The Valley Chronicles

By C. M. Selbrede

Two years ago, John and Violet Jenson found themselves in the Valley, a magical world where animals and humans lived together in peace. Now, they have returned, only to find that everything has changed. Their worst enemies, the Soldiers of Sorrow, have returned from the dead, shattering the Valley itself into two opposing sides. As John and Violet find themselves on opposing sides of the burgeoning conflict, they are forced to face forgotten truths about themselves and the ones they trust in this utterly unique tale of family, friendship, and warring ideologies.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jan 26, 2016
• ISBN: 9781329848030

Book preview

The Valley Chronicles

The Valley Chronicles

Copyright © 2016 by Craig Selbrede

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 or scholarly journal.

First Printing: 2016

ISBN: 978-1-329-84803-0

ACC Publishing Ink.

Cover Art by Sophie Shen

Dedication

To everyone who gives this book a try.

Prologue:

An Echo of the Past

It was night. The boy crouched behind the bush with his ally, the two of them wreathed in darkness. They watched the dark palace with a quiet determination, their hard eyes taking in the terrifying sight before them. A once-beauteous palace, swarming with those who followed the Soldiers of Sorrow, loomed ominously. It looked so different from the last time the boy had seen it, the once-shining turrets now crumbling despite the fact that it had only been occupied for mere months. Still more of the Soldiers' dark magic. At this very moment, the boys' allies were marching from all sides towards this monument to darkness, waiting for him and his friend to fulfill their role in saving the Valley.

Are you positive this is a good idea? the badger whispered to the boy.

This is the only idea, the boy pointed out dryly. Our part in the strategy was to open the Summer Palace gates. That hasn't worked out as planned, thanks to that unexpected cave-in.

But is it safe to follow the word of a strange owl? the badger mused. We don't know who he is, or why he has offered this passage to us. It is most likely a trap.

True, the boy acknowledged, but it's our only hope of getting there in time. The rest of the Royal Guard's plan hinges on us getting this right.

We didn't plan on facing the Soldiers on our own, the badger remained hesitant. They're too powerful for the two of us.

If the Soldiers attack us, we can use this. The boy produced a small paper with a few glyphs on it. Ruby and Topaz made it to backfire on the Soldiers. We can only use it once, but it'll be well worth it.

All right. The badger dipped his head. I trust your judgment. Let's finish this.

The human and the animal moved in perfect synchronization, moving past the dazed and miserable creatures and toward the village that lay nearby. Upon arrival, they headed into the hut of timber and sod. The owl's story checked out thus far - before them, the duo could easily glimpse the dark break in the Earth, a passageway leading into the soil and hopefully into the compromised Summer Palace.

With one last glance at the world above, the two Royal Guardsmen crept into the hole, the human producing a small lantern which lit the cramped passageway. After a few minutes, it began sloping upwards. The two allies then arrived in a large, empty hallway.

Clearly they're waiting for us, the badger murmured. We would not have made it this far otherwise.

The boy opened his mouth to agree, but he was cut off by a horribly familiar voice. I couldn't agree more.

Despair himself.

The Soldier of Sorrow stalked silently and forlornly down the hall, his face lit with a disturbingly empty smile. Reacting quickly, the boy produced the glyphs and pressed down upon the activation sigil. Too late did he recognize the familiar feeling of another Soldier in his mind - Ignorance.

The energy which arced from the paper hit the false image of Despair and dissipated. Ignorance and Despair, the real Despair, stepped from the shadows, a barn owl and a human sentry by their side. Silly boy. Did you hope to stop us with such a paltry trick?

The boy swallowed hard, taking a step back as his ally settled into a fighting stance. Go ahead and kill me. The boy tried to sound brave, though he was quavering in his armor. You'll never stop the Crown from reclaiming the Valley.

"I won't be killing anyone, Despair sniffed, motioning for Ignorance to follow him as he headed toward the door. What kind of monster do you take me for? A short laugh escaped the frightening man who was no longer a man. I have people for that. Sentries! He called out. Do me a favor and kill the one who survives."

The one who survives? the boy repeated timidly, turning to the badger. What do you think he--? He stopped short, seeing the state of his companion.

The badger writhed on the floor, his roars punctuating the air. Rrrrrthey'reinmyheadrrrrun..., he growled. The boy took a step back, but the Sentries around him drew their bows, smiling at him.

You're not going anywhere, kid, the owl chirped.

The boy turned to the other sentry, a human. Help him, he pleaded.

The human sentry laughed. I'd worry about helping yourself.

The badger leaped at the boy, who dove out of the way and scrambled to his feet. The boy drew his sword, raising it tentatively at his ally.

You made us come here; you misused the glyphs, the badger roared. I'm never going to see my cubs again, and it's all your fault!

We can figure this out. The boy breathed out slowly. They're in your head.

I know. The boar seemed to soften. And it's all your fault. He once again leaped at the boy, who made a break for it across the hall. The animal cut him off, his speed winning out as he tackled the boy and pinned him to the wall. As his foaming jaws neared the boy's neck, the boy struggled to push him off and free himself.

P-please.. he murmured.

Your fault! the badger growled.

The jaws snapped only hairs away from the boy's neck. He saw his life flash before his eyes, and felt desperation flood him. The boy pushed one more time, and he was saved as the badger fell away.

But his salvation came at a cost.

Too late did he remember the sword he was carrying, and too late did he realize what he had done. He stared, horrified, at the animal and the sword, now one, equally unliving. This was his doing.

The Sentries laughed, beginning to advance upon their remaining prey. The boy did not react.

He could only stare, stricken, at his ally while they advanced. His heart was pounding and his mind was reeling. What was the point? Even if they won this day, what was the point? This creature would still be dead, as would the countless others the Soldiers had killed. Five badger cubs were without a father because a few evil people had decided that life didn't matter.

Ready to die, kid? the owl hooted.

The rage broke him from his thoughts. He tore his sword from his dead friend and rushed at his new adversaries with a newfound speed. Surprised by his sudden ferocity, they moved too slowly as the boy delivered a hard blow with the butt of his sword to the human's helmeted head, twisting around to hack at the owl as his first enemy staggered, disoriented. He grounded the owl next, maneuvering it so it hit against the stone wall and spiraled to the ground. The human rushed at him, but the boy disarmed him before removing his helmet and punching his face in one swift move. Less than 30 seconds and both his enemies were down. On another occasion he would've been proud.

He swung his sword threateningly at the downed foes. Mercy... The owl gasped. Valley law prohibits the killing of unarmed enemies.

The boy remembered a few seconds ago when he'd been the one begging for mercy. He remembered what his trust had cost him. He remembered how they had stood there, laughing while his friend died.

The choice was made, and the boy stalked out of the room, his heart pounding.

Many years later, when his boiling blood had cooled, he would look back on this day with pure and total horror - and then something else entirely.

A Whisper in the Wind

It is night. The messenger flies faster than ever before, her wings fluttering against the gusting wind as she gasps for air. An arrow whizzes past, narrowly avoiding her pumping wings as they continue their perpetual flapping. Just a little farther, she thinks, allowing this thought to fill her as she continues her dangerous journey. She can do this. She will do this. Just a little farther.  The next arrow flies so close to her that her feathers ripple with the wind’s current. Gasping for air, she pushes down the stifling fear and focuses solely on her destination, which had appeared moments ago on the dark horizon. The messenger narrows her eyes as the distance between herself and her destination grows smaller. She can do this. She will do this.

There is a sudden crack, and the bird cringes, swerving to avoid a falling tree limb. Her enemy seems to have changed tactics, his enchanted arrows now intended to trap her through damaging the thick forest rather than felling her directly. She grits her beak, maneuvering around the falling limbs as they become heavier and harder to avoid. A sudden dive saves her from a branch of pine. She twists to the right to avoid a thin piece of oak. As a particularly large chunk of wood tumbles toward her, she realizes with a sickening certainty that she will not make it to her destination. The branch and bird collide, and there is a quiet snap as a fragile wing breaks. The messenger spirals slowly to the forest floor, the ominous footsteps of the approaching enemy multiplying her pain a thousandfold.

But all is not lost. A small squirrel emerges from a nearby tree, chattering fretfully while attempting to drag the pitiful cardinal to safety. No, the felled messenger insists, I am not important. Her chattering increases as the enemy draws near. You must tell the Crown. They must know. The squirrel goes silent, its attention now focused solely on the important stranger’s words. Tell Ruby. Tell Ruby that they have returned. The Soldiers of Sorrow stalk this land once more, and all of creation is endangered. The squirrel hesitates, reluctant to leave the bird to a certain demise. But the echoing steps of the approaching enemy convince her, and she scampers away into the brush. Darkness obscures the messenger’s vision as a grimy hand closes over her. The archer allows himself a wide and sinister grin, his mission complete.

But in the distance, a squirrel leaps from branch to branch, the fate of everything in her paws.

An Ancient Hymn of the Valley

Carry on my friend, for though

We have been lost

Hidden amongst specters and shadows

The journey nears its end

Perhaps in the morn

The sun will rise and rain countless blessings

Upon our heads

Perhaps the moon will fall and

Crush us so that we are

Dead

Whatever the case the stars burn bright

Though hidden in the light of day

A message dancing on their shattered lips

Carry on, my friend, carry on

Chapter One- John

I woke to the sharp beeping of my alarm, the sudden noise searing into my mind. Rolling over, I felt around for the alarm clock, slamming my hand onto the sleep button as soon as I felt the familiar square shape. Grumbling to myself, I slid out of my bed, blinking sleep out of my eyes as I pulled my covers up in a weak attempt at making my bed. 

As my vision began to clear, I saw my phone on my dresser and made my way over to it, hitting the power button and unplugging it from the wall. I tossed it into my pajama pant pocket and made my way down the wide corkscrew stairs of my house to the spacious kitchen.

To be honest, I had never been one hundred percent sure why my father had purchased such a big house for the two of us after the divorce. I guessed his new job had paid enough to afford it and he'd figured why not? While it had been weird adjusting to such a large, empty space, I couldn't fault my father for his choice. My neighborhood, a wooded community on the edge of my small town, was actually a pretty great place. Nice people, great views, and not a lot of traffic, for example.

Thanks, Dad, I murmured to myself both genuinely and sarcastically as I approached our old fridge, covered in pictures of family and friends. It was one of the few things Dad had kept from the old house, and honestly, I hated it to death. The last thing I needed every morning was to pull my pre-made breakfast out of an ugly refrigerator covered with ugly baby pictures. They all deserved to be burned with extreme prejudice, especially the one in the middle. The one of me and my sister, Violet.

That picture had been taken just a few months before our parents decided to separate. I was 12, and Violet 11. Though it had been a mere two years ago, my face seemed to belong to another person entirely. Baby-John's eyes sparkled with some forgotten, probably stupid joke, and his face was lit with an awkward smile that lit up the braces which I had finally been freed of a few months ago. And then there was Violet, looking just like I last remembered seeing her. Quiet and thoughtful, but not afraid to stand up for what she believed in. Her long hair up in a loose braid. Her arm wrapped firmly around my shoulders. My sister was so motivated and overachieving, it was frustrating. But she'd been my sister, and as much as I hated to admit it, I missed her very much.

The picture held a special weight today, because this was the day I'd been awaiting since the big move. My sister was finally coming to visit me and my new home, something long overdue and planned for months. My stomach twisted into knots over the thought of seeing Violet again. She was sure to be so different and so mature, while I was basically the exact same dork she'd said goodbye to all those years ago. Oh, man. This was going to be so strange and weird, and I had no idea how to feel about it.

Briskly, I pushed shut the fridge, warming up my meal and downing it furiously. I brushed my teeth and changed into my standard shorts-and-t-shirt combination along with an arrowhead necklace I liked a lot. With one last look in the mirror, I descended the stairs, grabbing my backpack, and began the short walk through the brisk autumn air to my bus stop. My teeth chattered just a tiny bit as a gust of wind blew through the orange and red shaded trees. I had not expected it to be this cold, having forgotten to check the weather forecast in my nostalgic haze. Swearing under my breath, I pulled my phone out of a pocket and barely swerved to avoid a tree.

As I passed by a few similar-looking brick houses, I browsed through the weather. After successfully proving to myself that I was more or less doomed, I allowed myself to reply to some texts.

Hey! John! A familiar voice called out as I narrowly sidestepped a mailbox. A grin broke out on my face, and I pocketed my phone as a friendly face approached me from a blue house a few yards in front of me. He had messy red hair, green eyes, and freckles which made his face look mischievous even with the most innocent of grins. It was Evan Mycroft, one of my best friends despite the fact that he probably didn't have a soul.

Well, if it isn't Evan! I quickened my pace to match Evan's as he fell into step next to me. You're just in time to watch me freeze to death.

Sounds like quality entertainment, Evan laughed. I love laughing at the stupidity of others. He paused a moment, grinning, before adding, Why do you think I hang out with you?

Obviously because you have no other friends and need somebody stupid enough to hang around you. I quipped.

Sure, sure, Evan punched me playfully in the arm. Did you figure out the science paper?

Of course not! I laughed shortly, hoping it hid the stress that was beginning to creep in. It's due tomorrow. Do you really think I'm Xavier?

Really? Evan pressed. And here I thought you couldn't focus because you were busy preparing for your sister's arrival! You know, the hot sister who is going to fall hopelessly in love with me and who I'll let marry me just to annoy you?

Are you confusing my sister with your pet rock? I gave him an incredulous look, though my heartbeat spiked at the reference to Vi. You know, the only person who will ever love you?

You apologize to Sebastian! Evan glared at me playfully. I would've replied with another stinging retort, but we caught sight of the bus, pulling up alongside the small wooden bench we rarely arrived early enough to use. The two of us shared a look and broke into a sprint, passing a few bewildered younger neighbors to ensure we got better seats on the old, dingy bus. We took our standard seats near the back and made room for some of my other friends - a tall boy named Jason who was constantly talking about some online game I did not care for and a boy with short blond hair named Humphrie who was a good artist.

I was laughing at a caricature of a teacher Humphrie had drawn, when my phone vibrated loudly in my pocket. I took it out and unlocked it - I had a message from Violet. She'd taken a picture of a nearby highway from the bus window, with the caption Almost here! My stomach turned.

I was about to put my phone away when I noticed I'd gotten another text. This one from... me? I frowned. The contact created had my picture, my name, and my number. That couldn't be right. Was it some sort of telemarketing scheme?

Against my better judgment, I opened the message. It was only two words. Hello, John.

Well, that was pretty creepy. I glanced around the bus to see if one of my friends were grinning at my reaction. Maybe this was some sort of prank. But Humphrie was sketching something furiously, and Evan and Jason were playing some game on their phones. Sucking in a deep breath, I turned back to my phone and tentatively typed in a message. Do I know you?

Maybe. The reply was almost instantaneous. But you definitely know this.

A picture came through. It looked like it had been taken from the forest around the edge of town, where a small river divided the thick woodland. It was an image of the river’s edge, or, more specifically, something on it. A rickety old wooden rowboat, with no noticeable paint or markings. It had a bit of algae or moss or something clinging to its side. I shouldn't have recognized it. But I did.

It reminded me of something. Something from a pretty long time ago. Unconsciously, my hand went to the arrowhead around my neck.

John! Violet had called out to me as I marched, fuming, out of the house. Come on John, Mom and Dad are going to kill you!

Like they care about us! I waved my arms dramatically, tears stinging my eyes. They don't love each other. Why would they love us?

Come on, John, that is not a fair assessment and you know it. My sister scrambled to keep up with me as I turned out of our driveway and onto the sidewalk. I bet they still love each other, just... Violet struggled for a few seconds to find a positive spin, then gave up. Look, whatever it is, this isn't going to help!

I'm not running away! I snapped as Violet caught up to me, grabbing my arm.Calm down. I'm just going for a stupid walk, okay?

Then I'm coming with you. Violet told me calmly. And I'm bringing a phone.

Whatever, I growled, pushing forward in no particular direction while Violet followed, keeping track of our location on Google maps.

We went on like this in silence for a while, crossing neighborhoods and streets as the sky began to get dark. Violet began to tell me we should go home, but I persisted on, and so she called our father. As she hung up, telling me he'd be along in a few minutes, we arrived at the river.

More exhausted than I had thought I was, I dropped dejectedly to a bench and stared out at the setting sun. Violet slid next to me, quietly twirling her brown hair between her fingers.

It hurts to be unwanted. I murmured softly, despite myself.

Violet shot me a surprised look. We're not--. She broke off.  It was my turn to be surprised as she sighed. Yeah...

Suddenly I felt terrible. Violet had been dealing with this perfectly fine, until I'd had to come around and make her feel worse. This did not make me feel any better.

Suddenly, I sighted something which seemed a little out of place. Hey... I frowned, turning to Violet. What's that rowboat doing here?

Hello, John... Humphries's voice broke into my thoughts. I blinked a few times, confused by the memory-which-was-not-a-memory. How could it be? What had happened next was way too impossible to have been real. The Valley had been a game. It had just been a game.

Yeah? I turned sharply to lock eyes with Humphrie, shoving my phone in my pocket.

I was wondering what you thought of this sketch. Humphrie handed me his notebook.

Wow man, it looks amazing. I told him truthfully, though I was still pretty scattered.

No, it's not. Humphrie furrowed his brow and took the book back, setting his pencil back down upon paper as he resumed working furiously.

I rolled my eyes. Artists.

It was then that the bus pulled up at Hunters' Run Middle School. Any thoughts of Violet or rowboats were lost in the scramble to exit the bus and get to our lockers.

I could feel my nervousness build up slowly over first period, and could barely focus on the Geometry lesson Ms. Ernesta tried to teach us. I had to copy the classwork from my good friend Sara in order to turn it in on time. She berated me as we headed to our next classes, though I knew she didn't care. I waved a goodbye to her as she headed into Chorus, while I stepped into Tech Ed, a class I shared with Evan and Xavier.

I made my way past a few empty lab benches and sat on an empty stool next to Xavier. Hey. I muttered to him absently.

Hey, John. Xavier finished copying down the warm-up and turned to look at me. Are you ready? Today is the day I meet your sister and perhaps finally beat her in a game of QuizOn.

You've beaten her before. I gave him an incredulous look as I pulled out my notebook.

In Math and Grammar, but never at Biology. Xavier reminded me. I shall finally prevail once I meet her and learn her secrets.

Really? I raised an eyebrow at Xavier skeptically. You plan on learning her secrets just by meeting her?

Don't underestimate-- Xavier's amiable reply stopped short as he glimpsed Evan and another kid make their way toward the table. Looks like Evan has decided to join us. And he's brought a friend.

Yay. My heart sank as I noticed the other kid walking toward us. Justin Moore was a nice enough kid, and Evan liked him, but he could be a bit condescending at times and drove me crazy. It seemed that his schedule had undergone some sort of change - Sara had told me he didn't really like the new chorus teacher.

Hi Xavier, John. Justin gave us a nod as he took the seat which was normally Evan's. Evan gave me a wry grin and took a seat on the stool next to Xavier. Pushing away my irritation, I finished my warm-up and conversed with my friends and Justin until the teacher began class. Once again, focusing was out of the cards. I briefly wondered if I had ADHD or something.

After what felt like generations of torment, the teacher stopped talking and began to pass out the classwork. It was an odd little worksheet which basically entailed doing some boring research on some irrelevant thing which the teacher was trying and failing to impress on us as important. We split into groups of three - which meant, unfortunately, I’d been grouped in with Evan and Justin.

We made our way to one of the computers and, of course, cracked open Google. I punched in simple machines and started to click on the first result.

Don’t click on that one, Justin cut in before I could select it. I turned to him, a weary look in my eyes.

Why? I asked, unable to keep the irritation out of my voice.

Look at that website, man, he told me, an infuriatingly righteous look in his eyes. Hardly looks reputable.

It’s simple machines, not a college essay, I pointed out, unimpressed, before turning back to the computer.

I don’t know, we want this project to be the best it can be… Justin trailed off, a challenge in his voice.

Evan, who had been watching this exchange with a mixture of amusement and concern, took this moment to leap in. Come on guys, John’s right, it doesn’t really matter. This site looks simpler, and that’s probably a better deal for us. We can always double check our stuff on another website, right?

Justin shrugged. I guess, but that seems a bit inefficient.

That was it. My chair made a squeaking noise and I realized I had stood up so I could lock eyes with Justin’s. All the stress and anger of the day bubbled over into my angry words. Okay, do you have to criticize everything? I’m so sorry Evan and I aren’t as perfect as you.

Woah, don’t rope me into this. Evan raised his hands in a gesture of neutrality.

Justin gave me a look of disdain. Look, I just know more about these things. It’s cool, just let me do my thing. He started toward the computers.

I sidestepped in front of him, my blood boiling. I don’t think so.

Evan whistled, stepping in between us. Can someone say ‘blown out of proportion’? Come on, guys...

Justin gave Evan another one of his condescending looks. Hey, I just want to look at a website. He’s the one being cranky about it.

Cranky? I could not believe my ears.

Okay, now we sound like kindergarteners, Evan pointed out. Not that there’s anything wrong with kindergarteners, they’re pretty solid, if a little on the whiny side, if you know what I mean.

Rolling his eyes, Justin stepped toward the computer. In a move of pure instinct, I stepped forward and pushed him backwards.

It hadn’t been that hard, but Justin still stumbled into one of the lab benches, knocking over one of the metal racks of glue guns. Of course, the next thing I knew, the teacher was marching over.

John, Justin. Ms. Lawrence seethed with rage. Whether it was over our behavior, or her minimal teacher income, I wasn’t sure. Unfortunately, she seemed eager to make it clear to me.

What are you, kindergarteners? She folded her arms and glared at us - well, me.

Evan burst out laughing. Everyone ignored him.

I think it is clear what happened, Ms. Lawrence, Justin stated, getting to his feet calmly.

I don’t want to hear it, Justin, Ms. Lawrence snapped, one of her gnarled old hands going to her dyed-blonde hair. We’ll talk later. John, to Guidance.

But-- I opened my mouth, further enraged.

Do you really want to make this worse? Ms. Lawrence asked, her eyes indicating the sincerity of her words.  It was then that I became aware of the eyes of my classmates, having noticed the