killing a child. They were so rare on this world, harming one was intolerable. Even more strange was the manner of the death, torn to pieces, half eaten, and the number of assailants had to be at least 20, by the foot prints.

Aplund Bay on the Sea of Fordess. The only place on the entire planet of Fordess that had what would be considered a population. Fordess is a place of existential bliss. And the beings that roam this desolate world rarely tolerate each others presence, except for this one place.

There is just this one small island on the entire planet, the rest is a vast sea where virtually the entire population sails endlessly in skull craft. Skeletal sailing ships that start at about 10 feet, and can be as large as a few hundred. No matter what the size they are designed for just one person, the only time there is more than one aboard would be a woman with child, which is so rare.

This is the world of the Senz solitude, and the pursuit of their meditation is their sole concern. It's not rare for them to couple, hell they fuck every chance they get, it's how they share a meditation, the means to experiencing, and understanding. The rare part is offspring, this is a very cold, and inhospitable place. Children are rarely born, and considered to be a prize, on this world you could easily go your entire existence without ever seeing one.

Perhaps what is stranger still is that the child was killed by a group of Senz, they don't even have a word in their vocabulary to express plural beings, it's an affront to their very order. The sail maker has been on this world since it came to be, and he cannot fathom this circumstance, something must be done, this requires an inquiry.

There are only four of us standing in the muddy flat looking down on the mutilated little child, the old sower studies the three of us, he's going to ask one of us to track down the horde that killed the little one. If you wish to go all you have to do is make eye contact with the old man, Senz never look directly at one another unless it's to couple, or to petition. The other two walk away, either they don't think their skills are up to the task, or it's just a meaningless moment, not worth the bother.

My name is Eleanor I've only been on the planet a short time, but the one who brought me taught me the lore. I bring my gaze directly into the old mans eyes, he looks away at the jumble of prints scattered around the child's body, then looks back at me shakes his head, and says why sacrifice another babe. As soon as we made eye contact the seal was set. Then the sail maker said, " wait,,,,wait there is an old one here, he ported a short time ago. I remember him he is an Au Senz, he might be one of the Marshals. His name is Poquith, yes I think he is one of the old Marshals, he will go."

I said, " I wait for no one, this is my task, you asked, and I accepted. I caught your glance, it's for me to say." He laughed at me, and said, " death comes soon enough in this realm don't go demanding it, let me ask him if he will go, if he says no by all means go and avenge the child, but more important find out why these Senz travel in a pack, most unusual."

The old man walked over a few dunes before I lost sight of him, I wanted to just lite out, and find them before they split up. It was very unusual to find Senz traveling together, normally they are the very soul of solitude. The only value placed in this world is your tale, your song, these beings have been forever, they require absolutely nothing, and they spend their entire existence alone feeding that field of dreams until they're broken. Living a long, long time is not really what you might imagine, it's very lonely, your own end becomes acceptable, but not pointless, let there be weight, let there be consequence, but most of all let it be interesting.

If I go after twenty of my Sei brothers my song will last forever regardless of how I fare, just being involved with such an odd event will insure my legacy. I should just run, some old Marshal of Fordess will never stay with me, and I will have to share my song with him.

"Oh this is taking to long they're getting away," I make sure I say it loud enough to carry over the dunes. Then just as I'm about to head out, a small strangely familiar form appears at the top of the dune. " El is that you," he speaks softly, but I hear every word as if he is whispering in my ear. He knows it's me, he can sense your presence, he is other worldly even by Sei standards.

The old man, and Poe quickly overtake me as I start to jog up the path, he left me long ago, and I don't need a reunion. The old sail maker tells me to stop, " this isn't some tale of quest I don't care about the child, I wont to know why these Sei are joined, this is Fordess the alter of Diem, and Aplund it is a sacrilege to gather, unless a war is eminent, find out what is happening."

I glance over at Poe, I haven't seen him in so long. Still the same, he seems so small, and fragile, but of coarse nothing could be further from the truth. He dresses so simply, just a dark grey tunic, and loose pants with simple boots. No armor, no weapons, just a black scarf wrapped around his head draping down over his shoulder. After realizing that the head cover completely covers his face, I guess I sense him as well.

"El, it's been so very long, I knew you would eventually find your way to Fordess, I've been waiting, I felt your presence, that's why I came ashore, let me follow after you, let me see you work," Poe wasn't much of a talker, that was a speech for him. " How can I take you with me, this is no place for solace, if we leave together someone will come looking for us."

"No one comes looking for me little one, no one," then he turned, and began to follow the herd of prints heading away from the shore, and leading up into the foothills. It's not what I had planned when I hitched a ride to Fordess, it's impossible to get here if you've never been here before, but any true Senz must make the pilgrimage. You must find a sailor of the great reality to show you the way. Your passage is your sex, the meditation that prepares you for your fate. I never thought I would ever cross paths with Poe again, after all the chances of ever meeting anyone again after traveling such a great distance of reality are damn near impossible. Every time you go from one place to another you are completely alone, it's unavoidable the only absolute, you can only progress, what ever was...