Thronegarden by Andrew Dickerson (top rated books of all time .txt) 📕

castle and my father behind, I went searching for adventure. When one windy day I came across a dark figure navigating a passing vessel, he stopped to admire Furio, and I recognised the stranger as Death himself.”

“You’ve met him too,” Damselfly cried.

“He wanted me to make him things to solidify his power,” Bakka continued with his story, oblivious to Damselfly’s outburst or even her presence.

“In return he offered me longevity. I was so enamored with seeing the world, that I could not imagine anything better than more time to fulfil my journey, so I agreed.

I fashioned a cloak that would make Death practically invisible, I forged a scythe sharp enough to cut through starlight and, finally, I created the timepiece.”

“How did you create time?” Damselfly queried.

“I did not create time,” Bakka corrected. “It has existed since the very beginning. However, with the timepiece I found a way to manipulate time and gain a way of controlling it.”

“As a reward Death allowed you to live longer than any mortal man,” Damselfly realised.

“Yes, in my youth I did not realise the consequences of my actions,” Bakka admitted.

“We all make mistakes.”

“I have made too many unforgivable mistakes,” Bakka said, with a tear in his eye. “When the lakes began drying up, there was a fear that the different areas of Fable would be isolated from one another and so I was tasked with building a way to keep everyone in touch. I spent decades working on the Garden Gate, it was going to be my masterpiece, until I forgot my purpose and instead created something terrible.”

“I have passed through the gate several times and I think it is wonderful,” Damselfly offered.

“The Garden Gate was supposed to be free for everyone,” Bakka mused.

“After all the time I spent making it, I could not abide people taking my creation for granted so I made them pay a toll.”

“If people need the gate, they will find a way.” Damselfly spoke from experience.

“Then I created the Evergarden, a place completely isolated from everyone and everything else. In complete opposition to why I started the gate in the first place. I wanted to bring people together, and in the end, I only moved them further apart. That is why I retreated here so there was no chance of me making any further mistakes. I expected to die long ago, but Death’s gift was not specific and it was impossible to know how long I had left.”

“Don’t you see that if it wasn’t for your gate, my family’s rebellion would never have succeeded in overthrowing the Fairy King,” Damselfly stated. “Some of your creations can be used for good or bad, it is down to the individual and you cannot take the blame for their actions.”

“I appreciate your kind words, though nothing can redeem what I have done,” Bakka conceded.

“We can right things,” Damselfly demanded.

“You could make a new timepiece and everything could go back to how it was before.”

“I cannot, child,” the smith revealed. “The timepiece was crafted with magic from two unique bells: Sereth, the voice of death and Genesis, the voice of life. These bells were made from an extremely rare alloy found in a fallen star and cannot be replicated. No one alive knows the magic of bells well enough to duplicate the original timepiece and so we are trapped with the mistakes of our past.”

“What if we could retrieve the original timepiece?” Damselfly refused to give up.

“You said the Fairy King took it with him to the Evergarden; then it is lost forever,” the smith resigned.

“Some of the Sprites who followed the Fairy King escaped from the Evergarden using an artefact of your creation,” the princess explained.

“That is impossible,” Bakka dismissed.

“The item is a silver vial capable of storing very powerful magic.”

“I remember it.” Bakka nodded.

“Well, someone used the vial to capture moonlight and with this was able to break the barrier separating the Evergarden from everywhere else.”

“If that was true, why is the Fairy King not back in Fable?” Bakka asked.

“I don’t know.” Damselfly shrugged.

“There is no way to reach the Evergarden, and if you ever did, there is certainly no way back,” Bakka evaluated.

“There has to be a way,” Damselfly reiterated.

“It is funny that you mention moonlight,” the ancient smith reminisced. “There is an old tale that is brought to mind after all these years.”

“Please tell it to me,” the princess pleaded.

“I doubt many people remember such an old tale. Maybe I should pass it on to a younger generation,” Bakka agreed.

  The Colour of Water  

When the moon escaped the Lady of the Lake’s possession,

There was no way for her to vent her fury,

So her revenge became an obsession,

For anyone unlucky enough to cross her path there would be no mercy.

 

A man visited a lake to fish,

When from the depths an old woman appeared,

She offered the Fisherman a wish.

Granting him a chance for everything he ever wanted.

 

To gain his heart’s desire,

All he had to do was solve a riddle,

What is the colour of water?

It could not be, more simple.

 

The Fisherman looked into the water,

Considering his answer carefully,

Before stating the water is clear,

I can see infinite opportunity.

 

The Lady congratulated the Fisherman as being truly wise,

A visionary who can look forward,

To discover the future without disbelief or surprise,

A man deserving of a fitting reward.

 

The Lady produced a rare opaque opal,

Which turned the fisherman’s eyes translucent,

Making him a willing disciple,

With unlimited ire that burned iridescent.

 

A Boy came to the lake for a swim,

When suddenly the waves grew violent and he feared he would drown,

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