Chronicles Chapter One: Reflections

By Dominique Smith

Welcome to book one of the Chronicles trilogy! Follow Tujex Leo'Nadia, a young elven boy torn from his family as a child and raised by a band of mercenaries. He's spent the last decade of his life in their care, and now it's time for him to undergo his final tests and take on his rite of passage. His teachers know no mercy, and will hold nothing back as they push him beyond his limits and prepare him for the world. Does our young hero have what it takes to best his mentors and earn the power and prestige that comes with being a full fledged member of the Tower Mercenary Guild? Is he ready for the secrets of his ancestral bloodline? And what will he do with his newfound freedom?

There's only one way to find out! Enjoy chapter 1 of the episodic journey!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dominique Smith
• Release date: Oct 1, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370004492

Dominique Smith

Writer of the Chronicles series, and the mind that created the character of Tujex. Share my imagination with me, and enjoy the story,

Book preview

Chronicles

Chapter 1:

Reflections

By Dominique Smith

Copyright © 2017 by Dominique Smith

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

without the express written permission of the publisher

except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Table of Contents

Prologue

C: 1 A: 1 Blade Works

C: 2 A: 2 Familiar

C: 1 A: 3 Little Angel

C: 1 A: 4 The First Rule

C: 1 A: 5 Psychonauts

C: 1 A: 6 Half-Blood Prince

C: 1 A: 7 Reflecting

C: 1 A: 8 Rite of Passage

Prologue

A pair of frightened blue eyes peered out from behind strands of snowy white hair. A young boy of elven descent, sat with his siblings in the arms of their mother. They were huddled in the corner of the children’s bedroom with breaths short and voices low as they spoke with one another. The rain pounded against the shingles, muffling the sounds of heavy footsteps and shouting outside. It had been this way all morning, and the children sat here patiently at their mother’s request. She had promised their father would arrive to take care of things shortly, but they hadn’t seen nor heard from him since earlier that morning. He didn’t doubt in his father’s ability to get things right, but the energy of the day had just been incredibly disturbing and the young elf had no way to describe the feeling other than that. He simply sat with his trembling hands gripping at his shirt in an attempt to remain calm while they sat.

The sounds of footsteps on wooden floors caused them all to turn their attention towards the opposite end of the room. The door slid open to reveal a man drenched in rainwater, his white hair a mess about his head. His sharp green eyes immediately locked onto the group in the corner, and a warm smile slid across his face. The youngest boy’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of this newcomer; the father they had all been waiting on. He opened his mouth to call out to his pops, but his eldest sister slapped her hand over his mouth and moved his face so he had no choice but to see her finger held over her pursed lips. She was right, and he would apologize through his gaze. She loosened her grip on his jaw and he turned his eyes towards his father. A pool was beginning to form under him from the water dripping off his raincoat. It didn’t take long for him to notice that strong red hue and immediately recognized it as blood.

The man quickly gathered them all, pulling his youngest boy in close. Keep forward. Don’t look back. No matter what, he whispered in his ear, ruffling his mess of white hair before handing him a coat to shield him from the storm outside. The youth was confused by these words, and had absolutely no idea how they were intended. Were they directions on how to survive this increasingly grim situation, or was this maybe just advice? He shrugged the thoughts off and took the statement as both, throwing the coat on and drawing the hood over his head. He glanced up to his father, locking eyes, and couldn’t help but notice an extreme sadness in the returning glare. The boy gripped at his stomach as it twisted in knots. He couldn’t help thinking what it was that his father was hiding from them. He couldn’t help but wonder what the hell could cause the man before him to walk with such emotion in his eyes.

But they moved forward, just as he said. The rain fell like a waterfall, beating atop their heads in quantities that made their coats seem nonexistent. The boy looked to his left and right and could barely make out the figures of his family through the water pouring into his eyes. It was only for the gentle hands of his mother that he was even able to move forward in this storm as they navigated through alleyways and vacated homes towards a destination that none of them were aware of. They all simply followed silently like the little minions they were, trying to keep from drowning on land. Father certainly knew what he was doing. He certainly knew where he was going. He wouldn’t fail them. He never did. Or…at least that’s what they’d tell themselves.

The family soon stumbled into a small shed where three cloaked figures stood, soaked just as they were. Took ya long enough. We thought you got lost out there, the middlemost man said as he stepped forward. His face was concealed by the shadows cast from his hood, but strands of brown hair could be seen hanging from somewhere underneath. The brunette looked down at the children with a grin. I’ve heard much of each of you. But we need to move fast so…Tujex you come with me. The youngest boy’s eyes went wide as he heard his name. He looked to his father, but before he could shape his mouth to call out to him the man had scooped him up and flung him over his shoulder. His siblings turned, their expressions only carrying half the shock of his own. That is, at least until they were snatched up in the same way by the two remaining figures and were drug back into the storm. He’s in good hands Esthereal. You and U’Valine focus on the fight, the man holding Tujex said with a wide grin before he too vanished into the thick of the storm.

Confusion was something he had more than an abundance of at this moment as he looked back at the city he had just been stripped from. His hometown, shrouded in the mist created by the rainfall, getting farther with every step he and the man took. He hadn’t spoken a word yet, and was almost still scared to despite them having made it so far from the city limits. He simply continued to watch the horizon as his weight was slung about on the shoulders of this strange man. Never look back, were the words that echoed inside his mind, his