Introduction

Adrift in Amnesia begins in the magical land of Cabras where the reader becomes acquainted with its many mysterious and wonderful beings. It also introduces the reader to the main protagonists surrounding the plot: the Professor (head of the wizards) and his ally the Oracle (head of witches), the Board (headed by the President who often disagree with the Professor) and the Wizard – whom the Professor considers one to uniquely possess the abilities to succeed him. The Wizard has also been tasked by the Professor with the next important assignment on Earth, much to the Board’s disapproval. Both the Professor and the Oracle are troubled by signs pointing to unsettling times ahead; there are few they know they can trust, and they are wholly unaware of just how much danger all of Cabras currently faces…

Adrift in Amnesia, Chapter One: Aurea Spiralis (excerpt)

The Professor stood before the Board. Looking around the interior of Cabras’s lone, gothic-style castle located on the edge of the New Forest, generally used for meetings that included much of the wider community (important matters relating to voting, for example), he noticed, rather curiously, the main chamber was completely bare. All tables, chairs, ornaments and decorations had been removed, as if to somehow harness the vast empty space and channel into the imposing officialdom seated before him. Evidently, today’s meeting was different. The sun was setting over the distant mountains of Cabras-Nord, beneath which the Yanesh meandered its rippling shadows, among orchard covered hills via the New Forest towards Oceania. Shining through tall, arched windows behind the large hall, its light cast silhouettes stretching to infinity, bestowing a celestial air of authority. It was all unduly dramatic, but the Professor played along. ‘Urgent Meeting of Utmost Importance’ was the telegram he received, only a day previously, sent direct from the President, leaving him little time to rearrange his schedule accordingly. The Professor did not allow himself to be unsettled by this inconvenience, standing firm was of the essence to a shrewdly petty move by the upper echelons of the Board. He knew all of this was not necessary. They regularly spoke informally about other important matters, but this new task seemed to have a lot of people on edge, particularly those of high ranking. He suspected the tactics behind the setup and was not about to fall prey to intimidation. The Professor was a mild-mannered wizard, reaching one hundred and forty, whose face bore similar features to that of a man of African descent from Planet Earth: his long beard and dreadlocks only recently producing hints of grey. He was the wisest and greatest of all the wizards in Cabras and never had his selections called into question. Until now.

The hall’s negative space seemed to hang in an eternity away from the stern looks before him, as the Professor was reminded of his last meeting with the Oracle. She had contacted him in secret with regard to a troubling intuition that had been repeatedly presenting itself through the constellations above, interconnecting from deep within the inner spiral of Kana. It was all pointing to unsettling times and she was feeling suspicious it might have something to do with Cabras’s next assignment on Earth. When she heard news of the recent contact with the Firekyma and the Professor’s subsequent selection, she felt her Heart put at ease somewhat. Still, the ominous signs persisted, which were laying seeds of doubt as to who the Chosen One might be. There was much at stake and the Professor held true to his faith in the ancient wisdom, reassuring his mystical companion, who reasoned that she too would do well to have trust. The stars were enigmatic at the best of times and the Oracle knew it would be more prudent to concentrate on the positive indications and retain hope towards the unity remaining strong.

After their meeting in the Oracle’s palace high in the Arebas Mountains, they travelled together to the New Forest and the site of the Mysterium Vortex, through which they focused their attention on the subject of Cabras’s latest assignment. ‘What an awful place,’ expressed the stargazer empathetically, as she peered into windows of conflicted sorrow, ‘I hope there are no further delays, but I fear the Board may hold you up, Professor … to which events spiral past the point of no return.’

He turned to his ally, ‘I agree … although I’m worried the signs you read are closer than even the stars suggest. The Board are beginning to demonstrate the very behaviours we had come to fear … and I can sense an air of gamey partisanship all too familiar. This is also why I chose the wizard. It was not just for his potential to succeed me, but because he cannot be corrupted by such things. Of this, I am as sure as the sun rising and setting. I do not know why certain members of our community should be drawn to destructive myths … nor can I tell to what extent is their earnestness to blindly follow a trajectory into savagery and darkness … but we must remain confident in each other … we must believe that he will be the one to lead us in the fight against whatever challenge awaits us.’ The Professor glanced into the Vortex and onto the exact same picture of melancholy before finishing his sentence … ‘and them.’

The President climbed down from his seat and approached the Cabran stood before him. He changed the subject from their meeting to matters of a more jovial nature, as if a decidedly friendlier tact could elicit the results he so desired. He motioned his colleague to walk with him towards the edge of the large hall, the other two Board members looking on, curiously trying to listen in on their conversation, which really bore little relevance to the issue at hand. The President already knew he was a very keen rambler. Nevertheless, the Professor obligingly partook in this pointless exchange, covering everything from picturesque routes to the preferred beer of choice at his local inn. 

The pleasantries soon began to grate. He did not suffer such tactics gladly, but he was too amiable and kindly a Cabran to outwardly express this. Besides, he knew that to lose his cool at such a desperate strategy would be hugely detrimental and he could not live with the consequences of where this might lead. When the President could see his repartees were not going to bear fruit, he turned back to where his associates had remained seated and retook his place on the highest spot in-between them. A silence ensued and the Professor nonchalantly concentrated his gaze out of the window, overlooking a grove facing the shores of Oceania. 

The murmur of speculative voices faded into the background, as the Professor’s mind wandered to where his feet would often roam: through the vast forest, all the way to the foot of the mountains. A journey that allowed one to encounter all manner of weird and wonderful creatures – from griffins, fairies, elves and unicorns to the more commonplace, such as birds and other woodland animals, with all the wondrous varieties that can be found on Earth, plus many more besides. Other walks would see him take in the endless fields and orchards. Something he found particularly fun at night, as one could frequently pass anything from a solitary Cabran relaxing, reading or contemplating the stars, to a great number of magical folk sitting around campfires laughing, chatting and drinking merrily. All were welcome to join the circle and stay for as long as they pleased, such is the way of Cabras. 

The previous day, the Professor had been hiking through the countryside, following a small path he strolled regularly that would lead him to the back garden of his favourite inn: the Drunken Toad. It was a beautiful sunny day, much like today and he ambled peacefully along the grass-covered trail under the shade of varying fruit trees. The sweet smell of fresh apples danced subtly under his nostrils, as he plucked a juicy looking item above and bit into it. He placed himself on a small wooden bench beneath the leaves, closing his eyes and immersing himself in the ambiance of foliage, bristling gently through the spring breeze. He relaxed into a calm meditation, drawn deep within to the still waters of Kana. He could not recall how long he contemplated in this space, for it had been the perfect kind of day, where experiencing inner harmony was the only matter that warranted attention.

Later, while he was walking, he looked out over the grassy hill facing the coast, to the left of which stood the mighty crests of Cabras-Nord disappearing into the distance. He focused above to see, to his delight, a Sapphire Eagle: a majestic bird that nests among the dramatic mountain ranges and regularly flies down to the shore near the New Forest to dive for fish. In silent awe, he stood watching as great numbers of a swirling, glittering, crystal blue formation – a myriad of deeper hues complementing the sky, contrasted by huge wingspans tinged with shining gold – descended the cloud covered peaks in unison to dive for fish close to the bay. He rested again for a moment, observing these incredible creatures take turns plunging into the watery expanse for their food and then taking in the rest of the stunning panorama surrounding him. To his right, were small houses dotted along the meadowy landscape and he could see numerous Cabrans contentedly going about their daily business, before wandering further through the blossoming orchards en route to the inn. 

Many Cabrans live in cavernous-style houses built along the hills peripheral to the New Forest. Inside are forged a series of tunnels to form corridors and rooms. They are constructed in a manner that makes them blend into the natural environment, hence a number can be found adorned with colourful plants and some even have grass on the roof! Small chimneys can be seen protruding among discreet lumps in various fields and winter nights give rise to romantic mists of wood-fire smoke across the landscape. The burgeoning meadows become rich with the scent of burning wood in winter and freshly cut grass during the onset of spring. 

Orchards and vineyards exude the sweet odour of fruit as the trees flourish, while the many fields and areas of the forest release a plethora of luxurious fragrances from its millions of flowers. Amid these pleasant aromas, dancing as sumptuously as the visual palette from which they derive, dwell other Cabrans in cottages and tree houses located in the New Forest. The cottages are similar to old thatches found in rural England, while the tree houses form a connected village of lodges located high above the ground. In ancient times, these had been used as platforms for stargazing, but much of this was since undertaken from higher altitudes in the mountains, hence they were transformed into homes.

The great river, commonly known as the ‘Yanesh Meander,’ weaves its way for thousands of miles from its source high in the Arebas Mountains, travelling upwards along the Spiral Planes above Oceania, back down into the vast ranges of Cabras-Nord, via groves and meadows through the New Forest to the east coast of the far-flung seas. It is considered a very precious part of Cabras, for it provides food and water for witch, wizard and beast alike. The bay looks to the shimmering curve of a horizon beyond salt-smelling waves, reflecting the azure blue of clear skies above. Its coast glistens in gold under the sunlight, of which a cool retreat of woodland shade is but a short distance away. Much of the year sees a climate similar to spring followed by short, bitterly cold and snowy winters that recycles the old and gives birth to the new.

It had been while the Professor was passing a walled area to the side of one of the orchards that he overheard some Cabrans talking excitedly about a recent trip to Earth, via the magical corridor known as the ‘Mysterium Vortex.’ For many centuries, Cabrans have been observing and secretly visiting this planet by way of a multi-coloured tunnel: witnessing a world becoming increasingly automated, which to them appeared to inauspiciously encircle most of its inhabitants within the age-old decree of an enduring elitist order, seemingly intent on advancing to little more than its own destruction. This extraordinary propensity toward collective self-harm was a feature they found most perplexing.

Studying these eccentric beings from a galaxy far away had only led Cabrans to become all the more puzzled. For they also saw hope for its rather topsy-turvy world: largely through a number of understated individuals who appeared to contradict the established order in deed, imagination and Heart. They admired all who saw heaven in sunsets, who felt a greater connection alone in the forest, or more value to the sound of the river than all the spoils of commerce. They sensed a kinship to the square pegs in round holes: in the many romantics, uranologists, poets, lovers and wanderers. In the eyes of Cabrans, Earth’s assorted misfits and dreamers might not be able to conjure spells, but they understood magic. In such characters, they witnessed souls with a direct connection to higher levels of consciousness, albeit unknowingly … until such time as they should meet and help change the course of an individual’s destiny.

It could therefore be said that Cabras is far advanced of Earth in terms of its sustainable, harmonious and interconnected way of living. When it comes to technology, it remains somewhat modest in comparison. They look upon humanity’s development with a sense of intrigue, peppered with a healthy dose of caution. In truth, most from their world do not wish to adopt man’s disunity with nature, nor do they care for the way authority has come to dominate modern society. Human ingenuity is widely admired, the implementation of it not quite so much. Cabrans might otherwise have ignored Earth, but for the virtues of love, beauty and compassion. However, in more recent times, technology and progress had become points of contention among certain members in the magical community, which was of increasing concern to the Professor.

He recalled overhearing yesterday’s conversation between an unknown group of witches and wizards, who seemed to openly express avid veneration towards a worryingly minatorial way of doing things. He paused and listened curiously to a decidedly ominous response, regarding the hypothetical question as to how Cabrans might achieve an altogether different type of order:

‘In a manner more cunning than the last who attempted it that’s for certain! Essentially, one would have to successfully desensitise consciousness via planes south of an attenuated intellectualism formed from sources perceived as “truth.” Here, to dazzle minds through mechanisms of deception would be inevitable. Veiled among mythic vessels of self-determination, one would soon see the many dock at the harbour of a new mandate in wrecks of division!’ 

The Professor’s eyes widened in considerable alarm upon hearing this, but as he was about to presume such madness to be mere jest, shortly after, an apparent, would-be protagonist burst into full song:

‘Oh, what a shrewd genius
That sees plentiful encased
Along indurating arteries
Valiant Hearts befall effaced!

As monuments of bromide
Atop the masses will we sit
Shackled by exchange
Regardless if they see it!

To heights of frivolous whims
Shall we lead them to aspire
Where alters of cruel hymns
Laud dragons pink called Desire!

Incessant crops steeped in ruse
To none will be a saviour
We will reunite the faceless
With the corpses of their labour!

Cast down cold ingot deserts
The invisible shall roam
The sleight of hand of numbers
Leaving ghosts without a home!

The inner depths will we limit
To the stars look no more
Auras veiled in hues of black
Reining faith behind closed doors!

Lights dim with endless prophets
Into oceans of shadows
As we assume all power
Before they see its barred windows!

Vistas rise to disconnection
Fixed by the barrel of a gun
Swift opulence and barren highs
Promise happiness for none!

To savour we’ll tear down
Our New Forest’s mystery
And ever more will it be
The rule of bland geometry!

Flying machines bellowing fumes
Will overthrow the order of clouds
Of freedom, we’ll even rob the birds
With metal capsules full o’ crowds!

In such advancement do we hail
Soaring over swollen industries
Horizons drenched in shades
Of vapour belched through chimneys!

We will trade on the currency of lies,
Deceit, hypocrisy and bloodshed;
We’ll supplant the Unity of Kana
Until all that’s beautiful is dead!’

As the song’s raucous conclusion was met with a cacophony of laughter and rapturous applause, it remained unclear as to how many were participating in such glee – nor the extent of its candour. Though Cabrans loved a melody, while their humour was more than a tad privy to a cheeky sense of irony and mischief, the Professor was feeling some sizeable doubt as to whether this was just a bit of harmless fun. He continued to listen attentively to the exchanges beyond the wall, to which certain voices sounded familiar, but he was reluctant to draw firm assumptions without being able to see – for at least one voice sounded not unlike one of the figures currently seated before him.

© 2025 Percival Alexander

Click here for a sample of chapter two.