Post by Reyson on Feb 14, 2009 14:02:15 GMT
So two friends and I decided to write some fantasy novel. It never was finished. We did the first three chapters over the course of a year and we all suffered massive writer's block from lack of time.
Anywho it's a 3 perspective narrative. Each chapter rotates between the 3 main characters and the story is told that way. I'll go ahead and post the first chapter. If anyone's interested go ahead and say so and I'll post more. My chapter's the 3rd one. The first chapter is written by my friend Ricky. It starts off with his character, a young elf. Keep in mind this was meant to be a book so the chapters aren't skimpy fan fic chapter sized xD
EDIT: Forgot to post the title of it. Duh. Lol.
Her Requiem
Chapter 1
Crystal rain pounds above the blindingly-white room. In the center is a lone white chair, hiding among the white floors, walls and ceiling. A young girl, with golden hair draping across her face like an elegant curtain, sits motionless inside it. Her eyes were lifeless.
Why is she the one who has to endure so much pain? The one person I know who has a pure, kind heart is the one to die. Why is it always like this? Why are the ones that deserve to live the ones to die?
I carefully and quietly place a foot farther into the room. Her skin is so pale… the only thing keeping her from disappearing into the room completely was her hair. She did not move. She did not blink. I take another step. A worn doll of a rabbit, with brightly colored eyes and ears is grasped inside my hand. I slowly reach my arm out and rest it in her lap.
“Adelaide… th – this was your favorite… can you… remember?” Her gaunt face bends down slightly, her eyes so empty look down at the doll. I grasp her hand in mine. I wait. Please, remember… come back to me…
***
I’m walking along the silent ponds, glimmering in the moon’s pale light. Looking into the water I see my reflection. My golden was dirty and needed to be washed. My emerald eyes sagged from lack of sleep. Even the plain brown robe wrapping around my neck was dirty. But I didn’t have time to wash up. I quickly turn away from the pond and continue on my walk.
Sunea is a surprisingly beautiful place. Trees twist and tangle into large forests far across the city I’m in. Many magical fountains shoot water into dazzling displays down the long stone roads. The moonlight reflects off the fountain water, sparkling against the dark sky. Stone buildings with large oak doors and glorious windows sit beside each road. And farther down the road there is a grand castle, with almost-white stone, a giant two-door entrance and multiple stain glass windows.
And yet, even through all this beauty, I can feel coldness. The forests whisper it, the winds whistle it. And I feel it. I can see the evil aura emitting from the large building down the road. It spreads across the skies like a veil of darkness. And yet the evil is coming from within… and I know it cannot be stopped.
My sister, Adelaide, was infected with an odd illness. Her body seemed alive, but her heart was dead. Her health was getting worse each day. I really don’t know what I can do. None of the doctors know what’s wrong with her, none of the local sages, alchemists, or priests could help her. I knew she was going to die if she didn’t get help soon, I could sense it. I could see the death looming behind her closed pale eyes. It waited to strike her down once her body and spirit was weak enough. She had been taken to a scientific laboratory to be studied on to research her illness and try and find a cure, but I knew that they just found her fascinating and wanted to study her. But I was too poor to pay for anything… this was the best I could do.
My feet, inside of large leather boots, cause ripples in the glimmering water. I’m walking near the fountains, a fine mist clings to my hair and robes. The trickling of the water begins to sooth my soul and mind, calming my tense muscles. I sigh lightly and sit down on a wooden bench. I look up towards the moon.
I had to save my sister’s life. She was my only family left, and the only person true of heart I knew. And yet it seems that there is no way to save her. It seems that I am going to be stuck inside this world for the rest of my pitiful life, to sob more tears each and every day as the memory of my sister passes through my mind. The wind will play its melancholy melody, passing through my soul. The forest’s voices will whisper to me the thoughts and times I once held with my sister. When my parents died and she held onto my side, crying into my robes. When I held her up and embraced her when she needed to be comforted. I would stare into the fountains below the moon’s aura once again, for eternity, and never would the memory of my sister be forgotten in my mind. My eyes suddenly focus onto the full moon above me.
I need to travel beyond that moon. I need to find a way to save my sister. I cannot carry on with her loss on my heart. I will save her.
***
Something taps me on the shoulder. It taps me again. I grumble and slowly my eyes flicker open. Sunlight bursts into my vision and I immediately squint. I notice a man standing near me, looking down at me with an irritated look spread across his pointy face. He’s garbed in expensive robes of dark blue and purple. He looks fairly important, and certainly rich.
“Get off the bench, pathetic youth. It’s against the law to sleep there, you know!” His voice is surprisingly high and annoying.
I quietly mutter some insulting words under my breath and stand up. I start to walk away, and turn to watch him. He raises his chin in superiority with a little humph and carefully sits down on the bench, being sure his robe has no wrinkles as he sits.
I roll my eyes and begin to weave through the crowd of elves. Most elves are tall and slender, with long legs and thin arms. Generally they have shiny blond hair, and all have the obvious long, pointed ears. Some wear dirty brown robes, such as myself, and others ware grand robes of extreme elegance and beauty. Though it all mattered little to me.
All that mattered right now was a way to escape from here.
I try to not look suspicious as I wander down the roads filled with elves. I keep checking to my sides to look for anything that might give me an idea on how to escape. It is forbidden for Elves to leave Sunea. Not a single elf has left since the forming of the new world. I needed to be the first. I was going to be the first.
I continue down the streets, my hope wandering away from me. Not a single thing have I seen that gave me even the slightest idea for escape. My eyes start to drag and not dart to side to side. I sigh from exhaustion and I’m about to sit down, when something catches my eye. I look over to my left, and there was a large building, mostly made of wood. A large sign was hung my chains over the door.
Vehicle Rentals and Sale
This seemed to be the only option available. I do not have much money at all, certainly not enough to rent a ship. I had to steal one… but I know very little of mechanics and even less on piloting. I shrug and hope I can figure it out when I need to escape.
Stepping up to the door, I figure I’ll see how the building is laid out. I open the creaky wooden door and quietly step inside. I can see far straight in front of me a doorway leads outside to a large stone deck. Many elven ships, plated in shining silver with elvish script bore into metal, looked very sleek and quick. A man stands behind a wooden counter reading a book. I walk up to the counter.
“May I please browse through your selection of ships?” I ask softly, trying to sound calm and collected.
“Sure thing,” he replies gruffly, standing up and setting the book down on the table. He motions for me to follow him, and he walks over to the doorway leading to the dock. I follow lightly at his steps, prepared to absorb all the surroundings I could.
He points towards the ship nearest to us. “Darkfire, I call it. A very fast and sleek machine indeed. It uses magical energies that it absorbs to travel, meaning you can fly without needing fuel. Although almost all my ships here have that ability,” he brags, smiling brightly and obviously feeling proud of his selection of ships.
We continue through the tour as I try not to fall asleep. His voice is surprisingly boring once he starts blabbering about ship mechanics, though I try to listen. The tour ends and I take in a large yawn, hoping I do not seem rude.
“So, are you gonna’ buy anything, laddie?” he asks bluntly.
“I can’t at the moment, but I am sure I will return for one of your ships. Thank you for your time.” I bow lightly with my head and quickly turn to leave. He didn’t understand quite what I meant by that.
I close the door behind and begin heading down the street. After weaving through a thick but lesser crowd than before, I finally reach the labratory. I turn and enter through the door, so that I may hold my sister’s hand one more time before I leave.
***
Rays of artificial light blast from the overhanging lamps out onto the white robes wrapped around my sister. I bend down over to her and grasp her hand.
“I will save you. I promise,” I assure her, not entirely sure she can hear me. But it was what I had to do. I could not break this promise. Slowly letting go of her cold and small hand, I stand up and pull some of my hair out my eyes. I take a thin black ribbon and use it to tie my hair into a small ponytail behind my head. I did not need it getting in my way while trying to pilot a ship.
I pull my boots into place and make sure my small knife, bundle of rope, and compass are fastened to my leather belt. As soon I know I am set, I turn to my sister.
“May the gods’ blessings be upon you, sister,” I whisper, grasping her hand one last time.
I quickly set out and leave the building. My boots click against the stone street and I can hear the trickling of the fountains. I immediately head down the road to the area the vehicle shop was at. As soon as I reach it, I put my hand on my knife.
I’m careful not to step in front of the door. I creep along the side of the wooden building, packed-down dirt below my feet. As soon as I reach the back of the building, I see the large dock full of ships. The deck doesn’t seem to have any real fence, so I run and leap as high as I can to step onto the deck.
A surging pain creeps through my nerves as I’m blasted away from the dock. I land hard on my back against the dirty ground, and quietly groan. It seems there is a magical fence guarding the ships.
I stand and rub my back softly, still hurting from the blow. How am I supposed to get to the ships? I look around but I can’t see anything that might help me get over the barrier. My eyes stumble across a large steeple-like structure on the building that stands on the roof nearest the dock. I smile and pull out my rope, quickly tie a large loop around the end of it, and toss it up towards the steeple.
Success! The loop falls around the steeple and I tighten it around the base. I hold onto the rope and begin to scale the side of the building. It’s surprisingly hard to hold on, my muscles burning, but I continue anyways. This was for my sister.
I reach the roof and crawl on top. I untie the rope and hook it back to my belt, and I look around the dock. Darkfire was nearest to me, and it seemed to be a very capable ship in my eyes, though I knew little about mechanics. I look around to make sure nobody’s coming, and I focus on the ship. I leap from the roof and land with a large thud onto the metal hull of the ship. I can hear the owner mutter something odd and get up from his chair. I have to act fast.
I find the door and quickly use the handle to lift it open. I slide inside and take a quick glance around. Many elvish scripts and symbols were written about the interior. At the far end there is a sleek silver control panel and two soft-looking seats, which are guarded by a windshield. I immediately rush over and sit down in the one of seats. I can hear the owner of the shop screaming and panicking. He would call the Sunea police force soon.
I take a quick glance down at the controls. Elvish symbols which only some of them I understand are all over the panel. Many buttons and lights and switches cover the silver. I didn’t have time to think too much about the controls, so I just take a guess and pull a switch that I believed was labeled engine. The ship roars to life and I look around for more controls.
Using the best I could muster, I manage to get the ship into the air, though it’s only hovering. Off in the distance I hear more ships. The police were coming!
I tap a button a large disk-shaped glowing panel extends in front of me. These must be the piloting controls. I wasn’t sure how they worked, but I had to figure it out now. If not my sister would be lost.
My sister would be lost.
My eyebrows furrow in concentration and instinct takes over. I reach my hand out and press it against the glowing elvish symbols. I close my eyes and concentrate. This was for my sister. I had to escape.
The ship lurches forward. I open my eyes and I see that I’m starting to fly over the dock and the road. I see in the distance the police force in sleek silver ships coming at full speed towards me. This was going to be a close call, I knew. So I concentrate once more.
The ship veers right and I shoot down over the road, the police force at my tail. I wasn’t sure if they had any firepower or not, but I didn’t want to take risks. I begin to weave around over buildings and roads, heading towards the forest. I suddenly hear a crackling noise and a large blast of red energy zips only inches from my ship. They definitely have firepower.
I’m almost to the forest, so I quickly shoot up and spiral over the forest trees. The forest was a deep green and very dense below me. I close my eyes and focus once more. I need to go faster.
The ship lurches a bit forward and the police’s fire begins to weave around me. I can see the edge of the forest in the distance, and the ship follows my commands and blasts towards it. I’m beginning to lose the ships behind me.
Or so I thought. I large beam of thundering energy slams into the side of my ship, causing me to veer off-course. I try to lift the ship up and keep it from spiraling into the forest, but it doesn’t seem to want to cooperate. I’m heading towards the forest. I wasn’t going to make it. I was going to fail my sister and both her and I would die.
But I had made a promise. I am one who does not break my promises.
And I wasn’t about to break this one.
I focus all my will into the ship; fire behind and to the side of me. But I ignore that. All I have to worry about is using the forest to my advantage. I would make it. I would make it for my sister.
I dive into trees, barely able to twist between their thick and twisted trunks. Branches scrape the hull as I rush through the brush. I can see the light shining through the forest through the trees. The light is my goal, a goal I have to accomplish.
I twist through the trees and scrape against a rather large one, but the ship seems to keep stable. The end was getting closer. I focus my will and press my sweaty hand harder against the symbols. The ship spirals and bursts through the edge of the forest.
I quickly turn so I can see where the police were, but they had stopped at the edge of the forest. They begin to crawl away from the edge and head back towards the city. I wonder why would they do that? I shrug and forget it. I had escaped from Sunea… I had a chance now to save my sister.
I can feel the ship lowering, so I take another look through the glass before me. There was nothing below me. I could only see clouds and the large floating island of Sunea behind me. I try to pull the ship up but it doesn’t want to budge. I can no longer see Sunea behind me. Where was I? What if I was stuck in this fog forever? I remember my compass. I pull it out and see that I’m heading west. I’ll just have to continue heading west and hope I pull out of the fog eventually. The ship continues to drift downwards though, and it’s slowing down slightly. What was wrong with it?
I didn’t know, but the fog was not getting better. So I cross my legs in the small seat and close my eyes. All I could do was pray to the gods that my quest will succeed.
***
I’ve been sitting here for hours, or at least I think I have. The fog hasn’t lifted as of yet, and I’m afraid that it will never lift. I’m still heading west, or at least that’s what my compass says, but I don’t seem to be getting closer to anywhere, and the ship has been slowing down. I’m not sure what’s wrong with it, but… what if keep falling until I fall into the depths of the world? I’ll be stuck inside this ship for the rest of my days to die. I sigh. I just have to keep going and hope that I’ll find land.
My thoughts are interrupted by a sudden beeping sound coming from the control panel. Red lights begin to flash over the buttons and switches. What’s going on? I quick look over them but I can’t see what’s wrong, I’m not skilled enough in the elvish language to read it. I’m staring at the controls, when something catches my eye. I look up out the windshield and notice the fog beginning to let up. Finally, I was making it out of the fog.
The fog finally disappears and I look around. Far below me is a large ocean, shining with the sun’s reflection. It spans for miles and miles. In the far distance I can see land. It’s green, with mountains farther along and some noticeable cities. It’s surprisingly far though, and the ship is slowly sinking lower and lower. I’m not sure if I can make it or not.
I quickly press my hand against the elvish symbols, but I notice the panel isn’t glowing as bright as before. I close my eyes and will the ship to go forward at full speed. It only slightly speeds up, and the ocean is slowly coming closer to the ship. The sky is clear except for the fog behind me.
The fog! That must be the secret to the ship. The owner of the shop said the ship ran off of magical energies it absorbed. Perhaps those magical energies were caused by the fog, and therefore were only in Sunea? And now the ship is running out of fuel. I look out to the land, which luckily looked bigger to me. Can I make it? I’m not sure if the ship can float in water, most likely not.
The ocean is getting too close. I have to believe and trust the ship, that it’ll make it to land. I press my hand harder against the fading symbols. I urge it to go forward, to make it to the land. A city was near the beach and perhaps I could get it repaired if I made it. I have to make it. I have to make it for my sister. She’s depending on me and my quest.
I grunt and I focus all my strength into the ship. I cannot die here. Not like this. This is not the time. But the ocean is coming closer to the ship. I’m going to die.
“NO!” I shout, screaming at the top of my lungs. I feel a feeling I have never felt before. Energy, raw and un-tempered, flows through my body. I can feel it in my spirit. It tingles along the back of my neck. This was magic inside of me.
I thrust my hand forward once more and felt the energy rushing through my arm and hand and into the control panel. The symbols suddenly light up and the ship lurches forward, only meters above the water now. The beach is in sight. I must make it to that beach. The ship flies across the water, still sinking, but not nearly as fast. Mist spins up from the ship as it blasts across the ocean. Almost there. The ship touches the surface of the water. I’m almost there!
With one final scream the ship skips off the surface of the water and flies to the beach. The impact is hard as sand flies in all directions. I’m thrown forward, the control panel digging into my stomach, knocking the wind out of me. I groan as the final bits of sand fall down and it’s all over.
I had escaped Sunea successfully.
I rub my stomach after coughing a bit, trying to ease the sore. I’m suddenly very tired, and the ship is completely sapped of energy. I walk back towards the rear of the vehicle and open the door at the top of the ship. I crawl up and onto the roof. Behind me the ocean waves are too far to sweep the ship into the ocean. The entire front of the ship has dug into the sand. I slide off the side and onto the beach. Off in the distance is a city – a small one, but a city nonetheless. I pull on my boots to make sure my feet are securely in them, and trek off towards the city.
***
I finally reach the city. A large wall surrounds it, with a giant arc doorway and no guards. I step up to the entrance, shrug when I see nobody stopping me, and enter the city. Roads, some paved, some dirt, with stalls, shops and homes built along side them, covered the city. People bustle about, some ignoring others and are strictly doing business, some greeting and chatting with others. Nobody seems to notice me too much, luckily. I did not want to draw much attention.
I continue down the road, looking for any signs of vehicle shops so that I could get my ship repaired. I continue down and notice a young woman with long red hair and warm hazel eyes leaning against the wall of a house with her head down, her hand shoved into her purse. She wore a simple but pretty dress, with splits down each leg to give the most movement available.
I walk up to her and bow my head slightly. “Could you direct me to the nearest vehicle shop, miss?”
Her head jolts up. She glances at my ears. “Are you an Elf? My god, we haven’t had an elf in these parts since who knows when!” She continues looking at me and glances down my body. “My, you’re certainly fine! Do all elves look like you?” she giggles.
I blink. “Similar, for the most part.”
She brings her hands up to her mouth and giggles once more. “Oh right, your question! I believe there’s a shop if you head down the street and take the second left. Down that road there should be a shop on the right side. Not sure if it’s open though.”
“Thank you for your time.” I bow my head once more, and she begins giggling like mad. I try not to laugh but can’t withstand a smile. I head off down the street, shaking my head.
I take the second left as she directed me and continue down the street, looking to my right. I keep following the road until I come along a building, looking fairly old but well-kept, with a large sign reading:
Celeste Aroha’s Mechanics
I glance around and enter. Inside are many ships and machines, though they look much less sleek than elven ships. Grease puddles are splattered across the concrete floor. A small counter off to the right looks surprisingly clean though. I can only see one person here, a young woman with a welding mask on, messing with a ship. She’s lying on the floor, her hair spread across the ground.
“Hello?” I shout over the sound of the welding.
She quickly stops, scoots out from under the ship and flips up her welding mask, her hazy purple eyes meeting mine. Turning away from me, she quickly puts up her long black hair in to a ponytail and brushes the shorts adorning her lean body. Facing me again she smiles broadly.
“May I help you?” she asks.
~ Ricky
Anywho it's a 3 perspective narrative. Each chapter rotates between the 3 main characters and the story is told that way. I'll go ahead and post the first chapter. If anyone's interested go ahead and say so and I'll post more. My chapter's the 3rd one. The first chapter is written by my friend Ricky. It starts off with his character, a young elf. Keep in mind this was meant to be a book so the chapters aren't skimpy fan fic chapter sized xD
EDIT: Forgot to post the title of it. Duh. Lol.
Her Requiem
Chapter 1
Crystal rain pounds above the blindingly-white room. In the center is a lone white chair, hiding among the white floors, walls and ceiling. A young girl, with golden hair draping across her face like an elegant curtain, sits motionless inside it. Her eyes were lifeless.
Why is she the one who has to endure so much pain? The one person I know who has a pure, kind heart is the one to die. Why is it always like this? Why are the ones that deserve to live the ones to die?
I carefully and quietly place a foot farther into the room. Her skin is so pale… the only thing keeping her from disappearing into the room completely was her hair. She did not move. She did not blink. I take another step. A worn doll of a rabbit, with brightly colored eyes and ears is grasped inside my hand. I slowly reach my arm out and rest it in her lap.
“Adelaide… th – this was your favorite… can you… remember?” Her gaunt face bends down slightly, her eyes so empty look down at the doll. I grasp her hand in mine. I wait. Please, remember… come back to me…
***
I’m walking along the silent ponds, glimmering in the moon’s pale light. Looking into the water I see my reflection. My golden was dirty and needed to be washed. My emerald eyes sagged from lack of sleep. Even the plain brown robe wrapping around my neck was dirty. But I didn’t have time to wash up. I quickly turn away from the pond and continue on my walk.
Sunea is a surprisingly beautiful place. Trees twist and tangle into large forests far across the city I’m in. Many magical fountains shoot water into dazzling displays down the long stone roads. The moonlight reflects off the fountain water, sparkling against the dark sky. Stone buildings with large oak doors and glorious windows sit beside each road. And farther down the road there is a grand castle, with almost-white stone, a giant two-door entrance and multiple stain glass windows.
And yet, even through all this beauty, I can feel coldness. The forests whisper it, the winds whistle it. And I feel it. I can see the evil aura emitting from the large building down the road. It spreads across the skies like a veil of darkness. And yet the evil is coming from within… and I know it cannot be stopped.
My sister, Adelaide, was infected with an odd illness. Her body seemed alive, but her heart was dead. Her health was getting worse each day. I really don’t know what I can do. None of the doctors know what’s wrong with her, none of the local sages, alchemists, or priests could help her. I knew she was going to die if she didn’t get help soon, I could sense it. I could see the death looming behind her closed pale eyes. It waited to strike her down once her body and spirit was weak enough. She had been taken to a scientific laboratory to be studied on to research her illness and try and find a cure, but I knew that they just found her fascinating and wanted to study her. But I was too poor to pay for anything… this was the best I could do.
My feet, inside of large leather boots, cause ripples in the glimmering water. I’m walking near the fountains, a fine mist clings to my hair and robes. The trickling of the water begins to sooth my soul and mind, calming my tense muscles. I sigh lightly and sit down on a wooden bench. I look up towards the moon.
I had to save my sister’s life. She was my only family left, and the only person true of heart I knew. And yet it seems that there is no way to save her. It seems that I am going to be stuck inside this world for the rest of my pitiful life, to sob more tears each and every day as the memory of my sister passes through my mind. The wind will play its melancholy melody, passing through my soul. The forest’s voices will whisper to me the thoughts and times I once held with my sister. When my parents died and she held onto my side, crying into my robes. When I held her up and embraced her when she needed to be comforted. I would stare into the fountains below the moon’s aura once again, for eternity, and never would the memory of my sister be forgotten in my mind. My eyes suddenly focus onto the full moon above me.
I need to travel beyond that moon. I need to find a way to save my sister. I cannot carry on with her loss on my heart. I will save her.
***
Something taps me on the shoulder. It taps me again. I grumble and slowly my eyes flicker open. Sunlight bursts into my vision and I immediately squint. I notice a man standing near me, looking down at me with an irritated look spread across his pointy face. He’s garbed in expensive robes of dark blue and purple. He looks fairly important, and certainly rich.
“Get off the bench, pathetic youth. It’s against the law to sleep there, you know!” His voice is surprisingly high and annoying.
I quietly mutter some insulting words under my breath and stand up. I start to walk away, and turn to watch him. He raises his chin in superiority with a little humph and carefully sits down on the bench, being sure his robe has no wrinkles as he sits.
I roll my eyes and begin to weave through the crowd of elves. Most elves are tall and slender, with long legs and thin arms. Generally they have shiny blond hair, and all have the obvious long, pointed ears. Some wear dirty brown robes, such as myself, and others ware grand robes of extreme elegance and beauty. Though it all mattered little to me.
All that mattered right now was a way to escape from here.
I try to not look suspicious as I wander down the roads filled with elves. I keep checking to my sides to look for anything that might give me an idea on how to escape. It is forbidden for Elves to leave Sunea. Not a single elf has left since the forming of the new world. I needed to be the first. I was going to be the first.
I continue down the streets, my hope wandering away from me. Not a single thing have I seen that gave me even the slightest idea for escape. My eyes start to drag and not dart to side to side. I sigh from exhaustion and I’m about to sit down, when something catches my eye. I look over to my left, and there was a large building, mostly made of wood. A large sign was hung my chains over the door.
Vehicle Rentals and Sale
This seemed to be the only option available. I do not have much money at all, certainly not enough to rent a ship. I had to steal one… but I know very little of mechanics and even less on piloting. I shrug and hope I can figure it out when I need to escape.
Stepping up to the door, I figure I’ll see how the building is laid out. I open the creaky wooden door and quietly step inside. I can see far straight in front of me a doorway leads outside to a large stone deck. Many elven ships, plated in shining silver with elvish script bore into metal, looked very sleek and quick. A man stands behind a wooden counter reading a book. I walk up to the counter.
“May I please browse through your selection of ships?” I ask softly, trying to sound calm and collected.
“Sure thing,” he replies gruffly, standing up and setting the book down on the table. He motions for me to follow him, and he walks over to the doorway leading to the dock. I follow lightly at his steps, prepared to absorb all the surroundings I could.
He points towards the ship nearest to us. “Darkfire, I call it. A very fast and sleek machine indeed. It uses magical energies that it absorbs to travel, meaning you can fly without needing fuel. Although almost all my ships here have that ability,” he brags, smiling brightly and obviously feeling proud of his selection of ships.
We continue through the tour as I try not to fall asleep. His voice is surprisingly boring once he starts blabbering about ship mechanics, though I try to listen. The tour ends and I take in a large yawn, hoping I do not seem rude.
“So, are you gonna’ buy anything, laddie?” he asks bluntly.
“I can’t at the moment, but I am sure I will return for one of your ships. Thank you for your time.” I bow lightly with my head and quickly turn to leave. He didn’t understand quite what I meant by that.
I close the door behind and begin heading down the street. After weaving through a thick but lesser crowd than before, I finally reach the labratory. I turn and enter through the door, so that I may hold my sister’s hand one more time before I leave.
***
Rays of artificial light blast from the overhanging lamps out onto the white robes wrapped around my sister. I bend down over to her and grasp her hand.
“I will save you. I promise,” I assure her, not entirely sure she can hear me. But it was what I had to do. I could not break this promise. Slowly letting go of her cold and small hand, I stand up and pull some of my hair out my eyes. I take a thin black ribbon and use it to tie my hair into a small ponytail behind my head. I did not need it getting in my way while trying to pilot a ship.
I pull my boots into place and make sure my small knife, bundle of rope, and compass are fastened to my leather belt. As soon I know I am set, I turn to my sister.
“May the gods’ blessings be upon you, sister,” I whisper, grasping her hand one last time.
I quickly set out and leave the building. My boots click against the stone street and I can hear the trickling of the fountains. I immediately head down the road to the area the vehicle shop was at. As soon as I reach it, I put my hand on my knife.
I’m careful not to step in front of the door. I creep along the side of the wooden building, packed-down dirt below my feet. As soon as I reach the back of the building, I see the large dock full of ships. The deck doesn’t seem to have any real fence, so I run and leap as high as I can to step onto the deck.
A surging pain creeps through my nerves as I’m blasted away from the dock. I land hard on my back against the dirty ground, and quietly groan. It seems there is a magical fence guarding the ships.
I stand and rub my back softly, still hurting from the blow. How am I supposed to get to the ships? I look around but I can’t see anything that might help me get over the barrier. My eyes stumble across a large steeple-like structure on the building that stands on the roof nearest the dock. I smile and pull out my rope, quickly tie a large loop around the end of it, and toss it up towards the steeple.
Success! The loop falls around the steeple and I tighten it around the base. I hold onto the rope and begin to scale the side of the building. It’s surprisingly hard to hold on, my muscles burning, but I continue anyways. This was for my sister.
I reach the roof and crawl on top. I untie the rope and hook it back to my belt, and I look around the dock. Darkfire was nearest to me, and it seemed to be a very capable ship in my eyes, though I knew little about mechanics. I look around to make sure nobody’s coming, and I focus on the ship. I leap from the roof and land with a large thud onto the metal hull of the ship. I can hear the owner mutter something odd and get up from his chair. I have to act fast.
I find the door and quickly use the handle to lift it open. I slide inside and take a quick glance around. Many elvish scripts and symbols were written about the interior. At the far end there is a sleek silver control panel and two soft-looking seats, which are guarded by a windshield. I immediately rush over and sit down in the one of seats. I can hear the owner of the shop screaming and panicking. He would call the Sunea police force soon.
I take a quick glance down at the controls. Elvish symbols which only some of them I understand are all over the panel. Many buttons and lights and switches cover the silver. I didn’t have time to think too much about the controls, so I just take a guess and pull a switch that I believed was labeled engine. The ship roars to life and I look around for more controls.
Using the best I could muster, I manage to get the ship into the air, though it’s only hovering. Off in the distance I hear more ships. The police were coming!
I tap a button a large disk-shaped glowing panel extends in front of me. These must be the piloting controls. I wasn’t sure how they worked, but I had to figure it out now. If not my sister would be lost.
My sister would be lost.
My eyebrows furrow in concentration and instinct takes over. I reach my hand out and press it against the glowing elvish symbols. I close my eyes and concentrate. This was for my sister. I had to escape.
The ship lurches forward. I open my eyes and I see that I’m starting to fly over the dock and the road. I see in the distance the police force in sleek silver ships coming at full speed towards me. This was going to be a close call, I knew. So I concentrate once more.
The ship veers right and I shoot down over the road, the police force at my tail. I wasn’t sure if they had any firepower or not, but I didn’t want to take risks. I begin to weave around over buildings and roads, heading towards the forest. I suddenly hear a crackling noise and a large blast of red energy zips only inches from my ship. They definitely have firepower.
I’m almost to the forest, so I quickly shoot up and spiral over the forest trees. The forest was a deep green and very dense below me. I close my eyes and focus once more. I need to go faster.
The ship lurches a bit forward and the police’s fire begins to weave around me. I can see the edge of the forest in the distance, and the ship follows my commands and blasts towards it. I’m beginning to lose the ships behind me.
Or so I thought. I large beam of thundering energy slams into the side of my ship, causing me to veer off-course. I try to lift the ship up and keep it from spiraling into the forest, but it doesn’t seem to want to cooperate. I’m heading towards the forest. I wasn’t going to make it. I was going to fail my sister and both her and I would die.
But I had made a promise. I am one who does not break my promises.
And I wasn’t about to break this one.
I focus all my will into the ship; fire behind and to the side of me. But I ignore that. All I have to worry about is using the forest to my advantage. I would make it. I would make it for my sister.
I dive into trees, barely able to twist between their thick and twisted trunks. Branches scrape the hull as I rush through the brush. I can see the light shining through the forest through the trees. The light is my goal, a goal I have to accomplish.
I twist through the trees and scrape against a rather large one, but the ship seems to keep stable. The end was getting closer. I focus my will and press my sweaty hand harder against the symbols. The ship spirals and bursts through the edge of the forest.
I quickly turn so I can see where the police were, but they had stopped at the edge of the forest. They begin to crawl away from the edge and head back towards the city. I wonder why would they do that? I shrug and forget it. I had escaped from Sunea… I had a chance now to save my sister.
I can feel the ship lowering, so I take another look through the glass before me. There was nothing below me. I could only see clouds and the large floating island of Sunea behind me. I try to pull the ship up but it doesn’t want to budge. I can no longer see Sunea behind me. Where was I? What if I was stuck in this fog forever? I remember my compass. I pull it out and see that I’m heading west. I’ll just have to continue heading west and hope I pull out of the fog eventually. The ship continues to drift downwards though, and it’s slowing down slightly. What was wrong with it?
I didn’t know, but the fog was not getting better. So I cross my legs in the small seat and close my eyes. All I could do was pray to the gods that my quest will succeed.
***
I’ve been sitting here for hours, or at least I think I have. The fog hasn’t lifted as of yet, and I’m afraid that it will never lift. I’m still heading west, or at least that’s what my compass says, but I don’t seem to be getting closer to anywhere, and the ship has been slowing down. I’m not sure what’s wrong with it, but… what if keep falling until I fall into the depths of the world? I’ll be stuck inside this ship for the rest of my days to die. I sigh. I just have to keep going and hope that I’ll find land.
My thoughts are interrupted by a sudden beeping sound coming from the control panel. Red lights begin to flash over the buttons and switches. What’s going on? I quick look over them but I can’t see what’s wrong, I’m not skilled enough in the elvish language to read it. I’m staring at the controls, when something catches my eye. I look up out the windshield and notice the fog beginning to let up. Finally, I was making it out of the fog.
The fog finally disappears and I look around. Far below me is a large ocean, shining with the sun’s reflection. It spans for miles and miles. In the far distance I can see land. It’s green, with mountains farther along and some noticeable cities. It’s surprisingly far though, and the ship is slowly sinking lower and lower. I’m not sure if I can make it or not.
I quickly press my hand against the elvish symbols, but I notice the panel isn’t glowing as bright as before. I close my eyes and will the ship to go forward at full speed. It only slightly speeds up, and the ocean is slowly coming closer to the ship. The sky is clear except for the fog behind me.
The fog! That must be the secret to the ship. The owner of the shop said the ship ran off of magical energies it absorbed. Perhaps those magical energies were caused by the fog, and therefore were only in Sunea? And now the ship is running out of fuel. I look out to the land, which luckily looked bigger to me. Can I make it? I’m not sure if the ship can float in water, most likely not.
The ocean is getting too close. I have to believe and trust the ship, that it’ll make it to land. I press my hand harder against the fading symbols. I urge it to go forward, to make it to the land. A city was near the beach and perhaps I could get it repaired if I made it. I have to make it. I have to make it for my sister. She’s depending on me and my quest.
I grunt and I focus all my strength into the ship. I cannot die here. Not like this. This is not the time. But the ocean is coming closer to the ship. I’m going to die.
“NO!” I shout, screaming at the top of my lungs. I feel a feeling I have never felt before. Energy, raw and un-tempered, flows through my body. I can feel it in my spirit. It tingles along the back of my neck. This was magic inside of me.
I thrust my hand forward once more and felt the energy rushing through my arm and hand and into the control panel. The symbols suddenly light up and the ship lurches forward, only meters above the water now. The beach is in sight. I must make it to that beach. The ship flies across the water, still sinking, but not nearly as fast. Mist spins up from the ship as it blasts across the ocean. Almost there. The ship touches the surface of the water. I’m almost there!
With one final scream the ship skips off the surface of the water and flies to the beach. The impact is hard as sand flies in all directions. I’m thrown forward, the control panel digging into my stomach, knocking the wind out of me. I groan as the final bits of sand fall down and it’s all over.
I had escaped Sunea successfully.
I rub my stomach after coughing a bit, trying to ease the sore. I’m suddenly very tired, and the ship is completely sapped of energy. I walk back towards the rear of the vehicle and open the door at the top of the ship. I crawl up and onto the roof. Behind me the ocean waves are too far to sweep the ship into the ocean. The entire front of the ship has dug into the sand. I slide off the side and onto the beach. Off in the distance is a city – a small one, but a city nonetheless. I pull on my boots to make sure my feet are securely in them, and trek off towards the city.
***
I finally reach the city. A large wall surrounds it, with a giant arc doorway and no guards. I step up to the entrance, shrug when I see nobody stopping me, and enter the city. Roads, some paved, some dirt, with stalls, shops and homes built along side them, covered the city. People bustle about, some ignoring others and are strictly doing business, some greeting and chatting with others. Nobody seems to notice me too much, luckily. I did not want to draw much attention.
I continue down the road, looking for any signs of vehicle shops so that I could get my ship repaired. I continue down and notice a young woman with long red hair and warm hazel eyes leaning against the wall of a house with her head down, her hand shoved into her purse. She wore a simple but pretty dress, with splits down each leg to give the most movement available.
I walk up to her and bow my head slightly. “Could you direct me to the nearest vehicle shop, miss?”
Her head jolts up. She glances at my ears. “Are you an Elf? My god, we haven’t had an elf in these parts since who knows when!” She continues looking at me and glances down my body. “My, you’re certainly fine! Do all elves look like you?” she giggles.
I blink. “Similar, for the most part.”
She brings her hands up to her mouth and giggles once more. “Oh right, your question! I believe there’s a shop if you head down the street and take the second left. Down that road there should be a shop on the right side. Not sure if it’s open though.”
“Thank you for your time.” I bow my head once more, and she begins giggling like mad. I try not to laugh but can’t withstand a smile. I head off down the street, shaking my head.
I take the second left as she directed me and continue down the street, looking to my right. I keep following the road until I come along a building, looking fairly old but well-kept, with a large sign reading:
Celeste Aroha’s Mechanics
I glance around and enter. Inside are many ships and machines, though they look much less sleek than elven ships. Grease puddles are splattered across the concrete floor. A small counter off to the right looks surprisingly clean though. I can only see one person here, a young woman with a welding mask on, messing with a ship. She’s lying on the floor, her hair spread across the ground.
“Hello?” I shout over the sound of the welding.
She quickly stops, scoots out from under the ship and flips up her welding mask, her hazy purple eyes meeting mine. Turning away from me, she quickly puts up her long black hair in to a ponytail and brushes the shorts adorning her lean body. Facing me again she smiles broadly.
“May I help you?” she asks.
~ Ricky
