Fin

Man, the creative energies are not currently here. Fortunately, I can get some mileage out of things written when I was ten-ish, even if I'm the only one who finds them even remotely amusing. Like the final chapter in the awe-inspiring series that also includes "End" and "Saber, Divine Healer, and Hypnoso!" Yes!

One, there was a man named Gyeymaaace who lived alone by the ocean, ten miles from the nearest village. He was very old because he was favored by End, the death god, who before he was born had said he would live seven hundred years. Gyeymaaace had always wished to see him. One day he built a ship and decided to sail to Guinea over a year away. In Guinea he penetrated the rain forest and came to the jungle where he found the death vine and descended through the earth to End’s kingdom. In End’s kingdom, Cheeisfate, he walked until he came to End’s hut where he demanded to see End. A guard left the room. When he came back, he said End would see him when the full moon was shining over the death vine. Late that night Gyeymaaace went out and saw the death vine. It was a full moon. Gyeymaaace entered End’s hut where End was waiting for him. “What do you desire,” End asked, “that you risk the perils of death to see me?”

“What perils?” Gyeymaaace inquired, surprised.

“The comewin’s death,” End replied. “They have the heads of bulls and the poison of the deadliest snakes to kill every living thing.”

“I saw none,” replied Gyeymaaace. “’Tis that accursed Lifaaryoviek,” End said angrily, “always bribing the comewin’s death so they do not hinder the living who enter my realm. But now the night is almost gone and you must leave.”

At the top of the death vine Lifaaryoviek was waiting for him. She was very angry. “You have entered End’s realm without consulting me,” she said. You must die. But Gyeymaaace was not worried for End had said we would live seven hundred years, and he was not yet a century. So he said, “I will not die willingly, but if I must go I will go. However, I will only die if you can win me in three games of chess. Now Lifaaryoviek was good in chess but Rio-Liedeath was better and when End saw this he told Rio-Liedeath to control Gyeymaaace’s moves so he would not lose. When Lifaaryoviek had agreed to the games, Gyeymaaace said, “but if you lose, Lifaaryo, you will swear to no longer hinder End.”

So the games began. In the beginning, it seemed as if Lifaaryoviek would win, but, as the games got underway, Lifaaryoviek was losing more and more men and Gyeymaaace had not lost half of his and Lifaaryoviek began to get angry. “I have lost this,” she said, “but I will win the next.” But soon enough she did lose the second and the third and Gyeymaaace came home triumphant. The next full moon, End appeared and said, “you have stopped the living from entering my realm. What do you wish?”

Gyeyaaamace did not know what to reply but in a minute he said, “I have always wished to become a god.”

“A good wish, said End, “but what would your power be?”

Gyeymaaace thought a minute. “I have always loved the sea,” he said, “and it is now unowned, but it is being fought over immensely. Is the sea possible?”

End thought. “Yes,” he said, “it is if you follow my instructions exactly.”

“I will,” said Gyeymaaace. “What shall I do?”

“Take your ship to the south of the world,” he said, “and find a cross in red.stab it with a wet knife and the sea shall be yours.

So, once again, Gyeymaaace sailed. And after many hard years on the sea his water ran out and he had to use what the ocean offered. But eventually he came to the south of the earth and found a cross of crimson upon the snow. He took his knife, dipped it in the sea, and stabbed the middle of the cross. At once, his ship became a dolphin, symbol of the sea, and felt the power he had long imagined—the power of a god! Gyeymaaace’s name was changed to Fin, for Gyeymaaace means “long lived land” for he was born in Venezuela, the oldest place in the world, but his name should not represent the land for he was god of the sea.