Chapter 1 A Forgotten World

GEM Island. An island which most theorists believe the world neglected to mention on its map, maybe because of its bizarre but obvious almost rectangular shape, or perhaps because of its disinclination to pose as a threat to any other country regardless of its abnormal size. Containing absurd weather conditions and having mixed races because of shipwrecks, which also seemed to be the only way of getting to the island, the population reached a quarter of a billion in the early 1900s but with its location unknown, it was ignored by the world.

GEM stands for: Gold, Emerald and Magical. Because of the abundance of these minerals on this island, other countries have tried colonizing it but have failed, reporting to their superiors empty-handed, their faces not beaming with triumphant grins of victory but looks of ghastly depression and unexpected disappointment. Some people used to think this island is found in the clouds or under the seas. GEM Island is found in neither of these but south of the African continent and Australia, in the Indian Ocean.

GEM is divided into five cities. The smallest of these is Selinafertiraii or simply, Selina. This city is situated to the southeast of the country and barricaded with a gigantic and long gate said to tower over the tallest of trees and stretches from the city's one end to the other. The gate is made of wood and heavy metal and it was given the name, "The Gate of Fate". It is said that no man had ever peeked through these gates and lived to tell the tale.

The next city is called Elisavertiraii, or Elisa. This city is situated to the northwest of the island. Elisa is a very quiet city with a small river to its east called the "Cratum River". This river is at the very edge of the city. Elisa is known for the efficiency of two of her modes of transport, rail and air.

The next of these five cities is Dasalartoyoseraii, or Dasa. This city is also peaceful-quiet and has a very good rail link with Elisa.

Flowing through Dasa is the "River of Mystery". The origin of its name is a mystery too just like its size because this river is as big as the city Dasa! The River of Mystery flows from Dasa into Seninacatii or Senina, which is the second biggest city of GEM. Senina has a town, three villages and a desert called the "Half-moon Mountains". This city has the best road transport relationship with the city of Bradwield which happens to be the capital city of GEM.

Bradwield City was founded by David Bradwield in the year 1892 who then became the mayor of this city. At that time he was forty years old. David Bradwield passed away quietly in his sleep thirty-four years later in the year 1926 at the age of seventy-four.

Bradwield City has the largest and best roads on the island and the most proper hospitals and clinics. Before his death, David Bradwield made sure he had kept his city in order. GEM has no president but a mayor and the rest of the cities have their own leaders. The four cities: Senina, Elisa, Dasa and Bradwield support each other even though divided. The fifth city, Selina, the city enclosed by the Gate of Fate, does not partake in any functions or public meetings but only because no one knows or had ever seen a person that lives there. Even the neighboring cities loathed peeking through the gates of Selina, but why? Well, remember what I said earlier about this island, about how people have tried conquering it but have failed? Well, this was and still is the dilemma. So many stories circulate around this island. Stories of legends, myths and creatures most people only dream of seeing.

Some people say David Bradwield had seen and even come in contact with these "creatures" which could have led him to ban magic, sorcery, witchcraft and to stop people who mingled magic with science called "magician scientists" in Bradwield City, regarding these crimes as being as serious as murder or rape. I will not debate with your own opinion on this topic but as a prophet of this city, fooled by my own visions, I will have to tell you the whole legend myself. A legend and vision which actually made me quit sharing my prophecies because people were starting to call me a fraud. The circumstances surrounding these prophecies are why and how I got the name "Bonita Gontus". I will not explain the meaning of this name but you will find out after you have read a few of the prophecies.

Many Bradwield citizens do not even believe that there are such things as magic or sorcery, only paying attention to them as one does to stories parents tell their children at night. Well, answer this; how is it then that hundreds and thousands of soldiers with powerful and deadly weapons of mass destruction fail to take over an island with only the police force for defense? Well, that's only because they did not rely on the police force alone.

This leads us to our story. But this is not just a story, but the whole and true story of a legend that was born and bound to the city of Bradwield.