A Fantasy of Distraction (standard:science fiction, 0 words)
Author: Aruzio Calkar	Added: Jun 06 2001	Views/Reads: 3266/2164	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
One man's fantasy can be another's reality

A Fantasy of Distraction By: Aruzio Calkar 

There is a force that lies just beneath the surface. Most only see the
result of it's existance but some are born to live by it, to caress it 
to their will. It pulses with euphonic pleasure. If you managed to 
touch it, you could understand what it was. Yes I still remember the 
day I was finally able to caress and manipulate it. Once I had a hold I 
could not never let go. It has intoxicated me ever since. After that 
day my life changed forever. 

My name is Irosam I am what is called a Sordanshe. My people believe
they have always had their niche in the way of things and our way of 
life never changes. It was never easy being Sordanshe. We were to work 
the mines of Hama'Sharan, the great mountain that provided us home and 
business. The mines produced a crystal unlike any other material known. 
It's unique properties made it very valuable. Humans had always traded 
for whatever amount of the crystal we could mine. They had a paticular 
need for the crystal. We would call these crystals magic but they would 
call them fuel. But we are a simple people and would call the machines 
these crystals powered magical as well. What gave the crystal it's 
magic was not the mountain itself but what flowed from within the 
mountain. The headwaters of the Excerenere started here and this 
substance was the real birth of all magic. This was the Sordanshe's 
secret but no one would listen even if we wanted to share that secret. 
Humans thought of my people as dreg uneducated scum. We were just 
peasants that they traded with only cause they couldn't mine the 
crystals themselves. Because you see to everyone besides ourselves the 
Excernere was toxic. It gave us life, it gave others death. 

Our city was built on a plateau high upon the mountain. There is only
one way to and from the city and that is by air. Of course my people 
can not fly but the humans can, atleast with their machines. Every day 
more of their balloon ships would fly into the city. They had a flare 
for color and it showed and everything they had. The ships were a 
patchwork of gaudy color. Their clothes were of the finest material and 
only of bright colors. Perhaps this is what they hated most about us. 
We wear little clothing and have nothing of much color. 

My people live within our city Cue Haman. The city was older than the
Sordanshe, probably built in an age long forgotten. It is a great 
contrast to the inclimate desert that surrounds the mountains. An oasis 
of sorts with a cool, wet climate supporting the life that the desert 
casts out. The nearest human city ,Temashan, could be seen from atop 
the high vista that Cue Haman provided but it was actually a very long 
trip between them. You could ride by horse for weeks before reaching 
one or the other. But that would not matter because no living being 
could make the trip across the desert that lied between them. Nothing 
lived there or could if it wanted to. Or atleast that's what was said 
because no one had ever gone into the desert and came back. 

Sordanshe men have short lifespans because of working in the mines from
an early age and the work is grueling. So my father was dead shortly 
after I was old enough to work. I supported my mother working the mines 
and trading with the humans. That day and everyday since have been 
embedded my head and all before are merely a haze. I was in the great 
tent market trying to sell my load of crystal to one of the many 
merchants that seemed to sprout out of the desert's air every hour to 
land upon the mountain city. The market consisted of rolls of tents 
along a dirt path that ran from the mines that carried the only item 
traded in the market. There wasn't really a need for anything else 
because the crystal could buy you anything and was the real currency 
that flowed between Cue Haman and Temashan. 

I had recognized this merchant as one that made regular monthly
appearances named Kidan. He wasn't very different from the rest of his 
kind, a number of gold necklaces hung over his bright blue shirt. A 
thin braided beard ran from his chin down to his waist where his 
spotless white trousers were held up by a belt that was of every color 
of the rainbow. The sword at his side looked as if it had never been 
used and was for mere decoration. His fingers were the most highly 
decorated part of his body. I imagined Humans as having strong 
shoulders because of having to lift their heavy hands all day. 

"I could care less that the rest of you filthy rockhoppers are trying to
gouge me too." The pompous merchant's voice cut through the air like a 


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