The Skyfarer's Chronicles - The Beginning: The Skyfarer's Chronicles, #1

By Mathieu Dooms

A boy unable to wield magic. A genius, one-legged girl. A world about to change; for better or for worse.

 

Epic fantasy. Magic. Friendship. Love.

 

As the world is about to enter an age of turmoil between good and evil; its fate lies in the hands of Henry, a brave and adventurous boy seemingly unable to wield magic; and Alice, a whimsical, one-legged genius girl, for whom family means everything. Together with their friends, they must learn all they can before setting out on their journey, should they wish to have any kind of hope in defeating the dark forces lurking in the shadows. But who are Henry and Alice exactly? And will they lead the world towards its salvation or its destruction?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mathieu Dooms
• Release date: Mar 21, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393930693

Book preview

Copyright © 2021 Mathieu Dooms All rights reserved

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

ISBN-13: 9781234567890

Edited by: Pam Elise Harris

Cover design by: Jan Besbrugge

Advisor: Irene Vanheertum

http://skyfarerschronicles.com

(EBOOK)_The_Skyfarer's_Chronicles_-_The_BeginningMathieu DoomsMathieu Dooms53002021-03-16T15:55:00Z2021-05-20T08:38:00Z14256512322120Aspose268475537787716.0000

Contents

1        The Forest of Silent Whispers

2        The Foundling

3        A New Life

4        Coming-of-Age Ceremony

5        Evergreen Academy

6        Everyday Life

7        Senior Year

8        Graduation and Goodbyes

9        Unknown Adventurer

10      The Awakening

11      Path to Becoming a Skyfarer

About the Author

(EBOOK)_The_Skyfarer's_Chronicles_-_The_BeginningMathieu DoomsMathieu Dooms53002021-03-16T15:55:00Z2021-05-20T08:38:00Z14256512322120Aspose268475537787716.0000

What if I fail? Oh but my dear: what if you succeed

(EBOOK)_The_Skyfarer's_Chronicles_-_The_BeginningMathieu DoomsMathieu Dooms53002021-03-16T15:55:00Z2021-05-20T08:38:00Z14256512322120Aspose268475537787716.0000

1

The Forest of Silent Whispers

Henry opened his eyes and noticed a beautiful, young girl standing above him.

W…who is this? Where am I? he thought when a scream suddenly filled the silence around them. Without thinking, Henry jumped up, grabbed the girl’s hand and ran in the scream’s direction. There were two children there. The girl, Lucy, was standing by the side of a pond, panicking, whilst the boy, Oliver, frantically ran through the water, lifting his legs up as high as he could to try and escape the creature standing behind him.

The creature, none other than an Undine, was about to grab him by the shoulder with its slimy, webbed hands when a rock went flying through the air, hitting the creature right on its head. In a fit of rage and pain, the creature howled as it held its head between its hands and swung back and forth, allowing the boy to get to safety in the nick of time.

Unfortunately, not for long. The creature stopped moving and locked its eyes on the children.

'Run!' Eleanor, the girl standing next to Henry, exclaimed at the top of her lungs.

She grabbed Henry by the hand, and together with Lucy and Oliver, her best friends, they ran through the woods, as fast as their legs could carry them, all whilst being chased by water vines flying through the air, snapping at them.

'Watch out!' Lucy shouted as one of the vines was about to grasp Henry’s leg.

He immediately jumped aside, evading the vines just barely.

'Thanks!'

They ran and ran, evading the vines snapping at their legs, every single time, until finally, there was light coming from the forest’s edge.

'We’re almost there, guys! Just a little farther!' Eleanor shouted. They were about to break through the dark, dense forest and run into the meadow when one of the vines snapped at Lucy’s leg in a final attempt to catch its prey. She noticed but unfortunately reacted too late and as she jumped forward, the vines grasped her leg.

'Lucy!' Oliver shouted as they ran into the meadow and Lucy fell, the vine wrapped tightly around her leg. It was about to pull her back into the forest when Oliver grabbed her hand and pulled back as hard as he could, trying to pull her over to the meadow.

'I…it’s too strong!' he exclaimed as he was losing grip, and Lucy was slowly getting pulled back into the woods.

Eleanor immediately jumped in to help and tugged Lucy’s arm together with Oliver. The two of them made it seem much like a tug-of-war game where both sides possess equal strength.

Oliver squirmed as he pulled with all his might. 'Come on! Let…go!'

Henry was frantically looking for something he could use to be of help when he found a broken branch on the ground nearby. He immediately grabbed it and as quick as he could, he repeatedly hit the vine until it could no longer hold on to Lucy’s leg from the pain. Oliver and Eleanor, still pulling with all their might, stumbled backwards, pulling Lucy into the meadow.

The three of them panted. 'Are you okay, Lucy?' Oliver asked her.

'Y…yeah…I’m fine. But what in the world was that all about?' Lucy stammered.

'I believe that was an Undine. My father once told me about them.' Eleanor answered.

'An Undine?' Lucy proceeded to ask her, never having heard of such a creature.

'Yes… An Undine. A horrific, magical creature that apparently only lives in dark, secluded waters. They appear human at first, but they possess gills, webbed fingers and toes and a large open-slitted mouth filled with sharp teeth. It’s rumoured that they’re able to cast illusion spells to lure unsuspecting prey close enough for them to take hold and drag it underwater. Father never told me they could control water vines though.' Eleanor explained.

'I see. Well, if there’s one thing I know, it’s that I won’t ever be going back there again!' Lucy said without hesitating even the slightest bit.

'Agreed!' Eleanor and Oliver simultaneously answered, after which, the three of them laughed. Meanwhile, Henry stood there, somewhat lost. 'Oh, right! I completely forgot! This is Henry, guys! I stumbled upon him unconscious in a nearby cavern.'

'Hi Henry, I’m Lucy and this here is Oliver. We owe you our lives! Thanks!' Lucy thanked him.

Henry was somewhat embarrassed when she spoke those words and stammered. 'D-don’t worry about it! I mean, if you guys hadn’t shown up, I’d still be lying in that cavern, or worse, that Undine could’ve got me!'

'What were you doing so deep in the forest anyway?' Oliver asked him a bit distrustfully.

'I-I don’t know. I can’t remember anything from before Eleanor found me.' Henry responded.

Still doubting Henry’s story, Oliver nodded.

'All right, now that we’ve all been introduced, let’s get back home! We don’t want to be late!' Eleanor said as the three of them began making their way through the meadow. Henry, on the other hand, hesitated and didn’t move.

'What are you waiting for, Henry? Come on!' Eleanor said, not thinking twice about it.

Henry stammered. 'C…can I?'

'Of course! We’re not just going to leave you after saving our lives!' Eleanor exclaimed whilst grabbing his hand and pulling him along.

Thus, the four of them returned home. Along the way, Henry stood at the back, not sure what to say.

'H-hey, guys…can I ask you some questions?'

'Of course! What’s up?' Eleanor responded enthusiastically.

'Well…it’s just that, seeing as I haven’t got any memories, I was hoping you could tell me a bit about where we are, what this place is, what you were doing in the forest and how you found me?' he asked them hopeful.

The three of them looked at one another before Eleanor began her story.

It all began with the Beaumont family. They were the local lords of an island far removed from the capital, known as the Isle of Antilla. It was a small island with a forest to the north, the one and only town to the east, the farmlands to the south and cliffs along the west.

The inhabitants of the island consisted mostly of commoners and several noble families. The Beaumonts were considered to be an exceptionally rare family who had the best interest of the people in mind in everything they did. Unlike other lords, who were hated by the majority of the populace, they were loved and respected.

It was an evening not unlike any other at the Beaumont mansion. In the corner of the library, on a brown-leather armchair, Mr. Beaumont sat, reading his all-time favourite novel The Song of Blood.

Mrs. Beaumont, the lady of the house, was attending to her homegrown and beautiful African lilies, alstroemerias and white begonia flowers in the garden.

Eleanor Beaumont, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Beaumont, aged ten at the time, was an energetic and playful child, but despite her young age and high-spirited demeanour, she was still a Beaumont. Depending on the circumstances, she needed to act as such and for that very reason, she was given a strict upbringing by her father to learn the rules and etiquette belonging to noble society.

There wasn’t a single thing out of the ordinary, but the gears of destiny never stop spinning and unbeknownst to the Beaumont family and the world at the time, a storm was brewing ever so slowly.

The very next day would mark the beginning of that storm when Lucy and Oliver, Eleanor’s best friends, came over to play.

The two of them were, just like Eleanor, part of noble society and lived near the Beaumonts’ estate.

They approached the Beaumont estate and could see Eleanor waiting by the gate. 'Ellie!' Lucy shouted, running towards her.

Eleanor sighed. 'Finally, I’ve been waiting for ages!'

'Sorry. Someone here took longer than expected.' Lucy apologised, looking angrily at Oliver.

'Come on. Let’s go.' Eleanor said, not really caring who was to blame. They walked down the long driveway, in between rows of cherry blossoms on each side, in full bloom. A beautiful whitish, pink hue filled the surroundings, resulting in a mesmerizingly romantic scenery. The path led all the way up to the roundabout in front of the mansion. In the centre stood a grand fountain.

They walked up the marble stairs and reached a humongous hardwood front door with a heavy doorknob to which a metal ring was attached. Luckily, Eleanor had kept the door ajar, which made entering much easier.

'Ellie? Is that you? Are Lucy and Oliver already with you?' Mrs. Beaumont asked whilst remaining seated on the sofa.

'Yes, Mother! We’re going upstairs to play.' Eleanor answered as she and the others stood silently on the first step of the spiralling staircase in the hall, leading up.

'Hi, Mrs. Beaumont.' Lucy and Oliver said simultaneously.

'Hi, children—Ellie. Don’t forget the rules. No running in the house and no playing in the library or kitchen. You know how upset your father and the head chef get if they find you playing there.' Mrs. Beaumont exclaimed loudly as she heard their footsteps recede.

At the top of the staircase, the three children entered an open area which granted access to a square pathway surrounding the staircase. Along the pathway were the different doors, each leading up to the different rooms.

Excited to play a game, Oliver jumped into the beanbag in Eleanor’s room and made himself comfortable. 'So! What game shall we play today guys?'

'How about a board game?' Lucy suggested, but neither Oliver nor Eleanor were very excited about the prospect of playing board games.

'We always play board games.' Oliver responded. 'Perhaps something else? Any ideas, Ellie?'

'How about hide-and-seek?' she suggested excitedly. 'We haven’t played that in like, forever.'

They looked at one another and almost simultaneously agreed. But before the game could start, they needed to decide who would be the seeker and what better way to do this than by a simple game of rock, paper, and scissors.

'Rock, Paper, Scissors.' They harmoniously sang together as they hit their fists upon their hands with each word.

'Oh no!' Oliver cried out as he lost the game.

'You’re it, Oliver. Come on, Lucy, let’s hide!' Eleanor exclaimed loudly, grabbing Lucy’s hand before dashing out the room.

They ran down the stairs, through the hallway to the back and into the first room on the right. The library.

Lucy hesitated for a moment. 'You know we’re not supposed to come in here.'

Confident, Eleanor entered and pulled Lucy along, despite her objections. 'That’s exactly why this is the perfect hiding spot! Oliver will probably think the exact same thing and won’t come looking for us here. If you’re worried about Father, don’t! He’ll only get back home this evening. He’ll never find out!'

The library was quite a sight to behold. Lucy had never seen such a large collection of books before. The walls were covered with one large shelf after the other, reaching all the way up to the ceiling and stacked full of books. In one of the corners stood Mr. Beaumont’s favourite brown-leather armchair with a small, round coffee table next to it. In the middle of the room, there were two brown-leather sofas and a large hardwood coffee table.

A library wouldn’t be a library if it were missing a fireplace, which could be found in between two bookshelves, close to Mr. Beaumont’s favourite armchair and in front of the sofas. The mellow light emanating from the remaining embers lit up the dark, brown room ever so little, filling Lucy with a warm and fuzzy feeling. It was as if she’d stumbled upon the most comfortable, quiet and cosy place on earth.

Once inside, Lucy spotted something she’d never seen before. 'What creature is that? Lying over there on the sofa? It’s so cute.'

'Oh, you mean Ember? She’s a firefox. They’ve been in our family for generations. This one happens to be particularly lazy and likes to sleep on this specific sofa, near the fire, more than anything!' Eleanor responded.

'I’ve never seen one before.' Lucy said, intrigued by the creature.

'My father once told me a bit about them. Supposedly, they are very cunning magical creatures, capable of manipulating fire to a certain extent. Their partially red, orange and black fur colour actually stems from this innate ability. But don’t get your hopes up though. I’ve never seen this one do anything even remotely magical.' Eleanor explained whilst twisting and turning her head, looking for a hiding spot. 'Now, hurry. We’ve got to hide.'

Despite her obvious interest in the firefox, she hadn’t the time for it and she quickly joined Eleanor.

Eleanor hid behind her father’s armchair, whilst Lucy hid underneath one of the sofas.

By the time they’d hidden, Oliver had finished counting and had begun his search for them. He searched everywhere: The bedrooms, the guest rooms, the living room, the dining room, the bathroom, the study and even the stables outside, but it was all in vain. He looked through every nook and cranny, but couldn’t for the life of him find them anywhere. After searching for over half an hour, he dropped onto the sofa in the living room and let out a big sigh.

'What’s the matter, Oliver? Is something wrong?' Mrs. Beaumont asked him upon hearing his exasperation.

'Well, you see, missus, we’re playing hide and seek, and I’ve been searching for Lucy and Ellie for over half an hour, and I just can’t seem to find them. I’ve looked all over the house.'

Hearing those words instantly flipped a switch in Mrs. Beaumont’s mind. She shrugged and sighed. 'I think I know where they are. Follow me.'

Together with Oliver, she walked over to the library. 'Eleanor Beaumont! Come out of there this instant!' Mrs. Beaumont said angrily as she swung open the Library’s door.

Upon hearing the angry missus, Lucy and Eleanor didn’t have much choice but to reveal themselves.

'How many times do I need to tell you not to play in the library? You’re lucky your father’s at work right now.' she scolded Eleanor.

'Sorry, Mother.' Eleanor said, her gaze facing the ground.

Mrs. Beaumont sighed. 'Off you go. All three of you!'. The three of them quickly exited the library and dashed away, back to Eleanor’s room.

'What, oh what am I going to do with that stubborn girl?' Mrs. Beaumont thought, somewhat worriedly.

Upstairs, Oliver once again dropped into the beanbag, whilst the others sat on Eleanor’s bed. 'You’re lucky your mother is so nice. My mother would’ve grounded me for sure.'

Eleanor grinned. 'Perhaps, but it was worth it. Look what I found.' she said revealing a book she’d hidden underneath her clothes. Its title: The Forgotten Legend - The Forest of Silent Whispers.

'Isn’t that a book about the forest up north?' Oliver asked.

'Indeed, it is. Seems like the rumours about it might be true after all.' Eleanor responded excitedly. 'Shall I read a piece for you guys?'

Curious about its content, they nodded.

'All right, listen closely.

'It all began a long, long time ago. A time when humankind lived in fear of monsters that roamed the lands. Only those who possessed magic would dare venture beyond the safety of the city walls.

Few survived the harsh environment, but those adventurers who did were promised to become legends. They often roamed the lands in search of treasure and would go wherever the wind would take them.

'One such adventurer came to this island after hearing a rumour. A rumour about a forest which was said to contain a vast treasure. A treasure so great that whoever possessed it was set to become the new ruler of the land. The treasure, however, had never been found before and all who ventured into the forest, searching for it vanished. They were never seen again. This adventurer, on the other hand, was brave and did not care for such stories and ventured into the forest, in search of the treasure.

'It is said that he perished in the woods, suffering the same fate as all who’ve ventured in before him and that if you listen closely you can still hear their silent whispers, still looking for the hidden treasure, which, to this day, has not been found.'

By the time Eleanor finished reading the final sentence of the short story, the ringing of the dinner bell resonated throughout the house.

'Well, that’s it for today guys. Seems like it’s dinner time now.' Eleanor said as she raised her eyebrows. 'Hey, guys, before you go, how would you feel about going after that treasure tomorrow morning? If the stories are true, we could be in for quite an adventure!'

Lucy hesitated. 'I…I don’t know. Do you think the stories are real? With the monsters?'

'Of course not! It’s just a legend. Besides, there aren’t any ‘real’ monsters roaming the lands nowadays anyway.' Eleanor responded confidently as she turned to Oliver. 'Come on. What’s the worst that could happen?'

'Well…why not, I guess.' Oliver answered.

'Yes. So, it’s decided. I’ll see you guys tomorrow. Let’s meet up, same time, same place.' Eleanor said, brimming with excitement as she showed them out.

After dinner, the night quickly fell, and Eleanor went to bed. Too excited for tomorrow’s adventure, it was hard for her to get some shut-eye. The treasure hunt couldn’t come soon enough. She felt as if they were going to stumble upon an extraordinary treasure.

The following day, at the break of dawn, the neighbour’s rooster crowed as the sun rose, ever so slowly into the sky. Eleanor, still fast asleep, was clearly having a nightmare of some kind as she kept groaning and rolling around. That was until she rolled a bit too far and rolled out of bed, face-first into the ground.

She stood up and rubbed her face. 'W…what happened?' she mumbled, still groggy from her sleep and unaware she’d rolled out of bed. Without giving it much thought, she stood up, exited her room and made her way to the breakfast table downstairs in the dining room.

'Morning, Mother, Father.' she mumbled as she sat. In front of her, a lavish breakfast consisting of local pastries, fresh eggs from the neighbour’s chickens, bacon, toast, fruits, and fresh juice.

Eleanor began by filling her plate with eggs and bacon, her favourite. Once she’d had her fill, she moved on to some sweet pastries and toast combined with fresh juice. Breakfast was the most important meal for her. For one thing, it would give her plenty of energy to get through the day, but for another, it allowed her some