Starmarked

By Brian Labore

Honoring their duty for generations, the Starmarked have brought a long-lasting peace to the land of Issale but their people are fading.
After years of wondering if they might be the last, the Starmarked rejoice as their king and queen welcome newborn twins into the shining city of Sidrial. Unique from the start, Prince Aten and Princess Aleral offer renewed hope for the future.
As the twins swear to uphold their ancient duty, they must learn the ways of their people and come to control the power of the startouch. While they train, however, they discover a secret hidden in their ancient castle that leads them on a quest to discover a truth long forgotten.
Aten and Aleral try to discover the destiny lost to them in the stars and uncover the secret to who and what they are, a secret that may hold the key to brining peace to Issale once and for all.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brian Labore
• Release date: Jan 21, 2012
• ISBN: 9781465898548

Brian Labore

No one of note. I like writing stories and appreciate you taking the time to read them.

Book preview

Starmarked

By Brian Labore

For Autumn-

my guiding star.

Contents

Issale

The Grand Observatory

The Call of Everkeep

Battle Below the Wall

The Throne of Shifting Sands

Ascension Day

The Council

Training Begins

A New Path

Celebration

The Heroes of the Six Horns

A Castle of Shadows

The Legendary Starmarked

Under the Eye

A Day on Silverdeep

The Dawnwind Festival

The Southern Forest

Leave None Behind

Unlocking the Past

A Distant Threat

A Call to Duty

The Thunderspires

The River Fortress

The Biting Horde

The Burning Breach

The Black Arena

Beyond Destiny

A Crowded Castle

1

The Grand Observatory

The silence of the dim corridor was broken by the soft 'click' of a door latch. After a pause the heavy door swung open and two sets of tiny eyes peeked into the hall.

Confident the corridor was empty, Aten and Aleral dashed forward carefully, placing their footsteps across ancient floorboards and shifting carpets without a sound.

With well-rehearsed precision they rushed toward the large door at the end of the hall. Aten somersaulted forward and came up on his hands and knees directly under the latch. A moment later Aleral vaulted off his back and caught the door handle. She quickly shuffled her tiny hands over the latch and let her weight pull the mechanism down.

'Click.'

The second door latch released and Aten rolled sideways, pressing his ear to the door while his sister dropped down silently beside him. A few excited heartbeats passed with no sound and the pair shared a wide grin.

The moment of congratulations passed quickly, however, and they both took long, quiet breaths to steady themselves. In one motion, Aten pulled the door open and the twins lunged through the narrow gap before shutting it tight again.

Eyes closed, the pair of them pressed themselves into the walls inside the dark room. After a few moments Aten peeped one eye open and scanned the chamber. Tapping his sister with his foot, their smiles flashed as brightly as their cheek-stars at the realization that they remained unnoticed.

Not sparing another moment, Aten rolled to the right and Aleral to the left, using memorized paths to move as invisibly as possible. Their cheek-stars flashed brighter with nervous excitement as they moved closer and closer to the center of the large chamber. Step by step they moved knowing that even the slightest sound might give them away. Closer and closer until, unable to bear the excitement any longer, they pounced!

It is today! They shouted as they launched themselves into their parents' bed. Wake up! It is today!

Phelion and Tarra scrambled through a tangle of blankets and pillows like fresh fish in a net. As they struggled the twins tackled them, giggling and dancing and all the time chanting, 'It is today!'

After a few confused moments and a shout or two, the king and queen snatched up their children playfully and joined in the laughter. Alright, alright, we're awake. Phelion said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

The sun is up! The sun is up! Aten said with his arms outstretched as if in flight.

That means it is today! Aleral skipped across the bed, flipping herself forward.

"It is today. Tarra yawned and pulled a cord that slid some heavy curtains apart, flooding the room with bright morning sun. If only just barely."

Yes! It is today! The twins sang in unison.

Happy birthday! Phelion said as he snatched Aten up and tickled him through shrieks of laughter.

And happy birthday to you too, princess. Tarra caught her daughter and snuzzled her as she writhed and giggled.

Can we go now? Aten wrapped himself around his father's shoulders.

You promised! Aleral threw herself in her mother's lap.

Starmarked don't move so quickly in the morning hours. Phelion said as he pressed a pillow over his head to block out the sunlight. The stars have only just set, couldn't you have let us at least get a proper day's sleep?

Father! I don't think we could bare another moment locked away in these rooms. Aten tugged at his father's blankets.

Mother, please! Aleral draped herself on her mother. You said we would be old enough!

Phelion sat up and he and Tarra laughed as the twins pleaded over-dramatically. Despite the early hour the king and queen had been looking forward to this day at least as much as the children.

Well, Tarra took their hands in hers. I suppose since we're already awake we best make use of the day. Are you ready to see it? Are you ready to see the Grand Observatory?

Yes! The children exploded with excitement and in an instant they sprung from the bed and ran in circles around the room in mock flight.

We get to fly! We get to fly! Aten cheered.

The Grand Observatory! Aleral twirled. I bet we can see the whole castle!

I bet we can see the whole valley! Aten squealed.

"I bet we can see the whole world!" Aleral gasped excitedly.

The Eye of Sidrial can see many things, in this world and beyond. Phelion said with an air of mystery that made the twins' markings sparkle with wonder.

It did not take long for the elated children and the groggy parents to dress and soon they all stood together on the main balcony of the royal apartments.

The twins jubilantly watched as their parents' markings glowed and the blue-white light washed over them. After all the times they had seen the king and queen ignite their markings, they were still spellbound by the sight of it.

Phelion and Tarra took their children's hands and felt them trembling with excitement. It is time. Tarra said, unable to hide her own eagerness.

Aten and Aleral held their breaths and nodded, unable to find words in this moment that they had awaited for so long.

Gently, the light danced from their parents' hands and surrounded them. Warm and comfortable, the auras that extended around them felt welcoming and safe. As the sensation passed over them the stone of the balcony floor fell effortlessly away.

Flying.

The freedom of the flight was something that neither Aten nor Aleral could describe. They felt as if they belonged in the sky, like that until now they had been trapped in a slogging mud and only now had they broken free.

Breathlessly the twins waved their hands through the open air, catching every sensation of the sky. In the borrowed auras the children found even the smallest kick sent them speeding forward and the slightest shift of weight would send them looping through the sky.

The cool morning breeze all around, they glided upward and the castle spread out beneath them. The Lords of the Starmarked circled the main tower, enjoying the wide-eyed wonder of their children, climbing higher still until they soared over the Grand Observatory.

Wow... The twins gasped at the sight of it.

Shining like a jewel, the glass and silver dome resembled a miniature night sky. From the center of the dome stretched the enormous Eye of Sidrial, the largest of the castle's telescopes, its unfaltering gaze set upon the heavens. Surrounding the massive lens were countless smaller telescopes that wound through an intricate network along its length. It was a mazework of masterfully crafted metal with every cog, switch, and surface etched with elaborate decoration.

Phelion and Tarra glided to one of the balconies of the Great Observatory and the twins felt their weight return to them as their parents’ light retreated to their markings.

The immense door before them was entwined with spiraling golden filigree. Within the design sat a series of gears and cogs that ticked slowly, hinting at the more intricate mechanism inside. Phelion and Tarra swept out their hands and their markings pulsed. At the same time the filigree patterns raced with light and the door echoed with ratcheting clicks and clacks. Punctuated at last by the singular clank of a large hidden bolt, the door slowly began to swing open.

Welcome to the Great Observatory. Phelion said proudly.

Along each wall whirred a complex of gears and ticking levers that moved countless devices tracking the night sky like a well-maintained clock. Rows and rows of shelves filled with books and scrolls were surrounded by elaborate mosaics showing portraits of past Starmarked heroes. On one entire wall stretched another mosaic, a towering map of the whole of Issale made entirely of colorful stones and gems.

In the center of the room the enormous telescope, the Eye of Sidrial, stretched through the crystal ceiling. Resting on a carriage of brass that rode on a series of gears, the great telescope moved smoothly and delicately along well-oiled bearings that left no angle of the sky unseen.

Aten and Aleral watched the mechanical night sky ticking around them. They imagined it would take a lifetime to explore every corner and study every page.

Well? Tarra said as she knelt between the awestruck twins. What are you waiting for?

Without another word they both raced into the chamber.

I didn't think there were this many books in the whole world! Aleral ran up and down the shelves. She grabbed a particularly thick volume and flipped through the pages filled with intricate illustrations. It would take a lifetime to read them all!

Some of these volumes are said to be as old as Sidrial itself. Tarra said as she opened a small scroll. I don't think anyone has ever read every single one.

Aleral filled her arms with heavy books so that it seemed her tiny legs might buckle under a crush of pages. I will! She said, wobbling over to a nearby desk. Bol tells the most wonderful stories of ancient battles and heroes and I've heard Master Prophecer Vannat and High Channelae Mato speak about the great scholars and healers of our ancestors. Aleral said without stopping for a breath.

Tarra smiled and leaned against the bookshelf watching her little princess dive into the books. As her daughter flipped through the pages, eyes wide, the queen could not help but imagine Aleral adding her own volume to the library of heroes

I see something! Aten shouted as he hung precariously form the Eye of Sidrial, his body impossibly contorted around whatever gear or dial that could hold him.

Phelion shook his head as he untangled his son and looked through the lens. After adjusting several knobs and levers, he brought the vision into focus. A great discovery indeed. He chuckled. Those are the Thunderspires, the rock cliffs that churn the sea on the other side of Issale.

Aten scrambled up to the eye-piece again, anxious to make more discoveries. He manipulated more wheels and handles and before long he was already mastering the controls. Swinging, dangling, and all but crawling over the telescope the young boy was soon easily tracking small birds as they darted across the sky as if he had spent a lifetime operating the device.

Phelion marveled at the ease in which is son grasped the complicated device and wondered what amazing discoveries the prince might make in the years to come.

There is so much to see! Aten turned the gears, bringing distant rivers, mountains, and forests into focus. Have you been to all these amazing places?

Phelion chuckled. My son, when the night comes you will see that exploring the Stars through the Eye of Sidrial is more of an adventure than any you will find down there.

I want to see! I want to see! Aleral ran up behind her brother, her curiosity for the grand telescope finally winning out over the trove of books. Aten was keen to share his discoveries and in a short time he had shown her the workings of the many levers and dials.

The ocean goes on forever! Aleral squeaked as she held her gaze to the eye-piece while her brother operated the controls. Even the Eye of Sidrial cannot see its end!

Some say it is as limitless as the sky. Tarra said as she joined them.

The twins continued to explore, gasping at the incredible sights. Having never been outside the castle walls, every distant sight was filled with wonder. They followed flocks of birds that swooped over the western forests, marveled at the countless waterfalls that raced into the valley, and even found the human town of Drifthaven curious and exciting.

All at once, however, their playful laughter stopped and confused looks replaced smiles. Aten turned the dials to focus and Aleral moved the levers but the confusion only grew.

The sky to the south... Aten said, his eye fixed on the lens. it disappeared!

Phelion and Tarra traded grave looks. Not disappeared... Phelion said, ...erased.

The twins released the controls. Erased?

"Corrupted is more like it. Tarra said. Burned to nothing by the warlords of the wastes."

Phelion could see the curious looks on the faces of his children. It is time you knew the full legacy of your people.

The island valley of Issale, he said as his markings pulsed with light and the magnificent mosaic map glimmered brightly.

Aten and Aleral stepped closer. Issale was an immense island ringed all around by high mountains. The only break in the continuous mountain wall was that of the Thunderspires, a tiny crack of jagged rocks that blocked the only channel to the open ocean on the Northwestern side of the island. On the other side of Issale, opposite the spires, they noticed a miniature jewel Sidrial glimmering in the northeastern mountain mosaic. Between the castle and the spires, along the northern half of Issale were lush forests criss-crossed with rivers nestled with human towns. Among them, they could easily read 'Drifthaven' written across the largest and most central of the settlements. The rivers eventually emptied into the sprawling Silverdeep lake that sat at the base of Sidrial's mountains, the lake a glistening border between the Starmarked and human homes. Below the lake, forests, and riverways an enormous wall stretched across Issale from east to west following a wide river that divided the valley island in half.

The southern half of Issale told a different story. Below the Evercourse, the twins were puzzled as the map seemed wholly blank except for a single black tower etched in the middle of the mosaic wasteland.

A long time ago, long before the Starmarked came to these shores, the land of Issale was home to a vengeful warlord who ruled his corrupted kingdom from his dark citadel. Tarra said as a deep violet glow pulsed around the miniature black tower. Greedy and cruel, the master of the waste enslaved the powerless humans who lived for generations serving his every pitiless whim.

Broken and weak, the humans were withering and helpless. Phelion continued. They knew only fear and pain as they toiled in burning caverns, digging deeper and deeper to strip the land of all its treasures.

Aten and Aleral gasped at the story. Where did he come from?

The tales of his origins are lost to time. Tarra answered. Not even the Prophecers have been able to answer that mystery.

Knowing their master’s hunger for power would never be satisfied and that it would be on their breaking bones that he would build his empire, Phelion continued. The ill-fated humans called to the heavens for help.

And their prayers were answered. Tarra said with a flash of her markings that sent a sparkling shimmer over the map, lighting a field of gemstone stars that surrounded the island.

That very night, the sky blazed with fire and the ground shook. Phelion said with a proud smile. From the night sky came the first of the Starmarked, sent from the heavens to protect the humans and drive the warlord back.

The warlord was powerful and his hordes seemed limitless. Tarra went on. But by the might of our people he was driven southward below the river that divides this country. The words ‘Evercourse River’ glowed over the wide river in the center of the map

The Starmarked then built the Everkeep Wall that guards that river to this day. The name of the wall glowed along its length on the map. Along its length there are twelve watchtowers, each with a great horn. Again the map lit up, each of the outposts along the wall shining with a tiny pearlescent horn. From here human guards watch the wasteland, ready to sound the Sentry Horns at the first sight of the dark hordes and call our people to action once again.

Dark hordes? Aten squeaked as he and his sister retreated behind their parents, the twins eyes fixed on the tiny black citadel that beat with an ominous purple light.

Have no fear, little Starling. Phelion smiled. "Over the centuries, army after army has crashed against the wall and over the centuries the Starmarked have held that line. As the years have past, the

Reviews for Starmarked

[Nicole Jakubowski · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Original and fun. Great read for middle grade.