Unity: Book One of Ascension

By David S Croxford

Unity follows the tale of Rinne, an ascended human that is forced to hide from her previous life. After an encounter with the leader of her path Rinne escapes from her home to follow another ascended being to safety. Unwittingly, Rinne's actions bring forth a great army, seeking to destroy all ascended beings and their target is her new home. Rinne finds herself thrust into action where she will do anything to protect those she has endangered and make the decision whether or not to take the life of those that seek to kill her.

• Language: English
• Publisher: David S Croxford
• Release date: Dec 26, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311651051

David S Croxford

I have been writing for many years ever since I was inspired by the first fantasy book I read which was Lord of The Rings. This grew a passion within me and the worlds began to grow within my mind.As I developed them on odd bits of paper and filled notepads with the sentences that grew into paragraphs and the books began to grow.My passion is writing and to share my mind with others.

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UNITY

by David S Croxford

Copyright 2015 David S Croxford

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Prologue

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

Epilogue

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Prologue

The battle of the guardians had raged for a century, great volcanos spewed forth their molten liquid. Winds blew the trees from their strong purchases in the ground and waves washed even the rocks into sand.

The humans that lived on the lands of the world hid from the weather, surviving within the mountains that shook and in deep valley's that protected them from the worst.

The land became saturated with essence; the life force and power the guardians controlled.

When the guardians had finally settled their differences and chose to slumber the world was different, lands had shifted, humans separated by oceans and even the humans themselves had changed.

Slowly the humans left their mountains and valleys, spreading across the lands and building colonies. Each took with them the books of learning and built vast cities, monasteries and communities. But it wasn't long before the human nature of dominance began building, leaders squabbled over land as populations boomed and aggression became the main tool to settle the disputes.

The fighting spread quickly and the human numbers started plummeting as communities were destroyed and cities were wiped. The guardians were awoken by the disturbance in the essence of the world and the triplets were angry and fought each other.

They raged into the world, causing destruction and death, releasing the essence that had saturated the world and all that was living upon it, until the day that the mother awoke from her own slumber deep within then earth. She managed to stop them and send them back to sleep, but their essence had changed the humans it had been awoken within.

Some began to change, their bodies underwent a transformation, with fingers extending, bodies stretching and their skin grew tiny scales the colour of flesh.

Most humans were unaware of what was happening, as the populations began to grow once more the transformations became more apparent and then when the word spread that these transformed humans could wield essence to their own will they became feared.

Chapter One

The dark cloak shrouded her from the daylight as she walked through the city of philosophers. Towering buildings blocked the sun but enough light managed to get through to would give her away should anyone be looking.Every person that passed went about their daily business, but she could feel their stares. The strange figure hiding behind a hood brought curiosity out of a people that craved knowledge and understanding, but nobody questioned her and she hurried on. The various scents of the chemicals being used tickled her nose and she sneezed, quickly grabbing at the hood to stop it from falling down.

With a fast-beating heart, she reached the safe house and knocked twice upon the door. The scuffing of chairs on the floor sounded within the house and a few moments later the door opened to reveal an elderly man, whose white hair had been stained various colours from the use of the powders and liquids common to the practice of alchemy.

Who is it? said the man, his voice cracked and he looked closely with eyes that had begun to fail.

The girl looked into the street, checking that it was clear and then pulled the hood off, revealing thick blond hair and sharp features.

It is me she spoke softly.

A questioning look appeared on his face.

It is Rinne Ah, come in child. It is far too cold to be out in the street

Rinne entered the small house and removed the cloak. The air felt warm and stuffy with the familiar scents of cinnamon and aniseed.

The weather is clear and warm out there father The old man was not her real father, but he had taken her in when she lived upon the streets. You have it so hot in here that you wouldn't know a warm day

Father shuffled back through the circular room, skilfully avoiding the cauldrons and flasks containing a myriad of colourful liquids, each stood on a stove bubbling away and evaporating their sweet smells. He reached a wall and knocked on it twice, a shuffling sound could be heard and then a hidden door opened, out came three people of various ages.

Rinne shuddered as the flickering light from the fires revealed the features of each person. Expressed cheek bones caused them to look gaunt and their fair coloured hair shimmered in the firelight. Even their skin seemed to sparkle and her eyes were drawn to the elongated fingers on each of their hands. There were other physical differences that separated the ascended from humans, Rinne knew all too well for the cloak only shielded her from the humans, not herself.

She remembered the change. Well on her way to becoming a great scientist, her work was gaining the notice of the right people and some even called her a genius, till the fateful day in her laboratory.

It had felt warm all morning, sleepless nights working had fatigued her and she could feel all concentration waning. Suddenly her skin seemed to set ablaze and a white light engulfed her vision, the pain was unbearable and Rinne screamed for relief.

It is unknown how long she had been trapped in the light but found herself on the floor of the laboratory, surrounded by the other scientists that worked for her. It was their faces that stuck burned within her memory.

Friends that she had worked with for years now encircled her, looks of disgust and pity consumed her and a few had even back away. It was only when she brought a hand to her face that hands unfamiliar to her neared eyes still heavy with tears from the pain.

Long fingers with nails that formed a slight point flexed as she told hers too, in a frantic bid to remove the sight she had shaken those gruesome hands, but they wouldn't go. Looking up again Rinne noticed that some of the people that had surrounded her had now disappeared.

Help me she sobbed with a voice that was not hers.

The few left whispered to one another. She had held out a hand but none there would take it and she fell into a sobbing ball on the floor.

It had not taken long before her ears registered the lab doors opening and a new set of voices began talking. Quickly Rinne recognised the dull voice of grand librarian Garan, the current leader of the Path of Philosophy.

Explain again what happened? his voice carried across the room and made Rinne shudder.

"We were just working in the lab