This is the first part of Chapter 1 of my book Legends of Aura. I haven't done much editing yet, but let me know what yall think. If yall like it, then I will post more. This story is an epic, very long and a lot happens. This is just a small snippet.
100 years ago: For a millennium, the world had remained at peace. It was an era of joy and happiness. The five Great Kingdoms kept the peace with a magical crystal called the NOVA. The NOVA had the ability to maximize the techniques of its wielder.
All the members of the five royal families were required to learn and master all the techniques the world had to offer. This way, if a time came when they needed to use the NOVA, no one could stand against them. The techniques included archery, sword fighting, transportation (teleportation and portal creation), and telekinesis, elemental magic, healing magic and hand-to-hand combat. Before this time, there were other techniques, such as witchcraft, but they were lost with time.
All continued well until the stone became an object of greed. The kings of the kingdoms of Polaris and Celestia began to fight over the rights to the crystal. When they threatened war, the other three kings knew something had to be done. Together, the Borealis, Australis, and Cryolis kings constructed a temple deep within the mountains of Cryolis to hold the NOVA. For further protection, they used their earth magic to form a new mountain over the temple so no one would be able to find it unless they knew where it was. The kings also compromised to having a psychic blocks placed in the minds of their royal families and themselves so that he would not be able to retrieve the crystal without the help of one of the other kings.
Nevertheless, an unexpected disaster occurred. Being locked deep within the planet, the NOVA began to unleash its own power in an attempt to be freed. The power that flowed forth covered the entire northern continent in ice, killing all the people of Cryolis and freezing over all the towns and cities. So much was lost. It might have been possible to use the NOVA to melt away the ice, but unfortunately, passage to the temple was utterly impossible because of the ice covering the mountains.
The emperors of Celestia and Polaris grew angry about their loss of the NOVA. If they were not able to have power through the NOVA then they would just have to have utter control over the world. Both began expanding their empires laying waste to all who stood against them. This continued on for 3 generations until the only kingdoms left were Polaris, Celestia, Borealis (reduced to a mere city/state), and Australis.
Five years ago: Exodus of Borealis
The final battle for Borealis was fast approaching. The emperors of both Celestia and Polaris had given the clear to attack with full force. Borealis was now the border between the two empires and whoever gained the city would have the most control. Therefore, it wasn't only a battle with Borealis, but also a battle against each other. It would be their first direct battle in millennia.
Terror loomed in the atmosphere of Borealis. The only advantage they had was an impenetrable electromagnetic shield that surrounded the city, powered by two generators on opposite sides of the city. That would protect them for about 24 hours. The city would run out of power to fuel the shield after that. Hopefully the armies would fall back before then. But there was worse trouble brewing, not on the outside of the city but on the inside. This is where our story begins.
“Levi! Hurry!" A woman shouted out to her son who was wobbling down the street behind her trying to drag his belongings along behind him. The boy was only 12 years old, caught up in the middle of a war. He stopped for a second to brush back his shaggy blonde hair out of his shining blue eyes. He then hurried along to catch up with his mother.
All the children and elders were being sent through a series of tunnels that led to the mountains outside of the city. They would stay there in the town of Halcyon until someone came to retrieve them. Levi didn't want to leave his mother behind but she swore she would be safe with his stepfather.
Personally, Levi didn't think so. His stepfather wasn't the type you would consider a defender of his family. He wasn't a skilled fighter and he didn't even know how to properly handle a gun. If they were attacked, his stepfather wouldn't hold up for long. Levi didn't trust Jonathan Stratos either. John was a scholar from Polaris. He had caught the eye of Scarlet (Levi's mother) at a political ceremony and quickly demanded her hand in marriage. That was two years before.
“Mom, I can't leave you here!" Levi cried, stopping in his tracks.
“She’ll be fine Levi. I'll take good care of her." Stratos said laying his hand on Levi's shoulder. Levi shrugged it off. He gave John a look that easily read, I don't trust you.
“Levi, you have to go and protect the younger children. You will lead them in the exodus. You are the only one who knows the passages! Your father would be proud of you!" Scarlet told him.
“Yes ma'am..." He whimpered, tears swelling in his eyes.
John didn't like the mention of the boy's father. “Levi, you must go, now!"
“I love you, mom!" Levi wailed embracing her, tears pouring down both their faces.
“We will see each other soon! I promise!" His mother said as Levi climbed down the ladder into the sewers where the entrance to the tunnel system was cleverly hidden. The other children and the elders were following close behind. Some had already arrived.
“We’re relying on a little kid to lead us to safety?" One ignorant teenager questioned.
“Hey, I've known this kid for quite a long time and he knows these tunnels better than anyone! He played down here for hours on end while his own father built the tunnels himself!" an elder retorted. This elder was one that Levi loved dearly. He always offered Levi advice and told him stories of his father when he was child. His name was Coriolis. He was always spoken to as Elder Coriolis however out of respect.
“So Levi, lead us to safety! Deliver us from the clutches of the enemy! Ensure the continuation of our people!" The man was notorious for making a big scene, but truly this was a very big deal. “Begin the march of the exodus!"
The group behind them roared in approval. Hearing this empowered Levi. He would make his father proud! He had the key to the tunnels dangling from his neck. The charm on his silver chain was a diamond key. He removed the charm and placed it in a crack in the wall. The wall began to shake and slowly it opened up to reveal a long dark passage way.
Levi had the technique, alongside sword fighting, to create light. He emitted a beam of light from his hand that pushed away the darkness. The light was still dim because it was taking a lot of Levi's energy to do this. But it served its purpose nonetheless. The flood of people entered the tunnels with Levi and Elder Coriolis at the head of the group.
The children were racing each other and playing games of tag, naïve' of the danger their home was in. The teenagers were mostly scolding the children for wasting their energy on senseless games. The elders were conversing with each other about the fate of the city; most worrying the city would be completely destroyed by bombings from Polaris.
Levi knew differently though. Polaris may have the advanced weaponry, but they would want to preserve the city as much as possible so that they could begin moving people into it once the emperor of Borealis fell. They would only use their bombs if necessary. Celestia, however, would not be so merciful. They would lay waste to the city with their powerful magic. They were only out for the control of the land. The city could be reduced to dust and they wouldn't care, as long as they won the battle.
At one point of the journey they came to a fork in the tunnels but one path was completely caved in. "This is the place..." Memories rushed into Levi's mind.
“Be strong, Levi. He would be proud of you now." Elder Coriolis consoled him. Beyond that wall of fallen rock was the body of Levi's father, lost in a cave-in while the tunnels were being constructed. Levi couldn't remember much of his father from before the accident. He was told about him from his mother and Coriolis. He loved the stories about his father's many adventures and dreamed of one day being just like him.
But no longer would his father's death be for naught! These tunnels would be the reason for the continuation of the people of Borealis! Knowing this, he was able to continue forward.
As they got into the area below the Western Plains, they heard a distressing sound: marching. This must have been the footsteps of the Celestian Army, because Celestia was on the south-eastern side of Borealis whereas Polaris was to the northeast. Some of the young children began to scream and had to be silenced by the older kids. Levi made the group stop and listen to be sure no one had heard them. The troops continued on marching. The group continued on their journey, but with caution. The Elementals would be able to crush them instantly with their earth magic, if they were discovered.
After about 2 hours of travel, a 20 mile journey, they arrived at the mouth of a cave. The group erupted in excitement. The kids screamed and cheered and rushed past Levi running out the mouth of the cave. Levi let them pass but followed close behind them. The elders didn't rush. They didn't think there was anything worth getting excited about.
There really wasn't anything special about the town of Halcyon. Most of the houses were simply shacks. Caves were made into homes as well! The small town had a small convenience store but that was the extent of their development. Most of the citizens would travel to Borealis to buy and sell goods. The Borealis Rural Development Board had constructed a four story building in the town said to be a hotel. In truth however, it would be a place for the escapees to live until it was safe to return home. It was stocked with all the amenities they would need.
Levi dropped his bags at the entrance of the building and ran back into the streets. “Where can I get a good view of Borealis?" He asked one of the locals.
“Draco’s Cliff. Take the road north and you'll see the signs leading to it."
“Thanks!" He took off running down the road, he was anxious to see what was going on in the city. But when he arrived at the cliff, he didn't like what he saw.
Chapter 1
A far off land unknown to our kind, where magic and mythical beasts exist; where the future and past meet to form the present; a land of technology and machines, but also a land of medieval warfare and empires; far beyond the reaches of our world lies the land of Aura, where legends await to be told.
100 years ago: For a millennium, the world had remained at peace. It was an era of joy and happiness. The five Great Kingdoms kept the peace with a magical crystal called the NOVA. The NOVA had the ability to maximize the techniques of its wielder.
All the members of the five royal families were required to learn and master all the techniques the world had to offer. This way, if a time came when they needed to use the NOVA, no one could stand against them. The techniques included archery, sword fighting, transportation (teleportation and portal creation), and telekinesis, elemental magic, healing magic and hand-to-hand combat. Before this time, there were other techniques, such as witchcraft, but they were lost with time.
All continued well until the stone became an object of greed. The kings of the kingdoms of Polaris and Celestia began to fight over the rights to the crystal. When they threatened war, the other three kings knew something had to be done. Together, the Borealis, Australis, and Cryolis kings constructed a temple deep within the mountains of Cryolis to hold the NOVA. For further protection, they used their earth magic to form a new mountain over the temple so no one would be able to find it unless they knew where it was. The kings also compromised to having a psychic blocks placed in the minds of their royal families and themselves so that he would not be able to retrieve the crystal without the help of one of the other kings.
Nevertheless, an unexpected disaster occurred. Being locked deep within the planet, the NOVA began to unleash its own power in an attempt to be freed. The power that flowed forth covered the entire northern continent in ice, killing all the people of Cryolis and freezing over all the towns and cities. So much was lost. It might have been possible to use the NOVA to melt away the ice, but unfortunately, passage to the temple was utterly impossible because of the ice covering the mountains.
The emperors of Celestia and Polaris grew angry about their loss of the NOVA. If they were not able to have power through the NOVA then they would just have to have utter control over the world. Both began expanding their empires laying waste to all who stood against them. This continued on for 3 generations until the only kingdoms left were Polaris, Celestia, Borealis (reduced to a mere city/state), and Australis.
Five years ago: Exodus of Borealis
The final battle for Borealis was fast approaching. The emperors of both Celestia and Polaris had given the clear to attack with full force. Borealis was now the border between the two empires and whoever gained the city would have the most control. Therefore, it wasn't only a battle with Borealis, but also a battle against each other. It would be their first direct battle in millennia.
Terror loomed in the atmosphere of Borealis. The only advantage they had was an impenetrable electromagnetic shield that surrounded the city, powered by two generators on opposite sides of the city. That would protect them for about 24 hours. The city would run out of power to fuel the shield after that. Hopefully the armies would fall back before then. But there was worse trouble brewing, not on the outside of the city but on the inside. This is where our story begins.
“Levi! Hurry!" A woman shouted out to her son who was wobbling down the street behind her trying to drag his belongings along behind him. The boy was only 12 years old, caught up in the middle of a war. He stopped for a second to brush back his shaggy blonde hair out of his shining blue eyes. He then hurried along to catch up with his mother.
All the children and elders were being sent through a series of tunnels that led to the mountains outside of the city. They would stay there in the town of Halcyon until someone came to retrieve them. Levi didn't want to leave his mother behind but she swore she would be safe with his stepfather.
Personally, Levi didn't think so. His stepfather wasn't the type you would consider a defender of his family. He wasn't a skilled fighter and he didn't even know how to properly handle a gun. If they were attacked, his stepfather wouldn't hold up for long. Levi didn't trust Jonathan Stratos either. John was a scholar from Polaris. He had caught the eye of Scarlet (Levi's mother) at a political ceremony and quickly demanded her hand in marriage. That was two years before.
“Mom, I can't leave you here!" Levi cried, stopping in his tracks.
“She’ll be fine Levi. I'll take good care of her." Stratos said laying his hand on Levi's shoulder. Levi shrugged it off. He gave John a look that easily read, I don't trust you.
“Levi, you have to go and protect the younger children. You will lead them in the exodus. You are the only one who knows the passages! Your father would be proud of you!" Scarlet told him.
“Yes ma'am..." He whimpered, tears swelling in his eyes.
John didn't like the mention of the boy's father. “Levi, you must go, now!"
“I love you, mom!" Levi wailed embracing her, tears pouring down both their faces.
“We will see each other soon! I promise!" His mother said as Levi climbed down the ladder into the sewers where the entrance to the tunnel system was cleverly hidden. The other children and the elders were following close behind. Some had already arrived.
“We’re relying on a little kid to lead us to safety?" One ignorant teenager questioned.
“Hey, I've known this kid for quite a long time and he knows these tunnels better than anyone! He played down here for hours on end while his own father built the tunnels himself!" an elder retorted. This elder was one that Levi loved dearly. He always offered Levi advice and told him stories of his father when he was child. His name was Coriolis. He was always spoken to as Elder Coriolis however out of respect.
“So Levi, lead us to safety! Deliver us from the clutches of the enemy! Ensure the continuation of our people!" The man was notorious for making a big scene, but truly this was a very big deal. “Begin the march of the exodus!"
The group behind them roared in approval. Hearing this empowered Levi. He would make his father proud! He had the key to the tunnels dangling from his neck. The charm on his silver chain was a diamond key. He removed the charm and placed it in a crack in the wall. The wall began to shake and slowly it opened up to reveal a long dark passage way.
Levi had the technique, alongside sword fighting, to create light. He emitted a beam of light from his hand that pushed away the darkness. The light was still dim because it was taking a lot of Levi's energy to do this. But it served its purpose nonetheless. The flood of people entered the tunnels with Levi and Elder Coriolis at the head of the group.
The children were racing each other and playing games of tag, naïve' of the danger their home was in. The teenagers were mostly scolding the children for wasting their energy on senseless games. The elders were conversing with each other about the fate of the city; most worrying the city would be completely destroyed by bombings from Polaris.
Levi knew differently though. Polaris may have the advanced weaponry, but they would want to preserve the city as much as possible so that they could begin moving people into it once the emperor of Borealis fell. They would only use their bombs if necessary. Celestia, however, would not be so merciful. They would lay waste to the city with their powerful magic. They were only out for the control of the land. The city could be reduced to dust and they wouldn't care, as long as they won the battle.
At one point of the journey they came to a fork in the tunnels but one path was completely caved in. "This is the place..." Memories rushed into Levi's mind.
“Be strong, Levi. He would be proud of you now." Elder Coriolis consoled him. Beyond that wall of fallen rock was the body of Levi's father, lost in a cave-in while the tunnels were being constructed. Levi couldn't remember much of his father from before the accident. He was told about him from his mother and Coriolis. He loved the stories about his father's many adventures and dreamed of one day being just like him.
But no longer would his father's death be for naught! These tunnels would be the reason for the continuation of the people of Borealis! Knowing this, he was able to continue forward.
As they got into the area below the Western Plains, they heard a distressing sound: marching. This must have been the footsteps of the Celestian Army, because Celestia was on the south-eastern side of Borealis whereas Polaris was to the northeast. Some of the young children began to scream and had to be silenced by the older kids. Levi made the group stop and listen to be sure no one had heard them. The troops continued on marching. The group continued on their journey, but with caution. The Elementals would be able to crush them instantly with their earth magic, if they were discovered.
After about 2 hours of travel, a 20 mile journey, they arrived at the mouth of a cave. The group erupted in excitement. The kids screamed and cheered and rushed past Levi running out the mouth of the cave. Levi let them pass but followed close behind them. The elders didn't rush. They didn't think there was anything worth getting excited about.
There really wasn't anything special about the town of Halcyon. Most of the houses were simply shacks. Caves were made into homes as well! The small town had a small convenience store but that was the extent of their development. Most of the citizens would travel to Borealis to buy and sell goods. The Borealis Rural Development Board had constructed a four story building in the town said to be a hotel. In truth however, it would be a place for the escapees to live until it was safe to return home. It was stocked with all the amenities they would need.
Levi dropped his bags at the entrance of the building and ran back into the streets. “Where can I get a good view of Borealis?" He asked one of the locals.
“Draco’s Cliff. Take the road north and you'll see the signs leading to it."
“Thanks!" He took off running down the road, he was anxious to see what was going on in the city. But when he arrived at the cliff, he didn't like what he saw.