Where None Dare Venture: Chapter 4
"It's such a beautiful view."
Before them, the great canyon known as the Rift stretched silently, a slumbering presence that mere mortals dared not disturb.
The leylines of the Meridian coalesced along a narrow strip of space, shining brightly as the waves of pure mana flickered with the colors of the rainbow.
Around this river of pure energy, the rocky cliffs and the earth that dwelled under the surface of the plane were torn, ripped apart, shred to pieces and forced to take shape around the leyline, forming a tunnel of stone peaks and edges, hostile to animals, hostile to people, hostile to life itself.
"I know, right?... To see it before our eyes... I cannot find words, there are no words to describe it. It's just... yeah. Beautiful."
Countless myths have described its creation over the centuries.
A scar of a holy war, a mark branded by the very first gods, or perhaps the remnants of a duel between creatures of legend - the mortal mind could only hope to understand it.
The Rift was created by the influence of mana; that was the conclusion of the Exaarhi professors, at least; the only logical explanation for its existence.
As the very tides of mana crystallized in one point inside the Rift, the tides that kept the plane bound and brought life and sustenance all beings inhabiting it...
Could it not be possible, if not reasonable to believe all of this was a consequence of the natural laws?
But to gaze upon it is to remember the truth, to confront our most hidden fears, to challenge our place in this world.
"...There is only one word that could describe its beauty, Mikri," he said plainly, a blank stare embedded in his eyes as he turned from the view towards her.
"It's soul-crushing."
"Wake up, woman." The cold, crunchy tone of El'iaja jolted her awake. "Alh'igri has gone to sleep already. Said I should let you enjoy your pleasant dreams a little longer." He broke a piece of wood with his hands, tossing both parts into the campfire. They crackled loudly as they were engulfed by the hungry flames. Mikri rubbed her eyes as she raised up, walking off the remnants of her sleep. "Thank you, traveler El'iaja..." she begun, but the hulky man raised his hand. "Don't start with that crap. I'm used to it, but that doesn't mean I enjoy hearing it." He exhaled loudly. "For how intelligent he is... you'd say he could learn how to speak properly. Should've seen him in his prime, though. The things he could do with his thought alone... What a pity. The Gods can be so cruel in their trials."
Mikri took seat on the large log El'iaja was lounging on. His eyes were lost in the dancing of the flames, as if he was searching for something deep amidst the fire tongues. "I... I am sorry to hear this," she tried. "Don't be. Regrets are rejections of the past, and the past is no place to dwell." He turned his head towards her. Under the pale moon and the flickers of the fire, his mature, almost old expression seemed almost soft for a moment. "Enough about this, though. Tell me more about the Rift. Why would we go across the Continent just to see a large chasm?" Mikri shook her head, befuddled. "What? You never heard of the Rift? What are you doing here, then?" "It's him who's eager to go sightseeing, not me. I was... I am perfectly fine living on this plane, but he really wants to return to our home, so I can't leave him be. He needs me." He let out a chuckle. "I don't think it makes a lot of sense, does it?... Just... Just think of us as people from very far away. He just happened to learn of this place. And he thinks it is a place of great importance." The girl took a deep breath, gathering her composure. "Now it's my time to shine. Time to show them who's the best guide around these parts."
"So! The Rift is the name given to the (presumed) natural formation that can be found near the northeastern edge of the Continent. Its name was given due to the abnormal shape the earth has taken over the ages. While calling it a 'chasm' is theoretically correct, it's better to think of it as 'a tunnel carved by mana leylines'. Well, it can't really be a tunnel since it's not underground, but the intensity of the manastream is too big to be contained under the surface."
"Carved by leylines? Wait, do more than one cross that place?" asked El'iaja, bewildered.
"That cannot happen... That never happens!"
"I don't know what you're talking about," said Mikri, a little puzzled.
"But that's the truth. If you trace the principal leylines of the Meridian, you'll see that they all intersect along a curved line, before splitting in half alongside the Darksteel mountain range. Then, from there, the two sister leylines split back into the main ones, circle the planet and return to the Rift. Ah, and there is one more leyline that intersects the middle of the Rift - that one circles the planet around a different axis. It crosses the others in many other points as well..."
El'iaja looked at her as she explained the stuff she had learned in University and across her years at the Other Side of the World. "Mmm... It makes more sense, yeah." He smiled at her. "Thank you for taking your time explaining this to me... I think I half-got it why this place is so important. I'm sure Alh'igri has a reason for wanting to see it." "Hey, don't worry about it, just add a few silver pieces to your payment, haha!" She smiled back at him. "All my explaining can take out some of that sense of wonder out of people. In the end though, it won't matter that much. Once you witness it for yourselves..." Mikri's voice trailed off. "...you'll be left speechless."
The two of them succumbed into silence after that. The embers of the campfire turned to dust as night gave way for the morning rays. Soon, it would be time to pack and go.
"I'm serious about the money, though. And we agreed you'll pay me each morning for a day's worth."
Sit down, my friend, and let me tell you of Aran'sha . A world where the sands shift and the stars sing, where the wind carries secrets and the twin moons keep silent vigil over it all.