"Alright, you're all set." Sam's father patted him on the shoulder through the window of the giant methane delivery truck. "I'll admit, it gets a little scary when you see just how big the world is outside of the valley, but just remember. We are all equipped with the blessing of Rae-Chial! No matter where you walk or drive, you will not fall off of her body. We are attracted to her as she is our home and goddess!"

Sam took in a deep breath as he nodded. His father gave a proud smile in return.

"I'm proud of you boy. I know it's a year late for you to head to the city, but you've earned this trip. Be sure to enjoy yourself while you are there!

With that he hopped off the side of the truck and began waving Sam off.

Usually citizens from every city would head to Vulgina to register as adults once they had turned 18, but Sam had remained behind an extra year to help out in the mine when his father had broken his leg. While he had missed his opportunity to head to the capital with his friends, he had earned a lot of respect of his parents. It wasn't a half bad trade when he thought of it that way.

"Well, here I go!" Sam though to himself as he started up the engine. His mother was crying and his father waved stoically as he drove along the path out of the pit.

The drive was a long one, but it was thankfully a straight path. Compared to other cities, The Pit was probably the closest to Vulgina. It was for this reason that he was allowed to make the trip by himself.

Sam looked up at the massive hills to his left and right which reached all the way up to the dim purple sky. These mountains had protected him all his life, and now he was leaving their warmth and embrace. A twinge of sadness hit him as they slowly lowered merging into the great straight plains of Thi-Igh. Though this meant that he had reached the entrance to his destination.

As the large red gateway to Vulgina came into sight, Sam was waved down by a guard.

"Is everything alright?" he asked as the guard approached his truck.

"Everything's fine." the guard replied. "The gates are just closed while we're waiting for the lumberjacks to assemble. We can only keep the holy gates to Vulgina open for a certain amount of time, so we'd like to have you all enter simultaneously. Don't worry, we'll handle the paperwork while we wait so you can get in quicker."

Sam peered into the distance. Sure enough, thousands of trucks were returning from the Red Pubia Mound loaded up with giant trees they had harvested from the holy mound. The trees would be brought into Vulgina where they would be refined into building supplies and clothing. Trees from The Red Pubia Mound where thicker and shorter than those found at Scal-Pah, but they were still a far cry from the sickly wiry trees found scattered around the pit. These were strong enough to build things with, and their vibrant colour was beautiful.

"Real Vulgina clothing..." Sam thought to himself, instantly regretting his itchy clothes. The guard proceeded to do his check, unaware of Sam's reaction.

"Name?"

"Sam Cornbottom."

"Home? ...Well obviously The Pit."

Sam felt a twinge of frustration how quickly the guard had guessed his home, but considering he was driving a methane delivery truck, he decided it must be because of that and not his mannerisms.

"Purpose?" the guard continued.

"Methane delivery."

"Length of stay?"

"Unsure. I'd like to do some sightseeing while I'm here, and I want to register as an adult as well, but probably not more than today."

The guard looked up surprised when Sam mentioned he still needed to be registered as an adult, but decided not to push the matter.

"Well that is all then." the guard exclaimed, putting away his pen and paper. "The gatekeepers are getting started. I hope you enjoy your stay in Vulgina! I think you will find it more exciting than you expected!"

The guard ran off and hopped onto his motorcycle driving quickly back to the great gateway. The bike was small enough that he could make his way inside the gate even with them being mostly closed. For Sam however, he needed to wait his turn.

Peering in the distance, Sam could see the Goddess's Gateway Control Center. A giant metal ring larger than the entire entryway to the pit and was a gift from the goddess herself. It pierced straight through the Great Clitori Mountain and was used to open the gate.

Pulling out his binoculars, Sam watched in awe as large gears began to turn, built by ancient architects of Rae-Chial. The gears lowered arms which began to rub against the Great Clitori Mountain causing the whole of Rae-Chial to tremble.

Sam swallowed deeply as the Great Gateway tightened and loosened. For some unknown reason the beauty of it was making him feel hot in the face. Then he heard it. The great goddess Rae-Chial herself let her voice be heard as the gate activated just as the stories had told.

"Mmmmmmmmm..." the goddess moaned as all around Sam the massive straight plains of Thi-Igh began to shift and spread further apart. With another cry the gears stopped as the gateway to Vulgina was now open enough for Sam to drive in.

"This alone was worth coming here for..." Sam thought to himself as he put his truck back into drive and followed the path into the great capital city.