Prologue Part 1

Within Terra Sol there is a subplot that happened 90 years prior to the main story, but will play an important role later in the book. This is the introduction to that subplot.

~90 Years Ago~

            There was a time when travel among the realms was not only allowed, it was encouraged. All four planets lived in harmony, trading goods and services freely and studying the rich cultures that belonged to each. This does not mean, however, that everyone was happy.

            The most glamorous and ornately adorned house in Capital City was home to a husband and wife of prestige status and five picture perfect children. The eldest son and eldest daughter were guaranteed a place on the Airedessa Board of Collegiates once they finished their schooling. The second eldest son and the second eldest daughter were already making their parents already bulging coin deposit swell even more with their intricate line of jewelry and fine linens. They had forsaken traditional schooling for the jewelry craft trade school when they were only 10. Five years later, they were known throughout the star system for crafting the finest rings and necklaces money could buy.

            The youngest son, much to his parent’s dismay, was not gifted in politics or trade or any of the traditional means of success. He was often found staring out of his bedroom window which overlooked one of the only forested parts of Airedessa. His only real point of pride was his wings. While most Destonians grew wings that spanned a little past their fingertips, his were much longer. Growing up he had been told by mentors and friends that he should be an athlete; he was sure to fly faster than anyone else with a wing span such as his. But he did not have the competitive temperament that was necessary to be in any “real” sport that was determined by his parents. Thus, he used his magnanimous wings to soar all over the city and where ever his musing took him.

By the time his schooling was coming to an end, the youngest son of Airedessa’s most popular senators had traveled even more than either of parents. When the rest of his family was attending galas, holding press conferences or interviews, he used his free time to immerse himself in cultures that didn’t seem to hold him to such a high standard. He had soared over the jungles of Terra Sol, dipped his fingers in the oceans of Delphime and raced across the plains of Dracumbra. The closer the time of his commencement was, the more he preferred to leave his home planet for the adventures of another. He even began to dream of becoming a cultural specialist; traveling for a living would be his dream. Every time his mother would brag about his sibling’s jewelry success, or when his father would prepare the eldest for their time in the capital, he was brought back to reality. His parents would never let him be something as homely as an anthropologist.

            Still, he could not keep himself from traveling to the other realms. Every time he boarded a transport vessel, his heart began to race and he felt a weight lift off of his shoulders like he was a child again. The rush of endorphins he got from leaving Airedessa had become almost an addiction. How could he give up this feeling?

            A few weeks before the end of his mentoring he decided to travel to Delphime, his favorite of the four realms. The energy of the surging water was a sharp contrast to the silent and serious mountains of Airedessa. While cruising over the turquoise waters of one of the less populated beaches, he spotted a shimmer on the sand that peaked his curiosity and forced him closer to the sand. The pulsing air from his wings stirred up a tunnel of sand that clouded his visibility for a moment as he landed. As the air cleared, he saw a girl laying on a large flat rock just out of reach of the waves. He suspected for a moment that she may only be sleeping in the warmth of the sun until he saw that her lips were a darker blue than the water that pushed up around the rock. Hastily, he half ran, half flew to the rock on which she was sprawled.

            Closer now, he saw that a thin gold chin was wrapped so tight around her neck it was near to drawing blood. There was no way for him to get a finger under the chain in an attempt to grab a hold and break it or it would only choke her more. Flipping her over in a desperate act to finding the solution, he saw that the chain had become knotted at the back of her neck. Risking cutting off her air supply even more, he took a hold of the knot in the chain and used her own razor sharp scales on one of her hands to cut the metal. She did not instantly inhale or jerk awake as he was expecting. Still at a loss, the only thing he could think of to do was to put her back into the water. If her lungs weren’t working, maybe her gills would. He cradled her in his arms and ran into the water, knowing that submersing his wings would make it hard for him to fly until they dried. Once in the water, she slowly regained consciousness. He watched her come to life in his arms and felt that familiar rush of endorphins. He had never felt that elated except when traveling until that very moment.

            Lacking the energy to question him or reject at being held like an infant, she merely offered a soft half smile to show her appreciation. He smiled a grateful smile in return and held up the broken chain as some explanation of what happened. Hanging from the necklace he saw a small gold plate that was engraved with the name Audrina.