Journey to the End Part 1

 Journey to the End

Elenia awoke. It was the day. The day she would leave on her journey. She looked at the time. 7.30. There was plenty of time to prepare.

 

…

 

“Morning, Elenia!” her mother said as she came out for breakfast.

 

“Morning, mother,” she said, formally.

 

“I’m going to miss you.”

 

…

 

The Journey usually started at midday. The reasons it would start at a different time mainly related to the weather.

 

“Elenia Caliandre Xanate Lana Pallandre is ready to undergo the journey all of us have started out on at her age,” the councilor said. “Learning of the world beyond the City. She’ll be away a year, leaning about it, and then bringing back the information.”

 

Elenia stepped forward with a smile. “Time to go,” she said, as she turned towards the gate.

 

 

The gate was at the eastern edge of the city, and had been built millennia before. The city had expanded to the north, south and west along the various valleys around the origin point.

 

Elenia walked along the paved path that lead from the gate, through the wild forest that grew on either side. She could hear the River, flowing on her right, to the south.

 

Fifteen minutes after passing through the gate, she came to the first of the Milestones.

 

First stone said; First Stop Tavern 25 kilometres.

 

That was the first stop, where Travellers stayed for the night.

 

She then saw the next stone. In the Beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth.

 

That she knew, that there was a Creator and that Humanity had rebelled, but not much more.

 

She thought on that as she continued walking.

 

 

Towards noon she met a person who was returning to the City.

 

“Greetings,” the person said. “Your eyes will be opened.”

 

That was a usual greeting one would say on the return stretch between the Tavern and the City. It was the Tavern that was the actual gateway to the world beyond the city. “Thank you, one who is returning,” she said.

 

The person chuckled and continued on their way back to the City.

 

‘Of course it will be opened,’ Elenia thought.

 

 

As she continued towards the Tavern she wrote down the inscriptions on the various stones as she passed them.

 

 

She found that they were mostly the first passage of the Book of Creation, which was something she hadn’t really thought about for a while. ‘I guess they want us to think about that as we go on our journey,’ she thought as she finally saw the Tavern shortly before sunset. It was a sprawling building with multiple stories. It was obvious that many of the wings had been added over time.

 

 

She walked into the Tavern several minutes later. Someone welcomed her at the door.

 

“Welcome traveler. If you go to the front desk, we’ll get you settled for the night.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

 

“Welcome, Elenia. The City has sent the relevant information ahead by radio as is usual,” the assistant said as he gave her a piece of paper. “Just sign here.”

 

“There’s obviously more people here than just the City,” Elenia commented as she signed.

 

“I’m sure you know that not everyone returns from their Journey.”

 

“It’s not possible to not know that.”

 

“You will see when you come down to the Common Room that there is a lot to the world that the City doesn’t teach you. That most of Humanity is outside of it.”

 

 

Elenia thought about it as she went to her room on the second floor. ‘Most of Humanity outside the City.’ She wasn’t sure what to make of that. ‘Maybe more people stayed away after their Journey’s than I thought.’

 

She found the room easily and quickly unpacked. “Here I am, at the first stop. It’s not what I expected.”

 

 

Elenia entered the Common Room and saw a diverse crowd of people. ‘A wide spectrum of humanity,’ she thought. Although the City’s population was mostly mixed, sometimes the extremes of phenotypic gene expression would rear themselves. She herself was a lot more pale than average, with hair of a rare yellowish hue. She looked around and saw that although there were other pale people there, their hair was mostly brown. She shrugged and went to the bar.

 

“From the north, are you?” the barmaid asked.

 

“No, I’m from the City, on my Journey.”

 

“Ah. Now I’ve got you. It’s rare that the City throws out those who look like they come from the north.”

 

“Right,” Elenia said. “I’d like a fruit juice.”

 

“Or a light mead? You are of age.”

 

“A small amount of light mead.”

 

“Sure,” the barmaid said.

 

 

Elenia went to find a seat. She overheard various other patrons talking about trade levels and weather conditions. She sat and then took out her tablet as she carefully sipped the mead. It had a slightly tangy flavour she didn’t expect. ‘Some additive or other,’ she thought as the tablet easily connected to the Tavern’s wireless network.

 

 

City Traveler on their Journey recognized. Welcome to the First Stop Tavern, Elenia

From here you’re on your own. Use your time at the Tavern wisely. Beyond the Tavern the world is unpredictable and the information at the Tavern may be outdated before you leave tomorrow morning, or whenever you choose to leave.

 

‘I knew that,’ Elenia thought. ‘But I’ll get some hints from here.’

 

Maps. Warning. Map data is relatively up to date for the Continent, but those of the island groups in the seas and oceans and of other continents are certainly out of date.

 

Elenia thought about that. ‘I guess I have to talk to people as I go, but that was what I thought would be the case.’ She picked on the maps page. She saw maps of the area around the Tavern, and a slightly zoomed out map of the City and the Tavern together at the top of the page. She started scrolling and saw increasingly zoomed out maps, until there was a map of the entire Continent at the bottom of the page. ‘This is going to take some time,’ she thought. ‘It would be better to talk to people about where they’re from and their travels.

 

 

“You’re on your Journey from the City?” The young lady answered.

 

“Yes,” Elenia answered.

 

“I’ve seen many such travelers. They were all different.”

 

“You probably haven’t seen them on their first night out.”

 

“Only one or two,” the young lady said. “What’s your name?”

 

“Elenia.”

 

“I’m Valeria. I’m from a place not too far to the north.”

 

“I see.”

 

“You have been looking at the maps?”

 

“I have been,” Elenia answered.

 

“There is more to the various places than what the maps show.”

 

“I know that, but they are a good start.”