Above The Clouds: Destiny Of The Forsaken

By Rem Goode

Above the clouds is a fantasy novel written in an enchanting way, allowing readers to embark on a life-changing journey along with the main character. This story takes place in the land of Celestiopia, located above the clouds, invisible to the human eye. This realm was the home of beings with extraordinary powers. The story is centered around Stratus, a lonely, grumpy creature, who starts to question everything he had been taught. Pushed by a desire to be better and do more for the community, he decides to do whatever it takes to change his destiny. The struggles he faces along with the encounters he has, allow the character to evolve from a troubled introvert into a fearless leader. One of the themes of the novel is the constant chase for the ideal feeling of happiness, illustrated throughout the book as something an individual craves and needs in order to have a functional life. By telling the story of Stratus, the author manages to tell the story of every single person whom is trying to belong or is struggling to escape from a society that does not give them the freedom to be themselves.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rem Goode
• Release date: Dec 22, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310240805

Book preview

ABOVE THE CLOUDS

-Destiny of the forsaken-

Rem Goode

Copyright © 2014 Rem Goode

All rights reserved.

Distributed by Smashwords

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Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter One

The sun embraced the quietness of the forest as it rose. Stratus was sitting by the Lake of Forgetfulness watching how the morning breeze stirred ripples on the lake, distorting the reflection of the orange sky and snow-capped mountains.

Exhausted from the previous sleepless night, Stratus rubbed his eyes and combed his fingers through the tangles in his white beard, which fell to the ground. His hair was long and careless, reaching the top of his wide shoulders. Stratus was a creature of large stature; his fur was gray and dusty, filled with clumps, showing his preference for sleeping on the ground. He always wore a stern frown, but today the lines were deeper as his dark mood showed through.

His eyes, stormy grey in the morning dawn, shown blue, revealing his deep sadness as the morning sun crested the mountain peaks. After brushing a few loose hairs from his eyes, he stood and dusted his fur.

It's today, he said to himself. Today is the day a piece of me will be lost forever.

He let out a long sigh and made his way toward a path leading into the forest, looking with longing behind him into the distance.

The sun was high and sweat was dripping from his forehead. He'd been walking for hours at a slow pace managing to push back the idea that he could be lost. Pursing his lips while trying to get his bearings, he realized he was out of breath so he decided to take a break. He found a meadow where a cool breeze blew through the grass, a welcomed change from the stillness of the forest.

A well deserved rest, he said while picking up a few mushrooms. His diet usually included fruit, different roots, berries, and mushrooms. He found shelter from the sunrays under the shade of a big oak tree and in no time he fell asleep.

***

He leapt into the nothingness that was beneath him. His eyes were open when he jumped, so they stayed the entire time. The rush made his heart beat louder into his chest, and he could feel the adrenaline building up. He blinked and smiled, taking a deep breath, feeling the sun rays touching him gently, warming him up.

As the ground appeared closer and closer, with a rapid movement he opened his wings, soaring gracefully above the ground. Stratus' wings were long, thick, and twice his size, supporting his weight with ease. They were as black as the night and as strong as the winds; moving them took no effort, and the adrenaline faded into joy.

Approaching the mortal realm, he observed the world he was so curious about, and a feeling of peace and pride overwhelmed him. Changing the angle of his wings and extending them to their maximum limit, he flew up into the sky again and marveled at the view beneath him. Heading upward, he came to a motionless halt and took in all the details of the land around him.

Suddenly the air thickened and a strange force started pulling him downward. He struggled with every breath to stay in the air, but what at the beginning was effortless had now become struggle. His muscles burned with pain as he fought the sky, falling closer toward the ground. The force continued to pull him downward, confusing him. He fought it the best he could, because allowing it to win wasn't an option.

Gathering the last of his strength, he forced his wings to beat faster in an effort to seek shelter. Looking up, he saw his home in the distance, the realm above the clouds, and regretted he jumped as the pain got the best of him, causing him to go down. He fell into the dry dirt with a big impact. Stunned, he needed a few moments to recover and shake off the confusion of what just happened. He was now on the human realm, and a strange feeling crept into his heart.

Blinking, he was suddenly surrounded by darkness. Seeing a dim light in the distance, he started walking toward it.

The closer he got, the heavier his wings felt, pressing against his back. Their weight burdened him, and as he dragged them, he wished them gone.

As he walked, the light moved farther away, making the exit unreachable. The sound of dripping water reverberated inside the cold damp cave and he began to shiver. Taking step after step, he realized he wasn't getting any closer and stopped to rest in the darkness.

Looking behind him, he saw another exit, and feeling confused he turned only to see that the previous one had disappeared, and darkness took its place.

Despair overtook him, and with one quick burst of energy he opened his wings and flew toward the light behind him, reaching a valley. Proud and relieved that he had escaped, he settled to the ground and looked toward the cave entrance. It had disappeared, and replacing it now stood a tall tree with golden leaves. His mood shifted from confused to curious, and he went to inspect it. The roots were twice as big as the crown and became bigger as he approached them. He climbed them, ignoring the idea that he could fly instead. As he reached the top of the roots, which was just the base of the tree, he looked down and saw that thick thorns grew in the places his feet touched.

As Stratus looked up, the tree seemed huge, and out of proportion compared to him, the leaves were too high to see. Only a golden light shined from above, forcing him to look away.

What a strange place the human world is, said Stratus as he sat on one of the thick roots.

Your wings are majestic, said a deep raspy voice that echoed throughout the valley, startling Stratus. Thinking he was alone, he looked around to see who was complimenting him.

They are so big and beautiful, the voice boomed out again. Stratus realized that it was the tree speaking to him.

You're beautiful as well, tree, said Stratus, patting its rough bark. He immediately pulled back his hand as he pricked his finger on a thorn, causing a light bleed.

Stratus was startled by a melodious note that woke him. It was Undine, blowing the reunion horn, announcing that the festivities were about to begin. He stretched his legs and smoothed his hair, realizing the nap had turned into a few good hours