The City of Silence – Prologue

Hi guys, I’m working on a mini-novel at the moment, called “The City of Silence”. It’s basically an extended short story, but not long enough to be it’s own fully fleged novel. This piece is the introduction to the setting of the story, the great city of Eden. The city of silence. A thriving, bustling fantasy city, but with a strict holy law of no sounds or noise. The mining machines are muffled, with the owners liable for punishment if any noises are made, include the droppage of cargo. The people communicate in sign and other hand gestures. I think it’s an interesting setting, but I can’t give too much away until it’s all complete! So without further ado, here’s a little sneak peak, please let me know what you think.

Cheers,

Jevan Thompson

 

Eden.

Eons ago, this vast, overflowing city was just a mine, albeit the biggest in the Badlands, but a mine nonetheless. News of the riches that could be dug up quickly spread like wildfire across the region, causing a surge of hopeful individuals to make the journey, to get a piece of wealth for themselves. First it was a handful, then it was a hundred and after that, thousands would arrive at the city seeking their chance at fortune.

The swelling population in the mine caused a rapid expansion, turning the empty veins inside the caves into bustling, ramshackle living spaces. Voices and the sounds of living soon became commonplace, it was strange, the once desolate place now filled with noise. For a time, the people were kept busy by the organisation and management of the new city and so for a time, it was good.

But alas, even the strongest tree will give way to the storm. With the industry growing at an incredible rate it bought unfriendly visitors upon them all. Crime began to run rife within the city, with everything from petty thieves to corrupt ministers of the mines. The corporations began to sabotage each other and an endless game of “eye for an eye” started. For a time, all that mattered to the inhabitants was which company they were with, who’s banner they followed. This was when “The War of Flags” began.

In mere moments, the city was nearly torn apart by the people who had themselves created and given it life. That was nearly the end of Eden’s story, a great shame it would have been seen as it was still in its infancy.

But in the darkness, light can always be found. Sometimes it must be harder sought after, sometimes it seems like it may not exist at all. But, it can be found. A miner, Crastus Alazar, sought refuge from the chaos and turmoil that gripped the city, running deep into one of the many abandoned passages that lay buried deep inside the stone. Blinded by fear and panic, he fell down a great pit, twenty feet deep and twenty feet wide. Crastus thought, with every fibre of his being, that this was the end to his short tale of life.

But, fate had other plans for the miner.

When the ground rushed up to meet him, only water enveloped him, driving the air from his lungs, but saving him from being dashed upon the rocks. He clambered out from the cold, sharp water of the caves and saw a most unnatural site before him.

A huge willow tree, upon a mound of soil, deep in the bowels of the stones. It could not of been there, but yet it was. A single shaft of yellow sunlight illuminated it’s chamber, but the trees great branches caught the light and twisted it to green. Crastus gazed upon the radiant tree, lost for words and noticed that there were no sounds within the chamber, save for the trickling of the cavern river. The quiet, calm chamber was such a difference from the mayhem above.

“Listen to me mortal.” The tree said to Crastus, with a voice as old as time and clean as a mountain breeze. “Your kinds hunger for wealth and power has lead them astray in these hallowed caves. You kill and war and maim and steal and soon, there will be nothing left, not even for the mushrooms which inhabit these grounds. Stay with me for ten days and ten nights, and I shall teach you what you have lost. I will teach you the ways of solace and give you the gift of peace. For what knows peace better than a willow tree?”

Before Crastus could even think of a response to the great talking tree, the river of the cavern spoke to him, as soft as silk, but as clear as ice. “Listen to me before you respond to him mortal, your budding civilization is on the brink of extinction, by its own dirty hands. In order for your people to survive, you will have to learn to survive. Stay with me for ten days and ten nights and I will teach you what you have forgotten. I will teach the ways of change and give you the gift of growth. For what knows growth better than a river?”

Crastus thought on what they had both said, but the decision lay heavy in his heart, his mind unclear of which gift his people needed the most. And so he thought, for many hours, over and over again until he came upon a thought.

“Oh great tree, I have an answer to your offer.” He said, letting sorrow seep into his voice as he spoke.

“Well?” The Willow Tree responded.

“I’m afraid I must stay with the river, for he has told me that the gift of growth is more important and more useful than your gift of peace.” Crastus said somberly, knowing full well that the river had said no such thing.

“What?! That is preposterous! The river knows nothing of the value of peace, tell him at once you are to stay with me.” The tree bellowed back, with rage unlike anything Crastus had known before. So Crastus journeyed to the other side of the cavern, and sat down beside the trickling river.

“Oh great river, I have an answer to your offer.” He said, letting the same sorrowful lamentation hang in his syllables.

“Yes?” The river sang back sweetly.

“I’m afraid I must stay with the Willow Tree, for she has told me that the gift of peace is more important than the gift of growth.” He said, hiding a smile of knowing from the river.

“What?!” The river said with a sharp hiss. “That is outrageous! The Willow Tree knows nothing of the value of growth, tell him immediately that you are to stay with me.”

And so began the debate of gifts, which lasted a full day and night. He was sent back and forth from the river and the tree countless times, relaying the message of hatred and contempt they had for each other. On and on it went until finally Crastus told them both sternly. “Not even you two great beings know which of your gifts is the most important, so I will have to stay with you both and decide for myself!”

There was a moment of silence, the branches stopped rustling in the calm, steady breeze and even the river seemed to stop is flow.

Then, to his surprise, they agreed.

He spent twenty days and twenty nights basking in the solitude and silence of the tree and the river, who in turn blessed him with the gift of peace and growth. Twenty days may not seem like a long time, but twenty days of complete silence, save for the rustling of the branches and the flow of the river is a long time indeed. At the end of the twentieth night, when he had learned the gifts from the tree and the river, they asked him again whose gift was most important.

Now, Crastus was on dangerous ground, for he knew that if he told them peace was better, the river would rage and roar and drown him in the cavern. If he told them that growth was better, the tree would block his path back to the city with it’s long branches. So Crastus was clever yet again and spoke to them softly.

“Now I have received these precious gifts from both of you, I can see just how valuable they really are. But, I will not be able to tell you which one is most important until I have shared them with my people. Only then will I know the best of the two.”

The river and the tree thought upon his words and agreed in the false wisdom that lay within them.

“Very well,” They both said together, “One hundred days and nights we will wait for you to share your knowledge with the people, then you will tell us who has the better gift.”

With the blessings of the two great beings, he emerged from the pit of the two unharmed and filled with knowledge to help his own kind. He returned to the remnants of the city and told them of his journey and using the gift of peace, he calmed the few lost survivors and taught them serenity, tranquillity, how to love and how to live as one together. It was then he decided that there was to be no noises to cause anger and sow hatred within the city, that the machines of industry must be kept quiet and muffled. He ordered that the streets must be silent, save for the sound of the running of cavern water and the rustling of tree branches. Embracing the gift of peace, the people agreed and became humble in their silence.

Now that the city was saved from itself he could use the river’s gift of growth. He applied it vigorously, breathing life into the derelict mines and destroyed streets, making the city rich and prosperous again. Almost overnight, the blackened ruins became complete structures, beautiful in their ornate carvings and delicate construction. The rule of silence still persisted though, even with the new advances in industry.

On the one hundredth night however, he knew he must confront the two beings and admit to the two his lies, even with how strong the city was becoming. He journeyed to the pit and met with them once again.

“Well?” They both asked in unison, desperate for an answer. “We’ve waited many days for your answer, tell us now! Who has the better gift?” It was obvious they hungered for the knowledge, they were starving for the answer to the question which had burdened them for endless years.

Crastus could not look at them, as his shame was too great. He told them of his lies, how he had forged the debate of gifts to greedily learn both of their knowledge. They were hurt by his treachery and could not comprehend how they had been fooled by a mere human. A rage filled them, unlike anything this world has seen before.

The great willow tree roared and speared him with a thousand branches, whilst the river screeched and drowned him in a giant cascade of water. After the life had left his body, the two thought upon what they had done to their most obedient and devout student. He had managed to turn both their gifts into a harmony, bringing balance and prosperity to the city. They resolved, that he had shown them that their gifts were equally valuable, and so they were finally content.

It is said if you make the journey through the tunnels, descend into the Pit of two, you will find them existing in harmony, with the body of Crastus cocooned in willow branches and encased in frozen cave water.

That, is the history to the city of Eden. The city of silence.