dariantravels

 A JOURNEY BACK IN TIME: "SHIP ROCK"

Once the fair at the Oasis of the Two Scimitars had ended, I wanted to return to my own Oasis of the Seven Palms. I had already visited the Oasis of the Nine Wells—and even published an article about it—so I decided to cross the Thahari Desert, aiming first for the city of Kassar and then Kamras. From there, I planned to take a ship to the island of Landa and finally return to my Oasis and my Gorean Gallery.

The journey was neither easy nor short; crossing the desert is never without risk, but fortunately, everything went well. We reached Kamras and pitched our tents, intending to wait for a ship to Landa. However, the morning we arrived, we learned that Torvie warriors had attacked the city, and there was no news regarding the outcome of the assault.

 

After consulting the maps, I decided the best course of action was to reach Korat, further north; from there, we could take a ship bound for Anango, which lay along the route to my Oasis.

We set off again a few days later, skirting the Shendi Forest and crossing the Thassa Mountains before finally arriving in Korat.

I remember that city well; I had been brought there as a child while fleeing our Oasis. My brother Orlando and I had been saved from the massacre of the entire El Nairad family by a slave woman. The Ubar first entrusted us to the city’s Notary, Sir Scorpius—an elderly, solitary man who spent all his time in the Scribes' Tower amidst his paperwork. It was he who taught us the fundamentals of the Scribe’s craft, but he eventually passed away due to old age, and we were adopted by Lady BB Arliss and her husband, Sir Mith, a builder who had been hired for projects in the city. During our stay in the city of Korat, we often went down to the port in the valley—Korat was built on a plateau overlooking the valley. The port village was called Ship Rock; it wasn't very large, but it had an area where I remember fishing contests taking place—we children would happily watch those tournaments.

Our first impression upon arriving at Ship Rock was one of surprise; I remembered a small village, but now it was a town well-protected by high walls and large gates. Lady Tani, the Ubara, was delighted to welcome us. I told her about the time we had spent there long ago—though she barely remembered it; so many years have passed since then, and everything has changed, yet she is still there. I stopped and visited the city (I will include some sketches below); time will tell what I do next, but sooner or later, I will have to return to my Oasis of the Seven Palms

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx