Riddle

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Hey there, dear readers! I hope you're all doing great! Just wanted to remind you how much I appreciate each and every one of you. And hey, if this message makes you cringe a little, well, I consider that a small victory! Now, I've been getting some feedback about repetitive words and phrases in my writing ever since I started publishing. Lately, there have been a few more comments on that, so I wanted to explain something. Currently, I'm working on nine different novels, but only publishing six of them. Can you imagine the diverse settings, tones, and modes I have to juggle? Every main character, side character, and even the less important ones, all have their own unique personalities. When I write, I often repeat certain phrases and words to help me maintain the right mood and tone. During the proofreading phase, I usually switch them up or remove them altogether. But you know what? Sometimes, a few slip through the cracks and end up being repeated. It happens, you know? I hope this explanation sheds some light on the issue. By the way, I absolutely love hearing your feedback, so please don't hesitate to let me know what you think about my novels!

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Handing Aria to Amelia, Jack approached the table, presenting the sheets to Olvia. Her eyes widened in recognition, "These are...The language of the Poneglyphs."

His reply was an acknowledging nod. "Can you translate?"

With a small, almost imperceptible nod, Olvia grabbed a pen and began to scribble. A hush fell over the gathering as all eyes focused on her, patiently waiting for the translations.

As she worked, Olvia occasionally glanced at Jack and then back to the parchment, her brows furrowing in thought. A few minutes later, she set the pen down, adjusting her glasses. She looked up at Jack, her face holding a mixture of awe and curiosity.

"Done," she announced. Her voice echoed in the otherwise silent surrounding, attracting everyone's attention.

Her eyes went back to the parchment, reading the translated text aloud. The words formed an intricate puzzle, revealing the obscured history of an ancient and mighty artifact. "When God's wrath meets the sky's bounty, the land bathed in gold will rise. Seek the place where Heaven's wrath falls, where the angels play amidst clouds of gold. Be warned, a God's wrath is not meant for mortals, yet the mortal with God's wrath in his hands shall control the skies and the land beneath. To find the power of the God, look not to the land of gold, but to the heavens above."

As the riddle flowed off her tongue, everyone held their breaths, their eyes wide with anticipation. When Olvia finally finished, a silence hung in the air.

Jack was the first to break it, his calm voice echoed, "The power of a God... it must be referring to the Rumble Rumble Fruit."

Isabella adjusted her glasses, her face thoughtful. "And the land bathed in gold... it could be referring to the Golden City."

A contemplative silence fell over the gathering. They all knew this wasn't going to be easy. The riddle was shrouded in mystery, entailing a treacherous journey to the unknown. And yet, there was a shared sense of excitement amongst them.

Jack's cerulean gaze scanned the faces of the women seated before him - a mosaic of trust, intelligence, strength, and love. His usual demeanor was as inscrutable as the ocean on a moonless night, but with Aria on his lap, clutching his shirt with her tiny hands, and Robin gurgling happily next to her, there was a softness in his eyes that was exclusively theirs.

"Let's break this down," he started, his voice level, setting the tone for the discussion that was to follow.

"The power of a God..." Sophie began, her intelligent eyes reflecting the starlight, "It's clearly the Rumble Rumble Fruit. No other fruit has the reputation of divinity."

"Agreed," Isabella responded, leaning back on her chair. "The part about the land bathed in gold, I believe, refers to the Golden City."

"Shandora," Ponis contributed, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. "The city of gold was built by the Shandians."

Liana cleared her throat, a thoughtful expression on her face. "If we're to believe this riddle, then the Golden City must have some connection to the Rumble Rumble Fruit."

"Or it could be a metaphor," Luna, with her strategic mind, offered. "The fruit might not physically be in Shandora but might be linked to it in some way."

Jack listened to the conversation unfold, his gaze alternating between the animated faces around him. His mind worked overtime, connecting the dots, working its way through the elaborate riddle.

"Daddy, angels?" Aria asked, pointing towards the parchment. The innocent curiosity in her voice was a striking contrast to the heavy atmosphere.

"The angels might refer to the people of the sky islands," Amelia replied gently, her eyes mirroring the warmth in her voice. "The ancient text often metaphorically describes the Birkans and Skypieans as angels."

Robin cooed, mimicking her mother's last word with a happy giggle. "Angels."

"But where does Heaven's wrath fall?" Titi pondered, tapping her finger on the table. Her adventurous spirit was clearly piqued. "That's the big question. And what does it mean by controlling the skies and land?"

ack's gaze swept across the faces of the women present, noticing the various expressions reflecting their thoughts about the riddle. His attention then shifted to the sheets spread out on the table, his fingers absentmindedly tracing the ancient inscriptions. The silence seemed almost deafening as everyone waited for him to share his insights.

"Shandia's land..." He finally broke the silence, his calm voice resonating in the air, "...these notes, the Golden City, they all arrived in the sky four centuries after these parchments were written. What that implies is clear."

Everyone leaned forward, their eyes wide with curiosity. Jack's words rang with a certainty that was compelling, drawing them into his line of thinking.

"The Golden City was created with the power of the Rumble Rumble Fruit," Jack continued, his cerulean eyes meeting each of theirs in turn. "But at some point, either the Shandians cast the fruit away due to its power, or it was lost. Either they sent it to the sky, or it reappeared there after its previous user died. The Shandians who left these writings eight hundred years ago knew it."

He paused, allowing the implication to sink in. His gaze focused on a particular line in the ancient text, one that held his attention. "'To find the power of the God, look not to the land of gold, but to the heavens above.' This phrase was written when Shandia, therefore the Golden City, was still on the Blue Sea. It wasn't thrown to the Sky. This line implies the Rumble Rumble Fruit was in the sky even then."

A silence descended upon them again, everyone absorbing his words, their minds racing to connect the dots.

"The golden metaphors refer to something else. The riddle must be pointing somewhere else, otherwise we would have found it in the Golden City. It was never there," Jack reasoned, a determined glint in his eyes. "Shandia's land, the Golden City, is but a distraction. The angels, they are the people of the sky islands. Skypiea and Birka..."

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