Chapters:

Chapter 1

There was a tapping at the window. Markas sat up, rubbing the crud from his eyes and pushing the curtain back. It was early morning, the sun was still rising giving a soft yellow haze across the village. He looked around for the cause of the noise and spotted Einar through the window, his best friend standing below with his hand still full of small stones.

“Wake up sleepy head,” Einar called from the ground, “we’ll miss the eclipse if you don’t get down here.”

Markas waved his hand in an understanding yet dismissive gesture and closed the curtains. He rolled out of his pallet and pulled on an old pair of clothes lying on his floor.

Sneaking downstairs to avoid his mother was always a task in the wooden house. The floors creaked if you didn’t watch your step and Mother was always an early riser.  The smell of stew wafted up the staircase, making his mouth water. Markas slipped past the kitchen and out the front door grabbing a piece of black cloth on the way. Once outside he put his shoes on and ran to meet Einar, who by now was waiting behind the house near the woods that bordered the village.

“Took your time, if I slept half as much as you my family would disown me for being so lazy.”

Markas threw a punch at his smart mouthed friend as he continued to catch his breath. Einar easily parried it, chuckling under his breath.

Einar was the opposite of Markas in nearly every way. His taller, more muscular frame was topped with short brown hair that accentuated his light blue eyes. Whereas Markas’ shoulder length blonde mess gave him a comical look that contrasted with his shy personality.

Markas straightened, stretching his stiff tired muscles. He motioned toward their destination, the cliff overlooking the village, “We gonna get going or are you going to continue talking pretty boy?” Markas took on a playfully aggressive tone.

“Both,” Einar turned and darted into the woods. “Come on slowpoke, get those stumpy legs moving” he called over his shoulder.

Markas sighed and began chasing after his friend.

Einar was at home in the woods, never missing a step, avoiding low branches at the last second whereas Markas crashed into every one without fail. The ascent got easier towards the top, as the trees became less dense and more rocks provided solid footing.They reached the cliff top just as the sun had risen. Markas was always in awe of the spectacle whenever he came to the cliff.

A thousand years ago there had been a great war between two factions of Rune Mages, powerful magic users that had shattered the planet Yondar. The remaining Rune Mages sacrificed themselves by weaving a powerful spell that held the planet together in a collection of various sized, floating islands called fragments. Rune Mages disappeared after that war and have never been heard from again.

Markas and village were alone on their fragment as the only way between islands was airship or Waygate, a circular portal built by the Rune Mages. The knowledge of how to use the Waygates, however, was lost with them.

Markas sat down with his feet overhanging the edge, Einar followed suit. They watched their village of Umferð down below as it bustled with people moving to and from the town center. There was a Waygate at the center and the village spoked outward like a wheel, blacksmiths and businesses the closest to the structure then houses and lastly farms.

Today was the Aging Ceremony where the children were assigned jobs and trades that would benefit the village. Markas and Einar had their ceremony last year, Markas had been assigned to The Keeper, town historian and healer, Einar to the town garrison.

Markas looked at his friend, “Hey, have you ever wanted to travel to another fragment?”

“I guess,” Einar paused “but there’s no way we could. There hasn’t been an airship in our skies since our parents were kids if the Keeper is to believed.”

“Yeah and as much as he makes me read those dusty tombs we can’t figure out how the Waygates work,” Markas said continuing Einar’s sentence.

“Exactly,” Einar replied.

They continued watching the town set up the councillors platform at the base of the inactive Waygate at the center of town. Markas tapped Einar’s shoulder awakening him from his trance and pointed at the sky, ”Look, it’s starting.”

The eclipse happens every year at this time and marks the beginning of the festival. A dark shadow ominously swept across the landscape as the largest of Yondar’s three moons passed in front of the morning sun.

Markas pulled the cloth out from where it was tucked into his pants and poked a small hole through it. He proceeded to hold up one end, while Einar held the other, allowing an image of the eclipse to be shown on the ground between the two friends. The eclipse was almost complete, Markas noticed something was wrong and began to lower the cloth.

”What are you doing? You remember what the keeper said, don’t look at the eclipse without the cloth, you could go blind,” Einar barked commandingly.

Markas stood up ignoring his friend. The sky was black. The shadows strewn across the landscape were dark as pitch and the sun’s golden halo had turned blood red.

Einar, still holding the cloth, so not to damage his eyes looked at his friend. Markas was frozen staring directly at the eclipse. His face bathed in golden light, mouth slightly agape as if concentrating intensely on something being said to only him. Then he collapsed.

Einar rushed to Markas’ side and dragged his unconscious friend away from the edge. He shielded his eyes and looked back toward the sun, the moon had almost completely passed in front, it was nearly over.  Einar stood up and walked to the cliff edge to see if he could signal anyone for help. He watched as the shadow slipped off the fragment into the void between.

There was a rustling behind him, Markas opened his eyes and sat up.

“What...what happened?” Markas asked as Einar kneeled next to him.

“You passed out after staring at the eclipse. How are your eyes?”

Markas rubbed the dirt and dust off himself as he stood up, “Umm yeah I’m fine.” He paused and looked around confused, “How did I get here?”

“Here?” Einar raised an eyebrow, “what do you mean here? We were watching the eclipse.”  

Markas looked at his friend, “Yeah I know that but I was sitting over there,” he pointed at the edge, “then this horrible feeling came over me and I was lying here.”

Einar was worried, “Come on, we need to get you back to town.” He put his arm under Markas’ shoulder and together they walked down the rocky slope.


Next Chapter: Chapter 2