Angle-Sea offers gifts in many forms - story six
Kriliah and Crox are part of a crowd that receive a gift which makes Kriliah wonder if maybe the key they are looking for is not an actual, physical key but a symbolic one.
Welcome fellow Road Trippers to a tiny dimension of escapism and fancy. Today we visit the island of Angle-Sea in the Sea of Berkberry.
This armchair road trip is like no other. Our uncrewed airborne people carrier (UAPC) affectionately known as Drewp, offers top of the range comfort whilst it silently cruises the pink skies above our fantasy world, giving us front row seats to the unfolding story.
Welcome onboard. Get settled in your preferred seat on Drewp. As we take off, relax and let the real world fade away. This is a place where anything can happen and flights of fancy are encouraged! Meet me in the comments to share your experiences of this leg of the trip.
Angle-Sea was voted as the next adventure, You can see where this is on the larger map at the bottom of this letter.
“The Drifting Expanse we live on has evolved over millennia to embrace a multitude of living, conscious beings and we’ve claimed any number of inhospitable landscapes as places to settle. Yet, we all know that the physical bedrock of this world shifts and transforms all the time, saturating the very air we breathe with a sense of impermanence and upheaval. Some of our communities experience these shifts daily, others less often. But we could all say that we’ve seen our physical world rearranged more than once. Yes?”
There is a hush from the assembled crowd.
“Come on, can I get a Yes!?”
The crowd of beings of Angle-Sea locals and visitors onboard the floating platform in the Aurelian Ring arena send back a resounding wave of yesses.
“Most beings of this world have adapted to live with these shifts, becoming less concerned when they happen. But that’s not to say that we aren’t still unsettled by them. So, what’s the key to creating safe havens within ourselves in this broader landscape of physical unsettledness?”
Angle-Sea’s City Manager, Galenaes Solod pauses to unveil a towering dolos1 monument, plated in pinkish Orichalcum2 and emitting a sparkling magenta ethereal light which matches the midday sky of The Drifting Expanse.
“For centuries, these dolosse have physically protected this small community of Angle-Sea from the ever encroaching Sea of Berkberry surrounding us. This monument will be a reminder that we are protected as a community. But the council also wants each of you to know that you are protected personally, regardless of whether our physical world is stable or not. Our gift to each of you today, here in this arena and in the entire community of Angle-Sea, is a small amulet to remind you that you can always access a safe haven of dolos inside you, wherever you are.”
Each being in the crowd, including Kriliah and Crox, suddenly finds themselves holding a pulsating and sparkling mini-version of the dolos monument. Knowing that they were getting nowhere with Kriliah’s so called training, Crox had decided a few days ago that a visit to Angle-Sea would be beneficial for him and Kriliah3. Jalisse and The Trekkers had stayed in Frubble Frontier to chill out even more.
Kriliah actually appreciates the gift. As they wrap it in the soft, mossy green scrap of fabric (one of the widgets collected from Hexton), they have a blinding flash of hyper awareness. Maybe the key they are looking for is not an actual, physical key but a symbolic one. They groan to themselves “For Thandi’s sake!4 That makes this quest even harder.”
Decide what happens next
Now that Kriliah knows that the key could be symbolic, the quest becomes more complex for them and the Company. What could happen in the next episode?
Have a look at the two options below:
Vote in the poll to let me know which map of the two maps you’d like to see in the next story
Look at the two maps below. What at the first words that come to mind?
Leave a few words in the comments
I may choose one of your words for the story (and give you credit for it)
Option One - The Flower Island of the Emerald Sea
Option Two - L’abre de vie community
Vote ➡️
Update your map
If you’ve downloaded and printed the free map for this make believe road trip, you can update it with the position of the Angle-Sea.
What else do you notice about the map this week? I’d love to know what you spot - leave me a comment.
Other stories in this series
Head to the Index Page for all the stories so far. Most of these stories will be micro fiction, so I’ll be attempting to keep them under 500 words if I can. This one is 433 words.
Well, that’s it questers! Set a date for next Tuesday for your next trip on Dwerp for episode seven. I can’t wait to see which map you’ll choose!
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The stories behind the story
Want to find out some of the reasons why Crox and Kriliah ended up in Angle-Sea and explore more of the details of this story? I have a world building index available to paid subscribers. If you’d like to delve deeper into the stories behind the story, why not upgrade your subscription? I have a 10% off offer valid until the end of October.
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