The Compound

The following does not pertain to Djemi history nor the history of Shirreen

 I was alone. I had no idea where I was or how I got there. There was just enough light to make out where I was. As I looked around I was able to see that I was in a hallway. I bushed my back against the wall and looked straight ahead of me. There was a room at the end of this hallway with a bright light shinning under the door. I began to find my feet and tried to stand. As I did I felt something against my back, it was a doorknob! I quickly grabbed it and tried to open the door but it wasn't budging. There was no way to go but forward.

The door at the end of the hall was open and as I walked in the room was like something out of a horror film. Tiled walls that had probably been white at one time but were starting to yellow. There was a surgical table in the middle of the room with a table beside it with tools lined up on the table. There was a white sheet over the surgical bed. Something was obviously under the sheet and though everything inside of me told me to run I slid off the sheet.

There was a man tied to the table and without even thinking I grabbed a scalpel and slashed the bindings from his arms and legs. After he was free I dragged him off the table and listened for breathing. He was alive! He had scars over his chest and most of them looked fresh. I shook him. Gently at first them more and more violently until finally, he coughed and opened his eyes. “Where are we?” I asked him

“I don't know” He responded, spitting the words out between coughs. “Who are you?” He asked back.

I told him my name was Lindsey, and that I had only just woke up here a minute ago. I asked him his name but he didn't answer. “I think I can walk.” He said after a minute of silence “Please help me up.” I Helped him to his feet, and after a stumble he was able to hold his own weight.

“How did you get those scars?” I asked him afraid to know the answer.

“Self inflicted.” He responded then stumbled forward and tried a door on the far side of the room that I hadn't noticed. It swung open and I followed the man from the table out into another hallway. It was like stepping back in time. Torches lined the walls and the walls seemed to be made of a packed dirt. Shadows danced on the walls, they looked like men walking beside us. I took a few steps after the man from the table and heard a sudden scream from behind me. I turned around only to see a naked man slam the door shut. A few of the torches blew out as he shut the door and the shadows moved from the wall to just below the door. They told me the naked man, if he even was a man, was still standing on the other side of that door.

I backed away from the door until I bumped into the man from the table. “What the hell was that?” I asked

“I don't know, I didn't look.” he answered.

“How could you not look?”

“They are different every time. They are always more and more horrible. You learn to just not look.” It dawned on me then that my friend from the table had been probably been in that room for a long time. He seemed fearless, walking down the hallway to where the shadows beckoned to us. There was curve in this earthen hallway. And the man from the table just walked along until he had almost disappeared around the corner. The last thing I wanted was to be alone in this hallway so hurriedly I ran after him.

We walked down the hallway in silence after that,side by side. He never looked back, I never stopped looking back. Eventually we came to a solid steel door, without hesitation the man from the table threw it open. His bravery was almost inspiring, but I guess anywhere was better than back there with that thing. This room was concrete and empty save for something in the corner covered by a white sheet. The man from the table just looked around the room as if he was trying to solve a puzzle. I walked over to the sheet on the ground. It wasn't moving, it didn't seem to be alive. I pulled the sheet off quickly. Beneath it was little girl, clothed in a mint dress, her knees were pulled up against her chest and she was hugging herself. I stepped back out of surprise. She was nothing but a corpse, her skin dry and fragile as if she were a mummy. I looked over at the man from the table. He was running his hands over the walls, this puzzle of his was consuming his entire attention. I heard a small whimper and looked back to the little girl. And she was looking up at me.

Her mouth was open and what was left of her milky eyes were looking at me hungrily. This wasn't real. It couldn't be could it? Then the little girl began to raise her arms they reached the same height as her knees and then they dropped down again. Suddenly her skin began to flake and float away in an imaginary wind. This little girl melted away into nothing in front of me. I recoiled away from her. Shocked at what I had seen, suddenly nothing was in front of me. Just a wooden door. One that hadn't been there earlier. Something touched my shoulder and I jumped. It was just the man from the table. My mind was racing. I collapsed and all I wanted to do was cry.

Suddenly the man from the table pushed the wooden door open and walked out into the new hallway. This one was made of concrete brick and had no lighting whatsoever. The light from the room I just left showed a stripe was running along near the top of the wall and the shadows were back. They seemed to stay below the stripe. I followed him out and shut the door behind me. I heard a scream and was determined not to look back. The man from the table turned around and looked at me. What was he looking at? “You learn just not to look” Then I saw them. The shadows stepped off the walls, they were people! They walked straight, reached there hands forwards and climbed onto the opposite wall, they dug there shadow fingers into the stripe and melted into nothing again. “Are they gone?” said the man from the table, terror in his question. I nodded, unable to speak.

He straightened his back and turned around and sped down the hall. He didn't run but he came close. He was terrified, until we came to to another door then he slowed down and returned to his normal state. I noticed that some of the scars on his back had opened and were beginning to leak blood down his back. He took no notice. “This is the last room.” He said, almost laughing.

“How do you know?” I asked.

“It said so on the walls.” He answered, then he kicked the door open and ran into it. The room was identical to the first one I was in only, no sheet on the table. I followed him in and looked around. There was no other door in this room Just a two tables one with surgical tools and one with straps. “We all have to do it.” He said. For a moment I was confused and then everything went black.

I woke up strapped to the table with the man from the table standing over me. Only he wasn't the man from the table, now I was the man on the table and he, he was only a shadow. He held the scalpel in his hand and said nothing. He just traced his hand over his body until he found a scar and then cut me. The blade burned me. I screamed. And he repeated the process over and over again until suddenly everything went black.

The next thing I was aware of a man was standing over me. I wasn't on the table anymore I was on the ground. I coughed “Where are we?” He asked me.

“I don't know” I said between coughs. “Who are you?” I asked him. He told me his name was Lindsay and that he had only just woken up here. Then he asked who I was. I didn't answer. After a minute I said to him “I think I can walk, please help me up.” I stumbled trying to get my balance. My eyes starring at my feet, making sure they were still strong. When I raised my head I saw the writing on the wall, it was black, bold letters that only said. THIS IS YOUR LAST ROOM.

“How did you get those scars?” Lindsay asked me

“Self inflicted”

Djemi History

Taken From "First Book"

Before the men came, us djemi used to live in the caves on an island. We do not know where this island was because that was before we were given our gift. I remember these caves well as I spent most of my life in them. There was an entire community of tunnels that all connected in the heart of the island's mountain. We were a community that lived to help one another and so it was when the men found us. We were not smart enough to realize to stay away from these foreign creatures so in the night while they slept we climbed out to where the ground is soft and the stars shined over our heads to investigate the new visitors to our home. The man who was watching first saw us then alerted his comrades. They found us docile and were quick to pack a few of our more curious brothers and sisters into their wooden caves and take them away. They did not return for many cycles of dark and bright but when they did they brought many more men.

I remember the first time I saw a man was then. They came into my cave and herded us out with fire. The sun made our eyes hurt and we were eager to move into the wooden caves where it was dark. The wooden caves felt strange under our feet. Hard and moist. We could not imagine that they would want to hurt us so we went along with them without resisting. We were on the wooden caves for a long time, many of my siblings didn't survive. Many more were burned in the bright sun. and when we were herded out of the caves (thankfully it was at night) Me and my siblings were led out and inspected by a human, a female. The men bowed to her and showed her much respect, We understood that the respect was for us as well as her, we couldn't have been more wrong. 

That was the first time we had chains clasped onto us,we are strong so we didn't mind their weight, we thought they were gifts at first. Then we were lotted off and sent to the homes of their elite in order to serve them. I was kept at the docks in order to move fish from one wooden cave to another. If I was unable to do this fast enough I was whipped. Everyday I was pulled out onto the docks when the sun was low in the sky, even then it hurt us but we had the motivation of the whip to keep us running. The pace they demanded was practically a sprint they had seen how fast we were able to move and they wanted nothing less. They would pack my back with as much as three barrels of fish and I would have to sprint over a kilometer to the fishery and sprint back. It was exhausting work and I would repeat this until the rising sun was too much for the djemi to bear. Then we were packed underground and made to work hauling out the dredge and rock from mines that other djemi had spent the night digging. We would be given one bright of sleep after every ten cycles.

After many months of work for these creatures I was loaded up again onto one of the wooden caves and made to pull an oar through the water. I pulled with everything I had in order to help out the people who we thought were friends to the djemi. Every time the cuffs of the chains began to tear at my hands I would try to fix them I would be given lashes and I would be made to pull even harder. After cycles of this I would be given time to rest. We were given plenty of time to sleep and to be honest it was better than working the docks. During our sleep we would all dream of our home's caves. It was there that the figure appeared to me. It was neither man nor djemi. Even when I looked right at it all I was able to see is a figure. My mind could process what I was seeing. Then he handed me the gift and for a moment I saw him. His eyes drew the whole of my new found attention. They were black, not in the same way a djemi's eyes are black either. A djemi's eye's are coloured black, his eyes were black because there was nothing else there. Then he was gone and I was suddenly woken. The wooden caves were clear and everything I saw was comprehensible after that. I even noted their language. After a while I was even able to understand most of their words and mimic a few when there was no one around.

Sharing the gift was a simple task, all I had to do was Lay my hand on another djemi and they would receive it. They were able to pass it on after that just as I was and soon all the djemi in the cave were gifted. We picked up their language together, Everything we learned was multiplied when we were able to discus it together in our own tongue. We were finally able to see our torture. How much we were hurt, we remembered. It became our mission to learn how to escape, and to get our revenge for our siblings. We had learned everything we could from the depths of the cave and when we were brought up to clean the deck we were able to learn even more. Always more, learning was an addiction and we all took to it, learning and teaching and being taught. Then came the time that we reached Shirria. We had learned what we needed to break free and we were able to see that this place would be a fitting new home. So it was there that we made our stand. That is where we made the first steps in our revolution.

Week 4, 5 and 6

Taken from the final log entries of Captain J. Ultrich
Twenty-third day on the seas and we reached the new island yesterday. The cartographers didn't even need to go ashore this island was far to small for colonization. We dropped anchor and not twenty minutes later all the men clambered aboard the boats and began to row for shore. Some sailors these men are, a few sets of black eyes watching them and they turn into women. A few of the men had djemi row them ashore but there weren't more than ten on the beach with us. We chained them up to a tree that was growing not far from our camp. The boys were more than happy to take a few extra rations of rum and wine. It was a good moral boaster obviously because the ship was running as smooth as ever today. I believe the gods are watching over us as I was able to hear their hushed whispers all night. I tried to listen but I couldn't understand their divine words. How many captains can claim to be lulled to sleep by the whispers of the thirteen? The gods must approve of our mission as the winds were in our favour all morning.and they carried us right past that forsaken patch of dirt.

Today on the thirtieth day at sea we believe we have found another island, this one is the biggest yet. We are three days out from this island and we can see the trees from here. Thank the gods for these djemi as the cartographers report that we are seventy days away from Silver City by normal ship speeds. I'm don't even recognize the stars anymore, men have taken to calling one constellation Ultrich's ship. That one lies directly above the new land of our. A few of the djemi were acting up today, pulling against their chains. I had them whipped, five lashes each. That seemed to do the trick last time. Lash was one of the offenders, that creature will be hard pressed to learn soon I am afraid we may kill it before it learns though. After the lashes fell they continues to row on in silence. In three days we shall dock at this new land and discover what it holds for the Jorwain empire. I have high hopes for this island.

Today the thirty-third day of travelling and we have reached what we believe to be our salvation. The surveyors report back a lush forest teeming with wildlife. The island itself is huge. It has a river running right through the island deep enough for ships to run through that feeds into a freshwater lake in the center of the island. A small mountain is jutting from the center of this lake, I will have to return with prospectors to tell me if there are any chance of a mining operation being set up there. I am hopeful about this place, we began unloading and setting up a base camp. I refuse to return to my queen with anything less than everything we may learn about this land. The men have taken to calling it "New Jorwain." Tomorrow the real work begins, when I am ascribed into history for this I want it to be known that in the face of this great task I did not lose any sleep, for my love of my queen was enough inspiration to set an example for my men.

We docked today, thirty four days at sea and we have done what we set out to do. New Jorwain is everything we were praying it would be. Surely the gods watched over us on this journey. We have brought the djemi with us onto shore and we are having labour for our base camp. They have build one shelter big enough to house half the crew and I want two more build just like it and one smaller one to swerve as an officer's quarters. The djemi can work very long hours on little food and this will serve us well in the coming weeks. I have sent some men into the wilds to hunt, there are plenty of deer and rabbit and fox. We have seen some wolf prints and men have reported strange brown beasts with large, webbed, antlers. We shall try to have one captured to bring back to the queen. The forest is beautiful and when I first saw it I was so moved it brought a tear to my eye. This island is my legacy, this island is my future. This island and the djemi are the most important things I have ever created in my short life. I will have my pick of young, noble, brides when I return to Silver City. Oh how they will cheer.

The following is taken from "First Book" 

We were driven from our homes and forced onto caves of wood that floated on the ground, that isn't ground. We were taken to new caves. Forced to walk in the rays of sharp blinding warm. We were forced to work, to work for things that we welcomed into our caves.as friends. They hurt us, but we thought that they needed our help, such delicate things they are and we thought we were helping them. We weren't smart enough to see that they were torturing us, that they had enslaved my brothers and my sisters. We couldn't hear them laughing at us. Now we can see, now we can hear, now we can learn. On the cave of wood they called me Lash. They named me after the tool they use to hurt us. It was meant as an insult but from this day forth I shall wear it with pride, like the scars on my back. My name is Lash and I was the first of my brothers to be Vaa, to be free. In the wooden cave, I pulled against my chains. I didn't understand why I needed them and they hurt me so I pulled on them and the men cut my back. The cuts and the chains hurt me so much so I tried to loosen the chains and I was cut, again and again. The next day I was quiet, and I wasn't cut anymore. For six darks and brights we went without sleep, or any rest. Then finally we were allowed to stop, to sleep. As I slept someone came to me, he touched my back and made me feel better. He told me what was happening to my brothers and my sisters. He told me why we couldn't hear them laugh at us. Then he told me he could fix it. He grabbed my hand and gave me something, something he called learning. He told me it would be my duty to share it with my brothers and sisters and that it was time we freed ourselves. For many darks and brights I gave my brothers and sisters the gift of learning. We listened to the men and we found out where we were going and when we were alone we would tell each other any new things we had learned. We swore that when we got to where we were going that we would not let them hurt us any more. We build shelters, like we were told and we waited. we waited until the dark time and we fought back. We struck off our chains and we tore those men apart. Some got away but they have no where to run. I have sent some of my sisters who had also felt their cuts to hunt them down. They will not fail us. Some we kept alive and we are making them teach us things. one told me what writing was and where writings were. I tore his throat out once I was confident in my writings. Others are teaching us about dark brights, stars as they call them. Mostly they speak of Jorwain, their home. We are now tearing apart their wooden cave to create new caves of our own here. This will be Shirria, this will be our home. I write this so that people will know that djemi are free. From this day forward we are the Djemi-Vaa. Bothers and sisters back in the men's caves. We are coming for you, you will join us here in our new home, in our Shirria.

Weeks 2 and 3

Taken from the final log entries of Captain J. Ultrich

We have been at sea for ten days now and these cartographers are losing their wits. They will not stop remarking how far we have come in such a short amount of time. They refuse to see that it was my decision to use djemi rowers instead of men that we are so far ahead. No matter how many times I remind them they always forget it was my idea. They will learn soon enough though and when they do I will be more than happy to ensure that they remember. Today the djemi were finally quiet. there were no more clicks or grunts, they just rowed in silence. Other than that there is nothing much to report. We are in the heart of the vast emptiness and haven't seen a single island since we passes the speckled archipelago. The view cannot be contested however. I feel as though we are alone with the gods nothing but ocean surrounding our entire ship. Lesser men would be driven mad but my crew is the best there is and it is only fitting then that they be captained by myself. I find it comforting that the eyes of the gods have replaced the eyes of the djemi that were watching me. 

Thirteen days at sea before my men were at each others throats. Two sailors working the rigging were throwing punches today. No one was hurt, they claimed to just be blowing off steam after duty but I have Shipman Stret keeping an eye on them.I can't afford to have two sailors ruining the mission. I haven't heard a sound from the djemi in five days Shipman Buyers says that there hasn't been a single problem from lash since his licks and that they no longer watch him. I am sensing smooth sailing from those beasts. Now it's just the men on this ship that are looking to cause trouble, I am thinking I might uncork this bottle of rum again tonight. Men can be controlled much easier than beasts so the smooth water shall continue. I shall receive a hero's welcome when I return to Silver City. Maybe I'll even get to marry some nobleman's daughter.

I have been at sea for over a fortnight now, seventeen days on the water and we got our first glimpse of land today. The speed these djemi row at has taken weeks off our journey. we should arrive at this new land within two days. The men had two djemi up on deck today and they were making them scrub the deck. The djemi didn't seem to like the light but did as they were commanded. The stupid beasts had to be shown how to scrub the decks but they picked it up fairly easily for once. I guess even the dumbest creatures can figure out how to scrub. What does that say about new recruits who can't figure out how a ship works. If djemi can learn to do jobs and stay out of the way I am going to have higher expectations for new recruits when I get back. Tomorrow we shall send a shore party of two boats, each with four sailors one cartographer and two djemi to row them there and back. I am hopeful about this island, but nothing is ever this easy.

The shore party returned late and were very disappointing. There was no plant life on this island and it was far to small to support the colony we were looking for. The djemi seemed very happy to return below deck. I went below deck today and heard whispering coming from the rowers. When I went to investigate there was nothing but an eerie silence and those almond eyes staring at me. Shipman Buyers has been relocated to helping the cartographers since they are being overwhelmed with the speed that they need to chart our course. The djemi have been even more docile over the past week and I think he shall be returned to give the morning order to stop rowing at the end of every week. Other than that it seems a waste to use good man power to watch these creatures anyway.

Twenty days at sea and we have discovered new land. It should be about two days before we reach the land. I think I am going to allow shore leave when we reach this new island as the reports of whispering from the lower decks are becoming more and more frequent. The vast emptiness is taking it's toll on the men and it should do them good to have dinner with their captain and get some solid ground under their feet at least for a night. Lash's eyes continue to watch me form the knots in this cabin. I think I will benefit from this night on shore just as much as the men will. After that however we are returning straight to our mission. We sail for our queen and I will not have her frowning on us.

Week 1

Taken from the final log entries of Captain J. Ultrich 

We set sail later this afternoon. Months of preparation are finally coming together on this day and it is hard to believe that all my hard work is starting to pay off. I am keeping these logs so I may be ascribed into the scrolls of history as the captain that saved the great Jorwain empire from collapse. Perhaps I shall give a brief summary of these last few months of my life, preparing for this undertaking. On the eightieth day of the fourth season I received an invitation sealed with the stamp of the monarchy. It was in light of my services to the crown in the transportation of those djemi creatures to Silver City, as that project was entirely my undertaking. Imagine my surprise when the queen herself takes me aside after the second course and confides in me her worries. She tells me with the addition of the djemi to our population and how more and more nobles are requesting djemi servants, she is afraid that the islands may soon become vastly crowded and there won't be enough food for the people. That was when she told me of my new project, I was to take a single ship from the djemi relocation project and claim land for colonization. Gladly I accepted and I began to hand pick the crew. The best sailors and most notable cartographers in the entire Jorwain fleet were assigned to my ship solely on my request. It is now the first day of second season and the djemi are being loaded and chained to the oars, we have taken on enough provisions to last us right until mid-third season and we are ready to chart the uncharted water so beautiful Jorwain can grow. I personally take great pride in my mission and I promise my queen I will not fail you.

We have been at sea for two days now and we will be passing the western most borders of Jorwain later tonight. After that we have the speckled archipelago to look forward to and after that, well that is when the cartographers come in very handy. Never has the Jorwain fleet needed to sail past the speckled archipelago before but after our return there will be countless ships following our trail. The djemi are making excellent time. We knew they were strong when we found them but to go from Silver City to the western border in two days is unheard of. You would never think just by looking at these thin little bastards that they are even half as powerful as they are but I guess they make up for in strength what they lack in brain power.There is one however that has a bit of an attitude, nothing a quick lash doesn't fix but he has acted up twice already. The boys in the crew have taken to calling him Lash, mainly because he gets the whip so often. So far Lash is an outlier and none of the other djemi have followed his example, this is a very good thing if they revolted we would have no way of defending ourselves. The damn creatures are far to simple to figure this out though. They are completely docile in nature and best as I can see they are not much smarter than a child of two cycles. Even as I write this I can hear the boys calling, It sounds like Lash has thrown down his oar again. I can hear the whip falling from my cabin. Tomorrow I shall have to order Lashes chains tightened.

Three days at sea and we are at the heart of the speckled archipelago! this journey would take a week with even the fastest of men at the oars. The djemi are easily the greatest discovery of my lifetime and our sons are going to be hard pressed to  beat this one. Lash has been completely docile today since they gave him five licks last night. I do not know how he managed to row all day with his injuries but he has. I think he may be the strongest of the djemi we have on board. Tomorrow those cartographers will demonstrate their worth, I doubt they've ever been pushed to map and chart so fast in their lives. There is so much more time on a human rowed ship. I catch myself chuckling thinking about how quickly those ink pots will be draining. If we catch a good wind out in the open I do not doubt that we would be able to clear the great emptiness of the seas in almost no time. I hope that Lash has learned his lesson, I would hate to lose such a good rower due to a simple attitude problem.

Today I went below deck to see how the djemi were fairing. Five days with almost no sleep and they are still rowing hard. I was unnerved by the little noises they made. Almost like a mix of clicks and grunts. They are pulling through well enough though I think I might give them every seventh day off to sleep. I won't unchain them but there are much stronger winds out in the vast emptiness and we are already very much ahead of schedule. I will seem a hero to those creatures, if they even understand what is happening. Lash has behaved himself since his licks. I dare to hope that my troubles with him are over. I can't imagine it will be less than twenty days before we find any land at the rate these creatures row. I need them to be at their best. The queen will be very happy if we can return before the end second season. Once I thought that was a fools hope but now I'm not so sure. I heard one of the officers who worked below deck today complaining that Lash was watching him all day. I think five days working below deck is starting to effect him, I think tomorrow I shall switch his duties with one of the officers on deck, some sunlight might straighten him out a little bit.

I gave the order to have the oars brought up today, those beautiful bastards deserved a break according to the cartographers we are almost seven days ahead of schedule. I went to check on Shipman Buyers today, to see if Lash was still watching him. We have a long voyage at our heads and I need all my men at they're best if we are to lead Jorwain into a new land. I was able to see what he meant though, Lash and a few other's watched me the entire time I was below deck. I believe they were only attracted to the badge on my coat it was freshly polished and had a very nice gleam to it. I doubt these creatures had seen such beauty before in their lives.Their almond eyes were haunting however and it was easy to understand why the Shipman needed time in the sunlight to be set himself straight. the djemi that did sleep today were almost as unnerving as those that didn't. They covered their faces with their hands and would just sit stone still on the benches. I think I now understand why back on land djemi would always sleep face down. Poor creatures just need their eyes covered to sleep. I wonder how this information will benefit us on the boat but I will figure out some way. I think it is time I retire for the evening, The knots in my cabin walls are beginning to remind me of the djemi and those almond eyes. I feel like I can even hear their clicks beneath my skin. next week I think I may take the day off as well. Surely I have earned it as much as those creatures have.