27 July 2012
The two suns had set, diving behind the cover of Gemaak Van Goud, the mountain that cast a shadow on Stad van Goud. The two suns would disappear below the mountain and would not return for another two days. The nights were long and cold and dangerous, this is when the Nagtelike came out. They were predators. The people of 'Stad van Goud their prey. The elders of 'Goud lead their people in the chant. A chant passed down through the generations. The chant had been recited every three days before the twin suns disappear without fail and it always worked. The twins born again.
The Elder held up his staff, pointing it to the mountain. The townspeople stood in regimented rows in front of him, separated by wealth, authority, skin colour and standing within the community. He began the chant. "gee ons u ons nagte sodat jy ons kan gee om jou dag". It was the language of the ancients, the meaning was lost even to the elders. Standing at the back of the masses, a sixteen year old boy struggled to keep a view of the festivities. He was short for his age. Short and skinny. Not one ounce of fat on him. He would call himself athletic and he was. A fine runner. As the legions in front of him began the sacred chant he joined in, half hearted. Zizu, the boy didn't know the words. He glanced around as he mouthed made up words to check if he was being watched. He was. His best friend Alez began to laugh. "I thought you would know the chant by now Ziiz" she called him that for short. "It's pointless, it's a dead language. No one knows what it means" he said, observing the chanters. "For all we know, we could be telling the twin suns to go away" "Don't be silly" said Alez, " why would we do that?". Zizu shook his head in disbelief. "Why should we chant or why do we chant something we don't really understand?" Zizu wasn't being serious but Alez took it as an attempt to mock her intelligence. The chants abruptly stopped. The elder still holding his staff, pointed at Gemaak Van Goud. The old man in cloth rags was expecting a reply from the soil and rock. The mountain did not reply. It was dead and had been since the origins of the chant. Silence fell upon the townsfolk. Alez and Zizu followed the actions of those surrounding them. "There has to be more to life than standing here for hours waiting for an inanimate piece of the ground we stand on to speak" Zizu forgot his place. This was blasphemy. His words could be heard by all around him. They travelled all the way forward to the elder. He sharply turned and changed the direction of his staff. "You boy, you dare mock Gemaak Van Goud" shouted the elder, his voice full of rage and anger. The crowd split, leaving a clear sight between Zizu and the elder. The elders staff pointed directly at the boy.
The Curse Of Gemaak Van Goud. : Part 1 • Opuss № I