The Planet Nrutas
[The Lyrist and the Princess]
Advance: this is a very strange planet indeed, it is just outside our solar system, beyond it, that is, beyond even the planet known as Moiromma, and Ice Cap–(an Asteroid planet) and beyond Cilara: going towards the planet SSARG, but not quite that distance. Nrutas is ruled by an Archking named Htadd–but I will get to that later, first I want to make sure you know the makeup of this area: before I get into describing the planet that is, here is a poem to acclimate you into the right mood for the story:
The Great Tentacles
[Of Planet Nrutas’ Giant Squid]
Death reeks in the green sea waters;
Deep in her darkness the creature creeps
With squid foam and eyes that never sleep.
In Nrutas’ Volcano.
The mighty monster has eyes, eyes like snakes
In her watery graveyard she grips the spine
With her mighty tentacles from all she finds.
In Nrutas’ Volcano.
The planet is larger than the planet Jupiter, and with light-rings double the width of the rings that circle the planet Saturn. It is most likely a newer planet because the rings have not darkened with the decay of time. Within these rings resides a mini solar system onto itself, where asteroids and meteorites circle within the rings; particles made up of ice, iron and rock, most of them without gravity, others with little gravity but not much to speak of: circling the rings, of which there are very few in this category, and the exception within these rings is Nrutas Minor, with excessive gravity.
Within these light rings, there are more than a thousand of these large island like stones, or asteroids, some even looking like comets, or planetoids. Of these thousand-or so, they range between six-miles in circumference to one hundred miles. N-Minor [Nrutas Minor], is one of those with a circumference of one hundred miles, and perhaps a ting larger. N-Minor is on the edge of the rings–the last part of the rings, looking at times more like a comet than a rounded asteroid. This large Asteroid–moon type planet, has a history, and we shall now look at it.
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The Asteroid N-Minor has a very powerful gravity belt–if you will, almost to a suction point once an element enters its atmosphere, and should it be strong enough to do so, without being eliminated beforehand from all the debris that circulates within the rings of the Greater Planet, it would never be able to duplicate it again by leaving. Here on this strange and almost magical planet, resides Archking Htadd, along with the inhabitants of some 200,000-Nrutaslits. No spacecraft from any planet has ever been able to penetrate the rings to invade this ghostly asteroid planet, although it is well known to some of the planets in the nearby solar system–and thereabouts.
They are also–the inhabitants that is, that live on this asteroid –a strange looking breed indeed; let me describe the king, for he is a good example of the population:
he has long ears, similar to a dogs, which flop over the sides of his face; deeply implanted eyes, and a nose that has a long slope to it, leading downward from the top center along side of his eyebrows to an inch before his mouth: a drooping looking face at that, which is common among this species. He has very little of a forehead, if any at all. A few whiskers along the sides of his nose, like a cat you might say, for they do not shave. Thus, his mouth comes outward like the rounded part of a horseshoe, thin and similar to dogs, but not too far extended out. He has a narrow face, that is because of his sunken in cheekbones and his chin seems to pull the rest of his face down, getting that droopy look. Must I say more, it is not a pleasing sight if you are used to humanoids, but one gets acclimated, as so many have even to the conjured up looks of the devil no less.
Geography
It has, the asteroid planet that is, has for some odd reason, a very rich soil and a warm climate; a jewel in the universe you might say, like Earth almost, but even more so. It has several streams, with one great river. It has snow capped towering peaks along with yellowish full fields of grain in the Vale of Htadd, which gives endless supplies of food to its inhabitants; always perfect weather. Furthermore, it has a whitish canopy of moisture over its global atmosphere, whereto the temperatures are kept balanced year round. It has meadows, with its shepherds who care for them, and luscious terraces of grapes, overlapping the hill sides: yellow, and purple and green grapes, which make for the best crown wine in the galaxy; and many islands within the lakes (tiny as they may be) surround the Archkingdom of Htadd.
[Commerce] The imperial kingdom receives tapestry, and marble from the lords of the lands, and its capital has a multitude of fountains and obelisks of towering heights, capped with ivory. It is a most wondrous place in the universe, and King Htadd III, who has lost his wife of old age, after 432-years of marriage is, (the king being over 500-years old, and it is common to live on this planet up to and beyond 600-years) is now looking for a new queen.
Although the king and his cohorts do communicate on very limited bases through the apparatus of the obelisks, which transmit airwaves to other planets, it has never been attempted (as previously mentioned) that a spacecraft should enter and land on this asteroid planet. And because of the nature of things, Archking Htadd has never attempted to build such a craft, and thus, creating a paradise, like his father, and his father’s father with the tax monies he collects, and maintaining it has been their main goal, and duty, as they see it for its people.
The New Archprincess Moir
Castle at Nrutas
Therefore it was in the year of 16,501 Nrs [Nrutas: time and dates] that the Princess Moir arrived from the planet Moiromma, with her cousin to the Archastroidplanet Nrutas, her cousin being Posei, a wondering minstrel and bard of his day.
She was to be the gift for the king. How they ascended into their presence was liken to a phoenix flying after death–equated to a ghost or shadow whizzing its way through the universe and appearing out of nowhere. They were both killed as is the tradition of Moirommalit’s; when they want to escape a situation; thus, once killed, then reborn (or restarted) on another planet. In most cases no one knows what planet, but it can be adjusted if there is an adjuster to do so. And in these early years of living beings on Moiromma, there was such a process of regeneration of tissue substance, rejuvenation so it was called, if you will. For the Moirommalit’s, the body was simple a shell, like a veil covering what could be taken off, if done properly. And in the process, the soul, the character of the being could be transferred through space without time, or the barriers of time restructured with the soul. And this was really the only way to enter this notorious danger zone, to get to Nrutas, and once achieved, there was no turning back; for there was no way back accept death.
Thus, they both appeared in the cradle of the empire of Htadd, these two companions from almost birth who counseled one another during life’s trials and tribulations and walked side by side almost everyplace they went, as friends and sidekicks, both were now on an exclusive asteroid island of sorts on the edge of a solar system. They had a profound love for one another, an unconditional love one might include.
Paradise
Lo! At this end, they were separated; Posei was given lands by the king, lands in the southern part of Nrutas, where the flowers grew to enormous sizes and shepherds grazed their sheep in the meadows, and the tropical sun rays reflected through the white-pale belts that circled Nrutas. Still, there seemed always to be a cool breeze for the inhabitants of this valley region on Nrutas, as if it caught the whiz of the planet itself: as if it melted through its gravity belt. Yet, still from the mountains that surround the valley, came the blessings of cool, clear and fresh waters from the ice caps.
The wedding of the King and Princess Moir was grand to say the least, and the news of it spread around the asteroid to every crook and creek, soldier and merchant on it; to every inhabitant–to everyone everywhere. It was a global celebration, all except for Posei, and in the heart of Princess Moir, yes; indeed, her heart was in apprehensive state, a bewildered coma you might say.
Nonetheless, a great jubilee took place this day, with apple-blossoms and wines from the kingdom, and countryside. Hence, they lived in the Great Citadel in the center of the Great City of Htadd, which carried the name of the king. This brought life and refreshment back to the city divine, the one they worshiped to its end; the city kingdom with its endless corridors and marble engulfed foundations.
The Lyrist and the Agony
Several years had passed, whereupon the great king of Nrutas invited the minstrel Posei, who now was known throughout all the lands as the greatest lyrist of all time, invited I say, to his 7th Anniversary banquet.
The King of Nrutas
Upon his arrival there at the kingdom, the king sat with his gold and purple robs, the splendor of the Acropolis and its plaza, all were entwined within the king, he was nonpareil.
As Posei played his lyre and sang, it was like rain drops falling on a thirsty man’s lips, all wanted more and more, but Posei could not stop his staring upon the lovely princess Mori, his strange loss. The signs of unhappiness were on his face likewise, placid as it was; dark seas filled his eyes, longing to recapture her. Their souls seemed to be melting back together again, as the music played, the king ate, listened to the music and conversations of all who wanted his attention and in the process, in the course of these events, misplaced the convoluted, intricate moments of the princess, his wife and the lyrist who was showing–by stretching out with their eyes to his wife–they wanted to reunite; the lyrist eyes dissolving into his wife’s eyes. Oh, we cannot begrudge the king, for he did not know the end result, or for that matter, the background of these two unseparable souls, souls that were united long ago, at childhood. Had he known, had he even an inkling, he would not had married her, but so often to please another we give away another ones heart, and for the sake of an alliance the marriage as we all know did take place, for better or worse; and at the moment it was not for the better. And it might be fair to say, this was an awakening for the two at large, for both the Princess and the Lyrist, for they, yes, oh yes indeed, they themselves could no longer hold at bay their love for one another, nor deal with another impending separation: this would be to much, way to much to endure.
Yes, yes without a doubt, both showed the unhappy emptiness of a loss now found and afraid at present to let it drift or go–, go away like it did once before. Posei’s eyes sunk like the flames of a golden horizon, his legs even weakened. They both felt their limbs wanting to reach out and hold one another.
He played the song, a very short song of the Nrutas’ legendary giant squib that lived in the deep waters of the Great Volcano, in the valley region where the shepherds lived (and now you shall see he words((to hum, read or sing)):
Nrutas Squib
Ebbing in the semi-tropic placid waters,
Within the yawning and ash filled deep,
Within the volcanoes sub-marine lives:
The giant squid; here he resides within
And waits for his victims, the scorned–;
Thus, one dark archasteroid-mystery!…
Beyond the fine tapestry and the drunkenness of the banquet the king did not see nor guess the winter weaving of a loss to be, for the lover, the lover Posei who had now forgotten the seven years of loneliness, and wanderings in the pastures, plains and valleys and the rolling hills where he was sent, and where he dreamt day and night, night and day of his reunion with his long lost soul mate. Her beauty and love came back to him, especially those dark strange enchanting eyes, now but a short distance away; and her realms of bronze skin. Her advise, and comments and everyday whispers and wishes, were all stuck deep inside his chest now, congesting him; there was no big moments in their lives, just a whole lot of little ones that froze each other’s hearts, and when separated they melted, and now again, now again they were being frozen.
Furthermore, Moir, in a whisper to her soul murmured in a lull,
‘My love in a single day has captured my heart back, captured me beyond fear of death or pain; he has filled my bleak life, filled me with completeness.’
Thus, she felt no longer alone, life was fresh, vibrant.
As the festivities went on, they both, Posei and Mori, ran off and submerged themselves in the deepest part of the woods, leaving the city and all its glory; Posei holding onto her one hand and his other hand onto his lyre. They ran and ran and they ran, until they couldn’t run anymore; laughing and smiling, and her dress waving in the wind and her hair waving with her dress. The lost love within them was rebuild within the running against the wind.
In the process of their running, they had also captured a ride from a farmer, and now he had stopped, stopped after the long ride; days later they found themselves in the Valley of the Shepherds not even remembering how they got there, where nearby was the Great Volcano of the Squid, it was at that instant that they both sat quietly against a big cedar tree, just outside the Great Cedar Forest.
Said Posei–as Mori, laid her head against his left arm, on his cotton white shirt, her holding him tightly as if never to let him go. He said in, in a most soft mellow tone:
“The end will be just only if we never part again.” Having said that, they embraced once more and she whispered,
“There is more fear of life without you, than death, and so we shall die together, if need be, should anyone try to pull us apart.”
She further said, eye to eye, mouth to mouth, and body to body:
“You who sing of lover’s lost, sing now of dreams that never will die,” and so he did, he played his lyre until the twilight fell over their heads; hence, they had not eaten a thing, but were not hungry for some reason. And they kissed: it was like unseen electrical currents shifting about their bodies; the hearts of both pumping two-hundred beats a minute, the beauty of love had filled them full, like a magical veil that could cover the earth, with a canopy of star-dust sprinkled over it.
The Volcano
It was the following morning they had both awoken to the sound of bushes and horse hoofs thumping underneath the ground, or so it sounded–echoed. They awoke, looked at one another, looked at the volcano and jumped up, embraced, and ran off to the volcano. Once they got to the rim of it, looking down into the lake, in the center of the deep volcano, they knew what lay beneath its waters. As they turned about, looked down the volcano, they could see the king’s men approaching, and the king himself.
As the king looked up towards them he saw the two melted together, he knew now beyond all reason, beyond all doubt, beyond the everlasting stars that resided above him, they had fallen in love, but it was his wife he proclaimed to his soldiers, and without a further thought he ordered them to climb the volcano, even if she and he jumped into the deadly deep, for if he could not have her, no one could.
Sometimes it is not what is right or what is wrong, it is just what is, and to the king, there was no retreat, and to Posei and Mori, there was no life without one another: no retreat, and no ground for either party to negotiate: such a crime, such a loss, but justice perhaps for all; and so she tied her left ankle to his right with her headscarf and they both jumped into the volcano, and sank to its depth, and were never heard of again.
The Monster of the Deep
By and by the king would–on the anniversary date of his lost love, his consort–climb the volcano and look down upon its deadly aquatic, its macabre waters, its eldritch eyes pruned with ghostly gray, his heart filled with sorrow, not for killing her, but for not being able to posses her; he did lover her you know. And the monster of the deep would rise to just within a foot of it surface–just a foot no more, resting its iris on the silk glow of the tearful wet, all but emerging, the king could only see those huge glossy, obtrusive eyes staring up at him, up at the king, once every year of his life, those eyes, those apathetic eyes, staring out of the green-mucky waters at him, his giant eyes with tentacles as long as a python’s reach–that must had tangled the two lovers and squeezed them to death–breathless.
It was as if he was waiting, the giant squid was waiting for the king to jump in the water, to join his lost love, to jump in the water and give up his life, to sacrifice himself for a dramatic ending to his aching heart–but the king could not, would not accommodate the monster, who seemed to imply, with a simple smile, a jeer perhaps, just that–.
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