(Hello everyone! I had originally written a Crystal Chronicles story but it had a few grammar and spelling mistakes, and I wanted to rename some characters, so I decided to update it a bit so it would appease my inner critic. My inner critic tends to get the better of me. Anyway, I hope you enjoy my updated version of my Crystal Chronicles story. Enjoy everyone!)
Chronicle 1
"The Beginning"
Long ago, there was a time of peace and prosperity. Until one day a great meteor appeared in the sky. Its great size scared the people of the world into thinking it was the end...but alas, they were not so lucky. From that great meteor appeared Raem, a great evil who thrived on memories and the very thing people to this day fear the most...miasma. Raem created an evil being known as the Meteor Parasite, which poured the miasma from its very being. The miasma plunged the world into a great mist and darkness. The people of the land grew frightened by this and choked on each breath they took. Fearing that the world would die out, the people began to lose hope. Until one day in the Village of Tida, a man appeared to the people. He was a young scholar with an unknown name. Clad in a brown robe, he entered the village quietly, saying not a single word to anyone until he was spoken to.
The people stared at him with curious and careful glances, wondering how he arrived there. He looked at the people for a few minutes, removing the cloth hood of his robe from his head, letting it fall gently onto his shoulders. He brought his arms out from his cloth robe as if he held an object. In his hands was a bowl like sculpture carved in a way the people had never seen before. On top if it was a small glowing crystal that shined with a mysterious light. He glanced over the faces of the people watching him. They stared in awe at him, not saying any word to him until a small girl came up to him.
"Where did you come from, mister?" she asked with innocent, questionable eyes.
He looked down at the young girl, towards the people, then back to the young girl again. He patted her small head with a smile.
"I come from far away. My home is on the tip of the country. Tipa is what I have called it. I live there alone with my wife." he began to fiddle with his boot laces then began taking out things from his bag. Books, scrolls, plumes of phoenix downs and raw materials were brought out from his bag.
The people began to show kind gestures to him. Offering him food and water, they made their guest feel welcome. The young man would nod graciously to them but stayed quiet as he did before. A man in the crowd, presumably the blacksmith of the village due to a bandanna around his forehead and an apron wrapped around his waist, sat next to him. He stared at the young scholar and then over to the strange sculpture.
"That's quite the fancy item you've got there. What is it if you don't mind me asking?"
The young man finished a bite of bannock, washing it down with cool, refreshing spring water. He looked to the blacksmith, giving a nod as he looked to him.
"This device is used to hold dew from a special tree that sprouted mysteriously near my home after the meteor fell." he began placing his things back into his bag.
"What does this tree look like?" the blacksmith asked with a questioning look.
"It's big with a sort of green and mossy trunk. Sprouting from it are large, turquoise colored leaves. They have a mysterious sheen to them like crystal." The people began to whisper in admiration at the description of this "heavenly" tree.
"We have a tree like that too. It appeared the same as yours, the day the meteor fell." the blacksmith said while rubbing the back of his head.
"Is it coincidence? No...I believe it all ties together just as she said..." the young man said to no one in particular as he held his chin in thought.
The villagers all looked to the young Clavat, puzzled.
"My apologies...a few days before this meteor fell, I was greeted in my dreams by a mysterious woman. She told me that she planted these, myrrh trees as she called them, all over the world to protect it from a soon to come great evil. I was a little dumbfounded by her words, mostly because she had no face and she almost looked...spiritual, like a ghostly figure. It was a little hard to believe at first and I thought I was going crazy, but alas, I have yet to see her since." he gave a light nervous chuckle while scratching his head.
The scholar got up and stretched then looked to the people again.
"Will you take me to this tree? I must see if it is the same." he asked with a serious tone.
The people took him to a large open area where they told him they used to keep caravans and livestock. They told him that mysteriously, the miasma was not around the tree so it was a safe place to stay if the miasma proved too much for the people. He glanced at the tree, which had sprouted from the stone ground, carefully observing it. He nodded his head, indicating it was the same as the tree near his home.
"It is just as the woman said in my dream...these trees serve as some protection against the great "evil" or mist that has now clouded our world. Is the miasma that surrounds us now not a great evil? Well...I say let's do something about it!" He took the strange sculpture to the pedestal near the tree.
"The woman in my dream called this a crystal chalice. It is used to collect the, "drops of dew" as the spiritual woman called it, that fall from these trees. Once the chalice is full, it will be used to fill a giant crystal to be placed in the center of every town or village. She said that by doing this, it would keep the miasma away for a year at a time."
"What crystal? Do you mean the one in the center of town? We always wondered why that thing was there. Prove to us that what you say about these "drops of dew" is true." The villagers began to murmur in agreement.
The scholar looked at him and raised the chalice up for all to see.
"Watch closely." He placed the chalice on the stone pedestal that appeared with the trees and left it there. Nothing happened for a few seconds but then the crystal glowed and so did the tree. Small glowing orbs circled and danced around the tree and one of it's leaves glowed. Out came a "drop of dew" as the scholar said and it landed on top of the crystal perched on the top of the chalice. The chalice glowed again and about a fifth of the chalice was filled with glowing blue water. The villagers stared in awe at the great thing they had just witnessed. They cheered in excitement at the wonder this man had brought them.
"This is great! Now we can collect as much as we want and never have to worry about this miasma again!" a man shouted.
The scholar raised his arm for them to be silent. He looked at everyone with a serious face, indicating that there was something wrong, that there was a catch.
"I will say this...for this to happen, we need people to go out and search for these trees. For these trees only give one drop of dew every two years." there was a long silence among the people.
The villagers began to let out shouts of protest. They couldn't believe that such a miracle came at such a high cost. It would mean that they would have to send people out into the dangers of the miasma to fight monsters. It grew silent again and the scholar spoke once more.
"Send this message to all people in the land... that it is up to them to keep the miasma at bay! Many dangers lie along their journey, but they need not face them alone! They can gather a team...ones who know the meaning of magicite and ancient magic, to be able to fight and to ride in a crystal caravan. To make their mark together in this time of age and must be willing to lose their lives for the people of this world. This is a new era and chapter in this world's history! Together, we can survive and live in the miasma!"
Ever since those days of the mysterious scholar that I talked to through his dreams, who has grown older and wiser, the people of this world have fought tremendously against the perils of the miasma and the evils it brought with it. With the help of hired guards from neighboring towns, the scholar has built his own village around the small crystal near his home. While people have moved in and out, helping with the collection of myrrh each year, no one lives there at the moment. All will change, for a new story begins. To the elderly couple's surprise, a Selkie family of five have just arrived to live in the peaceful village. Looking for a home away from their homeland, Leuda, they come to start anew. Among them, a Selkie baby girl by the name of Fae Ree will soon grow up to embark on a perilous journey with her friends. I am Lady Mio and I wait for the day that a traveler will come and bring peace to this world for all eternity.
'O, keepers of the crystal.
Thy memories to the light shall flow.
Forgotten jewels that lose their glow.
In time they shall return anew.
To be gathered like drops of dew.'
000
Tipa Village
Sitting on the side of a cliff, a selkie girl hummed to herself as she looked out at the sea stretched out before her. This was her usual place, where she could relax, think and get away from a nagging older sister.
Fae Ree, the merchants daughter. A girl who seems anything but. Her toned and agile physique is dressed in garments of the sometimes infamous Shark Eyes tribe from Leuda. Her black eyes stand out amongst her face, her head topped with hair mixed of sea greens and blues. In her family of all sisters, she stands out as she tends to act out with a tomboyish nature. At times she can be stubborn and often loses her temper, but she is kind and caring in her own unique way. And much like her father, she has a way with words and a way with making more gil than usual.
Realizing that she was in a hurry, she had to meet the elder. She remembered the day he came to her home, telling her that he would like to speak to her privately. She didn't understand why, but she knew it had to be important coming from him.
Shaking the memory from her mind, she rose from the ground. Pulling down her short turquoise skirt, she adjusted her dark black stockings. Wiping grass from her bottom, she stretched. Pushing her long hair behind her shoulders, she fixed her braids near her ears and pulled it all into her usual ponytail. Taking in the last few moments of the scene she darted down the hill.
Well, it's time to visit the elders. Fae Ree thought as she ran down the hill. Passing the tailors house, she found herself in the middle of the village. Stopping in front of the large crystal, she read the words carved on the stone tablet.
'O, keepers of the crystal.
Thy memories to the light shall flow.
Forgotten jewels that lose their glow.
In time they shall return anew.
To be gathered like drops of dew.'
These words were passed down from long before she was born, around the time that the miasma first appeared into the world. She hated the miasma; it kept the skies dark and starless. Sitting on one of the steps, she waited, staring at the blacksmith's shop. The door opened and out stepped Clouse, whistling an amusing tune as he wrote in a journal. Looking up, he noticed her staring at him.
"Oh, hey Fae, what are you doing?" he asked.
Clouse Winchester. Dressed in his usual headband tribe clothing, his eyes a bright brown. Being the blacksmith's son was a huge honor to him and he always took things very seriously. Almost like a "knight in shining armor" personality about him, he always made sure his friends were okay. His usual hobby, when he isn't helping his father at the forge, is writing in his giant journal. According to him, it was a way to remember things he otherwise wouldn't. But often, with a personality such as his, any slight mishap makes him feel responsible and often times he blames himself for things that are out of his control, even if he wasn't the one who caused it.
"I'm waiting for the elders." Fae Ree replied, giving Clouse a warm smile. "They said they wanted to talk to me about something. Sounds super important."
"You too?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
Fae gave him a curious look. "Did Elder Roland come by your place as well?" she asked.
"Yeah, apparently he went to all the houses yesterday. Breyna told me he came by her house too."
Fae Ree fiddled with her hair in frustration. "That's weird….I wonder why he needs to talk to all of us?"
Clouse just shrugged. "Beats me. It must be pretty important if all of us are involved. Mind if I sit with you?"
Fae Ree shook her head. "No, I don't mind. Glad to have the company."
"I hear someone's going to move into the mill today. I wonder what they're like?" Clouse asked with his head cocked to the side.
"Hmm….your guess is as good as mine." Fae Ree said with a shrug. "I'll actually be glad to start buying fresh bread for mom again. I won't have to order any from Fum anymore."
From behind the two came a loud, thundering roar, causing the two to jump and yell in unison.
"Oh man, I got you guys good!" came a voice from behind the crystal. His laughter filling the air. The owner of the voice ran out in front of them, a huge cheeky grin stretching across his face.
"Kreise!" Clouse and Fae Ree yelled in unison.
Kreise Annenheim. He was the rancher's son and a poor one at that. He loves to play pranks on people and is very childish. Not made any better by his loud and boisterous voice. What he lacks in manners though, he makes up for in physicality. For a Lilty, he always seemed to do really well in any kind of physical activity. Due to his childish nature, he is often getting into trouble and has no real sense of responsibility.
"You 'bout gave me a heart attack, dude!" Clouse yelled in anger.
Fae Ree stormed off the stair she sat on and grabbed a fistful of the lilty's plant-like hair. "I should thrown you into the creek behind Len's house, you little shit!" she yelled, giving his hair a good pull as she yelled his ear off.
"Ow, you'll pull it all out! I'm sorry, okay?! It was just perfect timing, I couldn't help myself!"
Fae Ree let the foolish lilty go, crossed her arms and huffed. "You're such a child..." she groaned, rolling her eyes. She sat back down on the stone stairs, glaring daggers at Kreise.
"My word, what on earth is all of this racket so early in the morning? I thought I heard screaming over here."
Fae Ree perked up at the voice, looking over at a porcelain faced Lilty in elegant tribe garments. "Breyna!"
Breyna Everlue, the tailor's daughter. While it appeared that she came over to see if everything was okay, everyone knew she just came to complain about the noise. Originally raised in Alfitaria as a noble, an unexpected turn of events caused her family to be cast out of nobility and moved here to Tipa to get away from the scrutiny and gossip. While a nice girl, when she's not on her high horse, she has a temper the size of Mt. Kilanda. If one wrong button was pushed...well...the outcome is left to one's imagination. Although her family's trade is that of tailoring, Breyna isn't the best with a needle. But she is rather skilled in fencing and other forms of ranged melee combat.
"Brat alert, code red..." Kreise mumbled in Clouse's ear.
"It's okay Breyna, Kreise is just up to his usual shenanigans. How are you this morning?" Fae Ree asked with a sheepish smile.
"Yeah, anyone tie your undies in a twist this morning?" Kreise teased, but avoiding eye contact.
Breyna folded her arms, her foot briskly tapping the floor. She gave the boys a peeved look.
"Dude, knock it off! You know Breyna has a short temper! Do you want her to kill us?!" Clouse whispered violently into Kreise's ear.
"Please...I'm not afraid of her." Kreise huffed.
"Yeah, you say that now." Clouse teased, elbowing him in the knee.
"I'm doing wonderful, Fae Ree. Thank you for asking. Mind if I have a seat next to you and not by the child?" Breyna asked as she glared at Kreise.
"Sure. So elder Roland came to your house as well? Clouse told me he visited everyone yesterday."
Breyna nodded. "Indeed. He was going on about how he needed to chat with me and that it was of the utmost importance. I wonder why?" she pondered as she dusted off the stone stairs before sitting.
"I think we all want to know just as much as you, Breyna. I have a feeling I know what it's about….and my nerves are getting the better of me." Clouse added as he held his stomach. "I almost feel nauseated at the thought. You don't think we're in trouble, do you?"
"I don't see how. We haven't done anything. Well, maybe Kreise, but not us." Fae Ree replied. "But if this were about him, he wouldn't be meeting all of us."
"Hey, don't blame it on me! I haven't done anything lately!" Kreise yelled defiantly.
"So says the child who nearly scared Fae and Clouse out of their trousers." Breyna remarked as she glared at Kreise.
"Uh- oh Fae, you might want to prepare yourself." Clouse added as he nudged her shoulder. "You-know-who is coming this way."
"Oh, great." Fae Ree groaned as she saw the Selkie boy easing his way over to them.
"Yo, Len! Over here!" Kreise called.
He waved and immediately came running. He teasingly kissed both Fae Ree and Breyna's hands as he grinned. Fae Ree, a bit flustered, pulled her arm away, forming her hand into a fist. Breyna giggled as she rolled her eyes.
"Good morning ladies! How are we this morning?" he asked with a cocky grin.
Len Sol, fisherman's son and the second troublemaker in the village. Cocky and competitive, he always makes sure he comes out on top of everyone else. A former member of the Raccoon Tail tribe in Leuda, he came to Tipa by boat with his family for a fresh start. He is often seen with Kreise causing all kinds of shenanigans in the village. His long blonde hair pulled up with a green bandanna blew about in an out of nowhere breeze. His emerald green eyes looking over in Fae Ree's direction.
"You're not the last one here as usual, Len" Kreise teased as he motioned for Len to sit next to him. "That's new."
"Aw man, I wanted to be fashionably late as always. Where are Mira and Al?" he asked with a cocked brow.
"I think Al'dooran had to help his dad with the fields this morning and I'm not sure about Mira." Kreise replied, shrugging his shoulders. "She's probably got her hands full with research again."
"Well, it appears we do not have to wait too long. Here they come now." Breyna noted, pointing down the road towards Al's house.
Two tall and feathered individuals walked side by side talking to one another. The female figure on the left waved over at them, while the other just turned his gaze to them.
"You two get everything done already?" Fae Ree asked, patting one of the stairs next to her.
"Oh yes, mom and dad said I could stop early today since I was meeting the elder this morning." the female Yuke responded. "Oh, good morning, by the way!"
Mi'ravela is a quiet and somewhat shy Yuke girl. She's the daughter of the alchemist in the village and often times is known to be a bit of a bookish type. She loves helping her family with research, but would rather be learning more about magicite. She often struggles with huge crowds of people, but is known as one of the most caring and compassionate people in the village.
"And what about you, Al? Are you sure your dad tend to the fields by himself?" Clouse asked the male Yuke.
He nods, scratching the back of his helm. "He said it's fine, but I am a little worried to be honest. He hasn't been sleeping well lately."
Al'dooran is the farmer's son with a very calm and laid back attitude. He's known for being a mediator when things get a little dicey between people. He's also known for his incredible ability to bring any plant back from the brink of death. A trait he learned from his late mother. He can often times appear a bit mysterious since he rarely talks, unless it's with his friends, but his often calm and relaxing demeanor puts people at ease.
"Well, Kreise and Len can give you guys a hand after we meet with the Elder. I'm sure they'll be glad to help out." Fae Ree offered with a smile.
"Hey! Who gave you the right to suddenly force me and Len to do manual labor?!" Kreise yelled. "I get enough of that crap at home with the cows!" Kreise whined.
A blood vessel nearly burst above Fae Ree's eyebrow. "Oh, I don't know, maybe since you nearly scared me to death a few moments ago and Len decided to be gross again!" Fae Ree yelled back, she suddenly turned her cold gaze to Len. "You're lucky I didn't punch you for kissing my hand, you perv!"
"Madame, you wound me!" Len Sol dramatically yelled. "I was only wishing you a good morning. Why must you be so cold?!"
"Do you want me to punch you?!" Fae Ree yelled, rolling back the sleeve of her top on the right arm.
"Okay, kids, settle down." Clouse chuckled nervously, putting himself between the two. "Let's not cause anymore of a scene this early in the morning."
Everyone else nodded in agreement and as soon as they did, the door to the elder's house creaked open.
They turned around and out came elder Roland.
"Ah you all made it, good. I'll be right down." As they waited for elder Roland, Mira saw movement in the corner of her eye. Facing the road near her house, she saw someone walking over at a brisk pace.
"Oh, it seems someone's heading over here. I haven't seen her before." Mira said pointing toward the figure heading in their direction.
"How delightful, I love meeting new people, she must be the one moving into the mill!" Breyna squealed in excitement.
As if on cue, a Clavat girl with short chocolate brown hair saw them staring at her. Dressed in green and creamy yellow colored garments, she waved. The group waved back and motioned for her to come over. She smiled brightly as she came down the hill with a basket in her hands. The group on the stone stairs of the town's crystal were hit with the aroma of freshly baked bannock.
"Hi." she greeted softly, a small smile stretching across her cheeks.
"Yo!" Kreise greeted.
"Good morning." Breyna warmly greeted.
"Hey, come and sit with us...um?"
The young Clavat girl gasped, realizing she had not introduced herself.
"Oh! I'm sorry. I'm Alicia, it's nice to meet y'all!" she greeted. She held out the basket with big smile, offering it to the group. "Um….these are for you guys. I hope you like 'em, I made them this mornin'."
Alicia Rawley, the miller's daughter. Dressed in the short hair tribe garments, her short, chocolate brown hair is slightly tussled in a bandanna and tucked behind her ears, leaving only her bangs to come out. With her hazel eyes catching the suns light, they match elements of the green of her garments. Her slight country drawl makes even the coldest types seem to warm up to her. Her abilities in baking are unmatched and she's often told that she's a prodigy. Just watch out for her protective older brothers. However, she is often seen with a book in her hands. A love for knowledge found early on in her life back home.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Fae Ree, but you can just call me Fae if you want." pointing from left to right she introduced everyone. "That's Clouse, Kreise, Len Sol, behind me is Breyna and over here is Mira and Al."
All said their hellos and smiled.
"Nice to meet y'all." she said in a sing-song tone. "I can't wait to join you." she added as she sat behind Breyna. "I'll admit though, I'm as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rockin' chairs!" a soft laugh followed.
"Join us?" Clouse asked curiously.
"What do you mean?" Mira asked, tilting her head slightly.
"You know, on the caravan? I'm so excited to finally go out there and learn so much. Aren't y'all?" Alicia asked, her face contorting in confusion a bit.
"Caravan?" Al questioned, looking over at Mira, who returned his gaze with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Whoa whoa whoa...back that up….caravan?! Like myrrh gathering, monster killing, world traveling caravan?!" Kreise asked loudly, his newfound excitement clearly getting the better of him.
"Um...did the elders not tell y'all yet?" Alicia asked timidly.
"No, my dear, but we were getting to that." Elder Roland's voice replied as he joined the group at the town's crystal.
"I'm sorry, elder. I thought you told them." Alicia apologized shyly, gripping her shirt a little nervously.
"It's alright, Alicia. They know now and the question is, are you all ready to accept your destiny?"
All were in shock, dumbfounded. It was probably one of the very few moments that the group of friends were quiet. Was it really true? Were they really just chosen to be the next members of the caravan?
"We…..I mean, aren't we a bit young, sir?" Len Sol asked with concern. "I mean, the younger of us are Kreise and Breyna who are only sixteen. I'm not trying to say I don't want to, it would be an honor, but it's dangerous out there, right?" he asked nervously.
The rest of the gang nodded in agreement. A thousand questions suddenly flying into the air in the elder's direction. He held up his hands to try and calm the group.
"I know you all must have so many questions, but while what you say is true, I fear we don't have much choice. You must do this, I'm afraid. Come, we will talk further in my home." he motioned for the group to follow.
They walked up the steep stone stairs leading to the elders' house. Roland coaxed them into his home. Malayde, his wife, was in the kitchen making some tea. They all sat in chairs in the dining room while Roland sat across from them, watching his wife pour the tea.
"Here you are dears." Malayde said with a smile in a raspy voice, handing them their cups of tea.
"Thank you." They said in unison.
Breyna took a sip and beamed at Malayde who smiled in return. Malayde walked over to the chair next to her husband and sat down.
"Green tea with a hint of sugar….positively divine Mrs. Malayde." Breyna praised before taking another sip.
"Shall we begin?" Roland asked as he held Malayde's hand. "Are you ready to accept your destiny?"
(Well there's the first chapter, sorry if it was a little boring but I promise it will get better. I am a little nervous as to keeping track of a large group. A lot of dialogue and all that. Thanks for reading and let me know what you think about it. Also, credit to cheshiregengar for the crystal chalice art in the cover!
In case if you're curious as to each member's appearance, here are the tribe choices for the caravan members. In order of appearance:
Fae Ree: Shark Eyes
Clouse: Headband
Kreise: Bare Head
Breyna: Elegant
Len Sol: Raccoon Tail
Mira: Spoon
Al: Bumpy
Alicia: Short Hair
Next Chapter: The Journey Begins! Hope you will look forward to it! ^.^ )