The Discovery of Aegaeon Isles

It was the eve of the Celebration of Merchants. The Celebration of Merchants is an annual holiday and festival shared between the villagers of Mizuka Island, Nu-Nu Shores, and Aomi Bay. The celebration since its inception has been held at the central boat market on the Yonara Sea. The Celebration of Merchants was founded over a century ago to commemorate the Zuka-Nu-Bay Mercantile Treaty, which ended the longtime trade wars between the merchants of Mizuka Island, Nu-Nu Shores, and Aomi Bay. The grandiosity of the festivities proliferated year after year, making the once-one-day festival into a weeklong celebration leading up to the grand cessation. The eve before the Celebration of Merchants was the most vibrant and high-spirited day, as everyone, especially the children, boiled over with joy, excitement, and hilarity in anticipation of the final festival of the celebration.

Masego and her friends Hibo and Hadiza were on the bank of Mizuka Island walking along the winding grit passageway that led to the town center. Masego, Hibo, and Hadiza were going to the town center to watch the folklore mercantile live enactments, which were going on at all three town centers in preparation for the last festival. The folklore thespian artists of Mizuka Island, Nu-Nu Shores, and Aomi Bay would come together for the final stanza followed by fireworks, lively music, and even livelier dancing. Masego, Hibo, and Hadiza arrived at the town center and sat down amongst the rest of the townspeople who had gathered to watch the show. As they sat watching the performance Hibo, Hadiza, and Masego were instantly mesmerized as they adored street theatre. After the performance, the girls followed their noses to a hot grains cart filled with sweet pastries, soft crunchy bread, freshly churned butter, sweet syrups, spicy jams, and tangy preserve spreads.

As they were walking back home with their yeasty goodies in tow, the sun began to recede and a soft cast dimmed the sky, the lantern lights danced across the sea and glittered against the rickety wooden oar shuttle boats. The shuttle boat attendee called for the last borders as he undid the dock hitch. "Come on let's take a boat ride home" Hibo suggested as she pulled Hadiza and Masego along. As they stepped onto the boat, they were greeted by the attendee, Abdi, and three lads, Chima, Diallo, and Nnamdi. Just as the girls were getting settled in their seats the attendee maneuvered the oar downward, pushed offshore, and then the boat began to glide across the calm opaque waters. As they were sailing Masego overheard the three boys talking about a sacred and lost mercenary treasure known as Gugulethu, which translated to our treasure. The story of Gugulethu had survived for over a millennium; for centuries merchants cajoled by the story and promises of treasures untold, voyaged to seek out the treasure, but no one had ever found it.

Just as the shuttle boat was nearing the next dock a billowing wave surged through the waters and capsized the shuttle boat. The shuttle boat attendee, Abdi, thrashed atop the waters to stay afloat, but Masego, Hibo, Hadiza, Chima, Diallo, and Nnamdi all sunk to the bottom of the sea unable to pull themselves away from the incessant current. As they drifted further and further down an undercurrent riptide threw them off course and sent them barreling through an ancient seafaring. At first, darkness surrounded them, and it was hard to breathe, but then a floating light appeared and revealed to them the space they stood within, and in an instant all the children were overtaken by beauty so everlasting that it calmed their spirits and filled their lungs. The bobbing light came to a resting place and the beauty of the space was reflected therein the light. Slowly the children approached the light, which now appeared more like a reflective circular glass globe. Unable to mutter a single word the children looked at one another in bewilderment as they signed and gestured to each other trying to make sense out of their current predicament.

Nnamdi motioned towards the reflective circular glass globe. Nnamdi with a cautious outstretched finger touched the globe and on contact his finger perforated the globe and an all-consuming bright light burst forth. Masego being the closest attempted to free Nnamdi from the grasp of the globe but accidentally touched the globe herself. At the touch of Masego's hand, a myriad of colors burst through the globe. The surge of color and light formed into a massive nautical cyclone current, and each child was sent through a blinding colorful water channel to a new world.

~ To Be Continued