More from the story

A note to the reader: This is in its first and unrevised form and the story may change and evolve as it is written. It is also likely that there are spelling, grammatical, and other errors. Be that as it may I hope that it is at least mildly entertaining.

Dust sprang to life beneath the feet of James Adden. The narrow path along the canyon wall flowed smoothly and swiftly behind as his steady legs carried him above it all. The drop revealing the canyon stretched out below just inches to the right. To him it was the freedom of flight to run along the path that descended to the canyon's waters below. James flew over the large rocks and gravel as if carried on the wind. With his arms spread wide for balance his feet nimbly navigated the rough terrain.

As was his custom James paused about half way down at an outcropping that gave a view of the canyon that stretched for mials in both directions. Here, gazing at the river valley carved out from mountains, he remembered how all the artists' renditions of the Preserve truly paled and faded in view of seeing reality. The artists could show what it looked like on any given day but could never capture the feeling of standing in the air above it all. He felt connected here; connected to everything but completely free.

Rocks black but for a tint of red, stood like stately pillars above and below, a natural foundation holding up the mesa upon which the capital Delvar, called The Great City, was built. On both sides of the distant river 1500 lengths below were the forest flats. From his vantage above, it appeared to be a green carpet framing the twists and turns of the blue waters that snaked their way down to the sea hundreds of mials away. The sheer stone walls opposite James rose up from the forest carpet below to a height several hundred lengths higher than the mesa rim behind him. This wall did not flatten into a mesa but tapered slightly back into magnificent jagged peaks. Gaps, wide and narrow, marked where streams tumbled down in waterfalls between the arms of the great mountains. The dark stains running down the wall between the peaks indicated where small streams began their trickle down to the canyon during the rainy season. It was believed that over time the waters flowing in and to the Delvar River had carved the mesa away from the mountains.

The city above was the largest on the continent and consequently the center of commerce, industry, and scientific research of The Republic. James' immediate family was mainly involved in the scientific research done in the city. His father Richard and two younger sisters were in the study of the physical elements. His father was the city's Master of Fields, one of his sisters, 16 year old Jolla, studied in his school at apprentice level. His other sister, Kenna who was 20, was favored student to the Master of Stars and head of sample research. The newest samples from one of the other planets of their star had everyone in their school excited. Kenna had gone on about the latest discovery of what might be microorganisms and the "heat tests", what ever they were, for about an hour before James felt like he was covered in tiny alien creatures. As his father had heaped repeated praises on Kenna's contributions to the Prime Sciences, James had felt more and more like a delinquent child.

Rather than studying one of the Prime Sciences James had chosen the study of the Ancients and History, two of the lesser sciences in the School of Antiquities. He was an on-call appointee at the school of History. So far in his short career he had discovered several errors in previous translations that lead to better understanding of the ancient texts. But the school of History had very limited avenues for advancement and being an appointee at age 23 didn't allow him the kind income to free himself from the smothering confines of the city.

What made it all harder to bare was the fact that what accomplishments James did have were dwarfed by the rest of his family—even his extended family—save his youngest sister who had "astonishing potential" according to his father. His more distant relatives were involved in politics. His uncles and aunts held positions in the Head Council or seats in the Court of the Great Republic. There was always important business swirling around, pressing in.

To take his mind off of his monotonous, pressurized life James spent several hours a week studying at several of the assemblies of the Faith. The quiet, spiritual atmosphere there seemed to help him relax. He had also begun studying at a self-defense school. So far he had only learned the first and second set of basic blocks and attacks for hands and feet and the first three forms for the staff. It took 2 about hours every other day. But the off days when he wasn’t at the assemblies left him open again to the pressure of being in an overachieving family. That's what brought him here on these days. There was no pressure between the canyon walls; only the freedom of air and flowing water.