ROOTH
from rough to smooth By Mariza Tsakona
Chapter 01 The attack
Chapter 02 The journey
Chapter 03 The ambition
06. Irsay
16. Forest B 28. Clean Clouds 34. Ukreyt 38. Esa Nepo
46. Ereceg 52. Domeerf mountain
01 The attack
Irsay
6
All start in black. Little Tifl suddenly opens his eyes. Tifl is a young dreaming and ambitious boy, a member of the Nemuh tribe and he lives in the Irsay area of planet Threa. He opens his eyes suddenly this morning and realizes that his house is in flames. The atmosphere is very heavy and breathtaking in Irsay as there is smoke and sparkles all around. Tifl stands up in panic, not having the sense of what happens all around him. With heavy steps, he crosses the corridor of his room, not realizing that he can’t take a clean and deep breath. He goes through demolished walls and goes out looking for his lost parents. The sight he sees freezes his steps. Irsay has been attacked by huge dragon like mon-
sters. They throw sharp diamonds and destroy everything. Many butterflies are dead on the ground and the atmosphere is heavier and heavier making Tifl’s pulse increasing all the time. His pulse is the only thing he can hear clearly in this chaotic situation‌All people of Namuh tribe run in panic. Tifl finds his parents close to his house and he realizes that his mother is alive only. His father is dead. He has now his own wings of a butterfly. The young boy feels lost, devastated and weak at the same time. Sometimes in life all you need to get power is a hug. The kid has the same feeling in this horrible situation all around him. 8
Tifl gives a tight hug to his mother and burst into tears till he calms down. Full of power, he takes his father wings, holds his mother hand and being ready to face the attack that disturbed his life, encourages all the survivors to leave the area.
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02 The journey
Forest B
16
The refugee tribe starts the journey having the feeling of failure, pessimism and sorrow. Over and above of what they have been through due to the monsters attack, some hours later, Nemuh have to face difficulties that come to block their way. The first difficulty is Regnuh, the meanest and the worst of all creatures. She is so tough and mean that she desires death. She follows all creatures passing by her till she absorbs all their power or till being ignored. One glance is good enough to suck the power of every creature and make them her own food. Not that she needs to eat but because she likes to torture those who try to confront her attack. Though, in case of no response by the victim she simply stops the effort.
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Even though the Namuh tribe is disturbed by Regnuh’s presence, they manage to ignore her and leave her far behind. The following days seems to be difficult, as well. This mean creature was an obstacle to Tifl and his tribe, as she has weaken them.
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The tribe spends the first night in Forest B. Forest B is a big area with high deciduous trees 10 hours away from Irsay on foot. This forest separates the area of Irsay from Ukreyt. The king of Forest B never leaves the forest and his throne. He is there to watch which tribes come to his area and what is the reason of their coming. Tifl and all the Namuhs spend the night in the forest B under the high trees that cover the sky. The young boy cannot sleep easily‌ He feels uneasy and he cannot forget all that happened till he arrived there. So, he decides to gather food as long as his mother and the rest of the tribe are asleep. As expected, he meets King Nede soon. The King wants to know why Tifl and his tribe are in Forest B.
“ What is the reason that you and your tribe are in a place like that?” King asks the young boy. “ We want simply to spend the night King. -We have a long trip ahead.” -And where do you want to go? “ I’m too young to know the world” Tifl answers. Taking a deep breath he says: “ I simply want a better life for me and my tribe, king. We want to go somewhere till everything go smooth in Irsay”
“Oh, the only thing I would like to do is to make this world rounded. Wouldn’t it be better?”
Tifl sighs.
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The king cast a glance at him, nods and with a hidden smile whispers : “Kid, our world started being sharp since the day of its creation. It cannot be rounded but it’s sharp aggles probably can be curved.. Take this map. The place you are looking for, is Mountain Domeerf. The wise man living there may help you.” The King chuck Tifl’s back and saying “Have a nice trip” ended their chat. This is what Tifl wants. He wants a rounded life in a rounded world, without sharp obstacles. Little Tifl, having his eyes opened and with the map in his hand, realizes that the new day has come. The tribe gets ready to start the journey, leaving Forest B behind. Their destination is now Mountain Domeerf. Tifl will find there the wise man.
This wise man, according to the Kings saying, can give answers to the boy regarding the way someone can make a rounded world. Tifl and his tribe start their trip having in hand the map showing the way. Nothing can stop them now.
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Clean Clouds
28
Leaving back the Forest B, Namuh begin their up way journey with hope. Not much time they start, they meet a wet climate and a huge cloud. According to the map, these clouds are the Clean Clouds. On these clouds there is a whole colony with buildings and culture, straggling incessantly to keep their clouds clean, without giving a damn in anything else than the absolute cleanliness. The huge amount of water coming from the inhabitants of the cloud, make the way difficult, as they cannot pass under it. This is the reason why the young boy decides to speak to these people and to ask them to stop cleaning for some time, as the water coming down do not allow them to pass.
Nobody listens to Tifl. They are in a very high place and these creatures are fully occupied by their work. Namuh realize that is almost impossible to go on because the ground they are standing ends up to a cliff. Not having any other option, they decide to climb above the cloud in order to go on walking.
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Ukreyt
34
The tribe crosses the Clean Clouds and reaches the end of the last cloud successfully. To their surprise, what they can see now, is a black hole. Tifl grubs his mother hand and with his heart biting, knows that this is inevitably the only way, jumps in the hole, leaving the clouds behind. They grounded on an underground tunnel named Ukreyt. The inhabitants in the tunnel seems strange. They are so friendly and so strangers! The place seems so known and unknown at the same time! Tifl and Namuh, all together cross the tunnel willing to reach the slight light strait a head. As they march, they watch the rocks, the stalagmites and stalactites. All the surrounding is looking alike Irsay. After a long walking and fatigue, they reach the end of the passage
and they are finally out in the light. Tifl sees something that makes him speechless. They look, altogether, a huge waterfall falling in front of their eyes. What happens now? They have to jump into the river or go back. Tifl does not want to go back. The route is not pleasant and Irsay has been destroyed. The situation they are facing now is not pleasant at all. There is a lot of fuss all around. Bugs, birds and other creatures are screaming all together , so that Tifl does not want to open his ears.. There is no way back, since the young boy has decided to chase his ambition till the end. He grubs his mother hand and they all jump from the tunnels edge.
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Esa Nepo
38
The tribe has landed. The strange thing though, is that Namuh landed not in the water nor on the ground. Before jumping in to the river, a giant fish swallows the whole tribe. They are in the belly of the fish, shocked and some of them are slightly injured. It is for sure that is not pleasant at all being in the stomach of a Giant fish. Tifl is astonished. He watches carefully everything around him. A “Hi” is heard from the rear. “Who’s there?” Tifl asks. The voice he heard is calm, sweet and seems harmless. “Hi! I am Pohe” answers the voice, and soon, a figure appears coming from the dark side of the belly. Tifl starts being enthusiastic with the presence of Pohe, in contrast with the other members of the tribe.
“Nice to meet you Pohe!” Says Tifl looking at her. “I am Tifl and all these people are the Namuh tribe. “You can come and join us if you want.” Pohe sits with the tribe and they inform her about everything had happened. Tifl speaks with her for a long time. Sometimes he seems to give a smile, some other time he gets melancholic and some other time he falls asleep on her shoulder. Time goes by, and the trip is becoming tiring. “Where do you want to go?” Pohe asks. “To the Domeerf mountain.” Tfl responses. “Do you know where it is?” He adds with his eyes opened. “We are very close.” She answers. “All this time we cross Esa Nepo river. I will help you to go out of this fish before it changes the route and make you stay in here forever.”
Tifl has a look at his map. The nearest point to the mountain is Ereceg. It is the only point the fish jumps out of water for one more time. “Are you coming with us?” Tifl asks Pohe. “No, I am not coming. I will stay here to help other people in the Giant’s fish belly.” These were the last words.
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03 The ambition
Ereceg
46
She prepares the tribe and gives orders for the exit. The fish comes out of the water, the mouth opens and all of them jump out of it fast. Some of them land in the water and others ashore on the land of Ereceg. As the fish goes away, Tifl thinks how lucky he is coming in contact with Pohe and how much help she has offered to him, in feeling better.
Some cheers and sudden cries destroy his positive thoughts and his pleasant mood. He turns his head and unexpectedly sees all the tribe crying. The sudden landing is the reason for the death of the youngest member of the Namuh tribe. He was a close friend of Tifle. The shock is indescribable and discouraging.
Even though his tribemates mourning, Tifl findes the strength and motivation to search for the mountain.
The tribe spends the night in Ereceg. They are all very sorry due to the young boy’s death. They wonder if they can finally manage to get to the mountain. The dawn comes and Tifl is deter minded, nervous and empowered to go on. All Namuh tribe cry being sure that there is no hope at all. The mountain is located opposite the west side of Ereceg and Tifl decides to go, even alone, no matter the fact that he is in the Eastern part of this place. He grabs his bag and he crosses Ereceg all alone.
Domeerf mountain
52
After a long trip and spending one night outside, Tifl reaches the west coast of Ereceg. There is fog all around but he can see some areas of the mountain. He can’t swim. His mother is not near him to grub her hand and to fall in the water as he did before. He is all alone right now and he wants to reach the mountain at any cost. He sits on the ground and looks around. He is so calm… The fog starts thinning out and the mountain appears clearly. Tifl stands up, opens his bag and takes out his father’s wings. These wings were there all time. He puts on the wings, leaves his useless bag on the ground and without any second thought he starts running. With a broad jump he is in the air. His body is full of oxygen
and he feels free and happy for the first time of his life. His arrival in the mountain took place very quickly. The young boy feels clearly the happiest creature in the world. He leaves the shattered wings on the ground and he starts walking up way having in mind the wise man. He hasn’t the slightest idea where is he. He goes on walking, looking for the wise man or for any other creature to help him find his way… or at least a map to describe the mountain in details. He finds nothing all these hours walking up way all alone. “Wise man” Tifl sings loudly. Nothing. No response. His head aches due to the echo that discomfits the mountain. He continues to sing with low voice. Suddenly the earth starts trembling and the hills are now moving. 54
Tifl is shocked. He stays still. The earth is trembling all the time. Unexpectedly, a giant palm appears, and with a great power grubs him and arouses him high. There is silence all around. Tifl looks left and right, up and down. He wonders whose is this giant palm that sent him above the ground. A shape of head appears between the mountains. Tifl understands that the mountain Dormeerf is the wise man himself. The huge hand comes down slowly up to wise’s head. Now, Tifl has the wise man’s face in front of him. The young boy’s eyes are now sparkling. He looks straight to wise man’s eyes and he feels moved, full of hope and happy for reaching his destination. His eyes are wet, shine more and more as a smile cracks on his face.
from rough to smooth