Lagolen makes his way to the central temple. As a lifelong devotee of the Yocu
religion he feels compelled to complete his religious obligation to pay tribute to the temple. Along the way he contemplates the conversation that he and his children had with Erut. He comes to the realization that his son was right about the Kevutian had revealed to them. They come to believe that their old rulers, called the Masters, were not forcibly removed from the planet but that they left by their own plans. In effect they were telling their people that it was time to grow up and develop themselves. He and his children realize that the destiny of the Myshkans is in their own hands and they decide to take action to get their lands back.
An excerpt:
Ny Lagolen stood at the edge of the gorge and looked over. It was dark, but the torches set along various parts of the canyon walls lit his way. He checked his fittings and connections, then spread his arms and fell into the depths. Immediately the air filled the material connected between his arms and, after he spread apart his feet, the material between his outstretched legs filled as well. He glided up the length of the gorge. Gentle ripples of air tugged at his arms and legs and he could feel the gentle turbulence against his face. Though he was slowly gliding down, subtle updrafts from the sides of the canyon helped keep him aloft for a long time. He would be able to make the journey in two lengths. There would be plenty of time to just enjoy the flight, and to think.
Lagolen welcomed the chance to ponder. He had just been involved in several strange and disturbing conversations after the meeting with Erut. A proud Yocugu of many risings, Lagolen carefully followed the rituals prescribed by the Masters for as long as he could remember. Even now he was on his way to the Chantry for the requisite pilgrimage, but, somehow, everything he had known and felt about the ancient Myshkan religion was different and it was all because of that squeaky little Kevutian. He had spoken the words that set off a firestorm in the mind of his son whose thoughts, Lagolen always insisted, were rarely coherent. Suddenly the young man was focused like never before on an idea that even Lagolen had to agree made some sense.
For lifetimes the Masters were exactly what their title inferred. They were the rulers of Rishivon. They showed their people how to construct the dipda and kova barriers that made it possible for them to live and survive. The Masters also showed them how to start fields for growing food and how to glide through the gorge. The people started building the first province–Kodok Province– and then expanded to add the other provinces. The Masters also taught them the principles of honor and courage in battle as the provinces settled into contestant feuds between each other.
As Lagolen flew along the gorge, he could see one of the many bridges up ahead. It spanned the narrow crossing of the chasm with a foot-lane wide enough to hold four people abreast. Its supports were underneath and formed a trapezoid. Stair-like structures ran along the sides of the canyon and lead to the edges of the bridge. They crisscrossed along the wall with small ledges built at the angles. Since he was still moving along at a good height, he flew underneath the bridge and continued. Certainly there were Kevutian soldiers and other Myshkans crossing that bridge, but he had changed from his Sifuti bodysuit to a more colorful and traditional outfit. Few would pay attention to him as he passed underneath. He whisked by with barely a sound and returned to his thoughts.
Lagolen had been one of the proud and honored leaders of the fighters of Kachik Province when the Kevutians had first appeared in the skies. The actions of the invading Kevutians were swift and relentless. Within only a few days they had destroyed most of the southern half of Lukva Province and threatened to do the same to the rest if the people did not resign themselves to their control. Soon after the Kevutians became the new rulers of the planet they named Pa’Myshka. Next the Kevutians committed the greatest and most shocking affront to the people of old Rishivon: they evicted the Masters. Some were killed, but most escaped on their own. This was inconceivable to the ones now called Myshkans. How could anyone remove those who had shaped and formed their lives? This was the unspoken thought that filled every waking moment of every occupied Myshkan.
