The Amphitheater

Umbajin stood in the deserted amphitheater, his throat as parched as the ground, and thought, as he always did, how strange it was to see a building that had never even been finished lay in ruin like this. Everyone had been so excited about it at the time, but that was before they knew that all of Bane'ile's resources would need to be diverted to the monumental task of evacuating an entire world. Umbajin had listened to the songs about the final joining for as long as he could remember, but he never believed he would witness it in his own lifetime, much less have a front row seat for the event.   Perspiration beaded on his forehead and ran down his back. They were all gone now, except for the small group who had refused to leave their home, all gathered here in the City of Song. It made sense that Umbajin would be the one to stay and tend to those brave souls. He would be the last tribal singer whose voice would echo in this sacred place. Kind of ironic, when you think about it. Oddly enough, he didn't feel any fear, just an overwhelming sense that everything was as it was supposed to be. He had already experienced the worst thing that could have ever happened to him, so what was left to fear? As a matter of fact, he had been standing on this very spot when it happened, only then, it was a bustling construction site. That was more than thirty cycles ago, but he remembered every detail like it was yesterday, especially that moment of utter panic and confusion when all he could think to do was run to his father like a little boy, who had fallen down and skinned his knee, only he wasn't a little boy then. He was a grown man. A tribal singer in his own right, but nothing in his training had prepared him for the way his heart shattered when the love of his life had vanished. In the space of a heart beat, her energy was just gone, no where to be found, even after all this time spent searching. But then, nothing in his training had prepared him for Salelu. From the moment he first saw her, she became the fork in his road, leading him towards a destiny he could never have imagined.   He squinted up at the unrelenting suns. Two becoming one. The words tasted bitter in his mouth, but through all of life's trials and tribulations, Umbajin had never allowed himself to become bitter, and he wasn't about to start now. He looked out at the great plain of Bo Kaabo, now eerily quiet and dusty, and remembered it as it had once been, filled with song and laughter and life. The home of the Festival of Titi'abule. Yes, those were the memories he would hold onto in his last days. The way she looked at him when he sang. Dancing with her in the rain. The thrill of that first kiss.   He wondered again if he would find her among the ancestors, or was she truly lost for all time? Well, it wouldn't be long now. Umbajin would finally have his answer soon enough.  

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Description

  The amphitheater was located on the edge of the great plain of Bo Kaabo, not far from the altar in the City of Song. It was designed to be an open venue nestled within a naturally occurring semicircular rock formation in order to take advantage of the nearly perfect accoustics created by the shape and location of the rocks. Construction of the building began approximately thirty solar cycles before the final joining, but the project was abandoned when it became apparent that the destruction of the Bane'ile home world was eminent and all resources were diverted to the lengthy process of evacuating the population. The unfinished amphitheater then lapsed into ruin and was ultimately destroyed along with the rest of the world when Bane'ile's two suns collided.  

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Purpose

  The amphitheater was intended to be an enormous venue that would provide a luxurious atmosphere for the huge crowds that gathered to experience the wonder of the singing and dancing of the Festival of Titi'abule.